Final Day of New Year Blood Drive By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The American Red Cross continues to encourage the community to make a lifesaving blood donation this year during their special 4-day campaign.Eligible donors are encouraged to roll up a sleeve today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Concord United Methodist Church, 5178 Hinkleville Road, in Paducah. The drive began on Sunday.The region faces an urgent need for blood and platelet donors. Donations often decline during the holidays. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urgently needed to give now to avoid delays in lifesaving medical care for patients.Anthony Tennin, with the Red Cross speaking on the Greg Dunker Show, explained that when you give blood, your body simply replenishes it. He said they have donors that have given many gallons of blood over their lifetime, which has touched literally hundreds of lives.Those who come out to give will receive a free car wash courtesy of Finish Line Car Wash, a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, and be entered into drawings for $25 gift cards each hour.Volunteer blood drive hosts are also critically needed to stop the shortage from continuing throughout winter. If you can host a blood drive at your school, church or workplace, contact the Red Cross.You can schedule an appointment to give blood by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor App or visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering sponsor code: PaducahCM. Walk-ins are welcome. APM Terminals Bahrain has been recognized with the Ministry of Labour Safety Excellence Award for 2018 for its outstanding efforts in compliance and implementation of occupational health and safety in workplace. APM Terminals Bahrain, the operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) has been recognized with the Ministry of Labour Safety Excellence Award for 2018 for its outstanding efforts in compliance and implementation of occupational health and safety in workplace. The award was presented on behalf of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa by HE the Minister of Labour and Social Development Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan alongside Undersecretary of the Ministry Sabah Al Dossary to Jordana Semaan, general manager - Human resources for APM Terminals Bahrain. This industry recognition makes APM Terminals Bahrain the only transportation and logistics company in the Kingdom to receive this award from Ministry of Labour and Social Development in 2018. TradeArabia News Service Have you checked in "Settings" and then "Sound" to make sure it isn't muted? You may also want to try restarting (turning off and back on) the phone to see if this resolves it. If it doesn't, and it isn't muted or turned all the way down in sounds then try starting the phone in "Safe Mode" and see if it will work in there. If it does, then you know there is something (virus, malware, bad app, etc.) that is on the phone and interfering. If it doesn't work even in "Safe Mode" then you likely need to have it fixed (hardware problem). To get into "Safe Mode" please do the following. 1. First turn off the phone. 2. Next press and hold "Power" until you see the manufacturers logo on the screen, then release the power button. 3. "Quickly" press "Volume Down" and hold it for few seconds until you see the message "Safe mode: ON" or something similar. 4. If you wanted disable it, simply repeat the steps above, and you should see "Safe Mode: OFF" rather than on. You have reached a premium content area of TOL. To read this entire article please login if you are already a TOL subscriber. Not a subscriber? Annual membership costs only $55 per year for individuals ($33 for students) and organizational subscriptions start at $141 per year. Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Spread out across three floors, the sleek bar and lounge Blackbird sits downstairs with a relaxed outdoor terrace, upscale modern Chinese concept Table Black and Bar Black is one floor up, and the rooftop is decked out with lounge chairs and a DJ booth for chilling into the early hours. At Blackbird, the inventive food (smoked eel with whipped duck liver and soy mint caramel, anyone?) alongside excellent cocktails, like the Creek Cress with pine needle-infused gin, will keep you coming back for more. Upstairs, Blake Thornley is serving up even more off-the-wall tasting menus inspired by Guizhou flavours but uniquely his own for a meal that's challenging, provocative and inspired. Big Apple joins in ringing in New Year after rough 2018 New York, Jan 1 (AFP) Jan 01, 2019 New York City's iconic crystal ball dropped as usual and rain-soaked crowds in Times Square cheered and smooched in celebration, as Americans joined revelers around the world in welcoming the New Year on Tuesday and saying goodbye to a tumultuous 2018. For many, the sparkling sphere's time-honored descent came after hours spent in cold, wet weather -- a wait made easier by performances from entertainers such as Christina Aguilera, Sting and Snoop Dogg. Just before the ball fell, Bebe Rexha sang John Lennon's "Imagine," and in the first moments of 2109 many in the square sang along as Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," boomed from loudspeakers. The festivities in New York and elsewhere in the US were the latest stop in a celebratory wave that swept west across the globe from Asia to Europe before reaching America. Out west, fireworks lit up the sky over the Embarcadero in San Francisco and vendors sold pretty, lighted balloons. Los Angeles City Hall was illuminated in red and violet. In Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue briefly came to colorful life through light projections while pyrotechnics lit up more than two million white-clad Brazilians dancing to free concerts on Copacabana Beach below. The global party kicked off on Sydney's waterfront with the Australian city's biggest-ever fireworks display, thrilling 1.5 million people. Signage beamed onto a bridge pylon got the year wrong -- it said happy 2018 -- but city officials laughed off the gaffe. In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands packed streets along Victoria Harbour for a spectacular 10-minute show that illuminated the night. In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, more than 500 couples tied the knot in a free, mass wedding organized by the government to mark the arrival of a new year. Fireworks shows, however, were cancelled out of respect for victims of a December 22 tsunami that killed more than 400 people. In Japan, locals flocked to temples to ring in 2019. But the night was marred by tragedy in the Japanese capital as a man deliberately drove into a celebratory crowd, injuring nine people, one of them seriously, police said. - Leaders' addresses - In Dubai, fireworks lit up the sky over the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, to the delight of onlookers, while nearby Ras al-Khaima tried to enter the Guinness Book of Records with the world's longest fireworks show. Almost eight years into Syria's civil war, people in Damascus celebrated their first New Year's Eve since regime forces expelled the last rebels and jihadists from the capital's suburbs earlier this year. Dozens of families headed to restaurants and bars in the Old City. Among them was university student Kinda Haddad, who had decided to leave home to celebrate for the first time in years. "This area was really dangerous in previous years. A mortar round could have fallen on the area at any moment," the 24-year-old said, alluding to past rebel fire on the capital. Russia saw in the new year over several time zones. Concerts and light shows featured in Moscow city parks, and more than 1,000 ice rinks opened for merrymakers. But a tower block gas explosion that killed at least four people cast a shadow over festivities. In his annual New Year's address broadcast just before midnight, President Vladimir Putin called on Russias to work together to "increase well-being and quality of life". In Paris, fireworks and a light show were held on the Champs Elysees, with "yellow vest" anti-government protesters among the 300,000-strong crowd. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a televised address, acknowledged his government "can do better" but added: "I believe in us". In Berlin, music lovers partied at the Brandenburg Gate. London ushered in the new year by celebrating its relationship with Europe, despite Britain's impending departure from the European Union. Mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital would remain "outward looking" after Brexit. In some African countries, election considerations shadowed New Year revelry. Election officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo were busy counting votes from Sunday's presidential election. As the world celebrates, many are wondering whether the turmoil witnessed in 2018 will spill over into the next year. In Britain, the political row over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, and is still to be resolved ahead of Britain's scheduled March 29 departure. US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018, ramping up a trade war with China, quitting the Iran nuclear deal, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and meeting his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un. Kim warned on Tuesday that while Pyongyang wanted good relations with Washington, it might consider a change of approach if the US maintained its sanctions. In Syria President Bashar al-Assad is reasserting control after Trump's shock announcement of a US troop withdrawal from the country. The war in Yemen, which has killed about 10,000 people since 2014 and left some 20 million at risk of starvation, could take a crucial turn in 2019 after a ceasefire went into effect in mid-December. burs-rmb/jj Letter to the Editor The efforts been renewed to bond for a new school. . Let me state the problem Everybody, including me, wants a new school, nobody wants to ... Wilaya de El Aaiun, Jan 1, 2019 (SPS) - The Union of Education and Vocational Training Workers affirmed, on the occasion of the closing of the activities of the National Day of the Teacher, that the celebration of this event is a continuation of the first meeting held on the 31st of 1975 in Egleibat El-Fula. a national occasion to evaluate the achievements and objectives achieved in the field of education. The Trade Union of Education and Vocational Training Workers appreciated the efforts made by the Education Workers to train men and women, as a step in the construction of Sahrawi institutions. In the same context, the Sahrawi Union praised, in its statement, the resistance of the Saharawi people in the occupied areas of Western Sahara despite the tortures, mistreatment and humiliation exercised by the Moroccan occupation police that does not respect the basic rights of the Sahrawi citizens. It continues Deaf to the demands of the international community. SPS 125/090/TRA The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement US military apologizes for tweet about dropping bombs Washington, Jan 1 (AFP) Jan 01, 2019 US Strategic Command apologized Monday for a joke in "bad taste" after tweeting it was ready to drop something "much bigger" than the traditional Times Square crystal ball at New Year. In a message posted, and later deleted, on Twitter, the military force that controls the US nuclear arsenal released a video in which B-2 bombers drop bombs, with the message: "If ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger." Amid the jaw-dropping and eye-raising on social media that followed, STRATCOM -- whose slogan is "peace is our profession" -- then tweeted an apology. "Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies," it said. A STRATCOM spokesman told NBC News the images on the video showed non-nuclear bombs. About a million people are expected Monday in New York's Times Square, where revelers since 1907 ring in the New Year watching a giant ball slide slowly down a pole. bur-mdl/oh S.Leone ex-defence minister released amid arrests Freetown, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2018 Police in Sierra Leone fired tear gas and rubber bullets Monday at supporters of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, injuring one, during protests following the arrest of a former minister for alleged corruption. "Dozens of people were arrested during the protest for disorderly conduct at the headquarters of the opposition APC party on Monday", police said. "Police fired teargas canisters into our party office and one of our supporters was severely wounded", Karamo Kabba, a senior APC member told AFP, adding the protest had been peaceful. "We are not inciting anybody to perpetuate violence against the Government, but we are against 'witch hunting' of former government officials", APC secretary general Alhaji Osman Yansaneh told AFP. Former defence minister Paolo Conteh was arrested Friday but released on bail Monday, police said. The Minister of Information and Communication Abdurrahman Swarray in a statement accused former president and APC head Ernest Bai Koroma of inciting tribal violence. "It's an irresponsible statement by the APC calling for tribal violence in the country", The Minister of Information and communication Abdurrahman Swarray said. Conteh was detained along with Sannah Marrah, the defence ministry's former director general, at the Criminal Investigation Department on Friday. Both face charges, the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission said. The commission added officials are investigating allegations of corruption over procurement of military vehicles, uniforms and rice in 2015 in a procurement contract worth a reported $10 million. On his release, Conteh was received by jubilant opposition party supporters holding placards and singing political victory songs in the capital Freetown. President Julius Maada Bio succeeded Koroma nine months ago after a tumultuous election campaign in which he targeted corruption, ending a decade-long rule by the APC. Soon after he took office a government report commissioned said "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. 'Hold fast': Mattis bids farewell to Pentagon Washington, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2018 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis bade farewell to the Pentagon on Monday, telling the US military to "hold fast" after he quit over a series of fundamental differences with President Donald Trump. Mattis resigned December 20, after Trump stunned the US establishment by ordering a full troop withdrawal from Syria. "Our department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult," Mattis said in a brief memo to the Pentagon, an apparent reference to the turmoil in Washington. "So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes." Mattis, a scholar who frequently backs his views with historical anecdotes, also quoted a telegram President Abraham Lincoln sent to General Ulysses Grant in February 1865, near the end of the American Civil War. "Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder, or delay your military movements, or plans," the former Marine Corps general quoted Lincoln as saying. He added that he was confident military members are "undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life." - 'Difficult circumstances' - Mattis was followed in his resignation by Brett McGurk, the US special representative to the coalition fighting the Islamic State movement, which Trump declared to be defeated. Just days before Trump announced the Syria withdrawal on Twitter, McGurk addressed a news conference in which he assured that the United States would not "just pick up and leave" Syria, warning of the risks that the Islamic State would return. On his last day in office Monday, McGurk, a Middle East troubleshooter under former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, struck a similar tone to Mattis. "I wish my former civilian and military colleagues well as they work under extremely difficult circumstances to protect the interests of our great country," McGurk tweeted. Mattis had initially been due to leave the Pentagon at the end of February, but Trump brought the date forward by two months. Trump was reportedly angered by news coverage of Mattis's stinging resignation letter, which laid bare his fundamental disagreements with the president. In that letter, the 68-year-old Pentagon chief said his political outlook, which cherishes traditional alliances, could no longer be reconciled with that of the president, who has poured scorn on longstanding partnerships and repeatedly sought closer ties with Russia. As of January 1, Patrick Shanahan will be acting defense secretary, moving up from his position of deputy. On Monday, Trump appeared to soften his stance on Syria, saying troops would be sent home "slowly" while still fighting the Islamic State group. 85 FARC members killed in Colombia since peace accord: UN Bogota, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2018 Since Colombia signed a peace deal with left-wing FARC rebels two years ago, 85 members of the former guerrilla movement have been murdered, the United Nations said on Monday. Between September 26 and December 26 this year alone, "14 ex-members of FARC were murdered," said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres in his quarterly report on the global body's mission to Colombia. According to the state's special investigation unit, quoted by the UN, those responsible for the killings "are illegal armed groups and criminal organizations." Most of those cases have been linked to the Gulf Clan drug-trafficking group that emerged out of disarmed right-wing paramilitaries in 2006, as well as FARC dissidents, the ELN guerrilla group and remnants of the now disbanded EPL Marxist rebels. FARC is the Spanish acronym for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia; ELN is the National Liberation Army; and EPL is the People's Liberation Army. - Guterres 'hugely concerned' - The UN called on right-wing President Ivan Duque, a vocal critic of the peace accord signed by his predecessor Juan Manuel Santos, to "reinforce the security plans and strategies for ex-combatants." In the report, Guterres said he was "hugely" concerned about the number of murders of social leaders and human rights defenders, saying the UN had verified 163 of 454 reported cases since the peace accord was signed. "Most of the murders were in zones abandoned by former FARC (fighters) and where there is limited state presence," the UN report said. Colombia's human rights ombudsman estimates that 423 activists were murdered between 2016 and the end of November. Transformed into a political party since the peace deal, FARC has hit out repeatedly at the lack of security guarantees for its members. While some 7,000 ex-fighters laid down their weapons, Colombia's peace and reconciliation commission estimates there remain 1,600 dissident rebels. Colombia has been torn by more than a half century of armed conflict involving guerrillas, drug-traffickers, paramilitaries and state forces, leaving eight million people dead, disappeared or displaced. NASA speeds toward historic flyby of faraway world, Ultima Thule Tampa, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2018 NASA counted down Monday to a historic flyby of the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever explored by humankind -- a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule -- in the hopes of learning more about how planets took shape. The US space agency planned to ring in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark the spacecraft's zoom past the mysterious object located about four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt. The flyby at 12:33 am Tuesday (0533 GMT) will take place about a billion miles beyond Pluto, which was until now the most faraway world ever visited up close by a spacecraft. Real-time video of the actual flyby is impossible, since it takes more than six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, named New Horizons, and another six hours for the response to arrive. A solo track recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May -- who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics -- was set to be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation as NASA commentators describe the close pass. The live broadcast can be followed at www.nasa.gov/nasalive. Hurtling through space at a speed of 32,000 miles per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 2,200 miles of the surface of Ultima Thule. Alan Stern, the lead planetary scientist on the New Horizons mission, told reporters that Ultima Thule is unique because it is a relic from the early days of the solar system and could provide answers about the origins of other planets. "The object is in such a deep freeze that it is perfectly preserved from its original formation," he said. "Everything we are going to learn about Ultima -- from its composition to its geology to how it was originally assembled, whether it has satellites and an atmosphere and those kinds of things -- are going to teach us about the original formation conditions of objects in the solar system." But the encounter itself is risky, and if the spacecraft were to collide with a speck of space debris as small as a grain of rice, it could be destroyed instantly, mission managers warned. For that reason, Stern said he and his colleagues are "on pins and needles to see how this turns out." The first signal back to Earth should come about 10 hours after the flyby, around 9:45 am (1445 GMT). Only then will NASA know if New Horizons survived the close pass. - What does it look like? - Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee) looks like -- whether it is cratered or smooth, or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 12-20 miles in size. A blurred and pixelated image released Monday, taken from 1.2 million miles away, has intrigued scientists because it appears to show an elongated blob, not a round space rock. Even clearer images should be in hand over the next three days. Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship, which launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. Seven instruments on board will record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition. The flyby will be fast, at a speed of nine miles per second. Stern said the goal is to take images of Ultima that are three times the resolution the team had for Pluto. - Frontier of planetary science - Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to NASA. "Ultima Thule means 'beyond Thule' -- beyond the borders of the known world -- symbolizing the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement. According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, humans didn't even know the Kuiper Belt -- a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system -- existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver. "We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed -- we think. We will find out." In an editorial in The New York Times, Stern recalled that December 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the first time humans ever explored another world, when US astronauts orbited the Moon aboard Apollo 8. "New Horizons will continue in that legacy," Stern wrote. "As you celebrate New Year's Day, cast an eye upward and think for a moment about the amazing things our country and our species can do when we set our minds to it." ksh/oh THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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He said the Islamic State terrorist group that once claimed Raqqa in northern Syria as the capital of its caliphate, "is mostly gone" from Syria and "were slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants." In a string of Twitter remarks, Trump said, "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS (Islamic State) loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero." U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday defended his planned withdrawal of all 2,000 American troops from Syria, attacking critics of the action as chronic complainers. Critics of the withdrawal said that removing U.S. troops could lead to a resurgence of Islamic State operations. One critic of the move, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, normally a Trump loyalist, met with the U.S. leader Sunday and later said the president remains committed to defeating Islamic State. Graham suggested Trump may slow his planned 30-day withdrawal, but the White House has not commented on Graham's interpretation of his talks with Trump. "I think we're in a pause situation where we are re-evaluating what's the best way to achieve the president's objective of having (other countries) pay more and do more" in the war on terrorism, Graham said. In his Monday tweets, Trump said, "I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working. Just doing what I said I was going to do! Except the results are FAR BETTER than I ever said they were going to be! I campaigned against the NEVER ENDING WARS, remember!" Trump contended, "I am the only person in America who could say that, "I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory," and get BAD press. It is Fake News and Pundits who have FAILED for years that are doing the complaining. If I stayed in Endless Wars forever, they would still be unhappy!" He said 91 security personnel also laid down their lives fighting militancy in the state during the year, which ended at a high note with smooth conduct of the annual Amarnath Yatra and elections to panchayats and local bodies after a long gap despite security concerns and challenges. New Delhi : As many as 257 terrorists were killed across Jammu and Kashmir this year, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said on Monday, asserting that counter-insurgency operations would continue in 2019 with major focus on strengthening border and hinterland security. The police chief asked the youth to focus on studies and their careers and not indulge in violence by getting swayed by the propaganda sponsored by Pakistan and its stooges within and outside the Valley. "On militancy front, we have registered a major success by killing 257 terrorists this year which is highest in the past 10 years. The dead include top commanders of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfits. At the same time we have lost 91 security personnel, including 45 policemen," Singh told reporters in Jammu. He said the state is faced with a three decades long insurgency which is consuming lives of people and that was 'very painful'. "Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in the state, trained militants are sneaking from across the border and misguide the local youth and also force them into militancy," the DGP said. He said after suffering heavily, the terrorists under frustrated targeted the families of the policemen and killed civilians by branding them as informers but the civil society rose to the occasion and expressed their resentment. Asked about the number of active terrorists in the state, Singh said since militancy is Pakistan-sponsored, it is continuously making attempts to send as many ultras as it could to maintain the strength of the terrorists. "The infiltration from across the border was sizeable this year as well and despite neutralising such a huge number of terrorists, there are still about 300 active terrorists present in the state. "We are trying to further strengthen the border security as well as the security in the hinterland while the counter-insurgency operation will continue during the next year as well," he said. The DGP asked religious leaders to talk about peace as 'we have now enough of politics of violence'. "We will not tolerate those who indulge in wrong activities and play with the career of our students who are interested in their studies and want better future," he said. "I want to ask the students to focus on their studies and careers and not indulge in violence by getting swayed by the propaganda sponsored by Pakistan and their cronies on this side and that side. Students are interested in studies and they need a peaceful atmosphere," Singh said. On the alleged harassment of a militant family in south Kashmir, he said, "We have taken note of the incident and will look into it." However, the police chief said there are two faces to every coin and if you do not investigate any militancy-related incident you would not move forward but sometimes allegations do come. "If there is an issue of highhandedness, we will certainly look into it," he said. On the looting of four weapons from policemen guarding a politician in Srinagar, Singh said, "Such incidents are not worth ignoring. Such incidents show our shortcomings and we are taking appropriate action in this case." In response to a question about various terrorist outfits joining hands and working in close coordination, the DGP said, "We too are working together -- the police, Army, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and other forces. "If they have come together it is part of their strategy, but we will continue with our counter-insurgency operations to deal with them." He said the killing of a large number of militants this year also indicates increase in violence though it is an achievement of sorts for the forces but at the same time the increase in the level of violence is a 'concern for all of us'. Singh said police is working on fixing problems with CCTV cameras in the winter capital and getting more gadgets and high-tech equipment for improving security in the state. "We are doing manual checks of vehicles and we are planning to get scanners. We are working on it," he said. On the misuse of social media by elements inimical to peace, he said a mechanism is in place but needed refinement to take on the challenges as various social media platforms are being run from Pakistan. "We are trying to further improve our mechanism. Police has blocked many such platforms but those running these platforms manage to cause damage before getting blocked," the DGP said. In response to another question about the activities of Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) along the borders, he said the Army and the BSF troops deployed on the Line of Control and the International Border are competent enough to deal with it. Terming the drug menace in the state as a 'major challenge', he said smuggling and consumption of drugs has gone up this year even as police launched massive campaigns, arrested 1,291 people and recovered 28 kgs of heroin, 362 kgs of charas and ganja and 19,873 kgs of opium and poppy straw this year. "As many as 56 drug peddlers were also booked under the Public Safety Act. We need to do more in this direction," he said. Singh said crime chart in the state has shown a marginal increase with over 26,000 cases being registered this year compared to 25,500 cases last year. DAMASCUS, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Monday ended the mandatory service for non-commissioned officers and conscripts who joined the army in 2010, state-run SANA news agency reported. The army's decree also covers the reserve troops who reported to the service before July 1, 2012. But these reserve troops, who would be discharged by the new law, are allowed to continue the service if they want. The military personnel covered by the new decree can leave the service from Jan. 2, 2019. Earlier this month, the Syrian army issued a decree to discharge the conscript officers who have served in the army for five years. The decision, which went into force on Dec. 16, covered officers who had served in the reserve forces as well as those whose compulsory military service was extended and reached five years. In May, the army discharged the longest-serving active recruitment class Group 102, whose personnel joined the army in early 2010. Ahead of the seven-year crisis in Syria, the mandatory military service was time-fixed to a year and a half but as the crisis dragged on, the army kept large numbers of conscripts in service for more years. As the situation has become much better and the military operations have dramatically decreased, more flexible service laws are expected in Syria. Press Release January 1, 2019 De Lima urges youth to step up fight for human rights in 2019 Aware of the slew of challenges that the country may face in 2019 under the Duterte regime, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged her countrymen, especially the youth, to lead the nation to tangible changes by fighting the lies of the government and standing up for human rights. The lady Senator from Bicol said she believes that the nation is expected to face the same challenges in 2019 - including a crisis of conscience and morality - which requires the youth to "find the courage, will, and strength to change this course." "I call on our fellow Filipinos, especially the youth, to lead our nation to tangible changes this year--to put an end to violence and impunity through our unified call for justice, and our common commitment to protect human rights and value human lives. "To stop the blatant lies that poison and corrupt the moral fiber of our people by speaking truth to power. To fight tyranny by upholding the rule of law and standing up for our democratic principles," she said. Note that while Mr. Duterte proclaims himself as pro-poor, he continues to promote extrajudicial killings as "crime prevention" which resulted to the deaths of more Filipinos, mostly coming from poor families, in 2018. Unfortunately, it was only among his many undemocratic policies that worsened the plight of Filipino families and stole away their chances to live a better life in the future. De Lima recalled: "Hanggang ngayon, may mga bagong biktima ng pamamaslang at kawalang katarungan dahil sa karahasan at panggigipit ng pamahalaan. Marami nating kababayan ang lalong kinapos at naghikahos dahil sa mas mataas na buwis at nakakalulang presyo ng bilihin." To effect change and build a just and humane society amid the challenges in 2019, De Lima said Filipinos should value their right to suffrage and elect worthy leaders in the 2019 midterm elections. For her, 2019 is a "crucial year" and an opportunity to improve how things are done in the government considering that the people are to elect new leaders in the upcoming elections. "In a few months, we will decide who will be leading us for another term. Let us scrutinize leaders on how they fulfill their duties, how they influence our youth, and choose those who deserve our trust," she said. "Sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa ating mga kabataan: Higit kanino man, malaking papel ang gagampanan ninyo para mabago ang landas na tinatahak ng ating bansa ngayon. Patuloy ko pong dalangin ang ating tuluyang pagkamulat at maigting na pagbubuklod para maitaguyod ang isang masagana at makatarungang bansa..." she added. For the second time, De Lima, who is considered a "Prisoner of Conscience," will be welcoming a new year in detention along with family, some close friends and staff members by hearing a Mass and sharing a simple dinner inside the Custodial Center of the Philippine National Police, in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Press Release December 31, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 444: Time to be angry. Time to say "ENOUGH". 12/31/18 It is unfortunate to close the year 2018 with yet another despicable speech from a deranged and ever increasingly loose cannon of a President. The trash that comes out from the foul mouth of this President - the "confession" about the sexual assault of a kasambahay and the intensified attacks against the Catholic faith - is growing ever more toxic and extremely sickening. Ang pinakanakasusuklam sa lahat marahil ay alam ng buong sambayanang Pilipino na totoong ginawa nya ang mga karumaldumal nyang kinwento sa isang taong walang kalaban-laban, hindi lamang dahil wala na syang control sa kanyang pag-iisip, pananalita at asal, kundi dahil talagang wala siyang hiya sa kapwa tao, or takot sa Panginoon. Kakila-kilabot ang kapalaran ng sambayanang Pilipino sa ilalim ng isang taong palalo na, wala pa sa katinuan. If I'm ending the year in this fashion - with rage and indignation - I am sure that people would understand. Shame on you, all of you who, by your apathy, silence or plain cowardice, have become enablers of this new order of political turmoil and moral decay. Shame on you, those of you in the audience who would gleefully applaud the offensive rantings, sick non-"jokes", vile and odious sexist remarks, and blasphemies of this madman. Shame on you for egging him towards committing graver acts of depravity and inflicting greater and deeper harm to our people, especially the weak and the impressionable, such as our women and children. Shame on you, the greedy and abusive politicians who, by your selfish interests and visionless ambitions, have allowed yourselves to be pawns or willing partners of a tyrant on his path to perdition. Shame on you, Bedans, those of you who, by your self-serving and hypocritical act of bestowing accolades to this first Bedan President as "Bedan of the Decade", have, in fact, glorified infamy, bringing dishonor to our Alma Mater. The blame for every single evil thing that emanates from this Presidency that afflicts Filipinos everywhere and for generations to come is on your heads. The blood of those killed and will be killed, abused and exploited are in your hands. No amount of power or wealth can wipe it away. You should be ashamed to touch your children and loved ones with the blood-soaked hands of people who have sold their souls to a devil. This is the evil spirit that our Filipino New Year's Eve traditions are supposed to drive away. And drive it away we must. With fiery words of indignation. Of noise barrages relaying our condemnation. As to us who count ourselves as part of the pro-democracy forces, the urgent and compelling challenge to us is to get our act together and not be weakened and disabled by unnecessary frictions and divisiveness, which only benefit and empower the real and greater enemy. The clear agenda of the despot is to foment chaos and division, which keep the citizenry confused, benumbed and paralyzed into stupor. The opposition must devise an aggressive counter-strategy to expose the insidious agenda of this regime, awaken the silent majority and stir them into action. It's time to get angry. Really angry. But channel that anger towards the common enemy. Time to say ENOUGH! Time to stand strong and united to destroy this evil. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a group of five Herbig-Haro objects tiny patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars within NGC 1333, a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Perseus, about 1,000 light-years away from Earth. Herbig-Haro objects were first observed in the 19th century by the American astronomer Sherburne Wesley Burnham, but were not recognized as being a distinct type of emission nebula until the 1940s. The first astronomers to study them in detail were George Herbig and Guillermo Haro, after whom they have been named. Herbig-Haro objects are transient phenomena traveling away from the star that created them, at a speed of up to 155,000 mph (250,000 km per hour) they disappear into nothingness within a few tens of thousands of years. The young star that is the source of Herbig-Haro objects numbered 7 to 11 (visible in blue in the top center of the Hubble image) is called SVS 13 and all five objects are moving away from the star toward the upper left. The current distance between HH 7 and SVS 13 is about 20,000 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Herbig-Haro objects are formed when jets of ionized gas ejected by a young star collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at high speeds. HH 7-11 are no exception to this and were formed when the jets from the newborn star SVS 13 collided with the surrounding clouds. These collisions created the five brilliant clumps of light within the reflection nebula NGC 1333. Baoan, China -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/31/2018 -- HLH Prototypes has for over a decade been providing high-end solutions geared towards ensuring their global range of clientele achieve the best results as it relates to their diverse project demands. Pioneered by industry gurus Vader Yu (China) and James Murphy (UK), the company has propelled to greater heights in the bespoke sector where they're associated with top-quality, reliability and affordability. To stay ahead of the competition, the firm offers an impressive range of solutions which include 3D printing, vacuum casting, injection molding as well as rapid tooling and much more. Regardless of the project at hand, they focus on delivering satisfaction and this has seen them become the go-to shop for all bespoke project requirements. Speaking further about the industries they serve, the Company Spokesperson said, "Since our incorporation some years back, we've always been about serving our clients the best way we know how regardless of their industries. Our quest to deliver brilliance on every project we handle has seen us emerge us the perfect solutions provider for a wide range of industries. To date, we're proud of the partnerships we've made in various industries which include communications, automotive, robotics & automation, product development, aerospace & UAV, medical and consumer products and much more. We've served these industries with diligence in the past and present, and through our never-ending commitment, we've delivered satisfactory results on any assignment that we've handled." When it comes to 3D printing prototype, HLH Prototypes has been known to offer among the best solutions in China and as well as the international market. The bespoke manufacturing company carries with it in-depth experience of SLS and SLA 3D printing services which allows them to deliver high-quality, high-precision and high-performance parts at all times. Through their adoption of the latest 3D equipment and expert staff, they can handle all sorts of 3D prototyping projects which puts them ahead of the curve. With them, clients are assured of functional models, aesthetically-pleasing prototypes, and master patterns and models that will see one's project a success. Talking about China machining, the Company Spokesperson added, "If you're looking to achieve excellence in the bespoke CNC machining world, it's imperative that you partner with a professional firm that will deliver these results for you. That said, CNC machining has been one of our areas of expertise for some time now and one that we've been able to excel in. Partnering with us for these solutions will see you enjoy a host of benefits such as fast & repeatable services, a broad range of materials to choose from, great surface finishing as well as high tolerance and precision of parts. We specialize in delivering excellence and you should expect no less." HLH Prototypes has time and time again gained recognition as it pertains to their China mold factory which has facilitated their high performance when it comes to delivering top-quality molding solutions. Their factory features modern equipment that ensure all orders are processed in time as well as at affordable costs. With their molding solutions built to meet industry standards, one is assured of the best results when they seek the company's services. About HLH Prototypes HLH Prototypes prides itself as a trusted solutions provider for individuals looking to achieve excellence in their projects. They provide world-class manufacturing solutions and are a reliable source for fast and cost-effective services. Contact Details Company Name: HLH Prototypes 1801 Xing Ji Building, Xin Sha Road Shajing, Baoan, Shenzhen, China, 518125 Tel: +86 755 8256 9129 Email: info@HLHPrototypes.com Website: www.hlhprototypes.com New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/31/2018 -- A new market assessment report on the CNG Vehicles market provides a comprehensive overview of the CNG Vehicles industry for the forecast period 2018 - 2025. The analytical study is proposed to provide immense clarity on the market size, share and growth rate across different regions. The profound knowledge and extensive examination of the trends from the yesteryear and future aims at offering the stakeholders, product owners, and marketing personnel a competitive edge over others operating in the CNG Vehicles market for the forecast period, 2018 - 2025. Request for free sample report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/27092 The major players covered in this report are Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Iran Khodro, Nissan, Volvo Group, Hyundai, Honda, Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, PSA, Great Wall Motors Most important types of CNG Vehicles products covered in this report are: - Passenger Vehicle - Commercial Vehicle On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including: - Home Use - Commercial Use Understanding the market size The size of the CNG Vehicles market is viewed in terms of the Share of Market, Total Available Market as well as Served Available Market. Not only does the study present the combined revenue for a particular market but also the market size for a specific geographic region. Analysis of percentage or the size of the Total Available Market based on the type of product, technology, regional constraints and others form an important part of the CNG Vehicles report. Knowing the trends influencing the industry performance Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behaviour Besides, the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively. Purchase Full report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/27092 Geographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers in these key regions: - North America - Europe - China - Japan - Southeast Asia - India We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa Ask for discount on this report for better value @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/27092 The study objectives of this report are: 1. To analyze and study the global CNG Vehicles capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast (2018-2025); 2. Focuses on the key CNG Vehicles manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future. 3. Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, analysis. 4. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. 5. To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. 6. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. 7. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. 8. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market. 9. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. 10. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Key elements from table of content: 7 Profile of Leading CNG Vehicles Players 7.1 Fiat Chrysler 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 Volkswagen 7.3 Ford 7.4 General Motors 7.5 Toyota 7.6 Iran Khodro 7.7 Nissan 7.8 Volvo Group 7.9 Hyundai 7.10 Honda 7.11 Suzuki 7.12 Mercedes-Benz Continue. Browse complete report description @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/cng-vehicles-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 New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/31/2018 -- The latest market intelligence study on Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market applies the best of both primary and secondary research techniques to bring to light the growth rate of the Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank 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/27157 Scope of the Report: The researcher assessing Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank 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- Inergy, Kautex, YAPP, TI Automotive, Yachiyo, Magna Steyr, Jiangsu Suguang, FTS, Sakamoto, AAPICO, Wuhu Shunrong, DONGHEE Ask for Discount @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/27157 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 Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank products covered in this report are: - Single-layer Plastic Fuel Tank - Multilayer Plastic Fuel Tank Most widely used downstream fields of Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market covered in this report are: - Commercial Vehicle - Passenger Vehicle The study explores in details about the recent trend fast gaining momentum in Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank 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 Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market during the forecast period, 2018 - 2025 is carefully scrutinized during the research. Buy Full Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/27157 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the estimated size of the Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank 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 Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market? What are the winning strategies adopted by them to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the potential opportunities for the Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank 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 Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market worldwide? There are 10 Chapters to deeply display the global Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market. The report is distributed over 10 Chapters to display the analysis of the global Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank market. Chapter 1: Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies. Chapter 2: Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank Industry Chain Analysis, Upstream Raw Material Suppliers, Major Players, Production Process Analysis, Cost Analysis, Market Channels and Major Downstream Buyers. Chapter 3: Value Analysis, Production, Growth Rate and Price Analysis by Type of Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank. Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank. Chapter 5: Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank by Regions (2018-2025). Chapter 6: Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank Production, Consumption, Export and Import by Regions (2018-2025). Chapter 7: Automotive Plastic Fuel Tank Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions. Continue Browse report summary @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/automotive-plastic-fuel-tank-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 New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/31/2018 -- The latest study on the Audio Interfaces market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2025 classifies the industry into various segments based on the product type, end-use and application. Besides, these segments are assessed in detail by incorporating industry estimates at both the regional as well as country level. This segment evaluation is beneficial in helping stakeholders, business owners and marketing personnel get an understanding of the growth areas and potential opportunities for the Audio Interfaces industry. The market intelligence report further covers the competitive landscape of the industry across different regions. Request for Sample copy of report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/12573 Scope of the Report: The detailed examination of recent developments including collaboration, mergers and acquisitions, investment and product launches have also been performed during the research on the Audio Interfaces market. Overview of the gradual shift in the customer preference, spending power, consumption volume and production capability helps business owners understand where the market will be heading in the years to come. Vital statistics on distribution channel and supply chain management across different regions are presented through different resources such as tables, charts and graphic images. In market segmentation by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies- Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd., PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., Universal Audio, Zoom Corporation, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH (Yamaha), Roland, Mackie (LOUD Technologies Inc.), M-Audio, Behringer (Music Group), MOTU, IK Multimedia, RME, Tascam (TEAC Corporation), ESI Audiotechnik GmbH, Lexicon (HARMAN), Audient 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.) Market split by Type, can be divided into: - USB - Firewire - MIDI - Thunderbolt - Others Market split by Application, can be divided into: - Amateurs - Professional Market split by Sales Channel, can be divided into: - Direct Channel - Distribution Channel Purchase Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/12573 When accessing the major driving forces shaping the progress of the Audio Interfaces industry the researchers also focus on the growth of the customer base in various emerging regions. Advantages offered by the products such as improved shelf life as well as durability and how they are impacting the development of the industry are also assessed during the research. While examining the major restricting factors researchers make an attempt to analyse the strict environmental regulations affecting the market. The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the expected market size, share and development rate of the Audio Interfaces industry by 2025? - What are the prominent market drivers responsible for shaping the progress of the Audio Interfaces market worldwide? - Who are the key market players operating in the Audio Interfaces industry and what competencies have they embraced to stay competitive in the market? - What are the current and emerging trends shaping the development of the market across different nations? - What are the types of opportunities in store of the business owners in the years to come? There are 10 Chapters to deeply display the global Audio Interfaces market. The report is distributed over 10 Chapters to display the analysis of the global Audio Interfaces market. Chapter 1: covers the Audio Interfaces Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2: talks about the top manufacturers and analyses their sales, revenue and pricing decisions for the duration 2018 and 2025; Chapter 3: displays the competitive nature of the market by discussing the competition among the top manufacturers. It dissects the market using sales, revenue and market share data for 2018 and 2025; Chapter 4: shows the global market by regions and the proportionate size of each market region based on sales, revenue and market share of Audio Interfaces , for the period 2018- 2025; Continue Read More @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/audio-interfaces-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: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-news 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. For decades, U.S. elites had a consensus on foreign policy: They believed that championing a liberal world order was in our interest. Now, we are seeing a new left-right axis emerge around protectionism and isolationism the very policies whose failure during the 1930s led to the internationalist consensus of the postwar President Donald Trump has launched trade wars and undermined allies while kowtowing to tyrants. And the Democrats? They dont have much of a foreign policy, and when the partys progressives propound one, the results sound like Trumpism of the left. Here, for example, is likely presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, writing in Foreign Affairs: While international economic policies and trade deals have worked gloriously well for elites around the world, they have left working people discouraged and disaffected. Efforts to promote the United States own security have soaked up huge resources and destabilized entire regions, and meanwhile, U.S. technological dominance has quietly eroded. ... To fight back, we need to pursue international economic policies that benefit all Americans, not merely an elite few. How is this different from what Trump says? The progressive wing of the Democratic Party is as ready to abandon free trade as the Trumpified GOP and as willing to criticize money spent for nation-building abroad as a giveaway to foreigners that would better be directed toward domestic needs. Advertisement Far too often, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, said at Westminster College in September, the use of American military power has produced unintended consequences which have caused incalculable harm. Trump, too, wants to scale back foreign interventions. He is pulling out of Syria and drawing down in Afghanistan. Neither Democrats nor Republicans will make a principled argument for nation-building conducted by small numbers of soldiers, diplomats and aid workers: namely, that it is far cheaper to help foreign governments control their own territory than to deal with the terrorism, crime and disease that flourish in ungoverned areas. To be sure, Trump would hardly agree with much of what Sanders and Warren say. The senators focus on combating climate change and income inequality problems whose existence Trump does not admit. They also strongly condemn authoritarianism and corruption problems that Trump exemplifies rather than combats. And they stress the need to cooperate with allies, unlike Trump. There are sharp limits to that cooperation, however. Warren, for example, writes that we should encourage our allies to enhance their multilateral cooperation and build alternatives to Chinas coercive diplomacy. Great idea, except that Warren is as opposed as Trump to the most effective alternative to Chinese economic hegemony the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And Warrens desire to aid allies doesnt preclude her from demanding that U.S. troops be brought home from Afghanistan and Iraq. It would be interesting to find out how she squares this exit strategy with her support for human rights abroad, since a U.S. exit would be a boon to horrific human rights violators such as the Islamic State and the Taliban. Nor do Warren and Sanders explain how they can stand up to authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia while cutting defense spending. Like Trump, they engage in wishful thinking by imagining that if the U.S. does less, our allies will do more. Also like the president, Sanders and Warren have little to say about the appalling abuses committed by U.S. enemies. Sanders rejects the pursuit of benevolent global hegemony. He argues that the disastrous Iraq war [has] utterly discredited that vision. But Sanders seems oblivious to the events of the more distant past particularly the 1914-1945 period that discredited the policy of disengagement that both he and Trump favor. If Democrats want a foreign policy vision fit for a superpower, they should ignore Sanders and Warren and, instead, read the Atlantic article written by former Hillary Clinton foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan. He argues for a policy of American exceptionalism: working for the common good as well as our own self-interest. The big problems facing the world whether from Russia and China or from the spread of weapons of mass destruction, cyberattacks and climate change require American leadership to address. International cooperation requires some actor to step and lead, Sullivan argues, and if the U.S. doesnt do so, who will? Neither the progressive Democrats nor the Trumpified Republicans have a good answer. Advertisement 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. In one of his most recent arguments for a southern border wall, President Donald Trump on Sunday falsely claimed that Barack and Michelle Obamas home here is surrounded by a 10-foot wall. Trumps tweet comes in the midst of a partial government shutdown, which was spurred Dec. 22 by Trumps demand for $5 billion in funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. He alleged that the wall around the Obamas mansion was necessary for the former first couples safety and security, adding that the United States needs a slightly larger version! Trumps assertion came as a surprise to two of the Obamas neighbors Monday, who told The Post that there is no such wall. The 8,200-square-foot structure, despite several security features, is completely visible from the street. A neighbor, a longtime resident of the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve their privacy, said the president has a very active imagination. Advertisement President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2018 Theres a fence that goes along the front of the house, but its the same as the other neighbors have, the neighbor said. Its tastefully done. The former president and first lady purchased the nine-bedroom mansion for $8.1 million in 2017, The Post previously reported. Its located in the affluent D.C. neighborhood of Kalorama, which is also home to Ivanka Trump and Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. Previous residents of the neighborhood include Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. TMZ reported on construction to the residence in 2017 before the Obamas moved in, which the website also characterized as a wall. As The Posts Fact Checker notes, the Obamas added security fencing to a retaining wall in front of the home (it is not a compound) for the needs of the Secret Service. A guard booth was built, and fencing was added to the back. In trying to make the case for a high concrete border wall, Trump exaggerates about the Obama house in Washington, D.C. It is an 8,200 square foot Tudor-style home in the Kalorama residential area, but it is not a compound. The Obamas added security fencing to an enlarged retaining wall in front for the needs of the Secret Service but there is not a ten-foot wall around the house; the front steps are open to the sidewalk. Chain link fencing, but no wall, was added to the back. While Trump says the border wall would be a slightly larger version of the alleged Obama wall, he has previously described his proposed wall as 1,000 miles long, made of precast concrete slabs, rising 35 to 40 feet in the air. A moving truck parked outside the new home of the Obama family in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington on Jan. 18, 2017. (Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images) Some found the presidents tweet irresponsible. Fred Guttenberg, the father of one of students killed in the Parkland school shooting, tweeted, Are you seriously trying to put our former President at risk? Advertisement The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trumps tweet and security risks Monday morning. A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment on Trumps tweet, and the White House did not respond to an email requesting more context on Trumps claim of a wall around the property. Another neighbor said the Obamas home is 100 percent visible from the street. There is no ten-foot wall in the front, back or sides of the house - and no wall is going up, the person said. Advertisement An editor at The Post who went to the residence Monday morning noted that part of the street was blocked off - neighbors say there are security checkpoints at either end of the street - but confirmed that a wall was not visible from their vantage point, either. Trump continued to tweet about his proposed wall Monday morning, criticizing Democrats for rejecting the idea. The Senate approved a stopgap funding measure in late December that did not contain wall money but would have kept the government open until Feb. 8. They say its old technology - but so is the wheel, Trump wrote. They now say it is immoral- but it is far more immoral for people to be dying! This story first appeared in The Washington Post Just after 3 a.m. on April 7, Matthew Gioia pressed the accelerator in his white Hyundai Elantra, leading Carlsbad police on a one-mile pursuit on Cannon Road that reached speeds of 80 miles per hour before the car crashed. Gioias arrest would have been an otherwise routine skirmish between police and a motorist if not for what happened when he went to court a month later. There, he was among the first defendants to test a new controversial state law that allows people with certain mental illnesses to go into a pretrial diversion program, get treatment and ultimately erase the charges against them. Gioia was charged with felony evading police, and his lawyer George Gedulin sought the treatment option. In court papers, the attorney said Goia had an extensive mental health history, was a diagnosed schizophrenic and was receiving treatment at a mental health facility in Carlsbad. I think this case was exactly the kind of case the law was written for, Gedulin said in an recent interview. Advertisement Though prosecutors opposed the motion and argued Gioia should not be given diversion, Superior Court Judge Harry Elias disagreed. Gioia is now in treatment and ordered to report regularly back to the judge to see if Gioia is complying with his treatment. The Mental Health Diversion law was slipped inside a massive budget trailer bill, stuffed with other provisions, that was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 27. The law is intended to steer people with mental health conditions into treatment and away from jail or prison. It gives judges discretion to order defendants into a pretrial diversion program for treatment instead of prosecution. If the persons mental health treatment is ultimately deemed successful the diversion can last up to two years then all charges will be dropped. If at any time the judge determines the treatment isnt working, the criminal case can start again. The law was hailed as a breakthrough by advocates for the mentally ill and criminal justice reformers, but drew fierce and ongoing opposition from law enforcement and prosecutors. Gioia is one of only two cases in San Diego where diversion has been granted both by Elias. In 17 other cases, petitions by defendants arrested for crimes ranging from residential burglary to vandalism have been turned down, according to Assistant District Attorney David Greenberg. In December, the 4th District Court of Appeal issued a ruling that added a new wrinkle to the debate in the case of Patrick Woldmskel, who was convicted of multiple felony charges of domestic violence, assault, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison in September 2017. The court upheld the conviction but sent the case back down for a re-sentencing, reasoning that Woldmskel should be given a mental health diversion hearing. While the law was passed after he was convicted, the court said it could be applied retroactively in this case. On Friday, the state Supreme Court decided it would also step into the issue. The court accepted a case decided in Orange County in September that said the law could be applied retroactively to cases that were not yet final. That means it would apply to defendants like Woldmskel who was convicted but is still appealing and potentially thousands of others others who were charged before the law became effective and whose cases are still in the pipeline. Advertisement Greenberg said Woldmskel had argued at his sentencing hearing that he had a mental illness, but Superior Court Judge David M. Gill apparently was not persuaded to lessen his punishment. While it is unclear what will happen at a second hearing, the appeals court noted that if Gill decides Woldmskel is eligible for diversion and he successfully completes a program, the charges would be dropped. The ruling cant be cited as precedent in other cases and applies now only to Woldmskel. Yet that possible outcome of charges being dropped is the kind of scenario that fueled opposition to the law. In its initial form, the diversion law said anyone charged with a crime was eligible. After a sustained outcry from law enforcement the Legislature amended the law and said certain crimes were not eligible for pretrial diversion, including murder, manslaughter, rape and child sexual abuse. We may see more of those, Greenberg said, referring to cases in which the law is applied retroactively. That could open many cases up for a diversion hearing. Advertisement We always said this law is way too broad, he said. And this is an exact example of that. This decision is one of the consequences of the legislation. San Diego prosecutors have opposed pretrial mental health diversion in every case in which it has been sought. A review of some of those cases shows the District Attorneys Office contends the law is unconstitutional on a variety of grounds, including that it is too vague and violates victims constitutional rights. In court papers in each case, the prosecutors call the law a dangerous change to the manner in which criminals with mental health diagnoses are treated in the criminal justice system. And they also argue that defendants may have a qualifying mental disorder but lack a specific plan for treatment which should disqualify them from diversion. For the most part, those arguments seem to be winning. Advertisement For example, James Haider was arrested in June on a misdemeanor vandalism charge for hurling a rock through the window of a Massage Envy store in Mission Valley back in September 2016. Haider has a long history of mental health problems, court records said, and has a diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder. At the time of the incident, he was living at a board-and-care facility but had stopped taking his medications. He was agitated and hearing voices, court records say. Defense lawyers submitted a psychiatric report detailing his mental illness but prosecutors countered he had not credibly demonstrated he would respond well to treatment. After a hearing, a judge denied diversion the court records dont spell out the reasons why and Haider ended up pleading guilty, getting sentenced to time already served in jail and placed on three years probation. Gedulin, Gioias lawyer, said that he was able to present a detailed plan of treatment, and had a doctor testify about the diversion program and did not simply present diagnostic records showing his client was mentally ill and willing to get treatment. Advertisement Most people are submitting statements of diagnoses, and thats it, he said. Advertisement Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com Fireworks, concerts, spiritual services and political addresses abounded to mark the transition to 2019 as revelers around the globe bid farewell Monday to a year filled with challenges to many of the worlds most basic institutions, including political, trade and religious ones. In New York, spectators began assembling Monday morning for the annual made-for-TV extravaganza in Times Square. Rain had some revelers ponying up to keep dry, while police scrapped plans to deploy a drone to keep watch over the crowd for the first time. Mondays damp, but mild weather saw people paying up to $10 for the kind of plastic ponchos that sell for less than $2 at Walmart. Justine Brenkel, 26, from Lyon, France, said being in Times Square on New Years Eve was on her bucket list. Its unique. Its magic. Its New York, she said but the hours of waiting were turning it into a bit of a disappointment. As has been the case for years, the celebration was taking place under tight security, with partygoers being searched for weapons at checkpoints and herded into pens, ringed by metal barricades, where they would await the stroke of midnight. Advertisement Thousands of police officers were on hand to provide security, with the help of bomb-sniffing dogs, 1,225 security cameras and 235 blocker vehicles used to stop any potential vehicle attacks. As the U.S. was preparing to ring in the new year, around the world revelers were already greeting 2019. The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first in the world to welcome the new year, greeting 2019 with muted celebrations after spending 2018 on the front line of the battle against climate change. Kiribati is made up of low-lying atolls along the equator which intersect three time zones, the first of which sees the new year 14 hours before midnight in London. Much of the nations land mass, occupied by 110,000 people, is endangered by rising seas that have inundated coastal villages. The rising oceans have turned freshwater sources brackish, imperiling communities and raising doubts the nation will exist at the next new year. In Vatican City, Pope Francis rounded out the most problematic year of his papacy by presiding over a vespers service and praying before the Vaticans giant sand sculpture Nativity scene. In Australia, an estimated million people crowded Sydney Harbor as that countrys largest city rang in the new year with a spectacular, soul-tinged fireworks celebration. One of the most complex displays in Australias history included gold, purple and silver fireworks pulsating to the tune of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, made famous by Aretha Franklin, who died in August. The show used 8.5 tons of fireworks and featured more than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects. Advertisement In France, Parisians and tourists gathered on the Champs-Elysees to celebrate New Years Eve under heavy security. Anti-government protesters from the yellow vest movement had issued calls on social media for festive demonstrations on the famous avenue. President Emmanuel Macron gave his traditional New Years address to briefly lay out his priorities for 2019, as some protesters angry over high taxes and his pro-business policies plan to continue their demonstrations in coming weeks. Ahead of midnight, a light show illustrating the theme of brotherhood took place on the Arc de Triomphe monument at the top of the Champs-Elysees. Advertisement And in London, Britons ushered in the new year with the familiar chimes of Big Ben, even though the world famous clock has been disconnected for more than a year because of a conservation project. Parliament announced last week that the clocks massive bell would sound to mark the new year with the help of a specially built electric mechanism to power the hammer, which weighs about 440 pounds. The clock mechanism, which has kept time since 1859, has been dismantled as part of the renovation work. Associated Press After he lost his green card following a felony conviction and was deported to Mexico, Sergio Angel Martinez Lopez thought he would never come back to the U.S. That changed this summer after his wife was killed in a spray of bullets in a drive-by shooting, according to news reports. Martinez decided to flee with their son, not quite 2. When he asked the U.S. for asylum in October at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, border officials told him that he would have to be separated from the younger Sergio but assured Martinez that his son would soon be united with Martinezs mother in Jacksonville, Florida. More than two months and one week later, the toddler is still in the federal governments custody in Texas, Martinez said. Advertisement Locked inside Otay Mesa Detention Center, Martinez, 32, feels like hes still being punished for the life he lived when he was younger, a lifestyle he said he left behind in the U.S. If theyd focused on why I came to ask for asylum, I dont think theyd have the heart to separate me and the baby, Martinez said. Martinez originally came to the U.S. from Tijuana with his family when he was in elementary school, moving to Jacksonville, Florida. By his late teens, he was getting in trouble with the police on charges related to drugs and alcohol. Then police found a gun in the car he was driving, according to immigration officials, court records and Martinez himself. Martinez maintains that the gun was his friends, but it didnt matter. He served a prison sentence and then transferred to immigration custody. He was deported in September 2014. He returned to his hometown of Tijuana and got a job at a call center. At work, he met Glenda Siboney Gaona Zamora and fell in love. Martinez was living with Gaona and two children one was hers from a previous relationship in Sanchez Taboada, one of Tijuanas most violent neighborhoods, when they became targets of threats because of an incident that began outside their home between police and a driver, Martinez said. The incident escalated when police entered the home, searching for a gun that wasnt there. Martinez said he and his wife were attacked in the process, and at the end, police told the family to move for their own safety. Advertisement The couple hid in a hotel until they found a new place in El Refugio, a neighborhood in eastern Tijuana. Martinez thought it was far enough away, but less than two weeks later, someone sprayed bullets at the family car while his wife was driving. Somehow, Martinez and the two children emerged unscathed, but Gaona was badly hurt. He managed to get her to a hospital where she died that afternoon. She gave me a reason to stay there, Martinez said. Then all of a sudden shes not there. Advertisement Martinez went into hiding again, frequently switching hotels if he felt someone was watching him. He received a message with a photo of his bullet-ridden car warning him about what would come next. He decided to apply for asylum and waited in the six-week line at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to ask the U.S. for protection. I wouldve never went if I had known they would take my baby away, Martinez said. When asked about why Martinez was separated from his child, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its officers werent involved and deferred to Customs and Border Protection, which did not respond to a request for comment because of the ongoing government shutdown. Advertisement CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan recently told Sen. Dianne Feinstein during a congressional hearing that a parent might be separated pending prosecution for a serious criminal charge, if there is suspicion of child abuse or if the parents medical condition makes the parent unable to care for the child. They are for child welfare, McAleenan said. Were talking about examples of a parent wanted for murder, a parent whos had a stroke and needs to be taken to the emergency room. Those are the kinds of situations where children are being separated at the border. Though a San Diego federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reunify families, court rulings so far have made exceptions for parents with serious criminal histories. Immigration officials have separated parents from their children in the past if the parents have enough of a criminal history that officials do not believe they can release them. Under a court ruling, children may not be held indefinitely in immigration custody. They must be released within 20 days. With news of two children dying in immigration custody in recent weeks, Martinez is especially concerned. He calls every day to the facility in Texas that is housing his son to ask whether workers there have finished processing his mothers application to sponsor the boy. Advertisement Hes had one video call with his son since they were separated, though hes requested several more. Martinezs normally talkative and playful toddler didnt say much as he looked at his father on the screen. I could see in his face that he was mad at me, Martinez said. Me and him were really close even when his mom was alive. His son celebrated his second birthday in custody. Advertisement Unaccompanied children, and those who are separated from their parents at the border, end up in custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement until social workers can find and approve family members living in the U.S. to sponsor them. The average amount of time a child spends in custody has almost doubled in the past two years, growing from 34 days two years ago to 60 days more recently, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Advocates have attributed at least some of this lag to a change in policy earlier this year requiring all adults living in the potential sponsors home to submit fingerprints which may be shared with ICE, the agency responsible for deportations. Advertisement The Department of Health and Human Services ended that policy in mid-December after the department acknowledged that it had affected how long children stayed in custody. Martinezs mother, Maria Niskanen, is saving money to be able to take care of the younger Sergio when he is finally released. Martinezs younger brother, Anthony Niskanen, 25, said he helped her with the paperwork and said the entire household completed the fingerprinting process weeks ago. They dont know how much longer it will take. He has listened to his mothers weekly video chats with the younger Sergio. Advertisement I can tell that the baby is confused. He lost his mom, and now he lost his dad, Niskanen said. I think theyre taking care of him. I just dont think hes happy. For Martinez, the hardest part is not knowing what will happen next. He passed an interview with an asylum officer, the first step in the process to be able to stay in the U.S., but he hasnt yet found an attorney to help him with the immigration court case. What he wants more than anything is to be back with his son. He left two children behind in Jacksonville when he was deported. I already missed out on two kids lives, Martinez said. I cant miss out on three of them. Advertisement Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news Advertisement kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter The fun is over at Joshua Tree National Park. Blame feces. Campgrounds at the park will close at noon Wednesday, park officials said, citing health and safety concerns over the parks vault toilets, which are near capacity. Park visitor centers, flush toilets, water-filling stations and dump stations are all closed because of the federal governments partial shutdown. Vault toilets the waterless bathrooms in which visitors can relieve themselves into a sealed container that is buried underground had remained open. But with no workers to pump out the waste, those are being closed now as well. But the park left the main gates open and let cars stream in for free, as there are no government employees to charge the typical $30-a-car entrance fee. Advertisement Some rangers remained to patrol the 1,235-square-mile park, a popular winter destination for hikers and rock climbers. Park officials said Monday in a news release that human waste in public areas, off-road driving and other infractions are becoming a problem as the government shutdown drags on. The parks restrooms and visitor centers have been closed and trash collection suspended since the partial shutdown began Dec. 22, but the park itself remains open. At Joshua Tree, the Indian Cove and Black Rock campgrounds will be open for day use only, from sunrise to sunset. Rattlesnake Canyon will be closed to reduce the number of search and rescue events for rangers already spread thin, park officials said. Some local volunteers have been doing their part to clean up the park and restock toilets. I want to extend a sincere thanks to local businesses, volunteer groups and tribal members who have done their best to assist in picking up litter and helping maintain campgrounds, park Supt. David Smith said in a statement. This is no reflection on their efforts and the park is very fortunate to have a community that exhibits the kind of care and concern witnessed over the last week. The lack of restrooms has been an issue at other national parks as well. Yosemite National Park visitors using the side of the road as a toilet have prompted the park to close two campgrounds and a popular redwood grove for public safety reasons. Advertisement The parks restrooms and visitor centers have been closed and trash collection suspended since the shutdown began, but the park itself remains open. With restrooms closed, some visitors are opting to deposit their waste in natural areas adjacent to high-traffic areas, which creates a health hazard for other visitors, National Parks Service spokesman Andrew Munoz said in an email Saturday. Human feces and urine along Wawona Road, also known as California Highway 41, in the south part of the park contributed to the closure of the Mariposa Grove of redwoods as well as the Wawona and Hodgson Meadows campgrounds, a park statement said. Park officials are urging visitors to use restrooms in nearby communities before they enter the park and to pack out their trash. Yosemite Valleys lodgings, restaurants, ski area at Badger Pass and the park shuttle remain open. Advertisement Death Valley, whose most popular landmarks have been crowded during the winter holidays, said outhouses are open but arent being cleaned or stocked with toilet paper during the closure. javier.panzar@latimes.com mary.forgione@latimes.com Corrections officials are searching for an inmate who escaped from a minimum-security facility in Northern California. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Nicolas Dunning, 32, was discovered missing from the Konocti Conservation Camp on Monday morning. The camp in Lake County is home to about 95 minimum-security inmates who help fight wildfires, according to the agencys website. Lt. Charlene Billings said Dunning was assigned as a firefighter but was not working when he disappeared. Dunning is the fifth state inmate to escape this month. Three were captured. Authorities are still searching for 27-year-old Justin Franks, who escaped from Folsom State Prison on Dec. 22. Shalom Mendoza, 21, was taken into custody Saturday at a fast-food restaurant in Paso Robles after escaping from San Quentin State Prison three days earlier. A group of about 150 migrants attempted to breach a San Diego border fence on New Years, and some began throwing rocks at responding U.S. border agents who deployed pepper spray and tear gas on the crowd, authorities said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the group was attempting to climb over and under the San Diego border fence. When agents and officers responded, about 45 migrants turned back to Mexico, according to the agency. Some migrants began throwing rocks over the fence at agents and officers, according to the agency. Several teenagers, wrapped in heavy jackets, blankets and rubber mats were put over the concertina wire. Border Patrol agents witnessed members of the group attempting to lift toddler-sized children up and over the concertina wire and (have) difficulty accomplishing the task in a safe manner, a news release from U.S. authorities states. Advertisement The news release does not say what time the incident occurred, and a follow-up question was not immediately answered. Migrants interviewed in Tijuana said the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. The Customs and Border Protection release said agents and officers deployed smoke, pepper spray and CS gas to address the rock throwers, who they said were assaulting border agents and also risking the safety of migrants who had already made it onto the U.S. side. The gases caused people to stop throwing rocks and flee, CBP said. The agency apprehended 25 people, including two minors, the release said. Jose Alexander, center, who took his 4-year-old son to the border wall and witnessed tear gas being fired early on New Years Day, speaks to other migrants outside El Barretal shelter. (Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune) I dont like that type of violence of people throwing rocks, said Silvio Sierra of Honduras, one of the migrants who approached the border and turned back amid the gas. We dont like that type of violence of throwing rocks. The majority of people came in peace. Our intent was to walk up peacefully. Regarding the tear gas, he said, It was very strong. It was everywhere. People were crying. Women and children too. The gas was everywhere. Several migrants from the group that rushed the border said they have been growing frustrated in recent weeks waiting in El Barretal shelter with conflicting and shifting information about how the U.S. immigration process is supposed to work. They said the majority in the group planned to peacefully approach U.S. immigration authorities at the border and throw themselves at their mercy. Advertisement Such a rush of the border has been discussed for several days. Plans to make the effort on Christmas Eve did not materialize. The thing about it is, you dont want to be illegal but you are already illegal, Sierra said. So they tell you to take a number. You ask for a number and wait in line for an opportunity. But theres so many people in line, you arent getting through. If you walk up and ask for asylum, they say you are in the wrong place. You tell me what are we supposed to do? Jose Alexander of El Salvador said he headed to the border with his four-year-old son and witnessed the tear gas fired across the border. He said he didnt see anyone throwing rocks, a sentiment echoed by many migrants interviewed on Tuesday. My son is still scared today, Alexander said. We were a little farther back in the group. As soon as I heard the first shot, I scooped him up and ran back. He was really scared. Advertisement Authorities also used tear gas on Nov. 25 during a similar rush on the border. Although some women and children said they were affected by the gas, officials said it was only targeted at rock-throwers in that instance as well. President Donald Trump said at the time it was a very minor form of the tear gas itself that he assured was very safe. The migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have come to seek asylum from violence and other unrest in their native countries. They set out on foot in October, and eventually used buses and other means to arrive in Tijuana, awaiting U.S. processing. Their presence has been portrayed as an invasion by Trump and and a human rights crisis by others. They have been routed from one shelter to another, and many have decided to return to their homelands or stay in Mexico, where new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is more welcoming than Trump. U.S. authorities are not the only ones who have used tear gas on the Central America migrants. Two suspects tossed tear gas canisters into the El Barretal shelter as migrants were settling into bed on Dec. 18. Late Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman issued a statement on the incident. Advertisement Once again we have had a violent mob of migrants attempt to enter the United States illegally by attacking our agents with projectiles, the statement said. As has happened before - in this and previous administrations - our personnel used the minimum force necessary to defend themselves, defend our border, and restore order. The agents involved should be applauded for handling the situation with no reported injuries to the attackers. Enrique Morones, founder of the immigrant aid group Border Angels, released a statement as well. Last night Border Patrol again tear gassed and shot (rubber bullets) at migrants including women and children, the statement said. After women and children were shot at, some migrants threw rocks to protect women and children. We ask for an independent investigation of these hostile acts by Border Patrol towards migrant children and adults. Border Patrol leadership needs to be changed. Misrepresentation of the facts, violence and death at the border is unacceptable and criminal. Juan Carlos Caballero Jones said he participated in Tuesdays rush on the border. He said he made it past the border fence and hid in the brush as agents searched nearby. Advertisement When they passed me, I moved another inch or so, and then I stayed still, he said. They walked right past me but didnt find me. He said he hid in silence holding his breath for 5 minutes. Eventually, Caballero was discovered by the lights from an overhead helicopter, he said. Juan Carlos Caballero Jones, who witnessed tear gas being fired at the border early New Years Day, poses for a portrait outside the El Barretal shelter in the Mariano Matamoros neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico. (Sam Hodgson / San Diego Union-Tribune) Advertisement I was just starting to think I was free. He said he was the only one caught in the spotlight of the helicopter and unsure if the agents were going to use some type of force to stop him. I was so nervous my whole body was shaking, he said. He said agents from the ground returned, and took him into custody and walked him back into the Mexico side. Advertisement I was so close, he sighed. But I am going to try again on another day. UPDATES: 5 p.m. This story was updated with interviews from migrants involved in the rush on the border. Advertisement 7:30 p.m. This story was updated with a statement from Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman. 8 p.m. This story was updated with a statement from Enrique Morones, founder of the immigrant aid group Border Angels. San Diegans watching Tuesdays annual Rose Parade from Pasadena may recognize two entries with local ties. Both the Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds equestrian unit and the Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band have been in the event dozens of times. Tuesdays parade, the 130th, features more than 90 floats, marching bands, and equestrian groups marching a 5.5 mile route, mostly along Colorado Boulevard, in front of thousands of in-person spectators and millions more watching on television. Its scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. This years theme is The Melody of Life. Advertisement The Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds are led by Michele Macfarlane, who is making her 35th Rose Parade appearance, following in the steps of her parents, who began riding in the 1950s. The group has also performed at the closing ceremonies of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, Queen Elizabeths Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and President Ronald Reagans inauguration in 1981. Macfarlane will be joined by a dozen others, including television personality Carson Kressley. At a recent preview event, they wore Old West clothing and rode distinctive American Saddlebred pinto horses with saddles and bridles custom-made out of leather and silver. The group is one of 18 equestrian units in the parade. It is listed as No. 30 in the lineup. The Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band is made up of 91 members from different groups, including the 1st Division Marine Band, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, and Marine Band San Diego. A fixture on New Years Day since 1950, the composite group is No. 4 in the lineup and will be among 19 marching bands in the parade. The Rose Parade dates to 1890, when members of the Valley Hunt Club encouraged people to decorate carriages with flowers as a prelude to an afternoon of chariot-racing, jousting and tug-of-war contests. About 3,000 people attended. In New York, people are buried in snow, Professor Charles F. Holder said at a club meeting back then, according to a chronology posted on the parades website. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Lets hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise. Today some 930 volunteer members of the Tournament of Roses Association contribute a combined 80,000 hours of work spread across 31 committees to make the parade and its ancillary events happen. Advertisement Advertisement john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com With new recreational marijuana regulations in effect in Chula Vista, the City Council recently established a set of license application fees for businesses that want to join what could become one of the largest markets in the region. The citys regulations, which were contingent on the approval of a cannabis tax measure, allow up to 12 marijuana businesses: as many as two dispensaries and one delivery service in each of the citys four districts. Also allowed under the regulations are up to 10 cultivation sites and an unlimited number of testing and manufacturing businesses. The retail limits set the stage for the city to have more marijuana shops per capita than the city of San Diego, which limits dispensaries to 36 but has four times as many residents as Chula Vista. Unlike Chula Vista, San Diego prohibits delivery, cultivation and testing and manufacturing businesses. Advertisement Chula Vistas regulations were dependent on Measure Q, a general tax measure approved by 64 percent of voters in November. The tax, which applies to almost all marijuana businesses, except cultivation facilities, is expected to generate $6 million that will go into the citys general fund With the regulations in effect, the City Council on Dec. 18 unanimously approved a set of fees intended to recover the costs of processing permit applications, including the hiring of consultants to vet and select qualified applicants. The fees, which total more than $6,000, are broken down into four stages of the application review process: Phase 1A: $2,683 to process the application Phase 1B: $2,065, which will help cover consultant costs to review and score applicants Phase 1C: $868, which will help cover consultant costs to interview applicants Phase 1D: $433 for a final review and assessment. Other fees include $300 per person for a provisional background check, $347 for a second background check, $183 for a zoning verification letter and $3,217 for an applicant to appeal a decision about a license. City staff said the fees were established using a cost-recovery analysis. The fees could generate revenue if the city receives an unexpectedly large number of applications, city staff said. Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez Faced with escalating labor costs, restaurateur David Spatafore came up with what he was sure would be a money-saving idea: convert his barbecue eatery in Coronado to counter service and let patrons place their own orders. Within three months of launching a service model commonplace in todays fast casual chains, Spatafore terminated the experiment. Our customer base hated it because they were used to that personalized, full service, said Spatafore, who owns 12 eating establishments, from an upscale steakhouse to an ice cream parlor. What we found is that people were spending less money and buying fewer drinks, which all contribute to a restaurants ability to survive. We werent saving enough in labor to make up for those losses. Come Tuesday, Spatafore and other local restaurateurs will have to start looking yet again at more cost-cutting measures as the minimum wage jumps to $12 in the city of San Diego and statewide for California companies employing 26 or more workers. Advertisement In the city of San Diego, where the minimum wage is going up by 50 cents an hour, regular pay increases for low-wage workers across all industries have become the new normal in recent years, thanks to voter approval in 2016. But for restaurants, which tend to have a larger share of such workers compared to other businesses, operators say it isnt getting any easier to absorb the steadily rising labor costs. In California, Tuesdays wage hike will be the fifth since 2009 when the minimum wage rose from $8 to $9 an hour. In some cities, like San Francisco, the minimum wage is much higher, having reached $15 an hour in 2018. Dining venues have experimented with an assortment of strategies, from raising menu prices, adding surcharges to diners bills, restructuring management and taking lower profits. Restaurateurs say they havent reached the tipping point yet, but as Californias mandated minimum wage approaches $15 an hour by 2022 (for large employers), they foresee big changes, including more automation and more eateries where you can still satisfy your epicurean tastes but without servers hovering at your table. If youre going to be an affordable restaurant, you either have to sacrifice on ingredients or cut labor out of the equation, said Mike Rosen, owner of the celebrity chef-helmed restaurant Juniper & Ivy in Little Italy and the rapidly expanding gourmet fried chicken concept, Crack Shack. Its not getting easier. But Im still intrigued by concepts that take labor out of the equation. Juniper is supposed to be a full service fine dining special occasion restaurant, while at Crack Shack we dont run it with excess labor. As more Crack Shacks open the next one will be in Las Vegas the goal, Rosen said, will be to shrink the footprint of the restaurants because theyre easier and more cost-effective to manage. And well just have to realize at certain times there wont be as many seats. Advertisement As much as legislation in the state of California, San Diego and other large cities has helped accelerate pay hikes for low-paid service workers, restaurant operators acknowledge that in high-cost areas, the minimum wage falls far short of a living wage. In fact, many pay their workers more than the base wage as the labor pool in California has shrunk and competition in the restaurant industry has grown ever fiercer. Then again, the minimum wage job was never intended to be a job for life but a jumping-off point for career advancement, believes Jack in the Box franchisee owner David Beshay. I feel for my employees. I started out as a production employee, working the grills and doing maintenance work so I know how my employees feel, said Beshay, who owns 38 Jack in the Box stores in San Diego County. The cost of living in San Diego has skyrocketed, and most of the increases they get are going to food and lodging and gas. But I do feel like were underestimated in the fast-food industry because we provide some of the essential training in the workforce. Our workers leave with many skills they will need, in guest service, teamwork and multitasking. Advertisement Restaurateurs who talked to the Union-Tribune for this story declined to make their lower-paid employees available for interviews. Because fast-food outlets depend on speedy service, cutting back on labor has not been an option to help cover higher labor costs at Jack in the Box, so finding ways to bring in new customers is critical, said Beshay. He points to the recent $4.99 bundle promotion of the popular BLT cheeseburger, with fries and a beverage, as a winning strategy. At the Brigantine restaurant group, paying closer attention to how employees are deployed has been essential to helping cut costs, says company president Mike Morton Jr. So too have occasional menu price increases, although he says operators have to be wary of boosting prices to the point where customers will simply choose home-cooked meals over dining out. Weve deployed iPads in most of our restaurants so that servers can cover a larger section, said Morton. This way theyre putting the orders in as theyre taking them and dont have to go back and forth to a computer in between. So maybe we can knock out a body per shift in the front of house. Advertisement Morton estimates that the higher minimum wage will take a bite out of the companys bottom line profit, although not an unusually large one about a quarter percent, he said. He estimates the added cost next year to be about $50,000 a month across the companys 15 restaurants. While kitchen staff at many San Diego restaurants typically earn more than the minimum wage, tipped workers do not because a sizable portion of their earnings come from tips. For Spatafores restaurants, which are full service, the added cost from the wage hike in 2019 could range from $10,000 to $25,000 per venue, he said. Its difficult to quantify in real numbers what kind of impact the increasing minimum wage has had on the restaurant industry. As of spring of this year, the total number of restaurants in the county, taking into account closures and openings, was relatively flat, compared to a year earlier, so its hard to conclude that higher wages are responsible entirely for failed businesses. Advertisement The number of restaurant jobs, though, has been declining in recent months in the county, a possible sign that restaurateurs are trimming hours and positions in response to wage increases. For each of the last nine months, there has been a year-over-year decrease in the total number of jobs at bars and restaurants, while statewide there has not been a corresponding decline, according to data compiled by San Diego economist Lynn Reaser. That may be because the city of San Diegos minimum wage has been increasing at a higher rate than in California. If the minimum wage increase is having a negative effect on hiring, as one would expect and appears to be the case, it may be hurting some of the people who need those jobs the most, said Reaser, of Point Loma Nazarene University, who has been tracking restaurant hiring since the minimum wage started rising. These are individuals who vitally need a chance at the first rung of the job ladder. The expense of training these people and the risk of hiring them may not now be justified in light of the higher required wage. Burger Lounge co-founder J. Dean Loring sees the successive increases in the minimum wage as something of a silver lining not just for the workers but for the restaurants as well. Advertisement Price increases for us are a last resort, said Loring. So the positive side is this has forced us to become more efficient as an organization. There are plenty of working poor in this country, so there is an up side to raising the minimum wage. Because of a change in the law in 2018, Loring said that Burger Lounge has started sharing the tips received by front-of-the-house workers with the kitchen employees at a couple of his restaurants. Every job is equally important, whether youre cooking or greeting a customer at the cash register, he said. Advertisement Business lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Advertisement Twitter: @loriweisberg Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for some of the cheapest homes to sell in 2018. In a year when San Diego Countys median home price hit its highest point in history $583,000 in August a few buyers were able to nab properties that were far less expensive but not without some disadvantages, like remote locations or plenty of deferred maintenance. Many of the homes could just be tear-downs that will make way for a new home on the site, or a second property for someone to get away to on the weekends. Related: The most expensive homes to sell in 2018 Advertisement 7555 Broken Cinch Trl in Julian sold for $90,000 (Mary Watkins) 5. 7555 Broken Cinch Trl, Julian $90,000 (Tie) This one-bedroom, one-bath home was advertised as a diamond in the rough west of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The home is only 480 square feet, but the property is two acres and completely surrounded by a fence. While it is far away from job centers, like many homes on this list, it might be a quicker drive than from other desert homes. It would take roughly one hour and 40 minutes to get to downtown San Diego and an hour and 20 minutes to Escondido. A selling point of the property is it is surrounded by park land that cant be developed, allowing for amazing views and wildflowers in the spring. The home was built in 1982, making it one of the newer desert homes on our list. It was originally listed for $110,000 in April, before selling about a month later. Listing agent Mary Watkins said the previous owner worked at the park but had to move closer to the coast for health reasons. She said the new owner planned to use the property as a getaway. It wasnt the best property Ive ever done, she said. But, it was a good value for what they paid for it. 5541 Highway 78 in Borrego Springs sold for $90,000 (Red Hawk Realty) 4. 5541 Highway 78, Borrego Springs $90,000 (Tie) Built in 1951, this is one of the oldest homes on this years list. The desert property in Borrego Springs just east of Anza Borrego Desert State Park is less than a mile from state Route 78, a quick connection despite the distant location from San Diego. It will still take about two hours to get to downtown San Diego. Advertisement The listing warned it was time to roll up the sleeves, do a little scrubbing to make the home more livable. Listing agent Tyler Stamets said the house needed a lot more work than many of the homes in that area. It was a very cool location just across the highway from the Ocotillo Wells off-road vehicle area, he said. That one was in need of some very major repairs. Also, it was about as far east as you could get in San Diego County and still be in San Diego County. Stamets said the new owners, who plan to use the home as a getaway, have already started to remodel it. His agency, Red Hawk Realty, handles much of the back country sales, including a $9.8 million sale of a roughly 560-acre ranch in Santa Ysabel in September. The state Route 78 home was first listed in January for $105,000 and was taken on and off the market several times before selling in July. Advertisement 2602 Frying Pan Rd in Borrego Springs sold for $85,000 but has been remodeled and is now on the market for $239,900. (Redfin) 3. 2602 Frying Pan Rd, Borrego Springs $85,000 This desert home was bought cheaply, but completely remodeled and is now on the market for $239,900. The buyers got the property in April and after significant upgrades had it listed for sale by October. It had been on the market 74 days as of Dec.31. The home was upgraded with new tile floors, dual pane windows, sliding doors, kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, garage door, air conditioning unit and sidewalks. Like other homes on the list, it is surrounded by Anza Borrego Desert State Park, making future development in the area unlikely. It is withing walking distance of the Christmas Circle Community Park, home of the Borrego Springs Farmers Market. It would still be a roughly two-hour drive from the home to downtown San Diego or 1 hours to Palm Springs. The home is 1,122 square feet and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Advertisement 210 Canyon Road in Julian sold for $80,000. (Redfin) 2. 210 Canyon Rd, Julian $80,000 This home in Julian was built in 1974 and is 810 square feet with four bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. It sits on five acres, and the listing said it is on flat land with panoramic views. While it was described as having a large carport for a recreational vehicle, a windstorm took off the roof and destroyed a storage shed. It sold for $100,000 in 2009 but was relisted this January for $99,500. Advertisement The property has two buildings, but the listing said the permits were unknown for a smaller structure that could be used for guests. The home is roughly two hours from downtown San Diego but less than an hour from El Centro. 1678 Zuni Trail in Borrego Springs sold for $75,000. (Red Hawk Realty) 1. 1678 Zuni Trail, Borrego Springs $75,000 This desert property is so far east in San Diego County that it is almost in Imperial County. Built in 1957, the 758-square-foot home has two bedrooms, one bathroom and dated appliances. The listing advertised the great bones of the home and its vintage quality. From the property, it would take about two hours to get to downtown San Diego or an hour and a half to Palm Springs. Advertisement Listing agent Tyler Stamets, who also had the No.4 home, said the interesting thing about the Zuni Trail property was that it could be of value to architecture buffs because it had very little, if any upgrades, since the 1950s. Borrego (Springs) is filled with all these mid-century modern vacation homes, he said. Some are beautiful and in amazing shape, but some are like Zuni Trail where they were like time capsules where all the appliances were like from the day it was built. It looked like nothing had been touched and it just aged in place. Stamets said an investor bought the home with hopes to turn it into a vacation rental. Going on the market in January for $89,000, it was taken on and off the market until September when it sold for $14,000 under the asking price. Advertisement Business phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar Advertisement ALSO San Diegos new single-family homes are pricey, modern and in short supply Tijuana condo craze continues in to 2018 Last years housing market broke records Mexicos new, left-wing populist president is ringing in the new year with a dramatic economic plan for border communities aimed at attracting new investments and creating jobs that could potentially curb the influx of migrants into the United States. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced last Saturday what is called the Tax Incentive Decree for the Northern Border Region that will create a free zone along the border with the U.S that is 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) wide. It encompasses nearly 2,000 miles, all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific coast. For the record: This story has been updated to clarify that the minimum wage boost to 176 pesos ($8.80) in the free zone is per day, not per hour. For communities within the border strip, such as Tijuana, the Mexican government will: reduce income taxes from 30 percent to 20 percent slash the Value Added Tax for goods coming into the country from 16 percent to 8 percent boost the minimum wage 100 percent to 176 pesos ($8.80) per day, and make fuel prices the same as those in the the U.S. Its going to be the biggest free zone in the world, Lopez Obrador who is also known by his initials, AMLO said. It is a very important project for winning investment, creating jobs and taking advantage of the economic strength of the United States. Advertisement The new government believes the effects of the free zone will improve the economic conditions of people along the border, which in turn will reduce the incentive for Mexicans to migrate north in search of better jobs. Migration should be a choice, not forced, Lopez Obrador said. The decree represents a return to the past for the Baja California peninsula. For decades, the area was known as Zona Libre, a duty-free zone for everything from perfumes to electronics to high-end clothing. But with the implementation in 1994 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, the Mexican government declared residents of border regions should be subject to the same import duties as other areas of the country. Border residents eventually saw their sales taxes raised, leading to complaints from Baja California businesses who said higher taxes put them at a competitive disadvantage with businesses across the border in San Diego. The border is different from the rest of the country, Pedro Romero Torres-Torija, a Baja California business leader who has advocated for a free zone, told the Union-Tribune in May. We are a binational region, with different systems, different economies. Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute at the Washington D.C.-based Wilson Center, said cutting the Value Added Tax in half is aimed at making stores in Mexico more competitive. Maybe youll get a lot more American tourists coming across to buy things, Wood said. But one of the great fears is that a lot of Mexican companies will move their headquarters there (within the free zone) so they dont have to pay 16 percent value added tax on their products. Advertisement While that could be very good news for the border region, it could lead to an overall loss of tax revenue for the country as a whole a scenario Wood said Mexicos treasury ministry has raised. If a lot of companies relocated to the border, Wood said, then the Mexican government loses a fortune. Najla Wehbe Dipp, who served on the Tijuana city council from 2010 to 2013 and now lives in San Diego as a Realtor, said doubling the minimum wage should help workers, especially everyone who works in sectors like agriculture because thats where people get paid the least. But on the other hand, it means that business owners wont be able to afford (to hire) as many employees, Wehbe Dipp said. Theres two sides to everything. Advertisement Theres also concern that the hoped-for effects of the free zone decree could be muted by the fact that the Value Added Tax will not initially be seen immediately once a consumer purchases an item. Whats going to happen is that you can keep your (receipt) and at the end of the year when you declare your taxes, you can make (the purchase) tax deductible, Wehbe Dipp said. Its not going to be reflected at the moment you pay. Wehbe Dipp said she expects the free zone will have its biggest impact on businesses and factories because they buy in larger volumes. They should be able to reduce the price of their products and that should cause people to afford to buy more, she said. Advertisement But taken together, would the decree eventually lead to a reduction in migration to the U.S.? I think it could, Wehbe Dipp said, but were not going to see it in the first year. I think its going to take a long time to see a real economic impact. The free zone is part of a larger push by Lopez Obrador, who has promised to create 400,000 jobs across Mexico. In the southeastern part of the country, about 2 million acres of fruit trees and timberland are being planted and in the new presidents home state of Tabasco, construction of the Dos Bocas refinery is underway. Advertisement It actually makes a lot more sense to import refined products but (Lopez Obrador) believes its much better to have (an energy resource) product that is produced in Mexico, Wood said. This is where his resource nationalism comes into play. He really is an economic nationalist Hes following through on his campaign promises. Staff writer Sandra Dibble contributed to this story. Advertisement Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski Ready to meet Trump again, says Kim Jong-un (file photo) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un renewed his commitment to denuclearisation on Tuesday and said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump for a second time. Kim, however, warned he might have to seek a "new path" if the US maintains sanctions and demands unilateral concessions, The Washington Post reported. In a nationally televised annual New Year's Day speech, Kim balanced a willingness to talk with a reminder that North Korea has its own demands if the denuclearisation talks are to succeed. He also warned the US should not misjudge North Korea's "patience". Kim called his June 2018 summit meeting with Trump "instructive" and said they had shared "constructive opinions" on mutual concerns and "speedy solutions to the tangled issues" they faced. "I am ready to sit face-to-face with the US President again anytime in the future, and will strive to produce an outcome welcomed by the international community," he said. "However, if the US does not keep the promises it made in front of the world, misjudge the patience of our people, force a unilateral demand on us, and firmly continue with sanctions and pressures on our republic, we cannot but seek new ways to protect our autonomy and interests and establish peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula." Kim also said that he and Trump had agreed to proceed towards the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula and that remained the "unchangeable stance" of his government. "We have announced that we will not produce, test nor proliferate any more nuclear weapons, and taken practical measures accordingly," he said. "If the US responds to our preemptive and autonomous efforts with credible measures and corresponding actions, the relationship between the two countries will accelerate for the better." He spoke warmly of his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018 and the rapprochement between the two nations. "If the North and the South join forces, sanctions or pressures from the outside cannot get in our way to prosperity," Kim said, adding that he will not allow "outside forces" to interfere. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said her government will further reinforce its ties with Tripura, other northeastern states and with India as a whole, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said. Deb talked to Hasina over phone on Monday and congratulated her on being re-elected in general elections. She is set to become Prime Minister for a third straight term. The ruling Awami League led by Hasina won a landslide victory in Sunday's 11th parliamentary election by winning a record 288 seats out of the 299 parliamentary seats, surpassing its previous election wins. "The Bangladesh Prime Minister assured me that any issues and projects relating to Tripura, other northeastern states and Indian government would be given priority by her government," Deb told the media. The Chief Minister said: "I have invited her (Hasina) to visit Tripura immediately after the formation of her new government. She responded positively." He said Hasina, who visited Agartala in January 2012, congratulated him after he assumed office as Chief Minister on March 9 this year. "I considered her (Hasina) like my mother," said the 48-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader turned Tripura Chief Minister, whose ancestral home still exists in Chandpur in Chittagong division in southeast Bangladesh. Hasina told Deb that her government would maintain good relations with his government to promote mutual interests. The Bangladesh Prime Minister helped Tripura during the previous Left Front government's tenure in transporting heavy machinery for a 726 MW Oil and Natural Gas Corp power project in southern Tripura and food grains through her country's territory. The political slugfest over the VVIP chopper deal case on Monday intensified with BJP chief Amit Shah accusing the Gandhi family of having "deep friendship" with arrested AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel, while the Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of misusing central agencies to pursue its "vendetta politics". The last day of the year witnessed the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching a frontal attack on UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the multi-crore rupees AgustaWestland choppers deal case, told a special court that Michel referred to one "Mrs Gandhi" and "big man 'R'", perceived as being Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Taking to Twitter, Shah alleged that "the friendship between Michel and one family in India is time-tested and deep". "Does anyone know why Christian Michel passed on the details of questioning on Mrs Gandhi to his lawyer? Did he want them to be passed on to Mrs Gandhi herself? Why?" asked Shah. The BJP President demanded Michel's lawyer Aljo Joseph -- a former Youth Congress leader -- to "reveal about the existence of documents of 2008, which make a reference to Mrs Gandhi". Shah called Joseph a "conduit between Michel and Mrs Gandhi" and said his expulsion by the Congress was a "sham". "Michel's lawyer has admitted that the paper was indeed passed on to him. He thought that it was a list of medicines, which could have been transparently given in any case," said Shah and took a swipe at the Gandhi family saying people have heard of the Zandu Balm and Tiger Balm -- medicines used to relieve pain -- but what is this "family balm". Countering the Congress' onslaught on the Modi government over alleged irregularities in the Rafale fights jets deal, the BJP also fielded its Chief Ministers to launch a multi-pronged attack. If Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanded the Congress and the Gandhi family to reply to the corruption charges made against them, his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath sought to know "Who is this Mrs Gandhi that Michel is talking about". "The Congress has benefited from Michel, which has been brought forth by the ED. The Congress and the Gandhi family must clarify," said Fadnavis wondering why the name of "only one family" keeps recurring in all defence deals involving corruption charges. Retaliating to the BJP's charges, former Defence Minister and Congress veteran A.K. Antony accused the Modi government and the BJP of "manufacturing lies" to malign the Gandhi family and asserted that neither Sonia nor Rahul ever interfered in any defence deals. "Lies, lies and lies the Modi government and the BJP are trying to manufacture something out of nothing, they are misusing the agencies to manufacture lies. I want to say categorically that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi never interfered in defence deals," Antony told the media here. "Without any iota of truth, they are pursuing a politics of vendetta. At no point either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi interfered in my functioning as the Defence Minister," said Antony who was at the helm of the Defence Ministry from 2006 to 2014. Antony also attacked the Modi government for "favouring" the AgustaWestland, which was blacklisted by the earlier Congress-led UPA government. "As soon as we came to know about corruption in the deal, we ordered a CBI inquiry. We fought against Agusta in Italy courts and blacklisted the company. "But after we left, the present government has done nothing against Agusta. Instead, they are favouring the company by making them a partner in 'Make in India'. Instead of following up on the action by the UPA and punishing Agusta, the present government is favouring them," alleged Antony. Following Michel's extradition from the the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, the BJP has been on the offensive against the Congress and the Gandhi family with Prime Minister Modi himself alleging that the British national has taken Sonia Gandhi's name and will "spill the beans" about the deal. Fourth annual streets clean-up campaign launched on Tuesday in Sanaa [01/January/2019] SANAA, Dec. 31 (Saba) - The Leadership of Sana province will launch on Tuesday the fourth cleaning campaign , which is being implemented by the Fund for Cleanliness and Improvement with the participation of local authorities and executive offices. Haneen Qutaina Sanaa Governor, Chairman of the Fund for Cleanliness and Improvement of the province, told Saba that the campaign, under the slogan "Care for hygiene, we are planting a smile for Yemen the most beautiful" aims to raise awareness of the importance of hygiene. He pointed out that the campaign is the fourth annual campaign that is implemented in the province on Jan. 1 calling on the people of the province, executive offices and civil society organizations to respond to the campaign to ensure its success. While the Executive Director of the Fund, Antar Mohammed, the completion of equipment for the implementation of the campaign, indicating that the campaign targeting the streets of the center of the province and the directorates of the suburbs of Sanaa, where will participate to execute this campaign more than 600 cleaners. Amal/AA saba The Canadian stock market ended on a firm note on Monday, extending gains to a third successive session, on higher crude oil prices and hopes about a possible U.S.-China trade deal. After a buoyant start and a subsequent fall that resulted in a few minutes in the negative territory, Canadian shares rallied to close higher, tracking gains in European and on Wall Street. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he had a "long and very good call" with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that a comprehensive trade deal between the United States and China is moving along very well, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the trade dispute. Chinese state media cited President Xi Jinping as saying he believed both sides wanted "stable progress." The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 100.86 points, or 0.71%, at 14,322.86, after scaling a high of 14,349.17 and a low of 14,218.54 intraday. On Friday, the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 56.79 points, or 0.4%, at 14,222.00 after a highly volatile session. The index shed about 12% in the year. Shares from energy, information , materials and utilities sections moved higher. Financial, consumer staples, consumer discretionary and industrials shares too were mostly higher. Shares from healthcare section declined. The Capped Energy Index gained more than 1%. Cenovus Energy Inc. (CVE.TO) gained 2.35%, Vermilion Energy (VET.TO) added 2.75%, Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TOU.TO) advanced by 1.75%, PrairieSky Royalty (PSK.TO) ended 1.3% up and Seven Generations Energy (VII.TO) ended 3.3% up. BayTex Energy (BTE.TO) gained 6.2%, Altagas (ALA.TO) ended 4.8%, Crescent Point Energy (CPG.TO) advanced by nearly 2% and NexGen Energy (NXE.TO) added 1.7%. The Capped Materials Index advanced by 1.74%. Nutrien (NTR.TO), Teck Resources (TECK.B.TO), Goldcorp Inc. (G.TO) and First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO) gained 1 to 2.5%. Kirkland Lake Global gained 3.3% and Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX.TO) jumped more than 4.5%. B2Gold Corp. (BTO.TO), Oceana Gold Corporation (OGC.TO) and Yamana Gold Inc. (YRI.TO) also ended sharply higher. The Capped Information Technology Index gained 1.66%. CGI Group (GIB.A.TO) gained 1.8%, Shopify Inc. (SHOP.TO) ended 3.7% up, Constellation Software (CSU.TO) advanced by 1.1%, Kinaxis Inc. (KXS.TO) ended 1.6% up and Enghouse Systems (ENGH.TO) added nearly 2%. Among bank stocks, Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO), Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO) and National Bank of Canada (NA.TO) ended modestly higher and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM.TO) ended slightly up, while Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) ended lower by more than 1%. Among the stocks in the healthcare space, Aphria Inc. (APHA.TO) declined by 7.8% and Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB.TO) declined 4.75%. Asian stocks finished on a mixed note Monday as weak manufacturing data from China offset signs of progress in trade talks between the United States and China. European stocks ended higher as soothing comments from both the U.S. and Chinese presidents praising progress in trade talks helped spur hopes for a resolution to the U.S.-China trade conflict. In addition, the Italian parliament has approved the government's 2019 budget after reaching a truce with Brussels. U.S. stocks ended notably higher after fluctuating over the course of the session on positive reaction to comments from President Donald Trump who expressed optimism about a U.S. - China trade deal. In commodities, crude oil futures for February ended up $0.08, or 0.2%, at $45.41 a barrel. Gold futures for February ended down $1.70, or 0.1%, at $1,281.30 an ounce, after recording a fresh six-month high at $1,286.45. Silver futures for March settled at $15.540 an ounce, up $0.104 from previous close, while Copper futures for March ended at $2.631 per pound, down $0.016 per pound. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News After ending last Friday's roughly little changed, treasuries showed a strong move to the upside in a slightly abbreviated trading session on Monday. Bond prices moved steadily higher over the course of the trading day before closing firmly in positive territory. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, fell by 5 basis points to 2.686 percent. With the notable decrease on the day, the ten-year yield dropped to its lowest closing level in eleven months. The ten-year yield has trended lower for much of the past two months but still climbed by about 28 basis points for the year. Treasuries benefited from their appeal as a safe haven going into the new year amid the ongoing government shutdown in the U.S. and lingering concerns about the global . Trading activity remained somewhat subdued, however, as many traders were away from their desks ahead of the New Year's Day holiday on Tuesday. Bond traders largely shrugged off comments from President Donald Trump expressing optimism about a U.S.-China trade deal. In a post on Twitter on Saturday, Trump he had a "long and very good" telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Deal is moving along very well," Trump tweeted. "If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!" Despite Trump's optimism about the potential for a long term trade deal between the world's two largest economies, traders remain skeptical. Following the holiday on Tuesday, trading activity is likely to remain relatively light on Wednesday amid another quiet day on the U.S. economic front. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Welcome Guest! You Are Here: This book traces the lived experiences of women lawbreakers in the state of Pennsylvania from 1820 to 1860 through the records of more than six thousand criminal court cases. By following these women from the perpetration of their crimes through the states efforts to punish and reform them, Erica Rhodes Hayden places them at the center of their own stories. Women constituted a small percentage of those tried in courtrooms and sentenced to prison terms during the nineteenth century, yet their experiences offer valuable insight into the eras criminal justice system. Hayden illuminates how criminal punishment and reform intersected with larger social issues of the time, including questions of race, class, and gender, and reveals how women prisoners actively influenced their situation despite class disparities. Haydens focus on recovering the individual experiences of women in the criminal justice system across the state of Pennsylvania marks a significant shift from studies that focus on the structure and leadership of penal institutions and reform organizations in urban centers. Troublesome Women advances our understanding of female crime and punishment in the antebellum period and challenges preconceived notions of nineteenth-century womanhood. Scholars of womens history and the history of crime and punishment, as well as those interested in Pennsylvania history, will benefit greatly from Haydens thorough and fascinating research. US Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas): I understand from whats been testified to the Forest Service and the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], you want very much to work on the issue of climate change. We know theres been significant solar flare activity, and so is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moons orbit, or the Earths orbit around the sun? Obviously that would have profound effects on our climate. Jennifer Eberlein, associate deputy chief for the National Forest System, responded that she would have to follow up with you on that one, after a brief pause. Gohmert: Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, Id like to know. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Production Engineer Support wygaso z dniem 2019-03-01 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez SIRE Life Sciences Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia ogoszenia to: propozycja zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszych zasobow zleceniodawca zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc pracownikow firma zmodyfikowaa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem url dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych nieprawidowy adres WWW ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Inzynieria / Projektowanie / Technologia, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Inzynieria / Projektowanie / Technologia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Production Engineer Support, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Production Engineer Support Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Netherlands, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Netherlands Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Singapore to remove motorcycle tolls at Tuas Second Link in Jan 2019 Happy New Year everyone and time to start 2019 with the first story of the year. What is happening in 2019? The big good news is Singapore will remove motorcycle tolls at Tuas Second Link starting 21st January 2019. Malaysia will remove motorcycle tolls starting today, 1st January 2019 at Tuas Second Link and Singapore will follow the move on their side. This is good news for Malaysians who work in Singapore and this will hopefully lessen the travel time and also their burden. According to Channel News Asia, Singapores Ministry of Transport (MOT) said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 1) addressing media queries on response on motorcycle tolls at the second link. We note Malaysias removal of motorcycle toll charges at the Second Link. Singapores long-standing policy is to match Malaysias toll rates. This is good news to start 2019 and we hope everyone will have an awesome year. We recently visited Singapore for the school holidays and plan to visit Singapore again this year in 2019. Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S21 Ultra. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I travel around 17 International trips per year. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For ads or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts Two decades ago, a landmark report from the Institute of Medicine found that thousands of patients die in hospitals each year from preventable medical errors. In a new issue of Health Affairs devoted to that topic, an assortment of studies finds that hospitals have improved somewhat but have more work to do. Among the studies was a survey at 535 hospitals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, and Florida finding that 29.6 percent of nurses rated patient safety at those hospitals as "unfavorable." Among other findings of that study, led by University of Pennsylvania nursing professor Linda Aiken: 54.9 percent of the nurses "would not definitely recommend their hospital." 28.9 percent gave their hospital an unfavorable grade on infection prevention. 37.3 percent said that "important information is lost" during shift changes. 41.9 percent said that "things fall between the cracks." 36.9 percent said that "staff do not feel free to question authority." The number of nurses answering each question varied, ranging from about 12,900 to 13,500. Aiken, who is also the director of Penn's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, was joined on the study by authors from Penn's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Rutgers University, the University of Delaware, and Emory University. The researchers found some positive signs when comparing the results with what nurses said when asked the same questions in 2005. On average, nurses gave higher grades for quality of care and patient safety at hospitals where they said the "clinical work environment" had improved since 2005. Work environment was evaluated based on factors such as the degree of managerial support for nurses, staffing levels, and amounts of resources and training. At hospitals where nurses said the work environment had improved, researchers found a 15 percent jump in the number of nurses who gave the hospitals favorable grades on patient safety defined as an A or a B. But at hospitals where nurses said the work environment had worsened since 2005, researchers found a 19 percent drop in the number of nurses rating patient safety with an A or a B. The report that prompted the national conversation about patient safety, titled "To Err Is Human," was published in 1999 by the Institute of Medicine, now called the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Among its recommendations were to improve the work environment for nurses by ensuring adequate numbers of staff. In a news release, Aiken said the new survey shows that progress on that score has been uneven. "Our recent study of nurses and patients suggests that those recommendations have not been uniformly adopted by hospitals," she said, "which may be hampering progress toward improving patient safety and preventing patient harm." The University of Pennsylvania Health System announced Friday that it had cut hospital readmissions by one-quarter in the first year of its new-style contract with Independence Blue Cross, surprising both parties. "This not only exceeds our expectations," said Independence chief executive Daniel J. Hilferty, it also sets the stage for similar efforts with other health systems, "as we work to improve our members' experience and drive down costs." Under the five-year contract, which took effect July 1, 2017, Independence no longer has to pay Penn when patients return to the hospital within a month of being discharged. Hilferty said in April that the change was expected to save the insurer $19 million to $20 million annually. Independence is the region's largest health insurer, while Penn is the area's largest health system by revenue. "Whenever you implement something new like we did in this program, you expect to learn a lot during the first year, but it usually takes more time to see results like this," said Ralph W. Muller, chief executive of Penn's health system. "Through close attention to what our data told us about the patients we needed to focus on, and a dedicated and creative push by teams at both Penn and Independence, we've set a new high mark for reducing readmissions in a far shorter time frame than anyone expected," he said. Penn did not provide the specific number of readmissions that were prevented by the collaboration with Independence, but Kate Flynn, president of the Health Care Improvement Foundation in Philadelphia, said she found the results impressive. "Things like remote monitoring, the very intensive case management, the coordination with home care, those are not typical things. Many hospitals have done pieces of that," Flynn said. Flynn said that when Medicare first instituted readmissions penalties in the 2011-12 time frame, hospitals quickly captured much of the "low-hanging fruit," but then progress stalled because certain chronic conditions are so hard to manage. Penn attacked the problem by identifying patients at high risk of readmission, including many with cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal conditions, and sepsis. High-risk patients returned to the hospital 16 percent of the time, Penn found, while low-risk patients were readmitted less than 1 percent of the time. The contract covered 15,000 inpatients in the year ended June 30 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Chester County Hospital. Under the new model, before Penn discharges patients with a high risk of readmission, a scheduler calls them to set up all their follow-up outpatient appointments typically combining them on the same day. Penn developed dashboards to track follow-up visits at seven and 14 days after discharge to ensure patients stay on track. Most patients now also leave the hospital with all their prescriptions in hand to avoid any delays in taking medications. The contract motivated Penn to add a new service after it found that many cancer patients were being readmitted through emergency departments. The response was an outpatient oncology evaluation unit, where patients can be seen as outpatients and effectively treated for common issues like dehydration. A police officer suffered a minor injury in North Philadelphia during a car chase Monday night of a robbery suspect who allegedly fired shots at police while trying to flee. Just after 8:05 p.m., an officer spotted the suspect in a burgundy Chevrolet Tahoe SUV in the area of Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Croskey Street, police said. The robbery occurred about a half-hour earlier in a Walgreens parking lot at 4201 N. Broad St. The suspect fired at police and took off with at least one police vehicle in pursuit, police said. The suspect was finally apprehended at Broad Street and Somerville Avenue in Logan. The Tahoe was involved in a minor collision with a police vehicle. The officer in that vehicle was taken to Roxborough Hospital to be treated and released. During the pursuit, one police vehicle swerved to avoid a pedestrian and struck a median at Broad Street and Hunting Park Avenue. No one was hurt there, police said. The suspect was identified by the robbery victim. HARRISBURG Pennsylvanias legislature kicked off its two-year session Tuesday with celebratory receptions and swearing-in ceremonies, all devoid of the tension that could quickly settle over its dealings with the Wolf administration. The new legislature will include more women and more Democrats. But Republicans will still hold firm majorities in both chambers and their ranks will be more conservative, as the blue wave in the November election wiped out many of the more moderate GOP lawmakers from the Philadelphia suburbs. The new power dynamic could set the stage for a chillier relationship between the legislature and newly reelected Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat once proclaimed Americas most liberal governor, and his new second-in-command, Lt. Gov.-elect John Fetterman, also an unabashed progressive. Within weeks, the two sides will have to grapple with Pennsylvanias sobering financial reality, one that independent analysts say includes a $1 billion-plus budget deficit. Still, none of those looming strains were on display in the Capitol on Tuesday, as legislators, along with friends and family cameras in hand gathered for the pomp-and-circumstance of swearing-in day. In the Senate, there are seven new lawmakers, including four from the counties ringing Philadelphia: Sens. Katie Muth (D., Montgomery), Maria Collett (D., Montgomery), Timothy Kearney (D., Delaware) and Steve Santarsiero (D., Bucks). Another new face, Sen. Lindsey Williams, is a Democrat from Allegheny County who was sworn in Tuesday to loud cheers from supporters and friends who had gathered in the Senate gallery after weeks of uncertainty. Republicans who control the chamber had questioned whether she met the state Constitutions residency requirement for legislators, and had asked her to turn over troves of documents to prove she had. Late last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) announced he would recommend Williams be seated despite some lingering concerns. And on Tuesday, Williams appeared relaxed and happy, saying all her colleagues had been cordial and gracious. It was smooth, Williams said of the day, adding that Scarnati walked up to welcome her. She said she looked forward to working on the issues she spoke about during her campaign, including access to affordable health care and adequate funding for public education. Scarnati, who on Tuesday was reelected to the top leadership post, spoke about the need for Democrats and Republicans to bring civility here. While we are clearly a diverse group, it is crucial that we remember to also be a body that works together in a civil manner despite our differences, Scarnati said in remarks on the Senate floor. In all, Democrats picked up five seats in the Senate in this last election cycle, thanks in large part to voters in the southeastern part of the state. Even so, Republicans still dominate the chamber, holding 29 of its 50 seats. Women, too, nearly doubled their presence. Last session, there were seven female senators; in the new two-year session, there will be 12. In the 203-member House, there are 43 newly elected members again, with more than half elected by voters in either Philadelphia and its suburbs or Allegheny County. They include Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler (D., Philadelphia), , Meghan Schroeder (R., Bucks), Jennifer OMara (D., Delaware), , Wendi Thomas (R., Bucks), Mary Isaacson (D, Philadelphia), and Todd Polinchock (R., Bucks). As in the Senate, both women and Democrats gained seats in the House. Democrats now hold 91 seats (that does not include two vacant seats once held by Democrats, for which there will be a special election this year). That is up from 82 last session. Women command 51 seats, up from 42 last session. Also flexing new political muscle in the chamber, at least in Democratic circles, will be lawmakers from the Philadelphia area. Rep. Jordan Harris (D., Philadelphia) is the caucus' new whip or the No. 2 leader, whose job is to persuade members to vote on bills important to the party. Rep. Joanna McClinton, also a Philadelphia Democrat, is the caucus chair, and Rep. Rosita Youngblood (D., Philadelphia) is its secretary. Rep. Matt Bradford of Montgomery County will be the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. WASHINGTON - A growing number of families and children apprehended at the U.S. border with Mexico are requiring medical treatment after a rigorous journey north in very crowded conditions, the head of Border Patrol said Monday. At the close of a month in which two young Guatemalan children died in federal custody, six children were among 17 migrants hospitalized with illnesses, said Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. On a typical day, he said, 50 people are referred to medical providers for checkups and treatment, though one day alone the authorities sent more than 80 to be treated. In recent days, he said, two pregnant women were rushed to hospitals immediately after they were taken into custody, as they were about to give birth. Some of the illnesses that agents have been seeing on a recurring basis are typical winter diseases such as influenza. Some have been diagnosed with very serious problems, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, parasites and gastrointestinal illnesses. "I'd say many were ill before they departed their homes," McAleenan told reporters in a conference call to discuss the humanitarian situation at the border. "These are not things that develop urgently, in a matter of days." McAleenan called the situation at the border "an unprecedented crisis" caused by a sharp increase in the number of younger, sicker people who are crossing. The number of asylum cases has more than doubled, fueled largely by Central American families fleeing violence in their home countries. A 7-year-old girl died Dec. 7 in CPB custody, apparently after going days without eating or drinking. After a second migrant child died on Christmas Eve, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen blamed smugglers and migrant parents for pushing border security systems to the "breaking point." McAleenan agreed with her conclusion, blaming the growing numbers on route and transportation changes introduced by smugglers seizing on the desperation of families as chance to profit. The traditional 25-to-30-day cycle it takes for a migrant to go from Mexico's southern border with Guatemala to its northern border with the United States has become much shorter. Some are arriving at the border in commercial buses that make the trip in five days, taking them to more-remote areas. The quicker trips may have encouraged more parents to bring children, who made up two-thirds the people apprehended in December. Their vulnerable age, plus the stress of an arduous journey during flu season as smugglers crowd them into buses and houses, have caused significant increases in the number who arrive very ill. In the eight days from Dec. 22 through Sunday, according to CPB figures, 451 migrants were taken for medical care. More than half, 259 cases, were children, and half of those were under the age of 5. "Border Patrol stations built decades ago are not resourced to handle this crisis and are not the best facilities to house children with their parents for extended periods," McAleenan said. Border Patrol has come under heavy criticism over the deaths of two Guatemalan children. In the wake of the second death, Nielsen ordered that all children be given a medical screening after they are apprehended. McAleenan acknowledged the capability to provide medical support will be hampered if the government shutdown becomes lengthy. McAleenan said no one has died in federal custody since the Christmas Eve death of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. U.S. foreign assistance to Central America has largely been directed to programs that seek to address the root causes of poverty and gang violence that are propelling so many people to flee. President Trump has tweeted he wants to cut off U.S. aid to these countries unless they do more to stop caravans of migrants from leaving WASHINGTON Democrats will take control of the House on Thursday with a stark challenge to President Donald Trump, voting on legislation that would fund the federal government while denying Trump the money he has demanded to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. GOP leaders in the Senate said they would support only a proposal that has the president's backing. And without additional wall money, the Democrats' offer is unlikely to break the stalemate that has shuttered large parts of the federal government since Dec. 22. But the strategy Democrats announced Monday would usher in a new era of divided government in Washington with a dare to Trump, aimed at forcing him and Senate Republicans to take their deal or prolong a partial government shutdown. House Democrats plan to use their new majority to vote through measures that would reopen nearly all of the shuttered federal agencies through the end of September, at funding levels Senate Republicans have previously agreed to. Those spending bills contain scores of priorities and pet projects for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The Democratic proposal holds out one exception: The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security, would keep its current level of funding, with no new money for a border wall. The plan would also extend the department's budget only through Feb. 8, allowing Democrats to revisit funding for key parts of Trump's immigration policy in a month. "The President is using the government shutdown to try to force an expensive and ineffective wall upon the American people, but Democrats have offered two bills which separate the arguments over the wall from the government shutdown," read a joint statement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the likely next House speaker, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Republican leaders would have the option to pass the bipartisan bills, reopening much of the government while the border fight continued, but doing so could diminish Trump's leverage as he demands billions in taxpayer funding for a wall. On Monday, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate, which will remain under Republican control, will bring up only legislation that has the president's blessing. "It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign," Don Stewart, McConnell's spokesman, wrote in an email Monday. The president has asked for $5 billion in border money, far beyond the $1.3 billion that Democrats plan to vote through this week. Trump on Monday invited Democrats to continue negotiations but reiterated that he had no plans to back down. "They can come over right now, they could've come over anytime. I spent Christmas in the White House, I spent New Year's Eve now in the White House. And you know, I'm here, I'm ready to go. It's very important," he said in an interview with Fox News that's airing Monday evening during the network's New Year's Eve programming. "We are not giving up. We have to have border security, and the wall is a big part of border security," he said. The White House did not comment Monday on House Democrats' plan. One of Trump's close congressional allies, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., dismissed the proposal from Democrats. Nancy Pelosis newest funding proposal doesnt represent any serious attempt to secure our border or find a compromise, Meadows wrote on Twitter, adding that the plan was a nonstarter and will not be a legitimate answer to this impasse. The deadlock has resulted in what is already the longest partial government shutdown since a 16-day standoff in 2013 over the Affordable Care Act. Some 800,000 federal workers have been affected, with an estimated 350,000 furloughed at home and the others still working because their jobs are deemed "essential." Thus far workers have not missed a paycheck, but that will begin to happen if the shutdown is not resolved soon. Many federal contractors are without work as well. "The biggest reaction still remains anxiety: When will this end?" said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, a Democrat whose Northern Virginia district is home to tens of thousands of federal workers. "Coupled with now the creeping reality of the financial consequences if this goes on too long, everything from 'Can I pay rent on time?' to 'What kind of obligations, if any, can I incur while it's uncertain whether I get a paycheck?' " The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, representing some 700,000 workers, on Monday announced that it was suing the federal government over the shutdown, writing in a statement that "the federal government is violating the law by requiring some federal employees to work without pay during a shutdown." In an issue unrelated to the border wall but important to federal workers, the package of full-year bills that Democrats plan to pass would include a 1.9 percent raise for civilian workers that Trump has sought to deny. Earlier in December, Senate Republicans signed off on a plan that would have averted the shutdown but did not include new wall money, only to have Trump publicly denounce the proposal the next day. McConnell, who will remain in charge of the Senate in 2019 as the House flips to Democratic control, does not want to put his lawmakers in that position again. The construction of a wall along the Mexican border was one of Trump's top promises in the 2016 campaign and early in his presidency, and he vowed to make Mexico pay for it. More recently, he has asked for taxpayer money to build the wall and said Mexico will indirectly pay for it later, but his aides have struggled to explain how that will happen. Pelosi, who is expected to be elected speaker this week, has called the wall "immoral" and said her new majority will not pay for it. House Democrats settled on the approach of funding the Department of Homeland Security on a short-term basis after liberals objected to a proposal to fund the agency through the rest of the 2018 fiscal year, even without increasing spending at the border. A coalition of advocacy groups, including the ACLU, sent Pelosi and Schumer a letter Friday opposing extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security for a full year, citing concerns that such an approach "clearly funds Trump's wall project and must be rejected." A spokeswoman for the ACLU said Monday that the group supports extending Homeland Security funding to Feb. 8, which would allow newly empowered Democrats more latitude in determining the agency's budget for the remainder of fiscal 2018. Trump canceled a planned trip to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., to stay in Washington to deal with the shutdown, but he has not been in touch with Democratic leaders. There have been no face-to-face negotiations since Vice President Pence and others held meetings at the Capitol on Dec. 22, the day the shutdown began. Pence made Democrats an offer that lowered proposed spending on the wall, but they rejected it in part because it included what they called a $400,000 "slush fund" that Trump could have spent on other immigration priorities. Despite Republicans holding a bigger majority in the Senate in the next Congress, some Democratic votes will still be needed to pass funding legislation there, and Democratic senators, even more moderate ones, have been resolute against money for a wall. That much was clear soon after the November midterms, when Schumer started gauging where Democratic senators stood on $5 billion for a border wall through one-on-one conversations in his office. Repeatedly, Democratic senators told Schumer that they would support money for border security but not Trump's specific request, according to a person familiar with the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe them. The agencies affected by the shutdown make up about 25 percent of the portion of the federal government that is funded by Congress. The Pentagon is mostly not affected, since a spending bill for the military was passed by Congress and signed by Trump earlier in 2018. Congress and the president also passed legislation to fund the Labor Department, the Health and Human Services Department and others, before Trump's demands for wall money ground negotiations on other spending bills to a halt. Programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid also are unaffected, since their budgets proceed automatically, without the need for annual congressional appropriations. The Russia investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III also is unaffected since it is paid for by a permanent, dedicated funding stream. New Years Eve might have suffered a bit of washout, but for Mummers, Tuesday broke just right. By the time the Comics began to strut their stuff up Broad Street, the pavement was dry, temperatures had risen, and revelers were settling in for the show. Janice Luyber and her daughter, Wendy DeVicaris, set up their camp chairs outside the Bellevue Hotel on South Broad Street to watch their first parade. My husband passed away in July, after 50 years of marriage, said Luyber, of Mount Laurel, and my daughter didnt want me to be by myself for New Years. This was always on my bucket list, Luyber added. But its always cold for the Mummers, and my husband would say, Just watch it on TV. Tuesdays parade was also the first for David Kent, who has lived in West Philly for his entire 65 years. Ive always seen it on TV, he said. But I had this feeling this year. Before I leave this planet, I wanted to see it. Three longtime friends who attend different colleges in different states celebrated New Years Eve together, woke early Tuesday, and traveled to Center City for the parade. Regina Fiore, a 23-year-old Temple University student, wore a reindeer costume. Because at this parade it just feels right, she said. Fiore, a self-described die-hard Mummers fan, has been to the parade a few times but wanted her out-of-state friends to experience the spectacle for the first time. What did they think? "It's magical," said Annabelle Leskinen, 22, who lives in Indiana. I dont know what the Mummers are, really, said 21-year-old Hannah Robbins, who lives in Kentucky. I just learned about them 12 hours ago, but its a lot of music and I love to dance. The mild start of 2019 - compared with last years bone-chilling kick-off - made it a whole easier to feel the love, whether this was your first parade or a lifelong tradition. From 10 degrees to 60 degrees is a huge difference. Its a whole different feeling. Everyone was in a good mood, said Leo Dignam, parade director and assistant managing director for the city. The pleasant weather seemed to bring out spectators up and down the parade route, and the Mummers appeared to step up and respond in kind, the director noted. The performers were performing more. They seemed to stop at every corner," Dignam said. Yet the parade managed to run smoothly, even punctually; the end time was actually two minutes under the goal of 4 p.m., he said. Mummers in the four divisions Comic, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades have worked all year for their big day. About 10,000 men, women, and children participated in the nearly 120-year-old tradition. Many of the comic performances, a mainstay of the parade, were reined in this year following controversial performances in the past. Mike Stermal, who is participating in his 73rd parade and works mainly with comic performances, reflected on how the Mummers have changed over the years, including shortening the parade route and pulling back on the comics more controversial themes. Were comics, we mimic people. We make fun. he said. We can do it with Trump or Kenney or somebody like that, but everybody else gets offended. Everything has to be politically correct. And it takes away from it, I think. But there were still plenty of shots taken at the big guys. For instance, a mummer from the Finnegan N.Y.B, under the Goodtimers Comic Division, with Jay-Z written on his back, held a leash attached to a mummer with Mayor Kenney emblazoned on his coat, and walked him like a dog. Meanwhile, the Lobster Club, also under the Goodtimers, featured a Trump-like figure carrying a black box resembling a cassette tape, with a giant yellow letter P on it, before he was arrested by men wearing the letters FBI on their sleeves. Other comics, such as the Vaudevillians N.Y.B, continued their legacy of making inclusive, socially conscious themes a part of Mummery since 2008. This year, the group, which marches with the Murray Comic Club, tackled school funding in a routine titled: Schuyl Spirit: A Phair Phunding Phantasy" during its late-morning performance. We wanted to talk about how a community wants a thriving school system, and there are powers-that-be that are not allowing this to happen in one of the largest cities in the country, said Sarah Micklow, a club captain. Another crowd favorite was a segment by the Happy Tappers N.Y.B, also under the Goodtimers banner, which emphasized that not all heroes wear capes, including police officers and military personnel. But at the end, they were swept aside by Phillys favorite hero, Nick Foles. Or at least his Mummer equivalent. Staff writer Kristen Graham contributed to this article. If the government shutdown continues, some Transportation Security Administration officers are going to be put in an impossible position, says veteran officer and union leader Joe Shuker: Do I feed my children or pay for gas to come in to work? Many of the newer TSA officers are in their 20s, he said. They start at $15 an hour. Some are single parents; some live in New Jersey or Northeast Philly and dont take SEPTA to the airport. And many live paycheck to paycheck. Theyre getting by, but not where they can miss a check, said Shuker, whose union represents about 800 TSA officers. Federal worker union AFGE, of which Shuker is a part, announced Monday that it was suing the government for requiring employees to work without pay. The partial government shutdown, which on Jan. 1 will be in its 11th day, has shown that federal workers are not exempt from the economic strain that many American workers feel, despite reports that the economy is flourishing. The shutdown follows a standoff between President Donald Trump, who is demanding $5.7 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and congressional Democrats, who want to block any wall funding. It was after U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R, Pa.) asked whether there were really any federal workers who wouldnt survive a delay in pay in a Politico interview that many federal workers took to social media to raise their hands, using the hashtag #ShutdownStories. In the Philly area, where more than 32,000 federal government employees work -- making it one of the regions with the highest concentration of federal workers in the country -- its no different. Youre just playing catch-up for the rest of the year, IRS employee Taji Chanel, a father of three who lives in West Oak Lane, told WHYY. Youre going to be in debt for a while. Some workers in Philadelphia, like those who work for the Veterans Administration in East Falls, arent affected by the shutdown because their agencies are fully funded. Others, such as TSA officers and those who work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, had to report to work without pay. Workers will likely get paid for the time they worked, but its still a burden, Shuker said: Because of a gap in pay, workers could get hit with late fees for their credit card payments or their rent. Although the government published templates for workers to send to creditors explaining their circumstances, many wont grant exceptions, Shuker said. Other federal employees, such as those with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Internal Revenue Service, have been on furlough. And the Philly-based employees of the Environmental Protection Agency started on furlough Monday, as the agencys funding just ran out. Rose Greaux, a HUD employee and vice president of her union, said its hard to budget because shes not sure when she will start working again. But whats more concerning to her is that most of HUDs operations have stopped. The department helps the homeless find housing, runs the Section 8 low-income housing program, and helps people secure FHA mortgages. Wed just like to get back to work, she said. Wed like to take care of the people. Meanwhile, the security guards and tour guides who work for the National Park Service on Independence National Historical Park were working last weekend, thanks to a $32,000 donation from Visit Philly, the citys tourism organization. The week between Christmas and New Years is the second busiest week of the year for the park. We expect this will pay for itself for Philadelphia, thanks to visitor spending from the visitors now able to visit the hall and the bell this weekend, Visit Philly spokesperson Cara Schneider told Billy Penn. A 15-year-old North Philadelphia girl is under arrest in connection with the death of her newborn son, who was found in a dumpster. On Monday at 10:30 p.m., an unidentified women approached police in the 2200 block of Lehigh Avenue and told them she found a baby that had been placed in a dumpster by her daughters friend. Both the woman and the baby were taken to Temple University Hospital, where the infant was pronounced dead at 10:37 p.m., according to police. Officers then went to the home of the daughters friend, in the 2700 block of North Judson Street. The girl who had given birth and her mother were then taken to the Special Victims Unit. The teen was arrested and taken to Temple University Hospital for precautionary medical treatment, according to police. The case has been assigned to the Homicide Unit, police said. In Philadelphia, vacant factories loom over rundown neighborhoods. Its different out in the suburbs, where former pharmaceutical company buildings and other vacant industrial properties are routinely recycled into modern work spaces. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals buildings near Malvern are now occupied by financial services firm Vanguard Group. And JPMorgan Chase located its technology center in AstraZenecas old south campus on U.S. 202 north of Wilmington. Joe Mirabile, CEO of United States Seating Corp. (USSC), says his biggest challenge at the moment is adding nearly 200 staff to the 250 working at the firms new home in the former West Pharmaceuticals Corp. plant in Exton the facility that not too long ago underwent a $75 million-renovation, backed by $1 million in state aid. To turn the vacant pharma complex into a seating and safety-equipment plant, crews working from plans by Eli Kahn Real Estate and Goodman Properties built a full steel overlay over the atrium. They had to close them in completely to create our space, said Mirabile, who comes from a Norristown beverage-business family. USSC was started in Conshohocken in 1984 by Christian Hammarskjold, who targeted the often-political railroad-supply business, building seats for SEPTA and Amtrak cars. Boston investment firm Dubin Clark, whose other investments range from retailers such as CompUSA and Party City to portable-toilet manager Johnny-on-the-Spot, bought a controlling interest in USSC in 2016. Mirabile went to Germantown Academy, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University Law before joining the company in 2010. He and other bosses have re-invested and remain part-owners in USSC. The companys clients include the Wolfington familys truck business, also based in Chester County. At the former West Pharmaceuticals building, builders knocked out the second floor to accommodate bigger machines, warehouse racks, and forklifts. I was amazed once we started removing the ceilings, Mirabile said. This building had really strong bones. A well-poured concrete foundation so it could handle the weight of our machines. And its on a 35-acres site, where we can start work on another 200,000-square-foot space, which he hopes to finish a year from now. USSC moved from the former National Foam building right on Pottstown Pike. Mirabile said he needed updated space to appeal to new millennial workers. "We are recruiting from customer service through the factory floor all the way up through Ph.D.s in engineering. Despite the impressive headcount, his plants are increasingly automated with robot welders and self-driving (autonomous) equipment. Workers commute from the old factory centers of Reading, Coatesville, and Philadelphia. Wages start at $14 an hour. Salaries can range from $50,000 up to $150,000, and finding people is getting harder. The firm considered moving down South or to New Jersey, but the skilled labor force kept us here. Near Lansdale, a training facility Merck built to house 1,500 people in 1999 has been lying vacant since 2016 when the drugmaker consolidated facilities. Enter Mark Nicoletti and his family-owned Philadelphia Suburban Development Corp., a mostly nonunion builder that has profited from the widening of the Pennsylvania Turnpikes Northeast Extension to develop properties around the Lansdale interchange. The firm has rechristened the 340,000-square-foot Merck building the Pinnacle and started leasing it to tech companies including Sicom Systems, the 425-worker fast food-software firm backed by Ira Luberts LLR Partners, which sold it earlier this year to Global Payments Inc. of Atlanta for $415 million. Merck acquired many hundreds of thousands of square feet in excess of their needs. Little by little, theyre selling, Nicoletti said. This building was maintained very well, but it was not modernized." One challenge: cutting the building from Mercks regional utility grid. The developers picked new phone, data, and Internet connectivity. Nicolettis company has added the millennial amenities corporate recruiters now demand, said Stephen Kriz, broker at CBRE in Radnor. They added contemporary collaborative common space, food providers, shared conference facilities, access to transit" the SEPTA Lansdale and Norristown lines arent close enough for most people to walk, so there are shuttles "fitness, and good parking. This is nicer than anything in Conshohocken. Its as nice as anything in King of Prussia, claims Nicoletti. I think we can get this to $20 a square foot, a bargain by Center City standards, but a step up for central Montco, where the mortgage meltdown of the mid-2000s removed a string of longtime employers. People are moving to the suburbs, he concluded, discounting worries of a builder slowdown in 2019, and listing the homebuilders he says have approached him lately "for our land at the Lansdale interchange: Toll, Pulte, Ryan, and Hovnanian. Thats the new thing. Kriz also flagged another former pharmaceutical company site that may become home to growing suburban companies or local centers of national companies: the mostly vacant GlaxoSmithKline pill factories in King of Prussia. That high-rise-sized, 950,000-square-foot pill complex is owned by Beachwood Capital Management of New York. It has not been targeted for conversion, but the property is being marketed for lab and office users by manager Exeter and developer Brian ONeill. Boss stepping down from Pirate football Perryville football will have a new boss on the sideline this fall.Thats because the current one is moving on.Blane Boss, the Pirate football coach for the previous four seasons, Piranha boys win opening meet of the year, girls finish third The Perryville Piranhas kicked their first meet off with a bang Saturday.The boys earned first overall with 254 team points finishing ahead of the Ste. Genevieve Stingrays who finished with 214 Ghana has from October 2018 begun the monthly forfeiture of $40 million to Eni Ghana, as a result of the countrys failure to put in place appropriate infrastructure to off-take gas from Offshore Cape Three Point (OCTP) for the use of thermal plants. OCTP, operated by Eni Ghana, commenced operations in mid-2018, and has an agreement to produce the lean gas for onward off-take by the government of Ghana. Unlike crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which are storable and could be transported to the international market, lean gas is not. Therefore in developing a natural gas field, the investors (OCTP Partners) had to be assured of a ready off-taker (Ghana), a ready market and guaranteed repayment. The OCTP is operated by Eni Ghana as the lead operator with a 44.44 per cent interest, along with its partners Vitol Ghana with 35.56 per cent, the National Oil Company (GNPC) with 20 per cent. Between the operators and Ghana, before the gas hit the shore, it requires infrastructure (pipeline) to transport the gas from the wellhead, through processing units and the delivery of the agreed volume to the off-taker (Ghana) for thermal energy generation. Take-Or-Pay Such infrastructure per the industry standard, should have been ready and pre-commissioned one clear year before the completion of the development and production of the Sankofa field. However, since the commencement of gas production at the Sankofa field, the country has not been able to take the volumes of gas delivered to the shore by the partners, triggering off the Take-or-Pay clause in the OCTP oil contract. The investment of more than $7-billion into the development of OCTP, which is a heavy, gas concentrated field project touted as a great relief-to-be for the countrys challenged power sector, was occasioned by Ghana. In 2015, the Government of Ghana signed the deal with the Italian oil giant, ENI and partners for the production of about 180 million cubic feet of gas for which Ghana was expected to prepare adequately to receive and utilize or pay for the agreed volume of gas even when the country is unable to consume it all. 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 Jerry John Rawlings has taken a swipe at former President John Agyekum Kufuor for instituting policies that worked against family planning during his tenure. According to him, Mr Kufuors administration encouraged many Ghanaians to give birth without regard to their living conditions, a situation he said further deepened poverty and inequality among the populace. The founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also argues that the rapid population growth that the country has been experiencing is the cause of many challenges facing the country. I want my people to be richthere will never be enough when you are bringing forth uncontrollably, he said in Ashaiman where the NDC marked the 37th anniversary of the 31st December Revolution on Monday, December 31, 2018. On December 31, 1981, Rawlings, supported by lower-ranking soldiers, most of whom served in the Reconnaissance Regiment, seized power to cure what they said were deep-seated corruption and harsh economic situation. Rawlings then established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) to rule the country, dissolved parliament, and banned all political parties. On January 21, 1982, Rawlings appointed a sixteen-member civilian government with a cabinet of secretaries and told them to "serve the people sacrificially." The PNDC also assumed control of the Ministry of Defence. The Rawlings regime further consolidated its power by promulgating PNDC Law 42, which suspended the constitution and gave the government wide powers over Ghanaian citizens. This years event, the 37th anniversary, is being held under the theme, Deepening the Core Principles of Good Leadership for Political Governance. Source: JFM/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts has just announced that she has established a presidential campaign exploratory committee to kick off her plan to run for office come 2020. In our country, if you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts says at the start of the new, 4 1/2 video. No matter where you live in America or no matter where your family came from in the world, you deserve a path to opportunity, Warren continues in the new political video. Thats the America I am fighting for, and that is why today I am launching an exploratory committee for president. A former Harvard law professor and champion of consumer protection, Warren has long been on the shortlist of potential 2020 Democratic candidates. Her fundraising prowess and popularity in progressive circles has left many in Washington referring to her as one of a few early front-runners as well, though more than two dozen other Democrats are also rumoured to be considering presidential runs. Warrens staff told ABC News the senator will be filing the paperwork for her exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission Monday and revamping her political and campaign website. There is only a passing reference to President Donald Trump and his administration in Warrens new video. Pictures of past and current White House advisers play over Warrens voice saying, The whole same is propped up by an echo chamber of fear and hate designed to distract and divide us. If we organize together, if we fight together, if we persist together, we can win, Warren ends the video, making a subtle reference to a moment on the Senate floor in 2017 that went viral. 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 second lady, Samira Bawumia seem not be endearing into the hearts and souls of only the political circles, but much importantly, men of God and destitute across the country. Particularly with her heart of giving to widows, which has become her hallmark of late, the wife of the second most important personality of the land, on the eve of the new year, put smiles on the faces of several widows at the Power Chapel International, at Tanoso in Kumasi. She made a presentation of about One Hundred and fifty (150)humpers with cash to widows of the Power Chapel International and others who worshipped with them during the 31st watch night services Kumasi. Her surprised kind gesture was triggered by the Head Pastor of the church, Rev Victor Kusi's monthly financial assistance to widows in his outfit. According to mrs Bawumia, she was moved by such sincere benevolent act by Rev. Kusi during her (Mrs Bawumiah) visit to the Ashanti region in December last year. The second lady had visited the Ashanti region in December, for similar function: to dine with widows in the region, as part of her nationwide " Dine with the Widows programme." In the 31st night gesture done on her behalf, Mrs. Samira Bawumia sent the items worth thousands of cedis and an undisclosed amount to them as part of her Christmas giveaways to the less privileged. The message which was delivered through her aides on December 31, 2018, was to put smiles on the faces of widows and widowers. According to her, what Rev. Kusi and his church have taken upon themselves, to take care of the monthly expenses of the many widows in and outside the church is a reflection of the virtues being preached at the chapel. She was touched and added such men of God will continue to inspire her and her quest to reach out to the world in her own way. Sounding perplexed all through his sermon, Rev. Victor Kusi spoke highly of the second lady. He added that it is only "mothers with huge and pure hearts" like her that could trigger such immense gesture. To him, even God did not hint him of Mrs Samira Bawumia's visit, let alone the presentation. The Rev. Minister blessed her on behalf of the widows, stating that with every smile that she had put on the faces of each of them, her requests and dreams had already been answered. He called for more of such hearts in the country, to support the church raise souls for Christ's kingdom. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanas Deputy Ambassador to China, Dr. Charles Dwamena, has revealed that an average of 5 Ghanaians were arrested every week by the Chinese authorities for illegal employment and for overstaying in the year 2018, and that majority of those arrested were students. Addressing Ghanaian students at the 2018 Afehyiapa Dinner organized by the Beijing Chapter of NUGS-China on the 29th of December 2018 in Beijing, Dr. Dwamena, who was the Special Guest of Honor, advised the students to desist from engaging in any form of employment as it is illegal for students to work in China. According to him, a number of students have had their education truncated because they were arrested by the Chinese authorities for teaching, deported and banned from entering China for a period making it impossible for them to complete their education. According to him, per the Vienna Conventions, the Embassy cannot interfere with the procedures of the Chinese authorities once a Ghanaian is arrested for doing something illegal and for us at the Embassy, it becomes a painful situation to watch a student who has put so much efforts in his or her studies get deported in the final year for illegally working, he said. He used the occasion to advise all students present to desist from taking up any form of employment saying that it doesnt matter if your friends have been doing it for years without being caught, you do not know the day of reckoning for you so please play it safe and say no to illegal work in 2019. He informed the gathering that a number of Ghanaian students are excelling in their various campuses and that is worth commending. He further disclosed that as a result of the fruitful discussions President Akufo-Addo had with his Chinese counterpart, the number of Chinese Government scholarship slots has been increased for Ghanaian students starting from the 2018/2019 academic year and encouraged the students to take advantage of the opportunities presented. He also used the occasion to caution all those who have overstayed their permits to take the necessary steps to regularize their stay as the Chinese authorities have intensified their efforts aimed at flushing out illegal immigrants. The President of the Beijing Chapter of NUGS-China, Mr Ahmed Abdul Basit Sofo, thanked the Deputy Ambassador and the entire Embassy Staff for always coming to the aid of students in China and pledged that they will also use their influence to get students to stop the illegal activities. Present at the event were the Head of Chancery, the 1st Secretary Consular and 1st Secretary Administration as well as over 95 Ghanaian students from various universities in Beijing. Source: citi 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 Asante Akim North District Directorate of Health Services has received medical supplies worth US$10,000.00 and quantities of bicycles to aid health care delivery in the area. The items, which included thermometers, surgical gloves, syringes, intravenous connectors, forceps, delivery beds, infusion controllers and assorted drugs, were gift from the Sekyere East Cluster Office of the World Vision International in Ghana (WVI-G). Mr. Joseph Kwogyenga, the Cluster Manager speaking at the presentation ceremony, said it was part of WVI-Gs health intervention and strategy to enhance access to improve and quality health care as well as maternal and child health care delivery in the rural communities. He said WVI-G, as an international Christian NGO had the mandate to improve the lives of all children, especially the most vulnerable within families and communities and aid their access to primary health care, especially maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS through various interventions. Mr. Kwogyenga said among the interventions implemented by the WVI-Ghana in the District were the Mother to Mother Support Group (MTMSG), Savings for Transformation (S4T) and the Community Health Committees, among others. Mr. Kwogyenga added that the organization has been supporting the District Health Directorate to provide training for health professionals on how to counsel breastfeeding mothers to continue to breastfeed their babies. The training also included building the capacities of adolescents on value-based life-skills and sexual reproductive health, as well as other health intervention programmes, which were all targeted at improving the health needs of the people in the area. He urged community members to cooperate and collaborate with the health directorate in all community health sensitization programmes in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the area. Mr. Roland Ronald Miah, the District Health Director commended WVI-Ghana for the continuous support to meet the health needs of the people, especially in maternal and child health. He urged continuous support from WVI-Ghana, the government and other developmental partners to strengthen and improve health care service delivery in the rural communities. Mr. Patrick Adams, the Health Project Officer of the Sekyere East Cluster of WVI-G, urged the Directorate to initiate good maintenance and sustainability plans to prolong the lifespan and usage of the medical equipment received. He said the bicycles were to facilitate the work of the community health volunteers to make positive impact on the maternal, child and general health care in the District. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A misunderstanding between two siblings over a Christmas meal at the weekend turned tragic, at Kyea a farming settlement, near Babator-kuma in the Kintampo Municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region. Kwame Mahamadu alias, Yanta Reba, an 18-year-old farmer shot and killed Amadu Yanga, his 80-year-old father and wounded Nechenma Amadu, 30, his elder brother. Police have arrested the suspect, whilst the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Kintampo Government Hospital mortuary for autopsy. Chief Inspector Augustine Kingsley Oppong, the Brong-Ahafo Police Public Relations Officer confirming the story, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the incident happened around 1900hours on Saturday December 29. He said Amadu is also in critical condition receiving treatment at the same hospital, whilst the Police are continuing with their investigations. The GNA gathered the suspect left for farm on that fateful day, and when he came back home, discovered that his elder brother has prepared a Christmas meal, but the family did not reserve some for him. A misunderstanding, ensued between the two brothers, and in the course of the melee Mahamadu pulled a single barrel gun, shot and killed his father, who attempted to separate them and also fired at his elder brother. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana unit of Standard Bank of South Africa, Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited, has absorbed customers of the local subsidiary of Indian-state lender, Bank of Baroda under an arrangement that comes at no cost to the former. Multiple sources involved in the arrangement have told Graphic Online that the transaction was sealed in the tail end of December 2018, paving the way for Baroda to officially wind up its Ghana operations on December 31. The transaction has since been approved by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and an official announcement due on January 2, one of the sources told Graphic Onlne. This means that customers of Baroda are now customers of Stanbic Bank Ghana in a smooth migration that allows the former to walk away without distraction to its customers and the banking system. 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 National Minority Commission seeks report from Kerala Govt on action taken against CPM-DYFI goons who molested Xmas carol team and vandalised the church The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) directs Kerala Chief Secretary, DGP to ensure The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) directs Kerala Chief Secretary, DGP to ensure safe return of Christians holed up in Church for 8 days fearing attack from CPM/DYFI men; Seeks Action Taken Report in 7 days The National Commission for Minorities on Monday (31-12-2018) sought an action taken report from the Chief Secretary of the Government of Kerala and the Director General of Police under Section 9 (d) of the National Commission for Minorities (Amendment) Act 1995 within 7 days on a complaint (dated 28/12/2018) filed by the St Pauls Anglican Church Committee regarding the partial destruction of their church, physical assault on its Christmas Carol team members and molestation of women and children allegedly by a group of CPI(M)/DYFI workers. The copies of the directive have also been sent to the District Collector of Kottayam and Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, for immediate action. The directive came in response to a memorandum submitted by Rev Father P.J. Paulose Padikkaparambil and Mr Johnson P.C., Secretary, St Pauls Church, Koompady, Pathamuttom, Kerala, to NCM Vice-Chairman Honble George Kurian, seeking his intervention. Taking serious nature of the complaint, the NCM Vice-Chairman directed state officials to ensure safe return of the victims to their homes who are forced to stay in the local church for the last eight days and provide adequate security to their lives and properties. NCM also directed the state officials to take punitive action against the culprits under the relevant sections of IPC. The victims belong to Dalit Christian community. According to the complaint, five Christian families are forced to stay in the Church owing to the death threats issued allegedly by the activists of CPI(M)/DYFI. Yamia C Thankachan, a B Tech student who sustained injuries in stone pelting, reportedly said she cant even study or appear in exams due to fear of attack. In the complaint, the Church authorities alleged that a group of local CPI(M)/DYFI workers barged into the Christmas carol service being taken out by the Churchs Youth Wing and Womens wing workers on December 23 at 8 pm and disrupted the event by singing vulgar songs and using expletives against girl children. The carol team questioned them when they started flashing. Enraged, the DYFI workers molested the girls and physically attacked them. The CPI(M)/DYFI workers then brutally attacked the male members of the team who came to protect the girls. The gang on the rampage also damaged the St Pauls Anglican Church. The frightened women and children hid behind the altar to escape the attack. The complainants stated that the gang had pelted stones on the house of PJ John, a church trustee, and damaged his autorickshaw parked outside his house. The attackers pelted stones on another parish member Chackos house and demolished the compound wall. They also attacked the daughter-in-law of Chacko. According to the memorandum, Church Committee secretary PC Johnsons house was attacked and bikes parked outside his house were destroyed. They broke open the door and attacked Johnsons wife Lincy and 3-year-old child. One of the culprits, Sreekuttan, hit her head with a big rod and threw the child on her lap onto a sofa. Later Allan and Sreejith also joined Sreekuttan and brutally attacked Lincy and cut her forehead. When she tried to call her husband, they shouted at her; Call your husband, let him also see the attack on you. They also threatened to kill her husband. When her brother-in-law tried to intervene, they brutalized him also. The top U.S general in Afghanistan told NATO troops on Tuesday to prepare themselves to deal with "positive processes or negative consequences" as peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban to end a 17-year war gain momentum. General Scott Miller, who commands U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolution Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan reiterated the need for a political settlement to end the conflict. "Peace talks (are) out there, regional players pressing for peace, the Taliban talking about peace, the Afghan government is talking about peace," Miller told dozens of NATO soldiers who had gathered at RS headquarters in Kabul for an exercise session. Dressed in gym gear, Miller participated in a 60-minute open-air morning workout of sprints, squats, burpees and push-ups. He did not comment on reports that the United States was considering pulling out almost half of the 14,000-strong force currently deployed in Afghanistan. A White House spokesman said last week that U.S. President Donald Trump had not issued orders to withdraw the troops. However, the administration has not denied the reports, which have also prompted fears of a fresh refugee crisis. "Are (the RS) able to adapt? Are we able to adjust? Are we able to be in the right place to support positive processes and negative consequences, that's what I ask you guys to think about in 2019," Miller said. With the help of its allies, the U.S. launched a military campaign in Afghanistan 17 years ago to topple the Taliban government following the September 2001 strikes on American cities. The longest American war effort has since killed nearly 140,000 people, including security forces, insurgents and civilians, and has cost Washington close to a trillion dollars. Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times to discuss the withdrawal of international forces and a ceasefire in 2019. However, fighting has not subsided even as diplomatic efforts intensify. "As long as the Taliban want to fight we are going to fight," said Colonel David Butler, spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. He added that 2019 would bring a unique opportunity for peace in the country that has been at war on and off for almost 40 years, since U.S.-backed Afghan guerrillas fought to repel Soviet Union forces in the late 1970s. "Think of this -- 40 years of war has a possibility of coming to an end," Butler said. In their 2018 annual report, the Taliban said they had successfully forced the U.S. to invite them to the negotiating table. "The Mujahideen defended valiantly...the invaders were forced to review their war strategy," the hardline Islamic militant group said in a statement. Short link: Pope Francis called for peace and "fraternity" and Queen Elizabeth II warned against "tribalism", as millions across the world celebrated Christmas on Tuesday -- after US President Donald Trump caused a festive furore by raising doubts about Santa Claus's existence during a call with a child. Some 50,000 worshippers gathered at the Vatican to hear the pontiff's sixth "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and the World) message appealing for peace in conflict zones such as Syria and Yemen, which face humanitarian crises. "My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity," he told pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square on Tuesday, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. "Fraternity among individuals of every nation and culture. Fraternity among people with different ideas... Fraternity among persons of different religions." Francis, the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, had used his mass on Monday night to urge people to curb "insatiable greed". The pontiff said he hoped a truce in conflict-ravaged Yemen would end a devastating war that has killed around 10,000 people since 2015 and pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine. The pope also spoke of the war in Syria, which has forced millions from their homes and reduced swathes of the country to rubble. He called for a "political solution" to the conflict "so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country". Francis also said he hoped for renewed peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians "that can put an end to a conflict that for over 70 years has rent the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love." Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, located near Jerusalem but cut off from the city by Israel's separation barrier, has seen an increase in visitors this season after several down years because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian tourism officials and hotel operators have reported their strongest season in years. "This year is much more calm, much better than last year," said Abeer Nasser, a Palestinian from the nearby town of Beit Sahour celebrating in Bethlehem with her son and daughter. Beyond Bethlehem, Christians worldwide were marking Christmas, with services held from Indonesia to Iraq. This year's celebrations come after a year of tumult, much of it coming from Washington, where the festive spirit was dampened when the national Christmas tree went dark due to a US government shutdown -- though it ultimately reopened thanks to private donations. One festive service not affected was the military's annual Santa Claus "tracker", which sees North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) deliver live updates on his international gift delivery route. Fielding calls from children anxious to know if their presents would arrive on time, Trump risked a spell on Santa's naughty list by telling one child that believing in the jolly man in red at age seven was "marginal". Entrenching the unfestive tone on Christmas morning, Trump used a news conference following his annual holiday call to US troops to reel off a laundry list of complaints, including his disdain for the US Federal Reserve and the opposition Democrats, whom he blames for the shutdown. "It's a disgrace what's happening in our country. But other than that, I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas," the president said. In Bethlehem, visitors were able to view the Church of the Nativity's newly restored mosaics dating to the Crusader era after a major renovation. Visitors from across the world gathered in the "little town" on Christmas Eve for midnight mass, queueing to see the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born and taking in a festive parade. While for many who celebrate the festival Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones, many were struggling with unforeseen events and hardships. At a little church just outside Indonesia's tsunami disaster zone, a few dozen congregants gathered on Christmas day to pray for the victims. The tsunami, triggered by a volcanic eruption, left more than 400 people dead when it smashed into popular beaches on southern Sumatra and the western edge of Java, inundating tourist hotels and coastal settlements. "This Christmas is different because we're celebrating it during a disaster," Rahmat Carita congregant Eliza told AFP. "For me, it's a chance to contemplate. God's love is real, we must not forget that." Queen Elizabeth II warned of religious "tribalism" in a Christmas message delivered against a backdrop of Britain bickering over its impending exit from the EU. The tone of the 92-year-old monarch's annual TV appearances reflected a sombre mood sweeping the island nation as it ponders the perils of leaving the European project after 46 years. "Even the power of faith, which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice, can fall victim to tribalism," Elizabeth said. Spain's second-largest city Barcelona was meanwhile on alert after the US State Department warned of the risk of a terrorist attack during the Christmas holidays. And in France, groups of "yellow vest" anti-government demonstrators are spending Christmas day at makeshift protest camps on roundabouts across the country, eating devilled eggs and foie gras with new friends they have made in weeks of rallies against the policies of President Emmanuel Macron. Short link: Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 74F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds from time to time. Low 52F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday he is ready to meet U.S. President Donald Trump anytime to achieve their common goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula, but warned he may have to take an alternative path if U.S. sanctions and pressure against the country continued. In his New Year address, Kim said denuclearisation is his "firm will" and suggested for the first time that North Korea would no longer produce nuclear weapons, but also urged Washington to take unspecified corresponding action to speed up the stalled diplomatic process. North Korea might be "compelled to explore a new path" to defend its sovereignty if the United States "seeks to force something upon us unilaterally ... and remains unchanged in its sanctions and pressure," Kim said in his nationally televised address. The comments are likely to fuel growing scepticism over whether Pyongyang intends to give up the nuclear weapons programme that it has long considered essential to its security. There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. State Department, but South Korea's presidential office welcomed Kim's speech, saying it carried his "firm will" to advance relations with Seoul and Washington. Kim and Trump vowed to work towards denuclearisation and build "lasting and stable" peace at their landmark summit in Singapore in June, but little progress has been made since. Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps toward denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility. Those measures were in line with its resolve to "no longer make, use or spread" nuclear weapons, Kim said, indicating a possible moratorium on weapons production for the first time. Although Pyongyang did not conduct nuclear or missile tests last year, satellite images have pointed to continued activity at the North's related facilities. U.S. officials say those initial steps were not confirmed and can be easily reversed, and have called for strict sanctions enforcement on the impoverished country until full, verifiable disarmament. Washington halted some large-scale military exercises with Seoul to aid nuclear negotiations, but smaller drills continued. Kim called for South Korea to "completely stop" joint military drills with the United States involving strategic assets, while multilateral negotiations among countries involved in the armistice agreement should be pursued to build a permanent peace regime. The two Koreas technically remain at war because the conflict ended in a truce - signed by North Korea, the United States and China - not a peace treaty. "Now that North and South Korea decided to take the path of peace and prosperity, we demand that joint military exercises with outside forces should no longer be allowed and deployment of war equipment such as foreign strategic assets should be completely stopped," Kim said. Analysts said Kim's message sent clear signals that North Korea is willing to stay in talks with Washington and Seoul this year - but on its own terms. "North Korea seems determined in 2019 to receive some sort of sanctions relief ... The challenge, however, is will Team Trump be willing to back away from its position of zero sanctions relief?" said Harry Kazianis at the Washington-based Centre for the National Interest. "Kim's remarks seem to suggest his patience with America is wearing thin." The televised speech is closely watched as a rare public appearance for the young leader, setting the tone for his domestic and foreign policies for the year ahead. After racing toward the goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States in 2017, Kim used last year's speech to warn that "a nuclear button is always on the desk of my office" and order mass production of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles. But he also offered to send a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics in the South in February, setting off a flurry of diplomacy that included three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and the meeting with Trump in June. This year, Kim said inter-Korean relations have entered a "completely new phase", and offered to resume key inter-Korean economic projects banned under international and South Korean sanctions, without conditions. Dressed in a Western-style black suit and a navy-silver tie, Kim sat on a leather couch against a backdrop of bookshelves and portraits of his late father and grandfather, his predecessors in the Kim dynasty. The setting, which mimics the one favoured by Chinese President Xi Jinping for his New Year address, marks a departure from previous years when Kim stood before an assembly hall packed with officials. "He appeared more confident than ever, emboldened by some of the progress he made last year, which also implies he thinks he has the upper edge in the negotiations with the United States as a nuclear-armed state," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. In the 30-minute speech, Kim spent more than 20 minutes highlighting his campaign to create a self-reliant economy despite a "harsh economic blockade." As a way to tackle chronic power shortages, he raised the need for atomic energy. North Korea is known to have developed at least three nuclear plants, including a five-megawatt reactor at its main Yongbyon complex producing weapons-grade plutonium, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry. Short link: Apostle Johnson Suleman, the President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has released his 2019 Prophecies concerning Nigeria In th... Apostle Johnson Suleman, the President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has released his 2019 Prophecies concerning Nigeria In the prophecies he released during cross over service, Apostle Suleiman on Monday night, predicted that the 2019 election will be 100 percent rigged. He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to go and rest and advised the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar to concentrate on the Northern part of Nigeria in his campaign. The cleric also predicted massive support of Biafra and ASUU losing a top member in 2019. He said: (1) Great agricultural boost for South Africa (2) I saw an eclipse (3) 2019 Nigeria election- 100% rigged (4) Northern response to election results to shock the incumbent Government. They had strong response from the south. (5) Election- Nigeria vs Military/ Police (6) China to openly confront America (7) Great set back economically (cool Election funds controversy/scandal (9) Biafra struggle to gain massive support (10) A new activist to launch campaign against presidency (11) 2019, a shock for Governors ( 12) Ghana economy to get foreign support (13) I saw another missile test in North Korea (14) Nollywood to merge internationally (15) I see a major breakthrough in the cure for HIV (16) Muhammadu Buhari needs prayer, please sir , go and rest (17) Abubakar Atiku should focus on North during campaign (18) I see an Igbo Presidency in 2023 but they must not have any deal with present Government (19) Tinubu should forget 2023 (20) I see internet fraudsters, new ritualistic ways of making money( blood hunt) (21) A presidential aspirant to be arrested (22) I saw Boko Haram invade a police station (23) The Almighty God is unhappy at the continued detention of El- Zakzaky (24) APC wins Lagos election (25) Keystone banks needs prayers (26) ASUU to pray against losing a top member (27) I saw a major politician declared missing (28) WAEC to be re-modeled (29) I saw farmers package welfare from the government and it results to crisis between them and the state government (30) I saw most Eastern states won by APC at the National level ( 31) Strange killings in Togo (32) Mali should pray against strange virus outbreak (33) The Government should protect police station and military barracks because I see people break in searching for arms (34) I saw fire outbreak in a media house (35) I saw a Nigerian airline grounded totally (36) America should not relax a deadlier terrorist group is emerging (37) I saw a probe group disgrace U.S government (38) Donald Trump to lose 2nd term (39) Brexit crises to implode U.K (40) I saw a terrorist attack in America (41) Fire outbreak in Canada but quickly managed (42) Nigeria to win awards and relevance in cyber world ( 43) Lets declare a prayer day against massive bloodshed in Rivers state ( Too ugly) (44) I saw a horse, written on it was pray against Americans being homeless. I saw something happen that made them scampering for safety. Natural disaster (45) July and August in Nigeria, serious prayer. (46) Many weddings, 2019 is a year of multiple marriages (47) I saw people with children in multiples of triplets and twins (48) Pensioners to smile (49) I saw a lot of politicians in Prison Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has spent a total of N2.7trillion on infrastructure since assumption of office stressing that the federal government is committed to ensuring that monies belonging to Nigerians are not stolen but used for nation-building.Osinbajo also hinted that the country is earning 60 percent less than what it was earning for the past 10 years adding that despite this low earning, the current administration has spent more in building infrastructure than any other government in the country today.The Vice President made the disclosure at the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, Oharisi III during a courtesy visit to the monarch on the enumeration exercise of the Trader Moni Scheme in the Ughelli main market which would commence disbursement in January, 2019 with 30, 000 beneficiaries getting N10, 000 each.Accompanied by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Chief Great Ogboru, Osinbajo explained that the federal government is focused on creating jobs opportunities for the common man and the youths in the country.He said: Our school feeding program is one of our Social Investment Program and I'm sure that in Delta State, we are feeding about 400,000 children every day. The N-Power is a graduate employment program and we have 18,000 person engaged in the state.Today, N2.7trillion is what we are spending on building infrastructures. The question we ought to ask previous government is, were where they? What did they do with the monies if today we are still building the Itakpe-Warri railway line which was established 35years ago as well as the Kaduna Hydro project which also was established 40years ago?Speaking on behalf of the people of Delta Central, Senator representing the district, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, applauded President Buhari for the infrastructural development recorded in the area saying, Today, we have more roads constructed by the federal government than the state government who prides themselves as the road master. Governors have said they cannot afford the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). They said this in ... Governors have said they cannot afford the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). They said this in reaction to the allegation of Peter Ozo-Eson, general secretary of NLC, that governors who are against N30,000 minimum wage took such stance because they diverted the bailout funds paid to them by the federal government. He said the union expected the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the governors. Reacting, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, head, media and public affairs of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) described the comment as misleading and in bad faith. The statement said the governors would have been happy to pay the amount demanded by the NLC but financial constraints being experienced in some states would make it impossible to do so. is not only mischievous, but misleading and in bad faith, the statement read. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) wishes to make it categorically clear that the insinuations by the Nigeria Labor Congress, NLC, through an interview granted by its Secretary General, Peter Eson, that governors are refusing to pay the N30.000 national minimum wage as demanded by NLC,is not only mischievous, but misleading and in bad faith, the statement read. Governors have collectively made it abundantly clear that they would have been happy to pay workers the N30,000 but times are hard and because of financial constraints and other limitations, many states cannot afford it, for now. The N22,500 was arrived at, after extensive deliberations among all 36 governors, outlining their financial capacities and liquidity, considering the economic situation of the country and the states other obligations to the majority of the people of their various domains. Governors also emphasized that N22,500 is a baseline threshold, meaning that any governor who can pay more than N22.500 is therefore free to go ahead and do so. To put the records straight, governors are not under any obligation, by law, to show their books to the NLC. But they have, in their pursuit of the understanding of the union, done so, not once, but several times over, with a view to letting NLC know that what they are asking for is neither realistic nor sustainable. Yet, NLC remains adamant that its will must be done, or the heavens will fall. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, weekend, said that the vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Peter Obi is never a saint.Obi who is often regarded as a saintly politician, was rebuffed by Obasanjo who noted that mortals cannot be saint except if the person is dead and lives in heaven.This was the declaration from the former President during the 2018 Ukpor Day.Elucidating his point, Obasanjo averred that saints live in heaven and as such, saintly attributes could not be granted to mortals.Obasanjo will always be my father, says son supporting BuhariHowever, Obasanjo said that among Nigerian politicians, Obi should be held out as an example. In his words: OBI IS A BUNDLE OF INTEGRITY. The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged Ndigbo to vote wisely by voting for the re-election of Presid... The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged Ndigbo to vote wisely by voting for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, made the call while speaking on Tuesday in Enugu. Chukwudum also enjoined Ndigbo, all over the country, to come out en mass to vote for Buhari second term, so that 2023 will be Ndigbos turn to produce the next President of Nigeria. He also called on Ndigbo to say no to political slavery which PDP had subjected Ndigbo into since 1999. PDP party and its members are now claiming to be angel;we will not accept their Greek gift, Buhari is our candidate. NUF wishes to call on Igbos to ignore former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some jobless pploticians who want to sell Ndigbo at any kobo offered to them by political enemies of the zone. Chukwudum said: We, Ndigbo, must not allow this cheap sell out to happen, because President Buhari has done well for Igbos. That explains why great Igbo leaders like former Gov. Ogbonnaya Onu; former Gov. Jim Nwobodo; former Gov. Orji Kalu and former Gov. Sullivan Chime are ardent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of Mr President. Others are: Sen. Chris Ngige; Sen. Ken Nnamani; Chief Osita Okechukwu. He urged Ndigbo to reflect and check the past and know the kind of people they had been associating with before now because all that glitters is not gold. PDP has been going about to promise Igbos heaven and earth. The General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries International, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has counselled youths to abstain from all forms of sexual perversion in 2019.Olukoya said this while revealing 32 prophetic declarations for the year at the crossover service at MFM Prayer City, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, on New Year Day.He said God had bombarded the year with sanitising angels to punish those found engaging in sexual perversion such as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality.The sanitising angels will begin to give deadly blows to those who engage in all forms of sexual perversion, be it adultery, fornication or whatever forms of it.If you know you are a youth and have been engaging in such, you must stay away now because the angels will give you a dead blow and there would be no mercy, he said.The GO described 2019 as a year characterised by weirdness that must be confronted with strange prayers.2019 is a year characterised with weirdness and anyone who wants to confront a strange year must pray strange prayers.When you pray such prayers and anyone doesnt like it, dont worry, continue as long as you are getting results, he said.Olukoya advised those who are trying to get rich satanically to desist, as they would be made to face ready-made destruction.According to him, several shocking secrets will be revealed in the New Year.He emphasised that spiritual development was a necessity and not a luxury for anyone who wishes to change his or her level and fulfill destiny in 2019.Living a sacrificial life will lead to a net breakthrough. Believing and walking with God will yield good dividends, as men of faith will do exploits, he said.The cleric called for continuous prayer for Nigeria, adding that while its easy to identify a problem, its hard to proffer a solution.Olukoya, however, tagged 2019 as a year of supernatural ease and double honour for members of the ministry. The Arewa Youths Integrity Forum (AYIF) on Tuesday stated that some politicians in Borno State were fuelling Boko Haram attacks to rub... The Arewa Youths Integrity Forum (AYIF) on Tuesday stated that some politicians in Borno State were fuelling Boko Haram attacks to rubbish the Federal Government efforts. Alhaji Sani Kolo, AYIF Secretary General, in a statement noted that certain forces were allegedly masterminding the renewed attacks on citizens and military bases. Kolo said, We have had a flurry of text messages forwarded from our people who are residents of communities like Bama, Dikwa and Monguno. These SMS are from characters who feign close relations with the recipients or Nigerians concerned about their safety. The nauseating messages come with barefaced warnings of the natives of these communities to relocate to IDPs camps for unstated reasons; thereby promoting fear and panic in the residents. But these are overtly locals who are untroubled, by the feeble strikes of shadowy operations of remnants of insurgents far from their vicinities; but excited that they are dwelling in peaceful, secured villagers once abandoned for months or years. It would be recalled that AYIF has had cause in the past to frown at the covert activities of political power mongers in Nigeria and their local agents and collaborators who prefer to see the progression of Boko Haram insurgency and the triumph of the terrorists against the Nigerian state. It is an open secret; these gangs of awkward, odious, greedy and expired breed of politicians are masquerading as messiahs of today. But they delight more in bloodshed and insecurity. They infinitely hate to see the end of terrorism in Nigeria, which they have persistently exploited for both political and economic gains. They are less concerned about the pains and sorrows they have wrought on our people and the country. Credible evidence at our disposal astoundingly confirms that the current resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in the Northeast, especially in obscure parts of Borno are sponsored to dwarf and rubbish the positive records of President Muhammadu Buhari on Boko Haram terrorism counter-war and the other multifaceted insecurity challenges in the country. AYIF is not bothered about how President Buharis opponents wish to tackle him in the electioneering campaigns preceding the next general elections in Nigeria. The political theatre is open for Nigerians to decide who leads them from May 2019. Special Adviser to the President on the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Prof. Charles Dokubo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves mass support from Niger Delta on his second term bid for shunning advice to scrap the programme.Dokubo, on seasons vacation in his home community, Abonema, Akuku Toru local government area, Rivers state, said on New Year eve that Niger Deltas support for Buhari in Februarys polls would further demonstrate the peoples appreciation for what the region has benefited under the president through the programme.There was advice by some persons that PAP should be terminated as it was an ad-hoc programme but the president insisted that the programme should go on. Government has done a lot about the programme. It has not relented in its support for the programme.With The type of vocational centres that have now been developed in Kaiama and other places, I strongly believe that the next level the President is bringing, which I know will come, will even be better for this programme, Dokubo projected.He said since the inception of PAP, a lot of Niger Delta youths had benefited from numerous scholarships and vocational skills, saying that he did the homecoming to Abonema to mobilise his Akuku Toru kinsmen to stand out as first to return the President in this years elections. The main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, has condemned in strong terms the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the burial of ex-President Shehu Shagari.Shagari died last Friday, aged 93, and was buried the next day in accordance with Islamic burial rites.In a harshly-worded message via its verified Twitter handle, @OfficialPDPNig, the opposition party had said, We condemn in strong terms, the conspicuous absence of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the burial of our highly respected former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, on Saturday, December 29, 2018.President Muhammadu Buharis absence at the funeral, particularly regarding Alhaji Shehu Shagaris status as the first Executive President of our country, is unpardonable and a very wrong precedence in our national protocol.This action of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice (sic, deputy) has also sent a very wrong signal to members of the international community on how we honour our national values and respect for our patriots.Sadly, while the former President Shagari was at the National Hospital Abuja, passing through his last moments, President Muhammadu Buhari was busy campaigning in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, boasting of how he sacked the Second Republic, arrested and locked up Shagari and others.Such disdain for our respected national figure by Muhammadu Buhari is completely unpresidential and unpardonable.Once again, we console the family of the former President, the government and people of Sokoto State and, indeed, all Nigerians, for his demise.May his soul rest in peace. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a liberal firebrand who has taken on Wall Street and traded barbs with Donald Trump, on Monday became the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to the Republican president in 2020. Warren said she had formed an exploratory committee, which will allow her to begin raising money to compete in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary field before the November 2020 presidential election. She said on Twitter she would announce her decision on whether to run early in 2019. Warren, 69, a senator from Massachusetts since 2013, became one of Trumps fiercest critics during the 2016 presidential race and they have continued to exchange biting insults during his presidency. Trump mockingly refers to her as Pocahontas because of her claim to Native American ancestry. Warren has denounced Trump as an insecure money grubber with a platform of racism, sexism and xenophobia while Trump has described the former Harvard Law School professor as goofy and a lowlife with a nasty mouth. Several hours after the announcement, Trump had not responded but Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said on Twitter that Warren was another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud. On Monday, Warren released a video in which she outlines her vision of a path to opportunity for all Americans, not just the wealthy. Americas middle class is under attack, she says on the video. How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie and they enlisted politicians to cut them a fatter slice. Warren is likely to face a crowded field of Democrats including Senators Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden. Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, President Barack Obamas housing secretary, formed an exploratory committee this month. In searching for a candidate to run against Trump, Democrats will grapple with the tension between the partys establishment and progressive wings that flared during the 2016 primary with Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who ran under the Democratic banner. A Warren candidacy can expect opposition from Wall Street. In the U.S. Senate, she has been a strong voice on financial issues and a self-described defender of the ordinary American against powerful interests. RESTRICTING BANKS Following the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, Warren emerged as a leading critic of Wall Street and continues to advocate for stiffer regulation and oversight, including reinstating a rule that would separate banks retail business from their riskier investment banking activities. Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has fought the Trump administrations efforts to weaken post-crisis financial rules, going as far as to attack moderate Democrats who backed a May rewrite of the 2010 Dodd-Frank reform law. In a September interview marking 10 years since the financial crisis, Warren was asked about breaking up big banks. Oh yeah, she told the New York Times. Give me a chance. She also has opposed the administrations efforts to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency she helped create, and has pressurized the Federal Reserve to take a tough line on scandal-hit lender Wells Fargo (WFC.N). Many of Warrens policy positions have focused on economic inequality. She recently offered legislation calling on the U.S. government to manufacture generic drugs to reduce their cost. In 2017 she joined other senators in a proposal to extend the federal Medicare health insurance program for seniors to include everyone. Warren will have plenty of competition from women driving the Democratic Partys resurgence as well as liberals and progressives, University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato said. Her 80 percent name recognition does not translate into actual support. Some Democrats swear by her and love her blunt style, while others are put off by her and fear shed lose to Trump. Warren has a lot of convincing to do, Sabato said, adding the same is true of many other Democratic contenders. Warren said in September she would take a hard look at running for the Democratic nomination in 2020. In October, she released a DNA analysis she said supported her assertion that she had Native American lineage that goes back six to 10 generations. Trumps use of the name Pocahontas, a 17th century Native American woman associated with the British colony in Jamestown, Virginia, was aimed at drawing attention to a controversy over her heritage raised during Warrens 2012 Senate race. Trumps reference has drawn criticism from some Native American groups while others criticized Warren for trying to lay claim to a tribal nation. Short link: A Tokyo court on Monday approved prosecutors' request to extend the detention of former Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn until Jan. 11 due to the latest allegation of financial misconduct. Ghosn, initially charged over underreporting his remuneration, has been detained since November and was served a fresh arrest warrant on Dec 21 for allegedly transferring personal investment losses worth 1.85 billion yen ($17 million) to the Japanese automaker in 2008. Ghosn has denied the allegations. The previous deadline for his current detention period had been set on Jan 1. The confinement of Ghosn, who was credited with saving the Japanese automaker when it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in the late 1990s, has sparked criticism from overseas over the possibility his detention could be legally prolonged indefinitely, and over the absence of lawyers during interrogations, a norm in Japan. Caroline Ghosn, 31, the eldest of his four children, said in an interview with The New York Times his family has been told that his cell is unheated and he has repeatedly asked for blankets. He has been denied pen and paper and has lost weight, his San Francisco-based daughter was quoted as saying. Ghosn and Greg Kelly, Ghosn's close aide and a former Nissan representative director, were initially arrested Nov 19 on suspicion of understating in Nissan's securities reports roughly 5 billion yen of the former chairman's 10 billion yen remuneration during the five years through March 2015. The men and Nissan as a company were indicted Dec 10 on a charge of violating Japan's financial instruments law. People in Japan have rung in the New Year with celebrations across the country. In Japan, 2019 is a special year, as Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne in May. That will mark the start of a new era and the end of the current one, which is called "Heisei." Many crowded into the world-famous Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo to participate in the countdown to the New Year. Streets around the crossing were closed to traffic, as thousands of revelers gathered. The crossing is popular among young people and tourists. Hundreds of police officers patrolled the area and controlled the flow of merrymakers. Meanwhile, worshippers flocked to a shrine in central Tokyo to pray for good luck in 2019. People waited in line at Meiji Jingu shrine before the clock struck midnight. When a drum was pounded to signal the arrival of the New Year, people threw money into a fenced-in area and offered prayers. In Japan, people traditionally visit Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines during the first days of the New Year. More than 3 million people are expected to pay their respects at Meiji Jingu during the first 3 days of 2019. The Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) said its exports grew at a faster pace with the company exporting more than planned Ammonia, Urea and methanol during the year 2018. According to company President Dr Abdulrahman Jawahery, GPIC exported a total of 1.13 million tons of ammonia, urea and methanol in 2018, which was 1 per cent higher than what had been planned. A total of 49,325 metric tons of ammonia, 409,671 metric tons of methanol and 667,721 metric tons of urea fertilizer were sold, all of which was shipped to its final destination on board 59 vessels. In addition, 786 metric tons of urea packed in bags was allocated to the local market to support Bahrains agricultural sector. China and Brazil accounted for the largest share of the companys total exports by 18 per cent, followed by India with 16pc and Taiwan 14pc. The figures were revealed during a meeting of GPIC Board of Directors held under the chairmanship of Dr Ahmed Al Sharyan. Commenting, Dr Al Sharyan said that in spite of the challenges, the Board of Directors is proud of the companys achievements in the field of safety. He expressed pleasure at the results in the field of occupational safety and said, GPIC had achieved about 8,353 workdays without a lost time accident, which was equivalent to more than 30 million hours. The board members stressed that they would take advantage of all the economic and developmental opportunities offered by the petrochemical industry to promote development. A rumour that a leading supermarket started charging VAT earlier this week was found to be baseless. The rumour that was spread on social media was circulated along with an image claiming that the store, Al Anwar Discount Centre started charging VAT on 29th last month. The image that was circulated was a photograph of a receipt, which showed VAT being charged on a transaction. The claims were found to be untrue and no VAT was charged on consumers, Tribune has learned. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism confirmed that it has learned about the rumour. The ministry stated that upon investigation it was found that the circulated picture was the result of an internal trial. The sales receipt which showed VAT being charged was found to be a part of a trial. The store had not implemented VAT at the time. If there are any comments or complaints, please call 80008001, the ministry stated. Al Anwar Discount Centre also clarified that the store did not charge VAT on consumers. We would like to clarify to our customers that the receipt was printed during an internal trial to ensure that the business is ready to apply the Value-added Tax starting from January 1, 2019. The past few days saw brisk businesses in car showrooms, jewellery shops, furniture stores and other stores as the implementation of VAT loomed. The Kingdom will implement VAT after the legislation was passed last year. Jewellery showrooms, in particular, witnessed a huge rush yesterday with customers buying large quantities of gold ornaments in the past few days. Many jewellers said the businesses surpassed all expectations. We had a good business during the past week, a jeweller told Tribune. He said that almost all jewellers of Manama, have been stocking latest ornament designs expecting a pre-VAT rush. The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry has assured that it will offer strong support to businesses through organising workshops and initiatives. Last week BCCI had organised a series of VAT workshops to educate businesses about VAT. The BCCI will continue to hold initiatives to help businesses cope with the stress of VAT implementation, assured BCCI board member Sonia Janahi. The Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is moving forward with utmost determination and confidence on the path of development that meets the aspirations of citizens in the present and future, HRH the Premier had affirmed, during one of the recent meetings with the senior government officials. His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has stressed that the development process being witnessed by the Kingdom is strong and promising and has the potential to enable it to continue with the same momentum and solid will, and to achieve more successes based on the efforts of the citizens of the Kingdom. The Government, under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, took adequate care to create its Action Plan for the years 2015- 2018. The programme is realistic and measurable. It should not be far from an important principle that the government is committed to ensuring for citizens. Despite severe economic challenges experienced by many countries of the world, including the Kingdom, the government headed by His Royal Highness was able to surpass them successfully and this is confirmed by the figures and statistics, where the average achievement rate in the implementation of projects included in the programme of the government until November 2018 was about 90 per cent. This includes projects financed by the Ministry of Finance and through GCC support, as well as development projects implemented by the private sector, which are part of the implementation of the Governments Action Plan. The number of projects monitored by the electronic system has reached up to 748, of which 440 were important projects at the national level, implemented by ministries and government departments, according to statistics issued by the government. On the other hand, the number of completed national projects has amounted to 321 with 73pc and 119 projects under implementation at 27pc. In the next two years according to the budgets approved, timetables will be followed up in the work programme of the next government, in addition to 308 administrative projects. HRH the Prime Ministers efforts can be highlighted briefly in the continuous follow-up to the extent of progress in the implementation of projects, the inspection tours undertaken by senior officials to follow up the projects on the ground, the direct working meetings held by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister with the ministers and government agencies, and the swift reaction by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister to the media and social networking sites. The Cabinet meeting held on December 25, 2018, reviewed 99 service projects directed by His Highness at a cost of BD154 million to meet the 318 requests raised by the people in the villages and regions in the provinces during field visits ordered by the ministers. HRH the Premier directed the rest of the projects, which cost BD55.5 million, to be included in the next budget cycles. The high percentage achieved by the Government under the leadership of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister in the implementation of the projects included in the Governments Action Plan for the years 2014- 2018 confirms the success of the Bahraini Government in achieving national goals that meet the aspirations of the country and the citizens. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here The International Electronic Fatwa Centre of Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque has said that Muslims may greet and exchange gifts with Christians during their religious celebrations and on social occasions. In a fatwa, or religious edict, published on its official Facebook page, the centre said that tolerance and coexistence between Muslims and Christians, and courtesy for each other during holidays, weddings and social events, is not only acceptable but desirable. The Islamic religion urged followers to strengthen the bonds of friendship and compassion among the people of the same country, the centre said. The centre provided evidence from the hadith that Prophet Muhammad himself used to accept gifts from some kings and emperors during his lifetime. Some hardline Egyptian Islamic clerics have argued that Muslims should not greet Christians on religious or social occasions. Al-Azhar scholars in recent years have individually stated that greeting Christians and non-Muslims on their celebrations is acceptable, but until now without issuing an official institutional fatwa. Coptic Egyptians, who make up 90 percent of all Christians in the country, celebrate Christmas on 7 January. However, several other denominations observe the holiday on 25 December. Short link: Helping rural men connect during Men's Health Week On average, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives. (Newser) The American who Russia claims is a spy was simply in the country to attend a wedding, according to his family. News of Paul Whelan's arrest in Moscow came on Monday. At the time, Russia's FSB said only that an American man had been detained Friday "during an espionage operation." In a statement released Tuesday, Whelan's family said Whelan had no known contact with anyone since 5pm local time Friday; the wedding was scheduled for Saturday. "We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being," they said. "His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected." The latest: The Guardian received an email from Whelan's twin brother David, who says Whelan is a former Marine who planned to be at another former Marine's wedding to a Russian woman. story continues below It wasn't his first visit to the country. His family says Whelan's "numerous" trips date to 2007, but that his Russian language skills were limited. They say he had traveled there for work and to meet friends he had made via social media. On Friday morning, the AP reports he took some wedding guests to visit the Kremlin museums. As for his current employment, Michigan-based BorgWarner, an automotive parts supplier, says Whelan is the company's global security director and is tasked with handling security at its Michigan and international facilities. It does not have facilities in Russia, but Whelan's previous employer, Kelly Services, does, says his brother. The US State Department said only that it was aware of the detention of an American citizen and has petitioned for consular access, which "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide," a State Department rep told the BBC. "I think Paul has a superior set of skills to most of us," David Whelan told MSNBC. "And so hopefully he won't have to [deploy] too many those skills in order to survive and to come home." He also called it an "implausible situation. ... It just never would have occurred to me that A) he would have any sort of trouble in a large metropolitan area or B) that his background would suggest that he would willing to commit any crime, let alone an espionage crime." (Read more Russia stories.) (Newser) Work without pay? Nope, federal workers are balking at that requirement and filing suit over the US government shutdown, ABC News reports. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the American Federation of Government Employees, objects to the requirement that so-called "essential" employees work for nothing. That category includes roughly 420,000 workers, many of whom concentrate on public safety at the Department of Homeland Security. story continues below Airline security agents, immigration enforcement workers, and border patrol officers are among those most affected. Congress has OK'd backpay for federal workers after previous shutdowns, which could happen again this time. "Our nation's heroes ... and their families deserve the decency of knowing when their next paycheck is coming and that they will be paid for their work," says AFGE chief J. David Cox, per CNN. (Meanwhile, House Democrats have a plan to end the shutdown.) (Newser) Police in the English city of Manchester say they are treating the New Year's Eve stabbing of three people as a terrorist incident. Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said two people suffered "very serious" injuries in the attack and remain in the hospital receiving treatment, the AP reports. A police sergeant who was stabbed in the shoulder has been released. Police have not identified or charged the suspect, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. An eyewitness said he shouted Islamic slogans during the frenzied attack. The incident happened at Manchester's Victoria Station shortly before 9pm on New Year's Eve. story continues below The busy rail station is next to the Manchester Arena, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. Police tried to reassure the public that the area is safe despite the attack on a night of celebration. "I know that the events of last night will have affected many people and caused concern," Hopkins said. "That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on 22 May, 2017, makes it even more dreadful." Prime Minister Theresa May expressed concern for the victims and thanked first responders for their "courageous response." Police say there is no indication that any others were involved in planning or assisting the attack. (Police foiled a 2017 plot to assassinate May with a Downing Street bomb.) (Newser) Investigators in Houston said Monday that they have a surveillance video image of a pickup truck from which a driver fired several shots into a car carrying a family, killing a 7-year-old girl and wounding the child's mother. The image of the red, four-door pickup was captured shortly before the shooting occurred Sunday morning, police said. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez declined to speculate on what prompted the driver of the pickup to pull alongside and fire into the car carrying Jazmine Barnes, three of her sisters, and her mother, the AP reports. Jazmine died at the scene, her mother suffered a gunshot wound to the arm, and her 6-year-old sister was injured by shattered glass. The mother, 30-year-old LaPorsha Washington, remained in a hospital Monday. story continues below Gonzalez described the shooting as "totally unprovoked." A distraught Washington told KTRK-TV from her hospital bed that the gunman sped up after firing into her car, only to pull in front and slow down before firing again. "He intentionally killed my child for no reason," she said. "He didn't even know her, he didn't know who she was." Authorities initially said the shooting occurred as Washington was leaving a Walmart parking lot, but Gonzalez on Monday said it occurred on a nearby service road as the family was heading to a store. The gunman was described as a bearded white man in his 40s wearing a red hoodie. "I hope with each passing moment his conscience is eating away at him," Gonzalez said. (Read more Houston stories.) (Newser) Four Florida men spent New Year's Eve in jail after allegedly stealing enough tequila to fuel dozens of parties. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department says the men were tracked down early Monday after a trucker reported that a trailer full of Patron tequila worth more than $500,000 had been stolen from a Tampa-area truck stop, CBS reports. Police arrested the men after watching them transfer around 20 cases of tequila from the trailer to another truck at a nearby intersection. Vidal Estrada, Lemuel Escobar, Humberto Ramirez, and Alberto Obaya were arrested at the scene and face charges including grand theft, reports NBC. (The mastermind of a Kentucky bourbon theft ring was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year.) (Newser) The woman who helped kidnap Elizabeth Smart is living several blocks from a Salt Lake City elementary school following her release from prison in September, according to Utah's sex-offender registry. Wanda Barzee, 73, is listed in the registry as living in an apartment near the school after her initial placement in a halfway house. She was released on parole much earlier than anticipated, despite her refusal to cooperate with mental health professionals while incarcerated. Federal probation officers did not return a telephone message Monday seeking comment about the living arrangement for Barzee near Parkview Elementary School, the AP reports. Barzee is serving five years of federal supervised release. The release guidelines don't seem to set limits on how close she can live to a school. Sex offenders in Utah are prohibited from going on school grounds, according to state rules. story continues below Barzee was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to helping her husband, street preacher Brian David Mitchell, who abducted Smart at knifepoint in 2002 when she was 14 and repeatedly raped her. Smart was held captive for nine months before she was found and rescued. Smart, now 31, has become a child safety advocate and is married with three young children. She said in a statement that people with a history of child abuse and sexual violence such as Barzee shouldn't be allowed to live close to schools. "Every possible caution and protection should be taken when it comes to protecting our children. Whether a person is deemed a current threat or if they have a history of child abuse, neglect, sexual violence, etc., prudent measures should be taken, including housing them as far away as possible from schools, families and community centers," Smart said. (Smart previously criticized Barzee's release, and described Barzee's apology to her.) (Newser) President Donald Trump says he'd "love to run against" Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who took the first major step toward launching a widely anticipated campaign for the presidency. Trump says in an interview with Fox News Channel's "All-American New Year" set to air Monday night that he hopes Warren is among the Democrats to run in 2020. Per the AP, he says, "We'll see how she does, I wish her well. I hope she does well. I'd love to run against her." story continues below Trump has been lambasting Warren since his 2016 campaign, when he began derisively labeling her "Pocahontas" in a shot against her claims of Native American heritage. Trump says Warren "did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage," adding that her decision earlier this year to release a DNA analysis "didn't work out too well." The Massachusetts Democrat said Monday she's forming an exploratory committee for the 2020 campaign. She's the most prominent Democrat yet to make such a move. (Warren is likely to have some stiff competition in her bid for the nomination.) (Read more Donald Trump stories.) Units from the Egyptian navy arrived on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to participate in the Red Waves 1 joint naval exercise, which includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Djibouti and Sudan, a statement by Egypts military spokesman read. The preparatory phase of the training includes lectures and conferences on the methods of involving naval units in maritime planning to achieve understanding and integration between participating forces. It also includes the implementation of several activities to plan and manage joint naval combat and to improve the skills of commanders and officers, which contribute to increasing the combat efficiency of the participating forces and achieving the highest levels of efficiency and readiness to carry out joint tasks under different circumstances. The drill comes as part of the joint training plan carried out by the Egyptian Armed Forces with many other countries to develop military relations, face common challenges and support efforts for security and stability in the region," the statement read. Short link: Get the news faster. Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster. Click here to install our app on your desktop. The current-term Government has adopted a new governance philosophy to care, listen and act, and has spared no effort in playing the roles of a facilitator and a promoter. The Government issued a statement in response to a procession held today, adding it has been proactively implementing a series of policy initiatives to inject new impetus into Hong Kong's economy to bring about a better life for the community. It said the Government fully respects the right of Hong Kong people to take part in public processions and their freedom to express their views. It said the rule of law is the foundation of Hong Kong's pluralistic society and free economy, adding it is the core value shared and treasured by everyone in Hong Kong. The Government will remain steadfast in protecting and upholding the rule of law, it said, adding the maintenance of the rule of law in Hong Kong is well-recognised internationally. The statement also said the Government has the responsibility to fully implement the Basic Law, uphold the principle of "one country" and leverage the advantages of "two systems" to ensure the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. It said under Article 63 of the Basic Law, the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall control criminal prosecutions, free from any interference. All prosecution decisions are made by the Department of Justice independently without fear or favour, free from any political consideration. They are made strictly in accordance with the applicable laws, evidence and the Prosecution Code. To meet the demand for land and housing, the Government has formulated new land and housing policies which are welcomed by the community. It said a series of initiatives in the short, medium and long terms will be implemented to increase land supply. The Lantau Tomorrow Vision announced in the 2018 Policy Address is a forward-looking blueprint to provide sizeable pieces of land for housing, transportation and commercial developments. The Government will continue to develop land resources in a resolute and persistent manner through a multi-pronged approach so that there will be adequate housing for the public to enjoy life and to call Hong Kong their home. The Government will also consider in detail the valuable recommendations submitted by the Task Force on Land Supply in its report. Regarding election matters, the Government has always respected and safeguarded the rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents according to law, including the right to vote and to stand for election. The statement said Article 1 of the Basic Law states the Hong Kong SAR is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and the HKSAR Government has a duty to implement and uphold the Basic Law and ensure that all elections will be conducted in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant electoral laws. On Article 23 of the Basic Law, the Government said it has the constitutional responsibility to legislate for Article 23 to safeguard national security. The Chief Executive has stated a number of times that the Government will carefully consider all relevant factors, act prudently and continue its efforts to create a favourable social environment for the legislative work. The Government also understands the aspirations of the community for selecting the Chief Executive through "one person, one vote". However, the Government cannot ignore reality and rashly re-embark on political reform, making it difficult for the community to focus on development. The Government will act prudently in this respect. The statement added riding on the unprecedented opportunities brought about by the nation's Belt & Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, the Government will proactively work hand in hand with various sectors to participate in the developments. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- An article by Xi Jinping on dialectical materialism will be published on Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The article will appear in the first issue of the new version of the journal in 2019. The Party should be constantly nourished by the wisdom of Marxism philosophy and apply dialectical materialism and methodology in order to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, said the article by Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission. He stressed adherence to formulating policies based on reality, proactively facing and resolving conflicts, enhancing skills to cope with complex situations and problems, and unceasingly promoting theoretical innovations. Manasa R By Online Desk Indian women have once again proved that glass ceilings are no barriers for them in 2018! From IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath to Ubers Komal Mangtani, several of them made headlines for their unparalleled contributions in traditionally male-dominated domains. Their rise also highlighted the steady increase in the number of women in leadership and senior-management roles. Let's take a look at nine powerful Indian women and their journeys in the world of tech and business. 1. Gita Gopinath: Chief Economist, International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath had gone to study economics at Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College For Women thinking she would join the Indian Administrative Services. Today, she is, as described by IMF chief Christian Lagarde as one of the world's outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials..'. Gopinath was appointed in October 2018 to direct the leading global bodys research department, becoming the second Indian after former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to hold the key post. That's not her only record. Gopinath, who is the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University, is also the third woman and the first Indian after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to become a tenured professor at Harvard's Department of Economics. Born in 1971 to Malayali parents in Calcutta and raised in Mysuru, Gopinath grew up speaking more Kannada than Malayalam until her posting as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans economic adviser in 2016, as revealed by her parents in an interview. Her appointment generated controversy due to her neo-liberal economic views, which is in contrast with the policies of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that leads the Kerala government. Her familys close relations to noted Communist leaders in Kannur reportedly helped silence some of the critics of her ideological inclinations. Gita Gopinath (Photo | EPS) She holds MA degrees from both the Delhi School of Economics and the University of Washington, and a PhD from Princeton. She lives in Massachusetts, with her husband Iqbal Dhalibal, former IAS officer and executive director at Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. TRIVIA: Gopinath became the third female economist in the world to occupy a highly influential position this year, after the appointments of Pinelopi Koujianou and Laurence Boone, as chief economists to the World Bank Group and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), respectively. 2. Dhivya Suryadevara: Chief Financial Officer, General Motors Dhivya Suryadevara's journey from Chennai's Mandaveli to the high table at auto major General Motors is the stuff of dreams. Named in June as the first female CFO at 110-year-old GM, she replaced former CFO Chuck Stevens, who had been working at GM for more than 40 years (longer than Suryadevara has been alive). Suryadevara (39), who belongs to a Telugu-speaking family, lost her father when she was very young and grew up with her mother and two elder sisters at their house in Chennai. Her mother, a retired bank employee, continues to live in the city while all her three daughters are settled abroad. She studied in St John's Senior Secondary School in Mandaveli and earned a degree in commerce from the Ethiraj College for Women before pursuing Chartered Accountancy at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. At 22, she left to the US to get an MBA from Harvard Business School. Suryadevara, who joined GM in 2005 as a senior analyst at the age of 25, had a crucial hand in the companys divestment of German automaker Opel, acquisition of driverless car start-up Cruise Automation, investment in ride-sharing firm Lyft and SoftBank's funding in GM Cruise. Suryadevara went on to become vice president and treasurer of corporate finance at GM in 2015, after serving as the CEO of GM Asset Management from 2013. Dhivya Suryadevara (Photo | File) With Suryadevaras promotion and GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra leading the company, GM is today one of only two Fortune 500 companies to employ both a female CEO and CFO (the other being Hershey). Suryadevara had started her career with a World Bank internship, and also had a stint with PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving to investment banking at UBS. In 2015, she was named in the list of Forbes 50 Under 40. Suryadevara constantly shuttles between New York (where she and her family is based) and Detroit (for work). TRIVIA: According to the 2018 Fortune 500 list, just 24 of these companies have female CEOs, a dip from 2017s record-breaking number of 32, the highest share of women since the magazine first launched its 500 list in 1955. On the brighter side, there are currently 64 female CFOs in the Fortune 500. The names of four Indian-origin women on the Forbes list of America's top 50 female technology moguls in December 2018 gave everyone joy: Padmasree Warrior, former chief technology officer (CTO) of Cisco; Komal Mangtani, senior director at app-based cab aggregator Uber; Neha Narkhede, chief technology officer and co-founder of streaming platform Confluent; and Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, CEO and founder of identity-management company Drawbridge. 3. Padmasree Warrior, former chief technology officer Cisco Padmasree Warrior, born Yellepeddi Padmasree in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, was one of the few women at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi in the 1980s. The chemical engineering graduate left to the US in 1982 with just 100 dollars in her pocket and took a job with Motorola in 1984 at its semiconductor factory, while working on her doctorate at Cornell University. She stayed with the mobile maker for over 23 years, going on to become Corporate Vice-President and general manager of Motorola's Energy Systems Group, Corporate Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer of its semiconductor sector. Motorola received a National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in 2004 during her time there. Warrior has been credited with her contribution to Motorolas Seamless idea' - where a smartphone could seamlessly tie up all aspects of a persons life. Motorola dropped it later. Her career at tech conglomerate Cisco started in 2008, reportedly after being persuaded by Ciscos chief executive officer John Chambers for close to a year. In Warriors seven years as CTO and head of strategy, she helped Cisco expand through multiple acquisitions and gave several presentations as the face of the company. Padmasree Warrior (Youtube Screengrab) After engaging with semiconductors and batteries and cellphones and networks at Motorola and then exploring how the mobile and the Internet could be blended at Cisco, just as the world was waking up to the Internet of Things (IoT), Warrior made another jump. This time, from a Fortune 100 corporation to a 15 person start-up to in search of new ways to use tech to help people. Warrior led the Chinese firm NIO along with founder William Li, to become Teslas main rival in delivering electric, driverless cars. In her three years as President and CEO at NIO US (before her sudden exit in November 2018 due to personal reasons), she built a team of 700 at Silicon Valley. Warrior serves on several prestigious boards like those of Microsoft, Spotify and Gap. She is married to her IIT-D classmate and former Motorola colleague Mohandas Warrior, who is CEO of laser manufacturing company Alfalight. TRIVIA: Forbes described Warrior, who is awaiting her next adventure, as someone who continues to find time to mentor other women in the tech industry, stay in touch with her 1.6 million Twitter followers and follow a nightly meditation routine. Warrior is also known for her erstwhile blog Bits at the Edge,where she once famously criticized the Apple iPhone. 4. Komal Mangtani, senior director at app-based cab aggregator Uber Komal Mangtani, a graduate of Gujarat's Dharamsinh Desai Institute of Technology, is one of the world's most influential female software engineers. As the head of app-based cab aggregator Uber's Business Intelligence team, her team provides the tech that helps the business grow and 'ensures that the rides are physically safe, that communications between riders and drivers are as efficient as possible, that our drivers get there on time.' One of her main tasks is to live track and prevent financial fraud on the platform. 43-year-old Mangtani is an active campaigner for women in engineering as proved by the positions she holds: advisory board member for Women Who Code and head of the #LadyEng group at Uber. The University of California, Berkeley alumnus led Uber to make a 2 million dollar donation to Girls Who Code to close the gender gap in tech for young women. Komal Mangtani (Photo | Twitter) She was formerly head of engineering at Cloud Content Management company Box, where she was reportedly poached from VMWare. In her six-year-stint at software major VMWare, she had led product development on its cloud service products and helped in several acquisitions. TRIVIA: Mangtani and other women at Uber have been taking pains to reflect a new culture for women at their workplace, following a 'very very strange year' for Uber, as put by whistleblower Susan Fowler. In 2017, the former Uber employee wrote a scathing post on the multiple instances of sexism and sexual assault at the company; this was the final straw after a long series of scandals for Uber, from passenger safety issues to mistreatment of female employees. 5. Neha Narkhede, chief technology officer and co-founder of streaming platform Confluent When Neha Narkhede was a Linkedin employee, she came across a big issue: business leaders were unable to make quick decisions due to lack of real-time user data. In 2010, her efforts to fix it led to the revolutionary Apache Kafka, an open-source software platform to help companies react to problems in milliseconds, which she co-founded with her colleagues Jay Kreps and Jun Rao. When the trio saw how much their software was being relied on (over one-third of Fortune 500 companies like Netflix, Uber and Twitter use it), they built their startup Confluent in 2015, a streaming platform that helps businesses adopt Kafka. The company has raised over $80 million in funding from investors like Sequoia Capital and Benchmark. Neha Narkhede (Photo | Twitter) The 32-year-old Mumbai-born Narkhede has always credited her parents for her journey, especially the fact that they got her a computer when she was eight. She is a graduate from the University of Pune and Georgia Tech. TRIVIA: Here is an example of Kafka's contribution, as quoted in a Forbes interview: "Right away companies can change prices (eg, Uber surge fares) or pick the best product to show a customer (such as Netflix suggested titles) by plucking such data as they go by." 6. Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, CEO and founder of identity-management company Drawbridge Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan is CEO of a company that was named as the fastest-growing company led by a woman in the 2015 Inc. 5000 list. In 2018, Forbes named her among Americas top 50 female technology moguls. The former Google employee created Drawbridge in 2010: a machine learning driven platform that uses device IDs to understand how consumers interact with their online ads, make purchases, and what interfaces they use: phones, laptops, etc. Drawbridge can know if a certain customer feels more comfortable to respond to an ad or make a purchase on a laptop as opposed to their tablet, for example. Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan (Photo | Twitter) The South Indian who was raised in Mumbai was formerly Lead Scientist at mobile ad start up AdMob, later acquired by Google in 2009. She has been named one of Business Insiders Most Powerful Women in Mobile Advertising for three years in a row. TRIVIA: While doing her PhD in Information Theory and Algorithms from Stanford University. her work got carried on board the prestigious New Horizons, NASAs farthest space mission to Pluto. Indian-origin tech execs Jayshree Ullal and Neerja Sethi made it to the Forbes' list of America's 60 richest self-made women in June 2018. 7. Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of Arista Networks Ranked 18th in the list of 60 richest self-made women, Jayshree Ullal is among just 72 self-made women billionaires in the world. The former senior vice-president of Cisco jumped in 2008 to become the president and CEO of Arista Networks, an unheard of startup then, which under her leadership recorded revenues of USD 1.6 billion in 2017. Arista, founded in 2004 by ex-Cisco engineers Kenneth Duda, David Cheriton and Andreas von Bechtolsheim, counts Microsoft as its biggest customer (comprises 16 per cent of Arista's business). Jayshree Ullal (Photo | Twitter) After Arista became Cisco's rival in the multibillion-dollar market for ethernet switches used in data centers, Cisco filed a lawsuit alleging Arista copied its intellectual property. Their fight was resolved as on August 2018 after Arista entered a binding agreement with Cisco in which Arista will pay Cisco $400 million. 56-year-old Ullal was born in London, raised in Delhi and moved to the US, where she studied at the San Francisco State University and Santa Clara University. She started work at Cisco in 1993 after it acquired the communications company (Crescendo Communications) where she was working as vice president of marketing. At Cisco, she grew to become senior vice president of Data Center, Switching & Security Technology Group, helping oversee more than 20 mergers and acquisitions. She has also held various product and engineering positions at Ungermann-Bass, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and Fairchild Semiconductor. TRIVIA: Jayshree Ullal has a net worth of 1.3 billion dollars as of 2018, through her 5 per cent stake in the company, some of which is earmarked for her two children, niece and nephew. 8. Neerja Sethi, vice president of Syntel Neerja Sethi (Photo |Twitter) With just 2000 dollars, Neerja Sethi started Syntel in 1980 with her husband Bharat Desai in their Michigan apartment. In July 2018, Syntel was sold to European IT major Atos for a whopping 3.4 billion dollars. The couple is expected to make 2 billion dollars from the deal. Syntel provides technology and IT services utilising a network of software development centres in India, and has 23000 employees, 80 per cent of whom are in India. The husband and wife met at Tata Consultancy Services. Sethi holds an undergraduate degree and MBA from the Delhi University, and a masters degree from Oakland University. Desai, who was born in Kenya and grew up in Mombasa and Ahmedabad, is an IIT-Bombay alumnus and has an MBA from the University of Michigan. TRIVIA: Sethi, the 63-year-old vice president of Syntel, has a net worth of $1 billion. Her husband Desai's net worth as of July 2018 is $1.6 billion. 9. Sudha Balakrishnan, chief financial officer, Reserve Bank of India Sudha Balakrishnan is not just the central banks first female CFO, she is the first person to occupy such a post since (now former) RBI governor Urjit Patel took over and brought in organizational changes. The chartered accountant and ex-CFO at the National Securities Depository Limited, is the 12th executive director of RBI and will serve a term of three years. Her appointment in May drew opposition from the Reserve Bank of India Officers Association which argued that there was no legal requirement for the appointment of a CFO as the RBI did not have to follow any strict accounting standards. Sudha Balakrishnan (Photo | Twitter) It was ex-RBI chief Raghuram Rajan who suggested a designated person to handle the central banks books (which was until then an in-house task), and the government had rejected this as it involved changing the RBI Act. This move also reflects the growing demand for specialized financial skill sets across all sectors. Sudha Balakrishnan gets a salary of Rs 400000 (Rs 2 lakh if she avails free housing) every month. Her tasks involve reporting RBIs financial information, ensuring its accounting policies comply with regulations, overseeing its budget processes and handling RBI's investments in India and abroad. She is also in-charge of the government's bank account department that takes care of payments and collection of revenue and taxes. BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Overseas Chinese said the New Year speech delivered by President Xi Jinping on Monday encouraged them to contribute to the exchanges between China and other countries. China will continue to push ahead with the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi said in his speech. Touching upon this, He Liqin, editor-in-chief at Singapore's Chinese media "Singapore Eye," said China's exchanges with other parts of the world get increasingly frequent and close. She added that she and her colleagues are making an effort to promote cultural exchanges between China and Singapore, so as to contribute to building the Belt and Road. Xu Jinli, who is now working in Russia, represents the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. As next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, "we, in the front line of economic and trade cooperation with Russia, will work hard to lift China-Russia economic and trade cooperation to a new level," Xu said. Zu Lijun, Chinese director of the Business Confucius Institute in Athens, Greece (BCI Athens), was impressed by Xi's pledge in the speech that China will continue to advocate for the development of a community with a shared future for mankind and work tirelessly for a more prosperous and beautiful world. BCI Athens will continue to promote cultural communication so as to make contribution to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Zu said. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year speech on the eve of the year 2019 in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year speech Monday evening, calling on the whole nation to strive for "an unprecedented and great cause" in the year 2019, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese people, who are self-reliant, hardworking and enterprising, have created a China miracle recognized by the world, he said, vowing to rely on the people and push forward the cause step by step. FULFILLING 2018 "In 2018, we had a fulfilling and focused year," Xi said in the speech, summarizing the progress made in 2018, which saw the country's economy stay "within a reasonable range." The campaign to prevent and control pollution of air, water and soil went smoothly while the people's wellbeing and their living standards improved, he said. National strategies including the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of Yangtze Economic Belt, and the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were steadily implemented. Xi also mentioned the achievements he witnessed during his inspection trips: the improved ecology along the Yangtze River, the agricultural harvest in northeast provinces, the reform and vitality in Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. China launched Chang'e-4 lunar probe, conducted sea trials of its second aircraft carrier, completed first water takeoff of its independently-developed large amphibious aircraft, and took solid steps in BeiDou Navigation Satellite System's global service, Xi noted in the speech. Around 10 million people in the country's rural areas were lifted out of poverty in 2018, said the president, recollecting his visits to villages in Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning and Guangdong provinces. In the year marking the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up, China unveiled a systematic, comprehensive and restructuring reform of both Party and State institutions. More than 100 important reform measures were rolled out, he said. "China's reforms will never stop and its door will only open even wider." Zhang Ruimin, chief executive officer of China's Haier Group, said the company is determined to make its own contributions to making China a manufacturing power. "Just like President Xi said in his speech, we are all 'running at full speed toward the realization of our dreams,'" Zhang said. HOPEFUL, CHALLENGING 2019 Joint efforts are needed as China faces both opportunities and challenges in 2019, Xi noted. In the new year, Xi said, the policies to cut taxes and fees should be well implemented to ease the burden on enterprises. Sincere appreciation should be given to professionals in all areas while efforts be made to motivate responsible and competent grass-roots officials, he said. The goal of lifting 10 million rural residents above the poverty line should be fulfilled as planned, he said, adding that veterans should receive proper attention and care. Xi also extended gratitude to millions of hardworking people, such as deliverymen, sanitation workers and taxi drivers. "President Xi's New Year speech is very touching and inspiring," said Soinam Yangjen, a 35-year-old village official in Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China. With over 16 years of experience in poverty alleviation work, she said that through the speech she and her fellow villagers can see a brighter future, "a future that is created by us together." BETTER WORLD In 2018, China hosted diplomatic events including the annual Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao summit, and the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China put forward its proposals and made its voice heard, and enlarged its circle of friends in 2018, Xi said. In a world that is undergoing changes unseen in a century, China will remain confident and resolute in safeguarding its sovereignty and security, and maintain its sincerity and goodwill for safeguarding world peace and promoting common prosperity, he said. China will actively promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road, continue to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and work relentlessly for an even more prosperous and beautiful world, he said. "I think China is demonstrating a greater capacity to perform global leadership roles in an increasingly broad range of fields," said Lucio Blanco Pitlo, a lecturer from the Chinese Studies Program of Philippine Ateneo de Manila University. "I expect this trend to continue in the coming year." China's experience in the past 70 years also proves that every country, especially the developing ones, can carve their own development path based on their unique conditions, Pitlo said. Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service Big-budget historical epics are few and far between in Malayalam cinema. My favourite still remains Hariharans Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha. I dont think anything made since then has been able to match up to its dramatic depth and visual quality. Its been more than seven years since we have seen a discussion-worthy period piece in Malayalam cinema. Looks like that is soon about to change. The success of the Baahubali films seemed to have egged Malayalam filmmakers to think big. At least five historical epics are currently in various stages of production. Here is a list of titles being readied: Mamankam Starring Mammootty, Mamankam is most likely to be the first one to release from this list. Set in the 17th century, the film is said to be based on the medieval Mamankam fair in which many warriors showcased their skills. Mammootty is reportedly playing a ferocious warrior belonging to a suicide squad rebelling against the Zamorin rulers. Mamankam poster Debutant Sajeev Pillai is directing the film which also stars Prachi Tehlan and Neeraj Madhav. The plot details are currently being kept under wraps. No release date has been announced as of yet. Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham Director Priyadarshan and Mohanlal team up once again for Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham (the Lion of Arabian Sea), which began filming on December 1 at Hyderabads Ramoji Film City. Priyadarshan has lined up a massive ensemble star cast led by Mohanlal. The eponymous character, Kunjali Marakkar, played by Mohanlal, was the naval commander of the Zamorin rulers and played a decisive part in the naval battles between the Portuguese and the Zamorin. Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham Bollywood actor Suneil Shetty and Tamil actor Arjun Sarja are among the biggest names in the cast in addition to Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Pranav Mohanlal, and veteran Malayalam actor Madhu. Veteran art director Sabu Cyril and cinematographer Thiru are working on the film. Antony Perumbavoor, CJ Roy, and Santosh T Kuruvilla are jointly bankrolling the film. Kaaliyan Kaaliyan is among the most anticipated films of the year. The pre-production of the big-budget epic reportedly inspired by the ballads on Iravikuttipillai, a politician and military commander who lived in the 1600s is currently in progress. It is apparently the grandest film of Prithvirajs career and is produced by Magic Moon Productions. Ad filmmaker S Mahesh is directing from a script penned by BT Anilkumar. A Thiruvananthapuram-based company, M Factory Media, is currently busy with the pre-visualisation process and concept artwork. The shoot is expected to begin in the second half of 2019. Kaaliyan poster A few popular names from South Indian cinema will part of the project. Veteran Tamil actor Sathyarajs presence in the film has been already confirmed by the makers. Cinematographer Sujith Vaassudev, who worked with Prithviraj in Ezra and Lucifer, will be handling the photography. Another highlight of Kaaliyan will be the Malayalam debut of music directors Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Shajith Koyeri, the sound designer who was part of popular Bollywood titles such as Dangal, Barfi, and Omkara, will be also working on the film. Ayyappan Besides Kaaliyan, Prithviraj will be also doing another epic, based on the life of Lord Ayyappan. Helmed by Shankar Ramakrishnan, the project is backed by Shaji Nadesan under the banner of August Cinema. Prithviraj was previously one of the partners of the production company before he left to form his own production company, Prithviraj Productions. Prithviraj will be going through a few makeovers for the film which is expected to start filming by Vishu. Ayyappan poster All the key characters associated with the Ayyappan myth Vavar, Udayanan, Malikapurathamma, and the King and Queen of Pandalam are expected to show up in the film. In an earlier conversation with Express, Shaji said the team will be going for a raw and realistic approach, with more emphasis on the characters life and ideology instead of going for a TV serial or VFX-heavy cinematic approach. Mahavir Karna Ennu Ninte Moideen-fame RS Vimals Mahavir Karna is another ambitious project many are looking forward to. Tamil superstar Chiyaan Vikram will be essaying the titular Mahabharata character. Recently, a pooja was held at Thiruvananthapurams Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple in which the team was handed a holy bell after a ritual. The bell will be attached to a massive, 30-feet high chariot which is being built for the film. Mahavir Karna team's special pooja As per reports, the film is budgeted at Rs 300 crore. Renowned international technicians are expected to be working with an experienced team from India. Kunjali Marakkar IV Santosh Sivans take on Kunjali Marakkar with Mammootty as lead, tentatively titled Kunjali Marakkar-IV, is currently put on hold as Priyadarshan went ahead with the production of his version. Representational image of legendary warrior Kunjali Marakkar drawn using Mammooty's face as model for the light and sound show directed by popular actor and writer Shankar Ramakrishnan. (Photo | Facebook) The shoot date has not been announced yet. Sivan had told us earlier that he is hoping to begin once Marakkar is complete. China had a big impact domestically and internationally this year. As it takes up the responsibilities of a major country, China and its citizens are working toward rejuvenating the nation by ushering in changes to all spheres of life, from politics to trade. Meanwhile, the leadership is ensuring social stability by improving domestic institutions, while leaving a global footprint through its diplomatic efforts. At a time of international volatility, China is providing a foundation for global peace and prosperity. 1. Xi's thought enshrined in China's Constitution China's National People's Congress (NPC) in March adopted an amendment to the country's Constitution, the first in 14 years. One major highlight of the 2018 amendment was adding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Constitution. The amendment juxtaposed Xi's thought with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development as the guiding ideology for the Communist Party of China (CPC). 2. China elects new state leadership; President Xi Jinping takes public oath for the first time During the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in March, elections were held for the state leadership and the leadership of China's top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Xi Jinping was re-elected president and chairman of the Central Military Commission on March 17. On the same day, President Xi took a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This was the first time that China's president has taken such an oath upon assuming office. 3. China celebrates 40 years of reform and opening-up This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, which saw the country's transformation from a largely agricultural nation into the world's second-largest economy. A celebration of the anniversary was held in Beijing in December, at which President Xi stressed that reform and opening-up is instrumental to China achieving its two centennial goals: to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021, and to build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2049. At the anniversary event, 100 Chinese nationals were awarded medals in recognition of their role as pioneers of reform, and 10 foreign nationals were honored with medals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to China's reform and opening-up. 4. Reform deepens of Party and state institutions Following the third plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, a decision on deepening reform of Party and state institutions was made public. The reforms aim to modernize China's governance system and strategic capabilities. Two days after the announcement was made, a new anti-corruption agency the National Supervisory Commission was officially inaugurated. Within two months, the restructuring of 25 ministries and commissions was completed. 5. China vows to give more support to private enterprises President Xi presided over a symposium on private enterprises in November, where he underlined the private sector's significant contribution to China's economic development. He pushed for the implementation of new policies and measures that would create a better environment for the development of private enterprises. Following the president's call to action, the government rolled out a series of favorable policies toward private enterprises. 6. China's diplomatic achievements China remained a staunch supporter of globalization and multilateralism in 2018. The country hosted four high-level diplomatic events: The Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in April, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Qingdao in June, the 2018 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in September, and the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. Attended by 54 African delegates, FOCAC was the largest high-level diplomatic event China has ever hosted. The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind was further elaborated upon and put into practice through fruitful diplomatic events and President Xi's overseas visits. His footprints spanned 13 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. China also established diplomatic ties with the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, and El Salvador. 7. PLA Navy projects a new image President Xi inspected the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in the South China Sea on April 12. The navy review was the largest of its kind in the history of the People's Republic of China. Since 2018, the PLA has thoroughly implemented President Xi's thoughts on building a strong military in the new era. The PLA has also taken on the responsibility for guarding China's national flag and firing salute cannons, and the armed police force was moved under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC). On May 13, China's first domestically-built aircraft carrier set out for sea trials. And in April, the brand new Ministry of Veteran Affairs started operations, aiming to provide a centralized and unified support system for the country's veterans. 8. China boosts green economic development along Yangtze River At a conference following an inspection of environmental management and construction work along the Yangtze River on April 26, President Xi stressed that environmental restoration must be the top priority when it comes to the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Economic growth along the river requires scientific and orderly development, he said. A national conference on environmental protection was held in early May, during which President Xi vowed that China will fight the good fight against pollution and push ecological civilization to a new level. 9. China launches income tax and welfare reforms On August 31, the Amendment to the Individual Income Tax Law was officially approved, which encompasses major revisions in areas such as income tax, brackets, the tax-free threshold, and tax-deductible expenses. The reform helps to reduce the burden on taxpayers. China also adopted measures to improve the welfare system. On July 1, the State Council announced that a central adjustment fund will be set up to regulate pension funds in various regions, a move that would help guarantee timely and complete payments to retirees. And by the end of September, 46.2 million people benefitted from rural and urban subsistence allowances. On October 1, a new rehabilitation system to help children with disabilities, such as by covering their treatment expenses, came into effect. Later that month, on October 10, 17 cancer-fighting drugs were added to the national basic medical insurance program, easing the financial burden on cancer patients. 10. China tightens rules on the vaccine industry In July, a major vaccine manufacturer, Changsheng Bio-technology Co. in Changchun, Jilin Province, was found to have fabricated production records and produced substandard vaccines. President Xi ordered a thorough investigation into the case and severe punishment for those found responsible. A number of people at the company were arrested, and a 9.1 billion yuan fine (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) was imposed on the company. Following the scandal, China's lawmakers tightened the rules for the vaccine industry. On October 16, a compensation plan for victims of faulty vaccines was made public, with special funds set aside for compensation claims. On November 11, a new draft law calling for stricter management of the production, research, and distribution of vaccines was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. HAMDEN A motor vehicle pursuit that started in North Haven ended when a car reported stolen crashed into two other vehicles stopped at a red light on Dixwell Avenue early Tuesday. Six people were hospitalized, one with reported life-threatening injuries. Shortly after 2 a.m., a Honda Pilot driven by Jonathan Garcia, 19, of New Haven, crashed into the rear of a Chevrolet Silverado and Nissan Armada stopped at a light at the intersection of Dixell Avenue and Woodin Street. The Honda was traveling south at the time of the crash. Prior to the collision, the Honda had been engaged in a pursuit with North Haven police after they attempted to make a traffic stop. The Honda was been reported stolen from New Britain on Dec. 29. A rear passenger in the Honda, Andrew Basilici, 25, of Hamden, sustained life-threatening injuries. Garcia and the front right passenger of the vehicle, Emily May Bott, 21, of New Haven, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, along with the three occupants of the Armada. All of those injured were transported to Yale New Haven Hospital. State police are investigating the incident at the request of the New Haven States Attorneys Office. Any witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Wayne Petralito at 203-630-5634. dleithyessian@record-journal.com 203-317-2317 Twitter: @leith_yessian BERLIN Despite recommendations from the Public Building Commission, the Police Commission is maintaining that a new building for the Police Department is the best course of action. A recenty building commission examined moving the Board of Education out of the Town Hall and allowing the Police Department to use the entire first floor of the building. The plan would also eliminate the police firing range, requiring that the department to find a new location to train. Police Commission Chairperson Paul Eschoo said Monday his main concern is that it would just be a matter of time before the department outgrew the space in the Town Hall, though, requiring another costly expansion or new building down the road. Eschoo feels the placement of the department presents a potential safety hazard, since officers trying to quickly respond to calls have to traverse multiple crosswalks and go through the parking lot in front of the Town Hall. In a 2014 referenudm, voters rejected a proposal to build a new police station on Farmington Avenue at a projected cost of $21 million. The building commissions study looked at the possibility of moving the Board of Education out of the Town Hall and allowing the Police Department to use the entire first floor of the building. It would also eliminate the police firing range, requiring that the department to find a new location to train. Unlike a 2008 study on the departments needs prepared by Jacunski Humes Architects, revised in 2015, the news building commission suggests the renovation could provide enough space for the headquarters at Town hall after some compromises. The news study estimated that the department requires 22,940 square feet of space, up from the current 10,2444, and making the entire first floor available to the department would provide 22,030 square feet. It also projected that the department would grow to 73 employees by 2027, up from 37 a few years after the department moved into the Town Hall in 1973. After voters rejected the first proposal for a new police station, Police Commission members visited other area stations for tips on how to make the project cheaper. Based on what they heard, Eschoo estimated that a station could be built for around $12 to $13 million. In 2016, the Town Council decided not move forward with allocating $16 million for a new station. They should have put it up for a vote again to see exactly what the citizens would have to say about that, he said. He recognized that councilors were looking to avoid the cost of a referendum, but he said the voters should have been given a chance to vote on a cheaper option. dleithyessian@record-journal.com 203-317-2317 Twitter: @leith_yessian Cerevisaphile (Cer-a-vehs-a-file) 1.an aficionado of beers and ales, 2.a devotee to the decoction of barley infused with hops and fermented, 3.an imbiber of beer on the highest order, bordering on devotion, 4.one who pursues the very finest in malted beverages. MostMetro.com knows that Dayton loves its beer so we keep the most comprehensive calendar of beer events in the Miami Valley, including weekly beer tastings, tap takeovers at local bars, beer dinners, festivals and the release of new beers by many our our local breweries. You can always find the full list on beer events on our website, but to save you time weve curated this list of the best beer events for January. Start making plans to attend these dont miss beer lovers events for this first month on 2019: Warped Wing Brewing Companys 5 Year Anniversary Bash Hard believe its already been 5 years since we first opened the doors to Warped Wing and that calls for a little celebration! We hope youll join us on Saturday, January 19th, starting at noon for our 5 Year Anniversary Beer Bash. Well be tapping various rare beers from our library throughout the day as well as releasing limited barrel aged bottles of our signature Anniversary brew, Baltic Argonaut Baltic Porter. All bottles are $9.99/each (375ml) and will be available for purchase starting at noon. See you there! Today is the first day of 2019. This video shows dances performed by brothers and sisters of China's ethnic groups to welcome in 2019. Wishing you a happy new year! The US and Israels Syria-related operations will not end despite the withdrawal of America troops from the country, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, reaffirming Washingtons ongoing commitment to Israels security. Speaking ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Brazil, Pompeo said the US commitment to Israel was unchanged, despite the pullout of US troops from Syria announced by the Trump administration last month. Pompeo said that the US effort to counter Iranian aggression would continue along with the protection of Israel just as it had before. The talks between Pompeo and Netanyahu in Brasilia are set to focus on the US withdrawal and how the US-Israeli cooperation will work going forward. Before the meeting, Netanyahu said there was a lot to discuss including how to intensify even further our intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East. READ MORE: We give them $4.5bn a year: Israel will still be good after US withdrawal from Syria Trump Earlier, Trump had reassured Israel that the US would take great care of Israel despite the withdrawal, citing the billions in foreign aid Washington gives to Israel every year. Netanyahu said he was very appreciative of the strong support and unequivocal support from the US in its efforts at self-defense against Syria and Hezbollah. Like this story? Share it with a friend! A US marine has been shot while on duty inside a barracks in Washington, DC, and later succumbed to his wound in hospital. The Marine Corps said the injury was not self-inflicted, as police are looking into the incident. Few details are known about the shooting incident that took place within the grounds of the historic Washington, DC Marine Barracks, located a short walk from the Capitol Hill. In a statement on Tuesday, the Marine Corps command said that a Marine had died from a gunshot wound while on duty at about 5:00 am. Police were called to the scene and have launched an investigation. The scene was cordoned off. Neither the name of the victim, nor the identity or identities of the potential perpetrators have been released. The Marine Corps said that the incident never posed any threat to civilians as it was confined to the barracks. The type of weapon used in the shooting has not been identified, either. Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson said, as cited by CNN, that the Marine had not taken his own life, as the lethal injury was not self-inflicted. Also on rt.com Navy SEALs and Marines charged in Green Berets murder Fox News reported that the serviceman did not die on the spot and was taken to hospital, but later succumbed to his wound. No arrests have been made so far. The post where the fallen Marine was stationed is the oldest active one in the Corps. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. While the world celebrates the new year, Ukraine has marked the birthday of Stepan Bandera, a nationalist leader and Nazi ally, regarded as a hero by many in the country. From 2019, the day is an official holiday. Thousands of people carrying Ukrainian flags, torches and chanting pro-Bandera slogans marched in the center of Kiev on Tuesday. A similar event on a smaller scale was held in city of Lvov in the west of the country. While Ukrainian nationalists have been gathering annually for the birthday anniversary of Bandera, this year January 1 became an official national holiday. The legislation was approved this December by the Ukrainian Parliament. Bandera, who was born on January 1, 1909, was a prominent leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (UPA). The group which was created between the two world wars primarily fought against Poland, Czechoslovakia (modern Slovakia and Czech Republic) and the Soviet Union for an independent national state for Ukrainians. While at first it was mostly propaganda, the methods later started to become more cruel and abusive. The organization collaborated with the Third Reich long before World War II, hoping to get more assistance for its cause. Before the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Bandera was actively working with the Reichs special services. Yet when the UPA was no longer useful for Nazi regime, it was subjected to a crackdown. Bandera was arrested in 1941 and spent three years in prison before being released as a potential organizer of resistance to the advancing Soviet troops. After his release, Bandera, as well as his nationalist group was actively supported by Western intelligence. He continued his life in Germany and by the 1950s he and his family were residing in Munich. But his past made him the target of several reported assassination attempts. In 1959, a KGB agent shot him fatally with a cyanide dart gun. Despite his biography, modern Ukraine views Stepan Bandera a hero. His legendary status was made official in 2010 when then-president Viktor Yushchenko gave the highest state merit to Banderas grandson on. Banderas sympathizers insist that he had no control over the violence conducted by UPAs militant wing, which included mass killings of Poles and Jews during the war. Bandera is a typical representative of the ideology of 'political Ukrainianism', Oleg Nemensky, a leading researcher at Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told RT. This position implies imposing its will on the passive majority by an active minority, he added. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Netflix has removed an episode of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj from its Saudi catalog, after the Kingdoms government took offense to a segment criticizing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the episode, still available in the US, the Muslim American comedian blasts Saudi Arabias role in the war in Yemen and the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as MBS self-stoked image as a reformer. Now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia, Minhaj said in the episode. And I mean that as a Muslim, and as an American. "There are people in Saudi Arabia fighting for true reform, he continued, but MBS is not one of them. And to those who continue to work with him, just know that with every deal you close, you are simply helping entrench an absolute monarch under the guise of progress." Read more As part of his efforts to break his countrys near-total dependence on oil exports, MBS government has invested heavily in American tech companies, including ridesharing app Uber and a raft of Silicon Valley startups like food delivery company Zume and smart window firm View Inc. Silicon Valley, Minhaj said in the episode, is swimming in Saudi cash. Minhajs words would prove prophetic, as Netflix removed the offending episode. According to the Financial Times, the removal was not motivated by Saudi cash, but by legal threats. The streaming giant told the FT that it removed the episode after receiving a complaint from the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission. The commission claimed that the episode violated a cybercrime law forbidding the production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy. Civil liberties activists have called the law a tool to suppress free speech in Saudi Arabia. We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal requestand to comply with local law, a Netflix spokesperson said. Netflix explanation didnt satisfy commentators on Twitter, who slammed the company for caving to Saudi pressure. While the episode was pulled from Netflix, Saudi viewers keen for some anti-government comedy can watch it on Youtube, which is not blocked in the country. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. Tech giants will now pay more tax in France, after the country decided not to wait for the rest of the EU to introduce the measure. The so-called GAFA tax targeting major digital firms comes into force on January 1. The French government hopes to raise 500 million ($572 million) with levies specifically aimed at multinational tech firms, including Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, announcing the move in December. He stressed that the tax will be introduced whatever happens. Paris has been pushing for what it sees as fairer taxation of the big-tech firms in the European Union. Progress on the issue has stalled in Brussels, as the 28-member bloc is divided on imposing the levies on Silicon Valley giants. Any changes must receive unanimous approval by member states. Read more Critics say that the big-tech firms are making money from European countries economies, but use their complex structure to route some of their profits to low-tax member states. The opposing block is led by Ireland, which has become a sort of Mecca for US tech companies, and hosts many of their headquarters. Estonia and Sweden are also among those who do not favor Frances bid, fearing that the taxes could trigger US retaliation. The EU has been discussing plans for a three-percent tax on the revenues of large internet companies that make money from user data or digital advertising. However, the last round of talks on the matter in November resulted in no significant progress, apparently pushing France to move forward with it alone. Separately, France and Germany reached a consensus on a three-percent levy on digital ads after Paris agreed to water down its initial proposals on a broader tax on data. The two EU powerhouses plan to introduce a new joint measure in 2021, unless the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) members have agreed on a global approach by then. France might have its own domestic reasons like the consequences of the massive Yellow Vest protest to impose the GAFA tax, named after Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon. The recent nationwide demonstrations will cost the French economy a hefty sum and have already resulted in lowering the countrys economic growth forecast for 2018 and 2019, while its budget deficit for next year rose to 3.2 percent, breaching EU rules. Also on rt.com Oops, France did it again! EU allows Paris near-traditional budget breach for 2019 At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron is a known critic of the big techs. In April, he warned that Google and Facebook are becoming too big to be governed. In May, Macron demanded a gathering of global tech bosses to commit to the common good. There is no free lunch, the French president said. It is not possible just to have free-riding on one side, when you make a good business. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Monday said China enlarged its circle of friends in 2018, when delivering a New Year speech. In the past year, many friends, both old and new, visited China, Xi said, noting that China hosted diplomatic events including the annual Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao summit, and the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China put forward its proposals and made its voice heard, Xi added. Xi said he and his colleagues visited five continents and participated in many major diplomatic events, carried out wide-ranging exchanges with leaders of various countries, consolidated friendships, enhanced mutual trust, and enlarged China's circle of friends. * Indonesian authorities have prohibited tourists from hiking in the radius of 4 km from the crater of Mount Agung volcano, which erupted on December 30, while residents in the slope of the mountain have been ordered to exercise caution over the flow of lava during heavy downpours, disaster agency official said. * Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), sent a letter on December 30 to the Republic of Korea (RoK) President Moon Jae-in, according to Moon's office Blue House. * Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro on December 29 said he will issue a decree to loosen gun laws to enable Brazilians to protect themselves from violence. Making it easier for Brazilians to arm themselves against crime was one of his main campaign promises. * Russia will take retaliatory measures in case of the deployment of US missiles banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on December 30. * Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance won Bangladesh's election with a thumping majority (won 287 of the 298 seats), the country's Election Commission said on December 31, giving her a third straight term. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the last poll in 2014, won just six seats. * In a telephone conversation on December 30, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to act with restraint and responsibility as the United States decided to withdraw troops from Syria. * Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 30 said that Russia and Turkey will continue to strengthen security in the Eurasian region. * Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will pay an official visit to Turkey on January 3-4, 2019, at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the foreign ministry said on December 30. This will be the prime minister's first official visit to Turkey. * At least 25 Taliban militants were killed after the Afghan Air Force launched airstrikes in eastern Wardak province, 35 km west of Kabul, the country's Ministry of Defense said on December 31. * The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on December 30 said it had deported more than 16,000 illegal migrants from Libya to their countries of origin in 2018. * Libya's Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha on December 30 said the ministry is preparing a biannual plan to secure the capital Tripoli. * The Chairman of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri on December 30 said that the Gulf countries are capable of ensuring security on their own and the US presence in the region has only created insecurity. * The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) has set July 20 as a new date for the country's fourth presidential elections, an IEC official said on December 30. * Turkish police arrested 30 Islamic State (IS)-linked suspects in capital Ankara, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on December 30. The EU and Japan will soon become the worlds biggest free trade area. But this record might be short-lived with Brussels chasing a deal with South Americas Mercosur, EUs Cecilia Malmstrom has said. After the trade deal between the EU and Japan goes into effect on February 1, Brussels will focus on clinching a deal with South American Mercosur group before the end of next year to form an even bigger trading bloc, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told the German DPA news agency on Saturday. The Mercosur trade area includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela with the total population of some 260 million people. Venezuelas membership has been suspended in 2016 due to issues including its human rights record. If the deal is completed, businesses on both sides of the Atlantic could save billions on tariffs. The EU and Mercosur representatives have been working on a free trade deal since 2000. Earlier this year, Argentinas foreign minister Jorge Faurie said the accord might be concluded by September, but the talks have seemingly stalled in recent months. One of the reasons for the delay was the victory of far-right Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, EUs Cecilia Malmstrom told DPA on Saturday. With Bolsonaro set to take office in January, the outgoing government was unable to make clear commitments on trade. However, there are no indications that Bolsonaros government would disrupt the talks, Malmstrom added. The new foreign minister told us that they would be happy to achieve the deal and that they would gladly continue talks, she said. Cognac from Cognac While the EU hopes to ready the deal by the end of 2019, Brussels remains insistent on several issues, including its system to protect food names such as naming only a special kind of cheese produced in Greece feta or allowing only the beverages made in the French town of Cognac to bear the same name. In the past, Brussels has also fretted about the incoming influx of South American beef. In turn, the South American partners are worried about liberalizing their car industry. After the UK leaves the EU in March next year, the EUs single market will have some 450 million residents. The economic giant already has trade deals in place with many major countries, including Mexico and Canada. However, the talks on creating a joint trade area between the US and the EU have been halted after Donald Trump took office in 2016. The deaths were mostly due to landslides and drowning in the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas in central Philippines, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its latest report. Fifty-seven of the deaths were reported from the Bicol region while 11 from the Eastern Visayas region. The agency said there are still 19 people missing in both regions. The Office of Civil Defense in the Bicol region said that so far it has recorded 57 deaths. The 57 deaths include 15 in Albay province, six in Sorsogon province, 23 in Camarines Sur province, six in Camarines Norte province and seven in Masbate province. The NDRRMC said its offices in the affected regions "are still on alert and are continuously monitoring the on-going response in the affected areas." Moreover, the agency said that rescuers from the military, the police and other government agencies are now conducting search, rescue and retrieval operations in some areas in northern and central Philippines. More than 130,000 people from 321 areas in the Philippines have been affected by landslides and widespread flood, according to the disaster agency. Aside from strong winds and heavy rains, areas ravaged by the tropical depression experienced power outages. Several houses are buried in landslides and roads sections were impassable due to severe flood. The agency floated the possibility that the death toll will increase as retrieval operations continue. The Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development has provided the evacuees with family food packs and other relief goods. The agency also has standby emergency-relief funds worth around PHP212 million (nearly US$4 million). The country's national weather bureau earlier warned heavy rains may pour over the northern and central Philippines brought on by the tropical depression, which has already weakened into a low-pressure area after making landfall in Eastern Samar in the central Philippines on December 29. Although the low-pressure area already left the Philippines on December 30, the national weather bureau warned that more rain is expected in the coming days. With a new nesting season well under way, the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has released its first childrens book, A Day with Harriet, with plans to do more in the future and perhaps even a movie. Featuring the famous bald eagle matriarch, the book takes readers through an average day for Harriet around her nest on the Pritchett Farm off Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers. Written by Ginnie McSpadden, co-creator of the SWFEC, and illustrated by Brittany Cobb, the book is suitable for children of any age. McSpadden said after watching the eagles for years, it was time to offer another way to learn about the birds life cycle. Weve been watching the eagles for the last seven seasons and we saw so many life lessons and so many things adults and children can take from this, McSpadden said. We thought it was great way to connect children on another level by watching the eagle cam and have something in hand they can read all year long. All of the content in the book was inspired from real life events and images pulled from the live cameras archive. Readers will get to see Harriett fly high in the skies over Florida, fish in her favorite pond and much more. What they wont see is eagle dad M15 or her taking care of their little eaglets. Thats for later. McSpadden said this will be the first of what she hopes will be several books about Harriet and her family over the next few years and she has even bigger goals for the eagles. Were laying the groundwork for all the lessons we hope to teach through these books, McSpadden said. We hope to incorporate M and the eaglets in future books, and maybe even do an animated movie. McSpadden said there will also be items for purchase that go along with the book as another touchpoint for youths to get connected with nature. She hopes schools, childcare centers, park agencies, and other institutions can use A Day with Harriet as a resource for creating lesson plans and activities centered on the live cams and connecting children with nature. Additional content for hands-on learning such as a printable Harriet coloring page, kid-friendly craft and bald eagle quiz can be found on website, www.ADayWithHarriet.com. More than 100 people turned out recently at Pine Island United Methodist Church for a town hall meeting introducing the Florida Commercial Watermens Conservation group. After the red tide and blue-green algae blooms of 2018, the group was formed by Casey Streeter, co-owner of Island Fish Market in Matlacha, to scientifically monitor offshore waters. The purpose of tonights meeting is to introduce the Florida Com-mercial Water-mans Conser-vation group to the public, Streeter said. This is a commercial fishermen driven water testing program. FCWCs main purpose is to contribute its own water testing to help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other science communities gain a better understanding of the water quality issues and red tide events. We have commercial fishermen on the water every day, Streeter said. NOAA was out here speaking with family members who have been here for generations and the conclusion weve all come to is what we had this year was something completely different. The initial goal of the group is to raise funds for the equipment to test the water. We will be performing offshore water testing and we are looking to purchase YSI water profilers, Streeter said. This equipment is a multi-reading sensor that can read the salinity, temperature, oxygen and several other things about our water. This is very important data to collect and provide to NOAA and other scientists studying our water. According to Streeter, the goal is to create a baseline of testing results of offshore waters. The Caloosahatchee has multiple testing locations but theres only periodic testing that takes place offshore after a red tide event. The goal of the program is to bridge the gap in data collection between the scientists that are researching our red tides, causes, secondary effects, impacts on our ecosystems, Streeter said. Commercial fishermen are on the water every day. If they see questionable water they can test it then and there to be sent in for analysis. FCWC also focuses on the economic impacts to our coastal communities and we hope to create a template for all coastal communities to own their own science and be a part of the solution, Streeter said. Streeter said the FCWC needs the following: We need the community to help connect us into ways to fund our program. We need the community to reach out to our elected officials to support our group. If anyone has any ideas to help raise money or important contacts reach out to us at casey@floridawatermen.org Visit FCWCs Facebook page for updates. Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen detained in Russia on espionage charges, is a former Marine who had traveled to Moscow for a fellow Marines wedding, the mans family said Tuesday, alleging that he is being wrongly held. We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being, Whelans family said in a statement provided to the media by his twin brother, David. His innocence is undoubted, and we trust that his rights will be respected. Whelans family said it had contacted the U.S. State Department and other federal officials for help after learning of his Friday arrest from news reports Monday, and the family expected U.S. officials to visit Whelan, who works in Michigan, within three days. Trump administration officials have remained relatively quiet about Whelans detention, amid concerns about possible Russian retaliation for the ongoing U.S. investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Advertisement A State Department spokesperson, declining to be identified, said in a statement to The Times that Russias Foreign Ministry had formally notified U.S.officials of Whelans arrest and that the U.S. expected Russian authorities to provide access to Whelan in detention. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional information to provide at this time, the spokesperson wrote in an email. David Whelan did not respond to requests for an interview. Critics of Russia have seized on the arrest as a possible Cold War-style tit-for-tat emerging at a tenuous time for the Trump administration, which faces the ongoing Russia investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III as well as a House of Representatives about to transition to Democratic control. While President Trump has struck a friendly tone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. investigators working for Mueller have secured federal indictments against more than a dozen Russians for alleged election interference to aid Trumps 2016 campaign. One Russian citizen in the U.S., Maria Butina, has pleaded guilty to working as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of the Russian government while infiltrating conservative groups such as the National Rifle Assn. Whelans arrest looks increasingly like a hostage situation, tweeted British financier and Putin critic Bill Browder, whose attorney, Sergei Magnitsky, died under suspicious circumstances in Russian custody. (In July, Putin offered to assist Muellers investigation if Russian officials, in return, were allowed to investigate Browder.) All foreign travelers to Russia should beware that anything could happen. The US government should intervene decisively in this case. According to details first reported by the Daily Beast, Whelan works as a director of global security and investigations for BorgWarner, an automotive components manufacturer in Michigan. He reportedly previously worked as a police officer and sheriffs deputy in Michigan and took military leave to serve in the Iraq war in 2003. Whelan appeared to have a fondness for Russia andfor Trump, according toa social media profile under his name on VKontakte, a service popular in Russia. On the day of Trumps inauguration in 2017, he posted: GOD SAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP!! Advertisement Whelan visited Russia for the first time more than a decade ago, according to an archived version of a personal website that has since been removed. Having grown up during the Cold War, it was a dream of mine to visit Russia and meet some of the sneaky Russians who had kept the western world at bay for so long!! the website said, adding that Whelan befriended several Russians on his trip, including a man named Maxim who worked for the Russian army. We have stayed in touch with one another and have shared many interesting stories and experiences, the website said. The Russian people were very polite and kind to a stranger who didnt speak the language and spent a lot of time wandering around the Metro without a clue as to where he was going!! Special correspondent Sabra Ayres in Paris contributed to this report. Advertisement matt.pearce@latimes.com Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce. More national headlines North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought a new look to his New Years Day address ditching the formalities of a podium and microphone bank to speak from a plush leather chair in front of a wooden mantelpiece. Wearing a suit and tie and sitting alone on camera, Kim brought fresh imagery to his address Tuesday, more reminiscent of a fireside chat than of a stiff address interrupted by the thunderous applause of fawning cadres. The atmospherics supported North Korean propaganda efforts to paint Kim as a modern political leader who could be trusted with a nuclear arsenal. In previous years, Kim had stood at a lectern behind an array of a half-dozen microphones with a Workers Party flag behind him, sometimes wearing a suit and sometimes wearing a tunic like those favored by Chinas Mao Tse-tung. This year, he sat on a comfy chair in a wood-paneled room flanked by bookshelves and overlooked by paintings of his grandfather and father -- state founder Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il at work at their desks. Advertisement With papers in hand, Kim looked into the camera and read at a brisk pace, while state TV cut away at times to show stock images of gleeful farmers and factory workers. The broadcaster piped in applause at the start and end of the speech. Duyeon Kim, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the feel was reminiscent of the image Kim showed the world in June in Singapore, when he held his first and only summit with President Trump. The North Korean leader, who had been described by Trump as a Little Rocket Man with nuclear ambitions, humanized himself by taking a late night stroll on Singapores modern streets the night before the summit that set off a social media firestorm. During Kims three days in Singapore, North Korean state media trumpeted daily images never before seen in Pyongyang. On the front page of the ruling partys flagship newspaper was Kim touring monuments to capitalism, stepping out of a Chinese jet and smiling while shaking hands with the imperialist U.S. president. A Canada goose is back on its feet after being found with an arrow through its neck in Huntington Beach, a wildlife rescue group said Monday. The bird was rescued by Orange County animal control on Thursday, more than a week after it was first seen with the wound near Carr Park. At around the time the goose was first spotted, the Huntington Beach-based Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center learned that two birds had been found drugged after consuming pills scattered on the grass at the same park, at 16532 Springdale St. The [wounded] bird is improving today quite a bit and is starting to eat on its own now, said Lisa Peronne, wildlife manager at the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center, where the bird was taken after it was rescued. The goose was very lucky [the arrow] didnt interfere with any vital organs in his neck or muscle composite, Peronne said. However, by the time we got him, a secondary infection had sent in and the bird was showing signs of shock, she said. The goose was taken to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center after being found with an arrow through its neck. (Courtesy of Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center) The arrow the kind used for recreational target practice, not professional hunting was removed Thursday evening and the goose was given antibiotics, IV fluids and painkillers, Peronne said. Friday he wasnt able to stand, she said, and Saturday he started to crash. When you get hold of a wild animal, they are going to fight you, attack you and try and get away, Peronne said. This bird did not, which she said was a very obvious sign of being in shock. The birds rescuers allowed it to rest in a quiet area, where it began making a slow and steady recovery. By Sunday, the bird was eating and walking. Peronne said rescuers dont know whether the arrow and pills incidents are related, but they are investigating. The goose will stay at the care center until it has made a full recovery, Peronne said. Sclafani is a Daily Pilot staff writer. Reyes-Velarde writes for the Los Angeles Times. julia.sclafani@latimes.com Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Half an hour later, she was helping Silva look up candidates as he filled out his ballot by the light of her phone. Im glad you guys came, he said. I was going to leave it in my drawer. Advertisement Young immigrants, known as Dreamers, have become a political force over the last two decades as they have pushed Congress to overhaul the nations immigration laws. Part of a new wave of immigrant activists who mobilized this year to return control of the House to Democrats, Cruz and others in the movement see in President Trump an existential threat to their futures, and to their friends and family. Less than a year ago, Cruz had a steady job at a mortgage bank, with health benefits and a retirement plan. She wanted to go back to college and dreamed of buying her own house. But when Trump instituted a travel ban, tightened immigration enforcement and tried to end a program that granted temporary protections for young people brought into the country illegally as children, she grew tired of sitting helplessly at her desk and quit to become an activist. I realized I needed to share my story with as many people as possible, she said. We shouldnt be living in a world of fear because we are undocumented. In California, Dreamers like Cruz phoned voters, walked precincts and protested outside Republican lawmakers offices, reaching people who had not been called or visited by either party. Their efforts helped boost turnout among Latinos in this years midterm election 29 million nationwide were eligible to vote, according to the Pew Research Center which is projected to surpass levels higher than in past presidential election years, political analysts said. An analysis of data from eight states by the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative at UCLA found the Latino vote grew by an estimated 96% from 2014 to 2018, compared with 37% among non-Latinos. The surge, researchers said, helped move 20 House districts held by Republicans to Democratic control in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, New Jersey and New York. In another study, the political research firm Latino Decisions found that an increase in Latino voter turnout contributed to flipping six GOP-held congressional seats in California four in the once conservative bastion of Orange County and two in the Central Valley that have long eluded Democrats. The results spoke to the power within the Latino community, said Adrian Pantoja, a senior analyst with Latino Decisions and a professor of politics at Pitzer College. Advertisement Latinos were talking to each other, and theres no doubt that Dreamers were instrumental to the effort, he said. Gabriela Cruz, right, and her mother, Irma Cruz, make tamales at their home in Santa Cruz. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) It was Cruzs grandmother who brought her family to California nearly 30 years ago. Manuela Cruz made her way to Santa Cruz from the Mexican state of Oaxaca in search of one of her sons, a surfer who, after a stint in prison, became a youth mentor in the city nestled on the cliffs of Monterey Bay. Gabriela Cruz was only a baby when her mother, then 21 and pregnant with her sister, carried her across the border illegally to join them. They arrived in Beach Flats, at the time an immigrant neighborhood not yet crowded with condos, where Gabriela learned English and played with her little sisters near the wharf and an old amusement park. Advertisement Her grandmother sold plates of food from her home and her mother, Irma Cruz, packaged dried pineapples and became a cook at a cafe. They kept their immigration status a secret, wrestling with it each time Gabriela asked to go to Disneyland or needed to see a doctor. I didnt want to tell [Gabriela] and affect the person she could become, Irma Cruz said. By eighth grade, there was no avoiding it. Gabriela begged to go on a class trip to Washington, D.C. She wanted to see the nations capital and wander through the halls of power. But her mother objected, making excuses. Airplanes are dangerous. Theres too much crime in the city. Advertisement And finally: You werent born here. Gabriela struggled to bury her resentment. The subtle differences she detected in how she had been treated suddenly made sense, she said. She didnt have a regular dentist like her sisters. Her mother always seemed to make more rules for her. And her future seemed limited: She wouldnt be able to go to college or get a drivers license, much less find a job. I felt like when I was in school, I could pretend to be like everybody else, Cruz said. But as soon as I became an adult, it was going to be even more apparent that I did not have citizenship. Advertisement Gabriela Cruz holds a photo of herself and her mother at her kindergarten graduation from a Santa Cruz public school. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) More than 16 years ago, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey) helped introduce legislation to pave a path to citizenship for thousands of immigrants who, like Cruz, were brought into the country illegally as children. Young immigrant activists have been fighting for what became the Dream Act ever since, even as the federal proposal and broader immigration reform failed four times in Congress, starting in 2007. Their plight has resonated in California, where some state leaders fought against 1994s Proposition 187, which sought to cut off schooling and health services for immigrants here illegally. Under Gov. Jerry Brown, the state became the first to approve its own version of the Dream Act in 2011, and now provides financial aid and in-state tuition for students without legal status. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, an Obama-era effort, came a year later and provided protections to some 800,000 young immigrants in the U.S. illegally roughly a quarter of whom lived in California if they didnt have a criminal record and worked or went to school. Advertisement While other young immigrants organized, Cruz was afraid to speak to anyone about her status. But the seeds of her political education were quietly being planted, she said. The states efforts helped her afford college, and six years ago DACA enabled her to quit two jobs waiting tables to work at a credit union. After a painful divorce from her high school boyfriend, she treasured the independence, she said. But Irma Cruz was initially nervous for her daughter. Would DACA truly protect her? Gabriela Cruz compiled her application against her mothers advice, stuffing a manila folder with school transcripts, photos and addresses, evidence of a life almost entirely lived in the United States. Right now, you basically dont exist in this country, Cruz recalls her mother warning. Youre going to expose yourself to the U.S. government and you dont know how this information can be used against you. Advertisement Gabriela Cruz walks Ronald Silva, 41, through his ballot, helping him look up candidates and propositions, hours before the polls closed on Nov. 6. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) After Trump was elected on promises to increase deportations and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, Cruz worried her mothers worst fears might materialize. So she took her dream vacation to Maui with a boyfriend her first time on a plane not knowing her fate in the country or whether she would get to travel again. Trump rescinded DACA months later. That day, her eyes swollen from crying, she walked to a protest a few blocks from the Santa Cruz bank where she worked. Cruz said she felt stares as she crossed the street, and realized she might be the only Dreamer in the crowd of roughly 40 people. Someone handed her a microphone. She didnt want to speak, but she thought the least she could do was thank the group for making her feel loved, she said. Advertisement I told them, I am not a bad person, I had no say in coming here, she said. It was the first time she shared her story aloud. But she still felt alone. So she called United We Dream, a Washington-based immigrant rights organization founded by Dreamers, to start her own local group. Soon after, she quit her job and made her way to Republican members offices after Congress again failed to pass the Dream Act. Over the summer, she and other activists traveled to Texas, where she said she saw herself in the migrant children who were bused into a tent city in Tornillo. There, federal immigration officials were separating migrant families at the border. And as the midterm election neared, she was among 7,000 Dreamers who made calls, texted and knocked on doors to reach voters in California, New Mexico, Texas and Florida. The effort was the first by United We Dream to target congressional races, but volunteers said they were able to tap into a network of elected officials and activists who had come of age and risen through previous immigrant rights movements. Advertisement Perhaps nowhere was that network more established than in California, where Democratic state leaders introduced measures to oppose Trump administration policies and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, himself the son of immigrants, led a lawsuit against the federal government over the termination of DACA that temporarily allowed the program to continue. Yet even in a state billed as a counterweight to Trump, Cruz said she experienced hate. At a demonstration outside the Modesto office of Republican Rep. Jeff Denham, a handful of counter-protesters shouted racial slurs, she said. Three weeks before election day, she returned to the city, where by then Denham and Democrat Josh Harder were locked in one of the most closely contested races in the state. In a district with historically low Latino turnout, the Turlock congressman had pledged support for the Dream Act and angered his partys leadership in an unsuccessful attempt to salvage some form of DACA. But Cruz urged residents to oppose him, pointing to his votes to expand the border wall, make significant cuts to legal immigration and penalize so-called sanctuary cities, which limit collaboration with federal immigration agencies. Advertisement In Modesto days before the election, she told voters, Jeff Denham has had eight years to do something in our favor, and he has done nothing but rubber-stamp things. Gabriela Cruz, center, sings during a posada she helped organize at an apartment complex in Santa Cruz. Cruzs immigrant grandmother first started the posadas here, but came to a halt when her grandmother moved away. Now Gaby Cruz is working to revive them. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Pollsters and political analysts attribute the midterm victories to a variety of reasons: efficient organizing, a rejection of Trump and concerns over taxes and healthcare. Republicans have criticized groups such as United We Dream for sending volunteers into districts where they dont live and targeting moderates. But young immigrants activists see the victories as proof that Americans are weary of anti-immigrant rhetoric. People would say, Youre going after Jeff Denham but he is a good bridge between both sides of the aisle on this issue, United We Dream campaign manager Adrian Reyna said. And we said, Great, show me the receipt. Advertisement As the conversation turns to sustaining momentum through the next presidential election, hundreds of thousands of young people like Cruz remain in deportation limbo. For many, DACA protections are set to expire by 2020 if Congress does not pass a more permanent solution. For countless others, theyve already expired. Some never had the chance to apply at all. Irma Cruz says she is proud of her daughter for all she has accomplished, but the two still debate about how much Gabriela is putting herself out there. Some friends praise her. Others wish she would keep quiet. She hopes to remain an activist, is looking for work with an immigrant rights organization and plans to help campaign again in 2020. Someone fought for me when I didnt know they were fighting for me, she said. Advertisement Last month, with help from other activists, she revived the Santa Cruz posadas, a series of processions retracing Mary and Josephs biblical search for lodging in Bethlehem. As rain poured down, Cruz and others held candles as they walked and sang door to door. The holiday tradition had once been organized by her grandmother, started when she came looking for her son all those years ago. More stories from Jazmine Ulloa jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com @jazmineulloa Federal judges sometimes have to decide cases involving sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. In the past year, however, the court system has had to look inward at an equally wrenching problem: powerful judges who harass and abuse law clerks and other employees in the privacy of chambers. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. devoted his year-end report on the judiciary to describing how the nations top judges had investigated the problem of workplace abuse and adopted policies to prevent it. It comes a year after Judge Alex Kozinski abruptly stepped down from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California after multiple women accused him of making crude sexual comments, including the displaying of pornography on his office computer. Advertisement Their reports embarrassed the judiciary because many of the women said they felt trapped and had no effective way to complain about the abuse. Though former clerks had traded accounts of Kozinskis inappropriate behavior for many years, nothing was done until their complaints appeared in news stories. Roberts said that the study group he appointed found that based on input from employees, advisory groups and court surveys inappropriate workplace conduct is not pervasive, but also not limited to a few isolated instances involving law clerks. It also determined that misconduct, when it does occur, is more likely to take the form of incivility or disrespect than overt sexual harassment, and it frequently goes unreported. The federal courts have 677 district judges and 179 appellate judges, along with nine justices of the Supreme Court. And for the most part, they work independently with the help of several clerks and aides. Roberts said the judiciary plans to revise its codes of conduct to state explicitly what has always been implicit in them: Judges and judicial employees may not engage in abusive or harassing behavior; must be civil and respectful in dealings with coworkers and subordinates; and may not engage in retaliation against persons who report misconduct. Moreover, judges and court employees will have an obligation to report observed misconduct to those who can take action to stop it, he said. The revised policy will also make clear that the duties of confidentiality shared by judges, law clerks and court employees do not pose any obstacle to reporting or disclosing misconduct. The Constitution says federal judges hold their offices during good behavior, and the chief justice did not describe how the judiciary would discipline judges who are accused of abusing employees. While lauding the progress in the past year, Roberts said, I also realize that the job is not yet done. I have directed the working group to remain in place over the next year to monitor the progress and success of those efforts. The job is not finished until we have done all that we can to ensure that all of our employees are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. The chief justice made no mention of the recent controversies that have swirled around the courts, including his rebuke of President Trump for Trumps reference to an Obama judge in San Francisco who had blocked a White House order limiting asylum claims. Advertisement We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges, Roberts said in response to the presidents comment. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. Last week, the Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote, with Roberts in the majority, turned down the Trump administrations appeal seeking to have the judges order lifted. This week marks the end of the 115th Congress, which confirmed 85 new Trump appointees to the federal courts in 2017 and 2018. They included 30 appellate judges and 53 district judges as well as Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. This stands in sharp contrast to the 114th Congress, which confirmed only 20 judges, the lowest total since 1952. Senate Republicans used a narrow majority to block most of President Obamas court appointees in 2015 and 2016, including Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland. They then moved rapidly to approve most of Trumps judicial candidates in the last two years. Advertisement During his first two years in office, Obama had a solid Democratic majority in the Senate but did not quite match Trumps record. In 2009 and 2010, the Senate confirmed 62 judges, including 16 appellate judges as well as Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. But the filibuster was in place then for judicial picks, and it allowed objecting Republicans to slow down the process. Democrats in 2013 abandoned the filibuster for judicial appointments, except for the Supreme Court. Republicans stopped using filibusters for Supreme Court nominees, too, when they took control of the Senate. The latest from Washington More stories from David G. Savage Advertisement david.savage@latimes.com Twitter: DavidGSavage The Trump administration has invited top congressional leaders to a briefing on border security Wednesday, the first time the lawmakers have been to the White House since before a partial government shutdown began Dec. 22. It is unclear whether the meeting will involve actual negotiations on how to reopen portions of the federal government that have been closed in a dispute over President Trumps request for $5 billion for a wall along the southern U.S. border. There has been little negotiation between the administration and Congress over the Christmas and New Years holidays. The top eight congressional leaders, representing both parties in each chamber of Congress, will get a briefing from Homeland Security Department officials on border security, according to congressional aides. The briefing comes a day before the start of the new Congress in which political control of the House will flip from Republicans to Democrats. Democratic leaders have promised a vote Thursday to reopen the government; their plan does not include money for a wall. Advertisement Trump has said he will not support legislation that doesnt include money for a wall. Last month, however, the administration sent mixed signals on what the president would sign, leading the Senate to unanimously support a bill with no wall funds. The Democratic plan calls for the House to pass two funding bills. One would reopen all the closed agencies except Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year that ends in September. The other would fund Homeland Security until Feb. 8, allowing the department to operate normally while negotiations continue. The Democrats plan is similar to what the Senate passed unanimously in mid-December in an attempt to avoid the shutdown. But the bills may not move further unless the White House reverses its position on the wall money. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he will not bring up a spending bill for Senate consideration unless it has Trumps support. The latest from Washington Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said in a letter to colleagues Tuesday that the votes would make clear Republicans are responsible for the shutdown. We are giving the Republicans the opportunity to take yes for an answer, Pelosi wrote. Senate Republicans have already supported this legislation, and if they reject it now, they will be fully complicit in chaos and destruction of the presidents third shutdown of his term. The Democrats stopgap funding for the Homeland Security Department would not provide money for the wall, but would extend the departments authority to spend $1.3 billion approved in the last budget for border security. Under that authorization, no money can be spent for a wall, but it can be used to upgrade existing border fencing. Advertisement Democrats say that dividing the money into two bills would allow reopening of the vast majority of government agencies for which funds arent in dispute while Congress and Trump continue to debate their disagreements over immigration and the border. But that approach would also greatly limit Trumps leverage in negotiations. A long list of government agencies and departments closed after midnight Dec. 21 when Congress and Trump could not agree on a spending package. So far, the effect on the public has been limited, although officials have had to close campgrounds at Joshua Tree and Yosemite national parks and elsewhere because of a lack of toilet facilities. With the Christmas and New Years holidays coming to a close, however, the effect of the shutdown will start becoming more visible if it stretches on. Some home sales may be delayed, for example, and the Internal Revenue Service has curtailed services for taxpayers. Advertisement About 800,000 government workers wont get paid during the shutdown, with just over half of them required to work anyway because their jobs are deemed essential for public safety. The rest are on furlough. Many government workers who get paid on a two-week cycle will begin missing paychecks next week. In addition, a large number of employees at companies that do contract work for the government have lost their jobs or had hours cut back because of the shutdown. The president initially said he would take responsibility for the shutdown, but has since tried to lay the blame on Democrats for not agreeing to fund the wall. In his campaign, Trump repeatedly said the wall would be paid for by Mexico. Senate appropriators had previously agreed on $1.6 billion for border security funding for the current year the amount the administration initially asked for. Under the Senate-passed measure, the money could be used to upgrade existing fencing, but not for a new wall. Advertisement Trump has more recently demanded $5 billion. The House under Republican control approved a bill providing that money, but Senate Republican leaders conceded they could not muster the votes to pass that amount. The agencies closed in the shutdown include the departments of Homeland Security, State, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice and Transportation, as well as independent agencies including NASA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. jennifer.haberkorn@latimes.com @jenhab To the editor: In their Dec. 28 op-ed article, Fred Ali, Antonia Hernandez and Robert K. Ross did a great job outlining just what the Los Angeles Unified School District should not be doing providing basic sustenance to students. Public schools should not be offering a refuge for homeless people, hygiene facilities and other services unrelated to education. Our schools were never meant to function as second homes, and teachers were never meant to take the place of parents. Our school system was never designed to support students in all facets of their lives, and certainly our taxpayers should not be shouldering this burden. There would be plenty of money available to give the teachers a much-needed raise if the LAUSD wasnt doubling as a welfare state. Charles Reilly, Manhattan Beach Advertisement .. To the editor: Unfortunately, we educators are not valued as public servants as much as law enforcement, firefighters or nurses. The district has capitalized on this indifference and has painted us as money hungry. This cannot be further from the truth, as anyone working in our field understands that teachers do not aspire to great wealth, but rather want to give back to our communities. The writers highlight the great inconvenience students will suffer because of a strike. But remember, many of our own children will be directly affected as well. This should serve more evidence of just how strongly we feel about a strike. Ramon Angel Sanchez Jr., Los Angeles .. To the editor: As your readers and the citizens of Los Angeles consider all sides in the possible pending teachers strike, its worth noting something that seemingly receives no ink: Students attending independent and non-unionized charter schools will suffer no upheaval and chaos in their educational schedules. Hmm, if only students had a union that put their needs ahead of bloated, top-heavy LAUSD bureaucracies and teachers unions that too frequently protect ineffective, irresponsible and uncaring teachers. Advertisement Jim Tetreau, South Pasadena .. To the editor: Good working conditions for teachers are the same as good learning conditions for students. Every classroom should be safe, uncrowded, clean, comfortable, well supplied and staffed with a well-trained, respected teacher who earns a middle-class salary. If we paid attractive starting salaries, we would not have to hire mediocre applicants, and good teachers would stay in the profession. Less turnover would save money and give students the undeniable benefit of experienced teachers. Advertisement Some students might even be inspired to become good teachers. Helen H. Gordon, Santa Barbara Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Europe, on December 29 Pope Francis condemned the bomb attack and sent his deepest condolences to the victims and their families. In a telegram in the name of the Pope sent to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Vatican Prime Minister, Pietro Parolin, said the Pope was very sad to hear about the incident. He condemned this inhumane and cruel behaviour, and prayed for the victims and their families. The same day, the VNA correspondents in South Asia quoted the Indian Foreign Ministry as saying that India strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist attack that took the lives of innocent people. India sent the deepest condolences to the families of the dead victims and hoped the injured will quickly recover. The ministry stated that India will stand side by side with the Egyptian government and people in the fight against terrorism. The Indian media also cited Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minhs speech on the incident and expressed deep condolences on the great losses of the deceaseds families. A bus carrying Vietnamese tourists was hit by a roadside bomb near the world-famous Giza pyramids at 6:15pm on December 28 (Egypt time), killing three Vietnamese and an Egyptian tourist guide. There were 18 people on the bus at the time, including 15 Vietnamese tourists and three Egyptians, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt. To the editor: As a lapsed Roman Catholic, Im saddened but not surprised that my erstwhile religion is facing an existential crisis of its own making. (Parishioner tells Vatican that McCarrick molested him for years, sometimes during confession, Dec. 28) For many decades mounting empirical evidence has steadily chipped away at the churchs theological foundations. The Vatican has responded by doubling down on faith-based deceptions. So, it denies or downplays enormous environmental threats posed by overpopulating the planet, remaining adamant in its condemnation of contraception, and it acts as if mens primal urges disappear when they are ordained as priests. Shrouding reality comes naturally to the churchs hierarchy, so it long managed to cover up most clerical child abuses. The recent spate of belated sex-abuse disclosures moved the pope to call for an end to coverups. Lets pray that this long overdue edict reflects the churchs sincere repentance more than expedient public relations. Advertisement Nancy A. Stone, Santa Monica .. To the editor: Each new report of decades-old child abuse by Roman Catholic clergy sets me off. Their victims suffering, often lifelong, must make many of them question their core beliefs. More power to courageous clerical-abuse victims who finally bring themselves to counter the churchs systemic concealment of such unthinkable crimes. Where ecclesiastical justice has proved to be an oxymoron, the Catholic God doubtless blesses those victims who seek secular redress through criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. Heaven knows what church officials have trouble grasping: Abusive clerics should be held fully accountable without undue delay. Greg Gilbert, Burney, Calif. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook From the Muslim travel ban to the rollback of transgender rights, President Trumps policies and rhetoric have put proponents of tolerance and equality on the ropes for two years. But social justice warriors have also discovered a new, rich and powerful ally who can help them in the year ahead: big business. For decades, corporations mostly limited their political involvement to fighting off regulation, lowering taxes and promoting the free market. When it came to hot-button social issues like gay civil rights, gender identity, gun control and others, CEOs believed that companies should remain neutral to avoid alienating potential customers. No more. California companies, notably San Francisco-based Salesforce.com, were early leaders in this new corporate political activism. Salesforce.com chief executive Marc Benioff mastered the use of Twitter to campaign publicly against state religious freedom bills (which generally allow for discrimination against gays and lesbians) and so-called bathroom bills (trying to dictate which restrooms transgender people have to use) in 2015. He also quietly lobbied his CEO peers to get more political. CEOs [long] believed that companies should remain neutral to avoid alienating potential customers. No more. Advertisement That activism started to work. In 2016, after Walt Disney Company and AMC Networks threatened to cease film production in Georgia, for instance, the governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed discrimination against same-sex couples. Arizonas governor vetoed a similar bill that would have allowed businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation after American Airlines, Delta, Marriott Hotels and other businesses objected. PayPal, Deutsche Bank, Monsanto, MasterCard, Intel and IBM all went on the record opposing state laws targeting LGBTQ people. So when Trump issued his ban on entry into the U.S. by citizens and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries in 2017, the momentum was there for corporate activism to move from the state level to the national stage. Apple, Amazon, Uber and other corporations immediately spoke out against the policy. Despite polls showing the ban had significant popular support, Facebook, Microsoft and Google joined more than 175 other companies in calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to strike it down. (The justices upheld a slightly watered-down version of the ban this year.) Big business has earned its credibility on these issues: 91% of Fortune 500 companies have policies against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (Only 42% of states ban such discrimination.) And many high-profile companies, especially in the technology sector, rely heavily on immigrants and have long advocated for easing restrictions on entry for skilled workers. No one should be fooled into thinking big business has become suddenly altruistic. CEOs are legally obligated to run corporations in the interest of their shareholders, not the public interest. And yet the pressures on business to get political are increasing and coming from numerous sources. Customers demand it; according to a recent study, 81% of Americans agree that corporations should take action to address important issues facing society. And 76% agreed that corporations should stand up for what they believe politically regardless of whether or not it is controversial. Surveys also show that millennials strongly prefer employers that reflect their own values. Social media plays a role too: Firms that remain on the sidelines could find themselves the unwanted subject of a viral shame campaign. Even institutional investors are pushing corporations to be more socially conscious. In January 2018, BlackRock the worlds largest investment firm, with over $6 trillion in assets under management issued a letter from Chief Executive Larry Fink encouraging companies to do more than make a profit. Companies must benefit all of their stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers and the communities in which they operate. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Advertisement The speed with which companies can now respond to events was most evident after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. Within 24 hours some companies began cutting ties to the National Rifle Association. Two weeks later Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart announced they would no longer sell guns to people under 21. Dicks also stopped all sales of military-style rifles. Were going to take a stand and step up and tell people our view, said CEO Edward Stack. Enough is enough. Perhaps it should be no surprise that corporations have become more political in recent years given the Supreme Courts 2010 decision in Citizens United. By holding that political speech by corporations is at the heart of the 1st Amendment, the justices emboldened corporate executives to use their firms for political advocacy. The result is both worrisome more corporate money in elections but also, as the battles over immigration, guns and LGBTQ rights suggest, sometimes welcome. If, however, corporations are going to continue to play an active role in our political life, perhaps they should be accountable to more than just shareholders. Companies have long paid lip service to this ideal but now, for the first time in years, there are serious proposals to make it part of the very architecture of American corporations. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has introduced legislation in Congress that would give workers, and not just shareholders, representation on the boards of directors of large corporations. California recently became the first state to require publicly traded corporations to have women on their boards. Absent such legal interventions, the marketplace will have to be the engine for corporate political responsibility. And while the marketplace is hardly perfect, it does provide a way for we the people in our roles as customers, employees and investors to exert some influence over the institutions that govern our lives. Advertisement Adam Winkler is a law professor at UCLA and author of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights, a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook An Orange County doctor was arrested by federal authorities in December on suspicion of illegally prescribing narcotics, flooding Southern California with huge quantities of opioids, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Dr. Dzung Ahn Pham is accused of distributing drugs to five people who died of overdoses and a sixth who has been charged in a DUI crash that killed a Costa Mesa fire captain. In addition, the gunman who killed 12 people in Thousand Oaks in November had pills that Pham had prescribed for someone else. Although the allegations against Pham paint a stark picture of extreme negligence and violation of the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, most of us doctors have the best of intentions when prescribing medications, including narcotics. However, even when our motivations are pure, the reality is that we still vastly overprescribe opioids. In Los Angeles County, doctors in 2017 wrote 4,266,149 opioid prescriptions. That includes me. For the record: This Op-Ed article wrongly identifies the affiliation of the researchers who found that doctors prescribe fewer opioids if they are notified of patient deaths from overdose. They are associated with the University of Southern California, not the University of San Diego. So how can that number be reduced? Nudge us. Advertisement In August, researchers at the University of San Diego published the results of a groundbreaking experiment that showed the value of a little nudge. Their subjects were 861 doctors who had prescribed narcotics such as oxycodone. All of these doctors had patients who had died of such drugs. The researchers arranged for half of the doctors to receive letters notifying them of the deaths; the other half did not receive a letter. After three months, the doctors who received the letter prescribed 4.5% fewer high-dose opioids and were 7% less likely to start a patient on any opioid. The reality is that most of us doctors never know what good or bad ultimately comes from many our prescriptions. The Dear Dr. letter gave the physicians direct feedback in a nonjudgmental and informative way and nudged them to correct course. Who thought a simple letter could have such a life-saving impact? Research has shown that most people addicted to opioids today began taking them because of a prescription. This simple idea deserves to be spread. While the vast majority of media and policymaking attention has focused on solving downstream consequences, such as increasing access to the overdose-reversal agent Narcan, far less attention has been paid to changing doctors prescribing patterns. Phams story appears to be a tragic case in point. Of the 49,000 Americans who died from opioid overdoses in 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly half died from prescription drugs rather than illicit opioids like heroin or synthetic fentanyl. Research has shown that most people addicted to opioids today began taking them because of a prescription. Now behavioral economics is cracking the case. In 2018, Yale researchers inserted a simple trick into the software that doctors in the Yale New Haven Health System use to place prescription orders: They changed the default number of opioid pills from 30 to 12. Doctors could still order 30, but it meant thinking about the number enough to change it from the default. The average number of opioid pills prescribed plummeted by 33% across the entire system. Using social norms to influence doctor behavior is another trick with tremendous potential. Advertisement In a recent study conducted on the overprescribing of antibiotics for viral infections, monthly reports sent to doctors comparing their prescribing practices with those of top peer performers resulted in a 71% decline in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Harnessing the ultra-competitive instincts of doctors, this effect lasted a year after the reports stopped. Now University of Pennsylvania researchers are undertaking a large-scale three-year trial to see if the same nudge works on opioid prescribing practices. Nudges are a low-cost, high-impact way to change behavior. L.A. County is a believer in this idea. In October, the Board of Supervisors took the progressive step of tapping into behavioral economics. They voted to create the Prescriber Notification Process: a letter mailed to doctors every time a patient who had received a narcotic prescription from that doctor dies from an overdose. The notification process starts in early 2019, a helpful policy to alter the behavior of doctors. When we positively change doctors behaviors, we might just save lives. Even if its with a simple letter. Advertisement Nakhasi is a primary care physician at Department of Health Services-managed MLK Outpatient Center whose patients include opioid addiction survivors. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook New Years Day is the moment when we start over, trading last years calendar (and resolutions) for this years. With so much of the 2019 story yet to be written, its a good time to think about the changes wed like to see in ourselves, our communities, our leaders and the world around us. Here are some of the new beginnings and changed approaches that wed welcome: Enough rain to quench our thirst and grow our food, but not so much as to make us forget to conserve. A Super Bowl featuring at least one team from Los Angeles, and a final game of the World Series that the Dodgers actually win. A bold move by California lawmakers to craft a tax system whose revenues dont fluctuate from feast to famine. Advertisement A change of heart among NIMBYs to support much-needed housing whether it be for low-income tenants or high-rolling homeowners. A mayor of Los Angeles who generates more headlines for his work on the homelessness crisis than for his visits to states with early presidential primaries. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion A commitment by families across the country to stop using disposable plastic straws, beverage lids and cutlery that eventually come to rest on the beach and in the ocean. A year without a single mass shooting at a school, a nightclub, a concert, a sporting event, a church, a synagogue, a salon, a newspaper, a restaurant, an airport, a barbershop, a block party, a convenience store. A new civility in public discourse, with partisans on both sides remembering that people who disagree with you arent necessarily evil. Most of the time, they just have a different point of view. A shift among the worlds leaders and governments from talking about climate change to actually reducing carbon emissions. Yes, Washington, D.C., were looking at you. And a clean car so head-turning, fun to drive, affordable and cool that we all dump our gas guzzlers. Advertisement A significantly shorter Oscar telecast, preferably with a host. A strategic decision by Fox News Channels hosts to put down the Trump pom-poms and stop acting like a state-controlled media outlet. A stock market that moves more like tides than yo-yos. A respite from the tabloid reports about Meghan Markle, the American-born wife of Prince Harry, feuding with her sister-in-law, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. And could Meghans own father stop dissing her in TV interviews? Advertisement A speech by Myanmars de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in which she finally utters the word Rohingya, then calls for an end to the persecution of the countrys Muslim minority. An admission by Facebook that, actually, it hasnt respected its users privacy. Then, perhaps, it can actually change. An end to the #MeToo meme because there are no more #MeToo moments. A slew of start-up businesses launched by federal employees idled by the latest idiotic government shutdown. Advertisement An end to the federal governments reefer madness approach to marijuana, so states can continue to develop legal, regulated and controlled cannabis marketplaces without fear of a crackdown. A return to the United States historic position of welcoming refugees fleeing war, persecution and violence. A U.S. Supreme Court that finds ways to issue more unanimous rulings, rather than continuing to churn out the sharply divided, conservatives-vs.-liberals decisions that have undermined confidence in the court as an impartial arbiter. And while the justices are at it, they should find that capital punishment is imposed too arbitrarily and fallibly to be constitutional. A bid by a serious Republican to challenge President Trump for the partys presidential nomination in 2020. A Democratic primary process free of favoritism by party insiders. And a presidential campaign where the Russian trolls remain quietly sleeping under Russian bridges. Advertisement A comprehensive immigration reform bill that finally passes Congress and is signed by the president, providing relief to Dreamers, shoring up border security, assuring a steady supply of farm workers and giving the millions of people whove lived years in this country without legal status a path to citizenship. A concerted effort by Trump to display some impulse control and give Twitter a rest. Thats probably too much to hope for, so wed settle for congressional Republicans calling out Trumps erratic decision making and offensive comments, instead of bearing mute witness to the carnage of presidential norms. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook When Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill requiring publicly traded corporations based in California to have at least one woman on their board of directors by the end of 2019, he did so even though he expressed doubt that it could survive a court challenge. In a letter accompanying his signature on Sept. 30, Brown justified his support of SB 826 by declaring that recent events in Washington, D.C. and beyond make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message. As the date on the letter reveals, the recent events to which Brown was referring were the contentious U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in which Christine Blasey Ford testified to a male-dominated panel that Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school. (Brown sent a copy of the letter to the committee.) And by message, Brown was presumably alluding to the continued concentration of political and corporate power in the hands of men, despite the great advances that women have made in both worlds. The new law sends a pretty powerful message itself that California, at least, values diversity. So much so that its lawmakers are willing to enact a law that takes government coercion to an uncomfortable extreme in pursuit of that goal. Under the law, companies headquartered in California must have at least one female director by the end of this year, and those with larger boards must have as many as three by 2021. Failure to comply with the law will draw a hefty fine, equivalent to a six-figure director salary, as well as public shaming possibly even for companies that move their headquarters to avoid hiring female directors. There is a shocking lack of women in corporate boardrooms, even though women make or influence 70% or more of the consumer purchases in this country. Advertisement Some legal scholars agree with the governors assessment that the new measure is legally flawed on constitutional and other grounds. The law may be challenged as soon as this week. Or it may not be. What company relishes the publicity it would earn by complaining about how damaged it would be if it added a woman to its all male-board at this particular moment in U.S. history? To be clear, were not fans of this type of government overreach, but we are troubled by the underlying problem the law seeks to address. There is a shocking lack of women in corporate boardrooms, even though women make or influence 70% or more of the consumer purchases in this country. Female directors occupy just about 18% of the seats of the boards of the U.S.s 3,000 largest publicly traded companies. Even in liberal, gender-conscious California, one-fourth of public companies have all-male boards. The reality in executive suites is equally appalling: Only 5% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women; similarly, relatively few women hold the other top corporate posts that are the stepping stones to chief executive offices and corporate boards. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Forward-thinking corporations shouldnt need a law to prompt them to diversify their boardrooms. And those based in other states, especially those where Democratic legislators might be entertaining laws similar to Californias, would be wise to accelerate efforts to diversify their own boards not just because theyre eager to avoid onerous government regulations dictating corporate board makeup, but because it is the right thing to do for both gender equality and the bottom line. Research, including a much-cited study by Credit Suisse in 2016, indicates a link between higher profits and companies with female leadership. That just makes sense. If you want to sell your product or service to women, it helps to have women guiding the decisions about what products and services to offer. One provision of Californias law that should not be controversial requires the California secretary of state to produce annual reports tracking companies compliance. Even if the law is struck down, the state should continue to gather and share this information (and data on boardroom ethnic diversity as well) as a service to consumers who may well care whether the companies they patronize are committed to diversifying their leadership. When it comes to business, consumers disdain can be a more powerful social engineering tool than the heavy hand of government. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Increasing numbers of Guatemalan families trying to enter the U.S. illegally are avoiding the most popular routes in favor of more dangerous, remote desert crossings like those used by two children who died in December in Border Patrol custody, officials say. Most people trying to sneak into the country still use long-established routes in Texas Rio Grande Valley. But recently released government figures show a growing number of families crossing along the 268-mile stretch of border known as the El Paso Sector, which includes western Texas and all of New Mexico. In November, the U.S. Border Patrol in that sector caught 11,617 people traveling in families nearly 20 times the total during November 2017 and just over a fifth of all migrants apprehended on the southern border. The majority of those families were from Guatemala. Kevin McAleenan, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, told reporters Monday that the increase in migrant families was creating an unprecedented crisis. Advertisement From Dec. 22 to Dec. 30 along the entire border with Mexico, the Border Patrol has referred 451 migrants including 259 children, about half of them under age 5 to medical providers. Many were ill before they departed their homes, McAleenan said, citing cases of flu, pneumonia, tuberculosis and parasites. Six children and 11 adults have been hospitalized. Officials did not say how many of the medical referrals were in the El Paso sector. The area has been a focal point in the debate over illegal immigration since 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin died at an El Paso hospital on Dec. 8, two days after crossing in New Mexico and being taken into Border Patrol custody with her father, who remains at a shelter awaiting results of an autopsy. He has said through his lawyers that he cared for his daughter during their journey and that she was not ill before they got to the U.S. Two weeks later, on Dec. 24, 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died in New Mexico after being apprehended at the border with his father and spending six days among at least four crowded holding facilities. An autopsy showed he had the flu. McAleenan said the two cases are the only deaths of children in Border Patrol custody in more than a decade. Advertisement Teams from the U.S. Coast Guard and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were sent to the border this week to assist in medical screenings and recommend measures to limit illnesses in Border Patrol holding areas in El Paso. Immigrant rights advocates blamed the new, more dangerous crossing patterns largely on stepped-up enforcement in more frequently traveled areas and efforts by the Trump administration to discourage people from entering at official border crossings to seek asylum. When you start interfering with a migration pattern, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences, said Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House, which has been sheltering migrants in El Paso and coordinating shelters in New Mexico. McAleenan rejected that explanation. He said smugglers are steering families into new and remote areas to avoid paying crossing fees to the cartels that control more popular routes. Advertisement The bus ride from Guatemala takes just a few days, leaving migrants feeling fresh for the trek through the desert and providing greater confidence for parents to bring younger children, he said. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor of policy and government at George Mason University, said her research shows that cartel control of the Rio Grande Valley is indeed driving up the price of crossing there. Kids are dying because now the families are trying to make it through other points, she said. And more migrants are traveling with children because smugglers are telling them families have a better chance of receiving asylum, Correa-Cabrera said: They are promising the families if you bring the children with you, you have a ticket to the United States. Advertisement Monday, at an El Paso shelter Roberto Ramirez Diaz, 32, said he brought his 17-year-old son, Darinel, north from the highlands of western Guatemala last month because a smuggler told them it would be easier to cross as a family. Darinel explained that the price of crossing was also less for a family than for a single adult $4,600 compared to $8,000 because families could be left at the border to claim asylum whereas individuals must be guided deeper into the country. They said smugglers sent some migrants through the desert, but that they wound up crossing from Juarez to El Paso, then turning themselves over to the Border Patrol. They were released five days later. They planned to take a bus to Immokalee, Fla., where Ramirezs brother makes $80 a day as a farmworker 20 times what they made working the fields in Guatemala and has an apartment they can share while they wait for their immigration court proceedings. They have arranged to work with him to pay off their debt to the smuggler. Advertisement Once they do, they plan to send for the rest of their family: Ramirezs wife and 6-year-old daughter. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com @mollyhf Two of what would be Oceansides tallest, largest and most luxurious hotels may soon go up on a pair of vacant lots overlooking the citys downtown beach and pier, an area thats long been a popular tourist destination. Its a matter of weeks, not months until construction begins, said Jeremy Cohen of the San Diego office of developer S.D. Malkin Properties. I dont want to put a jinx on it, but we are very close, he said last week. If I had an exact date, I would tell you. Final details are being ironed out on a three-party agreement between Malkin, the city of Oceanside and Denver-based Two Roads Hospitality, Cohen said. Two Roads, which was acquired by the Hyatt Hotels Corp. in November, operates high-end resorts across North America and Asia, including LAuberge in Del Mar. Advertisement A destination resort has been planned for the site since Oceanside formed its redevelopment agency in the 1970s. The city has courted developers interested in building there since the 1980s. The current deal, expected to close escrow in days, sells Malkin the two-block site for $1.5 million, a bargain for the developer. The City Council voted 3 to 2 in 2001 to spend about $3.6 million to buy the property, which at the time was 24 separate lots occupied mostly by old, small, single-family homes. The area was considered blighted, and the city acquired some of the lots through eminent domain. In addition to the low-cost deal for the land, the City Council approved a $13.6-million subsidy in 2014 for the resort, primarily in the form of a rebate on a transient occupancy tax to be spread over its first 15 years. The so-called room tax is added to the rate charged to hotel guests. City officials say the benefits of the resort will far outweigh the costs to taxpayers. As a four-star destination resort, it will attract a new visitor segment to Oceanside and will bring new patrons to downtown, Assistant City Manager Deanna Lorson said by email. The high-end beachfront resort will bolster Oceansides image as a tourism destination, create permanent jobs and boost business in the areas downtown retail and visitor-serving communities, she said. The project is projected to generate $30.7 million in revenue to the city in its first 15 years, and create 225 full-time and 55 part-time jobs upon completion, Lorson said. Advertisement Malkin already has an approved grading permit and is obtaining building permits so that construction can begin soon after escrow closes, Lorson said. Completion is expected to take about two years. Both hotels will face Pacific Street and the ocean, one on the city block north of Mission Avenue and the other on the block south of Mission. The southern hotel will be six stories tall with 226 rooms, and the northern building will be seven stories, with 158 rooms and a restaurant on the top floor. Oceanside offers a rare opportunity to build a large, beachfront resort, Cohen said. There are very few full-service hotels on the [San Diego County] coastline that offer ballrooms and large meeting facilities, Cohen said. That is one thing that will be unusual. The scale of interior design and quality is something you dont see often on the coastline. Advertisement The nearby Oceanside Transit Center is another benefit for the resort, he said. You can literally step off the train and walk to the hotel, Cohen said. Its probably the best rail access to a hotel anywhere. Its very green and in tune with mass transportation. Oceanside chose Malkin from a field of three finalists with proposals for the property in 2005. It was Oceansides fourth try in 25 years to land a luxury hotel for the site. One of the previous proposals was a 12-story project by San Diego hotel magnate and onetime Union-Tribune owner Doug Manchester. Advertisement Manchesters plan included closing parts of three streets, including Pacific, to vehicular traffic. That and the overall huge scale of the proposal created controversy and opposition. In 2003, the City Council voted to pay Manchester $2.2 million to settle a $15-million lawsuit he filed against the city after the Coastal Commission rejected his plan. Malkins plan was more widely accepted, but it, too, hit some rough waters. The Great Recession slowed many developers, and the city granted multiple time extensions for Malkin to obtain financing. Advertisement Also, a group called San Diegans for Open Government filed a lawsuit in 2014 claiming the city had violated the states open meeting laws when it awarded the subsidy. The lawsuit was resolved in the projects favor in early 2017. Coming soon signs went up recently on the property and boosted the long-simmering interest in the site. The time is right for construction to begin, Cohen said. The nearby Coast Highway corridor and beachfront areas have been revitalized, and new multi-story buildings with a mixture of residential and retail uses are going up on nearby blocks. Oceanside has a wonderful fabric that has seen a tremendous renaissance in the last couple of years, he said. Its become a great place to live, work and dine. Advertisement Adding to the lure and lore of the location is the presence of the Graves house, a little blue cottage built in 1887 and now more widely known as the Top Gun house for the 1983 hit movie starring Tom Cruise and Kelley McGillis. Fenced off and boarded up, its the only structure remaining on the property. The Top Gun house will be moved off the site during construction, Cohen said. The building will be restored to historical standards and returned to the property as part of the hotel, on the block north of its present location, and will probably become a boutique ice cream parlor. Two Roads Hospitality is the new kid on the Oceanside block. The hotel and resort management company was created in 2016 with the merger of Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels and Resorts. Advertisement Two Roads announced its partnership with Malkin in January 2018, with plans to design and operate the two halves of the Malkin resort one as a Destination Hotel and the other as a Joie de Vivre Hotel. Oceanside has seen an enormous culinary and artistic resurgence, with significant economic growth and redevelopment in recent years, said Jamie Sabatier, chief executive of Two Roads Hospitality. The Joie de Vivre Hotel on the northern block will include a ground-level restaurant, a coffee house, a cafe and market, a fitness center, 3,000 square feet of street-front retail, and an indoor-outdoor rooftop pool and bar. The Destination Hotel on the southern block also will have a restaurant, an indoor-outdoor bar, an elevated pool deck, a spa, and space for large meetings and events. Advertisement Diehl writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. The 2019 Rose Parade rolled out Tuesday morning in familiar, comforting and decorative style, along with a twist of newness. Among the fresh touches were a grand marshal, Chaka Khan, who sang in the new year as the parade opened, and 101st Rose Queen Louise Deser Siskel, a future scientist in glasses who has proudly shared being Jewish and bisexual. The familiar heart of the Pasadena event brought together 40 floats, 21 marching bands and 18 equestrian units. The parade also served as a prelude to the Rose Bowl, this year pitting the Washington Huskies against the Ohio State Buckeyes. As it often does, the weather dawned clear and bright like the postcard-style real estate promotion the parade was once intended to be. That sunshine followed a chilly night for campers along the 5.5-mile route. Overnight winds had been forecast to range from 25 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph. Temperatures dipped to the high 30s not a record cold, but a chill made worse by the wind. Advertisement With people stoking fires to keep warm, firefighters patrolled for windblown embers. Those who endured it were the type to make the best of it. Rudy Cervantes and Christina Carreon of Whittier set up camp in their truck. (Melissa Gomez / Los Angeles) Christina Carreon of Whittier arrived around 8:30 p.m., planning to set up under some bleachers when she noticed the view from her truck wasnt too bad she and husband Rudy Cervantes had a direct line of sight to where the floats would come by. So as scores of campers set up air mattresses, hammocks, cots or sleeping bags, the couple squeezed their air mattress into the back of the pickup. Then Cervantes pitched the top of their tent above the truck bed, creating a cave-like shelter off the ground. The couple began camping out along the parade route three years ago. The floats were assembled with as many natural materials as possible, with a sweeping palette of colors, but the rainbow also was cultural. Advertisement Full coverage of the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade The high school band from Flower Mound, Texas, took part and so did Na Koa Ali`I, Hawaiis all-state marching band from Kaneohe. They were joined by the All-Izumo Honor Green Band from Japan and the Banda Escolar from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. U.S. Forest Service pack mules defied the federal government shutdown to plod with dignity down Colorado Boulevard. Their mission was to mark the 75th birthday of Smokey Bear, who was created to spread the message of forest fire prevention. Other equestrian participants included the Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team and Little Miss Norco Cowgirls Jr. Drill Team, and the Mini Therapy Horses from Calabasas. Advertisement The flotilla of floats has evolved from assorted histories and motivations. For Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, float construction has become an annual exercise in student entrepreneurship and artistry, with 90% of the flowers grown locally. Certain cities and causes are represented year after year. Burbank has entered a float since 1914 and seized upon this years Melody of Life theme to present animated characters playing instruments in its Stompin Good Time. The Chinese American Heritage Foundation presented a 90-foot float to commemorate the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, basing its design on a photograph taken at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. The entry depicted two locomotives facing each other and was decorated with more than 12,000 roses and 3,500 orchid florets. The locomotives were re-created with glossy black seaweed, velvety black onion and gray poppy seed, blue sinuata statice blossoms and red cranberry seed, according to an official description. But unlike its historic inspiration, the mechanicals were comparatively overlooked the float stalled, causing a jam and forcing other entries to squeeze around. A tow truck intervention was required. Advertisement The Donate Life float extolled the mission of organ donation for the 16th year and showcased the musical diversity and rhythms of Africa. The float displayed gigantic replicas of African drums: the djembe from Senegal and Kuba drums from the Congo. Other featured traditional instruments were a marimba from Ghana and a kora from Burkina Faso. More to the point, perhaps, the float also incorporated 44 floral portraits honoring deceased donors. A rendering of the Donate Life float for the 2019 Rose Parade. The floats goal is to call attention to the cause of organ donation. (Donate Life) Overlooking the portraits was a double Senufo mask from the Ivory Coast that gives thanks to ancestors and remembers those who have gone before, according to the float sponsors. The double face suggests male and female, past and present generations, as well as the interconnectedness of all of those who have been touched by the power of donation. Advertisement Twenty-six living donors or transplant recipients rode or walked beside the float. The parade is all about boosterism in the form of forgivable, celebratory spectacle. Carnivals Rose Parade float featured divers and a replica of the cruise lines new California-based ship, the Panorama. Blue Diamond entered its first float to promote almond milk. Another first-time entry came from the restaurant chain Chipotle, which hopes for a goodwill boost five months after more than 600 people came down with food poisoning after eating at a Chipotle in Ohio. Advertisement The float featured a giant red tractor to symbolize the work of farms. On the float were growers and suppliers of ingredients for Chipotle restaurants as well as the rock band Portugal. The Man. The Cultivate a Better World float was crafted with ingredients served in Chipotle restaurants, including about 200 pounds of chili flakes to cover the tractor; ground onion seeds for the tires; cumin, cloves, oregano and bay leaves covering the cart; ground white rice for lettering and 100 pounds of lemons hanging in trees all destined to be recycled as compost. Another goal of the parade in recent years has been to respond to the diversity of Southern California. The first African American rose queen was named in 1985. The Tournament of Roses had its first female president in 2006. The first African American president, Gerald Freeny, is serving this year. Advertisement Freeny, in a TV interview Tuesday, credited his daughter with suggesting the parade theme. A Pasadena native, he started watching at age 5. He began volunteering in 1988. When I first joined I never thought Id be president, Freeny said. Theres still a queen, and shes a high school senior at a tony private school in Pasadena. Siskel, this years honoree, and the members of her court have attended some 120 social events in their ceremonial role. For the parade, she broke from tradition by wearing glasses. In another departure, Siskel wore the same dress, a lacy purple gown, as the young women who were runners-up. It was a decision we all made in order to show unity on the float today, Siskel said in a Tuesday morning television interview. Advertisement In an op-ed in The Times, Siskel noted the importance of the platform she has. She described herself as the first Rose Queen to talk about being Jewish. I feel an additional responsibility, to myself and to this tradition, to share that I am bisexual. While I am almost certainly not the first member of the LGBTQ community on the court, she wrote, I hope that by saying so publicly, I might encourage others to be proud of who they are. For Armando Hurtado, the parade was about watching his daughter perform in the Pasadena City College Honor Band and communing with those around him. Advertisement People dont see race here, Hurtado said. Everyone is here for one purpose, to bring in the new year. He added: You dont see people coming together a lot. This is one event where that happens. Waiting on the sidewalk as the sun rose behind them, Hurtado and his wife Pamela met Moises Moran, who was there for his 12th parade with his two kids, 11 and 8. The heater Moran had brought to attach to his propane tank wasnt working, so the men sitting next to Moran lent him theirs. Advertisement howard.blume@latimes.com Twitter: @howardblume Before releasing the name of the suspect in the death of Newman Police Officer Ronil Singh, authorities released his legal status. Standing before a battery of reporters and television cameras, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson declared: Unlike Ron, who immigrated to this country lawfully and legally to pursue his lifelong career of public safety, public service and being a police officer, this suspect is in our country illegally. He doesnt belong here. Hes a criminal. The suspect in Singhs death, eventually identified as Gustavo Arriaga, had known gang ties and two prior arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence and had been living in the country illegally for years. It was the second time in a month that a sheriff in the rural, conservative Central Valley had angrily criticized Californias so-called sanctuary law after an immigrant in the country illegally was accused of killing someone. But the sheriffs of Stanislaus and Tulare counties, communities with large immigrant populations, struck different tones in the wake of the kind of crimes that the Trump administration often uses as ammunition against illegal immigration. Advertisement Booking photo of Gustavo Arriaga. (Stanislaus County Sheriffs Dept.) After a deadly rampage in mid-December, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux voiced frustration over the sanctuary law. But he also expressed broader support for the countys large immigrant population and acknowledged that crimes by immigrants are relatively low. We have a large agricultural community, we have a large population of undocumented persons that every day dont violate the law, Boudreaux said. Thats not my opposition. My opposition is that person who is a known criminal element. After Singhs death on Dec. 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a statement expressing concern that Californias sanctuary laws continue to undermine public safety and cause preventable crimes by restricting law enforcement cooperation and allowing public safety threats back into the community to reoffend. ICE had had no prior encounters with Arriaga. In the last few weeks, Christianson and Boudreaux have criticized Senate Bill 54, which provides expanded protection for immigrants who have entered the country illegally. The law, which took effect in January 2018, prohibits state and local police agencies from notifying federal officials in many cases when immigrants potentially subject to deportation are about to be released from custody. The law was drastically scaled back in the final days of the negotiations because of opposition from sheriffs groups. Last week, the president tweeted about the Stanislaus County case: Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! Advertisement Im not here to talk about the president about the United States, but I will repeat what I said before, Christianson said. Border security goes hand in hand with national security, goes hand in hand with public safety, goes hand in hand with the safety of our community. Last month, ICE lodged an immigration detainer on 36-year-old Gustavo Garcia, after he was arrested on a misdemeanor for being under the influence of a controlled substance, the agency said in a statement. Garcia had twice been deported. Because of S B54, Boudreaux said, authorities would have needed a federal arrest warrant to hold Garcia for immigration officials. As a result, Garcia was released from custody. A couple of days later, on Dec. 16, authorities allege, Garcia shot a farmworker as he picked fruit in Exeter. The victim survived. Three minutes later, Garcia, authorities say, robbed a minimart at gunpoint. Following the robbery, police believe, he may have been involved in a fatal shooting in Lindsay. That night, he tried to shoot and kill a woman at a Motel 6 in Tulare, authorities said. Advertisement Other allegations against Garcia crimes include an assault with a deadly weapon, a fatal shooting at a gas station and firing into homes. His apparent rampage ended only after he was killed after he drove the wrong way down a highway and was thrown from his vehicle. Our county was shot up by a violent criminal that could have easily been prevented had we had the opportunity to reach out to our fellow counterparts, Boudreaux said. But Boudreaux added that he believes in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has protected nearly 800,000 young immigrants in the country illegally after they were brought to the U.S. when they were children. He said he employs two deputy sheriffs who are so-called Dreamers. Im not against any of our documented or undocumented community, or those who are wanting to make a better life thats not the point here, Boudreaux said. I hope the narrative is clear that the state law is missing a component and that component is us working together with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement A little over a week later, and less than 200 miles away in Stanislaus County, Singh was tipped off about an intoxicated man in a silver pickup, authorities said. The officer radioed that he was pulling over a vehicle at an intersection. Singh probably didnt know that the driver, Arriaga, had two warrants out for his arrest. Minutes after the traffic stop, the officer called out shots fired over his radio, authorities said. The officers who responded found Singh, 33, had been shot and the motorist he stopped had fled. Singh was taken to a hospital, where he died. Days later, Arriaga was arrested as he tried to flee to his native Mexico, authorities said. Advertisement Arriaga, who is from the Mexican state of Colima, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in 2011 on suspicion of a felony DUI, after apparently causing bodily injury to someone other than himself. He was arrested again in June 2014 on charges of exhibition of speed, DUI over .08 and driving unlicensed, Chowchilla Police Chief Dave Riviere said. In both cases, he failed to appear in court. Arraiga, who is known to ICE as Pablo Virgen Mendoza, has not had prior encounters with the agency, according to officials. It is unclear when he entered the country. He might have got a DUI arrest and we might not have been notified because he could have just been cited and released, an ICE official said. Advertisement In emotional news conferences after Arriagas arrest, Christianson touted Singh as someone who had legally immigrated to the U.S. and devoted his life to public service. The last thing in the world I want to do is politicize the death of Officer Singh, Christianson said. But we need to have a conversation about restrictive legislation that puts our communities at risk. The suspects 25-year-old brother, Adrian Virgen Mendoza, and a co-worker, 27-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, both of whom are also in the country illegally, were arrested on felony charges that they interfered with the investigation, authorities said. Adrian Virgen Mendoza has a prior misdemeanor conviction and no known immigration encounters, according to ICE. Razo Quiroz has a prior felony conviction and two prior returns to Mexico, the most recent removal in March 2012. Advertisement Police also arrested Arriagas girlfriend, Ana Leyde Cervantes, and another brother, Conrado Virgen Mendoza, who are in the country illegally, on suspicion of aiding Arriaga in evading authorities. Three Bakersfield residents were arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting, authorities said. ICE has lodged detainers on at least seven people arrested in connection with Singhs death. Times staff writer Jazmine Ulloa contributed to this report. brittny.mejia@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia Hundreds of new California laws will take effect Jan. 1, 2019; imposing a raft of new mandates on scores of issues, including rules dictating when plastic straws will be handed out at restaurants, that workplace sexual harassment settlements are disclosed and that set new limits on the ownership of guns. Some laws were the direct result of recent events among them proposals crafted following the national #MeToo discussion and rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of recent catastrophic and deadly wildfires. A few laws taking effect in 2019 are holdovers from years past, with delayed implementation designed to smooth the transition for the states businesses and the public. And some including a new, official sport are quintessentially Californian. The environment In full-service restaurants, youll only be given a plastic straw if you ask for one. California officials wont be able to approve new onshore facilities to process additional offshore oil drilling in federal waters, ensuring no expansion of operations by the administration of President Donald Trump. California begins a historic effort to move toward 100 percent renewable energy. After a federal effort was blocked, California enacts a state law to limit the use of certain refrigeration chemicals that are linked to climate change. Gun rights No one under the age of 21 can purchase a rifle or shotgun in California. There will be a lifetime gun ban for anyone convicted of serious domestic assault. There will be a lifetime gun ban for anyone hospitalized more than once in a year for mental health problems. The state requires new gun safety training for anyone who obtains a concealed weapons permit. Criminal justice Many police misconduct records will be available for public inspection. More police body camera footage available for public inspection. An accomplice to a killing can no longer be charged with felony murder. For the first time, California has a minimum age 12 years old at which most children can be tried in court for a crime. Court would remain an option for those charged with violent crimes such as murder or rape. Children under the age of 16 will no longer be tried in adult courts. Workplace Secret settlements with employers for sexual assault or harassment are now prohibited. Theres now a ban on the use of non-disparagement settlements with employers for incidents that happened in the workplace. State officials cant refuse a professional license to someone who has a low-level or nonviolent criminal record. Any publicly traded corporation headquartered in California must have at least a small number of women on its board of directors. Life online Its now illegal for anyone to use an online bot for tricking Californians into thinking a real person is peddling a product or seeking to influence an election. California will begin implementing its own net neutrality rules so that internet providers cant block content or alter the speed of internet traffic. Lifestyle Sidewalk food vendors will have new statewide protections while also being required to follow local rules. The state will be required to help Californians clear marijuana-related convictions from their criminal records. New and used cars must have a temporary, paper license plate before they are driven off the dealers lot. When requested, the California Department of Motor Vehicles will issue driver licenses that dont have a traditional binary gender preference, and will instead mark that space with an X. Hotel and bus company customer lists cant be given to immigration agents or others who arent California peace officers without court action. Education and health care Charter schools must have safety plans, as do neighborhood schools. Charter schools must provide sex education programs, as do neighborhood schools. State education officials must help develop media literacy programs to teach students how to spot fake news. Pharmaceutical industry must pay for collection of used medication and needles. Wildfire safety and funding $1 billion in state government funds will be spent on additional wildfire-prevention efforts, including tree- and brush-removal programs. Utilities will have new ways to mitigate the cost of fire-related payments. New garage doors installed as of this summer must have a backup battery that can lift the door in the event of a power outage. Homeowners will have new rules for creating defensible space, free of fire-prone brush or vegetation, to prevent more fires. Wildfire victims have new flexibility in how to use insurance coverage for rebuilding their homes. Wildfire victims will get an extra year for a total of three years to rebuild an insured home. At the water cooler Surfing is Californias official state sport. Kids meals in most restaurants must have a milk- or water-based beverage as the default choice and a parent must request a soda for the child. Adults can legally ride a motorized rental scooter without a helmet. New rules will dictate how divorcing couples determine who gets the family pet. State parks must now make clear on their websites if dogs are allowed. Pet stores must sell only animals from shelter or rescue groups. John Myers and Kelcie Pegher write for the Los Angeles Times. This is one of the important contents in the strategic cooperation agreement between Vietnam Airlines and Quang Ninh province. The first flight on the route used a Boeing 787 wide-body plane, departing from Tan Son Nhat international airport at 7:20 and landing safely at the Van Don international airport at 09:25 on the same day. Duong Tri Thanh, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said the route is part of Vietnam Airlines' strategic plan to expand its domestic flight networks and develop a tourism axis in the northern coastal region. In 2019, Vietnam Airlines will research and work with the local authorities and the Van Don international airport to build programmes on attracting foreign tourists, especially those from the Republic of Korea, Japan and China. With the frequency of one flight per day, the Ho Chi Minh City-Van Don air route is operated by Airbus A321 aircraft in line with four-star international service standards. Flights depart from the Tan Son Nhat international airport at 14:00 and from the Van Don airport at 16:45 with an estimated flight time of two hours and five minutes. The route is hoped to enhance connection between the south and the northeast region, meeting the demand of tourism and trade exchange between the southern economic hub of HCM City with Quang Ninh province and adjacent localities, while meeting the growing demand of cargo transportation when Van Don officially becomes a special economic zone in the future. In this December 2018 photo provided by Wolf Park, intern Alexandra Black pets Niko the wolf at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Ind. The fatal mauling of Black, a zoo intern by a lion that escaped from a locked pen at the Conservators Center in North Carolina, illustrates the need for state regulators to crack down on unaccredited exhibitors of dangerous animals, animal welfare advocates said. AP An intern was cleaning an animal enclosure at a North Carolina wildlife center when a lion escaped from a nearby pen and attacked her, killing the young woman and sending visitors out of the zoo, authorities said. Deputies shot and killed the lion Sunday before retrieving the body of Alexandra Black, 22, a recent college graduate who had worked at the center for about two weeks. ''This person's passion was the zoological industry. This was not this person's first internship. This person wanted to spend a lifetime around these animals, and I believe that the family was very supportive of that,'' said Mindy Stinner, executive director of the privately run Conservators Center, about 60 miles northwest of Raleigh. Black was accompanying other staff members as they did a routine cleaning of the enclosure. That's when the lion got free from a separate locked space, according to a statement from the center. Deputies arrived and shot the lion after several attempts to tranquilize it or hold it at bay with fire hoses, the Caswell County Sheriff's Office said. Visitors at the center were hustled out of the park, Stinner said. It was not immediately clear how the lion escaped or whether it got out of the enclosure that was being cleaned. Staff said the lion never made it beyond the park's perimeter fence. The park was closed indefinitely as part of an investigation. Black, who was from New Palestine, Indiana, graduated from Indiana University in May with a degree in animal behavior, according to her LinkedIn page. She had also recently worked at Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana, her family said. ''She was a beautiful young woman who had just started her career, there was a terrible accident, and we are mourning,'' relatives said in a statement, adding that ''she died following her passion.'' In a statement issued Monday, the center said the lion named Matthai was a 14-year-old male who was born at the center shortly after his mother was placed there following a 2004 confiscation that was assisted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. No problems were found at the privately run, nonprofit nature center during inspections by the USDA in January 2017 or April 2018, according to government reports. The government inspector counted 16 lions, three tigers and two leopards among 85 total animals during the 2018 site visit. The center was founded in 1999 as an ''educational nonprofit dedicated to providing a specialized home for select carnivore species,'' according to its website. The site says it houses 21 species. It says it began giving public tours in 2007 and gets more than 16,000 visitors annually. (AP) Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks beside her husband Bruce Mann, left, outside their home, Dec. 31, in Cambridge, Mass., where she confirmed that she is launching an exploratory committee to run for president. Warren took the first major step toward launching a widely anticipated campaign for the presidency, hoping her reputation as a populist fighter can help her navigate a Democratic field that could include nearly two dozen candidates. AP U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a liberal firebrand who has taken on Wall Street and traded barbs with Donald Trump, on Monday became the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to the Republican president in 2020. Warren said she had formed an exploratory committee, which will allow her to begin raising money to compete in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary field before the November 2020 presidential election. She said on Twitter she would announce her decision on whether to run early in 2019. Warren, 69, a senator from Massachusetts since 2013, became one of Trump's fiercest critics during the 2016 presidential race and they have continued to exchange biting insults during his presidency. Trump mockingly refers to her as "Pocahontas" because of her claim to Native American ancestry. Warren has denounced Trump as an "insecure money grubber" with a platform of "racism, sexism and xenophobia," while Trump has described the former Harvard Law School professor as "goofy" and a "lowlife" with "a nasty mouth." On Monday, Warren released a video in which she outlined her vision of a path to opportunity for all Americans and charged that the U.S. middle class was under attack from corporate interests. She later elaborated on the theme in an exchange with reporters outside her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home. "America's middle class is getting hollowed out and opportunity for too many of our young people is shrinking," she said. "So I'm in this fight all the way. Right now Washington works great for the wealthy and the well connected. It's just not working for anyone else." Trump, in a phone interview with Fox News, said he would love to run against Warren and again ridiculed her assertion of Native American ancestry. Asked if he thought Warren really believed she could defeat him, Trump said: "I don't know, you'd have to ask her psychiatrist." The Democratic presidential field could eventually include Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden. Julian Castro, former President Barack Obama's housing secretary, formed an exploratory committee this month. Warren welcomed the "strong and growing group of Democrats" making arguments similar to those she is making, saying: "That's how we build a movement. We do it together." In searching for a candidate to run against Trump, Democrats will grapple with the tension between the party's establishment and liberal progressive wings that flared during the 2016 nominating primaries between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who ran under the Democratic banner. A Warren candidacy can expect opposition from Wall Street. In the U.S. Senate, she has been a strong voice on financial issues and a self-described defender of the ordinary American against powerful interests. RESTRICTING BANKS Following the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, Warren emerged as a leading critic of Wall Street and continues to advocate for stiffer regulation and oversight, including reinstating a rule that would separate banks' retail business from their riskier investment banking activities. Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has fought the Trump administration's efforts to weaken post-crisis financial rules, going as far as to attack moderate Democrats who backed a May rewrite of the 2010 Dodd-Frank reform law. In a September interview marking 10 years since the financial crisis, Warren was asked about breaking up big banks. "Oh yeah," she told the New York Times. "Give me a chance." She also has opposed the administration's efforts to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency she helped create, and has pressured the Federal Reserve to take a tough line on scandal-hit lender Wells Fargo & Co. Many of Warren's policy positions have focused on economic inequality. She recently offered legislation calling on the U.S. government to manufacture generic drugs to reduce their cost. In 2017, she joined other senators in a proposal to extend the federal Medicare health insurance program for seniors to include everyone. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel dismissed her as "another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud." Warren's 80 percent name recognition does not translate into actual support, University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato said. "Some Democrats swear by her and love her blunt style, while others are put off by her and fear she'd lose to Trump," he said. "Warren has a lot of convincing to do," adding the same is true of many other Democratic contenders. Warren will begin campaigning soon in some of the states with early presidential nominating contests, a person familiar with her plans said. Trump's use of Pocahontas, a 17th century Native American woman associated with the British colony in Jamestown, Virginia, was aimed at drawing attention to a controversy over her heritage raised during Warren's 2012 Senate race. Warren in October released a DNA analysis she said supported her assertion that she had Native American lineage. Trump's reference has drawn criticism from some Native American groups, while others criticized Warren for trying to lay claim to a tribal heritage. (Reuters) By Choi Sung-jin On Nov. 7, 2017, President Moon Jae-in greeted visiting U.S. President Donald Trump at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, a U.S. military base some 75 km south of Seoul. Few had known about Moon's welcoming plan for Trump until the last minute. Why did the South Korean leader brave the controversy about excessive modesty by choosing the unusual, abrupt protocol? President Moon wanted to highlight the new massive U.S. military facility as the symbol of the strong ROK-U.S. alliance and that Seoul shouldered 92 percent of the total construction cost of $10.7 billion. In a joint news conference, however, President Trump said, "In fact, we also paid part of the cost for this base. And it was to protect South Korea, not America." The real estate developer-turned-president then said, as if in jest, "Had I undertaken it, I would have done so at a far lower cost." Trump was not joking at all, as it turned out later. Last year, South Korean and U.S. officials held 10 rounds of talks over how to share the upkeep costs for U.S. troops stationed here but failed to strike a deal. The working group officials narrowed their differences to 100 billion won ($89.52 million) or so, but the progress fell through because the "U.S. leadership opposed the idea," Yonhap News Agency reported on Dec. 25. President Trump reportedly called for doubling Seoul's share from this year's 960 billion won, and U.S. negotiators demanded a 50 percent rise to $1.2 billion (or 1.36 trillion won), larger than the total increase of the past 13 years. The gap is so wide that the two sides have not even decided yet on a future negotiation schedule. Washington also proposed to hold the defense cost-sharing talks every year instead of every five years as is the case now. It was a thinly veiled move to raise South Korea's share more steeply, which Seoul rejected. The two governments were supposed to conclude the talks by the end of 2018. If they fail to reach an agreement by March, the U.S. Forces Korea says it will have to put 8,700 Korean workers on unpaid leave from April. Since his campaign days, President Trump has complained about some U.S. allies which he claimed try to defend their country at America's expense. Trump included South Korea in the "free riders." Coincidentally or not, Trump reiterated his position that U.S. allies should shoulder a heavier burden, after the aborted bargaining with Seoul. On Dec. 24, he wrote on Twitter, "We are substantially subsidizing the Militaries of many VERY rich countries all over the world, while at the same time these countries take total advantage of the U.S. and our TAXPAYERS." Trump seems to have upcoming cost-sharing talks with Japan and NATO in mind in demanding as many concessions from Seoul as possible. Analysts say Washington may go as far as to threaten the reduction of the 28,500 troops stationed here if Seoul refuses to accept its demand. The U.S. leader reportedly does not want his country to continue its role as a global police force. Trump's reasoning seems to be that if America has to keep playing that role, the beneficiaries should pay the expenses and the larger the share, the better. Aside from whether the world needs the U.S. to act as a police force and whether America is doing its role properly, Washington's demand on Seoul goes too far in many ways. South Koreans with a minimal sense of sovereignty have complained about the unequal alliance between Seoul and Washington. Nothing shows this inequality better than the sharing of defense costs between the two countries. South Korea, Japan and Germany are virtually the only countries that share the costs of stationing U.S. troops in their land by signing a "special measures agreement (SMA)." Germany's contribution is nominal by accounting for 0.001 percent of its GDP. Japan's payment is larger than South Korea's, but Seoul pays 0.1 percent of its GDP, higher than Tokyo's 0.08 percent. Given there are 60,000 U.S. troops in Japan, South Korea's payment nearly doubles that of Japan's, with about 190 million won per American soldier a year. As seen in the Camp Humphreys case, South Korea funded almost all of the relocation expenses of the U.S. forces. Add to these the several trillion won required to decontaminate and restore the former U.S. base in Yongsan, then Seoul's financial burden becomes astronomical, let alone the controversy over "environmental sovereignty." Ostensibly South Korea is known to pay half of the maintenance costs labor cost for Korean personnel working for the USFK, construction expenses within bases and logistics support costs. Considering various indirect support, however, Seoul is paying 60 percent to 70 percent of the total cost. So much so the USFK has not been able to spend the yearly contribution, and the unspent amount accumulated to more than 1 trillion won in the late 2000s. There remained about 330 billion won in unused money as of the end of 2016. The USFK deposited the money at a "community bank," which in turn kept it at the Bank of America. Faced with the criticism that the U.S. military practiced usury using Korean taxpayers' money, the U.S. Department of Defense made a lame excuse, saying, "The interest income did not go into the USFK, and was used to run the community bank. So, please forget about it." It was no surprise civic groups raised an issue with the U.S. military infringing on its host country's "fiscal sovereignty." The Moon Jae-in administration should squarely cope with unreasonable U.S. demands in future negotiations. South Korean officials ought to emphasize the defense cost-sharing itself is not obligatory according to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Seoul is already paying too large a sum, and the U.S. troops here are not just to defend South Korea, and increasingly so at a time of inter-Korean rapprochement. Alliance accompanies price, which should be balanced and reasonable. The Trump administration should admit the excessiveness of its demands, realizing America cannot decide the regional order by forcing its allies to shoulder most of the expenses. Or, many South Koreans will be asking, "If police officers are like this, who needs villains?" The 70-year-long alliance faces another major test this year. Choi Sung-jin is a Korea Times columnist. Contact him at choisj1955@naver.com. Kim's speech contains warm gesture, warning for Trump North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year speech delivered Tuesday contained both a conciliatory message as well as a warning for U.S. President Donald Trump. One thing that was different from past speeches by the North Korean leader was that it was delivered in a relaxed, indoor setting, with him sitting in a comfortable chair rather than standing and speaking in a huge square. It seems North Korea was once again trying to establish a new identity as a normal country on the global stage and distance itself from the image of the impoverished authoritarian state that the rest of the world associates it with. In a speech that attracted intense media attention, Kim said he was willing to meet again with Trump but warned the U.S. not to test his country's "patience." "I am prepared to meet with the U.S. president again at any time and will make an effort to produce an outcome that will be welcomed by the international community," Kim said. "However, if the U.S. fails to keep its promise to the world and keeps up its unilateral sanctions and pressure on our country, we will be forced to find a new way to safeguard our sovereignty and best interests of the nation and to achieve peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula." Kim called the first meeting with Trump last June in Singapore "useful," saying he believes the leaders of the two countries shared constructive views on how to resolve their issues. "The historic first summit made a resounding transformation in the relations between our two countries and promoted peace and security in the region," Kim said. He also stressed that he held the unwavering position to establish firm and lasting peace on the peninsula as stated in the June 12 declaration, adding that his country has declared it will no longer "build, test or use" nuclear weapons and has taken action in this regard. Kim's speech comes amid rising concerns about the stalled denuclearization talks between the two countries. Trump has said he expects another meeting with Kim early this year. Kim's speech reaffirms his determination to achieve peace on the peninsula and keep communicating with Trump. Kim's speech will hopefully serve as an impetus to expedite the second U.S.-North Korea summit. While Kim's speech contained some hopeful messages for new possibilities, it remains to be seen whether a second meeting between Kim and Trump will be able to result in more definite steps for North Korea's denuclearization. It should be noted that Kim mentioned the possibility of a "new way"to protect his country if the U.S. retains the sanctions. We hope the U.S. and North Korea will continue efforts to narrow their differences. Also, Kim must keep his promise to visit Seoul this year for further progress in building lasting peace. Government must improve pension fund's operational performance The National Pension Service's operational rate of return has reportedly entered into negative territory. According to the NPS fund management committee, the accumulated asset yields of the state pension service stood at -0.57 percent in the first 10 months of last year. Given the turbulent global stock market conditions in the last two months of 2018, the national pension fund is highly likely to have lost capital last year instead of making money. If the loss of capital becomes a reality, it will be the first such case since 2008 when the U.S. financial crisis spread to the rest of the world. There are several reasons for the plunging asset yields. Above all, the NPS fund managers performed extremely poorly in the local stock market, which accounts for 17 percent of their total asset operation. The average loss from the investment into local stocks came to -16 percent, pulling down the overall rate of return. Even acknowledging the volatility of the global stock markets, the pension fund's erosion of the capital is very worrisome. NPS officials attribute their problems to unusually bearish stock markets at home and abroad in October. That can hardly justify their disappointing performances, however. The government had left the post of the NPS chairmanship vacant for as long as 15 months. More than a few of the 14 professional fund managers have already gone, too. Under such a situation, it was somewhat unreasonable to expect the pension fund to generate a positive operational rate of return. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is vowing to reform the NPS and has begun to gather views to ensure the fund's sustainability. It was irresponsible, however, for the ministry not to put forth any concrete measures aimed at enhancing the asset yields. A 1 percent hike in the rate of return has the effect of raising insurance premiums by 2 percent. The government must realize it is impossible to ensure the fund's sustainability without enhancing its operational rate of return. It ought to examine various ways from the ground up, ranging from assuring the fund's operational independence to relocating its headquarters to Seoul, and dividing the fund's operation to introduce more in-house competition. Japan should stop raising tension over radar spat Japan has gone too far in claiming that a South Korean naval destroyer targeted its Maritime Self-Defense Force's patrol plane with fire-control radar Dec. 20. It is difficult to understand why Tokyo has been overreacting to the radar spat, which happened in international waters in the East Sea while the 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer was involved in a rescue operation of a North Korean fishing boat in distress. It is also regrettable to see the incident turning into a military and diplomatic conflict between the two countries. The radar row is adding fuel to the fire in bilateral ties that have already become frayed since the Supreme Court of Korea ruled recently in favor of forced labor victims under 1910-45 Japanese rule. Relations have also deteriorated due to the Seoul government's decision to disband a Tokyo-funded foundation to help wartime sex slavery victims. The decision has virtually nullified a controversial 2015 agreement between the two countries to settle the "comfort women" issue. Against this backdrop, Japan has continued to raise the radar issue, alleging that what the Korean warship did was tantamount to a hostile act just one step away from actual firing. The nationalist Shinzo Abe government has aggravated the situation further by releasing on Friday a 13-minute video footage showing the operation of its P-1 patrol plane. The purpose of the release was to back up Japan's claim that the Korean destroyer repeatedly locked its targeting radar on the aircraft. But the Ministry of National Defense of South Korea rejected the claim, expressing "deep concerns and regrets" over the unilateral release of the video clip. We now cannot help questioning Tokyo's real intention of making pubic the video footage, which does not appear to be objective evidence proving the destroyer's "hostile" act. The release came a day after the two sides held a working-level video conference to discuss the matter. The video release only undermined Seoul's effort to find a solution through dialogue. According to some Japanese media reports, Prime Minister Abe ordered the release of the footage, despite a cautious approach recommended by Japan's defense ministry. If that is true, Abe cannot avoid criticism that he is trying to use the radar dispute as a political ploy to ramp up tension between Seoul and Tokyo. This criticism could hold water, considering that he badly needs to do anything he can to divert attention from his government's falling approval rating. The video clip proved only that the Japanese patrol plane was flying about 150 meters above the South Korean warship. It showed that the plane carrying missiles and torpedoes could be seen as posing a threat to the destroyer, which was involved in a humanitarian search-and-rescue mission. Tokyo cannot justify its aircraft's low-altitude flight, which was threatening to the destroyer and also could have hampered the rescue operation. Japan should release its analysis of the radar frequency that could verify whether the Korean destroyer aimed its fire-control radar at the Japanese plane or not. South Korean citizens watch a television report on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year address, at Seoul Station in central Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap NK leader urges end to Seoul-Washington joint drills By Lee Min-hyung North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed strong willingness to restart the suspended inter-Korean tourism and business projects this year in his New Year address, Tuesday. But resuming these projects is impossible under the current sanctions regime led by the U.S. Observers here say he intends to get sanctions relief from the U.S. through projects with South Korea. "I am willing to resume tourism to Mount Geumgang and reopen the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (both in North Korea) for nothing," Kim said. The remark came against the backdrop of the rapidly thawing inter-Korean relations. Starting last year, the young leader of the North offered to join hands with the South for complete denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Last year, Kim held three rounds of summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and reached a series of agreements centering on a bilateral pledge for peace and tension easing on the peninsula. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. Korea Times file By Kim Bo-eun North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year address demonstrated his wishes for improving ties with South Korea and the United States, Cheong Wa Dae said. "Chairman Kim's firm willingness will have a positive influence in resolving the issues of the Korean Peninsula in the new year," spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a text message to reporters. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and most parties welcomed the North Korean leader's address, in which he affirmed his willingness for the state's denuclearization. "We welcome the fact that (the North Korean leader) clearly stated firm willingness for complete denuclearization and establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and for improved inter-Korean relations," the DPK's spokesman Hong Ihk-pyo said in a statement. A cement-making factory in North Korea's city of Sunchon. Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun How to spur economic growth was one of the main topics of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's address, Tuesday. He devoted half his speech to emphasizing the need for economic expansion. "We need to strengthen the might of our socialist self-dependent economy," he said. "We must achieve the strategic goals of the state's economic development, based on our own technical skills, resources, a creative spirit of the people and revolutionary passion." The speech on the state's ambitions comes at a time the regime has pledged to give up its nuclear program and focus on building the economy. Last April, at a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, Kim vowed to place priority on developing the economy, stating Pyongyang had completed work on its nuclear capability. It is Kim's plan to take denuclearization steps to lift sanctions that have been placed by the United Nations Security Council and individual states, to enable economic development. People who support North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Seoul participate in an event to welcome him in Seoul, Dec. 9. Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo After decades of ideological conflict that drove South and North Korea to the brink of war at times, the two sides have undergone a stunning about-face in their relations, with an unprecedented reconciliatory mood along with three inter-Korean summits last year alone. Another highlight of the changes will be Seoul's bid to host the leader of its northern neighbor this year for another summit. However, the advancement of bilateral ties is developing another yet unexpected ideological confrontation as rival partisan organizations have started to fight for hegemony one side welcoming the envisaged Kim Jong-un's visit to the South and the other side threatening to assassinate him. Should the Seoul summit get on track, such confrontations are likely to deepen, further dividing South Koreans. Seoul has been pushing for Kim's trip in the hopes it will help further improve cross-border ties and give an impetus to the ongoing diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea and establish a lasting peace regime on the peninsula. During the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim in Pyongyang in September, Kim agreed to visit the South to reciprocate his South Korean counterpart's visit. The Welcoming Committee of the Great Man, a youth group, made headlines recently as its leader praised the North Korean leader, who is labeled a dictator, as a great man and beautified his regime. "Kim is a great leader to come forward for peace. Bracing for possible criticism from the community, I have decided to call him like that," said Kim Soo-keun, who became a controversial figure after saying "I love communism" during a press conference on Nov. 26. Kim's organization also criticized the Seoul subway operator's rejection of its request to place ads in subway stations to welcome Kim's visit. Since President Moon made the invitation in September, a dozen groups have sprung up to welcome Kim here. The Seoul Citizen Welcome Committee, among others, has launched a campaign to collect welcome messages from Seoul citizens, which would be delivered at the fourth inter-Korean summit in Seoul. However, pro-North Korea movements are not limited to such platitudes, as some radical groups threaten those who have condemned the North Korean regime. Recently, "Baekdu Guard," or Baekdu Protection Squad, a new South Korean group that supports Kim and condemns the United Nations, sent threatening emails to Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom who writes columns regarding the North Korean regime after defecting to the South. A civic group holds a press conference to call for the breakup of a pro-North Korea organization that welcomes Kim Jong-un's visit to Seoul. / Yonhap The two sides discussed measures to support victims of the recent bomb blast, on December 28, so that they can return to Vietnam as soon as possible. They agreed to coordinate with local authorities to first bring eight healthy people in the tourist group back to Vietnam, then they will finish all necessary procedures to repatriate the bodies of three dead victims. The remaining three seriously injured victims will have to wait for conclusions from local doctors and they will come back Vietnam when their health conditions are stable. Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Thanh Cong affirmed that the Embassy will attempt to bring healthy or slightly injured tourists to Vietnam in the next one or two days. Meanwhile, representatives of the travel agency Saigon Tourist said that it will make every effort to assist victims and their relatives in returning home. The Embassy and the delegation from Ho Chi Minh City also met with families of bomb victims who flew to Egypt to bring their relatives home. By Jung Min-ho A Chinese man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to rape a woman on Jeju Island. The Jeju District Court convicted the man, 30, Monday of trying to sexually assault the woman, 28, at a parking lot on northern Jeju on July 24, 2018. The victim, who tried to protect herself, suffered injuries that required six weeks of medical treatment. The situation could have been worse if she had not been saved by a passerby in the middle of the man's attack. During his trial, the man claimed that although he assaulted her, he had no intention of rape. He said he attacked the woman, who did not know him, just because he was upset after an argument with his girlfriend. But the court rejected his claims, given that he first asked her to have sex with him and, after being refused, forcibly took off her underwear. Kang Kyung-hun, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, arrives at a court in Seoul, Dec. 19, to attend a hearing on the legality of his arrest over alleged sabotage of union activities at Everland, the amusement park arm of Samsung Group. / Korea Times file By Jung Hae-myoung A senior official of Samsung Electronics and 12 others have been booked without detention for allegedly trying to break up the union at Everland, the amusement park arm of Samsung Group, the prosecution said, Tuesday. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the 13 include Samsung Executive Vice President Kang Kyung-hun, a former Everland executive director surnamed Lee and two Everland employees identified as Kim and Lim. The move came after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the prosecution's Dec. 19 request for an arrest warrant for Kang, at the time saying the allegations against him were still "controversial." Kang, 54, is suspected of interrupting the establishment and activities of the Everland union, in violation of labor laws. According to prosecutors, Kang formed a union at Everland with four executive-level officials, including Lim, in 2011, when its reform-minded employees were also seeking to create another union, headed by Jo Jang-hee. The prosecution suspects the union creation was aimed at crippling the activities of the worker-led union because a law revision at the time that allowed multiple unions at a single workplace stipulated that the assortment of unions was required to pick one representative bargaining unit to be at the negotiation table with management. During the process for the establishment of the management-led union, Kang himself took care of the documents necessary for setting up the union, while educating Lim how to respond to the press. From July 2011 to June 2012, Kang ordered surveillance on Jo and the union's leading officials in order to spot any mistakes and eventually took disciplinary action against two union members. Also he conciliated union members to withdraw from their union. Jo was also caught by police for allegedly driving under the influence after Kang reported him to the police, but the blood alcohol content fell short. Kang also tipped off police about Jo's illegally registered vehicle and he was arrested, which served as the main reason for the company to fire him. Kang's crime also includes collecting personal information of unionists and their families. In April 2013, Lim, the union head of Everland, made a false claim at the court when he attended the administrative litigation filed by Jo against his unreasonable dismissal. Jo won his revocation suit against the National Labor Relations Commission over his unfair dismissal and unfair labor practices in December 2016. By Kang Seung-woo A psychiatrist at a general hospital in Seoul was stabbed to death by one of his patients on Monday evening. A psychiatrist was stabbed to death by his patient at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times file The footage provided by Japan's defense ministry on what it claims was the South Korean Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer's operation of a fire-control radar on a Japanese warplane. / Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun Relations between South Korea and Japan are going from bad to worse after Tokyo released footage last week of its warplane flying over a South Korean naval destroyer conducting a rescue mission in the East Sea. South Korea immediately protested the "act of threat" by a Japanese plane in international waters and the video release. This case is becoming a new source of diplomatic tension between the two countries, which have been in a growing feud in recent months over historical issues. Some observers say the new row represents a rift in military cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo over Pyongyang. The controversy is being fueled as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is reported to have ordered the release of the video. Japan's Ministry of Defense on Friday released a video clip of its Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol aircraft. The 2019 Seoul Sexy Chef Calendar shows (from left) Cha Du-ri of Just BLT; Robbie Nguyen, Philip Abowd and Bobby Kim of Southside Parlor; and Chuck Chun of California Kitchen & Craft Pub. / Courtesy of Joe McPherson Sexy Seoul chefs pose for pin-up calendar By Jon Dunbar It's 2019, which means time to open up a new calendar. Twelve months of Seoul chefs in pinup poses sounds like the unlikeliest of calendars, but it's printed and ready. Based on a poll in the , owners of 12 restaurants, bars and food producers were selected to pose. This includes Linus Kim of Linus' Bama Style Barbecue, Wendell Louie of Mix & Malt and Pussyfoot Saloon and Becca Baldwin of Lumi Kombucha. According to calendar co-producer Dan Suh, the idea for the calendar came from a conversation between himself and The Sool Company co-founder Julia Mellor. They thought up a calendar that could benefit three parties: for a charity, for the participating businesses and for the calendar buyer. , which provides mentoring and scholarships for college-bound Korean orphans, was chosen as the charity. "The charity will benefit as all the profits will go towards Oak Tree Project," said Suh, who runs . "The participating businesses get to raise awareness and show themselves in a different light. And the calendar buyer gets a unique calendar that's fun and even has reward coupons to spend." Joe McPherson, another calendar co-producer, traces inspiration to an even earlier stage: "It started when a couple of Italian restaurant owners, who are notorious rivals, were trying to make hunky photos of themselves for their Facebook profiles," said McPherson, best known for his blog and his tour company offering and Tours. While sexy firefighter calendars are produced around the world, including here in Seoul, McPherson could only find one prior sexy chef calendar, produced in the American Midwest. "There are some trailblazing chefs that have become legendary, but you still don't see them outside the kitchen," McPherson said. "We wanted to show them in a different light with a sense of humor and glamour." Suh and McPherson, both moderators for Restaurant Buzz Seoul, teamed up on the calendar, with Suh handling the business side and McPherson working on putting together a production team and getting the funds for the project. "Flowerbomb," the director of burlesque troupe , served as creative director. She showered them with ideas for concepts for the 12 calendar pages, which included homages to classic retro pin-up model poses. "Each concept was built by getting to know each model and picking iconic references from pin-up history that best complimented what the model wanted to portray," Flowerbomb said. "This process did take days but it was so worth it. Many of these models had never modeled before so it was also very important to me to make each of them feel comfortable baring a bit of their cheeky side." Photographers and served as photographers, and Corey Lajeunesse donated studio space for photo shoots. Groove Magazine helped with layout and printing. "It took a good lot of cajoling, begging, and making false promises to get participation," McPherson said. "Many models were nervous. Some of them thought they had to be in the nude, and I assured them that was not going to happen. It did get them out of their comfort zones, but they had fun doing it, though some of those sexy poses are painful." "That's the thing about pinup modeling," Flowerbomb added. "The poses are very unnatural but very aesthetically pleasing. There really is no beauty without pain... and I kind of really like that!" Calendars will be available on Jan. 4 at participating restaurants: Pocket, Tom's Pizza, Morococo Cafe, Just BLT, Southside Parlor, Mix & Malt, Pussyfoot Saloon, Linus' Bama Style Barbecue, California Kitchen & Craft Pub, Ryan Smokehouse and The Workshop. Visit . Marsha Altvater explores an old neighborhood near where she grew up in Samgakji, on a visit during last Chuseok. / Courtesy of Yongsan Legacy By Marsha Altvater When I arrived in Korea, they were celebrating Chuseok. I found it ironic that my return coincided with the celebration of Koreans returning to their hometowns to pay respects to their ancestors. I had returned to my ancestral home, Yongsan. In my own personal way I paid homage to my Korean ancestors, too. I was in Yongsan in mid-September last year to participate in a tour for military retirees by Dragon Hill Lodge, after leaving 54 years ago as a child. I thought I would be emotional when I finally arrived in Seoul, but I did not feel any different than I normally do when I go on a tour. I shocked myself. I realized it was unfamiliar, like many places I explore and learn about during my travels. What would I find inside and outside the gates around my childhood home? Would there be anything left that I remember? After showing off my dependent military ID card, I was finally allowed through the gates to Yongsan Garrison in Seoul. I have spent many years as a military child and later a spouse living on and around various U.S. military instillations. But it reminded me of other military posts I have visited. For me, finally getting in the gate was anticlimactic. With help from Coco Cugat and Nam Sang-so at Yongsan Legacy, I discovered I grew up at Samgakji, near the base. I was told the War Memorial of Korea was built on my childhood neighborhood. Where the Wedding Hall now stood was probably where my childhood home was located. Mr. Nam told me the little stream that was between the neighborhood and the military base still exists. However, it was buried when the memorial was built and still runs underground. On my first day in Yongsan, my husband and I went to the War Memorial. I felt like a tourist. As I was walking, nothing looked familiar. The Korea I remember and dream about no longer existed, but I had known it would probably be like that. We found the name of my husband's 20-year-old great uncle, PFC Ellis A. Choma, was killed in Kajon-ni. I began to weep because I found it ironic that in the former neighborhood where I grew up is a memorial honoring my husband's great uncle. My Korean part of me said it is fate. Members of the Seoul Filipino Catholic Community sing carols in front of GME Remittance's new Hyehwa Branch in Hyehwa-dong area in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Dec. 23. Photos courtesy of GME Remittance By Ko Dong-hwan The joy of Filipinos celebrating Christmas in Korea highlighted the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the sixth branch of a Seoul-based multinational money remittance service. The celebration marking the expansion of Global Money Express Remittance took place at Hyehwa Rotary in Seoul's Jongno-gu District on Dec. 23. Dozens of Filipino community members, business officials and people from other foreign communities joined in the traditional Filipino Christmas prayers and blessings, entitled "Paskong Kay Saya." Father Jude, a Catholic Filipino community priest active in Gyeonggi Province districts, including the city of Cheonan, led the prayers, blessing GME's CEO John Sung, the company's director Mr. Subash and chief finance officer Mr. Choi. The Filipinos told The Korea Times that religion was "the strongest binder of the community." Filipino staff from GME Remittance perform a traditional courtship song "Harana" at the opening of the company's Hyehwa Branch on Dec. 23. The event was also joined by Nash Ang, founding director of Filipino-Korean culture and arts organization Pinoy Artists in Korea (PAK), and the group's executive director Rosie Peralta. Kim Taerin, 10, a performer from the PAK, presented a dance performance. GME's female Filipino staff performed "Harana," a traditional way of courting a woman by wooing her with a love song. Crowds at the new Hyehwa branch sang along. Jayar Manalo, vice president of Filipino EPS (Employment Permit System) Workers' Association, and chairman of FEWA's monthly newsletter "Sulyapinoy," Jhumar Tablatin, also took part in the ceremony. GME Remittance staff enjoy traditional Filipino hand food. Elle Kim, the head of GME's marketing team for the Philippines, orchestrated the event. She said she was showcasing "one of the most unique Christmas cultures of my country." "The main reason why I chose to do this is that most of these working Filipinos here in South Korea haven't got the chance to visit home for a long period of time," Kim told The Korea Times. "My goal with this event is to give Filipinos a break from the reality of hard work and reconnect their souls once again to their identity as Filipinos. I wish that other Filipinos in Korea will be aware of their own tradition and culture that seem to fade out due to all influences surrounding them." GME Remittance CEO John Sung, fourth from left, joins in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the company's Hyehwa Branch on Dec. 23. Security forces stand at the site of the headquarters of Libya's foreign ministry after suicide attackers hit in Tripoli, Libya, Dec. 25, 2018. Reuters South Korea has invalidated the passports of three nationals refusing to leave Libya, a government official said Monday. A total of 13 South Koreans are staying in the nation ridden with unstable security conditions. The government has strongly requested that they depart the country for security reasons. A South Korean man remains held hostage by an unidentified armed group there after he was kidnapped in July. "(We) have taken the step of nullifying the passports of three (of the South Koreans), as they have refused to get out of Libya," the foreign ministry official told reporters on the condition of anonymity. The government is trying to persuade the others to follow its advisory, he added. Meanwhile, he confirmed that South Korea will begin a deep-sea search for the ill-fated Stellar Daisy bulk carrier in the coming weeks, nearly two years after it sank off Uruguay. The work is to begin in late January or early February, and the final result is expected to come out before the end of March, he said. The ship sank in the South Atlantic, some 3,700 kilometers off Uruguay, on March 31 last year. Eight South Korean and 14 Filipino crew members remain missing. The government signed a contract with Ocean Infinity, a Texas-based seabed exploration firm, for the search. The deal, made through the Public Procurement Service, is worth 4.84 billion won ($4.35 million). North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a New Year's address while sitting in an armchair in an office, Tuesday. Photos of his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, are also seen behind him. Yonhap Kim Jong-un wants to continue peace talks By Lee Min-hyung North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is ready to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at any time, in a prerecorded New Year's address aired by the state-controlled Korea Central Television, Tuesday. While reiterating his willingness for complete denuclearization, he called for Washington not to misjudge the North's patience and take corresponding actions for rapid progress in their denuclearization dialogue. "I am ready to sit face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump again at any time," said Kim, dressed in a suit in a room decorated with the portraits of his deceased grandfather and father. "I will do my utmost to generate an end state that the international society will definitely welcome." The overall tone for his speech was not as provocative as that from the previous years reflecting the ongoing peace momentum on the peninsula. But Kim also expressed discomfort over the U.S. attitude in the denuclearization talks and its adamancy about keeping sanctions on North Korea. "If the U.S. continues stepping up sanctions and pressure against our country, we may have no choice but to seek a new way to protect our sovereignty and interests," Kim said. In June last year, Trump and Kim held a historic summit in Singapore for the first time in history. At that time, they reached a broad consensus in making joint efforts to realize peace and denuclearization on the peninsula. Trump: 'looking forward to meeting Kim Jong-un' Kim wants to resume suspended economic projects with South 'Kim's address shows wishes for better ties with South, US' North Korean leader prioritizes economic growth Despite the high-profile meeting, Washington and Pyongyang have since failed to make progress in their talks on denuclearization, with both sides failing to narrow their differences on the timeline and method of denuclearization. Pyongyang has urged Washington to take reciprocal measures in return for the regime's phased denuclearization. They include a lifting of heavy economic sanctions imposed on the regime. "We have declared an end to developing, experimenting and using any nuclear weapons and taken practical steps to realize the pledge," Kim said. He underlined the need for Washington and Pyongyang to stop making unilateral statements and create mutual respect by offering fair suggestions under the common goal of building lasting peace. Respect for Moon Kim also spoke highly of a series of inter-Korean summits last year with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The two leaders met with each other three times to discuss peace and ease military tension on the peninsula. "Starting last year, the two Koreas have taken bold steps under the bilateral resolution of opening a new era of peace and prosperity by seeing to end the abnormal state of the peninsula which is at risk of war," Kim said. It is unprecedented for Seoul and Pyongyang to hold summits three times a year and this clearly shows inter-Korean relations have entered a new phase, according to the North Korean leader. Under the inter-Korean reconciliatory mood, Kim plans to visit Seoul sometime early this year in return for Moon's recent Pyongyang visit for a three-day-long inter-Korean summit. Aside from the diplomatic agenda, Kim also stressed the importance of revving up the regime's local economy. "We need to improve economic efficiency and realign organizational structures in a way to encourage companies to engage actively in business," Kim said. He went on to say the North should also increase investments in research and development of science and technology. President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap South Korea's presidential office welcomed the New Year's address by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying it reflects his wish for the development of inter-Korean ties and Pyongyang-Washington relations. "Chairman Kim's firm commitment is expected to have a positive effect on resolving the Korean Peninsula issue smoothly in the new year," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. In the half-hour long televised speech, the North's leader expressed his willingness to meet again with U.S. President Donald Trump for denuclearization talks. (Yonhap) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent their congratulatory messages to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz, and President of the Cuban Council of State and Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. The messages read that generations of Vietnamese leaders and people are proud to be the witnesses of the achievements that the Cuban people have obtained over the 60 years of defending and constructing the socialist Cuba the symbol of the revolutionary heroism in the western hemisphere. They re-affirmed the Vietnamese State, Government and peoples consistent unity with the glorious and just revolutionary cause of the Cuban people, voicing their belief that the Cuban State, Government and people will continue to attain more successes in the national construction and defence. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also offered congratulations to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla. Two Koreas are seeking a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Courtesy of Defense Ministry Unarmed border guards of the two Koreas will be able to walk across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) starting as early as this month, as the South's defense authorities will step up efforts for the early implementation of a recent inter-Korean military accord on reducing tensions, a government official said Tuesday. The two sides have already made the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the truce village of Panmunjom a weapons-free zone under the Sept. 19 agreement on a set of confidence-building measures. That measure is a key outcome of summit talks between President Moon Jae-in and the North's leader Kim Jong-un last year. The two Koreas and the United Nations Command agreed in principle to allow their security guards to move "freely" across the MDL. But they have yet to sign a joint document on new guidelines on relevant operations, including a surveillance system. The official said South Korea's military is pushing for another round of consultations on the issue this month. If a compromise is made, the envisioned measure can be implemented immediately, he added on the condition of anonymity. The South also aims to launch a joint military committee with the North in the first half of 2019, as the two sides plan to begin the joint excavation of war remains in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in April. In his New Year's message, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said that opening the way for a new peace, as well as defending the country, is the military's duty. He stressed the need for the armed forces to help lay the "substantive foundation" for the easing of inter-Korean military tensions and confidence-building steps, while maintaining a watertight defense posture. He added it's also important to improve South Korea's own defense capabilities to prepare for the transition of wartime operational control of its own troops from the United States. (Yonhap) By Kim Hyun-bin Complaints and conflicts are piling up between the young and old as Korea is rapidly becoming an aging society, which leaves the young working class with a heavier economic burden to take care of elderly citizens. "The rapidly ageing population and low birthrate have put our society at risk, inevitably landing the younger generations a more severe economic burden," said Park Jae-hong, emeritus sociology professor at Gyeongsang National University. Park says Korean society started to see generational conflicts as a social issue in the mid-2000s. "The elderly population has increased rapidly which also raises the basic pension, national pension and medical insurance costs, which will be a burden on younger generations. But due to the country's low birthrate, there is also a continuous decrease in the younger population, becoming an even greater burden," he said. According to a Ministry of Economy and Finance report released in December, tax, national pension and medical insurance premiums took up 27 percent of the GDP in 2017, meaning an average household paid 6.67 million won. Due to the rapidly aging population and resultant steep rise in welfare expenses, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts the ratio will go up to 34 percent by 2027, meaning each household will need to pay over 10.1 million won annually. Complaints against each other A recent study shows most young people believe the generational conflict has become severe. According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission, which surveyed 1,000 people over the age of 65 and 500 young adults between 19 and 39, 40.4 percent of the elderly and 90 percent of younger people said they had difficulty communicating with the opposite group. Young adults found generational conflicts to be severe between the young and the old, with 82 percent of people in their 20s to 30s claiming it has become a critical social issue, nearly doubling that of senior citizens at 44.3 percent. Some 44 percent of the elderly and 80.4 percent of the 20-30s group said they experienced strong conflict with the other groups. About 67 percent of the younger generation said the generational conflict is expected to worsen in the future. Some young people use hateful expressions toward the elderly, and coin phrases to belittle senior citizens, such as mocking their dentures. They share clips in which elderly people browbeat young people into leaving their seats on the subway or bus so they can sit. "I've experienced so many rude elderly people: they cut in line and demand seats on the subway. It seems they believe they have the right to do so only because they are old, while not following basic social principles," said a 32-year-old officer worker in Seoul, who asked not to be named. On the other hand, the older generation complains that the younger generation is too selfish. "Younger people don't want to sacrifice. They need to know how to dedicate to and sacrifice for the government and society so the next generation could have a better life," a 70-year-old surnamed Kim said asking not to be named. Some experts point out that the young and the old have to compete with each other even in the labor market. Experts say the slowing economy has made it difficult for the younger generations to land jobs, gradually increasing the youth unemployment rate. On the other side of the spectrum, older people have to continue working as they lack retirement savings. The social phenomenon has formed even greater conflicts between the young and the old. Some experts are calling on the government to establish an organization that garners opinions from the conflicted generations to find a better solution to the problem. "There needs to be an organization that gathers opinions and conducts official discussions about how the younger generations can effectively support the fast-aging population and how society can find a balance between youth and elderly unemployment," the Korean Women's Development Institute said in a report. Some believe the employment conflict between the age groups should be considered a class issue. "Elderly employment is nothing new. The employment of the young and the elderly should not be seen as a competition between generations but rather a class issue," Park said. In November, the rights commission, along with other human rights research institutes, held a debate on how to resolve inter-generational conflicts. Many experts pointed out at the time that the central and local governments need to work together and come out with countermeasures to reduce generational conflicts. "There is not a social environment and education system that helps elderly and younger generations learn how to respect and understand each another," said Song Oh-young, section chief of the society of human rights department at the commission. "We are in dire need of communities and associations different generations can attend together such as festivals, cultural activities and education programs." The local and central government needs to be involved in the process, and discuss which organizations could proactively manage the functions, he added. A civic group, top, holds a protest, urging society not to consider men as potential criminals near Hyehwa Station in Seoul, last Oct. 27. Women, bottom, participate in a rally against spycam porn and voyeur videos at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Dec. 22. Graphic by Cho Sang-won By Jung Hae-myoung Recently, a 22-year-old man, surnamed Kwon, was unsatisfied with his university's decision to offer a scholarship given to female students only. "From my experience, professors are much more favorable toward female students and they have higher grades," Kwon said. He believes women, unlike in the past, enjoy almost the same rights as men and often rather benefit from "women-only" or "women-first" policies. Kwon's sister, 25, said she tried to explain feminism to her brother, but he still could not fully understand the structural problems. "I think men who have low self-esteem would feel more threatened by intelligent women and avid feminism activists, thinking they themselves are victims," she said. "He cannot relate to women, so he just ends up complaining based on what he has experienced and became more defensive of what he has." The conflict of the Kwon siblings shows the gender dispute in Korean society, which comes from a lack of understanding about each other, or rather, unwillingness to understand. This reached a serious level last year along with the #MeToo movement, massive women's rallies against spycam pornography and gender-biased police investigations, as well as men feeling disadvantaged because of the government's "for-women" policies amid shrinking job market. Gender conflict is more serious among the younger generation. A recent survey by Realmeter showed people in their 20s think gender conflict is the most serious social conflict, with 56.5 percent saying so, followed by 22.2 percent naming wealth disparity and 9.3 percent saying ideological disputes. Hate words New slang and labeling became popular among young people in 2018, and more people started to use the terms lightly. Some Korean slang gives hints of hatred such as "han-nam," belittling Korean men and their attitudes, and "mom-chung," which is a compound word "mom" and "chung," calling mothers insects for letting their babies cause noise in public areas. While the misogynic word "kimchi-nyeo" (kimchi girl) was used to imply gold digger back in 2009, some women now use "kimchi-nam" (kimchi boy) to mirror how men unfairly treat women. Such act of reversing gender called "mirroring," often used by extreme feminist groups including Womad, has caused a stir over abusive language, even drawing backlash from women. This also contributed to some men's repulsion toward feminism. According to another Realmeter survey, only 14 percent of men in their 20s were supporting feminism while 64 percent of women supported the idea. "Womad is what came out after feminists realized they can no longer fight with refined, persuasive language," said Yoon Kim Ji-young, a professor of the Institute of Body and Culture at Konkuk University. "It is only the extreme end of the spectrum." Such hatred toward the opposite sex has even led to physical conflicts, as in the case of a brawl at a bar near Isu Station in Seoul, where two women claimed they were beaten by men for "unfeminine looks" with short haircut without makeup, while the men claimed the women picked the fight with derogatory words and they were also violent. Both sides have been booked for assault. Why women resist being silent While some may say Korea has achieved gender equality in many aspects, many women say they still face discrimination and their lives and safety are quite often threatened. Shim Hyung-jun, 25, said he was surprised when his girlfriend said she has never seen a taxi driver being kind when she took a taxi alone. "I never thought of a taxi as an unsafe space. That was when I realized some people can live in fear that I may never have to experience in this society," he said. According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, 3,000 out of 13,317 men in Korea said they never fear being victims of sex crimes, while 95 percent of women said they constantly worry they could be targeted. Along with daily threats, the glass ceiling is still present here from the starting line. "The glass ceiling is present in all countries, but I think it is more serious in Korea," a 25-year-old woman surnamed Lee said. "In Korea, there are no female executives at all when they reach a certain level. Some male executives explicitly reject female employees because they use maternity leave when having a baby." However, when women raise their voice, they are labeled "feminists," as if it were a disgrace. In March, male fans raged at Irene from girl group Red Velvet for reading "Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982," only because it is popular fiction among feminists. In November, SaneE, a famous rapper, was censured by the public for blaming "feminists" whom he said were "mentally ill." He released multiple tracks criticizing feminism and dissed a fellow rapper for promoting feminism. Culture critic Jeong Ji-woo says the hatred shown on social media is not a sudden outburst. "The problem has been there all the time, and social media only gave it a platform," he said. Jeong Hee-jin, a women's studies scholar and writer of the book "The Challenge of Feminists," says online spaces make women equal to men. "However, society has not taught them how to break the wall and there was no change of behavior in individual men," she said. "There is more to talk about gender, and feminism is only the start of this complicated discourse." From gender hierarchy to gender diversity In recent years, the discourse on feminism largely remained in a dichotomous frame of male and female. Jeong Hee-jin says feminist discourse is not only about women but all genders. It is not the history of a struggle and fight, but a method of coexisting with people of different genders and backgrounds. In that sense, men and women should not fight against each other, but fight with each other, embracing different genders, to defeat the common enemy called "patriarchy." Choi Young-ae, the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, also said she will form a team to battle hatred rooted in Korean society. "Hatred between men and women is impractical and futile. Two hatreds in conflict without reason can endanger Korean society," Choi told The Korea Times. She compared Korea's feminist movement with that in France, which was evaluated as violent and extreme at first. "The movement can explode in different ways when there is no channel to speak out, and we should welcome these complicated discussions," Choi said. "I think Korean society can improve from this stage, and the strategy of hatred will not remain long in the mainstream of society." Jung, a 21-year-old male student in support of feminism, said men should try to understand and empathize with women. "Since men are privileged in this society, there is limitation to their understanding," Jung said. "However, I think men not even attempting to empathize with women's rights is just an excuse. They can surely try." Korea's outbound shipments came to $605.5 billion for 2018, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier. Yonhap South Korea's exports hit an all-time high last year on brisk sales of memory chips and petrochemical goods, government data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments came to $605.5 billion for 2018, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Imports jumped 11.8 percent on-year to $535 billion last year for a trade surplus of $70.5 billion, marking 10th consecutive year the country exported more goods than it bought, the ministry said. Annual exports surpassed $600 billion for the first time, making South Korea the world's sixth-largest exporter. Total trade volume exceeded $1 trillion for the second year in a row in line with the global economic recovery. Shipments of memory chips hit a record $126.7 billion, and those for general machinery and petrochemical products broke the previous record to exceed $50 billion this year. In contrast, sales of autos, displays and steel backtracked compared with a year ago due to toughening global competition and rising import restrictions in major markets. Exports to China, South Korea's largest market, surged 14.2 percent on-year to $162.2 billion thanks to strong demand for memory chips, petrochemical goods and general machinery. Shipments to the United States gained 6 percent to $72.7 billion, led by general machinery and memory chips, despite tougher import restrictions imposed by the Donald Trump administration. Sales in Southeast Asian nations increased 5.3 percent to $100.3 billion on the back of memory chips, petrochemical goods, making the regional economic bloc a key market. Exports in December declined 1.2 percent on-year to $48.5 billion due to sluggish sales of autos and displays, while imports edged up 0.9 percent to $43.91 billion. December marked 83 consecutive months in which the value of the country's exports exceeded imports. The government recognized Korean exporters' for the upbeat performance amid rising protectionism and volatile global financial markets. It vowed to provide continued support to help the country maintain the upward momentum in 2019. "The business environment is not favorable this year due to slowing growth in major economies and trade disputes between the U.S. and China," industry minister Sung Yun-mo said during his visit to the Port of Busan, the nation's main maritime gateway. "We will actively deal with imminent trade issues and explore ways to expand our foothold in promising markets to overcome the negative prospects." South Korean economic policy think tanks have painted a gloomy outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy this year on concerns over slowing exports and tepid domestic demand. The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade projected the nation's exports to rise 3.7 percent to $633 billion in 2019, sharply down from this year's growth projection of 6.4 percent. (Yonhap) An increasing number of parents hand over wealth to their children at a young age to avoid heavier taxes. gettyimagesbank The number of South Korean children inheriting more than 100 million won ($89,526) from their parents shot up in 2017 from a year earlier, data showed Sunday, as the government vowed to reduce tax deductions down the road. According to the data compiled by the National Tax Service, the agency imposed taxes on 146,337 cases of inheritance in 2017, up 17.2 percent from a year earlier. The combined amount of gift tax collected came to 24.5 trillion won, up 6.5 trillion won over the cited period. Inherited assets over 100 million won took up 43.6 percent of the cases in 2017, up 3 percentage points on-year. Data showed a rising number of parents are handing over wealth to children at a younger age, apparently to avoid heavier taxes planned by the government down the line. The number of cases where inheritors were aged below 10 came to 1,221 in 2017, up 70.8 percent from a year earlier. Fifty-two children inherited assets worth 1 billion won or more. The government, which offered discounts to those voluntarily reporting the inheritance, said it plans to reduce such incentives. (Yonhap) Small business owners demand call on the government to scrap the new wage system that obligates employers to give paid leave to workers near the Government Complex in Sejong, Friday. Yonhap The conflict between the government and business owners has intensified in South Korea ahead of the scheduled implementation of a new wage system that obligates employers to give paid leave to workers, industry watchers said Sunday. Under South Korean law, an employer must provide employees with paid leave depending on their weekly work hours. For example, if an employee works 40 hours a week, he or she must be granted extra pay worth eight hours of labor every week. It not only applies to regular workers but part-timers as well. The regulation, already stipulated by law, however, has often been ignored by business owners as there were no clear cut guidelines on how that should be applied when it came to calculating the minimum wage. Accordingly, the government plans to pass a related ordinance to clarify the rule at a Cabinet meeting slated for Monday. If the ordinance is passed, an employer must include paid leave in workers' paychecks. Business owners claim the change will give an excessive burden to small shops already suffering from a steep rise in the minimum wage. The hourly minimum wage for 2019 is set at 8,350 won (US$7.48), up 10.9 percent from this year's 7,530 won. The new amount marks a 29.1 percent rise since President Moon Jae-in took office two years ago. The employers argue the change will force them to use more temporary workers, as the regulation does not apply to employees with fewer than 15 hours of work per week. Local businesses also claim the government is pushing to adopt the change to induce employers to hire more workers to pump and cope with the high unemployment rate. The Federation of Korean Industries, which represents the interest of employers, said the government needs to fully reconsider the ordinance and added the paid-leave system does not exist in major advanced economies. The Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), a private think tank, said the change may lead to a 40 percent hike in the actual minimum wage provided to workers. Taking the new minimum wage of 8,350 won into account, KERI argued the mandatory paid leave will increase the actual hourly pay provided to workers to a whopping 11,661 won. Full-time workers who receive pay for two days off a week and receive the minimum wage will receive 2.02 million won monthly based on the calculation that they work 174 hours, along with paid leave of 69 hours. Accordingly, KERI said the change will effect even some workers at conglomerates. "As the revision is anticipated to have a great ripple effect in the economy, policymakers should listen closely to businesses and shop owners who must deal with the burden of added expenses," a KERI official said. The government, on the other hand, stressed the paid-leave system has been in existence for 30 years and that the ordinance only aims to provide a clear guideline. "The revised ordinance only clarifies ambiguous expressions in the law, and nothing much has changed. It is an exaggeration to say that businesses' burden will increase," said professor Kim Sung-hee of Korea University. Neutral observers, meanwhile, are calling on the government to set aside a grace period and exemptions for small firms. "Conglomerates and midsized firms are already following the law. In reality, small business owners face hurdles in complying with it," said professor Lim Chae-un of Sogang University. "Even if the ordinance is revised, there should be a buffer zone, like delaying the applications on businesses with a staff fewer than five people." The Lao PM will lead a high-ranking Lao delegation to attend the meeting at the invitation of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The 40th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-Governmental Committee was held in February 2018. Addressing the press conference after the 40th meeting, PM Phuc said that the 40th meeting was a success, opening a new chapter in the special relationship between the two countries. The government leader noted that the two sides signed 12 important documents at the 40th meeting and will work to put eight major construction works into operation on the occasion of the 41st meeting. The construction of the complex commenced in February 2018 with a total area of 30.3ha and a total investment of nearly VND100 billion (US$4.3 million). The project includes a bonded warehouse, an inspection centre for import-export goods, a location to gather and transfer goods, restaurants, hotels, a gas station, a tourism service centre, and a space displaying typical products of Vietnam and Cambodia. Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of An Giang provincial Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh said that the bilateral trade volume between Vietnam and Cambodia which has continuously increased over recent years and it is expected to rise to US$5 billion in the next few years. Vietnam and Cambodia reported a total import-export revenue of US$3.5 billion in the first nine months of 2018, up 22.9% compared to the same period in 2017. The total export revenue between Vietnams An Giang province and two Cambodian provinces of Kandal and Takeo was estimated at over USS$313 million in the first 11 months of 2018, up 15% over the same period in 2017. Binh noted that the warehouse will contribute to promoting border trade between the two provinces as well as the two countries in the future. Security Guards Jobs 2019 in Rawalpindi Latest Public Sector Organization Security Posts Rawalpindi 2021 Public Sector Organization Rawalpindi, Pakistan are requires applications from experienced and committed candidates to fill the positions of Security Guards, How to Apply on Public Sector Organization 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. Telephone: 0324-5231888 Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. Privatisation Commission Islamabad Jobs 2019 for Lawyer Latest Ministry of Privatisation Legal Posts Islamabad 2021 Ministry of Privatisation, Privatisation Commission Islamabad, Government of Pakistan are requires applications from professional and qualified candidates for the posts of Lawyers. How to Apply on Ministry of Privatisation 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. Company Address: 5-A, ESAC Building Constiotution Avenue Islamabad Telephone: 051-9205146-47 Official Website: http://privatisation.gov.pk/ Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. Economic Affairs Division Islamabad Jobs 2019 Latest Economic Affairs Division Management Posts Islamabad 2021 Economic Affairs Division Islamabad, Government of Pakistan are requires applications from experienced and committed candidates for the posts of Project Coordinator and Data Entry Operator. Skills Required Microsoft How to Apply on Economic Affairs Division 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. Company Address: Room # 426, 4th Floor, B Block, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad Telephone: 051-9209750 Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. With the iPhone X in 2017, Apple launched a smartphone that was ahead of its time. In 2018, Apple only made some basic improvements to that same formula and launched the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. While some of these improvements are notable, they are overall very iterative in nature. Apple follows a tick-tock policy where a major iPhone release is followed by an s refresh that focuses on speed and camera. The iPhone XS was no different. But 2019 needs to be different. With smartphone sales slowing down and heavy competition from Chinese OEMs, Apple simply cannot afford to sit back and release another iterative iPhone upgrade in 2019. For the 2019 iPhones, theres are a lot of areas that Apple can improve upon. The rapid pace of innovation and development of Chinese OEMs means that Apple no longer enjoys a technological lead that it had earlier. I am not talking about the usual upgrades like improved camera and processor. They are a given with every iPhone refresh. But they are not going to be enough for the 2019 iPhones. Apple needs to offer more than that if it wants to stop the decline in iPhone sales. For starters, at the very least, Apple should bump the minimum storage on the 2019 iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max successors to 128GB. Theres absolutely no excuse for Apple to launch a $999 smartphone with 64GB of storage space in 2019. And if not, the company should simply bundle free 50GB of iCloud storage space with the phones. The 2019 iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max should also be available in a wider range of colors. The basic Silver, Space Gray, and Gold colors are not enough in this day and age. Almost every other Android OEM has launched its flagship smartphone in a variety of attractive colors and finishes, and Apple should take some cue from them for 2019 iPhones. Theres no reason for the company to not offer the 2019 iPhone XS in the same variety of colors as the iPhone XR. The 2019 iPhones are going to come with a better camera than the 2018 iPhone XS. But thats not going to be enough. Huaweis Mate 20 Pro and Google Pixel 3 are beating the iPhone in the camera department by a significant margin and Apple really needs to step up its game in this department. Its Smart HDR algorithm has not turned out to be as good as Googles HDR+ algorithm and the company needs to work on improving it even further to make it capture magical photos like Googles Pixel series. The company also needs to consider bundling an 18W power adapter in the box with the 2019 iPhones. Even budget Android devices are now shipping with a fast charger in their box and it is shameful of Apple to ship a $999 smartphone with a 5W charger in its box. It should take a cue from its 2018 iPad Pro lineup and switch to USB-C instead of Lightning, though the chances of that happening are very slim. If Apple does make the switch, it could offer support for external monitors with the 2019 iPhones which should make them a great productivity tool to have on the go. There are a lot of other areas that Apple can improve its 2019 iPhones in to make them a compelling upgrade. But we want to hear from our readers as to what their expectations are from the 2019 iPhones? What improvements would compel you to make the upgrade? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below! Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central has said that the only way the Igbos can cement the promise by President Muhammadu Buhari to handle over power to the region in 2023, is to make it concrete by putting pen to paper. According to the lawmaker, the region promised power in 2023, should demand for an irrevocable and irreversible agreement that will be witnessed by their presidential candidates, party chieftains and respected traditional rulers. Shehu Sani said this via Twitter handle on Tuesday, adding that gentleman agreement will hold no water. He wrote: If they promise your geopolitical zone political power in 2023,demand for a written irreversible and irrevocable agreement,signed by their presidential candidates and party chieftains and witnessed by respected traditional and religious leaders. Gentleman agreement is a hoax & a mirage. The Police Command in Jigawa says it has arrested a 30-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife, Sahura, on June 25 at Bukki village in Dutse. The Nation President Muhammadu Buhari led the way last night, stressing that next years elections are not a do-or-die affair. Daily Trust 2019: Ganduje has 88% chances of winning electiongroup A renowned public opinion poll group, Poll 4 Excellence, Africa (P4EA) with headquarters in Accra, Ghana, conducted an opinion poll on the chances of gubernatorial candidates for 2019 election in Kano state, and scored Gov.Abdullahi Ganduje, with 88 per cent chances of winning the election. Tribune President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is on a mission to rescue the nations resources from being appropriated by a privileged few in their never-ending quest to satisfy their greed. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has criticised president Muhammadu Buhari over his new year speech to Nigerians, as they accused him of finally switching to valedictory mode. According to the opposition in a statement on Tuesday, Buharis speech was very pathetic, empty and shows that the president has finally given up. PDP said the president couldnt mention any of his commitments on our national life. President Buhari was also accused of being bereft of ideas and projections. Buhari was also said to have switched to valedictory mode, because he is now aware that Nigerians have no interest in reelecting him. See full statement below The 2019 New Year Speech of President Buhari is pathetic, empty and shows that the President has finally given up, following his irredeemable rejection by Nigerians ahead of the 2019 Presidential election. President Buhari could not even articulate any concrete commitment on any sector of our national life. The President is not only bereft of ideas, he has also lost projections, having realized that Nigerians are not ready to give him a second term in office. Indeed, any discerning mind could see that President Buhari has finally switched into valedictory mode, having realized that Nigerians have seen through the falsehood, lies and deception that have characterized his incompetent and corrupt presidency for almost four years. Instead, President Buhari, dwelt on unnecessary diatribes, finger- pointing, hate speech and fixation on the 2019 general elections, in which an imminent defeat awaits him and his party, the Instead, President Buhari, dwelt on unnecessary diatribes, finger- pointing, hate speech and fixation on the 2019 general elections, in which an imminent defeat awaits him and his party. The PDP PPCO therefore calls on Nigerians to rescue our nation from President Buhari and his cabal by working harder in rallying behind our Presidential candidate, Atiku who has already articulated practical templates to reposition our dear nation Nigeria. The Van Don international airport (Source: VNA) This is one of the important contents in the strategic cooperation agreement between Vietnam Airlines and Quang Ninh province. The first flight on the route used a Boeing 787 wide-body plane, departing from Tan Son Nhat international airport at 7:20 and landing safely at the Van Don international airport at 09:25 on the same day. Duong Tri Thanh, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said the route is part of Vietnam Airlines' strategic plan to expand its domestic flight networks and develop a tourism axis in the northern coastal region. In 2019, Vietnam Airlines will research and work with the local authorities and the Van Don international airport to build programmes on attracting foreign tourists, especially those from the Republic of Korea, Japan and China. With the frequency of one flight per day, the Ho Chi Minh City-Van Don air route is operated by Airbus A321 aircraft in line with four-star international service standards. Flights depart from the Tan Son Nhat international airport at 14:00 and from the Van Don airport at 16:45 with an estimated flight time of two hours and five minutes. The route is hoped to enhance connection between the south and the northeast region, meeting the demand of tourism and trade exchange between the southern economic hub of HCM City with Quang Ninh province and adjacent localities, while meeting the growing demand of cargo transportation when Van Don officially becomes a special economic zone in the future./. Omokri, a former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan has criticised President Muhammad Buhari over his new year message to Nigerians. According to Omokri, passed Nigerian President, in their new message to Nigerians would recount their achievement in the year past, but Buhari is the only President who didnt name his, because he has none. Meanwhile, Buhari in his message thanked Nigerians for their support, and hoped that his mandate will be renewed in the 2019 presidential election. I appreciate your support and collaboration in previous years, and look forward to same in 2019, and beyond, as I hope you will renew the mandate you overwhelmingly gave us in 2015, for another term. I can assure you all that we are making steady and sustainable progress in all areas of national life. Those who are unbiased can see and appreciate the progress the country has made since 2015. A New Year provides opportunity for renewal of commitment, and I invite you to rededicate yourselves to the vision of a Nigeria that works for all. We are moving from potentials to actualization, and it is a task to be accomplished by us all; man, woman, young, old, military, civilian, all Nigerians. Please come along, as we journey to the land of our dreams. However, Omokri in his criticism said Buhari remains the first and only president not to discuss his achievement with Nigerians. EVERY year, Nigerias leaders give a New Year address to tell Nigerians what they achieved in the previous year and what they intend to do in the New Year. President Buhari is the FIRST & ONLY Nigerian leader not to do this because he has NO ACHIEVEMENT and NO PLANS A former Aviation Minister, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode has taken a swipe at a former Minister of Information and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Momoh, over a statement he made against ex President Olusegun Obasanjo. Fani-Kayode in a tweet on Tuesday, lambasted president Muhammadu Buhari, and his allies, over how they now refer to Obasanjo, since the former president declared his support for Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate. In a recent interview, the former Minister of Information, was quoted to have said that the former presidents only strength lies in talking. Reacting to the reports, Fani-Kayode said the former president was worshipped by Buhari and his allies, until he withdraw his support from the administration. Speaking via his Twitter handle, he wrote: They insult OBJ today though they worshipped him yesterday. Buhari and his dogs, like Tony Momoh, are not fit to clean Obasanjos arse. They are nothing but the sons of slaves and filthy peasants. The President of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide has released the 2019/2020 prophecies. Its full of surprises. (1) Great agricultural boost for South Africa (2) I saw an eclipse (3) 2019 Nigeria election- 100% rigged (4) Northern response to election results to shock the incumbent Government. They had strong response from the south. (5) Election- Nigeria vs Military/ Police (6) China to openly confront America (7) Great set back economically (8) Election funds controversy/scandal (9) Biafra struggle to gain massive support (10) A new activist to launch campaign against presidency (11) 2019, a shock for Governors ( 12) Ghana economy to get foreign support (13) I saw another missile test in North Korea (14) Nollywood to merge internationally (15) I see a major breakthrough in the cure for HIV (16) Muhammadu Buhari needs prayer, please sir , go and rest (17) Abubakar Atiku should focus on North during campaign (18) I see an Igbo Presidency in 2023 but they must not have any deal with present Government (19) Tinubu should forget 2023 (20) I see internet fraudsters, new ritualistic ways of making money( blood hunt) (21) A presidential aspirant to be arrested (22) I saw Boko Haram invade a police station (23) The Almighty God is unhappy at the continued detention of El- Kazakh (24) APC wins Lagos election (25) Keystone banks needs prayers (26) ASUU to pray against losing a top member (27) I saw a major politician declared missing (28) WAEC to be re-modeled (29) I saw farmers package welfare from the government and it results to crisis between them and the state government (30) I saw most Eastern states won by APC at the National level ( 31) Strange killings in Togo (32) Mali should pray against strange virus outbreak (33) The Government should protect police station and military barracks because I see people break in searching for arms (34) I saw fire outbreak in a media house (35) I saw a Nigerian airline grounded totally (36) America should not relax a deadlier terrorist group is emerging (37) I saw a probe group disgrace U.S government (38) Donald Trump to lose 2nd term (39) Brexit crises to implode U.K (40) I saw a terrorist attack in America (41) Fire outbreak in Canada but quickly managed (42) Nigeria to win awards and relevance in cyber world ( 43) Lets declare a prayer day against massive bloodshed in Rivers state ( Too ugly) (44) I saw a horse, written on it was pray against Americans being homeless. I saw something happen that made them scampering for safety. Natural disaster (45) July and August in Nigeria, serious prayer. (46) Many weddings, 2019 is a year of multiple marriages (47) I saw people with children in multiples of triplets and twins (48) Pensioners to smile (49) I saw a lot of politicians in Prison (50) A top legislator in USA and a known senator- peaceful passing away. Apostle Johnson Suleman, the Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, OFM, has also revealed 19 things God told him about the year 2019. The clergyman made the revelation during the churchs crossover service which took place at the OFM headquarters located at kilometre 132, Benin-Okene-Abuja Express Way in Auchi, Edo state, southern Nigeria on Monday. At his churchs December 31, 2018 crossover service, Apostle Suleman revealed the 19 things God told him about the new year. 19 things God told Apostle Johnson Suleman for 2019 This Lie Called Democracy By Philip A Farruggio January 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Well, another year stumbles out the door and a new one is pushed in. This procedure is emulated by the consistency of this lie we call democracy. Everybody participates in it. The politicians who need the lie to get them into office.. and keep them there; The embedded in empire media, especially the electronic mainstream so called news shows (with models, actors and actresses making millions posing as journalists); The stalwarts of these two servants of empire Republican and Democratic parties; and last but surely not least many of my friends and neighbors who still buy into the lie. Let me be as clear as a rare smog less big city day: So long as we continue to allow private money into electoral politics, there will never be the foundation for a true democracy Period! Just imagine if wealthy interests could not openly bribe politicians with campaign donations. Perhaps maybe then we could see some semblance of economic justice and a healthier public. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Big Oil and Big Auto have made sure, since the inception of the motor car, that the Congress need not legislate that cars get substantial higher fuel efficiency. Ralph Nader had to push for decades just to get the miniscule fuel standards we now have- nothing from what these cars and trucks should be getting in miles per gallon. Then we have Big Pharma who legally bribe our political system to allow unsafe drugs on the market. The Opioid crisis, for example, has revealed to those who really care to know, that many of those types of drugs should never have been allowed on the market Period! How many Americans, skimming to the subject of anti depressant and anti hyperactive drugs, have committed suicide because of them? Check it out for yourself. Big Insurance has taken over the health care of Americans.. or shall I say the Lack of? As a baby boomer on Medicare, they dont even ask to see my Medicare card when I go to any doctor. All they require is my private (so called supplemental) insurance card. Twice my private insurer has ruled out my ENT docs request for a deviated septum surgery. Twice! My wife, 10 years younger than me, has NO major medical coverage, only hospitalization. We can barely afford that cost. To have the same coverage as myself, no way could we afford even a decent plan. As far as other people under 65 that I know, maybe those with private insurance coverage should check out what their deductible is. Guaranteed it is over a couple of thousand dollars before their coverage kicks in. One must ask those charming hacks who are supposed to represent us as to what their coverage is- you know the coverage that our tax dollars are paying for! So, when even the so called Green Dems are demanding a Medicare for All Americans plan, dont they understand that all it would do is allow 50 million or more of our fellow citizens to be held hostage? Margret Flowers and Kevin Zeese are part of a campaign to put pressure on to see that a viable National Health Care For All becomes a reality. Check out their work at Popular Resistance. Org. We all can see, each time we watch any major sporting event on the boob tube, just how powerful this Military Industrial Empire is. Before every event they drape the giant US flag over the entire field or court, bring out the honor guard and everyone bows their heads for the anthem. Everybody knows that we are At war and must honor our brave troops etc. Well, if they really want to honor our troops, get them the hell out of where they never should have been sent to in the first place! Send the children and grandchildren of our political, media and military leaders to those desert outposts in full gear. Dont forget to send the young fighting age relatives of all those movers and shakers of the War industries out there as well. Bottom line: For every dollar of your hard earned federal tax money you send to Uncle Sam, over half goes for military related spending. Over half! Trump made a concocted, strictly political decision to pull a few thousand military out of Syria and Afghanistan (places we illegally are in). Meanwhile, he wont shut down the myriad of bases we have in Afghanistan and the near thousand we maintain in perhaps 100 countries (I did not know there were even 100 countries in the world). We need them there, and all of Trumps recent predecessors have echoed Groucho Marx from the film Duck Soup that This means war! There can be NO democracy so long as my fellow citizens keep relying on the Two Party system to operate, and money is allowed to flow into campaigns. Even good and decent politicians get tarnished. The late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, a stalwart for cutting out the influence of money in politics, admitted the following anecdote. He said he was out there on the campaign trail for re-election, and returned to his hotel room one evening. He noticed there were quite a few messages for him. I went through them, and honestly the first call I returned was to a man I recognized as a campaign donor of mine. That is the reality of how things work now. He said that almost 20 years ago. Philip A Farruggio is a son and grandson of Brooklyn , NYC longshoremen. He has been a free lance columnist since 2001, with over 400 of his work posted on sites like Global Research, Greanville Post, Off Guardian, Consortium News, Information Clearing House, Nation of Change, World News Trust, Op Ed News, Dissident Voice, Activist Post, Sleuth Journal, Truthout and many others. His blog can be read in full on World News Trust, whereupon he writes a great deal on the need to cut military spending drastically and send the savings back to save our cities. Philip has a internet interview show, Its the Empire Stupid with producer Chuck Gregory, and can be reached at paf1222@bellsouth.net 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. Home Search ICH Worse than Obsolete: NATO Creates Enemies By John Laforge January 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - NATOs and the US militarys desecration of corpses, attacks on wedding parties, mosques, hospitals and market places along with the bombing of allied troops, torture of prisoners, and their notoriously unaccountable drone warfare are a few of the alliances more infamous outrages in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. Twenty years worth of unintended or collateral damage hasnt created friends in the war zones: + On April 23, 1999, NATO rocketed the central studio of Radio Televisija Srbije (RTS), the state-owned broadcasting corporation in Belgrade, destroying the building. Sixteen civilian employees of RTS were killed and 16 wounded. Amnesty International concluded the attack was a war crime. + In a Feb. 12, 2010 atrocity that was kept secret until March 13, US Special Forces killed a teenage girl, a pregnant mother of 10, a pregnant mother of 6, a police officer and his brother, and were accused of then trying to cover-up the killings by digging bullets out of the victims bodies, washing the wounds with alcohol and lying to superior officers. + While bombing Libya in March 2011, NATO refused to aid a group of 72 migrants adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. Only nine people on board survived. The refusal was condemned as criminal by the Council of Europe. + On Nov. 26, 2011, NATO jets bombed and rocketed an allied Pakistani military base for two hours, killing 26 Pakistani soldiers and wounding dozens more. NATO refuses to apologize. Allies have reacted angrily. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave his last warning against NATOs bombing of Afghan homes on May 31, 2011, saying, If they continue their attacks on our houses history shows what Afghans do with trespassers and with occupiers. On March 20, 2012, Pakistani lawmakers demanded an end to all NATO/CIA drone strikes against their territory. The drone attacks continue, and newspapers repeatedly remind readers of the self-defeating hopelessness of using atrocities to fight a tactic or to enforce US military occupation. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Head l ines Record NATOs Global Crime Spree Civilians Killed in US-Afghan Operation, New York Times, Nov. 29, 2018 Navy SEAL is Accused of Bloodthirsty Killings, New York Times, Nov. 16, 2018 Report: 3,301 civilians killed in US-led strikes in Syria since 2014, Duluth News Tribune, Sept. 24, 2018 Study: US killed 500 civilians (Pentagon may be grossly undercounting), Mpls. StarTribune, June 3, 2018 More Afghan Civilians are Victims of Targeted Attacks, UN Says, New York Times, Feb. 16, 2018 Afghan Pedophiles Get Pass from US Military, Report Says, New York Times, Jan. 24, 2018 Killed, Shovel in Hand: Afghan Farmers are the Latest Victims of a Chaotic War, New York Times, March 19, 2018 American Airstrikes in Afghanistan Stir Debate Over Who Was Killed, New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017 US Airstrikes kill at least 13 civilians, Mpls. StarTribune, Nov. 5, 2017 Airstrike Kills at Least 25 at Street Market in Yemen, New York Times, Nov. 2, 2017 Civilian deaths from US-led strikes on ISIS surge under Trump administration (Airwars, a UK-based watchdog group, estimates the civilian death toll from coalition airstrikes at over 3,800.), The Guardian, June 6, 2017 11 Afghans Killed in US Airstrike, New York Times, Aug. 31, 2017 3 Children Among Dead in a Raid In Somalia, New York Times, Aug. 26, 2017 Afghans Say US Strike Hit Civilians, New York Times, Aug. 12, 2017 Civilian deaths a windfall for militants propaganda, AP/Mpls. StarTribune, April 2, 2017 US Airstrike Probably Had a Role in Mosul Civilian Deaths, Commander Concedes, New York Times, March 29, 2017 US strike reportedly killed 30 Syrians, New York Times/Mpls. StarTribune, March 23, 2017 US military says fight with Taliban killed 33 civilians, Mpls. StarTribune, Jan. 13, 2017 US-led strikes in Iraq, Syria have killed at least 188 civilians, military says, Duluth News Tribune, Jan. 3, 2017 US admits its airstrikes likely killed Afghan civilians. Washington Post/Mpls. StarTribune, Nov. 6, 2016 US Drones Hit Civilians, U.N. Says, New York Times, Sept. 30, 2016 Residents Say US Strike Killed Civilians (killed at least 15 civilians), Wall Street Journal, Sept. 29, 2016 Pentagon: Errors led to hospital strike (which killed 42 people), New York Times, & Mpls. StarTribune, May 1, 2016 A Moral Debt for Bombing a Hospital (killing 42 innocent people), editorial, New York Times, April 30, 2016 Airstrike on Afghan hospital stirs fury, New York Times/Mpls. StarTribune; and 19 die in apparent US airstrike on Afghan hospital, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 2015 US marine pleads guilty to urinating on corpse of Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, The Guardian, Jan. 16, 2013 US troops posed with body parts of Afghan bombers, Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2012 Drones At Issue Raids Disrupt Militants, but Civilian Deaths Stir Outrage, New York Times, March 18, 2012 G.I. Kills 16 Afghans, Including 9 Children In Attacks on Homes, New York Times, March 12, 2012 NATO Admits Airstrike Killed 8 Young Afghans, but Contends They Were Armed, New York Times, Feb. 16, 2012 Informer Misled NATO in Airstrike That Killed 8 Civilians, Afghans Say (seven shepherd boys under 14), New York Times, Feb. 10, 2012 Video [of Marines urinating on dead fighters] Inflames a Delicate Moment for US in Afghanistan, New York Times, Jan. 12, 2012 Commission alleges US detainee abuse, Mpls. StarTribune, Jan. 8, 2012 Six Children Are Killed by NATO Airstrike in Afghanistan, New York Times, Nov. 25, 2011 American Soldier Is Convicted of Killing Afghan Civilians for Sport, New York Times, Nov. 11, 2011 US Drone Strike Kills Brother of a Taliban Commander, New York Times, Oct. 28, 2011 Afghanistan officials systematically tortured detainees, UN report says, The Guardian, & BBC, Oct. 10; Washington Post, Oct. 11, 2011 G.I. Killed Afghan Journalist, NATO Says, New York Times, Sept. 9, 2011 Cable Implicates Americans in Deaths of Iraqi Civilians, New York Times, Sept. 2, 2011 Civilians Die in a Raid by Americans and Iraqis, New York Times, Aug. 7, 2011 NATO Strikes Libyan State TV Transmitters, New York Times, July 31, 2011 US Expands Its Drone War to Take On Somali Militants, New York Times, July 2, 2011 NATO admits raid probably killed nine in Tripoli, St. Paul Pioneer Press, June 20, 2011 NATO airstrike blamed in 14 civilian deaths, St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 30, 2011 Libya Effort Is Called Violation of War Act, New York Times, May 26, 2011 Raid on Wrong House Kills Afghan Girl, 12, New York Times, May 12, 2011 Yemen: 2 Killed in Missile Strike, Associated Press, May 5, 2011 NATO Accused of Going Too Far With Libya Strikes, New York Times, May 2, 2011 Disposal of Bin Ladens remains violated Islamic principles, clerics say, Associated Press, May 2, 2011 Photos of atrocities seen as threat to Afghan relations, St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 22, 2011 Missiles Kill 26 in Pakistan (most of them civilians), New York Times, March 18, 2011 Afghans Say NATO Troops Killed 8 Civilians in Raid, New York Times, Aug. 24, 2010 A dozen or more Afghan civilians were killed during a nighttime raid Aug. 5, 2010 in eastern Afghanistan, NATOs officers said. Chicago Tribune, Aug. 6, 2010 Afghans Say Attack Killed 52 Civilians; NATO Differs, New York Times, July 27, 2010 Afghans Die in Bombing, As Toll Rises for Civilians, New York Times, May 3, 2010 Pakistan Angry as Strike by U.S. Kills 11 Soldiers, New York Times, June 12, 2008 Marines Used Excessive Force in Afghan Civilian Deaths, Washington Post, April 14, 2007 To end NATOs recruitment of terrorized enemies, a lesson from Dr. King needs to be learned: The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours. John LaForge is a Co-director of Nukewatch, a peace and environmental justice group in Wisconsin, and edits its newsletter. This article was originally published by " Counterpunch " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. How the War Party Lost the Middle East By Patrick Buchanan January 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - "Assad must go, Obama says." So read the headline in The Washington Post, Aug. 18, 2011. The story quoted President Barack Obama directly: "The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way. the time has come for President Assad to step aside." Frances Nicolas Sarkozy and Britains David Cameron signed on to the Obama ultimatum: Assad must go! Seven years and 500,000 dead Syrians later, it is Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron who are gone. Assad still rules in Damascus, and the 2,000 Americans in Syria are coming home. Soon, says President Donald Trump. But we cannot "leave now," insists Sen. Lindsey Graham, or "the Kurds are going to get slaughtered." Question: Who plunged us into a Syrian civil war, and so managed our intervention that were we to go home after seven years our enemies will be victorious and our allies will "get slaughtered"? Seventeen years ago, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban for granting sanctuary to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad is today negotiating for peace talks with that same Taliban. Yet, according to former CIA director Mike Morell, writing in The Washington Post Monday, the "remnants of al-Qaeda work closely" with todays Taliban. It would appear that 17 years of fighting in Afghanistan has left us with these alternatives: Stay there, and fight a forever war to keep the Taliban out of Kabul, or withdraw and let the Taliban overrun the place. Who got us into this debacle? Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter After Trump flew into Iraq over Christmas but failed to meet with its president, the Iraqi Parliament, calling this a "U.S. disregard for other nations sovereignty" and a national insult, began debating whether to expel the 5,000 U.S. troops still in their country. George W. Bush launched Operation Iraq Freedom to strip Saddam Hussein of WMD he did not have and to convert Iraq into a democracy and Western bastion in the Arab and Islamic world. Fifteen years later, Iraqis are debating our expulsion. Muqtada al-Sadr, the cleric with American blood on his hands from the fighting of a decade ago, is leading the charge to have us booted out. He heads the party with the largest number of members in the parliament. Consider Yemen. For three years, the U.S. has supported with planes, precision-guided munitions, air-to-air refueling and targeting information, a Saudi war on Houthi rebels that degenerated into one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. Belatedly, Congress is moving to cut off U.S. support for this war. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, its architect, has been condemned by Congress for complicity in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate in Istanbul. And the U.S. is seeking a truce in the fighting. Who got us into this war? And what have years of killing Yemenis, in which we have been collaborators, done to make Americans safer? Consider Libya. In 2011, the U.S. attacked the forces of dictator Moammar Gadhafi and helped to effect his ouster, which led to his murder. Told of news reports of Gadhafis death, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joked, "We came, we saw, he died." The Libyan conflict has since produced tens of thousands of dead. The output of Libyas crucial oil industry has collapsed to a fraction of what it was. In 2016, Obama said that not preparing for a post-Gadhafi Libya was probably the "worst mistake" of his presidency. The price of all these interventions for the United States? Some 7,000 dead, 40,000 wounded and trillions of dollars. For the Arab and Muslim world, the cost has been far greater. Hundreds of thousands of dead in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Libya, civilian and soldier alike, pogroms against Christians, massacres, and millions uprooted and driven from their homes. How has all this invading, bombing and killing made the Middle East a better place or Americans more secure? One May 2018 poll of young people in the Middle East and North Africa found that more of them felt that Russia was a closer partner than was the United States of America. The fruits of American intervention? We are told ISIS is not dead but alive in the hearts of tens of thousands of Muslims, that if we leave Syria and Afghanistan, our enemies will take over and our friends will be massacred, and that if we stop helping Saudis and Emiratis kill Houthis in Yemen, Iran will notch a victory. In his decision to leave Syria and withdraw half of the 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, Trump enraged our foreign policy elites, though millions of Americans cannot get out of there soon enough. In Mondays editorial celebrating major figures of foreign policy in the past half-century, The New York Times wrote, "As these leaders pass from the scene, it will be left to a new generation to find a way forward from the wreckage Mr. Trump has already created." Correction: Make that "the wreckage Mr. Trump inherited." Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of "Nixon's White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com . Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Food aid stolen as Yemen starves : Food has been seized by armed units that are allied with the Saudi-led, American-backed military coalition fighting in Yemen. 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. Home Search ICH C.I.A.s Afghan Forces Leave a Trail of Abuse and Anger The fighters hold the line in the wars toughest spots, but officials say their brutal tactics are terrorizing the public and undermining the U.S. mission. By Mujib Mashal The C.I.A.-sponsored force left behind torched cars and an explosion-crumpled home in Khogyani. CreditJim Huylebroek for The New York Times January 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - NADER SHAH KOT, Afghanistan Razo Khan woke up suddenly to the sight of assault rifles pointed at his face, and demands that he get out of bed and onto the floor. Within minutes, the armed raiders had separated the men from the women and children. Then the shooting started. As Mr. Khan was driven away for questioning, he watched his home go up in flames. Within were the bodies of two of his brothers and of his sister-in-law Khanzari, who was shot three times in the head. Villagers who rushed to the home found the burned body of her 3-year-old daughter, Marina, in a corner of a torched bedroom. The men who raided the familys home that March night, in the district of Nader Shah Kot, were members of an Afghan strike force trained and overseen by the Central Intelligence Agency in a parallel mission to the United States militarys, but with looser rules of engagement. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Ostensibly, the force was searching for militants. But Mr. Khan and his family had done nothing to put themselves in the cross hairs of the C.I.A.-sponsored strike force, according to investigators. It was clear that the raiding force had committed an atrocity, said Jan-mir Zazai, a member of the Khost provincial council who was part of the government investigating team. Everyone we spoke to said they would swear on the innocence of the victims. At a time when the conventional Afghan military and police forces are being killed in record numbers across the country, the regional forces overseen by the C.I.A. have managed to hold the line against the most brutal militant groups, including the Haqqani wing of the Taliban and also Islamic State loyalists. But the units have also operated unconstrained by battlefield rules designed to protect civilians, conducting night raids, torture and killings with near impunity, in a covert campaign that some Afghan and American officials say is undermining the wider American effort to strengthen Afghan institutions. Those abuses are actively pushing people toward the Taliban, the officials say. And with only a relatively small American troop contingent left and that perhaps set to drop further on President Trumps orders the strike forces are increasingly the way that a large number of rural Afghans experience the American presence. Many of the strike forces were officially put under the control of Afghan intelligence starting in 2012. But senior Afghan and international officials say that the two most effective and ruthless forces, in Khost and Nangarhar Provinces, are still sponsored mainly by the C.I.A. Those fighting forces, also referred to as counterterrorism pursuit teams, are recruited, trained and equipped by C.I.A. agents or contractors who work closely with them on their bases, according to several current and former senior Afghan security officials, and the members are paid nearly three times as much as regular Afghan soldiers. The Afghan ownership of those two units is only nominal, a liaison relationship in which intelligence headquarters in Kabul has representatives on the mission for coordination. But the required pre-approval for raids is often last-minute, or skipped until afterward, the officials say. For months, The New York Times has investigated the human toll of the C.I.A.-sponsored forces on communities. Times journalists researched frequent complaints at times almost weekly that these units had raided and killed civilians, and The Times went to the sites of half a dozen of their raids, often less than 24 hours after the force had left. The investigation found details of a C.I.A. mission with tactical successes that have come at the cost of alienating the Afghan population. One former senior Afghan security official bluntly accused the strike forces of war crimes. Often, the raids that resulted in civilian deaths were carried out not far from police outposts or government offices, leaving those American-supported officials humiliated in the villages they had been trying to establish relationships with. And because the C.I.A.-sponsored units often use English during operations, their abuses are even more directly equated with the American presence, though claims that American agents have sometimes been on the missions have not been confirmed. The dilemma is this: The C.I.A. needs to fight its wars in the shadows, said Karl Eikenberry, a former commander of American forces in Afghanistan who later served as the United States ambassador to Kabul. But when the U.S. also takes on the mission of state-building, then the contradictions between the two approaches stealth, black ops, and non-transparency vs. institution building, rule of law, and accountability become extraordinarily difficult to resolve, and our standing as a nation suffers. United Nations reports have expressed concern about civilian deaths and consistent, credible accounts of intentional destruction of civilian property, illegal detention, and other abuses by the units. The United Nations said the forces in Khost, in particular, operated outside the Afghan governments structure with an absence of transparency and ongoing impunity. In the village of Nader Shah Kot, the provincial official who helped investigate the raid, Mr. Zazai, said the forces impunity was alienating residents from the government and increasing support for the Taliban. If there had been arrests, if there had been justice, this wouldnt continue like this, Mr. Zazai said. But there is absolutely no justice. American defense officials in Washington say the C.I.A. operations in Afghanistan are largely opaque to military generals operating in the war zone. The C.I.A.s level of partnership has been declining as the Afghan intelligence agency and its forces grow more mature, the officials said. But as American military forces are set to draw down, the role of the Central Intelligence Agency is only likely to grow in importance. A spokeswoman for the C.I.A. would not comment, nor would Afghans directly involved with the forces. Afghan security officials in Kabul tried to play down the level of the forces autonomy and the nature of their abuses. When pressed with details of specific cases, they did not respond. The number of casualties varied among the cases The Times investigated. In one, two brothers were killed as they watered their fields before dawn after receiving permission from the local security outpost. In another, a unit pursuit of a Taliban target went into the wrong house in Laghman Province and killed 12 civilians, officials there said. One of the most gruesome episodes examined by The Times was in Khogyani District, in Nangarhar Province. The forces handcuffed and hooded two brothers and, after a brief interrogation as their wives and children watched, both men were dragged away and executed in a corner of a bedroom that was then detonated over their heads, according to relatives and villagers who pulled the bodies out of the rubble. When Times journalists arrived at the house 16 hours after the raid, the area was a scene of carnage with burned vehicles and crumbled walls. The familys patriarch, Hajji Hassan Jan, 60, said that a security outpost overlooked their house, and that the districts intelligence chief, who was a regular guest for dinner, had no answer for why the house was raided and his sons killed. Still, he tried to guess: It was probably for feeding the Taliban. In rural Afghanistan, traditions of hospitality demand that you feed whoever knocks at your door. When those men are armed, there is little choice. The forces once asked my son, Why do you feed the Taliban why cook chicken for them, or bring them yogurt? Mr. Jan said. My son told them: We made chicken for them. If you come, we will make an entire lamb for you. Rooted in Counterterrorism The origin of C.I.A.-sponsored strike forces in Afghanistan was in the early days of the American invasion in 2001, when the United States allied with militia forces to help topple the Taliban regime. Once the Taliban and Al Qaeda started fleeing, often across the border into Pakistan, there was no organized Afghan force to create the needed lines of defense. In the eastern province of Khost, largely under the influence of the Haqqani network, which had strong ties to Al Qaeda, the C.I.A. started organizing local militias into a force that could strike at insurgents as they tried to come in or out. Men from the Bati Kot district of Nangarhar gathered on June 1 to pay respects after four members of a family were killed in a raid by the C.I.A.-sponsored strike force.CreditJim Huylebroek for The New York Times These forces were created in border areas at first to stop Al Qaeda fighters, said Ghaffar Khan, a Czechoslovakia-trained police officer from Soviet times whom the C.I.A. had recruited as one of the forces first commanders. It was meant to be a stopgap program. But the force proved so effective, even after the Taliban started coming hard at the government and the American presence, that it kept expanding to other parts of the country. In Khost, the so-called protection force was consolidated and based out of Camp Chapman, the main C.I.A. outpost there . The unit in Khost still has the largest number of fighters, though the exact count is unclear: Officials put the number anywhere from 3,000 to over 10,000. It patrols border areas and also runs its own network of informants. Commander Ghafar said he believed the forces remained necessary, otherwise the defense against Haqqani-run suicide bombers would buckle, making it easier for attackers to reach Kabul. On the other hand, he said, their abuses were taking a toll. Former President Hamid Karzai spent years trying to rein in American forces from carrying out night raids that angered villages and set them against his government, only to realize that the C.I.A.s Afghan forces were doing the same. One episode in particular made Mr. Karzai furious. In 2009, the strike force in Kandahar tried to forcibly release one of its colleagues detained by the police on criminal charges. When the most senior law enforcement official in the province, Gen. Matiullah Qateh, resisted, he and several of his officers were shot dead, former and current Afghan officials say. The C.I.A. reluctantly surrendered the guards involved in the killing of the general, after the Afghan leadership threatened to use force. Mr. Eikenberry, the former general and ambassador, said the C.I.A.-sponsored forces which operated outside of the framework that governed those under sovereign control of the Afghan government raised concerns from the beginning. But Bin Laden was not yet found, Al Qaeda was active in the border areas, and Afghanistan did not have forces capable of dealing with what was regarded as an existential threat to the U.S. So the concerns never led to action, Mr. Eikenberry said. The problem was one to be solved later in the campaign, so to speak. And the C.I.A. was the dominant voice in the chamber. A Surge of Abuse Several current and former Afghan officials said that the C.I.A. still largely commanded the strike forces in Khost and Nangarhar, effectively putting the units above the law. American agents and contractors work closely with them on their bases, develop the targets for them, and help guide the operations from headquarters. And the Americans have a presence at bases where detainees have accused the units of torture and abuse, officials say. In a period of a little over a year, human rights officials registered at least 15 complaints of torture by the strike force based in Nangarhar Province, which has roughly 1,000 fighters and is known as 02. At a September news conference in the city of Jalalabad, elders from three districts of Nangarhar said that over 100 civilians were killed by the 02 unit the month before. (That number could not be verified independently.) Before the people start protests, before the people pick up weapons against the government, the government needs to rein in these kind of reckless operations, said one tribal elder, Malik Zaman. Mohammed Taher, from Khogyani District, said he and two of his brothers were detained in a night raid last spring. He was held for three months and five days, about a week of it at the air base in Nangarhar where the strike force is based. They said, We will drive a tank over you if you dont say your brothers are Taliban. I said, If you have evidence that they are, show me, Mr. Taher said. They wanted me to say all that so they could take a video of me saying it. Mr. Taher said Americans were present during the raid when he was detained, but he did not see Americans during the questioning and the torture at the base. His mistreatment stopped when he was handed over to the regular Afghan intelligence force, he said. My hands were cuffed. They punctured these veins with needles and blood was running, he said. Sabrina Hamidi, who leads the Afghan Human Rights Commission in the east, said that during her 13 years of work at the commission she could not recall a single example of access to the regional forces to examine accusation of abuses. In their operations, most of the times the harm to civilians is direct, Ms. Hamidi said about the 02 unit. When they make arrests, there is usually torture involved, also. In nearly every case examined by The Times, the victims families said they were at a loss for where to seek justice, or an explanation of why they had been raided. And nearly every government official in those areas expressed helplessness about the strike forces operations. I Thought It Was the Caliphate In the Bati Kot district of Nangarhar Province, the strike forces conducted a raid in May, leaving their headquarters at the air base in Jalalabad and arriving in a convoy of several dozen vehicles at a village surrounded by corn fields and orange orchards. One resident, Khoshal Khan, who works at a medical university, thought at first that the raid was an attack by the Islamic State. I ran and got my weapon I thought it was the caliphate people. I didnt know it was the government, Mr. Khan said. Then they started firing, and I heard the gate blown up. They were speaking English, also. Families often sleep outside because of the heat. One family patriarch, Mohamed Taher, in his late 50s, was shot near his bed on the roof. When Times journalists arrived the day after the raid, the bed was broken, the mud roof under the bed patched with blood, just steps from dried tomatoes sunning on a tarp. One of Mr. Tahers grandsons, Sekandar, 16, was visiting from Jalalabad during a school break. He was sleeping in the yard and was awakened by gunshots, he said, spotting the light from the raiders laser sights racing around. Sekandar said the forces spoke both Pashto and English. The strike force had climbed ladders and was on the walls of the house, ordering Mr. Tahers family to come out. But Sekandar said that when they followed the order to come out with their hands up, one of Mr. Tahers sons, Naeem Shah, was shot in his left hand. Then a grandson, Shaker Khan, was shot in the head. The women started crying. They called to be quiet, then they blew up the gates and came in, Sekandar said. His account matched those of other family members and neighbors. Another of Mr. Tahers sons, Mohammed Raheem, had also been gunned down. The remaining men were handcuffed, and the women and children were put in one room. Before the forces started leaving about two hours later, with Naeem Shah still wounded, the fighters warned the family not to come out for an hour after they had left, said Mr. Shahs young son, Adel, 10. They said, Dont come out if the airstrikes hit you, then dont complain, said Adel, whose face had shrapnel wounds from the raid. While the family waited in the house, Adels father bled to death in the yard. The district governors office is just 100 yards from the house, and there are two police outposts nearby. Mohibullah, a relative of the dead, said that for him, there was no difference between the C.I.A.-sponsored force and the Islamic State if the result was to be attacked with no warning. What is the need for raiding me at night? he said. Send me a warrant. If I didnt show up, then you can bring your tanks and fly your planes and destroy me. Reporting was contributed by Julian Barnes, Mark Mazzetti and Thomas Gibbons-Neff from Washington. This article was originally published by " NYT " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Justice for Julian Assange, Test of Western Democracy This cruel persecution of Assange represents a deep crisis of Western democracy By Nozomi Hayase January 01, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - This has been the 7th year that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spent Christmas in confinement inside Ecuadors London embassy. For nearly a decade, the US governments aggressive witch-hunt of truthtellers has trapped him in the UK. Assange claimed political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 to mitigate the risk of extradition to the US, relating to his publishing activities. He has been unlawfully held by the UK government without charge, being denied access to medical treatment, fresh air, sunlight and adequate space to exercise. In December 2015, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Assange was being arbitrarily deprived of his freedom and demanded that he be released. Yet the UK governments refusal to comply with the UN finding has allowed this unlawful detention to continue. This cruel persecution of Assange represents a deep crisis of Western democracy. As injustice against this Western journalist prevails, the legitimacy of traditional institutions has weakened. The benevolent Democracy that many were taught to believe in has been shown to be an illusion. It has been revealed as a system of control, lacking enforcement mechanisms in law to deal with real offenders of human rights violations, who for example illegally invade countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Under this managed democracy, the premise of no person is above laws is made into a pretense that elites use to escape democratic accountability. Media has become the Guardian of ruling elites that engage in propaganda to distort truth. Dictatorship of the West Assanges plight, his struggle for freedom revealed a dictatorship in the West. There have been changes in Ecuadors treatment of Assange ever since a new President Lenin Moreno took office in May 2017. Contrary to the former President Rafael Correa, who courageously granted the publisher asylum, Moreno has shown total disregard for this Australian journalist who has become a political refugee and also a citizen of Ecuador since December 2017. This Ecuadorian governments shift in attitude had to do with Western governments bullying this small nation of South America. It was reported that the US has pressured Ecuador over loans, making it act illegally in violation of international laws as well as its own constitution. At the end of March, one day after a high level US military visit to Ecuador, this new Ecuadorian president unilaterally cut off Assange from the outside world, by denying his access to internet, prohibiting him from having visitors and communicating with the press. Assange has been put into isolation, which Human Rights Watch general counsel described as being similar to solitary confinement. In mid October, in the guise of restoring his internet access, Ecuador issued a Special Protocol that perpetuates this silencing of Assange. By further restricting his freedom of expression and requiring him to pay for medical bills and phone calls, Moreno government seeks to break Assange. He is forcing him to leave the embassy on his own accord and get arrested by UK authorities, who are refusing to give him assurances to not extradite him to the US. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter US imperialism Assange has met the fury of empire by exposing US government war crimes having the blood of tens of thousands of innocent people dripping from its hands. He has become a political prisoner, being treated as an enemy by the most powerful government in the world. Last month, US prosecutors mistakenly revealed secret criminal charges against Assange under file in the Eastern District of Virginia. James Goodale, First Amendment lawyer and former general counsel of the New York Times, commented on the danger of US governments efforts to charge a journalist possibly under espionage who is not American and did not publish in the US: A charge against Assange for conspiring with a source is the most dangerous charge that I can think of with respect to the First Amendment in almost all my years representing media organizations. The Espionage Act of 1917 is a US federal law, created after World War I to prosecute spies during wartime. This law is still in effect today and can be used to go after even those outside of US territory, due to a later amendment that removed this wording from the act: within the jurisdiction of the United States, on the high seas, and within the United States. Obamas Justice Department was eager to prosecute Assange and WikiLeaks for publishing classified documents, but chose not to do so, due to concerns that it would set a precedent which could strip away the First Amendment protection for the press. After WikiLeaks Vault 7 publication in March 2017 detailing CIA capabilities to perform electronic surveillance, the US government showed its appetite to abuse this outdated law to criminalize journalism. In April 2017, the then Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated that the arrest of Assange is a priority. This threat on press freedom increased in the following months, as he showed his determination to prosecute media outlets publishing classified information. Trumps Secretary of State and the former CIA director, Mike Pompeo called WikiLeaks a non-state hostile intelligence service, claiming that the organization tries to subvert American values and it needs to be shut down. As the Trump administration tries to claim that it has a right to prosecute anyone in the world in their assault on free press, top Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill showed their bipartisan support. They signed a letter demanding Pompeo urges Ecuador to evict Assange. Contagious act of resistance The secret indictment against Assange opened a sad era for democracy. Barry Pollack, WikiLeaks founders Washington D.C. based attorney noted that this Trump administrations attempt to prosecute someone for publishing truth is a dangerous path for democracy to take. David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression stated that prosecuting Assange would be dangerously problematic from the perspective of press freedom and should be resisted. Top human rights organizations have been showing strong opposition against the extradition of Assange. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch urged the UK government not to extradite him to the US. More than 30 Parliamentarians of the German Parliament and EU Parliament wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, asking the UN to intervene so that Assange can travel to a safe third country. Now, significant support for Assange has emerged from one of the European nations. On December 20, two German parliamentarians came to London to visit Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy. Germany that once suffered the suppression of civil liberty under a terrifyingly totalitarian state, has in recent years become a safe haven for Western dissidents who were forced to flee their countries against their governments persecution. In the aftermath of Snowden revelations of the United Stasi of America, support for the safety of whistleblowers and journalists who report on government surveillance has increasingly grown. WikiLeaks investigative editor Sarah Harrison, who helped to secure asylum for the NSA whistleblower found her refuge for her exile from the UK in Berlin. Germanys major centre-left political party, SPD recognized her political courage, demonstrated in her work with WikiLeaks and the organizations extraordinary source protection. Harrison was given an award, named after a journalist and the former West German chancellor Willy Brant who escaped the Nazis and was exiled before returning to Germany. Last week, two German politicians who traveled to visit Assange, carried out an act of urgent diplomacy to represent this countrys commitment to the value of freedom of speech. At the press conference outside of the embassy after their visit, the pair who has been eager to see Assange for months, but were not allowed to do so until now, stood with Assanges father and called for an international solution to Western governments persecution of Assange. Sevim Dagdelen , member of the Left Party, emphasized that Assanges injustice is an exceptional case, noting how there is no other publisher or editor in the Western world who has been arbitrarily detained and this is a betrayal of Western values about human rights. Heike Hansel , vice-chairman of the Left parliamentary group, urged people to resist US government extraterritorial prosecution of Assange. The courage of individuals inside democratic institutions, striving to uphold civil liberties, became contagious. Just before Christmas Eve this year, UN experts reiterated their demand for the UK to honor its international obligations and allow Assange to leave the embassy without fear of arrest and extradition. Chris Williamson, a sitting UK Member of Parliament has endorsed the UNs statement that Assange should be compensated and be made free. While elected officials are standing up for the principle of democracy, concerned citizens around the world day and night stand watch over Assange outside of the embassy in London. Restoring rule of law As 2018 comes to an end, the legitimacy of the West and its entire fabric of institutions is now being tested. Democracy birthed in ancient Athens, was peoples aspiration to organize a society through their direct participation in power. In modern times, it got uprooted from the original imagination and quickly degenerated into a form of elective despotism that Thomas Jefferson once predicted . In the institutional hierarchy of Western liberal democracy, what was regarded as the force for progress began to decay, from inside out. A system of representation that is purported to make those who are capable and intelligent to use their skills for public service, has been abused. Now, the rich and powerful began to inflict harm on those whom they are supposed to represent. WikiLeaks, the worlds first global Fourth Estate, has come to existence as response to this crisis of democracy. With a pristine record of accuracy in its publications, the whistleblowing site brought a way for citizens around the world to transform this hollow democracy that has devoured ideals that once inspired the hearts of ordinary people. From the 2007 release of the Kroll report on official corruption in Kenya that affected the outcome of the national election, to the exposing of the moral bankruptcy of Icelands largest bank in 2009, WikiLeaks publications helped awaken the power of citizenry in many countries. Released documents sparked global uprisings, transforming pervasive defeatism and despair into collective action on the streets. US diplomatic cables leak shared through social media in 2010 unleashed a powerful force that finally topped the corrupt Tunisian dictator Ben Ali. Months after the Arab Spring, informed by WikiLeaks cables, people in Mexico launched a peaceful youth movement against the political corruption of the media. Revelations of Cablegate also affected the course of a presidential election in Peru, and transformed the media in Brazil. In 2016, the DNC leaks and publication of Podesta emails educated American people about how their political system works. Julian Assange, through his work with WikiLeaks, engaged in that type of vibrant journalism that revitalized the impulse for real democracy. By publishing vital information in the public interest, he defended publics right to know, empowering ordinary people to actively participate in history. Now, it is our responsibility to respond to this crisis of democracy through solidarity. Can each of us step up to the challenge to solve the problems that our leaders have created? Efforts to free Assange urge us all to claim and exercise the power inherent within that can restore justice to end this prosecution of free speech. ==See Also== Giuliani Says Assange Should Not Be Prosecuted: Donald Trumps lawyer said on Monday that WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange should not be prosecuted and he compared WikiLeaks publications to the Pentagon Papers. 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. Television | TV Channels Zee Anmol most watched Hindi channel across genres in penultimate week of 2018 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi channel across genres in week 51 of 2018 (Saturday, 15 December 2018 to Friday, 21 December 2018, week or period under review). continue reading... Television | TV Channels Hindi news most benefited genre in Chrome DM week 52 With a growth of 8.13 per cent, the Hindi news genre marked the highest opportunity to see (OTS) among all categories in week 52 of Chrome Data Analytics & Media. In the Hindi news genre, India TV gained the highest OTS with 99.5 per cent in HSM excluding less than 1L-market. continue reading... Television | TV Channels MIB extends feedback deadline date on mandatory sports feed sharing norms till 15 Jan 2019 Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has extended the deadline to give feedback on the draft sports broadcasting signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharti) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 till 15 January 2019. The earlier deadline was 31 December 2018. continue reading... I think Trump finally figured out that none of the generals love him and that none would fit into his schemes. It appears that Michael Flynn testified against him and his crooked offspring. And he wound up firing James Mattis, John Kelly and H.R. McMaster after dragging each one of them through the mud and tarnishing their careers with their proximity to his stench. They're all gone now-- replaced by an ambitious Nazi with bad hair who wormed and flattered his way into Trump's good graces and now pretty much sets all U.S. policy emanating from the White House. No more "moderate" adult generals with steady hands on the till. "I see my generals-- generals are going to keep us so safe. These are central casting-- if I'm doing a movie, I pick you, general." Now the clown has faced the reality that there are some generals who don't get sucked into treason by the jingling of a little cash and that "Mad Dog" Mattis isn't a mad dog the way Trump expected him to be. L.A. Times published an not do when Kelly was at his side." Kelly was referring to Trump's desire to please Putin by pulling out of NATO and by with withdrawing from Afghanistan. Commenting on the two kidnapped Guatemalan children who died in Trump's custody, Kelly seemed to separate himself from Trump, while blaming the whole family separation policy. I can imagine Trump didn't like this: "Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are not bad people. I have nothing but compassion for them, the young kids." Trump's official response to the same question had Miller's paw prints all over them: Yesterday, thepublished an interview with John Kelly defending his time at the White House by "arguing that [his tenure at the White House] is best measured by what the president diddo when Kelly was at his side." Kelly was referring to Trump's desire to please Putin by pulling out of NATO and by with withdrawing from Afghanistan. Commenting on the two kidnapped Guatemalan children who died in Trump's custody, Kelly seemed to separate himself from Trump, while blaming the whole family separation policy. I can imagine Trump didn't like this: "Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are not bad people. I have nothing but compassion for them, the young kids." Trump's official response to the same question had Miller's paw prints all over them: Kelly, who doesn't leave Trump's employ until later in the week, seemed to castigate him by reminding him that "If you want to stop illegal immigration, stop US demand for drugs, and expand economic opportunity [in Central America]." Remember, last week Trump had a different idea that he tweeted, threatening to cut off all aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador if they don't stop the refugees from leaving their countries. Meanwhile we have Marco Rubio tisk-tisking that "It makes abundantly clear that we are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances and empower our adversaries." Has he retired from the Senate to become an observer and casual commenter on current events? As far as I know, he's still a united States Senator. Unfortunately, his Trump adhesion score is 94% . Maybe if it were 74 or 64% Trump would notice when he says something. This Week yesterday in no uncertain terms, Another big name retired General, Stanley McChrystal (4 stars) went after Trump onyesterday in no uncertain terms, characterizing him as an immoral liar , a sentiment that is shared by most Americans but is which is pretty heavy to say about a commander-in-chief. When Martha Raddatz asked him if he thinks Trump is a liar he said, "I dont think he tells the truth." Is Trump immoral, in your view? Raddatz asked. I think he is, he said. McChrystal said he couldn't tell any of Trump's supporters "that they are wrong," but added, "What I would ask every American to do is... stand in front of that mirror and say, 'What are we about? Am I really willing to throw away or ignore some of the things that people do that are-- are pretty unacceptable normally just because they accomplish certain other things that we might like?' "If we want to be governed by someone we wouldn't do a business deal with because their-- their background is so shady, if we're willing to do that, then that's in conflict with who I think we are. And so I think it's necessary at those times to take a stand." ...McChrystal, who recently published a book on leadership styles throughout history called, Leaders: Myth and Reality, criticized Trump for not embodying effective leadership. The military talks about would they come for you. And what that means is if you're put into a difficult military situation, would that leader sacrifice himself, put himself and others at risk to come for you? I have to believe that the people I'm working for would do that, whether we disagree on a lot of other things. I'm not convinced from the behavior that I've seen that that's the case here, said McChrystal. He also cautioned anyone who might fill the vacancy left by Defense Secretary James Mattis departure, to consider if their values sufficiently align with those of the president. "I think maybe it causes the American people to take pause and say, wait a minute, if we have someone who is as selfless and as committed as Jim Mattis resign his position, walking away from all the responsibility he feels for every service member in our forces and he does so in a public way like that, we ought to stop and say, 'OK, why did he do it?,'" McChrystal said on This Week. I would ask [potential candidates] to look in the mirror and ask them if they can get comfortable enough with President Trump's approach to governance, how he conducts himself with his values and with his worldview to be truly loyal to him as a commander in chief and going forward, McChrystal said. If there's too much of a disconnect then I would tell him I think its-- it would be a bad foundation upon which to try to build a successful partnership at that job. La enfermedad por higado graso no alcoholico, que se estima afecta a al menos 30 % de la poblacion en Latinoamerica, es una enfermedad silenciosa por lo que seis de cada 10 que lo padecen no lo saben. C onfederate General Braxton Bragg was arguably the Civil Wars most hated commander. Long afflicted by painful rheumatism, chronic stomach ailments, and severe migraines that helped fuel his unpleasant disposition, Bragg was short-tempered, aggressively argumentative, publicly critical of superiors, quick to berate subordinates, and exercised a strict-disciplinarian command style that alienated the Civil Wars mostly volunteer soldiers. He generally was obnoxious to everyone, in fact. Even President Jefferson Davis, who gave him command of the principal field army in the wars Western Theater, didnt much like Braggand, perhaps more important, neither did Braggs senior subordinates. Tellingly, in the wake of the Confederates hard-won tactical victory at the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19-20, 1863, Braggs major subordinates petitioned Davis to relieve their despised leader of his command. One of those subordinatesthe Souths brilliant, fiery Wizard of the Saddle, Nathan Bedford Forrestreportedly even threatened to kill Bragg! Yet it is a military maxim that subordinates, whether they love or despise their commander, must do one all-important thing: promptly carry out legal orders. At Chickamauga, Braggs senior subordinates ignored this basic leadership precept, thereby helping turn a much-needed tactical victory into a strategic disaster for the South when two months later, nearby Chattanooga, Tenn., was transformed from a starving, besieged Union enclave into the vital launching pad for Union Maj. Gen. William T. Shermans 1864 Atlanta Campaign and devastating March to the Sea. During the Mexican War, Bragg won three brevet promotions and received well-deserved laurels after the Battle of Buena Bista. Braggs principal subordinateshis armys wing, corps, and division commandersmust share responsibility with him for arguably losing the war in the West. Among those contributing to Braggs strategic defeat (each of them to a greater or lesser degree) were: Lt. Gens. Leonidas Polk, Daniel Harvey Hill, and James Longstreet; as well as Maj. Gens. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Thomas C. Hindman, John Bell Hood, Alexander P. Stewart, W.H.T. Walker, and Joseph Wheeler. Although later historians tend to place full burden for strategic defeat on the easiest target, the much-despised Bragganother military tenet, of course, is that the commander is ultimately responsible for all his unit does or fails to doseveral of his subordinates actions reveal that blame should not be borne solely by the Confederacys most hated commander. Born March 22, 1817, in Warrenton, N.C., the beetle-browed Braxton Braggwho by 1863 sported large patches of gray in his dark hair and beardhad admirably finished fifth in his 50-member West Point Class of 1837. Classmates included Union Generals William H. French, John Sedgwick, and Fighting Joe Hooker, and Confederate Generals Jubal Early, John C. Pemberton, and W.H.T. Walker (as well as class dropouts Lewis A. Armistead and St. John R. Liddell). Like many West Pointers, Bragg excelled during the 1846-48 Mexican War, winning three brevet promotions (no U.S. officer won more). Notably Bragg, 29 at the time, received well-deserved laurels as an artillery battery commander at the crucial 1847 Battle of Buena Vista. During that battle, Maj. Gen. Zachary Taylor famously exhorted Bragg to repel a dangerous Mexican assault by giving the enemy a little more grape[shot], Captain Bragg!more likely, Taylor ordered, Double-shot your guns [with anti-personnel canister], and give em Hell! Nevertheless, Braggs cannons turned a potentially disastrous defeat into a resounding victory, making him a national hero (he would be individually honored in New York, Washington, and New Orleans). General Albert Sidney Johnston rallies the 9th Arkansas at Shiloh, where Bragg served as a corps commander. (Troiani, Don (b.1949)/Private Collection/Bridgeman Images) Following the Mexican War, Captain (Brevet Lt. Col.) Bragg endured routine duty at isolated frontier garrisons until, effective January 1856, he resigned from the Army. Not quite 40, Bragg settled upon a slave-worked Louisiana sugar plantation, while also serving as a state militia colonel. After Louisiana seceded on January 26, 1861, Bragg (who opposed secession) was appointed by Governor Thomas O. Moore as a major general and commander of Louisianas military forces until March when he accepted a Confederate Army brigadier generals commission. After training troops in Pensacola, Fla., and southern Alabama, Bragg was promoted to major general in September. Sent to the Western Theater in 1862, he creditably led a corps under General Albert Sidney Johnston at the April 6-7 Battle of Shiloh, was promoted to full general (effective April 6), and on June 17 given command of the Western Department (including the Army of Mississippirenamed the Army of Tennessee in November). Prior to the Battle of Chickamauga, Bragg led his army in two battles whose longterm outcomes revealed his and his principal subordinates inability to turn tactical victories (or near-run draws) into strategic success. After winning a narrow tactical victory over Union Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buells Army of the Ohio at the October 8, 1862, Battle of Perryville in the key border state of Kentucky, Bragg withdrew all his forces to Tennessee, handing Buell a crucial strategic win. In what became an ominous pattern, several of Braggs subordinates severely criticized his leadership, prompting Davis to summon him to Richmond to explain his actions, though ultimately retaining Bragg in command. Bragg repeated his disappointing performance at the 1862-63 Battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) against Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans Army of the Cumberlanda tactically inconclusive draw that again found Bragg retreating. As at Perryville, Bragg was severely criticized by several subordinates in Stones Rivers wake, notably Lt. Gens. Polk and William Hardee, and Maj. Gens. John C. Breckinridge and Benjamin F. Cheatham. Polk petitioned Davis, a fellow West Pointer from the late 1820s, to remove Bragg. Davis reportedly wanted Joe Johnston to replace him, only to have Johnston decline. Hardee was sent away (missing Chickamauga), but Breckinridge, Cheatham, and especially Polk remained thorns in Braggs side. Not only did Bragg abandon Stones River to Rosecrans, he unaccountably left Union forces unmolested for six months, giving them time to rest, reorganize, and resupply. When Old Rosy finally moved, he befuddled Braggs off-balance army during the stunning Tullahoma Campaign (June 24-July 3, 1863). By rapidly outmaneuvering Braggs forces, Rosecrans suddenly had the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanoogas gates. Rosecrans brilliant display of maneuver, flanking marches, and feints and deceptions quickly propelled his army 100 miles forward from Murfreesboro to Chattanooga. Caught off-guard, Bragg retreated into northern Georgia and Alabama. Moreover, Rosecrans army was not the only Union force Bragg facedMaj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnsides Army of the Ohio, then forming to threaten Knoxville and eastern Tennessee, forced Bragg to guess how best to meet the threats. Bragg retreated south of the swift-flowing Tennessee River, which at places was more than a half-mile wide, thereby evacuating the campaigns strategic prize, Chattanooga, when Rosecrans army managed to surge across the river uncontested. Eventually, Bragg concentrated his army near LaFayette, Ga.30 miles south of Chattanooga. By early September, Rosecrans had maneuvered the enemy army out of Tennessee and, importantly, out of Chattanooga (though Buckner still had troops facing Burnside at Knoxville). The Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862January 3, 1863. (Library of Congress) Yet Rosecrans made a potentially fatal errorsending his three corps across the rugged mountains west of Chattanooga over three widely separated roads. By September 10, those corps were spread out more than 40 miles southwest of Chattanooga, none within supporting distance of the other. Prompt counterattacks by Braggs army certainly could have defeated Rosecrans force in detail. Recognizing Rosecrans predicament, the suddenly energized Bragg seized a golden opportunity on September 10 by ordering a coordinated attack on Rosecrans most exposed unit: Maj. Gen. James Negleys 4,600-man division of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas centrally positioned 14th Corps (with Maj. Gen. Alexander M. McCooks 20th Corps to the south and Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittendens 21st Corps north near Chattanooga). A half-days march from support, Negley sat dangerously exposed at Davis Crossroads. Bragg ordered a two-division assault to annihilate Negley, with Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindmans Division (Polks Corps) leading the attack, supported by Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburnes Division (Hills Corps). Attacking Negley from flank and front should have pushed the Union commander into a fatal cul-de-sac, but despite Braggs explicit orders, nothing happened. Hill prevaricated, claiming Cleburne was ill and his approach road blocked by felled trees. Bragg ordered two divisions from Buckners Corps to attack, but they took hours moving into position. Meanwhile, Hindman, not pressed by Polk to attack, got cold feet when Cleburne failed to appear. When an exasperated Bragg finally compelled his recalcitrant subordinates to move, Negley had been reinforced and had safely withdrawn from destruction. Braggs subordinates undermined and frustrated his overall tactical plan, resulting in one of the wars most flawed victories. Albeit belatedly, Negleys near-miss had alerted Rosecrans to the danger his widely spread corps faced. To concentrate his men, Rosecrans frantically ordered Thomas and McCooks corps to rush northeast and Crittendens southwest. Thus, Braggs best chance to destroy Rosecrans was needlessly thrown away by his insubordinate subordinates. As Rosecrans hurried to concentrate his still-vulnerable corps southwest of Chattanooga, he gave Bragg another golden opportunity to strike a potentially fatal blow which, if successful, would regain control of all-important Chattanooga. At dawn on September 13, Bragg ordered Polk to lead a two-corps attack (his own and Walkers Corps) to destroy Crittendens 21st Corps as Crittendens exposed flank passed along Braggs armys front. Once again, nothing happened. Hours after ordering Polk to attack, but hearing no battle sounds, an incensed Bragg rode to Polks headquarters, discovering neither Polk nor Walker had made any attack preparations. By then it was too late. Crittendens corps had safely passed. Importantly, these failed efforts to seize golden opportunities reveal Braggs recalcitrant subordinates had effectively rendered his hold on army command tenuous, at best. The disputatious and authoritarian Bragg on September 15 uncharacteristically held a council of war with his principal subordinates. That conference accomplished two vital things. First, Bragg established the armys overall tactical plan (certainly the proper one) for defeating Rosecranscut his army off from Chattanooga, drive it southwest, and annihilate it. Second, Bragg secured the public concurrence of all his senior commanders, making it difficult for them to justify future recalcitrance, delay, or disobedience of his orders. Whether this second accomplishment was Braggs principal intention cannot be known, but the council of war clearly had that effect (as Braggs post-Chickamauga command house-cleaning would certainly show). The Confederates tactical victory at Chickamauga was due more to the valor of individual soldiers (and to Rosecrans egregious mistake on September 20) than to Braggs tactical brilliance. Indeed, the inability to get his wing, corps, and division commanders (principally Polk, but significantly others as well) to obey his orders promptly continued throughout the main battle. In fact, Braggs subordinates undermined and frustrated his overall tactical plan, resulting in one of the wars most flawed victories. Braggs failure to achieve a decisive breakthrough on september 19 was inevitably exacerbated by his flawed organization. On September 18, combat erupted as the two armies faced off along both sides of the underbrush-choked West Chickamauga Creek. Braggs army finally made multiple crossings of the creek in the face of determined resistance by Union units. Colonel John T. Wilders mounted infantry Lightning Brigade, armed with the excellent Spencer seven-shot repeating rifles, turned back an attempt by Walkers Corps to cross at Alexanders Bridge. After a day of mostly inconclusive fighting, characterized by both sides fumbling in the dense woods searching for the others flanks, neither side had gained much advantage, although Bragg did succeed in getting his army onto the creeks west side. Braggs men fire away from a treeline during the battle. (North Wind Picture Archive/Alamy Stock Photo) Braggs plan for September 19 supported his tactically sound overall plan of flanking Rosecrans on the north (the Union left) and pushing him southwest away from Chattanooga. But Bragg had badly misjudged the Union armys northernmost positions, as Thomas units already had reinforced Crittenden, seizing good defensive terrain. That resulted in locally fierce attacks that by sundown had pushed Union forces west, though they still held along a strong, generally north-south line about a mile west of the creek. Cleburnes Division attacked shortly after sundown, gaining some ground. But no major Confederate breakthrough had been achieved. Combat ended that night in a standoff. Notably, Confederate attacks were piecemeal and none concentrated sufficient combat power to break Rosecrans line. Braggs failure to concentrate and achieve a decisive breakthrough on September 19 was not caused simply by his misjudgment of the strength and position of Rosecrans left flank; instead, it was inevitably exacerbated by his flawed organization. Bragg began that days battle with eight subordinate corps and reserve units reporting directly to himan impossibly large span of control to reasonably expect prompt execution, particularly given his subordinates demonstrated reluctance to obey. Today, only three to five subordinate units are considered the maximum number any commanderregardless of competencecan effectively control (and todays orders are instantly transmitted via radio, computers, or electronicswhereas Bragg relied on junior officer couriers on horseback, hand-carrying written orders that frequently went astray, were misinterpreted, or were simply ignored by his subordinates). Bragg, in an attempt to rectify this span of control problem, reorganized his army into two wings (Polk commanding the Right Wing, Longstreet the Left). Yet he failed to ensure that all of his corps commanders knew the changed command structurefor example, Hill belatedly learned he was now a subordinate in Polks Right Wing at 6 a.m. on September 20, and Longstreet discovered he was Left Wing commander only upon his 11 p.m. arrival at Chickamauga on September 19. Although Bragg theoretically fixed his span of control problem, he failed to implement it properly. Adding another command layer inevitably introduced more delays in transmitting his orders to the divisions executing them. Fate, however, intervened to diminish Braggs command failures. Braggs plan to win the battle on September 20 followed his tactically sound plan to push Rosecrans southwest and away from Chattanooga. He correctly ordered a strong daybreak attack on the Union left by Polks Right Wing in which eight divisions were to step off en echelon. An attack by Longstreets Left Wing was to follow. Understandably, Longstreet spent hours the morning of September 20 familiarizing himself with the battlefield, attempting to place his divisions in proper order, and preparing his units to attack. Yet Polk once again frustrated Braggs intent by unaccountably delaying the Right Wings attack. In fact, when Bragg rode to Polks headquarters in late morning to find out why the attack had not been launched at dawn, as ordered, he found Polk calmly eating breakfast. With Longstreet still sorting out his own units, nothing in Braggs plan was going right. That would change about 11 a.m. Perceiving a dangerousthough nonexistentgap in his front line, Rosecrans jumped the chain of command and directly ordered Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Wood of Crittendens 21st Corps to withdraw his division from the front line and immediately reposition it farther north. Wood realized the order was a mistake, but compliedwith disastrous consequences. Finally prepared to attack, 10,000 menled by Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnsons Provisional Division, of Hoods Corps in Longstreets Left Wingadvanced across the Brotherton Farm and hit the gap in the Union line just vacated by Woods division. In that instant, Rosecrans lost the Battle of Chickamauga but not, as it turned out, the strategic prize of Chattanooga. Johnsons troops, followed closely by those of two other divisions, poured through the gap, fatally collapsing the Union line and nearly overrunning Rosecrans headquarters. Fully one-third of Rosecrans army fled toward Chattanooga as Braggs Confederates swept them along in disarray. Yet letting the Yankees flee toward Chattanooga was the last thing Bragg wanted. Instead of cutting off Rosecrans army from the strategic city and driving it to the southwest and utter destruction, Polk, by failing to attack vigorously on the north, produced the opposite result. Longstreets dramatic breakthrough merely pushed Rosecrans defeated army north to the safety of Chattanooga. Despite Polks failure to implement attack orders on the right flank, Braggs army had won a stunning tactical victory. But again, due to Polks abysmal failure, the victory proved incomplete as Thomas rallied his corps and other Union units in a last stand on Snodgrass Hill/Horseshoe Ridge that prevented the annihilation of the Federal army. Perhaps convinced that Johnsons breakthrough had secured victory, Longstreet did not strongly press his advantage to destroy Thomas Snod-grass Hill defense, leaving this significant roadblock in position. Despite Polks failure to implement attack orders, Braggs army had won a stunning tactical victory. Seething that his overall plan was coming apart, Bragg summoned Longstreet to his headquarters and demanded action while also exclaiming in frustration at Polks continued incompetence: There is not a man in the right wing who has any fight in him! Longstreet, found calmly eating a lunch of yams and bacon, was taken aback and belatedly turned his attention to Thomas stubborn defense. Longstreet reported launching 25 separate assaults on Thomas Snodgrass Hill defenses on September 20. Thomas stand, which famously earned him the nickname Rock of Chickamauga, saved Chattanooga for the Union. It allowed Rosecrans time to rally his defeated army inside the citys defenses while helping dissuade Bragg from launching a vigorous pursuit that could have cut off the Federals before they passed safely into the city. Had Polk not disobeyed Braggs orders by unaccountably delaying his September 20 attack, Thomas defense would never have materialized. The Breaking Point None of Braxton Braggs poor subordinate relations matched the one he had with the fiery Nathan Bedford Forrest. In the days or weeks after Chickamaugawhen exactly has not been substantiatedForrest reportedly confronted Bragg, angry that Bragg had halted pursuit of the beaten Federals at the end of the battle. According to a possibly apocryphal story by regimental surgeon J.B. Cowan, Forrest snarled, Youare a coward.You may as well not issue any orders to me, for I will not obey them.If you ever again try to interfere with me or cross my path it will be at the peril of your life. Only Nathan Bedford Forrest seemed eager to press Rosecrans fleeing army and annihilate it, realizing that any tactical victory at Chickamauga was meaningless for Confederate fortunes if Chattanooga remained in Union hands. After his cavalrymen fought brilliantly as dismounted infantry on Braggs northern flank, Forrest launched a vigorous pursuit, capturing hundreds of fleeing Federals while attempting to cut off Rosecrans retreat. But Bragg, as he had done with other commanders at Perryville and at Stones River, proved unwilling to support Forrest. Claiming that the Army of Tennessee was exhausted and lacked wagons and transport, Bragg exerted no effort to block the Union withdrawal (eliciting the disgusted Forrests exclamation, What does [Bragg] fight battles for?). Frustrated time and again by his recalcitrant subordinates in his effort to win a decisive victory at Chickamaugabut himself unwilling to launch a spirited pursuit once Rosecrans army began to fleeBragg settled for besieging Chattanooga. The command chaos plaguing the Army of Tennessee during the Chickamauga Campaign continued. On September 29, Bragg dismissed both Polk and Hindman. Next, on October 4, a dozen of his senior subordinates signed a letter to Davis (likely authored by Buckner) demanding Braggs relief (Longstreet similarly wrote Secretary of War James Seddon). Davis arrived October 9 at army headquarters, interviewed Braggs disgruntled subordinates, and again backed Bragg. Davis support prompted Bragg to relieve three more subordinates who had signed the letter: Hill (effectively demoting him to major general) and both Walker and Buckner (each relegated to division command). Meanwhile, Longstreet and his corps departed for Knoxville to face Ambrose Burnsides Union army, and Forrest, at his own request, transferred to Mississippi. Frustrated time and again by his recalcitrant subordinates in his effort to win a decisive victory at Chickamauga, Bragg settled for besieging Chattanooga. Braggs army command tenure finally ended after the Chattanooga debacle. On December 1, he asked to be relieved and this time his request was accepted. Bragg went east for the wars remainder, first as Davis military adviser ( Bragg, predictably, quarreled with senior CSA officials) and later leading division-sized units during the Carolinas Campaign. After the war, Bragg found minor civilian success, briefly holding jobs in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas but, inevitably, arguing with his bosses before moving on. On September 27, 1876, Bragg died, probably of a stroke, in Galveston, Texas. He was 59 years old. Edwin L. Kennedy Jr. is a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, retired U.S. Army infantry lieutenant colonel and former professor at the U.S. Army Command & General Staff Colleges History Department and Combat Studies Institute. Since 1994 he has led countless staff rides, including ones of the Battle of Chickamauga. Jerry Morelock is senior editor of ACW. A compound Latin word creates a false impression of the complex prewar decades N o person in the United States from the 1830s through the 1850s thought in terms of an antebellum era. Latin for before the war, the word came into use only after the Civil War ended and participants, historians, and others sought to label the decades preceding the outbreak of fighting at Fort Sumter. Commonplace in the historical literature for many generations, it summons thoughts of a young republic lurching toward political collapse. Deployment of antebellum can create an impression of inevitability, of citizens increasingly obsessed with sectional differences, and of time ticking inexorably toward bloodshed on a massive scale. Indeed, the word can drain all meaning, except as prelude to four years of war, from a 30-year swath of national events and trends. We should be wary of such retrospective historical framing. As always with the past, Americas prewar decades present an immensely complicated story rather than one pointing clearly toward secession and military conflict. An observer seeking interpretive themes between 1830 and 1860 could craft a narrative largely devoid of sectional issues. One theme involved a revolution in communications and transportation that dramatically shrank time and space. The electrical telegraph, first demonstrated by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1844, opened breathtaking possibilities. By 1861, Western Unions lines connected the Eastern seaboard and California. Railroads expanded exponentially from just fewer than 3,000 miles of track in 1840 to more than 30,000 in 1860. The telegraph and trains allowed information, goods, and passengers to move much faster, increasing the pace of life and commerce in ways that left observers somewhat flabbergasted. A second theme centered on demographics. Population growth maintained a dizzying pace, averaging more than 33 percent a decade between 1830, when Americans numbered just more than 12,800,000, and 1860, when the total approached 31,500,000. Of the latter figure, more than 4,000,000 were foreign-born and approximately 10 percent Catholicmajor increases as percentages of the whole population and due largely to German and Irish immigration. The observer similarly could focus on headlines dealing with significant events unconnected to sectional disputes. Toward the end of the prewar period, for example, the Panic of 1857 and the Colorado gold rush of 1858-59 garnered massive attention throughout the nation. Part of a wider world economic crisis, the panic hit the North much harder than the South and caused considerable dislocation in the railroad industry, agricultural markets, and the banking sector for more than a year. For many caught in its pernicious grasp, the panic far exceeded in importance the Supreme Courts Dred Scott decision of the same year. The discovery of precious metals in Colorado, which inspired the cry Pikes Peak or Bust, lured more than 100,000 immigrants to the Rocky Mountain region (a roughly comparable number had flooded into California during the initial year of gold fever in 1848-49). In 1859, news from Colorado easily could overshadow John Browns abortive raid at Harpers Ferry in October. To put it another way, most prewar Americans did not wake up every morning focusing on how the North and South differed. They looked first to their jobs, to their businesses, and to their families without knowing that a gigantic war lurked in the years ahead. New York lawyer George Templeton Strongs diary reveals that sectional issues did not always prevail. In 1857, Strongs voluminous entries contain no mention of the Dred Scott decision but accord detailed coverage to the economic collapse. We seem floundering, he recorded on October 10. Affairs are worse than ever today, and a period of general insolvency seems close upon us. Four days later, with Wall Street blue with collapse, Strong exhibited great uncertainty: Whether weve really reached the nadir, no one can tell. Toward the end of the month he lamented that the Depression continues.the tide is still running out and everything is drifting down with it, or else stuck fast already on the black mud flats of insolvency and destined to rot there and perish long before the tide comes back again. None of this is to say that sectional discord did not roil the national waters. Major disruptive moments that punctuated the timeline of North/South wrangling are well known: the Missouri controversy of 1820, the Mexican War in 1846-48, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the caning of Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate in 1856, the Dred Scott decision in 1857, and John Browns Raid. Less overtly political factors such as the establishment of William Lloyd Garrisons The Liberator in 1831, Nat Turners rebellion the same year, publication of Harriett Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin and Hinton Rowan Helpers The Impending Crisis of the South in 1852 and 1857, respectively, and splits in major Protestant denominations such as the Baptists and Methodists, create a portrait of Union disintegration. Some people certainly predicted calamity long before the election of Abraham Lincoln. West Point cadet Stephen Dodson Ramseur of North Carolina, the son of a slaveholder, stood among these individuals. In the wake of James Buchanans triumph in 1856, Ramseur, though a staunch Democrat, adopted a gloomy stance. Typical of many young people, who more often than older Americans tended to be less forgiving of those across the sectional divide, he believed any man of the smallest observation can plainly see, that the Union of the States cannot exist harmoniously; that there must, & can & will be a dissolution, wise, peaceful & equitable, I hope, but at whatever cost, it must come. Look out for a Stormy time in 1860, he added: In the mean time the South ought to prepare for the worst. Let her establish armories, collect stores & provide for the most desperate of all calamitiescivil war. Witnesses such as Strong and Ramseur remind us to rely on contemporary sources, in their sometimes baffling complexity, to gauge the degree to which we should understand the antebellum era as one dominated by sectionalism. Mortally wounded at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, Ramseur never thought in terms of an antebellum world and, unlike Strong, did not live to experience the postbellum epoch. Central castings version of a fighting general. James F. Hollingsworth, a 1940 graduate of Texas A&M University, made his early reputation in World War II as he fought across two continents and six countries with the 2nd Armored Division and 3rd Army of Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Always leading from the front, he was wounded five times. After Germanys surrender in May 1945, Holly, as he was known, remained in the Army and served in positions of increasing responsibility. In December 1965, Hollingsworth was promoted to brigadier general and subsequently assigned to Vietnam as assistant division commander of the 1st Infantry Division, known as the Big Red One after the design of its shoulder patch. In Danger 79er, a biography of Hollingsworth, historian James H. Willbanks shows how the generals inspiring leadership in that assignment helped make him one of the Armys legendary commanders. Brig. Gen. James F. Hollingsworth joined the 1st Infantry Divisions Vietnam headquarters near Di An, about 10 miles north of Saigon, in March 1966. A new division commander, Maj. Gen. William E. DePuy, arrived on April 1 to replace a commander who had been promoted. DePuy had been the chief of operations at Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, under Gen. William Westmoreland, the top commander for U.S. combat forces in South Vietnam. De Puy graduated from the ROTC program at South Dakota State University in 1941 and served in World War II with the 90th Infantry Division. He took command of 1st Battalion, 357th Infantry Regiment, at age 24 and led it from Normandys Utah Beach through the Battle of the Bulge. DePuy saw firsthand how poor senior leadership resulted in extremely high casualties and was unflinching in his assessment of military leaders. He had no patience for those found wanting. Under the personnel system in Vietnam in 1966, division commanders had little say in the assignment of their assistant division commanders, and DePuy did not know Hollingsworth, except by reputation. When he met Holly, DePuy said: General, I want only the best officers for my division. I dont want any softies, or behind-the-lines listeners, on my staff. If you cant hack it out here, just pack your bags and go back home. Hollingsworth, undaunted, grinned and replied: Ill let you know if I cant handle the job, but dont bother looking for a replacement. You wont need one. DePuy stared at him in silence and then said, Okay, well find out. From that somewhat testy beginning, Hollingsworth and DePuy developed a close personal and professional relationship that made the 1st Infantry Division one of the most potent fighting forces in Vietnam. On the surface, the two men were an unlikely pair. DePuy did not waste a lot of words. Holly was, as retired Special Forces officer Henry Gole wrote in his biography of DePuy, a character right out of Hollywoods central casting version of a fighting general.profane, bombastic, brave, and the antithesis of a diplomat. Lt. Gen. Phillip Davidson, who served as Westmorelands chief of intelligence, described Holly as a big, brash, tough, loud-mouthed Texan, given to excessive braggadocio, whose every utterance was dogmatically delivered with supreme self-confidence to an accompaniment of profanity. There was no middle ground in views about Holly. People either admired and liked him immensely or disliked him just as intensely. Hollingsworths detractors accused him of consciously modeling himself after Patton, Davidson pointed out, but noted that what separated Holly from most of the rest of the Patton imitatorsis that when the bullets start to whine and the shells fall, Holly always made good on his boasts. The Big Red One was to see that firsthand. As the divisions 1st Brigade prepared for an operation along the Cambodian border in an area known as the Parrots Beak, Hollingsworth, who adopted the radio call sign Danger 79er, sat in on a briefing for battalion commanders. When the briefer was finished, Hollingsworth stepped to the front of the tent and launched into an animated lecture on what he expected from his commanders. Urging speed and firepower, he said: We gotta keep going, like a good fighter, we keep going. These sonsabitches are going to be surprised all to hell. We dont get em like that often. We will be in control, and goddamit I want to think were pushing a mean pointed stick out there against those sonsabitches. Get your men ready, get em mean. There are times to go slowly, and there are times to lock and load kick ass. This is that time. Gotta get in there fast and move fast. Kill fast. This was vintage Hollingsworth. In war there was only one way to goas hard and as fast as possible. DePuy tended to be less dramatic, but he was no less driven than Hollingsworth and found a kindred soul in his assistant division commander. Only a few months after Holly arrived, DePuy told Associated Press reporter Peter Arnett, I have 1,000 per cent confidence in Hollingsworth. He is completely fearless [and] extremely aggressive. Hollingsworths tactical philosophy was much like that of DePuyfind the enemy and pile on. After the war, Hollingsworth elaborated on this approach: Its always been my view that if one little patrol gets in trouble out there, we ought to give him the whole division, or well never get a patrol to go out 100 yards at night. The only way youre going to get patrols to go out is [to let them] know that theyre going to be supported. And the only way top commanders could know what the troops needed was to be on the spot. The generals got to be there at the time of crisis, always, Hollingsworth was fond of saying. And if you are there, and youre talking to the little guys, and they know youre there, boy they will stick with you. That approach won Holly the undying loyalty of his soldiers, who knew he would do everything in his power to provide the combat support they needed when in trouble. The divisions first big operation under DePuy and Hollingsworth was Operation Abilene, a search-and-destroy mission that began on March 30 in Phuoc Tuy province, east of Saigon. On April 11, as the two generals monitored the situation, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, found a Viet Cong base camp. Late in the afternoon, Company C, isolated in the thick jungle undergrowth, came under a heavy mortar barrage followed by a strong enemy ground attack. The hastily dug-in infantrymen beat back several attacks throughout the night. Early the next morning, two companies of reinforcements made their way through the jungle to Company Cs position. By the time they arrived, however, the VC had withdrawn, leaving 41 dead on the field, but 35 Americans also died, primarily because close-quarter fighting limited the type of firepower that could be used, according to the official account. When Operation Abilene ended on April 15, the division had recorded 48 killed and 135 wounded. DePuy and Hollingsworth lamented the casualties, but from their point of view the operation was a success. The enemy had been brought to battle and experienced serious casualties. Operation ABILENE demonstrated conclusively that the 1st Infantry Division can moveand move rapidlyby airmobile operations, DePuy stated. The Vietcong have suffered a tremendous loss of prestige in Phuoc Tuy Province. Not everyone agreed with DePuys assessment of Operation Abilene. Gen. Harold K. Johnson, the Army chief of staff, came to Vietnam shortly after the operation and chastised DePuy for the heavy losses in Company Cs battle. The American people wont support this war if we keep having the kind of casualties suffered by Charlie Company, Johnson warned. DePuy agreed to make changes to hold down casualties, but this was just the first incident in a series of things that would poison the relationship between the Army chief of staff and the senior leadership in the Big Red One. DePuy followed Operation Abilene with other operations designed to find enemy forces and bring them to battle. The next large one, Birmingham, was launched on April 24 northwest of Saigon in Tay Ninh province. It brought Hollingsworth his first scrutiny from the press. When his troops were being hit by enemy gunners from the other side of the Vietnam-Cambodian border, he directed artillery units to fire across the border, a violation of rules of engagement that forbade attacks in supposedly neutral Cambodia. Later, a reporter asked Hollingsworth if it was true that he had called in artillery on targets in Cambodia. Holly replied, Sure, I am the guy that fired into Cambodia, but Im going to protect our soldiers, implying that he would do it again if necessary to save American lives. Holly was brutally candid with the press, a tendency that did not always serve him well. After Operation Birmingham ended on May 16, DePuy considered it a success and initiated ever-larger search-and-destroy operations. Holly, as DePuy biographer Gole observed, was intimately engaged at battalion level and in frequent direct contact with soldiers on the ground in squads and platoons. However, unlike some senior officers, he did not try to take over the squads and platoons. He thought generals should be with the troops in the middle of the battle, where they could see him providing inspiration and encouragement and making sure the necessary support arrived on time. Mostly, though, he just relished being in the thick of the fighting. Hollingsworths colorful ways were the subject of several news stories, and he was featured in a report by CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite on May 5, 1966. The report summed up Hollingsworth this way: Clearly, this is no armchair general. He didnt fare as well in a story a month later in a London paper, The Sunday Times. Reporter Nicholas Tomalin spent a day with Hollingsworth as he oversaw a search-and-destroy mission in the Iron Triangle, an area northwest of Saigon with a heavy concentration of Viet Cong. Tomalins article, The General Goes Zapping Charlie Cong, portrayed Hollingsworth as a Texas redneck whose primary pleasure was shooting up the countryside from his personal helicopter, nonchalantly and indiscriminately killing Cong. Hollingsworth thought he was treated unfairly and later insisted he was only doing what I have done throughout my military careersaving as many lives as possible while destroying the enemy. In a letter to his wife, Nickie, he wrote that the article was lousy as hell and full of misquotes, adding presciently, If General Johnson sees that, my ass is out a mile. Shortly thereafter, DePuy received a letter from the Armys chief of public affairs suggesting Hollingsworth had been less than judicious in his comments to The Sunday Times. DePuy wrote back that Holly is the best soldier in Vietnam and, effectively, could say or do what he wanted as far as DePuy was concerned. The Army chief of staff himself also wrote to DePuy, requesting a comment on a news story that said DePuy and Hollingsworth had been chasing Viet Cong in their helicopters. If I had wanted a lead scout in command of the 1st Division, Johnson wrote, you would not have gotten the job. Your value and Hollys is proportional to the responsibility that you have for something over 15,000 men. Your job is not to shoot VC. Your job is to see that other people shoot VC. At least, that is the way I look at it. DePuy and Hollingsworth continued to push forward with their aggressive approach to fighting the war. William J. Mullen III, one of their company commanders, said after the war: Morale in the division was very high. We knew we were in a well-led, aggressive, fighting outfit.We were in the Armys premier unit. Not everyones morale was high. Goles book describes the Byzantine atmosphere that pervaded DePuys command as officers on the division staff jockeyed for attention and favor, as well as the personal discomfort and fear felt by staff officers in such a command climate. However, one staff officer who later became a general recalled that Holly often provided an irreverent antidote to DePuys intensity. He said Hollingsworth was a task master, but did not bully the staff officers and always had a humorous way to look at every situation, lightening the mood in briefings. The headquarters staff officers were not the only ones treated mercilessly. DePuy and Hollingsworth had especially high expectations for the officers and senior noncommissioned officers in the field. They wereruthless in cutting loose commanders who were not worthy of the soldiers they commanded, according to Gole. They fired seven battalion commanders and many majors, captains and sergeants major, for a total of 56 during DePuys tenure in command. The dismissals piling up in the Big Red One contributed to the broadening gap between the divisions senior leadership and Johnson. Although Hollingsworth was brutally demanding of company, battalion and brigade commanders, he loved the troops he called the little fellers soldiers down in the mud fighting nose to nose with the enemy. Holly went out of his way to recognize their bravery. On his command helicopter, he carried a box of Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medals, Soldiers Medals and Bronze Stars. His aide-de-camp kept the box filled and made sure the follow-up paperwork was sent to the division personnel office. After one of Hollys favorite company commanders was gunned down while charging a Viet Cong machine gun, Hollingsworth put the captain in for the Distinguished Service Cross and personally wrote to the mans wife and parents to express his condolences. Such losses seemed to motivate Hollingsworth even more. In July 1966, he landed with the first troop lift of 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, in a big battle between An Loc and Minh Thanh, near the Cambodian border. The troops immediately came under intense fire. Moving forward with the infantry assault element, Holly came upon an 18-year-old soldier from Company A who was clearly frightened. Holly told the young soldier, Son, you come with me and well kill every son of a bitch that we see. He later reported that the soldier stuck to me like a leech. When a firefight broke out to the generals right, he moved through the 5-foot-tall elephant grass to get closer to the fight. The young soldier followed right behind him. During the battle, three VC were killed in the immediate vicinity of their position. When the firing died down, the general and the soldier went forward. The soldier approached one of the dead VC, touched the body with his boot, and said: General, he is a dead son of a bitch. I would like to rejoin my squad and I am not afraid anymore. Holly, replied, I am not afraid either when I am with soldiers like you. John Lesko, as a young lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, went into a particularly hot landing zone being hit with Viet Cong crossfire. He remembers seeing an old man get out of a helicopter that had landed As the chopper departed, the figure began walking across the landing zone like he was out for a stroll, despite enemy tracers and mortars falling all around. He flopped beside Lesko on the ground and asked the lieutenant what he needed. Lesko, without looking up, excitedly uttered an obscenity and said he needed some artillery. Then he turned and saw the single black star on Hollys helmet and thought that he had just cussed out the assistant division commander. Hollingsworth put an arm on his shoulder and said: Son, calm down. Ill get you some artillery. Nearly 50 years later, Lesko still marveled at the generals calmness under fire. Retired Gen. Dick Cavazos, who worked for Danger 79er as a lieutenant colonel commanding a battalion in the Big Red One, once observed that Hollingsworth was the only soldier he had ever met that really had no fear. In early December 1966, it was announced that Army chief Johnson would visit Vietnam. He had already expressed his unhappiness with DePuy and Hollingsworth over the heavy casualties, their style of forward command in battle and the divisions elaborate use of firepower. The issue this time was the growing number of officers being relieved of their command. Sometime before the trip was scheduled, Johnson complained to subordinates, If every division commander relieved people like DePuy, Id soon be out of lieutenant colonels and majors.He just eats them up like peanuts. Johnson wrote DePuy a letter admonishing him to slow down on the dismissals and give people a second chance. On a Christmas Day trip to Vietnam in 1966, the Army chief met with DePuy at the divisions headquarters near Di An to address the issue in person. Johnson, DePuy and Hollingsworth went to DePuys quarters for a private meeting. Some 40 years later, Hollingsworth recalled what happened. Johnson looked at me and said, You are relieving too many battalion commanders. You are supposed to train them. A heated exchange ensued. The fallout from the confrontation soon became apparent. DePuy wanted to be reassigned as the commandant of the U.S. Army Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he thought he could make his greatest contribution to the Army. Johnson, apparently did not want him at Fort Benning because DePuy was reassigned to a position assisting the Joint Chiefs of Staff. DePuy turned over command of the 1st Infantry Division to Maj. Gen. John H. Hay on Feb. 10, 1967. The partnership between DePuy and Hollingsworth, which had forged the division into a very effective combat unit, had come to an end. Hollingsworth secretly hoped he would get command of the 9th Infantry Division but was instead named deputy commanding general, Test and Evaluation Command, at Aberdeen, Maryland, with orders to report there on June 15. Westmoreland had wanted Holly to remain in Vietnam for another year, but Johnson decided Hollingsworth would not get the opportunity to command a division in combat. It is likely Hollingsworth suffered both from the unflattering news reports that plagued him during his tour and the often contentious relationship between the Army chief of staff and the Big Red Ones leadership. During his 15 months with the 1st Infantry Division, Hollingsworth achieved almost legendary status among the troops. He became known as a soldiers soldier, fearless in combat and compassionate about his troops. He and DePuy mentored a long list of officers who would go on to lead the Army in the years after Vietnam. Although Hollingsworth continued his career and eventually became a lieutenant general, the Big Red One occupied a special place in Hollys heart for the rest of his life. Jim Willbanks is a decorated Vietnam veteran, retired lieutenant colonel and former General of the Army George C. Marshall Chair of Military History at the Armys Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is the author or editor of 19 books. This article was published February 2019 in Vietnam. The White House announced that Senor Trumpanzee isn't going to his Mar-A-Lago $1,000/guest New Years Eve party tonight. The's gossip columnist wrote that "Its unclear whether Mar-a-Lago will let people wiggle out of their tickets at this late date. But evidently, some club members and guests have no interest in paying extra-high ticket prices if the president will not be in attendance. People were willing to pay for the cachet if partying with the president, a source said. But with President Donald Trump staying in Washington, 'people are bailing,' the source said. 'Its a lot of money (to spend) without his celebrity.'" Fitting way to end the year for the chaos-by-design-ridden and most dysfunctional presidency ever. Everything went wrong from the day he somehow managed to slither into the White House with 3 million fewer votes than the least likable nominee the Democrats could field. And it was capped off last month with a giant thumbs down from the voters, as 43 red seats flipped blue, not even counting two districts-- one in Florida and one in North Carolina -- where the election theft was so blatant that there may well be do-overs. There are several ways to summarize Trump's 2018. Noah did it in 11 consecutive daily posts here at. Sunday atCarla Herreria refined it down to 6 "new lows" anddecided the best way to look at it was by examining all the ongoing investigations and lawsuits in which Trump is a principal wending their ways through the courts and DOJ. Herreria-- always keeping in mind that for normal people "it is impossible for Trump to get any worse; but, somehow, he always does," began her essay with a timely quote from Karen Tumulty: "With President Trump, there is no bottom... We have a president who is willing to politicize the deaths of two young children to score points against the opposition party. And the most shocking thing about seeing him scrape along a new moral bottom is this: It is no longer shocking at all." Here are 5 more shockers-- besides the dead children exploitation incident-- that she thinks defined Trump's 2018: Trump has a reputation for saying shocking things, but when the Washington Post published a report saying that the president had referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as shithole countries, it brought his rhetoric to a whole new level of vulgar. When the Trump administration separated children from their families as part of his zero tolerance crackdown on illegal immigration Standing next to a dictatorial leader accused by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement of attacking the foundations of American democracy, Trump often appeared confused and incoherent-- and those were his best moments at the podium. The rest of the time he spent praising the KGB dictator to his left and attacking the institutions he swore an oath to defend. It was a Russia First performance, from beginning to end. In an op-ed for the Washington Post , Kasparov said Trump gave a Russia First performance in the high-profile meeting: Garry Kasparov, chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and former world chess champion, also said the summit marked the lowest point in the history of the American presidency. When Trump met with Vladimir Putin and publicly defended the Russian president against accusations of meddling in the election In the headline of a story covering Trumps death toll denial, the Rolling Stone made it more concise: Trump Reaches New Low. Republicans Remain Silent. Rinse, Repeat. The New York Times editorial board also criticized Trump for shifting the attention on the devastation to his own personal woes: Democrats dont need to lift a finger to make him look bad. He is managing that all on his own. This is a new low, even for President Trump, she told CNN. Now, it is to be expected the president has the ability to make everything about him. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who became a fierce critic of Trump in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, called the presidents denial despicable. Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosello commissioned the analysis, which was completed by researchers at George Washington University. The new estimate made Hurricane Maria, at the time, one of the deadliest natural disasters in the history of the U.S. When Trump said hed defend Saudi Arabia even if the crown prince ordered the murder of a Saudi Washington Post journalist Grace Panetta, writing for Business Insider pointed out that nearly every corner of Trump's political, business, and charitable activities are the subject of some form of investigation as 2018 comes to a close, including a lawsuit accusing him of illegally profiting off his presidency. There are dozens investigations in which Trump faces criminal and/or civil liability involving his campaign and his behavior as "president." She wrote that "The investigation Trump publicly disparages most often as a 'rigged witch hunt' and a 'disgrace' is special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to tilt the race in Trump's favor. But the one that poses the most immediate danger to Trump himself is the campaign finance probe in the Southern District of New York. In that case, federal prosecutors secured a guilty plea from his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen for paying for the silence of women who alleged affairs with Trump, a crime to which prosecutors listed Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator." Here's her list: The Trump campaign's knowledge of and possible involvement in Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. In June 2016, Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort convened at Trump Tower to meet with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Kremlin-linked Russian lobbyist. Trump Jr. initially said the meeting had nothing to do with the Trump campaign, asserting that Veselnitskaya instead came to lobby against US sanctions on high-level Russian officials. But he amended his statement after it was reported that he agreed to the meeting after he was offered "dirt" on Clinton by the publicist of Emin Agalarov, the son of a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin. The Washington Post later reported that Trump "dictated" the initially misleading statement his son put out after he was contacted about the story. Both Trump and Donald Jr. later admitted publicly the meeting was part of an effort to benefit the Trump campaign. It is illegal under US campaign finance law for campaigns to accept material aid from foreign nationals. Legal experts say that even if Veselnitskaya did not provide the promised "dirt," the laws are written in such a manner that even soliciting or inviting such material is a federal crime. Mueller's team is also examining the extent to which people in the Trump campaign were aware of, and collaborated in, WikiLeaks' dissemination of emails hacked from the DNC and Clinton campaign to interfere in the election. Mueller indicted 12 Russian security officers over the hacks in July. Both Donald Trump Jr. and Trump ally Roger Stone communicated with WikiLeaks and a Russian hacker who went by the name Guccifer 2.0, often tweeting links to hacked data at WikiLeaks' request. At least 7 of Stone's associates, including people he said served as intermediaries between him and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, have been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury convened to hear testimony in the Mueller probe. The special counsel is seeking to determine whether Stone and other officials had advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' document dumps, as some of Stone's tweets suggested. Mueller has also requested transcripts for Stone's 2017 testimony before the House Select Committee on Intelligence, a sign that could indicate Mueller is looking to indict Stone for lying to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks. The Trump Organization's efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 election, referred to in court filings as the "Moscow Project." The Trump Organization reportedly offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a discounted $50 million penthouse in the proposed Trump Tower Moscow. This offer could violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which outlaws US officials from giving foreign governments gifts of monetary value in exchange for something they want. Businessman Felix Sater told Buzzfeed News that offering Putin a penthouse in the tower was a business tactic intended to raise the property values of the surrounding apartments and make them more attractive prospects for Russian oligarchs. Experts say, however, that the deal would only violate the FCPA that if the offer for a discounted penthouse was formally lodged to Russian officials in writing, and if it was made in exchange for something like a tax break or a zoning permit, not just as a marketing ploy to raise the property values. Trump could also be implicated in his lawyer Michael Cohen's guilty plea to lying to Congress about the timeframe during the 2016 election in which the Trump Organization pursued the Trump Tower Moscow deal. Special counsel Mueller's sentencing memo for Cohen said that Cohen provided cooperation regarding "the circumstances of preparing his false testimony" and his contacts with White House officials, which experts says could describe a coordinated plot to direct Cohen to make false statements to Congress. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis also told Bloomberg that "Mr. Trump and the White House knew that Michael Cohen would be testifying falsely to Congress and did not tell him not to." The probe into Trump's alleged obstruction of justice and witness tampering as president. Mueller is also investigating whether Trump committed obstruction of justice with his May 2017 firing of FBI Director James Comey, which came after Comey refused to drop the FBI's probe into Michael Flynn's false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak. While the White House claimed Comey was fired over his handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, Trump later said on national television to NBC host Lester Holt that "this Russia thing" was a factor in his decision. In July, the New York Times reported that Mueller is also examining whether Trump tampered with witnesses in the Mueller probe with his private interactions and public tweets slamming former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for not reigning in the Mueller probe, and not investigating Trump's political foes. Some of the events under scrutiny for possible witness tampering include Trump threatening to fire Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, suggesting Comey himself should be investigated, and attempting to push other senior officials like then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo into pressuring Comey to shut down the FBI's probes of Flynn and of Trump himself. The Times later reported in August that former White House counsel Don McGahn-- who was present for many of the events Mueller is examining as part of the obstruction probe-- had voluntarily provided 30 hours of testimony to Mueller. Some of the other crucial events which McGahn witnessed include the Comey firing, Trump's attempts to force Sessions to oversee the Russia probe, Trump drafting a letter describing his reasons for firing Comey, and Trump's reported attempts to fire Mueller himself. Violations of federal campaign finance law, including the October 2016 payouts to Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels to which Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to paying. On Dec. 12, Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to 36 months in prison after pleading guilty in August to eight federal crimes, including two large payoffs to silence women who claimed to have affairs with Trump, in violation of federal campaign finance laws. Prosecutors said in their sentencing memo for Cohen that he made the payments "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump, officially establishing him as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case. Prosecutors also struck a non-prosecution agreement with American Media Inc., the parent company of the tabloid the National Enquirer, which paid $150,000 to buy the rights to McDougal's story (which the company never published). Trump's two main defenses were that he had no knowledge the payments were illegal, and that they were made to protect his businesses and not to influence the election. The NPA, however, clearly states that AMI "further admitted that its principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election." NBC and CNN both reported the unnamed Trump campaign official referenced in the NPA as being in the room with Cohen and AMI CEO David Pecker while the deal to purchase McDougal's story was being made, is none other than Trump himself. Federal prosecutors in SDNY are also reportedly launching a criminal probe into whether the Trump inaugural committee misspent some of the $107 million it raised, and whether it brokered special access to the administration for top inaugural donors. The lawsuits against the Trump Organization and Trump Foundation. More than a million kilograms of cargo were shipped from Baghdad to different parts of the world, reveals US embassies procurement documents. Mysterious cargo shipments from the US Embassy in Baghdad to other American embassies and consulates around the world have been revealed on a Wikileaks' database. Procurement orders of US embassies are public documents, but Wikileaks put them in a searchable database making it easier to analyse. The database displaying worldwide US embassy orders of goods and services reveals Baghdad as a postal and shipping centre for tonnes of freight. Though military freight might be expected between the US and Iraq, records show that embassies across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa are all receiving deliveries from Baghdad too. According to Wikileaks' database, orders to ship more than 540 tonnes of cargo to the US were made in May 2018. The same document shows other main delivery destinations included 120 tonnes of freight to Europe, and 24 tonnes to South Africa, South America and Central Africa respectively. In comparison, only two and a half tonnes of freight were moved within Iraq between Baghdad, Basra and Erbil International Airports. So, the export of items from Iraq appears to be the primary activity. The content of the deliveries is as yet unclear, though the order contract suggests household items, rugs, electrical goods, linen, kitchenware, furniture, pianos, refrigerators, books, chinaware, clothing as well as mail could be among the items dispatched. According to the website movers.com , an average one bedroom apartment of furniture weighs approximately one tonne but the practicality of moving many types of household objects across continents is doubtful. It also remains unclear whether the quantity of tonnage relates to many small deliveries or a small number of very large ones. The lack of disclosed orders moving cargo and services into Iraq highlights that the movement of diplomats and their families into such a dangerous region on a large scale is unlikely. Transfers of military personnel back and forth would normally go through the US airbases in Iraq and not via the Embassy administration. So discounting the movement of more than a thousand staff members out of Iraq to countries around the world means that the content and purpose of the shipments remains a mystery. The Wikileaks' database findings coincide with the discovery of a previously undisclosed US Embassy warehouse near Malmi Airport, a storage facility suitable for receiving large truckloads of incoming freight. Documents also show that the US Embassy in Finland ordered a new security perimeter fence for the warehouse compound in April 2018. The purpose for the warehouse remains unknown. Related articles: Guarded warehouse near airport and mysterious cargos from Baghdad; what is the US embassy in Helsinki up to? This latest uncovering of unusual US embassy activity follows the 2017 exposure of the US Consulate in Frankfurt being used for surveillance operations and as a buying and postal dispatch centre of spying equipment for other US consulates. These latest Wikileaks revelations raise concerns that the US Embassy in Baghdad may also serve as a hub for secret operations worldwide. The database also reveals that items listed as 'Tactical Spy Equipment' were ordered for US embassies in Latin America, with Colombia and El Salvador receiving a range of spy cameras disguised as pens, glasses, hats, USB drives and even shirt buttons. Will Sillitoe - HT THE CENTRAL FINLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT has released a bulletin detailing that a man and a woman have been hospitalised following a serious assault in Hervanta, a suburb of Tampere. The incident occurred late on Monday evening and it is known that the two victims were both targeted and attacked by the same individual. It is unclear whether or not the attacker was known to either of the victims. It is also unclear whether the two victims are known to each other. RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OULU, in collaboration with scientists from Imperial College London, has determined that smoking during pregnancy can irreversibly alter foetal DNA, in one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted into the topic. Researchers gathered data from over 18,000 subjects in a number of countries, including the UK and the US, exploring the effects of tobacco smoking on mothers and children both before and after pregnancy. Meteorologist Joanne Rinne has described the coming wind storm, which is expected to reach hurricane levels of force in some parts of the country, as unlike anything they have seen during their decade-long career. THE FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE HAS ISSUED a series of weather warnings over approaching wind storms which are due to hit Western Finland on Tuesday evening. Particularly strong warnings have been issued for coastal areas of Western Finland, with the Bay of Bothnia and the Aland Islands getting the worst of it. Winds speeds are expected to surpass 50km per hour, so staying indoors is strongly advised. Strong sea waves are also expected off the coastline of Western Finland, with the Meteorological Institute warning that they could be up to 7 metres high. Across Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning the entire country will be facing extreme weather, with the Helsinki area also being exposed to strong gale force winds. Adam Oliver Smith HT Source: Uusi Suomi Image: Lehtikuva Sport Dannish footballer and Denmark teams captain, Simon Kjaer, shines like a true leader in times of crisis It is only in the time of crisis that true leaders shine. While Denmark's Christian Eriksen had to be revived by medics during the Euro 2020 match on Saturday, the captain of the team Simon Kjaer, shone through the dark moment. Courtesy family of Alexandra Black(BURLINGTON, N.C.) -- "We have had a lion attack," a woman calmly told 911 when a young, newly-hired intern was mauled at an animal center in North Carolina. The lion was contained, the caller told 911, but the victim was "incapacitated," according to the emergency call obtained by The News & Observer. The deadly incident unfolded Sunday at the Conservators Center in Burlington when 22-year-old intern Alexandra Black was cleaning a lion enclosure with a husbandry team, the Conservators Center said in a statement. The lion "had been locked into a separate holding enclosure" but "somehow managed to enter the enclosure" where the team was working, killing Black, the center said. No one else was hurt. The lion, Matthai, was euthanized by first responders, the center said. It was not immediately clear how the animal escaped. The state is investigating what happened. Meanwhile, the center said its employees are "devastated" and "traumatized" by the death of "this vibrant, smart young woman." Black had worked at the Conservator Center for just 10 days, her family said. Black loved animals and "died following her passion," her family said. "Our beautiful, intelligent, passionate Alex had worked, unpaid, at several animal-related ventures," her family said in a statement. "This was her fourth internship, because she really wanted to make a career of working with animals." "She was a beautiful young woman who had just started her career," her family said. "There was a terrible accident, and we are mourning." Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. On Saturday, Dec. 29, at approximately 3:12 a.m., Cape Coral Police responded to a burglar alarm at a business in the 1000 block of Santa Barbara Boulevard, S. According to the CCPD report, as Officer Vesnki arrived on scene at 3:14 a.m., he observed a large window broken on the west side of the business facing Santa Barbara Boulevard. The officer heard noise inside and then what he thought to be a car door closing in back of the business. As the officer went toward the rear of the business, the report states, he observed a silver vehicle parked directly behind the rear door with its lights on. As he walked closer, he observed two males dressed in all black with their faces partially covered walking from the business toward the silver car. As the officer approached the two males, he gave them a command to stop but they immediately ran east on foot. Officer Venski gave a description of the males over the radio as he chased them on foot. The officer continued to chase the males east on Nicholas Parkway through a vacant field, behind houses and over fences, the report states. Officer Tronchet ran after a male in an open field and ordered Carlos Eduardo Hodgson, 35, of 60 N.E. 167th St., Miami, to stop and to get on the ground and he ultimately complied. During the same time, just north of the location, officers on perimeter attempted to stop a blue pickup truck leaving the area within the perimeter, the report states. The truck sped up and left the scene after marked patrol cars attempted to pull it over with lights and sirens activated, but the vehicle fled the area. Cape Coral Police Property Crimes Unit Det. Alex Mino-Ramirez responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. Surveillance video at the shop shows two males grabbing items and putting them in bags. Several items stolen in the burglary were located within the silver vehicle left at the scene. Hodgson was charged with burglary to a structure causing damage over $1,000, grand theft of $10,000 but less than $20,000 and resisting arrest without violence. He was later transported to Lee County Jail, CCPD officers said. If you have any information on the identity of the suspect that fled, please contact the Cape Coral Police Department at 239-574-3223. You can also submit an anonymous tip. Go to www.capecops.com/tips or text a tip- text CCPD+Your Message to CRIMES (274637). Finally, you can call Crimestoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Please use this Case Report # 18-025163. . 800 . .- . , , ... A suspected kidnapper has escaped from police custody in Takoradi in the Western Region. The suspect had been remanded by court for the offence. The suspect, Samuel Udoetuk Wills, a Nigerian, was remanded into police custody as the court was yet to finalise his conviction. Mynewsgh.com reports that gathered that he was left in the care of Sergeant Stephen Amoh the Counter NCO, Lance Corporal Rejoice Mensah the Station Orderly and Lance Corporal George Konadu. As it turned out, the officers failed to keep an eye on him leading to his escape. READ ALSO: 8 top Hollywood celebrities for spent Christmas in Ghana The suspect is thought to have cut three 5 by 8 inch iron rods used to secure the ventilation window with an implement and escaped. All of this reportedly happened on the blind side of the cops who have since been given ten days to recapture the fugitive. READ ALSO: Popular Ghanaian pastors will die in 2019 Prophet claims Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghanas Deputy Ambassador to China, Dr Charles Dwamena, has revealed that an average of five Ghanaians were arrested each week by the Chinese authorities in 2018. According to him, these Ghanaians who were mostly students, were arrested for illegal employment and overstaying their permit. Ghana News Today: Sarkodie Storms Manifestivities| #Yencomgh Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen.com.gh To some individuals opening up on their private lives is something they really find difficult doing. While some celebrities do not see any problem with putting out the faces of their family members on social media, some others do not see the need to. YEN.com.gh has however compiled a list of Ghanaian celebrities who do not like to put out their families in the public domain. READ ALSO: Ghanaians descend on Majority Leader Kyei Mensah Bonsu 1. Nadia Buari The multiple award-winning actress, Nadia Buari has done so well over the past years by keeping the faces of her children and husband out of the media space. For reasons best known to her, she prefers to keep the children away from the prying eyes of the cameras and the intruding spirit of the media. 2. Jackie Appiah It is an open secret that the actress has a son from a previous marriage. She however prefers to keep him away from social media unless on occasions such as his birthday. Aside that the actress has kept her relationship life very private. READ ALSO: 5 Ghanaians arrested in China each week for illegal work, overstay - Deputy Ambassador 3. Martha Ankomah The actress is know for her bad girl roles she plays in most movies she stares in but when it comes to her private life, she keeps it on the low. The actress keeps her relationship status away from social media. 4. Nana Aba Anamoah The ace broadcaster and news anchor has in recent times been in the news for a lot of reasons. One which being the paternity of her 18-year-old. Aside that there have been no news of her involvement with any man in the media space. 5. Fiifi Coleman The actor and father of a three lovely daughter is not one to publicly display his his relationship status. He has managed over the years to keep his relationship out of the public sphere. READ ALSO: Video of two African migrants caught hiding in mattress pops up Ghana News Today: Sarkodie Storms Manifestivities| #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 - A pastor called King Kweku Williams has claimed that some Ghanaian pastors will die in 2019 - He said one of them is very prominent and his death would shock the whole nation - He advised the pastors to take prayers seriously and also turn to doing good things before God An Accra-based pastor, King Kweku Williams, popularly called Prophet Solomon, has predicted doom for his colleague Ghanaian pastors in 2019. According to him, these pastor would die if they dont rise up in prayer and change to do the right things before God. Prophet Solomon added that aside the deaths of the many pastors, the death of one prominent pastor (name withheld) would shock the whole nation. READ ALSO: 7 top female celebrities who have entered 2019 without getting married in 2018 He explained that this pastor is popular and known beyond the shores of Ghana. This is contained in a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Ghanaweb.com. Prophet Solomon, according to the report, sounded very serious while making this prophecy, and warned that pastors in Ghana must pray for themselves and the nation as a whole. His (the prominent Man of God) death would shock and sadden the entire nation, especially the Christendom, considering his fame. However, if the clergy in the country would rise up in prayer, the deaths could be averted, he said. READ ALSO: Chinese authorities arrest 5 Ghanaians each week for illegalities - Dep. Ambassador makes wild revelation While YEN.com.gh cannot say exactly who these pastors are, there are many of them in Ghana. When it comes to the prominent and very popular ones, one can think of Pastor Mensah Otabil, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Angel Daniel Obinim, Dag Heward Mills, Sam Korankye Ankrah, Rev. Owusu Bempah, just to mention a few. It is hoped that all pastors in Ghana would take their prayer life seriously, and also as warned by Prophet Solomon, turn to do the right things before God so as to escape from the hands of death. READ ALSO: Kofi Annan, Ebony, Amissah-Arthur and other famous Ghanaians who died in 2018 Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier published a report of seven beautiful and popular female celebrities who are expected to get married this year 2019. Some of them have expressed the desire to get married but things did not go well for them. Gloria Sarfo, for instance, said she was duped by her boyfriend, foiling their marriage plans. In another report, it has been revealed that at least five Ghanaians were arrested each week in China for illegalities. READ ALSO: Sarkodie, Dumelo, and 8 other celebrities who got married in 2018 Ghana News Today: Sarkodie Storms Manifestivities| #Yencomgh READ ALSO: 5 celebrities who sadly suffered broken-heart in 2018 Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen Some Ghanaian social media users have descended on the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, for describing John Mahama as Ghanas worst president in the last 30 years. Mr. Mensah Bonsu believes the country saw little progress during the tenure of Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs argued that Ghanas economy grew by only 2.2% in 2016, when Mahama was president. READ ALSO: 6 financial institutions you should not save with in 2019 However, it seems not many Ghanaians are enthused with the utterances of the Majority Leader. Many Ghanaians on social media have, therefore, hit out at Mr. Mensah Bonsu for making such a statement. Some believe the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has not done any better than the erstwhile NDC government, while others insist the Majority Leasers statement is disrespectful to ex-president Mahama. One Facebook user wrote: The worst president built hospitals and schools for your Nana do little to come commission it. God see the truth but he wait. Another said: People lost their senses when they are in position ooooo. I wonder.You are not able to clean your home and you are telling someone his home is dirty. Pity. A third person added: That MP, Kyei mensah Bonsu is the worst minister and MP in Ghana, he is incompetent, come to Suame,Maakro and see he is disgrace to Asante kingdom. One other guy said: If your use of the word "worst" is synonymous with the level infrastructural development in the road, health, education, agric n all other sectors compared to the shambolic FSHS, cathedral, drone deals and the recent attempt to swindle us in the OSLO chancery deal, then I wonder what word will be used for u when you exit with the corrupt deals all over. Remember you've not proven any of Mahama's corruption. Time dey pass o. READ ALSO: Young man kills father over bowl of soup Read more of the comments below: Source: Yen.com.gh While some female celebrities tied the knot in 2018, the story was different for some of their colleagues. Becca, Sarkodie, John Dumelo, were part of the 10 celebrities who got married in 2018 according to an earlier report by YEN.com.gh. However, that privilege eluded others including Nana Aba Anamoah, Gloria Sarfo, and Sandra Ankobiah, who, no doubt, were expected by many to get married and they themselves wished so for themselves. YEN.com.gh brings you a list of seven top female celebrities who were expected to get married in 2018 but which never happened. READ ALSO: Kofi Annan, Ebony, Amissah-Arthur and other famous Ghanaians who died in 2018 1. Nana Aba Anamoah: The eloquent TV presenter already has a son from an earlier relationship which YEN.com.gh understands happened while she was still a teenager. She has been very active in her career and so far, Nana Aba has been very successful. Many people believe that the only thing she is left with to make her complete is marriage. Nana Aba had been rumoured to have dated some big men including Prince Kofi Amoabeng of the defunct UT Bank, and a security officer, but she is yet to get married. Though she has successfully hidden her age from the public, Nana Aba is believed to be in her mid 30s. 2. Yvonne Okoro: The beautiful actress is widely expected by her fans and followers on social media to get married. Also, in an earlier report, controversial Counselor Lutterdot advised her to get married soon because she was growing old. Yvonne herself had earlier expressed the desire to get married saying when she finds the right person, she would gladly settle down. Apart from her fans, it is also obvious that Yvonnes family also wants her to settle down. She is on record to have said that many men feel intimidated to approach her because of her status in society. In a show monitored by YEN.com.gh in 2018, Yvonne revealed that she was dating, adding that she wanted to keep that relationship private till the right time comes to make it public. Perhaps, the right time is still underway and YEN.com.gh wishes her the best of marital favour in 2019. READ ALSO: 5 celebrities who sadly suffered broken-heart in 2018 5 celebrities who sadly suffered broken-heart in 2018 3. Gloria Sarfo: The Kumawood and Efiewura actress also expressed the desire to get married in 2018 but that did not happen for her. In an earlier report published by YEN.com.gh, Gloria revealed that she wished to marry, but she was duped by a man she was dating. According to her, unknowingly, the man was only in for her money and not for real love. She explained that it took his family to disclose to her that the man was seeing another lady and was only enjoying Glorias money. She was hurt more when he finally got married to another woman. All signs are clear that Gloria wishes to have her marital prayers answered in 2019 and may it be so for her. 4. Yvonne Nelson: Mama Ryn, as some call her, was also expected to get married in 2018 especially following her childbirth in 2017 with her British baby daddy, Jamie Roberts. After the birth of Ryn, Yvonne was seen all over with Jamie and so hopes were high that the two were preparing to get married but 2018 passed without that expectation being met. Their relationship has been on and off, according to rumours heard by YEN.com.gh. Every woman wishes to settle down with the man of her dreams, especially, the man of her child. Therefore, YEN.com.gh wishes Yvonne Nelson and Jamie Roberts the best of marriage favours for 2019. READ ALSO: Sarkodie, Dumelo, and 8 other celebrities who got married in 2018 Sarkodie, Dumelo, and 8 other celebrities who got married in 2018 5. Sandra Ankobiah: The trained lawyer who is also a talented actress, according to her best friend Nana Aba Anamoah, was still single even though she is beautiful. Rumours were rife that Sandra was seeing another womans husband, but we cannot substantiate that. Fans and followers expected Sandra to get married in 2018 but that was not realized. It is hoped that she would be among those to find their soulmates in 2019. 6. Lydia Forson: Lydia was also among those expected to get married in 2018 but that did not happen. Her love life has been one that the media know little about, therefore, her wedding would be much of a surprise to her fans and followers and it is hoped that 2019 would be her year. 7. Delay: The expectation for Delay to get married had been long held by many Ghanaians. The media mogul as Delay calls herself, is a successful business woman and entrepreneur and as usual, it is expected that she would settle down so as to be complete. But in an Instagram post sighted by YEN.com.gh, Delay revealed that she forgot to marry in 2018 because she was so busy. Whatever the case, YEN.com.gh wishes Delay who is reported to be in her late 30s, marital favour for 2019. READ ALSO: 5 Ghanaians arrested in China each week for illegal work, overstay - Deputy Ambassador Ghana News Today: Sarkodie Storms Manifestivities| #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: Yen.com.gh Before the start of 2018, many prophets predicted, what they said would be the major happenings in the country in the coming 12 months. Prominent among such prophets was the founder and leader of Glorious Word Ministry International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, who made a plethora of predictions. Owusu Bempah has come to be known for his often 'doom prophecies' which he makes on the last day of every year and December 31, 2017 was no different. With just a few hours to end the year, YEN.com.gh brings you the prophecies Owusu Bempah made for 2018 which have failed to manifest. 1. Ghana will bury a first lady: He prophesied that one of Ghanas first ladies will be buried in 2018 if Ghanaians did not intercede for them. There are some people we call first ladies and these people are the wives of the first gentlemen that is the President of the Nation. If we dont pray, this year, Ghana will bury a first lady. But so far, all of Ghana's former first ladies namely, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, Theresa Kufuor, Naadu Mills, and Lordina Mahama are known to be sound and safe. 2. Another big funeral in the Ashanti Region: This prophecy was made with the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II's funeral in 2017 as the yardstick. But there was no funeral of that calibre in the region in 2018. Kofi Annan is known to have grown up in Kumasi and is considered by the Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu II as a special person but even that funeral was held in Accra. 3. Sudden death at the presidency: Owusu Bempah prophesied that sudden death may occur at the presidency in 2018. But just like his prediction of a coup d'etat in 2017 failed tlo come to pass, no death occurred at the presidency. The closest this prophecy came to manifesting was the vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia falling sick and flying to London for a break. 4. An influential man of God will die: Owusu Bempah predicted that a popular and influential 'man of God' will die and it will shock the nation. Looking through 2018 there was no such death of a so popular pastor as predicted. 5. Death of another big media personality: This prophecy was made on the back of KABA's death in November 2017. Though there were many deaths in the media including Alhaji Bature, UTV's Mavis Animah Yeboah, Atinka Group's Francis Sasu, among others, none of them were as big as KABA. Ghana News Today: Samini Rocks Fans at Saminifest| #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 News - The dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has urged government to support Kantanka Automobile - He said by so doing the government would be able to fulfill its promise of industralisation - He advised the government to put an end to patronising foreign vehicles The dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has called on the government to support local auto firm, Kantanka Automobile. He said purchasing their vehicles would create jobs and fulfill its promise of industrialising Ghana. Antwi-Danso made the call at the 38th Annual Technology Exhibition Show of Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo, at which the inventor and industrialist showcased his innovation for the year. Source: Supplied Source: UGC READ ALSO: Black Stars player Mubarak Wakaso mocked over fake Dolce & Gabbana sweatsuit Speaking at the event, Antwi-Danso said he was not happy with the Ghana government for purchasing the 100 Toyota cars for the Ghana Police Service. According to him, the leadership of the police administration should have informed the government to consider purchasing the new vehicles from Kantanka because he had gifted the police service a vehicle earlier That is how to help Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo realise his dream of industrialising Ghana and patronising made-in-Ghana goods" Antwi-Danso said. READ ALSO: Bawumia lists 41 things achieved by Akufo-Addo's government since 2016 He suggested that the Volkswagen (VW) should partner with Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo to produce vehicles and also to create employment. How do we have cars like the 'Obrempong', 'Onantefuo', etc., and we import Mahindra, Korando, Tata to Ghana. Every year, the government purchases cars, it has already budgeted for. Please, let us turn our attention to these beautiful and durable cars from Kantanka." Antwi-Danso noted. The senior minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, in response, gave the assurance that the government would assist Kantanka Automobile with incentives. READ ALSO: Bishop Obinim denies being a magician Yenkasa: Is Dumsor back? | #Yencomgh Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen Smaller cities, which have seen sharper price gains this year, may face greater risks of a slump as economic activity slows and financing conditions remain tough for smaller developers. Chinas average residential property prices are forecast to rise 2 percent in the first half of 2019 from a year earlier, and just 0.5 percent for the full year, a survey with 16 property analysts and economists showed on Monday. That would mark the weakest annual rise in five years in a sector that traditionally has been one of the countrys major growth drivers and store of household wealth. Analysts have downgraded their estimates since the last Reuters poll was conducted in September, when prices were expected to rise 3.3 percent in the first six months of 2019. Housing sales are expected to fall 5 percent in 2019, the latest poll showed, with property investment slowing to 4 percent. Chinas real estate market directly impacts over 40 industries and highly correlates to domestic demand from steel to washing machines. Despite gradually slowing from its peak levels in mid-2016 as authorities sought to cool price rises, the sector has remained relatively buoyant due to strong underlying demand for housing and few alternatives for investment. October data showed new home prices rose 8.6 percent compared with a year earlier, the fastest pace since July last year. Recent price gains have been mostly driven by smaller cities which have fewer restrictions on home buyers than megacities. That has allowed smaller centers to get rid of years of high inventories, providing a cushion for the economy as regulators moved to rein in high levels of debt. However, market sentiment has turned more cautious since the start of the second half of this year following a surge in failed land auctions, and on signs that Chinas consumers may be growing more cautious about spending. There will be a significant downside risk in real estate next year - its mainly due to more visible contractions in smaller tier-3 and tier-4 cities, said Sun Binyi, an analyst with China Real Estate Appraisal. The biggest risks facing the sector include smaller government allotments next year for a massive slum redevelopment program, tight financing faced by property developers and a chilling effect on confidence if the Sino-U.S. trade war drags on, Sun said. Most economists believe Chinas regional and municipal governments will loosen curbs on buyers next year as their revenue from real estate shrinks and local economies slow. But that will test central policymakers resolve to keep debt levels and speculation under control. Fourteen out of 16 analysts polled said they expected some degree of policy loosening in the sector in the coming year, though many argued it would be exercised in discretion and the likelihood of a blanket, nation-wide lift in purchase restrictions is low. These tightening measures will be relaxed. As economic growth slows the government will need the housing market to support growth, said Iris Pang, ING Banks Greater China economist based in Singapore. With domestic demand softening, economists predict Chinas growth could cool to as low as 6 percent in 2019, from an expected 6.5 percent this year, even if Washington and Beijing are able to negotiate an end to their trade war. We cannot rule out the possibility that the government starts to ease housing policies (in some cities) to support overall growth, said Tianjie He, senior economist at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong. But we think that Chinas policymakers are unlikely to do that unless the pressure on overall growth particularly from the impact of the trade conflict with the United States becomes significantly stronger than it currently is. Asked to rate the affordability of Chinese housing on a scale of 1 being the cheapest and 10 the most expensive, the median answer was 6, down from analysts estimates of 7 in the last poll. Today Sunshine. Very hot. High 111F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy in the evening with more clouds for later at night. Low 79F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. Very hot. High 119F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Armed men killed 37 civilians on Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government said in a statement. The government said the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region around 5am (0500 GMT) and that some of the victims were children. NASA's New Horizons explorer successfully "phoned home" on Tuesday after a journey to the most distant world ever explored by humankind, a frozen rock at the edge of the solar system that scientists hope will uncover secrets to its creation. The nuclear-powered space probe has traveled 6.4 billion km to come within 3,540 km of Ultima Thule, an apparently peanut-shaped, 32-km-long space rock in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt. The belt is a ring of icy celestial bodies just outside Neptune's orbit. Engineers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland cheered when the spacecraft's first signals came through the National Aeronautic and Space Agency's Deep Space Network at 10:28am EST (1528 GMT). "We have a healthy spacecraft," Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman declared. Melbourne Stars 3 for 151 (Stoinis 78*, Boyce 2-23) beat Melbourne Renegades 9 for 148 (Christian 32, Bravo 3-27) by seven wickets Melbourne Stars took the honours in the derby clash against Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, comfortably chasing down 149. Marcus Stoinis produced a superb all-round display, capped by his unbeaten 78 to ensure the Stars had a few concerns in reaching the target with 13 balls to spare. The Renegades made a strong start having been put into bat, but that was as good as it got for them after the opening stand of 52 was broken. The Stars' bowlers shared the plaudits, though the pace trio of Stoinis, Scott Boland and Dwayne Bravo claimed seven wickets between them. There was a prime scalp for Sandeep Lamichhane before he departs for the BPL to give the throng of Nepalese supporters plenty to cheer. After a solid start to the chase, the result rarely looked in doubt, although Ben Dunk and Nick Larkin were dismissed in quick succession, a stand of 65 between Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell getting the job almost done. The win leaves the Stars in the clutch of teams on four points which also includes the Renegades, although they have lost their last two matches. False dawn Flexibility in T20 is important, but uncertainty is a problem. The Renegades are not the only team still trying to work out their top-order combinations but have tinkered in each of their matches so far. Tonight it was the young pair of Sam Harper and Mackenzie Harvey, and for a little over four overs, all went swimmingly as they added 52. Harper, who has been up and down the order so far in the tournament, has now managed three scores between 28 and 36. Harvey, a player of much promise, made 30 on his debut against Sydney Sixers and again played nicely here before falling to an excellent catch running backwards by Maxwell. It was a turning point of the innings as Harper was bowled by Adam Zampa next over: 52 for the opening stand, 9 for 96 for the rest of the innings. After making 9 for 99 in their chase against Sixers, there will be a few batting concerns growing with no one yet to register a half-century. Eye's on spin, up steps seamers Much attention was on the spinners, and they certainly played an important role with Zampa's strike and Lamichhane producing a lovely googly to defeat Tom Cooper, but this was also an innings for the seamers. Maxwell was smart in his use of his attack as he went back to all pace after the Powerplay when Mohammad Nabi - a player more comfortable against spin than pace - was at the crease and the move worked when Nabi top-edged a hoick off Stoinis. Bravo then struck in his first over, albeit with a full-toss clipped to midwicket, and the Renegades were 4 for 76 at halfway, in the midst of a slide they would be unable to stop. Edge? What edge? When a batsman is in a bit of a slump, a touch of luck can help. When Dunk was on 1, the Renegades were convinced he had edged Usman Shinwari to the keeper but the umpire was unmoved. Dunk had made 2, 10 and 4 at the start of this edition of the tournament, but now began to find his feet. By the time he was stumped, missing a slog-sweep against Cameron Boyce, 32 was Dunk's highest T20 score in 10 innings since making 47 against the same opponents on January 6 last year. It was just the fifth time he had reached double figures in T20 in 14 innings since he last played for Australia in early 2017. The opening stand of 67 with Stoinis was the Stars' best in 15 matches. Stoinis' chance up top Two wickets, a good catch in the deep and then 78 to guide the run chase. It was a handy night for Stoinis. It was the batting that was arguably the most significant as it was the first time this season he had opened the innings - a role he has not held consistently in T20 cricket since 2016. He certainly made the most of his chance to build an innings from the outset. The most noticeable feature was his power down the ground: he pulled Nabi straight for six, deposited Dan Christian over long-on with a shot that left the bowler wondering what had happened, and finished the game with a pull over deep square-leg for his fourth six of a very fine innings. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani met with Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nahala on Tuesday, and said that the only way for the oppressed Palestinians to get their rights is to fight Israel, who despite the Madrid on Oslo accords did not acknowledge the Palestinian people's rights. Nahala said Iranian support is of great importance and that Irans stand and support play a key role in our efforts to win our rights. He added that efforts and attacks coming from Israel and the U.S.what they call the deal of the centuryare meant to close the Palestinian case. Some 200 people rallied outside the home of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on Tuesday evening, in protest of the imprisonment conditions of three Hilltop Youth held by the Shin Bet. Protesters include the teens family and friends, who said the three minors have been denied access to their lawyers, and that their condition is unknown. The crowd is carrying signs saying Hilltop Youth also have rights. A large police force is blocking the protesters access to the ministers home. Syria and Iran were on the agenda Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Brasilia against the backdrop of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros inauguration. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Netanyahu said he was happy to meet Pompeo for the second time in a month, saying they had a lot to discuss about their common aims. Were going to discuss the intense cooperation between Israel and the United States, which will also deal with the questions following the decision, the American decisions on Syria, on how to intensify even further our intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu and Pomeo's meeting in Brasilia on Tuesday (Photo: GPO) The prime minister appeared to imply that the U.S. had offered Israel support after a recent large-scale attack in Syria. He said that he was very appreciative of the support, strong support and unequivocal support that you and the president gave our efforts at self-defense against Syria and Hezbollah just in the last few days. The attack, which apparently targeted weapons depots belonging to Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, drew criticism from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned that it endangered civilian aircraft in Syrian airspace. Israeli-Russian ties are still recovering from an incident in September in which a Russian transport plane was downed by Syrian missile defenses during an airstrike attributed to Israel. Moscow blames Jerusalem for the incident. The crowd waving an Israeli flag during Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros inauguration (Photo: EPA) Pompeo said before the meeting with Netanyahu that the U.S. was still committed to the same principles in the Middle East as it was before Trump decided to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. Our effort to counter Iranian aggression continues, and our commitment to the protection of Israel continues in the same way as before that decision was made, Pompeo said. This meeting comes after U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to slow down the U.S. exit from Syria, a decision that drew extensive criticism across the political spectrum, to span over four months. Pompeo also referred to the IDF Operation Northern Shield, launched by Israel last month to seek and destroy Hezbollah attack tunnels dug under the Lebanon-Israel border, and said that the US could appreciate the threat the structures posed to Israeli sovereignty. Israel, he said, did a good job of exposing and neutralizing the tunnels. Netanyahu met with Bolsonaro on Friday, and said that the Brazilian President accepted his invitation to visit Israel, a trip that is likely to take place in March. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife arriving in Brasilia (Photo: GPO) "Bolsonaro told me it was "when, not if" he moves the embassy to Jerusalem," Netanyahu said on Sunday during a meeting with leaders of Brazil's Jewish community in Rio de Janeiro. "We attach enormous importance to Brazil, and Brazil in the context of Latin America," he added. "This heralds a historic change." After he met the Israeli leader, Bolsonaro said that "we need good allies, good friends, good brothers, like Benjamin Netanyahu." BERLIN -- Edgar Hilsenrath, a German-Jewish writer whose fictional account of the Holocaust from the perspective of a Nazi perpetrator became a best-seller, has died at 92. The German news agency dpa quoted Hilsenrath's second wife, Marlene, as confirming Tuesday that the author died Dec. 30 in western Germany after battling pneumonia. Born in Leipzig in 1926, Hilsenrath moved to Romania at 12 to escape Nazi persecution, and was later deported to Ukraine. His first novel, "Night," recounting the horrors of trying to survive in a Jewish ghetto, was published in 1954. Hilsenrath gained international fame with his 1971 novel "The Nazi and the Barber" -- a grotesque story about an SS member who pretends to be Jewish after the war to escape prosecution -- that sold millions of copies worldwide. BRASILIA - The United States and Israel vowed on Tuesday to continue cooperating over Syria and in countering Iran in the Middle East, even as President Donald Trump's plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Brazilian capital that he planned to discuss how to intensify intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian "aggression." In his first public comments on Trump's decision, Pompeo said it "in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel" and that campaigns to counter Islamic State and Iranian aggression would continue. The police said Tuesday that 22 illegal residents, 14 of whom are Gaza residents, were located in abandoned buildings and tents in the northern Arab city of Tamra. FLORENCE - Italy's Uffizi Galleries called on Germany on Tuesday to return a still-life painting by the Dutch master Jan van Huysum, which was looted by retreating Nazi troops in World War Two. "Germany has a moral duty to return this painting to our museum," said Uffizi chief Eike Schmidt, who is himself German. "This story is preventing the wounds inflicted by World War Two and the horrors of Nazism from healing." The "Vase of Flowers" painting, worth millions of dollars, was originally put on display in Florence in 1824 after it was bought by Grande Duke Leopoldo II for his art collection. The oil canvas hung in the city's Pitti Palace until 1940, when it was evacuated to a nearby village following the outbreak of World War Two. Three years later it was seized by German troops and eventually taken to Germany where it only resurfaced following German reunification in 1991 in the hands of a family. Intermediaries have demanded payment for its return, which the Uffizi is refusing. All efforts to get it back via legal channels have failed, with Germany saying it cannot intervene because of a statute of limitations that prevents prosecution for alleged crimes committed more than 30 years ago. "Germany should not apply the statute of limitations to works of art stolen during the war," said Schmidt, who on Tuesday hung a black and white photograph of the missing canvas in the Pitti Palace museum. Labor Chairman Avi Gabbay's shock announcement that he was dissolving his partnership with Tzipi Livni has exposed deep divisions between the two over the direction and policy of the Zionist Union faction, as well as apparent personal hostility. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Gabbay, who inherited the partnership from his Labor predeccessor Isaac Herzog, told party members after the announcement that Livni had given him a difficult time from the moment she assumed the position of opposition leader. "There was never any true partnership, only harm," Gabbay said. "When there was good news, she would run to the media, but when things were bleaker she was nowhere to be found and left us to do all the work. In fact, the resentment appears to run so deep that Gabbay even reportedly turned off his teleprompter ahead of his announcement to the now-defunct Zionist Union faction so that Livni, who was sitting beside him, would not know what was coming. Livni sat in stunned silence at Gabbay's words, taking her time to respond. When she did make a statement (on Twitter, a trend that has hit Israel too), it was to thank her supporters and well-wishers and vow that there would be "a revolution in the upcoming elections." Gabbay; Livni (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) Just a week ago, Livni called for the center and left parties to unite ahead of the 2019 elections, which were announced last month. Each of us must put our egos aside for the common goal, and that is an revolution," she said. "I have already made sacrifices in the past and I am prepared to do it again. These mergers are crucial in order to form a wide bloc which is vital for the coming elections. Tzipi Livni (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) But Gabbay disapproved of this sentiment. The two held talks, but failed to find common ground. Gabbay felt that Livni was spoiling things and feared that she might do anything to form a large political bloc even at his expense. Therefore, he decided to preempt such a move and announced the split as she sat beside him. The two had been set to meet at 3pm Tuesday, and Livni planned to express her dissatisfaction with the Zionist Union election campaign, which was to focus on social issues and not the geopolitical front. The meeting of course was cancelled. Gabbay never accepted the terms of the partnership, a partnership that yielded 24 Knesset seats, said MK Yoel Hasson of Hatnuah. The (poor) poll results are directly due to Gabbays leadership alone. In his distress, Gabbay turned the Zionist Union into a niche party and ignored political-security matters. Running the country is a serious matter for statesmen. Labor members expressed support for Gabbays decision to split from Livni, believing that it had already damaged them electorally. Hatnuah Party members also rallied around their leader, saying Gabbay had acted inappropriately. We must now examine our next move. Many in the center-left have told me that they refuse to join Gabbay, but would join Livni, said Hatnuah MK Eyal Ben Reuven. The Central District Court in Lod on Tuesday threw out a confession given by an Israeli minor detained as part of a far-reaching investigation into Jewish terrorism, on the grounds that it was extracted by unlawful means and under duress. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The teen has been charged with several racially motivated offenses, including arson and damage to property in a 2013 attack at the Abbey of the Dormition in Jerusalem. During the attack, graffitti reading "Christians are monkeys" and Christians are slaves" was sprayed on the walls of the church. Teen suspected of Jewish terrorism (Photo: Shaul Golan) The youth was also questioned on suspicion of involvement in the deadly Duma terror attack of 2015, in which three members of a Palestinian family died in a fire started by Jewish extremists at their West Bank home. The court, however, found he was not involved in the attack. The decision to throw out the teen's testimony was made after his attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir, argued that the Shin Bet domestic security service and the police unlawfully obtained the confession from his client, who admitted to carrying out the hate crimes while he was in custody in Acre. On Thursday, the investigative television program Fact reported that the youth had been placed in a fake prison cell in Acre Prison, while policemen disguised as his cellmates applied massive pressure on him to confess to his actions, including stopping him from sleeping and eating. Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir One of the policemen played the role of a prisoner serving a murder sentence, and officers even planted fake drugs under his mattress to pressure him. Ben-Gvir argued in court that a red line had been crossed and that unacceptable investigative measures had been used to get the confession. Throwing out the confession, Judge Michal Brandt called the behavior of the police unfair, to say the least, as well as offensive and threatening, the Times of Israel reported. Ben-Gvir praised the court's decision, saying his client had been denied his basic rights. "This is an important day for Israeli democracy. The time has come for the Shin Bet and the police to know that the Hilltop Youth (young exteme-right settlers) also have basic rights. All red lines have been crossed in this investigation. I'm glad the court accepted our claim and disqualified the confession," Ben-Gvir said. The Central District Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that they may rethink their strategy in light of the ruling. "The defendant was charged with severe offenses, whose ramifications are also felt in internationally. The police and Shin Bet used measures they believed to be within the boundaries of the law. The court rejected the confession given by the minor under these conditions, and we will thoroughly review the court's decision and consider our future actions." British counter-terrorism police are investigating stabbings at Manchester's Victoria train station in the city center on New Year's Eve, which left three people injured, including a police officer, Greater Manchester Police said. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Police were, however, keeping an open mind as there was no intelligence suggesting a wider threat, the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement posted on Twitter. They said a man is in custody and those injured were in a "serious" but not life-threatening condition. The stabbings occurred at about 8:50 p.m. Greater Manchester Police detain a stabbing suspect at Victoria Station during NYE celebrations (Photo: BBC screenshot) "Tonight's events will have understandably worried people but I need to stress that the incident is not ongoing, a man is in custody and there is currently no intelligence to suggest there is any wider threat at this time," Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said in a statement. Police said the man in custody is being held for "questioning on suspicion of attempted murder." Britain is currently on its second-highest threat level of severe, meaning an attack is considered highly likely and security officials say they are facing record levels of work in countering Islamist militants as well as far-right extremists after four major attacks last year. Manchester itself was the scene of a suicide bomb attack in May 2017 that killed 22 people as they left an Ariana Grande concert. A Reuters witness in Manchester said there were police officers around the train station, which remained closed several hours after the incident. All was calm as New Year revellers, including children, walked past. A BBC producer who was a witness at the station described the attacker as wielding a large kitchen knife and who linked his actions to "bombings in other countries." "I heard the man say, As long as you keep bombing these countries this is going to keep happening," the producer, Sam Clack, told BBC 5 Live radio. "It was very very scary," Clack said. US President Donald Trump has agreed to give US military about four months instead of the 30 days he allocated two weeks ago to withdraw the 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria, the New York Times reported Monday. A senior Israeli official said Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked Trump for a gradual withdrawal and was told his request will be considered. Indeed, Trump confirmed on Twitter Monday that US troops would slowly be withdrawn. ISIS is mostly gone, were slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants, the American president said on Twitter. Iran could use its growing clout in Iraq to turn the Arab country into a springboard for attacks against Israel, the top Israeli intelligence official said on Monday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Israel sees the spread of Tehran's influence in the region as a growing threat, and has carried out scores of air strikes in civil war-torn Syria against suspected military deployments and arms deliveries by Iranian forces supporting Damascus. Iraq, which does not share a border with Israel, is technically its enemy but was last an open threat in the 1991 Gulf War. After a U.S.-led invasion in 2003 toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, Israel has worried that the country's Shi'ite majority could tilt to Tehran. Anti-Israel demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq (Photo: Reuters) "Iraq is under growing influence of the (covert Iranian foreign operations unit) Qods Force and Iran," Major-General Tamir Hayman, the chief of Israeli military intelligence, told a conference in Tel Aviv. With U.S. President Donald Trump signalling he sought to disengage from the region, Hayman said, the Iranians may "see Iraq as a convenient theatre for entrenchment, similar to what they did in Syria, and to use it as a platform for a force build-up that could also threaten the State of Israel." Citing Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources, Reuters reported in August that Iran had transferred short-range ballistic missils to Shi'ite allies in Iraq. Baghdad denied the findings. The following week, Israel said it might attack such sites in Iraq, effectively expanding a campaign now focussed in Syria. Hayman predicted 2019 would bring "significant change" to Syria, whose President Bashar Assad has beaten back rebels with the help of Russia, Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah reinforcements, and where Trump this month ordered a pullout of U.S. troops. "This presence of Iran, with Syria's return to stabilisation under a Russian umbrella, is something we are watching closely," he said. Israel has also been monitoring Iranian conduct since Trump quit the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran in May and reimposed U.S. sanctions. The deal placed caps on nuclear projects with bomb-making potential, though Iran denied having such designs. Trump, with Israeli support, deemed the caps insufficient. "We assess that Iran will strive to stay within the deal but will do everything in order to find ways of circumventing the American sanctions," Hayman said. Amos was two and a half years my junior. He left Jerusalem at the age of 14 and moved to a kibbutz. Yet every Friday he would visit his father's house in Jerusalem where he was in the Scouts movement and participated in group activities. I was their leader, but I didn't really notice him. From time to time, he would remind me that he used to be my student. "How could I have missed you?" I would ask, to which he would reply, in his own way, "I was shrunken to lower the grass." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Shrunken because his mother had died, because he moved to a strange kibbutz as a child. But Amos was strong, very strong even. Strong in his solitude. David Grossman, A.B. Yehoshua, and Amos Oz (left to right) After his father passed away at a young age, I felt like Amos was my little brother. I don't have a brother so I told him that he was one to me. That was the basis of our relationship fraternal, beyond literature, beyond our shared political and ideological views. For the past 60 years, we kept in touch by phone and met every couple of weeks. We guided one another, in the name of our fraternity, and gave one another strength. Amos taught me public courage, especially after the Six-Day War when he went against the fever of annexation and Jewish settlements, and stood up himself against all the kibbutz members who did not accept his views. It wasn't like Uri Avnery criticizing the occupation, Amos had to go against the very people who sat beside him every day at breakfast. Amos Oz signs his book, 2005 (Photo: Shaul Golan) He was the epitome of a man, an intellectual, someone who took a moral stand without losing his affability. He had solidarity with the people right to the end. We could talk for hours about literature, life, politics, ideology, Chekhov. We would also read each other's work: Amos was my first reader, after Ika, my wife; and I was his first reader, after Nili, his wife. Amos was a brave man and a wonderful writer. He was a man who realized his ambitions, and was one of the greatest authors in Israel's history. No one is irreplaceable but Amos will be remembered as one of the greats. He is one of the most decorated writers in terms of prizes, but most importantly, his work endures. His novels are still read and his voice is still heard. His work lives on and he will always have a place in Hebrew literature and culture. Please disable your ad blocker, and refresh the page to view this content. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Sanaa (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi rebels on Tuesday rejected UN accusations of selling aid meant for civilians, slamming the World Food Programme (WFP) for sending "rotten food" to the war-torn country. The WFP, which plans to provide food to up to 12 million Yemenis a month in 2019, on Monday accused Huthi rebels of "criminal behaviour" and of selling food aid in markets in the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Mohammed al-Huthi, who heads the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee, hit back saying the WFP was "fully responsible for... quantities of rotten food" it sent to Yemen. In comments carried by the rebels' Saba news agency, he said Yemen refused to allow this food into the country because "it violates standards and regulations and is not suitable for human consumption". Huthi said, however, that the insurgents "welcomed" an independent investigation and called on the WFP to back up its accusations with proof. He also accused UN organisations of bias. "The work of these organisations is mostly politicised, and their position... confirms their work has shifted from independent to subordinate" to the United States and Britain, he said. The Huthis are locked in a war with a Saudi-led regional military coalition, which is allied with Yemen's embattled government. The conflict has triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million people on the brink of famine. Last month, Huthi rebels and government officials agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire in the flashpoint Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a key gateway for aid and food imports to Yemen. The ceasefire went into effect on December 18, but it has remained shaky with the two sides accusing each other of violations. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government's fight against the Huthis in 2015, 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. Taliban fighters killed more than 20 Afghan security forces in simultaneous raids on a provincial capital and district in northern Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday, as the city braced for further violence. Hundreds of militants were outside Sar-e-Pul city, which provincial governor spokesman Zabihullah Amani said was at risk of falling to the Taliban if reinforcements were not sent. The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security forces across the country, slaughtering police and soldiers in record numbers, as the threat of a US drawdown complicates American-led efforts to end the 17-year conflict. "The enemy is still amassing forces outside the city," Amani told AFP. "We have deployed all the forces available in the city, but no reinforcements have arrived from outside so far. "The people inside the city are very worried." Taliban fighters launched the attacks on Sar-e-Pul and neighbouring Sayad district on Monday night, which Amani said were aimed at seizing control of several oil wells on the outskirts of the city. At least 21 local forces, including police and intelligence, were killed and another 23 wounded in the attacks, Amani said. "They have attacked the city many times in the past, but this time the threat is more serious," he said. A security official, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, put the death toll slightly lower at between 15 and 20 members of local forces. Kabul-based interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi confirmed there had been casualties, but would not provide details. He said reinforcements had been deployed to Sar-e-Pul and dismissed concerns that the provincial capital was at risk of falling to the insurgents. The Taliban confirmed the attacks, saying their fighters had captured three checkpoints and killed or wounded 50 members of the security forces. Afghanistan's largest militant group made significant territorial gains in 2018, including overrunning Ghazni city -- a few hours' drive from Kabul -- which they held for several days before being pushed back with the help of US airpower. Story continues At the time, officials said Ghazni remained in government hands. But residents told AFP that the insurgents were in the streets, burning buildings and targeting civilians. The Taliban's increased aggression on the battlefield coincided with a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the group to the negotiating table. In recent days, Taliban representatives have met with Iran, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown. The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran "the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region", the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists on Tuesday. It signals a growing confidence among the Taliban that US troops will pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground. BEIRUT (AP) Nearly 20,000 people were killed in 2018 in Syria's war, the lowest annual death toll since the war began nearly eight years ago, a group that closely tracks the conflict said Monday. Fighting has died down in much of the country as President Bashar Assad's forces continue to gain territory from rebel fighters a trend that started in 2015 when Russia deployed its air force on the side of the government. This year government forces defeated the rebels in areas around Damascus and in southern Syria, securing the capital and a border crossing with Jordan. Those gains brought just over 60 percent of the country back under Assad's control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that of the 20,000 killed, some 6,500 were civilians. It said nearly half of the civilians were killed in strikes by government or Russian forces. The Observatory said that more 33,400 people, including 10,000 civilians, were killed in 2017. The past year, however, also saw the largest single wave of displacement since the conflict began, with more than a million people driven from their homes in just six months, according to the U.N. By the end of the year the rebels and Islamic militants were largely confined to the northern Idlib province, where a Russian, Turkish and Iranian agreement has for now frozen the battle lines. A new battle is brewing in oil-rich eastern Syria after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw some 2,000 U.S. forces who are supporting Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group. The Kurdish fighters control nearly 30 percent of Syria. IS has lost almost all the territory it once held but remains a potent force. Turkey and allied Syrian fighters are meanwhile threatening to launch an offensive against the Kurdish forces, who Turkey views as terrorists because of their links to an insurgent group inside Turkey. The Syrian conflict began in 2011 as a peaceful uprising against Assad but soon escalated into a devastating civil war that has drawn in foreign powers. The conflict is believed to have killed more than 500,000 people. An image based on pre-flyby observations from NASAs New Horizons spacecraft shows Ultima Thule to be an elongated object thats about 21 miles long. (JHUAPL / SwRI / NASA via YouTube) LAUREL, Md. NASAs New Horizons science team today received confirmation that its spacecraft survived a New Years encounter with an icy world 4 billion miles away known as Ultima Thule and its carrying a priceless load of data. We have a healthy spacecraft, mission operations manager Alice Bowman announced here at Johns Hopkins Universitys Applied Physics Laboratory. Weve just accomplished the most distant flyby. We are ready for Ultima Thule science transmissions science to help us understand the origins of our solar system. The report was greeted with cheers and hugs at APLs mission control center. This spacecraft is rock-solid! the missions principal investigator, Alan Stern, told GeekWire just after New Horizons status report. The crucial report came via an antenna in Spain thats part of NASAs Deep Space Network, at just after 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) 10 hours after the piano-sized probe flew past the 20-mile-wide object, known as 2014 MU69 or Ultima Thule (Ul-ti-ma Too-lee). Part of the delay was due to the fact that New Horizons had to finish loading up the scientific data before it could turn its antenna to transmit back, and another big factor was the 6-hour-plus light travel time for the signals. Todays 15-minute Phone Home transmission was designed to let the mission team at APL know that the spacecraft was healthy and successfully recorded readings from its cameras and other scientific instruments. High-five for Ultima Thule flyby Alan Stern at Mission Operations Center Congratulations The data will be flowing in over the next few days, at a glacial rate of no more than 1,000 bits per second. That rate is so low due to the limitations of the spacecrafts 15-watt transmitter, plus the extreme distances involved. But eventually the science team expects to get detailed pictures plus temperature readings, spectral analyses and particle counts from a world thats thought to rank among the most primitive types of objects in the solar system. New Horizons sped past Ultima at a speed of 32,000 mph, coming as close as 2,200 miles. Story continues During a news conference conducted an hour after the Phone Home call, mission team leaders shared an updated picture of Ultima Thule, based on imagery sent back just before the flyby. The highly processed picture showed it to be an elongated object, about 21 miles long and 9 miles wide (35 by 15 kilometers), and having a bilobate shape like a peanut or a bowling pin. (Or, for that matter, like Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the cosmic rubber ducky studied up close by the European Space Agencys Rosetta mission several years ago.) Project scientist Hal Weaver said the series of images showed that Ultima is rotating, but its too early to say whether the rotation period is closer to 15 hours or 30 hours. Either way, it looks as if the object was rotating right in front of New Horizons camera during the approach. It looks like a propeller, Weaver said. Theres a chance that Ultima might be two close-together objects rather than a single mass, but Weaver said my money is on the bilobate object. More detailed flyby images will be unveiled on Wednesday, shifting New Horizons long-running campaign of discovery back into high gear.. Its expected to take 20 months for all the data to be downloaded. This mission has always been about delayed gratification, Stern said. Scientists say Ultima Thule represents a class of objects known as cold classicals in the Kuiper Belt, a broad stretch of icy material beyond the orbit of Neptune. Cold classicals are relatively unchanged remnants from the solar systems beginnings, more than 4.5 billion years ago. It really is a fossil, a relic from that time of formation, Weaver said. That makes Ultima different from Pluto, which was New Horizons primary target back in 2015. Ultima Thule was chosen as the next target after an intensive search that made use of observing time on the Hubble Space Telescope. At the news conference, Bowman said the Ultima Thule Phone Home experience was different from the Pluto experience in part because the flyby festivities reached their climax on New Years Eve, the night before contact was confirmed. It was this feeling like, Gosh, we already celebrated, but we really havent gotten that signal back, she said. I think I was probably a little bit more nervous this time but we did it again. More from GeekWire: A winter storm will continue to produce a swath of snow, ice and dangerous travel from parts of northern Texas to northeastern Oklahoma into Thursday night. Just enough cold air will slice southward, while moisture builds over the low levels of the atmosphere, to continue to produce an icy mix swath from parts of north-central Texas to central and northeastern Oklahoma. There is the potential for enough snow and ice to cause road and school closures in part of the region. Enough freezing rain may accrue to weigh down tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages in some communities. Static Snow Ice Okla 2 pm Ice accumulated on trees in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday as freezing rain fell across the area. Accidents were also reported in Oklahoma, including around Oklahoma City, on Wednesday afternoon as sleet and freezing rain impacted the region. Winter storms delivers ice, snow to south-central US 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 (Photo/David Harrison) (Photo/Tinka Bellah) (Photo/@_striple675r) (Photo/@kaliemmeyer) (Photo/Christiaan Patterson) (Photo/@lindstorian) (Photo/Pat Hyland) (Photo/Pat Hyland) (Photo/Steve Thompson) (Photo/David Harrison) (Photo/@_striple675r) (Photo/@Abrasuve) A more widespread problem will be a thin coating of ice on roads and sidewalks, which will pose a major hazard for motorists and pedestrians. As the storm spins eastward, the warm air aloft preventing snow from falling will trend much colder. This change in the storm structure will allow rain or a wintry mix to turn to snow near the storm's center. A swath of 3-6 inches of snow is forecast from the storm from part of northwestern Texas to southwestern Oklahoma, including Childress and Vernon, Texas to Altus, Hobart and Lawton, Oklahoma. "If the storm tracks farther to the north than currently expected, the swath of heavy snow may expand over the Oklahoma City area," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. "That would lead to a travel nightmare with city streets clogged with snow, and motorists at risk of getting stuck through Thursday night." Story continues Even if the heaviest snow remains to the southwest, motorists will have to remain alert for slippery travel at times in Oklahoma City until the storm departs early Friday. "Remember that freezing drizzle is enough to make untreated roads and sidewalks icy," Pydynowski said. Static Snowfall Oklahoma 1 pm Some ice is likely to build up north and west of Dallas, including in the northern and western suburbs of Fort Worth. Freezing rain caused accidents and road closures in the northern suburbs of Fort Worth on Wednesday morning. Download the free AccuWeather app to see what conditions are forecast for your area. Temperatures are forecast to moderate considerably across the Plains late this week and this weekend, which will allow the snow and ice to melt. Rabat (AFP) - Morocco's navy on Thursday rescued 367 mostly sub-Saharan migrants in the Mediterranean sea after they attempted to reach Spain, a military source told AFP. The rescued migrants included women and children who were "in difficulty on board several makeshift vessels", the source said. "They were all brought back safely by navy units to the nearest ports." Morocco stopped 68,000 attempted illegal migrants and dismantled 122 "active criminal networks" in the first nine months of 2018, according to a recent official count. Alongside migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa, an increasing number of young Moroccan citizens have attempted to leave the country on board inflatable dinghies in recent months. At least 769 migrants have died attempting to cross the western Mediterranean since the start of the year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), after 224 died on this route in 2017. Spain has become the main point of entry into Europe for illegal migrants this year, ahead of Greece and Italy. The IOM says that more than 55,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year. Kevin Spacey will have to attend his arraignment on sexual assault charges in Nantucket, Massachusetts, next week, a judge decided Monday. In papers obtained by PEOPLE, which were filed with the court last week, attorneys for Spacey had asked a Massachusetts judge to waive the Oscar winners mandatory appearance at the Jan. 7, 2019 proceeding. An affidavit from Spacey noted the accused actor lives in a different state and suggested his presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case. In the affidavit, Spacey indicated his lawyers would enter not guilty pleas on his behalf at the arraignment. Supporting documentation from his attorneys claimed that if Spacey attended the hearing, it would only serve to heighten prejudicial media interest in the case and will increase the risk of contamination of the pool of jurors available for the trial. Spacey, 59, has been charged with felony indecent assault and battery for his alleged role in a 2016 incident inside a Nantucket restaurant. RELATED: Kevin Spacey Photographed Smiling, Wearing Retired Since 2017 Hat After Sexual Assault Charge According to the allegations in Massachusetts, Spacey touched an 18-year-old man against his wishes in a sexual manner inside a Nantucket eatery in July 2016. Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino had opposed Spaceys request. The charge comes more than a year after former Boston TV news anchor Heather Unruh publicly accused Spacey of assaulting her son in July 2016. In police reports obtained by PEOPLE, Spaceys accuser, now 20, told authorities that he was texting and snapchatting while Spacey reached down his pants and repeatedly touched his genitals over the course of three minutes while they were together at a Nantucket bar, where the accuser worked as a bus boy. RELATED VIDEO: Robin Wright on Kevin Spaceys Sexual Assault Allegations: We Never Socialized Outside of Work The accuser said he initially lied to Spacey by saying he was a 23-year-old college student and also told investigators that he was the one who approached Spacey, wanting a photo, and proceeded to drink heavily before the alleged assault took place some time after midnight, reports in the case show. Story continues Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He went on to say Spaceys alleged touching went on for about three minutes and that he tried to move away and moved Spaceys hands away, to no avail, the report states. He said that he left when Spacey went to the bathroom. At a probable cause hearing in Nantucket County Court on Dec. 20, Spaceys attorney highlighted the purported incongruities in the accusers story and went as far as to act out the alleged abuse, according to audio of the hearing, which was first published by the Boston Globe. Kevin Spacey RELATED: Kevin Spacey Pushes Back on Sex Assault Allegation in Court: Teen Accuser Didnt Try to Leave On Monday, the same day that Spacey was charged with felony sexual assault, the actor released a video on his social media accounts, in which he seemed to be channeling his deceased House of Cards character, Frank Underwood. Some believed everything and have just been waiting with bated breath to hear me confess it all, Spacey said in the video. Theyre just dying to have me declare that everything said is true and that I got what I deserved. Wouldnt that be easy if it was all so simple? he continued. Only you and I both know its never that simple, not in politics and not in life. If I didnt pay the price for the things we both know I did do, Im certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didnt do. The Daily Beast Delmaine Donson/GettyWhat do we wear now? has become fashions most pressing post-vaccine question. (Perhaps tied with How do we make money now?). One answer, according to celebrities who are currently shedding clothes like snakes lose skin: nothing. We are wearing nothing now.After 15 months of isolation and next to no external validation, it makes sense that wed want to get naked. Especially if we were, say, Milo Ventimiglia (and his legs) parading around in extra-short shorts, or Megan T JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's long-awaited second international airport near the southern Red Sea resort of Eilat is expected to open on Jan. 22, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said on Tuesday. The $500 million Ramon Airport in the Negev desert will start operations gradually, initially with domestic flights and then likely allowing international flights beginning in March, Liza Dvir, an IAA spokeswoman, said. She noted that the opening of the airstrip took a bit longer than planned in order to double the amount of parking spaces to 60 planes and to lengthen the runway to 3.6 km to accommodate large aircraft. "Israel didn't have a second international airport," she said, referring to the 2014 conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza where missiles targeted Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport, leading some carriers to cancel flights for a few days. Israel is hoping the new airport will help boost tourism to Eilat. A number of foreign carriers have already launched winter flights to the Ovda military airfield 60 km from Eilat for Europeans seeking a warmer climate. Initially, Ramon will accommodate more than 2 million passengers a year with plans for an expansion to 4.5 million. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Tova Cohen) Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's centre-left opposition dramatically split on Tuesday ahead of an April 9 election, with leader Avi Gabbay announcing he would no longer partner with veteran politician Tzipi Livni as she sat stone-faced next to him. The announcement means the end of their Zionist Union alliance, which secured the second most seats in the last general election in 2015, but has since tumbled far in opinion polls. The Zionist Union included Gabbay's Labour party and Livni's Hatnuah. It won 24 out of 120 seats in 2015, behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, which won 30. Since Gabbay took over as head of Labour in 2017, his partnership with Livni had been uneasy and it was unclear if the alliance would continue for the election. He inherited the partnership from the previous Labour leader, Isaac Herzog. "I still believe in partnership, in connections, in uniting a large camp committed to change, but successful connections necessitate friendship, upholding agreements and commitment to a course," Gabbay told a meeting of Zionist Union lawmakers. "That didn't happen in this partnership," he said, adding that he believed voters agreed. Livni approached the podium immediately afterwards and said tersely she would take time to reflect on Gabbay's announcement before responding. At a separate press conference later, Livni admitted Gabbay's announcement had taken her by surprise, rejected insinuations she lacked loyalty and said the split was ultimately for the best. Recalling the original union with Herzog, Livni called it "a true partnership" between leaders who shared a vision. "Gabbay was right about one thing today -- it was never a real partnership between us, because he never wanted a partnership," she said. "The way he ended it today is proof." Livni stressed she wasn't dwelling on the past and would remain focused on ousting Netanyahu in the upcoming vote. Story continues "What's more important than dismantling the Zionist Union is fighting for Zionism," she said. Gabbay is not a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, so Livni also served as the formal head of the opposition. The Labour party later announced in a statement that the post would be taken over by Labour lawmaker Shelly Yachimovich, who has held the job before and is a former party leader. - Pre-election realignments - Gabbay's decision is the latest realignment ahead of the election and more are expected. On Saturday, two right-wing ministers, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, announced they were splitting from their Jewish Home party to form a new grouping that they hope will attract a mixture of secular and religious voters. A popular former armed forces chief of staff, Benny Gantz, has also signalled his intention to run by forming a new centrist party. Polls show Netanyahu is likely to remain prime minister after the elections despite corruption allegations against him. The attorney general is expected to announce his decision on whether to charge Netanyahu in the coming months. The premier would not be required to step down if indicted. Netanyahu currently leads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israel's history and says he would like to have a similar coalition after elections. "I won't intervene in how the left divides its votes," he said in a statement after Gabbay's announcement. "What's important to me is that the right forms the next government too, and continues to lead Israel." Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel plans to inaugurate a new international airport in the south of the country near the Red Sea later this month, the transport minister announced Tuesday. The Ramon airport will begin with only domestic flights before gradually moving toward full operation, Transport Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. The inauguration ceremony will be held on January 21 with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance. Initially domestic flights will be operated by the Arkia and Israir carriers. A timeframe was not given for when the airport will be fully operational. Construction costs for the airport have been put at 1.7 billion shekels ($455 million, 395 million euros). Work got underway in 2013 but original specifications for the project were revised to allow for upgrades. The airport will be some 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat and near the Jordanian port of Aqaba. Its website says that it will be able to initially handle up to two million passengers annually, but will be able to expand to a capacity of 4.2 million by 2030. It will replace Ovda airport, some 60 kilometres away from Eilat, and will be able to serve as an alternative to Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv during times of emergency. The new airport is named after Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who died in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said that the U.S. military presence in Syria had been "a mistake, illogical and a source of tension", in Tehran's first reaction to President Donald Trump's planned pull-out. Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, saying on Wednesday they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country. "From the start, the entry and presence of American forces in the region has been a mistake, illogical and a source of tension, and a main cause of instability," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state media on Saturday. Trump said in a tweet on Thursday that "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy" about the planned U.S. withdrawal. Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war, has sent military "advisers" as well as military equipment and regional Shiite militias to fight anti-government groups. Tehran has opposed the presence of foreign forces in Syria, except those -- from Iran and Russia -- which have been invited by the Assad government. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Alexander Smith) Libreville (AFP) - Gabon's President Ali Bongo on Monday addressed his compatriots for the first time since suffering a stroke on October 24, in a New Year's message recorded in Morocco and distributed via social and traditional media. "It is true that I have been through a difficult period, as sometimes happens in life," he said in a video recorded in Rabat, where the president has been recuperating since end-November. The 59-year-old leader has not been home to Gabon since he fell ill in Saudi Arabia more than two months ago. A lack of official news sparked fevered speculation that he was incapacitated or even dead. A single photograph of Bongo and two videos without sound were published in the two months after his stroke, further fuelling rumours about his health. Speaking straight to the camera in the new video, Bongo elocutes his message seemingly effortlessly, even as his head and hands display slight movement. Seated at a table, the president's lower body is not shown. "Today, as you can see, I am better and I am preparing to meet you again soon," Bongo said in the video. Presidency spokesman Ike Ngouoni told AFP: "This speech is proof that President Ali Bongo is fully recovered. His health problems are now behind him." The Bongo family has governed the oil-rich equatorial African nation for five decades. The incumbent replaced his father, who died in 2009. Three opposition party leaders have called for an independent medical team to see Bongo in Rabat to assess whether he is able to perform his presidential duties. Bongo was narrowly re-elected in 2016 following a presidential poll marred by deadly violence and allegations of fraud. Brasilia (AFP) - Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician vowing a crackdown on crime and corruption, was sworn in Tuesday as Brazil's new president in front of Congress in Brasilia. The 63-year-old former paratrooper and deputy for the past 27 years pledged to uphold the constitution as he embarked on his four-year mandate at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy. Bolsonaro takes power with sky-high approval ratings and high hopes from many of Brazil's 210 million inhabitants that he can stamp out graft, reduce rampant crime and re-ignite an economy laid low by a record-breaking recession. He has already said he will issue a decree easing gun laws to allow "good" citizens to own firearms as a way of deterring and countering armed criminals. And he has vowed to challenge the leftist governments ruling Venezuela and Cuba, while moving closer to ideological allies US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bolsonaro takes over from deeply unpopular center-right president Michel Temer, who was effectively a caretaker figure following the impeachment of leftist leader Dilma Rousseff, booted from office in 2016 for fiddling the government books. He has said he is determined to roll back decisions made under Rousseff and her popular predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is now in prison for corruption. Trimming the government and public debt, and embarking on privatizations are among the measures he has proposed. By Giulia Paravicini and Stanis Bujakera KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's opposition said on Monday it expected one of its candidates to win the presidential election based on early vote tallies, but the ruling coalition said it was confident its candidate had won the chaotic contest. The competing claims followed a disorderly election day on Sunday in which many Congolese were unable to vote due to an Ebola outbreak, conflict and logistical problems. After unofficial tallies started to circulate on social media on Monday, mobile internet connections in the capital Kinshasa and other cities slowed down or cut out entirely, residents said, in a possible move by authorities to stop the information from circulating. Government officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Authorities have cut the internet in the past, saying they sought to stop rumors from spreading during protests. The vote is meant to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila after 18 years in power and could lead to the vast central African country's first ever democratic transition. But the opposition says the election was marred by fraud and accused Kabila of planning to rule from the sidelines through his preferred candidate. The government has said the election was fair. Any disputed outcome could lead to a repeat of the violence that followed the 2006 and 2011 elections and a wider security breakdown, particularly along Congo's borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, where dozens of armed militia are active. Pierre Lumbi, the campaign manager to opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, said in a statement posted on Twitter that Fayulu was winning after more than a third of votes had been counted. "The polls are clear: they put...Martin Fayulu easily in the lead," he said. Vital Kamerhe, the campaign manager to another opposition candidate, Felix Tshisekedi, said earlier that initial counting showed Tshisekedi and Fayulu neck-and-neck in the lead, both with more than 40 percent of the vote. He said the ruling coalition candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who is backed by Kabila, had only about 13 percent, although a significant part of the vote remained to be tabulated. Shadary's campaign said he will win. "For us, victory is certain," Nehemie Mwilanya, Kabila's chief of staff and a member of Shadary's campaign, told a news conference on Monday morning, without providing figures. Shadary's campaign said it has collected about 30 percent of the results but will not release any results before the national election commission (CENI). The election is a first-past-the-post system with no run-off. The first partial results are expected from CENI on Tuesday. Opposition officials complained of widespread irregularities, including several instances of what they said was outright fraud in Shadary's favor. According to a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, nearly half of polling places opened late, 30 percent encountered problems due to malfunctioning voting machines or absent voter rolls and 10-15 percent were located in prohibited zones including police posts and private residences. FRAUD ALLEGATIONS The most recent opinion poll before the election, released by New York University's Congo Research Group on Friday, showed Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil manager, leading the race on 47 percent. Tshisekedi had 24 percent and Shadary 19 percent. Election day was mostly peaceful despite several violent incidents, including an altercation at a polling place in eastern Congo in which at least three people were killed. But the Catholic bishops conference (CENCO), which deployed thousands of vote monitors, said that many polling places opened late and were located in prohibited areas. CENI president Corneille Nangaa, however, said the vote had gone smoothly, aside from some minor difficulties, and the CENI rejected charges of fraud. More than 1.2 million Congolese in three opposition bastions were unable to vote at all after the CENI canceled the polls there last week, citing an Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence. However, in the Ebola hotspot of Beni, an opposition stronghold, residents staged a mock presidential election to show the authorities a decision to postpone the vote there due to health fears was unfounded. (Additional reporting by Fiston Mahama in Goma; Additional reporting and writing By Aaron Ross and Edward McAllister, Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Heavens) China's manipulation of Taiwan's democratic openness is the biggest threat to the island's security, President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday, as she called on Beijing to seek peaceful means to solve their differences. Relations between China and Taiwan have spent two years in the doldrums since the election of Tsai, who has refused to acknowledge Beijing's stance that the island is part of "one China". Tsai's comments came a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to give a landmark speech on Taiwan. It will be closely watched on the island where many have been rattled by the Chinese leader's increasingly muscular rhetoric. Beijing still sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified by force if necessary, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949. China has cut off official communication with Tsai's government and stepped up military and diplomatic pressure. In a New Year's Day speech, Tsai called for Beijing to come to the table but she warned that Taiwan's people would never give up the kind of freedoms unseen on the authoritarian mainland. "What we need is for the two sides to understand and face the reality that both sides are fundamentally different in their values, lifestyles, and political system," she said. Beijing, she added, "must respect the insistence of 23 million people for freedom and democracy" and "must use peaceful and equal terms to handle our differences". She also accused the Chinese government and businesses of taking advantage of Taiwan's open society. "Taiwan's biggest challenge at the moment is especially from China... where it is using our (Taiwan's) democratic system of openness and freedom," she said, citing an influx of viral fake news about Taiwan from the mainland as one example. She also said China had not kept Taiwan adequately informed of African swine fever outbreaks, something she said could hurt local businesses and sow mistrust. Story continues Xi's speech on Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan", an open letter from China's communist rulers during the reformist Deng Xiaoping era which led to a warming of cross-strait ties. But Xi has adopted a markedly more confrontational foreign policy in recent years and frequently refers to his desire to unite Taiwan with the mainland soon. While Tsai has refused to recognise Beijing's "one China" policy she has walked a careful path within her own party, where some members openly advocate Taiwan declaring independence -- a major red line for China. In her New Year's speech she reiterated that her government was open to direct talks. Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party received a bloody nose in local polls in November and she faces a presidential election in 2020. The main opposition Kuomintang party won a string of key mayoralties in the November ballot and favours much friendlier ties with Beijing. Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's new far-right President Jair Bolsonaro declared a crusade against crime, corruption and leftwing ideology as he took office Tuesday for a four-year term at the helm of Latin America's biggest nation. In his first public speech wearing the presidential sash, Boslonaro said Brazil will "start to free itself of socialism" and "political correctness," breaking with policies brought in under decades of leftist rule. The 63-year-old former paratrooper and veteran lawmaker received swift congratulations via Twitter from US President Donald Trump, with whom he shares a similar, brash style and outlook. "Congratulations to President @jairbolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech - the U.S.A. is with you!" Trump wrote. Bolsonaro responded by saying: "I truly appreciate your words of encouragement. Together, under God's protection, we shall bring prosperity and progress to our people!" In his inauguration speech before Brazil's Congress, Bolsonaro called for "a true national pact" to restore his country's lackluster economy, "without ideological bias." While Bolsonaro enjoys sky-high approval ratings, many in Brazil fear his nostalgia for the military dictatorship that reigned from 1964 to 1985, his hardline approach to fighting crime and his record of disparaging women and minorities could herald a harsh shake-up. Even before being sworn in, Bolsonaro tweeted he would issue a decree easing gun laws to let "good" citizens own firearms to counter armed criminals -- a measure opposed by 61 percent of Brazilians, according to a Datafolha survey. His promise to extend immunity to security forces who use lethal force against suspected wrongdoers has also sparked unease in a country where some 5,000 people a year are already killed by police. - Embracing US, Israel - In his speech to Congress, Bolsonaro repeatedly hammered leftwing "ideology" that he said had brought Brazil low. Story continues His past remarks made it clear he was referring to policies implemented by the Workers Party, which governed between 2003 and 2016 but ended up reviled for a string of corruption scandals. Brazil "will return to be a country free of ideological bonds," he said. He later told a crowd of supporters in front of the presidential palace: "We will re-establish order." Bolsonaro has already said he will do all he can to challenge the leftist governments of Venezuela and Cuba. In a sign of his leanings and alliances, Bolsonaro warmly welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Brazil for his inauguration, and both leaders spoke of their "brotherhood." Netanyahu said Bolsonaro had assured him Brazil's embassy will be moved to Jerusalem. Bolsonaro also admires Trump, with whom he shares nationalist instincts and a disdain of multilateral organizations. He has vowed to pull Brazil out of a UN global migration pact, and is considering doing the same with the Paris climate accord. The new leader's open hostility to the left prompted leftwing deputies to spurn his investiture. Bolsonaro took over the presidency from a center-right figure, Michel Temer, who succeeded the Workers Party Dilma Rousseff -- impeached in 2016 -- but who made little headway with needed fiscal reforms. Temer, Brazil's most unpopular leader ever, faces a number of corruption accusation on leaving office. Bolsonaro supporters hope their man will do better, politically and economically. He has promised to govern for all of the country's 210 million Brazilians, though his initial declaration suggests it will be on his terms, as he seeks to remake the country around his agenda. - 'Change' - While his government, which takes over on Wednesday, features a US-trained free market advocate as economy minister, and a star anti-corruption judge as justice minister, nearly a third of the 22 ministerial posts are held by ex-military men. There are also concerns for Brazil's extensive and diverse natural environment, with Bolsonaro's pro-business push sidelining preservation -- especially in the Amazon, sometimes called "the lungs of the planet," which is at risk from increasing deforestation. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, has said his education ministry will stop "Marxist trash" being taught in schools and universities -- another swipe at the Workers Party, which greatly boosted access to education for the poor and blacks. Tens of thousands of people attended Bolsonaro's inauguration ceremony in Brasilia, which was held under tight security that included warplane patrols, anti-drone technology and multiple crowd barriers. Precautions were more stringent than in years past, in part because Bolsonaro survived a stabbing attack by a mentally unstable man when he was campaigning for the presidency in September. "This inauguration is a turning point," said one in the crowd, 36-year-old teacher Mauro Penna. "We are very optimistic -- this time our country is going to change." Tokyo (AFP) - Nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street, police and media said Tuesday. With an "intent to murder", a man identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku at 10 minutes past midnight, a police spokesman told AFP. According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details. NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. Local media said a container with kerosene inside was found inside the rental car. The attacker, who reportedly drove the vehicle from the western region of Osaka, has told investigators that he planned to burn the vehicle, according to private network Fuji TV. One witness told NHK it was a "ghastly scene". "I saw some guys collapsed on the street. As I walked closer toward the scene, many more people had fallen on the ground. By the time I reached the exact place, paramedics were already there helping people," he said. Another witness, who runs a clothing shop in the area, said: "I am shocked that something like this happened on Takeshita Street." Police immediately cordoned off the street, which during the day is packed with tourists trying to get a taste of Japan's extravagant youth and food culture. One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman told AFP. Local media reported the student was in a coma. Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. - 'Fit for trial?' - According to local media, Kusakabe hit a total of eight people and assaulted another on the street, which was closed to traffic for the New Year celebrations. Story continues The vehicle hit its first victim about 30 metres into the narrow street before knocking down seven more over the next 100 metres, according to the Sankei Shimbun newspaper. He then fled on foot, but police caught him at a local park soon after, local media said. There is no information so far to suggest foreign tourists were among the injured, the police spokesman said. TV Asahi said officers were investigating whether the suspect is fit for trial. Takeshita Street is packed with small shops and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan, attracting tens of thousands of international tourists every day. Unlike in other major cities, New Year in Tokyo is a relatively muted affair. There is no major fireworks display and no central point where revellers gather to see in the New Year. Instead, Japanese people tend to see in the New Year with families and go to the shrine to pray for good fortune in the year to come. By midday Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of tourists had returned to the street filled with bright pink ornaments, although blue tarpaulins covering the scene of the case remained. Bamako (AFP) - Thirty-seven civilians were killed when armed men believed to be traditional Dogon hunters attacked a village of Fulani herders in central Mali Tuesday in the latest clash between the warring communities, the government said. The attack on Koulogon village near Bankass in the Mopti region was carried out by "armed men dressed like traditional dozo hunters" allied to the Dogon ethnic group, said an official statement. "In addition to the 37 recorded deaths, all civilians, the casualty toll includes several wounded and many burned homes", it added. Earlier, a security source and a man who said he had witnessed the attack also blamed the Dogon, and put the number of dead at 33. Allaye Yattara, a Fulani, told AFP: "Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack along with old women, (and) a girl, all members of his family." France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012, but since the death in November of Fulani jihadist figure Amadou Koufa, inter-group conflict has increased. The violence is fuelled by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. The UN recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018. In June, 24 members of the Fulani community were killed in an attack a UN probe blamed on the Dogon. Beirut (AFP) - Syria's nearly eight-year-old conflict saw its lowest annual death toll in 2018 as the regime reasserted its authority over swathes of territory, a war monitor said on Monday. A total of 19,666 people were killed during the year as a result of the conflict, which erupted in 2011, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported. "2018 was the lowest annual toll since the start of the conflict," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. The Britain-based monitor relies on a vast network of sources across Syria to document the war that broke out after the brutal repression of nationwide anti-regime protests in 2011. The death toll for 2017 stood at more than 33,000. The highest annual figure was reached in 2014 -- the year the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group proclaimed a "caliphate" over large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq -- when 76,000 people were killed. Among those killed in 2018 were 6,349 civilians, 1,437 of them children, Abdel Rahman said. - Eastern Ghouta - "Most of those killed during the first part of the year were killed in regime and Russian bombardment of opposition areas, including Eastern Ghouta," Abdel Rahman said. "The majority of those killed in the second half of the year were killed in coalition air strikes," he added. The first months of 2018 were marked by major Russian-backed government operations to retake rebel and jihadist bastions in and around the capital Damascus. The bloodiest of them was an assault on Eastern Ghouta, a densely-populated area east of Damascus that remained besieged for years. The most active front of the past few months has been the battle against the remnants of IS in eastern Syria. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes, launched an offensive on September 10. Jihadist fighters defending the last rump of their once sprawling proto-state, near the Iraqi border along the Euphrates River, have put up fierce resistance but seem close to collapsing. Story continues While fighting has ended or is winding down in several parts of the country, 2019 could see its share of military flare-ups. - Threatened Turkish offensive - Besides the continued threat posed by IS sleeper cells even after it loses its last pocket in eastern Syria, two other areas remain of concern. Turkey has threatened a major offensive against the Kurdish militia that controls regions along its border in northeastern Syria. The announcement made by US President Donald Trump two weeks ago that he had ordered a full troop pullout from Syria left the US-led coalition's Kurdish allies more exposed. Thousands of rebel fighters and jihadists also remain in Idlib, a northern province where many of them were transferred as a result of deals to end government assaults on other areas across the country. Under an agreement reached in Russia, Turkey was tasked with disarming some of the groups active in Idlib but little progress has been achieved. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has consistently said that his forces would seek to reconquer the entire country. The Kurds last week asked for the regime's help against the threat of a Turkish offensive, a move that will put pay to their ambitions of increased autonomy. According to the Observatory, the government and its allies now control 60.2 percent of Syrian territory, while the SDF hold 28.8 percent. In the fourth such decision this year, the government announced that a number of officers and conscripts who enrolled in 2010 would be released from duty. Here are some other figures from the detailed death toll provided by the Observatory for 2018: - 2,746 IS fighters and other jihadists - 4,594 regular forces and allied militia - 5,852 other fighters, including Kurds and rebels - 368,920 total since the start of the war By comparison, the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project puts the number of conflict-related deaths in Afghanistan at more than 40,000 in 2018. Family of Paul Whelan, American detained in Russia for alleged spying, 'deeply concerned for his safety' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The family of an American man arrested in Russia on spying charges has said they are certain he is innocent and are worried about his well-being. Paul Whelan was arrested Friday by Russia's domestic security service, the FSB, which said he was detained because he was conducting "spying activity." (MORE: American Paul Whelan detained in Russia on suspicion of spying: State news agency) Whelan's family said in a statement Tuesday that they are "deeply concerned about his safety and well-being." "His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected," the statement said. Whelan's twin brother, David, told ABC News that Paul Whelan is 48 years old and a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Marines. Service records provided by the Marines show he served two tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2006. According to a statement from his employer, Whelan is currently the director of global security for BorgWarner Inc., a large American auto-parts supplier. David Whelan told ABC News he can't imagine his brother as a spy. "He's got a military background, he's been in corporate security for years. He was former law enforcement. He was going to be very well aware of the risks of traveling in Russia," he said Tuesday morning. "I just don't see him putting himself in a position where he would be considered to break the law by a government like Russia's." PHOTO: A woman walks on Red Square past the Kremlin after a night of heavy snowfall in Moscow, Dec. 6, 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images) On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked by reporters in Brazil if believes Patrick Whelan had been detained by Russia and charged with spying as retaliation for Maria Butina's arrest in the U.S. Weve made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about charges and come to understand what it is he is accused of and if the detention is not appropriate we will demand his immediate release, Pompeo said following a meeting with the Brazilian foreign minister. Story continues The U.S. State Department said on Monday it had been notified by Russia of Whelan's detention but that American diplomats had so far been unable to meet with him. Last week, he was in Russia to attend the wedding of an old friend from the Marines, who was marrying a Russian woman, his family said. He had been staying at the upscale Metropol hotel in central Moscow and had been involved in the wedding party. The group had toured city together, including visiting the Kremlin Friday morning, David Whelan said. That was the same day, Dec. 28, that Paul Whelan was detained. The wedding was that night and his friends become concerned when Paul Whelan never appeared, his brother said. His friends hadn't heard anything from Whelan since 5 p.m. The silence "was very much out of character for him even when he was traveling," the family said of Paul Whelan in the statement. (MORE: Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiring to act as a Russian agent) By Sunday, his friend filed a missing person report with the U.S. Embassy, according to David Whelan. The first the family heard of Paul Whelan's whereabouts was when the FSB released its statement Monday announcing he been detained and accused of spying. The FSB, which stands for the Federal Security Service, has not provided any more details about Whelan. The Russian government has not publicly provided any information on what Whelan is accused of or the allegations surrounding his arrest. Whelan's employer, BorgWarner, has collaborated for several years with Kamaz, Russia's largest truck manufacturer, which is part of Rostec, a major state-owned conglomerate of strategic companies that produce defense technologies and armaments, among other products. There is no indication that this connection is related to Whelan's arrest. BorgWarner on Tuesday said it had no facilities in Russia and that Whelan had been on a personal trip. A BorgWarner spokesperson told ABC News that as director of global security Whelan "is responsible for the security of our facilities, assets and people." "The company does not have any facilities in Russia. It's our understanding that this was a personal trip. He was not there on business for BorgWarner," the company said, adding that Whelan has worked there since 2017. Prior to that, Whelan was employed by Kelly Services, a global temporary staffing agency, according to his brother. I can confirm that an individual named Paul Whelan worked for Kelly Services until February 2016. Kelly has yet to confirm whether this former employee is the same individual reported upon in the news stories, Kelly Services told ABC News in a brief statement. David Whelan said as far as he was aware his brother was more involved in physical security of factories and facilities, ensuring things like proper exits and preventing scrap metal from being stolen, rather than private intelligence or cybersecurity activity for the company. He said his brother had visited Russia previously, traveling for personal and work reasons. Paul Whelan gave an interview to a Marine publication about a trip to Moscow in 2007 while he as on R&R leave during one of his tours in Iraq. Paul Whelan was supposed to travel with the wedding party to St. Petersburg, his brother said, and was scheduled to fly back home on Jan. 6. (MORE: Russia targeted African-American vote: Reports) Whelan's arrest follows another high-profile spy case involving the United States and Russia. A young gun rights activist named Maria Butina pleaded guilty last month to illegally acting as a foreign agent. PHOTO: Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organization in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalizing the possession of handguns in Moscow, April 21, 2013. (AP, FILE) U.S. prosecutors accused Butina of trying to infiltrate the Republican Party through American conservative organizations, acting on behalf of a well-connected Russian banking official. The Butina case is loosely connected to the sprawling special counsel investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Robert Mueller's prosecutors are still probing, but have already uncovered a plot by Russian intelligence agencies to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump and to undermine his opponent, Hillary Clinton. (MORE: 5 key moments from Robert Muellers sentencing memo for Michael Flynn) PHOTO: FBI Director Robert Mueller testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the Capitol, June 19, 2013. (CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE) Russia has claimed the Butina case is a fabricated witch hunt and has accused the U.S. of taking her hostage for political reasons. John Sipher, a former veteran CIA officer who once ran the agencys Russia operations, told ABC News he was suspicious of the Kremlins claims. You need to recall that the Russian definition of espionage and spying is extremely flexible and covers all sorts of things that we would not consider illegal in any way, he said. It is a law specifically written to allow [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to define it any way he wishes. PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the top military staff in the Russian Defense Ministry's headquarters in Moscow, Dec. 18, 2018. (Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, FILE) It would be easy for him to arrest almost anybody and accuse them of espionage, Sipher added. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Charleston, WV (25301) Today Foggy early, becoming sunny this afternoon. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Mainly clear skies after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. LUCEDALE, Miss. (AP) Officials in Mississippi say five people have been rescued after running into problems while canoeing on a river. George County Sheriff Keith Havard told WLOX-TV that the people on the water Sunday ranged in age from 17 to the mid-30s. Havard says the group was boating when the waters began to get rough. He says their canoes capsized, leaving them stranded on the banks of the river. After swimming to land, the boaters called a family member who contacted authorities. Search and rescue teams from both the George and Jackson County sheriff departments responded, searching an area near Highway 612 close to the Jackson County line. Havard said all five people were safely rescued and walked away without any major injuries. Some bars in Stevens Point are still hopeful to see lots of foot traffic tonight, despite the snow that created some unsafe driving conditions in Portage County. "I'm expecting New Years Eve to be pretty good still. The weather is a little iffy," said The Hub owner Benjamin Louis. With the snow, it's not exactly the New Years Eve that many people have in mind. But Stevens Point bar owner Benjamin Louis says he still expects people to be out and about. A lot of foot traffic is what comes downtown so the weather shouldnt affect us too much, Lewis mentioned. "Yeah I think there will be more foot traffic you know? Which is a good thing; we don't want people driving if it's not good out," added Stevens Point resident Jack Ferrone. Even though there might be plenty of foot traffic, the winter weather will still deter some people from driving in from other cities. "Maybe in other places people would stay in, but in Stevens Point Wisconsin people are going to come out I think. Especially with Uber and Lyft and everything it's just easier to get safely home," said Drew Green who is a resident also. For those who are still looking to ring in the new year at a bar or restaurant there are other options for you. "The Tavern League offers a safe ride home. Which is you call them and they send a taxi out to get you. Normally that is $5, but tonight that is being taken care of by general beer," Louis explained. People can use this program on New Years Eve by just asking the bartender. They can also download the "Drive Sober" app from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which locates the closest ride options. There is also Lyft, Uber, or a standard taxi service. Over 200 suspects linked to Daesh terrorist group were arrested in Turkey in the month of December, as the country continues its fight against the terror group. According to data compiled by Anadolu Agency, 13 of 251 arrested suspected Daesh members, including foreign nationals, were remanded in custody while some of them were deported. Twenty-one suspects, including foreign nationals, were arrested in simultaneous operations in the capital Ankara, Istanbul, Amasya, Hatay and Kayseri. In Istanbul, a senior Daesh member, identified as Naim T., was arrested with a fake Syrian identity card in his possession. He was revealed to have fought in conflict zones in Syria and sent to Istanbul. He had been warranted in Turkey since 2015. Again in Istanbul, 25 more foreign nationals were arrested in counter-terrorism operations. Moreover, eleven of 19 suspects -- who had been arrested in police raids in Sanliurfa, Amasya, Zonguldak, Kayseri, Konya, Tokat, Corum, Duzce and Samsun -- were remanded in custody. Aysenur Inci, a terrorist on Interior Ministry's wanted list, surrendered to security forces on Dec. 15 at the Habur border gate on the Turkey-Iraq border. Inci had been involved in terrorist activities as a Daesh member in Turkey's southeastern Adiyaman province before she went to Syria to join the terror group's activities there. In addition, a total of 147 suspects were arrested in simultaneous operations in Ankara, Izmir, Samsun and Kayseri and many digital materials were seized during the operations. Ten more suspects were arrested in Izmir in operations conducted ahead of New Year. Terror suspect linked to 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack A foreign national arrested during counter-terror operations in southern Turkey was found to have links to the 2017 New Years Eve gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub. In a statement, Chief Public Prosecutors' Office in Adana said the fingerprints of the Russian citizen of Chechen origin, identified by the initials A.G., matched those found in the house the nightclub attacker stayed. The suspect was arrested in Adana's Seyhan district with a fake Syrian identity card in his possession. The fingerprint searches revealed that one of the fingerprints found in the house in Istanbul's Basaksehir district, where Abdulgadir Masharipov, the perpetrator of a deadly New Year's Eve attack in 2017 stayed, belonged to A.G. "The suspect is thought to have come to Turkey to carry out the terror act on New Year's," the statement said. At least 39 people, including a police officer, were killed and 79 others injured when a gunman opened fire on partygoers at the nightclub in Istanbuls Ortakoy district in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2017. On Jan. 16, 2018, Masharipov was captured by police in Istanbul's Esenyurt district. Investigations revealed A.G. had fought on behalf of the Al-Qaeda terror group in 2011 in Chechnya and came to Turkey in 2013 after being sought with an arrest warrant in his country. After staying in Turkey for a year, A.G. went to Syria to fight for Al-Qaeda and returned to Turkey after a while, the statement said. "The investigations on the digital materials seized, [reveals] the suspect A.G. had photos with arms and a number of explosive devices used during terror acts carried out on behalf of terror groups in Chechnya and Syria, it added. Venezuela is a sovereign state on the northern parts of South America. Venezuela is made up of a continental landmass and numerous small islets and island in the Caribbean Sea. The country occupies an area of about 353,841sq miles. Its continental territory is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, and Colombia. The countrys terrain ranges from the Amazon basin rainforest to the Andes Mountains through the River Orinoco Delta, the Caribbean coast, and the extensive ilanos plain. It is thought that Venezuela acquired its name from the city of Venice in Italy. Naming of Venezuela Venezuela was named by an Italian cartographer and navigator, Vespucci Amengo of Venice who arrived on the Venezuelan coast on an expedition under Alonso Ojeda in 1499. The stilt homes in the region around Maracaibo lake reminded Amengo of Venice, Italy, therefore, he named the place "Little Venice" or Veneziola which translates to Venezuela in Spanish. Another member of the expedition named Martin Enciso gave a different story in his book (Summa-de-Geografia) Martin claims that they found an indigenous group in the area called the Veneciuela. Therefore, the name of the country might have evolved from the name Veneciuela. History of Venezuela Spanish colonization of Venezuela began in 1522 when they established their first permanent settlement in the present-day Cumana city. Numerous native leaders like Tamanaco and Guaicaipuro tried resisting the Spanish incursion, but they were subdued. Tamanaco was sentenced to death by Diego de Losada, the founder of Caracas. The initial colonization focused on the northern coast, but during the mid-eighteenth century, they started pushing inland along River Orinoco. After numerous futile uprisings, the country declared its independence under Francisco de Miranda on July 5, 1811, and started the Venezuelan independence war. The first republic was crushed by an earthquake which hit the city in 1812 and the rebellion of the Llaneros. Venezuela gained their sovereignty after Simon Bolivar won the Carabobo battle on June 24, 1821. Rafael Urdaneta and Jose Padillas victory in the Lake Maracaibo battle on July 24, 1823, helped seal their independence. The New Granadas congress helped liberate numerous South American nations and established the Gran Colombia. Venezuela was part of Gran Colombia until Paez led a rebellion in 1830 which resulted in their independence. States and Regions Venezuela is split into a capital district and twenty-three states. It is divided further into 335 municipalities which are subdivided into over a thousand parroquias (parishes). The Venezuelan states were grouped into nine administrative areas by a presidential decree of 1969. Venezuela can be split into ten geographical regions with some corresponding to the biogeographical and climatic areas like the Coro and Venezuelan Andes region. Demography Venezuela is one of the most urbanized nations in Latin America with most of their citizens living in cities like Caracas. Over 93% of the locals live in the cities in northern Venezuela. The country has a population of over 31,028,337 people. Majority of the Venezuelans are of mixed ethnic ancestry known as mestizo. According to the 2011 census, the two major ethnic groups in the country were the mestizo (51.6%) and the whites (43.6%). Some of the minority groups in the country include the Afro-descendants and the blacks. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) The Indiana State Police officer who fatally shot Glenn Rightsell did not have a dash or body camera equipped. We reported that Rightsell was killed Friday, Dec. 28 working on his daughter's car on the side of the road, after the trooper said he reached for his waistband. ISP Sergeant Kim Riley said none of the Indiana State Police Officers have body cams and only two ISP cop cars are equipped with dash cams, neither car belonging to the officer. The officer has not been named, but is on administrative leave. Sergeant Riley said once the investigation is complete, they'll turn the report over the the county prosecutor. However, they have no timeline for that to be done. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Airbnb hosts in Tippecanoe County helped bring more than a million dollars in revenue to the county throughout 2018. Tippecanoe County was 6th in the state for highest amount of money made through the home rental site with $1.1 million in supplemental income. Numbers area also showing that the county welcomed 9,500 guests this past year. It's just amazing to see how one spot on the map brings in so many people from all over the world, said Lafayette Airbnb host Angie Verissimo. Verissimo comes from a world of finance. By day, she works for NASAs Indiana Space Grant Consortium. Its a job that has allowed her to travel a lot, which she said she greatly enjoys. But in August of 2017, she got into the tourism and hospitality business by chance. This was a phone call that came from a friend asking me to buy the building and I didnt know what to do with it, she said. Its been a journey that I never expected. She turned the commercial property near downtown Lafayette into a three-unit Airbnb that she said is rarely empty. Airbnb has told me that I have rented to 598 people from 20 different countries, she said. She said that its important for cultures to be exchanged between guests who come from outside the U.S. borders. I think we do a pretty good job with reaching out to cultures that are coming to our community, she said. Earlier this year, Governor Eric Holcomb signed a bill into law that protects private property rights to participate in short-term rentals. A bill that has helped bring in $36 million dollars to the state through Indiana's tourism economy. https://www.airbnbcitizen.com/indiana-passes-short-term-rental-bill/ Money that gets put back into our local economies. Verissimo said she makes an effort to inform her guests about the local restaurants, attractions, and events in the area. I really want to get the people who come for Airbnb to enjoy the community, she said. She said that being an Airbnb host comes with a lot of responsibilities. You have to like to do laundry and clean up after guests, she said. And you have to be ready to get a call from someone at 1:30 in the morning who has been locked out. But she said the cons of being an Airbnb host are very much outweighed by the pros. She said often times, guests will leave little gifts such as chocolate or a magnet or other trinket from their hometown as a way to show appreciation. Some have even left invitations for her to come visit them. I have met some amazing people, she said. I have been personally invited to their homes and I hope to get to take some of these adventures in 2019. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) From tragedy to the completion of some big projects, 2018 was full of big headlines. It was a soggy start for some in 2018. February's heavy rainfall flooded many areas, including homes along the Tippecanoe River in Carroll County. Nearly five inches of rain put houses under water and led to evacuations and rescues. In Jasper County, a levee breach left homes under water. The flooding prompted Governor Eric Holcomb to declare a state of emergency for many areas including Carroll, Jasper and White Counties. In June, tragedy struck when a chair lift carrying four people collapsed and fell down a steep embankment into Lake Freeman. Angela Elder was pronounced dead at the scene. Ernie Elder Jr., Tyra Klink and Kris Klink were severly injured. According to a local funeral home's website, Tyra Klink eventually died from her injuries. In August, a fatal hit and run on U.S. 52 claimed the lives of two people. William "Eric" Peacock was killed and Kimberly McDole died from her injuries a few weeks later. Yariel Butler was charged with failure to stop after an accident resulting in death and failure to stop after an accident resulting in serious injury. She was also charged with operating while intoxicated. It's been a tough year for Cass County. In September, two children died in a house fire on Montgomery Street in Logansport. Then, in October, a three-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in a Treen Street home. In November, two Logansport teens were killed in a car accident in Kokomo. Later that month, two men were killed in a hit and run near Walton. Police are still looking for whoever is responsible. One day later, six people including four children died in a house fire just south of Logansport. The tragedies prompted to community to come together. They created a fundraiser selling shirts that read #wearecasscounty. All the money went to victims of the tragedies. After years of construction mess in Greater Lafayette, several major projects wrapped up in 2018. State Street and Restore Sagamore Projects reached substaintial completion. The I-65 expansion and Sagamore Parkway bridge over the Wabash River were also finished Another big project to wrap up this year was the bridge over the Wildcat Creek on East State Road 26. MRC Global Inc., through its subsidiaries, distributes pipes, valves, fittings, and other infrastructure products and services to the energy industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers ball, butterfly, gate, globe, check, diaphragm, needle, and plug valves; and other products, such as lined corrosion resistant piping systems, control valves, valve automation and top work components, and valve modification services, as well as measurement, steam, and instrumentation products. The company also provides carbon steel fittings and flanges comprising carbon weld fittings, flanges, and piping components; stainless steel, alloy and corrosion resistant pipes, tubing, fittings, and flanges; and carbon line pipes. In addition, it offers natural gas distribution products, including risers, meters, polyethylene pipes and fittings, and various other components and industrial supplies; oilfield and industrial supplies and completion equipment, such as high density polyethylene pipes, fittings, and rods; and specialized production equipment comprising tanks and separators. Further, the company provides various services, such as product testing, manufacturer assessments, multiple daily deliveries, volume purchasing, inventory and zone store management and warehousing, technical support, training, just-in-time delivery, truck stocking, order consolidation, product tagging and system interfaces, and valve inspection and repair services; and various other services under the ValidTorque and FastTrack names. Its products are used in the construction, maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment used in extreme operating conditions, including high pressure, high/low temperature, and high corrosive and abrasive environments. The company was formerly known as McJunkin Red Man Holding Corporation and changed its name to MRC Global Inc. in January 2012. MRC Global Inc. was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Under Armour, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and distributes branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth primarily in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The company offers its apparel in compression, fitted, and loose types to be worn in hot and cold. It also provides various footwear products for running, basketball, cleated sports, slides, training, and outdoor. In addition, the company offers accessories, which include gloves, bags, headwear, and sports masks; and digital fitness subscriptions, as well as digital advertising through MapMyFitness platform. It primarily offers its products under the HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR, RUSH or RECOVER, UA HOVR, UA Logo, UNDER ARMOUR, UA, ARMOUR, PROTECT THIS HOUSE, I WILL, ARMOUR BRA, and ARMOUR FLEECE brands. The company sells its products through wholesale channels, including national and regional sporting goods chains, independent and specialty retailers, department store chains, mono-branded Under Armour retail stores, institutional athletic departments, and leagues and teams, as well as independent distributors; and directly to consumers through a network of 439 brand and factory house stores, as well as through e-commerce websites. Under Armour, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Read More VMware, Inc. provides software in the areas of hybrid and multi-cloud, modern applications, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer and utilizes its hypervisor software, a layer of software that resides between the operating system and system hardware to enable compute virtualization; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to all applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a hybrid cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds. The company also provides networking solutions, such as VMware NSX, VMware Service-defined Firewall, VMware SD-WAN, VMware SASE, VMware vRealize Network Insight, and VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer; digital workspace solutions that comprise Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management, Access, and Horizon; and application modernization solutions, such as Tanzu Basic, standard, and advanced edition, Tanzu Application Service, and Tanzu Labs. In addition, it offers intrinsic security solutions consisting of VMware Carbon Black Cloud Endpoint and Workload. The company sells its products through distributors, resellers, system vendors, and systems integrators. VMware, Inc. has strategic alliances with Amazon Web Services to build and deliver an integrated hybrid solution. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. VMware, Inc. is a subsidiary of Dell Technologies Inc. Read More UniCredit S.p.A. operates as a commercial bank. The company operates through Commercial Banking Italy, Commercial Banking Germany, Commercial Banking Austria, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Central Eastern Europe segments. It offers retail, corporate, and private banking services; investment services; leasing and factoring services; transactional, investment, and credit products and services; insurance solutions; and structured financing, hedging, and treasury solutions. The company also provides equity and debt capital market, corporate finance and advisory, syndication, and leverage buy-out services; and project and commodity, real estate, structured trade and export, and acquisition finance services, as well as wealth management services. In addition, it is involved in the structuring of products, such as FX, rates, equities, and credit products; and provision of cash management, e-banking, supply chain finance, global securities, and mobile banking services, as well as trade finance products. The company operates in Italy, Other European countries, America, Asia, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Unicredito Italiano S.p.A and changed its name to UniCredit S.p.A. UniCredit S.p.A. was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Read More Toyota Motor Corporation designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans and commercial vehicles, and related parts and accessories. It operates in Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other segments. The company offers hybrid cars under the Prius, Prius PHV, C-HR, LC HV, LS HV, Camry, JPN TAXI, Avalon, Crown, Century HV, UX HV, Corolla SD, Corolla Sport, and WG HV names; fuel cell vehicles under the MIRAI and SORA names; and conventional engine vehicles, including subcompact and compact cars under the Yaris, Aqua, Passo, Roomy, Tank, Etios, Vios, AGYA, Rush, GLANZA, and Raize names. It also provides mini-vehicles, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and auto parts under the Toyota name; mid-size cars under the Camry and REIZ names; luxury cars under the Lexus, Avalon, and Crown names; Century limousines; sports cars under the LC and Supra names; and recreational and sport-utility vehicles under the Sequoia, 4Runner, RAV4, Highlander, and Land Cruiser names. In addition, the company offers pickup trucks under the Tacoma and Tundra names; Minivans, Cabwagons, and Semi-Bonnet Wagon under the Alphard, Vellfire, Noah/Voxy, Esquire, Calya, Estima, Sienta, and Sienna names; and trucks and buses. Further, it provides financial services, such as retail financing and leasing, wholesale financing, insurance, and credit cards; and designs, manufactures, and sells prefabricated housing. Additionally, the company operates GAZOO.com, a web portal for automobile information. It operates in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. New Media Investment Group Inc. invests in, owns, and operates local media assets in the United States. The company's principal products include 146 daily newspapers with total paid circulation of approximately 1.5 million; 323 weekly newspapers with total paid circulation of approximately 268,000 and total free circulation of approximately 1.4 million; 132 shoppers with total circulation of approximately 3.1 million; and 581 locally-focused Websites, including Internet and mobile devices with approximately 364 million page views per month. Its principal products also comprise 77 business publications; and UpCurve Cloud and ThriveHive, which provides digital marketing and business services. In addition, the company produces niche publications that address specific local market interests, such as recreation, sports, healthcare, and real estate. Further, it offers print and online products that offer local market news and information on various topics comprising local news and politics, community and regional events, youth sports, opinion and editorial pages, local schools, obituaries, weddings, and police reports, as well as commercial printing services for publishers; and prints commercial materials, including flyers, business cards, and invitations. Additionally, the company produces approximately 350 annual events with a collective attendance approximately 400,000, such as themed expo, signature event, endurance event, and white label event services; and provides digital and print advertising services. It reaches approximately 22 million people per week; and serves approximately 199,000 business customers. New Media Investment Group Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in New York, New York. Read More Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The Utilities segment operates approximately 4,200 kilometers (km) of natural gas pipelines; 2,000 km of electricity transmission lines; and 6.9 million electricity and natural gas connections, as well as 1.5 million installed smart meters; and 330,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services. This segment also offers centralized heating and cooling systems; centralized gas distribution and cogeneration for heating, cooling, and energy; and water heater, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioner rental, and other home services. The Transport segment offers transportation, storage, and handling services for freight, commodities, and passengers through a network of approximately 22,000 Km of track network in North America and Europe; 5,500 km of track network in south of Western Australia; 4,800 km of rail in Brazil; 3,800 km of motorways in Brazil, Chile, Peru and India; and 13 port terminals. The Midstream segment offers natural gas transmission, gathering and processing, and storage services through approximately 15,000 km of natural gas transmission pipelines; 600 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage; 16 natural gas processing plants; and 3,400 km of gas gathering pipelines. The Data segment operates approximately 137,000 operational telecom towers in India; 7,000 multi-purpose towers and active rooftop sites in France; 10,000 km of fiber backbone in France and Brazil; 1,600 cell sites and 11,500 km of fiber optic cable in New Zealand; and 2,100 active telecom towers and 70 distributed antenna systems in the United Kingdom, as well as 54 data centers and 198 megawatts of critical load capacity. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Read More Wall Street analysts have given (JHA) a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but (JHA) wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The New York Times Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides news and information for readers and viewers across various platforms worldwide. It offers The New York Times (The Times), a daily and Sunday newspaper in the United States, as well as international edition of The Times; and operates the NYTimes.com Website. The company also transmits articles, graphics, and photographs from The Times and other publications to approximately 1,500 newspapers, magazines, and Websites; licenses electronic databases to resellers in the business, professional, and library markets; and offers magazine licensing, news digests, book development, and rights and permissions. In addition, it engages in the live events business, which hosts physical and virtual live events to connect audiences with journalists and outside thought leaders; operates Wirecutter, a product review and recommendation Website that serves as a guide to technology gear, home products, and other consumer goods; develops mobile applications, including games and Cooking products; prints and distributes products for third parties; and offers other products and services. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Read More 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 Wall Street analysts have given Invesco DB Gold Fund a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Invesco DB Gold Fund wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., a telecommunications company, provides communications services in the United States. It operates through three segments: UScellular, Wireline, and Cable. The company offers wireless solutions to consumers and business and government customers, including a suite of connected Internet of things (IoT) solutions, and software applications for monitor and control, business automation/operations, communication, asset management, smart water solutions, and end-to-end IoT solutions; wireless priority services and quality priority and preemption options; smartphones and other handsets, tablets, wearables, mobile hotspots, routers, and IoT devices; and accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards, as well as consumer electronics, including headphones, smart speakers, and home automation and business management solutions. It also provides replace and repair services; Trade-In program through which it buys customers' used equipment; internet connections and all-home WI-FI services; TDS TV+, an integrated cloud television platform that offers video content; local and long-distance telephone service, VoIP, and enhanced services; and broadband, IP-based services, and hosted voice and video collaboration services. It sells its products through retail sales, direct sales, third-party retailers, and independent agents, as well as through ecommerce and telesales. As of December 31, 2020, the company offers its services to customers 5 million wireless connections, and 1.2 million wireline and cable connections. The company was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd.. Chubb Limited provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company's North America Commercial P&C Insurance segment offers commercial property, casualty, workers' compensation, package policies, risk management, financial lines, marine, construction, environmental, medical, cyber risk, surety, and excess casualty; and group accident and health insurance to large, middle market, and small commercial businesses. Its North America Personal P&C Insurance segment provides affluent and high net worth individuals and families with homeowners, automobile and collector cars, valuable articles, personal and excess liability, travel insurance, and recreational marine insurance and services. The company's North America Agricultural Insurance segment offers multiple peril crop and crop-hail insurance; and coverage for farm and ranch property, and commercial agriculture products. Its Overseas General Insurance segment provides coverage for traditional commercial property and casualty; specialty categories, such as financial lines, marine, energy, aviation, political risk, and construction risk; and group accident and health, and traditional and specialty personal lines for corporations, middle markets, and small customers through retail brokers, agents, and other channels. The company's Global Reinsurance segment offers traditional and specialty reinsurance under the Chubb Tempest Re brand to property and casualty companies. Its Life Insurance segment provides protection and savings products comprising whole life, endowment plans, individual term life, group term life, medical and health, personal accident, credit life, universal life, and unit linked contracts. Chubb has collaboration with Marsh to secure insurance coverage for the COVAX no-fault compensation program. The company was formerly known as ACE Limited and changed its name to Chubb Limited in January 2016. Chubb Limited was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Read More China Pharma Holdings, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical, and biochemical products primarily to hospitals and private retailers in the People's Republic of China. The company offers products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions. Its products include Cerebroprotein Hydroloysate injection to treat memory decline and attention deficit; Gastrodin injection for tiredness, loss of concentration, poor sleep, and traumatic syndromes of the brain; Propylgallate and Ozagrel Sodium to treat cerebral thrombosis, coronary heart disease, and after surgery complications; Alginic Sodium Diester injection for ischemic heart, cerebrovascular, and high lipoprotein blood diseases; Bumetanide to treat edema diseases; and Candesartan for hypertension. It also provides Roxithromycin dispersible tablets for pharyngitis and tonsillitis; Cefaclor dispersible tablets for tympanitis, lower respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infections, and skin/skin tissue infection; Cefalexin capsules for acute tonsillitis; Andrographolide for sore throat caused by upper respiratory tract infection; Clarithromycin granules and capsules; and Naproxen Sodium and PseudophedrineHydrochlorida sustained release tablets. In addition, the company offers Hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, Tiopronin, Compound Ammonium Glycyrrhetate S, and Omeparzole for the treatment of digestive diseases. Further, it provides Vitamin B6 injection; Granisetron Hydrochloride injection to treat nausea and vomiting caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy during the treatment of malignant tumors; Noni Enzyme, a food supplement; sanitizers; and masks. The company offers its products through distributors, as well as through its network of 16 sales offices and approximately 1,000 sales representatives. China Pharma Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Haikou, the People's Republic of China. Read More Deutsche Multi-Market Income Trust is a closed-ended mutual fund launched by Deutsche Wealth & Asset Management. It is managed by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. The fund invests in the fixed income markets across the globe. It seeks to invest in income-producing securities such as US corporate fixed-income securities, debt obligation of foreign government their agencies and instrumentalities, debt obligation of US government and its agencies and instrumentalities, private mortgage backed issuers, and other income producing securities. For the fixed income component of its portfolio, the fund seeks a target allocation similar to 50% Credit Suisse High Yield Index, 25% Lehman Brothers Treasury Index, 15% Citigroup Non-USD World Government Bond Currency Hedged Index, and 10% Citigroup Non-USD World Government Bond Currency Hedged Index. It was formerly known as DWS Multi-Market Income Trust. Deutsche Multi-Market Income Trust was formed in January 23, 1989 and is domiciled in United States. Read More General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company worldwide. The company's Power segment offers heavy-duty and aeroderivative gas turbines for utilities, independent power producers, and industrial applications; maintenance, service, and upgrade solutions to plant assets and their operational lifecycle; steam power technology for fossil and nuclear applications, including boilers, generators, steam turbines, and air quality control systems; and advanced reactor technologies solutions comprising reactors, fuels, and support services for boiling water reactors. This segment also applies the science and systems of power conversion to provide motors, generators, automation, and control equipment; and drives for energy intensive industries, such as marine, oil and gas, mining, rail, metals, test systems, and water. Its Renewable Energy segment provides various solutions for its customers through combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, solar, and grid solutions, as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings. The company's Aviation segment designs and produces commercial and military aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems; and provides aftermarket services. Its Healthcare segment develops, manufactures, markets, and services magnetic resonance, computed tomography, molecular imaging, x-ray and high-frequency soundwave systems, clinical monitoring and acute care systems, enterprise digital, artificial intelligence applications, consulting and command center, and complementary software and services; and researches, manufactures, and markets imaging agents. The company's Capital segment offers aviation leasing and financing, and working capital services; financial solutions and underwriting capabilities; and insurance and reinsurance for life and health risks, as well as annuity products. The company was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Read More First American Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services. It operates through Title Insurance and Services, and Specialty Insurance segments. The Title Insurance and Services segment issues title insurance policies on residential and commercial property, as well as offers related products and services. This segment also provides closing and/or escrow services; products, services, and solutions to mitigate risk or otherwise facilitate real estate transactions; and appraisals and other valuation-related products and services, lien release and document custodial services, warehouse lending services, default-related products and services, title insurance, closing services, and related products and services, as well as banking, trust, and wealth management services. In addition, it accommodates tax-deferred exchanges of real estate; and maintains, manages, and provides access to title plant data and records. This segment offers its products through a network of direct operations and agents in 49 states and in the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, and internationally. The Specialty Insurance segment provides property and casualty insurance comprising coverage to residential homeowners and renters for liability losses and typical hazards, such as fire, theft, vandalism, and other types of property damage. It also offers residential service contracts that cover residential systems, such as heating and air conditioning systems, and appliances against failures that occur as the result of normal usage during the coverage period. First American Financial Corporation was founded in 1889 and is based in Santa Ana, California. Read More SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warned Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/12/2018 (895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People watch a TV news on a screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year's speech, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. The letters on the screen read: " North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year Speech." North Korean leader Kim says he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warns Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warned Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure. During his televised New Year's speech, Kim said he's ready to meet with Trump at any time to produce an outcome "welcomed by the international community." However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States "continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure." Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean co-operation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed. Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. Pyongyang over the past months has accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the North's unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12. "If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (U.S.-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures," said Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and grey-blue tie. In this undated image from video distributed on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, by North Korean broadcaster KRT, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech in North Korea. Kim says he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warns Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure. Kim also during his New Year's speech said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea. Nuclear talks between the countries have stalled.(KRT via AP) "It is the unwavering position of our party and the republic's government and my firm will that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement ... take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime and push toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he said. "Therefore, we have already declared domestically and internationally and took various actions showing our commitment that we will no further create or test nuclear weapons and will not use or spread them." Adam Mount, a senior analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said Kim appears to be hinting at an agreement that falls short of a full disarmament, but could still represent a major limitation of the North Korean threat a cap that essentially freezes the North's rudimentary nuclear capability from growing or advancing further. In exchange, the United States would have to offer major inducements, including sanctions relief. "U.S. negotiators should move decisively in the new year to find out how far Kim is willing to go toward a verified cap on his arsenal. Discussions on reducing or eliminating that arsenal come later," Mount said in an email. However, Kim's statement could prove problematic if there's ongoing evidence the North's nuclear and missile facilities continue to run. Private analysts have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. "Over the last year, signs of continued work on the arsenal were alarming but not duplicitous, because there was never a commitment to stop those activities," Mount said. "That may no longer be true, raising the risk that the White House feels cheated rather than just stonewalled." Kim's speech also points toward a difficult year for the U.S.-South Korean alliance with their military co-operation coming under pressure from Pyongyang, Seoul's process for inter-Korean engagement, and Washington's current inability to reach an agreement on cost-sharing for the U.S. military presence in South Korea. It will be critical for the allies to develop a firmer policy as it's clear the issue of joint drills is coming to a head, Mount said. In the speech, Kim hailed the results of the North's diplomatic activities in 2018, including his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim said an inter-Korean military agreement reached in their last summit in September to reduce conventional military threats was "realistically a non-aggression declaration." Kim also emphasized the development of the North Korean economy and, without elaborating, mentioned nuclear power as part of the country's plans to boost electricity production. South Korea's government in a statement welcomed what it described as Kim's commitment toward peace and said Seoul plans to work closely with the international community for the denuclearization of the peninsula while also advancing inter-Korean relations to an "irreversible level." North Korean leaders traditionally use New Year's statements to issue major policy goals for the year ahead. Kim used his New Year's speech a year ago to start a newfound diplomatic approach with Seoul and Washington, which led to his meetings with Moon and Trump. Kim also met three times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which boosted his leverage by reintroducing Beijing Pyongyang's main ally as a major player in the diplomatic process to resolve the nuclear standoff. But nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled in recent months as they struggle with the sequencing of North Korea's disarmament and the removal of U.S.-led sanctions against the North. The North has also bristled at U.S. demands to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal. The hardening stalemate has fueled doubts on whether Kim will ever voluntarily relinquish the nuclear weapons and missiles he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival. In his meetings with Trump and Moon, Kim signed vague statements calling for the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. The North used a blunt statement last month to reiterate its traditional stance on denuclearization, saying it will never unilaterally give up its weapons unless Washington removes what Pyongyang describes as a nuclear threat. The statement jarred with Seoul's claim that Kim is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nukes and suggested that the North will potentially 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. Washington and Pyongyang have yet to reschedule a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean officials after the North cancelled it at the last minute in November. There are views that North Korea wants a quick second summit because it thinks it can win major concessions from Trump that they probably couldn't from lower-level U.S. officials, who are more adamant about the North committing to inspections and verification. Williamson, WV (25661) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High near 90F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. 4 1 of 4 Jarret Liotta / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 4 Jarret Liotta / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 4 Jarret Liotta / For Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 4 of 4 WESTPORT With a mission that includes preserving tradition, the Westport Historical Society found it a perfect fit to host a new New Years Eve event Monday to replace an old one with the passing of First Night. The First Light Festival, which was co-hosted by TD Bank, featured crafts for kids, movies, caricatures, carriage rides, face painting, and an outdoor bonfire. Anna Trusty was finding it harder and harder to keep up with her five sons, four of whom she educates in her Chicago home. Instead of walking with her kids to the park a mile away, she was seeing doctors and looking for answers. Opioid medications gave her no relief. I was using more and more, and they werent working, she said. Trustys doctor recommended medical marijuana, but she wasnt ready to use something thats still illegal on the federal level. Then a friend recommended cannabidiol (CBD). The compound comes from hemp, but unlike the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which gives marijuana its kick, CBD wont make anyone high. Industrial hemp is the same species of plant as marijuana, but has to have under 0.3 percent THC, something that Trusty made sure to investigate ahead of time. My friend gave me some [CBD] to try, and then I researched it myself. But her reading reassured her and she decided to give it a try. That was in mid-August. She says in two months a lot has changed. Related: The Coming International CBD Boom and How it Will Disrupt the Marijuana Business Its actually allowed me to have almost no pain, she says. As the pain faded, her emotional health improved. Im weaning off antidepressants and its going well, Trusty said. Demand for CBD is rising because of consumers like Trusty whose health problems persist despite conventional treatments. Coca-Cola is exploring CBD-infused beverages. Epidiolex, a CBD-based medicine, has received FDA approval. President Trump has signed the Farm Bill legalizing hemp farming for the first time since 1937, creating a vast source of legal CBD. CBD is hitting the big time. Jeff Wright, vice president for Extraction and Purification for Thar Process, a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in cutting-edge CBD extraction technology, compared it to Omega-3 fatty acids 20 years ago. In the 90s Omega-3s were hot hot hot, he said. CBD is the next Omega-3. Although much of the scientific evidence is preliminary, CBD has been suggested as a treatment for mood disorders. It has the potential to fight cancer, alleviate neurological diseases, chronic pain and other inflammatory conditions. Related: The Next Big Thing in 'Green' Packaging Is Hemp Bioplastic Most commonly found as an oil, CBD can also be infused into food or drink, as well as vaped or applied topically. From Wright's perspective in the middle of the CBD supply chain, Wright sees the vast business opportunity it presents. Not too many people are farming hemp right now, he said, so right now theres a window of time when its extremely lucrative to grow. Long term it will be a huge commodity. Cannabis business analysts The Brighfield Group predict that with its growing popularity as a food and cosmetic ingredient in addition to medical uses, the CBD industry will hit $591 million in 2018 and balloon up to $22 billion within the next four years. Bethany Gomez, director of research for the Brightfield Group, said in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, What we started tracking this year was an explosion -- face mask, bug bites, skin care, topicals. Its being used for everything you can think of -- sports, triathlons. People want to buy it for their grandma, for arthritis. Women get it for PMS and endometriosis -- common things that people have been using over the counter medications [for]. Related: The Next Big Cannabis Opportunity? Mills to Process Industrial Hemp. The demand for hemp is certain to grow. Leighton Rice, co-owner of Humble Hemp Farmers in Ortana, PA, is growing his first crop of hemp for CBD, just six acres, under that states hemp pilot program. He decided to try it after a friend on the West Coast sold him on the promise of CBD as a cash crop. He explained the CBD is extracted from the dried flowers of the hemp plant. At about 15 percent into the harvesting process, he said he has not been able to test the flowers to determine the grade of CBD they will produce. But hes getting calls every day from people who want to prebuy his flowers for $80 to $100 per pound. So far, he says, so good. Related: CBD From Hemp Is Booming for Body, Mind and Business The Cannabis M&A Boom Is Looking Like the Dot.com Boom. Here's How to Avoid the Bust. CBD Is Just the First Huge Benefit From Legal Hemp Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Alumna Alissa Schapiro, of the Department of Art History, has been awarded the 2021 Alfred H. Barr Award for museum publication of the year for her co-curation of the LIFE Magazine and the Power of Photography exhibit. The The new year will bring some new laws, state-wide and locally. As of January 1st, West Virginia will be required to collect taxes from certain out of state sellers, who don't have a physical presence in the state. What does it mean? All online retailers will be required to collect sales tax on online orders, even when the seller, doesn't have a physical presence in the state. However, there's some exceptions. This new law will not be required to collect sales tax from small businesses, or remote sellers who had gross sales of $100,000 or less or had less than 200 transactions made in West Virginia during 2018. Locally there'll be some changes as well. In Upshur County, the City of Buckhannon will enforce their resident parking in certain streets near West Virginia Wesleyan College. Residents who live in that area will be required to have a parking permit. Also, the city will enforce their Public Nuisance Ordinance. This will hold property owners accountable for any illegal activity at their home. Homeowners can be charged with a misdemeanor and face a fine up to $1,000 for every offense. In Clarksburg, approximately 40 condemned homes will be coming down early January, thanks to the city's new condemned housing ordinance. This is taking place after the city secured a $400,000 loan for their demolition program. Rome: Things started going downhill for Pope Francis in 2018 on a plane returning from a trip to Chile. In a demonstration of remarkable tone deafness to the issue of clerical sex abuse and to the media environment in which he operates the pope doubled down on accusations of calumny against survivors of clerical sexual abuse. Standing next to the pontiff as he spoke that day in January was Greg Burke, the Vatican communications director, whose counsel he had not solicited before speaking. Pope Francis with Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke in August, 2018. Credit:AP In fact, Burke, an American, rarely had significant access to the pontiff, who keeps a small circle of special advisers, or to the Vatican power players who often kept the press office out of decisions critical to the pope's message and agenda. On Monday, amid tumult in a Vatican communications department undergoing an overhaul and a critical February meeting on clerical sex abuse, Burke and his deputy, Paloma Garcia Ovejero, both abruptly quit. The state government is facing stiff opposition from professional rock lobster fishers as it attempts to push through a plan to hand itself a 17 per cent commercial stake in the industry. Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly announced the shake-up of WA's rock lobster fishery in the lead-up to Christmas, which included a 1700 tonne increase in the amount of the delicacy to be fished, with 1385 tonnes to be owned by the government. A storm is brewing for the state government over its plan to hand itself part of WA's rock lobster fishery. Credit:Eddie Jim Mr Kelly promised the new fishing units the government would grant itself would lead to the creation of 500 WA jobs and "significantly increase the supply of lobsters into the local market". But the Western Rock Lobster Council (WRLC) has slammed the plan, which some industry participants described as a part-socialisation of the fishery. It will be cheaper for motorists to fill-up ahead of New Year's Day road trips thanks to petrol prices on Australia's east coast falling to their lowest levels in 15 months. A collapse in crude oil prices since October has flowed through to local bowsers, with average unleaded petrol prices sitting at $1.16 in Sydney and Brisbane, and $1.17 in Melbourne on Monday, according to price monitor MotorMouth. Petrol prices have hit a 15-month low. Credit:Bloomberg That is down about 3.6 over the past week, and down from between $1.64 and $1.70 at the peak of the cycle in mid-October. Pump prices were even lower in Adelaide ($1.11) and Perth ($1.14), but as high $1.50 in the less competitive markets of Canberra, Hobart and Darwin. A man who says he slipped over in a pool of water in a Jetstar aircraft toilet, and was then asked whether he cleaned the mess up, is suing the airline over a permanent knee injury he says he suffered as a result. Richard Pearson was flying overnight from Bali to Melbourne with his wife and child on September 7, 2016, when he rose from his seat in the 53rd row and walked to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's rear toilets. A Jetstar passenger is seeking more than $220,000 in compensation. Credit:Scott McNaughton The 58-year-old entered the toilet, stepped into a "large pool" of water and immediately slipped, according to a statement of claim filed in the Federal Court in Melbourne. "[Mr Pearson's] right foot then began to splay outwards towards the right with his right knee going in the opposite direction to his left knee as his right foot slid along the lavatory floor," the claim says. Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. WAAY-31 continues to investigate the arrest of Huntsville City School Board member Michelle Watkins on Monday afternoon. It goes back to a case of alleged verbal harassment by Watkins after a school safety meeting at Jemison High School. WAAY-31 is looking for answers as to how the citizen able to obtain an arrest warrant through the city magistrates office after Huntsville police closed the case in October. Watkins, who was released from jail just an hour after her arrest, released a statement to WAAY-31: "In an effort to provide our schools with greater safety, supporting the decisions made by our superintendent to remove/reassign instructional leaders and ineffective staff has caused some to become disgruntled. As a result of my hard work for the students, parents, and taxpayers, I have been targeted and falsely accused of harassment. I am not only innocent but with assurance that in 2019, I will continue to be unbought, unbossed, and never bullied. I affirm that in the end the justice system will prevail." Lt. Michael Johnson with the Huntsville Police Department he explained how investigators normally dont obtain arrest warrants for misdemeanor crimes. He said the investigator will gather evidence and talk to witnesses. However, the task of getting a warrant up to the citizen. Johnson said the only evidence in the claims against Watkins was video with no audio. He said the investigators closed the case for lack of evidence and because the citizen didnt immediately get a warrant. WAAY 31 called the city magistrates office to try to figure out how this citizen was able to get an arrest warrant for Watkins months after the alleged harassment, whether it was more evidence or witnesses testimony. They referred us to the city attorney's office, and we haven't heard back. Huntsville City Schools spokesperson Keith Ward issued a statement that reads in part "The school district is aware of the situation involving a board member. The referenced situation falls outside the scope of the district administration." We also reached out to school board president Beth Wilder to get her reaction. As of Tuesday morning she has not issued any kind of statement. Huntsville City School Board member Michelle Watkins has been arrested. WAAY 31 learned Watkins, 53, was arrested Monday, December 31st on a harassment charge. Huntsville Police did not say what the incident stemmed from. She was booked into the Madison County jail at 1:36 and released at 2:10 pm. There was no bond issued. We have reached out to Huntsville City Schools for a comment, but have not heard back. Weve also reached out to Michelle Watkins. We will update this story if we hear back. Michelle Watkins currently serves district one and is the vice president of the school board. According to her biography on the school boards website, she graduated from James Oliver Johnson High School in Huntsville. Watkins received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Alabama Agriculture and Mechanical University, a Masters of Secondary Education, and an Education Specialist Degree. A local night club security guard is being dubbed a hero by Huntsville Police after she shot a man with a gun who could have killed people inside. It happened just before 1 a.m. Monday at Club 3208 just off Triana Boulevard. Huntsville Police told WAAY 31 two men got into an argument right in front of the club. One of the men, Samuel Williams, went into the parking lot and got an AK-47 from a car and started firing off shots right in front of the club. That's when the security guard became a hero. We spoke with two men who were at the club when the shooting happened. They didn't want to go on camera, but told us it was scary and as soon as they heard the shots they ran out the back. Police told us if the security guard didn't take action people could have died, "She probably actually prevented a catastrophe," said Lt. Michael Johnson with Huntsville Police. This sort of action by a non-police officer is uncommon for Huntsville, "Nationally we've heard of incidences similar to this, but in huntsville I don't think we've had an armed security guard actually have to fire their weapon. If we have it's been an extremely long time," said Lt. Johnson. We requested an interview with the security guard, but received a statement where Club 3208 said they hired the licensed security guard to handle situations like this. Police are even more impressed with this security guard, because she actually went inside the club to get a tourniquet for the man that she shot, but by the time she got back outside he had left in a car. Williams was in the hospital getting treated for the gunshot wound when police told him he would be arrested. He will be charged with illegal possession of a firearm, because he has a felony on his record already. Two people in Alabama are being named the Most Influential People of 2018, according to CNN . One of those people, is a five-year-old Alabama boy named Austin Perine. Austin made headlines this year by his mission to hand out food to homeless people in Alabama. This past Christmas, which also happens to be his birthday, he continued his journey by handing out more food to the homeless. Austin's motto is "Show love" , he reminds people every time he passes out food to not forget to show love. Next on CNN's most influential list of 2018 is Rodney Smith, who lives in Huntsville. Smith just completed his journey across 50 states donating gifts to the homeless in each state. He also granted one wish for each person which included, cash , gift cards, clothing, phones and more. Smith is also the founder of "Raising Men Lawn Care Service, a company that mows lawns free of charge across the country to Veterans and other people in need. The company also inspires youth through learning and service to take on the 50 yard challege to help the elderly, disabled, single mothers, veterans and more . Both guys are now in the running to become one of CNN's 2019 heros. If they make the top 10 list they will be donated up to 50 thousand dollar to help their cause. Hasan Minhaj talking about Saudi Arabia. Photo: Netflix After receiving a complaint from the Saudi Arabian government, Netflix pulled an episode of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj from the country last week, reports the Financial Times. The episode of the political comedy show originally aired last fall and was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Minhaj opened the episode stating, Now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia. And I mean that as a Muslim, and as an American. According to Financial Times, Saudi Arabias Communications and Information Technology Commission requested the episode be removed because it violated the kingdoms anticyber-crime law. Netflix told FT in a statement that it agreed to comply with local law. The full Patriot Act episode was dedicated to criticizing the Saudi government. Minhaj addressed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is believed to have been killed on the crown princes behest; the ongoing war in Yemen, which has caused a humanitarian crisis; and the countrys financial influence over American tech companies. To those that continue to work with [Mohammed bin Salman], just know that with every deal you close you are simply helping entrench an absolute monarch under the guise of progress, Minhaj said at the end of the episode. Because ultimately MBS is not modernizing Saudi Arabia. The only thing hes modernizing is Saudi dictatorship. You can still watch the full episode on YouTube: Kevin Spacey. Photo: Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage Looks like Kevin Spacey might want to up his pizza budget for the month because there are about to be a lot more hungry paparazzi to feed. According to Variety, a Massachusetts judge rejected a motion from the actors attorneys to recuse Spacey from appearing in person to be charged with indecent assault and battery next week. According to the initial filing, Spacey argued that my presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case, in addition to his living out of state. According to the same affidavit, obtained by the Boston Globe, Spacey reportedly plans to plead not guilty to allegedly assaulting a busboy in a 2016 incident. Meanwhile, Massachusetts State Police confirmed last week that they have video, taken by the actors accuser, that allegedly depicts the former House of Cards star repeatedly grabbing the 18-year-olds genitals. The actors arraignment is set for January 7 at Nantucket District Court, which gives us a chilling number of days in which he could release another Frank Underwood video. Photo: Denise Crew/Netflix/Denise Crew/Netflix Its a sunny afternoon in mid-May, and Japanese author Marie Kondo is helping Margie, a recently widowed 59-year-old woman with whom shes been working since March. Margie has lived in her two-story Culver City house for 29 years. Her three grown children have moved out (but left lots of belongings behind), and she recently lost her husband, Rick, to colon cancer. They ran a restaurant together called Tubs Fine Chili, and the decor embraces their flair for kitsch: A neon Ricks Cafe sign hangs over the bar, and theres a wooden carousel horse on a brass pole in the bay window. Despite having spent an inordinate amount of time among the viscera of other peoples homes, surveying their dust-covered possessions and everyday messes, Kondo does not blend easily into her surroundings. In person, she is petite and immaculate, dressed in an ivory silk blouse and a pink floral skirt. If, for some reason, she were to do a cartwheel, I imagine every hair on her head would instantaneously return to its place in her neat, shoulder-length coif. I was quite apprehensive at first because I have a lot of stuff that is a little quirky and different from what I perceive is her minimalist style, Margie tells me. But Marie immediately said she could see how I am experiencing joy in my belongings. That made me feel very validated. At 34, Kondo is the only living person who can claim with any authority to be a decluttering guru, and for the past decade, shes been on a mission to organize the world. Her books have sold 11 million copies in more than 40 countries, and on January 1, her Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, featuring Margie and seven other L.A.-area households, will bring Kondos philosophy and technique to a global audience. For anyone unfamiliar with her KonMari method, heres what you need to know: Most of us have way, way too much stuff. A lot of it does not spark joy, a phrase Kondo popularized, designed to help us evaluate what we actively want to keep as opposed to what were merely unwilling to throw away. Clothing, memorabilia, old laptops, greeting cards, and unused skin-care samples, for example, that do not spark joy when held in ones hands should be thanked for their service and discarded. Everything else needs a proper place. This is all thoroughly and rather delightfully outlined in her books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and its illustrated companion Spark Joy, both of which are so pert and unobtrusively sized that they appear to be making a case for their own necessity. Its an enlightening process, but Kondo admits the approach took some finessing: Early on she held up a perfectly good hammer, found it joyless, trashed it, and then burst into tears when she broke her favorite ruler while trying to use it as a substitute tool. The Netflix series, which will further the streaming giants move into the unscripted HGTV space, takes Kondo into the homes of clients at a crossroads: a Pakistani mother of two who cant part with any of her childrens toys in the event that she has another baby; a newly transplanted Detroit family trying to fit everything from their spacious former house into a two-bedroom apartment; a young couple trying to establish their adulthood, mostly via furniture thats been rescued from the street; a Japanese-American family with too many Christmas decorations. In Japan, we put up Christmas decorations, but never to this extent, says Kondo, frowning. Margie, a bubbly, blonde California native who bears a passing resemblance to Kirsten Dunst, is Kondos final subject for season one of the series. Its the last week of filming, and today, theyre focusing on file folders and boxes of papers, which typically constitutes the third organizing category. The process goes like this: clothes, books, documents, komono (miscellany), and, finally, sentimental items. Kondo begins opening envelopes and making piles with the dexterity of a court stenographer. Her vibe is calm, almost ethereal; perhaps because she speaks via her interpreter, Marie lida, its as if shes guiding the process spiritually, through a medium. That is, until she screams. A silverfish has scurried out from one of the boxes. Dont let him get away, Margie says, though when Kondo shows no sign of intervening, she swiftly squishes him with her foot. I ask Kondo later if she gets used to these types of surprises in her line of work. It does happen, and Im certainly not unfazed, she says. Marie Kondo (left) and Margie toss things that do not spark joy into the trash. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Margie finds an old L.A. Times story announcing Princess Dianas death. Generally, Kondo doesnt approve of saving magazines or newspapers, primarily if the intent is to read the articles at some later date. I guess with the royal wedding this is relevant, says Margie, referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markles upcoming nuptials. She looks expectantly at Kondo, who nods, but reminds her that anything saved should be stored so that it is easily accessible. Next, they come across a commemorative moon-landing poster. Is this a memory for you? Kondo asks. I mean, its part of history, says Margie, uncertain. Kondo prods her. Do you think your kids will want it? Margie pauses and then shakes her head. Thanks, astronauts, she says, as it goes in the garbage. Once, in high school, Kondo began tidying her bedroom and didnt stop until, eventually, she passed out from exhaustion. That was quite unhealthy, she admits later, over lunch. I was obsessive. But once my role shifted to communicating my method to a large number of people, I think I was able to take a more nuanced stance. She founded her consulting business, KonMari, as a 19-year-old university student, and after several years, the long wait list for her services prompted her to write a book to share her technique with more people. The global success of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up meant Kondo could barely walk down a Tokyo street without being recognized. In 2016, KonMari began training other professionals in her method; there are now more than 300 independent, certified consultants around the world. I thought the demand for tidying was uniquely Japanese, but that was not the case, she says. Her popularity, particularly in the States, recently led Kondo to relocate to San Francisco with her husband and two daughters. Her career, like her method, seems astonishingly disciplined, although maybe not unexpected of someone who has a favorite ruler. But what about bad habits? She must have one? Kondo places her pointer finger on her chin and thinks. (In the absence of a shared language, she tends to be sweetly gesticulative.) I dont like wearing my house slippers for long, so Ill take them off and then completely forget where I left them, she offers. After Kondos first book was published here in 2014, there was a brief backlash to the tidying craze as people, and women in particular, objected to being told yet another thing they could be doing better in addition to juice cleanses, meditation, SoulCycle, and so on. But Kondo doesnt consider her method a fad, and this is where the TV series comes in. People can visually comprehend the effect of tidying, says Kondo. Its not about feeling shame for how you live. Its about exploring what you need to live as happily as possible. Kondo says that American clients differ from her Japanese ones, whom she used to visit with regularly before she began writing books. [Americans] are more likely to take large, drastic actions, and Japanese people often get so caught up in thinking about things that they get stuck, she says. But the difference between tidying in [the countries] is not so much the people but the size and design of the homes. Shoe storage is typically a big challenge in America! For the series, Netflix whittled hundreds of applicants down to 45 families before settling on these eight clients from differing backgrounds who are confronting various organizing dilemmas. While the KonMari method became hugely popular in the U.S. a few years ago, none of the shows subjects were necessarily Kondo superfans. In fact, theyre often people who might find her methods a little odd. Some people on the show questioned why they would thank an inanimate object for its service, recalls Kondo. This was a revelation. I know now that I must explain some aspects of my work more clearly. Interpreter Marie lida (left), Kondo (center), and Margie (right) embark on the second organizing category: books. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Back at the house, the camera crew heads upstairs to prep for the next scene. Margie grabs a glass of water from the kitchen, where, in preparation for Kondos first visit, she wrote on a chalkboard, You come into the world empty-handed and you leave empty-handed. She had been vaguely familiar with kondo-ing, as its sometimes referred to, but had never read any of the books. After two months, she thinks shes getting the hang of it. My kids call me a hoarder Im not, she says. Hoarders have goat trails because they intend to keep it that way. My big thing was, how do you honor and respect a life without getting rid of everything, or keeping everything? Yes, she finds the act of thanking her stuff a little funny, but also helpful as a way of expressing gratitude toward her late husband. Spark joy isnt necessarily my phrase, but theres other ways to describe it, she says. Does it make me happy or comfortable? What if Katrina rolled through? What would I truly miss? Stuff is so unimportant when you lose a life. I ask if the language barrier has been at all distancing or otherwise a hindrance. After the first hour, we were fine, says Margie. She seemed comfortable; I was comfortable. I did have to stop and laugh at the way were smiling at each other over organizing. But how much can you actually grasp in those visits anyway? You have to stop and absorb and reflect afterward. Showrunner Bianca Barnes-Williams (also of Netflixs Girls Incarcerated) is on set today, and adds that Margies experience of speaking via a translator was similar to others. It takes longer, she says, but the families say the longer they work with her, the more they understand what shes saying. Kondo is in the bedroom tackling some of the more sentimental documents that belonged to Rick. Margies already sorted his clothes according to the KonMari method, which suggests heaping everything on the floor first. That was really jolting, Margie says, seeing his life in chapters, from the tropical-shirt phase to the restaurant-plaid phase. Barnes-Williams watches from a monitor, and tells me the crew was impressed with how much Margie got rid of on her own. This is not like Dr. Phil, where you have to do this or that, she says. Marie offered to help, but she said no. On the bureau rests a framed photo of the couple standing in front of a blender filled with a yellow-tinted cocktail. In two weeks, they would have been married 38 years. I dont want to see his medical stuff anymore, says Margie. His passport? Thats good to keep for the kids. Margies last assignment before Kondo leaves will be the most challenging: going through decades of old photographs. Kondo has helped arrange them on the dining-room table chronologically. No more family dinners for a while, Margie says, surveying their work, which covers every inch of available surface area. I can see this taking months. Kondo holds up a photo of young Margie sporting a heavily sprayed nimbus of 80s hair. That sparks confusion, Margie says, laughing. Kondo smiles: You have to be pretty selective because you have so many photos. Margie wants to wait until she has a glass of wine in her hand to confront this task. Dont force yourself to tidy, says Kondo, gently. Its an experience in itself. An earlier version of this piece stated that Marie Kondo is 33. She is 34. Striking Zimbabwean doctors, who have been on strike for more than a month, demanding payment of salaries in United States dollars and other issues, say they wont return to work as the government is still unable to meet their grievances. In a statement Tuesday, members of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) said they resolved to continue with their industrial action following a meeting on Monday with Health Permanent Secretary Retired Brigadier General Dr. Gerald Gwinji and representatives of the Health Service Board (HSB), Ministry of Finance and ZHDA. The meeting was the first in weeks following a declaration by the Labor Court that the doctors strike was illegal and moves by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to punish the striking medical workers and the downgrading of junior doctors posts to that of student interns. Moving forward we are still hoping for the employer to come back with a genuine solution to the grievances. The current stalemate makes it difficult for doctors to return to work or let alone for the fresh graduates to assume duty. It is our hope that the spirit of negotiation so far rekindled will give birth to tangible solutions and resolve the impasse in the shortest possible time from today. The striking doctors said the government refused to pay them in United States dollars due to acute shortages of foreign currency. The current salary of doctors has been devalued by nearly 4 times due to the fact that the RTGS form in which its paid has lost value on the market and most commodities are now being charged in USDs whether officially or unofficially. As doctors, we signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the employer earlier this year in which the employer legally agreed to pay the health care workers in USDs and that any other arrangement would be a violation of the agreement. In the meeting, the employer however indicated that currently they are not in a position to pay the health workers in USDs. We reminded them of the agreement but the answer remained the same. Doctors even tried to negotiate with the employer on possible alternatives including an arrangement for a percentage of the salaries to be paid in USDs but to no avail. The ZHDA noted that the government also refused to adjust the RTGS salaries of the health care workers. As doctors, we are also requesting that the employer adjust the on call allowance to 10 USDs per hour as they had promised to do ... The employer indicated that they are currently not in a position to do that and will only consider it in April 2019. The deadlock in these matters is because the employer is not forthcoming in discussing and negotiating for immediate alternatives with its workers. The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association said they further rejected a vehicle car loan scheme that did not tackle challenges faced by its members. The importance of vehicles for doctors is priceless due to the emergency requirements of the line of work and the need to be on time to save lives. The government indicated that they are availing the remaining 6 million RTGS for vehicle loan assistance to health workers. This would be coupled with a duty free facility to the beneficiaries. The loan amount is 10,000 RTGS per beneficiary. Firstly, way less than a quarter of doctors will benefit from the loans because the funding is shared across all health care workers. Secondly, the amount of loan given can no longer compete with the on-going market prices for cars. The ZHDA said the proposed revitalized scheme is unsustainable. For so many years now, we have implored the government to provide the long term solution of a duty free facility which would be available to all doctors and not directed to a few beneficiaries. We have since indicated that the current loan scheme is not a long term solution and has lost value. The employer was however not at liberty to offer anything other than the foresaid arrangement. On medical supplies, the ZHDA said it was puzzling that the government continued talking about the availability of large stocks of drugs and other medical accessories while hospitals are still running without the necessary materials. The Ministry aired its position that they had secured $2.2 million worth of drugs at NatPharm and was in the process of redistributing them. We encouraged them not to continue discussing stocks at NatPharm but to do the most important step of making sure the drugs are available in our hospitals since the discussion about drugs being at NatPharm was clearly not changing the real situation on the ground and had only caused more wonder than anticipation. However, as a way forward we implored the government to provide short and long term evaluable targets and time lines so as to maintain consistency in the supply. This is what we have frequently asked our employer to do for the past 4 weeks as one of the steps to resolve the current impasse with doctors but, to date it has been met with resistance for reasons best known to them. Our hope is for long term sustainable solutions to our health care system not temporary measures. The striking doctors are also worried about the doctor to patient ratio, which they say is way below par. The number of trained specialists is still incomparable to regional targets. We have since indicated to our ministry to provide GMO (general medical officers) and training posts for doctors so that this situation can be addressed. As a nation, we cant continue with a situation whereby most doctors continue going outside due to the unavailability of government posts. This in our opinion should not be a condition the ministry has to even ponder about, if the need to address the nations health care system is paramount. The ministry indicated that they had provided 402 posts across all health care workers. No specificity to which of those posts belonged to doctors and no mention of specialist training posts. We beseeched our employer to be more serious with this issue and provide the important information which is so much required. They chided government for drafting new contracts for incoming junior doctors. In the recent turn of events, our employer has tried to rush in about 200 newly-finished doctors to cover the gap of 530 whom they have suspended. Additionally, they have also tried to push for the junior doctors to be employed under a new contract which would make sure that there is suppression of the doctors rights to expression of concerns and that they will be mere student spectators in the system. The move has been met with resistance by doctors nationwide as it merely heralded the beginning of workers oppression in the system. It is an apparent attempt to allow some individuals in the Ministry to sleep on their jobs whilst the health care system of the nation burns to the ground. Firstly, the incoming doctors have resisted the attempted move to use them to cover up the genuine grievances that the ministry has been boy courting to address. They stand in solidarity with all the doctors nationwide. Secondly, as doctors we are not going to subscribe to the new contract and we are going to stand our ground to stop such unfair practices in the system and we have since communicated that to the employer. There was no comment from HSB, the Ministry of Health and office of Vice President Chiwenga. The government suspended the striking 500 junior and middle level doctors, indicating that they broke the law. A French technology company has created a tiny tracking device to combat poaching. The tracker is smaller, lighter and cheaper than previous methods, such as radio collars. The creators say the technology can also allow those in remote villages to share information. Ukrainian officials are warning that Russia may be about to escalate its conflict with Ukraine, including possibly launching a breakout offensive from Crimea. And they accuse Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraines Donbas region of violating the latest cease-fire dubbed a New Years Truce by attacking Ukrainian positions with a heavy-caliber weapon banned under the Minsk peace agreements. Crimea, Ukraine An increasing number of Russian military convoys have been spotted moving toward the border between Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014, and Ukrainian-held territory, and there have been ominous fighter-jet redeployments to Crimean airfields, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank. Russia continues to build up and prepare its military forces for possible offensive operations against Ukraine from the Crimean peninsula and the East, the institute has reported. It says Russia could conduct such operations on short notice. Analysts say the movements are threatening, but they are divided over the intent, with some suggesting President Vladimir Putin is keeping the West guessing. The data suggests that Putin is preparing to attack, although alternative interpretations are possible, the institute said. The unpredictability is the point, a senior European defense official told VOA. Putin is testing Ukraine and the West to see if hell be checked, to see what he can get away with, and maybe with an eye to securing another summit early this year with [U.S. President] Donald Trump, he added. Putin Tells Trump in New Year's Letter He's Open to Meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Donald Trump in a New Year's letter that the Kremlin is open to dialogue on the myriad issues hindering relations between their countries. The Kremlin published a summary of Putin's greeting message to Trump on Sunday. The summary states the Russian leader wrote: Russia-U.S. relations are the most important factor behind ensuring strategic stability and international security. Trump canceled a formal meeting with Putin scheduled for Dec Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Donald Trump in a New Year's letter that the Kremlin is open to dialogue on the myriad issues hindering relations between their countries. The Kremlin published a summary of Putin's greeting message to Trump on Sunday. The summary states the Russian leader wrote: Russia-U.S. relations are the most important factor behind ensuring strategic stability and international security. Trump canceled a formal meeting with Putin scheduled for Dec The Russian leader issued New Year greetings to dozens of global leaders on Sunday, including Trump, saying relations between the U.S. and Russia are the key to ensuring strategic stability and international security. Putin added that Russia is open to dialogue with the United States on the most extensive agenda. The damage on one of three Ukrainian ships is seen FILE - Damage on one of three Ukrainian ships is seen after it had been seized, Nov. 25, 2018, in Kerch, Crimea. FILE - Damage on one of three Ukrainian ships is seen after it had been seized, Nov. 25, 2018, in Kerch, Crimea. With tensions running high between Ukraine and Russia after Russian coastal forces seized three Ukrainian vessels on Nov. 25 a tugboat and two patrol boats in international waters in the Black Sea near Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, fears are mounting in Kyiv of another major confrontation. The press service of the Joint Forces Operation, the military command structure overseeing Ukraines defense against the Russian-led military intervention in eastern Ukraine, said Ukrainian positions near Novotashkivsk were struck by 120 millimeter mortar rounds Monday night. Weapons with calibers of more than 100mm are banned under the 2015 Minsk II agreement from a 50-kilometer zone running along the front line between Ukrainian and Russian-led forces in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. FILE - Cranes are seen in the Azov Sea port of Mar FILE - Cranes are seen in the Azov Sea port of Mariupol, Ukraine, Dec. 2, 2018. FILE - Cranes are seen in the Azov Sea port of Mariupol, Ukraine, Dec. 2, 2018. Russian-led forces shelled Ukrainian positions also near the port city of Mariupol with 82mm mortars, the press service said. A former adviser to Putin, Andrey Illarionov, now one of the Russian leaders most strident critics, warned last month that Moscow is ready to deploy special forces to seize a vital Communist-era canal that used to provide 85 percent of Crimeas fresh water before Ukraine blocked it in 2014. He says the peninsula will face a severe water shortage in the summer, impacting farms and factories, as well as households. Andriy Illarionov FILE - Andrey Illarionov FILE - Andrey Illarionov llarionov told the Kyiv Post he believes the West has inadvertently given Moscow the green light for further adventurism by failing to sanction Russia for the November incident in the Azov Sea when Russian coastal forces rammed, fired upon and seized three small Ukrainian vessels. Putin [thinks he] has nothing to lose. Weve seen since the Azov Sea incident that the West has not imposed any serious penalties. In recent weeks, Russian news outlets have published articles about water shortages on the Crimean peninsula, as well as about Russian military exercises taking place near the narrow land corridor linking Crimea to Ukraines Kherson region. Ukrainian servicemen stand guard at a checkpoint n FILE - Ukrainian servicemen stand guard at a checkpoint near the town of Armyansk in Kherson region adjacent to Crimea, March 23, 2014. FILE - Ukrainian servicemen stand guard at a checkpoint near the town of Armyansk in Kherson region adjacent to Crimea, March 23, 2014. Some analysts suggest that Putin might cast any seizing of the canal as an intervention necessitated to prevent a Ukraine-provoked humanitarian crisis on the peninsula. An occupation of parts of the Kherson region would give Russian forces the ability to tighten their stranglehold on Ukraines ports and to interfere with ship movements in and out of Mykolaiv and Mariupol, which are already experiencing sharp decreases in freight traffic. Among the Russian military movements being observed by Kyiv and Western powers are the redeployments of fighter jets. Just before Christmas, Reuters reported more than a dozen Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets were relocated to Belbek Airbase near Sevastopol from Krymsk airfield in Krasnodar Territory. The redeployments and military build up is alarming the former commander of U.S. Army Europe, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, who retired last year from active service. The Russia government is seeking to redraw the borders more, he fears. In an interview with the Military Times newspaper Monday, Hodges said, unless theres greater Western pushback, they wont stop until they completely own the Sea of Azov and have choked out Ukraines very important seaport of Mariupol. The next phase will probably be land and sea operations that would eventually secure maybe even Mariupol but continue to take the Ukrainian coastline and connect Crimea back up to Russia along the Sea of Azov, Hodges said. Its not going to happen in the next six months, but this is the direction theyre taking until they completely own the Black Sea and theyve isolated Ukraine, he added. U.S. leaders remain at an impasse as House Democrats plan to pass legislation Thursday that would fund many of the government agencies currently shut down, but without money for a border wall that President Donald Trump insists is necessary for security. The legislative effort, which is set to take place when the new Congress goes into session with Democrats holding a majority in the House, has two pieces. One would fund most shuttered agencies through the end of September, while the other would give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) its funding through Feb 8. As with previous Democratic proposals, the DHS funding would not include money for the wall. Border wall prototypes stand in San Diego near the FILE - Border wall prototypes stand in San Diego, California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 22, 2018. FILE - Border wall prototypes stand in San Diego, California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 22, 2018. Trump has taken to Twitter several times to express his viewpoint, including fresh posts Monday saying "without the Wall there can be no Border Security." "The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall," Trump wrote. The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall. You see, without the Wall there can be no Border Security - the Tech stuff is just, by comparison, meaningless bells & whistles... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 House speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement Monday calling for Republican support for the legislation. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., righ FILE - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, right, accompanied by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Dec. 11, 2018. FILE - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, right, accompanied by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Dec. 11, 2018. "It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,'' the statement said. Trump wants $5 billion as a down payment on the barrier that could cost more than $20 billion to build, while Democrats have offered to approve $1.3 billion for other border security efforts. Trump and Democratic lawmakers have not held any negotiations for days over the dispute. The ongoing shutdown of a quarter of U.S. government operations means 380,000 government workers are furloughed while another 420,000 are still working, but will not be paid until the funding dispute is resolved. When U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced a new policy recently to keep asylum-seekers in Mexico while they wait for their cases to be adjudicated, it was the latest in a string of Trump administration policies affecting asylum this past year. According to requirements laid out by the U.N. Convention on Refugees in 1951 and adopted by the United States, applicants for asylum must meet three requirements: prove they have a "reasonable fear" of persecution in their home country; fear persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social class; and prove their home country's government is either involved in the persecution or unable to control it. In 2018, the Trump administration introduced at least seven policies affecting asylum. Immigrant advocates and immigration hardliners say these policies were attempts to deter immigrants from entering the United States. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Ni FILE - U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen speaks next to the U.S. Mexico border at Border Field State Park in San Diego, California, Nov. 20, 2018. FILE - U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen speaks next to the U.S. Mexico border at Border Field State Park in San Diego, California, Nov. 20, 2018. ?New standards for credible fear When migrants cross the U.S. border either legally or illegally and request asylum, they are first given a credible fear interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers. Asylum-seekers who successfully complete the interview continue on to the immigration courts for the next stage of the process. At the beginning of 2018, the administration released new and more restrictive guidelines for passing the credible fear interview. According to news reports, a clause in the new interpretation of credible fear was changed to factor in applicants' "demeanor, candor and responsiveness" in determining their credibility. Immigration lawyers have told VOA that trauma, difference in culture, not speaking the language, and the journey from Central America to the U.S. often affect people's behavior. The new guidance says these circumstances should not be seen as "significant factors" in determining credibility, essentially authorizing asylum officers to consider signs of stress as a reason to doubt an applicant's credibility. "By raising the bar at this initial stage ... the Service (USCIS) is running the risk of screening out those who have bona fide claims but who lack the ability or sophistication to present them to the asylum officer at this early stage," Catholic Legal Immigration Network, a nonprofit group that provides legal services to immigrants, said on its website. Migrants wait in line for food at a camp containin FILE - Migrants wait in line for food at a camp containing hundreds of migrants who arrived at the U.S. border from Central America in a caravan with the intention of applying for asylum in the U.S., in Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 12, 2018. FILE - Migrants wait in line for food at a camp containing hundreds of migrants who arrived at the U.S. border from Central America in a caravan with the intention of applying for asylum in the U.S., in Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 12, 2018. ?'Zero tolerance' On April 6, the Trump administration announced its "zero tolerance" policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. The new guideline directed federal prosecutors to criminally charge every adult migrant illegally entering the country, thus mandating that they remain in detention for the duration of their asylum process. Before "zero tolerance," when migrants entered the U.S. between ports of entry, they were charged with a misdemeanor a minor offense. The policy notoriously led to the separation of children from their parents, since children cannot be held in a jail setting for a considerable length of time. The public outcry prompted President Donald Trump to sign an executive order in June rescinding the policy. According to DHS, more than 2,500 children were separated at the border from their parents or adult guardians from May 5 to June 9. After the repeal of "zero tolerance," the Trump administration has unsuccessfully sought court permission to hold children in detention with their parents for indefinite periods. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a new FILE - Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general at the time, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Nov. 1, 2018. FILE - Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general at the time, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Nov. 1, 2018. ?Domestic abuse In a rare move in June, then Attorney General Jeff Sessions intervened in the asylum case of a Salvadoran woman who had demonstrated a long history of spousal abuse. Sessions reversed an immigration appeals court ruling that granted asylum to A-B, as she was known. Sessions ruled A-B was ineligible because victims of domestic violence may not be included in the members-of-social-classes provision. The ruling also applied to victims of gang violence. In December, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan put a permanent injunction on Sessions' order, saying it violated U.S. immigration law and had "no legal basis for an effective categorical ban." After Sullivan's ruling, the White House released a statement. "Today's ruling is only the latest example of judicial activism that encourages migrants to take dangerous risks; empowers criminal organizations that spread turmoil in our hemisphere; and undermines the laws, borders, Constitution, and sovereignty of the United States," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders wrote. Turned away Also in June, reports of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers illegally turning away asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border surfaced. Though immigration authorities called it a "myth" that asylum-seekers have been turned away at ports of entry, 13 migrants sued the government for just that, filing a lawsuit in July 2017. Migrants walk inside a former concert venue servin FILE - Migrants walk inside a former concert venue serving as a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 3, 2018. FILE - Migrants walk inside a former concert venue serving as a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 3, 2018. ?Speedier trials In March, Sessions vacated a 2014 ruling by the Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals which eliminated a requirement that asylum-seekers get a full hearing before an immigration judge which meant immigration judges are allowed to reject asylum petitions without a full hearing, if at the initial review they have signs of a fraudulent case or are unlikely to succeed. He also ordered case completion quotas for immigration judges. The move came as immigration judges were rapidly hired. At a welcoming ceremony for 44 newly sworn immigration judges in September, Sessions told them to carry out their duties according to his orders. "These decisions will provide more clarity for you. They will help you to rule consistently and fairly. And it is more important than ever that you do just that," he said. The immigration data tracker TRAC reports that fiscal year 2018 broke records for the number of decisions by immigration judges granting or denying asylum. Denials grew faster than grants, pushing denial rates up. About 65 percent of asylum requests were denied. TRAC reports that 2018 was the sixth year in a row that denial rates rose. Six years ago, the denial rate was 42 percent. Though they eventually leveled, denial rates rose again in June after Sessions restricted grounds on which immigration judges could grant asylum. Illegal entrants The Trump administration issued an order on Nov. 9 to restrict asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border by requiring anyone who enters the U.S. illegally not be eligible to request asylum. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued. On Nov. 30, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar refused to allow the administration to enforce a ban. The president "may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden," Tigar stated. His ruling has since been upheld by an appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court. In this Nov. 19, 2018, file photo, people line up FILE - People line up to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, at the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego, Nov. 19, 2018. FILE - People line up to cross into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, at the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego, Nov. 19, 2018. ?'Metering' The July case against turning people away at the border was amended in early December to include another practice restricting access to asylum. Called "metering" by immigration advocates and "queuing" by Nielsen, the practice restricts the number of asylum-seekers who can be processed at legal ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border, creating a backlog on the Mexican side. Those hoping to apply for asylum in the U.S. are on a waiting list that is now thousands long. Lawyers say this has created a humanitarian crisis at the border. Some migrants told VOA they had been waiting for weeks. At a congressional hearing in December, Nielsen defended the practice. "It's capacity. It's capacity," she insisted. A CBP spokesperson said from "time to time, we have to manage the queues and address that processing based on that capacity." The practice of metering is not new. According to court documents, it happened during former President Barack Obama's administration. Central American Migrant Caravan FILE - A Honduran migrant helps his son to climb the U.S. border fence before jumping into the United States to San Diego, Calif., from Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 22, 2018. FILE - A Honduran migrant helps his son to climb the U.S. border fence before jumping into the United States to San Diego, Calif., from Tijuana, Mexico, Dec. 22, 2018. ?Partnership with Mexico At year's end, the U.S. and Mexico formed a partnership under which asylum-seekers would remain in Mexico while their cases were being processed in the U.S. Trump administration officials said the Mexican government agreed on its own accord. The changes, whenever they take effect, are expected to affect those who cross illegally and legally. Asylum law experts say this latest policy will end up in court. Media reports reflect a growing crisis at ports of entry in Mexico where shelters are already overcrowded. Meanwhile, two children died in border patrol custody after entering the U.S. illegally. "The system is clearly overwhelmed, and we must work together to address this humanitarian crisis and protect vulnerable populations," Nielsen said in a statement released Dec. 29 after a trip to El Paso, Texas, one of the nation's busiest border crossing points. CAIRO - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has ordered an investigation into "recent events" after two weeks of violent protests against his 29-year autocratic rule, as he seeks to placate popular anger over worsening economic conditions. The state news agency reported late Monday that al-Bashir has tasked Justice Minister Mohammed Ahmed Salem with leading the investigation, without providing further details on the subject of the probe. Twenty-two political parties and groups meanwhile said they will call on Bashir to step down and transfer power to a "sovereign council" and a transitional government that would set a "suitable" date for democratic elections. The parties include some Islamist factions that were once allied with al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 military coup, as well as breakaway groups from large traditional parties, like the Democratic Unionist and Umma parties, which did not join in the call. "It is well known that the [current] regime does not have the common economic tools to halt the deterioration,'' they said in a memorandum they plan to present to al-Bashir on Wednesday. "The regime, in its present composition and given its political, economic, regional and international isolation, cannot pull through this crisis," it said. It warned that failure to transition to a new political system would have "dire consequences" for Sudan. The parties said the proposed administration would introduce freedoms, democracy and halt the ongoing strife in the western regions of Kordofan and Darfur, and the Blue Nile region south of the capital, Khartoum. There was no immediate reaction from the government to the memorandum, which was read to reporters in a Tuesday news conference in the Sudanese capital. Western nations, including the United States and Britain, and rights groups have called on authorities in Sudan to investigate the use of lethal force by security forces against demonstrators. Some activists have speculated that al-Bashir's political rivals may have engineered an acute shortage of fuel and other basic commodities to whip up anger against the government. Authorities have said that 19 people died in the protests, while Amnesty International said it has "credible reports" that 37 died in the first five days of protests. Human Rights Watch said Monday that independent groups have put the death toll at 40 since the protests erupted on Dec. 19. Sudanese Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Police in Sudan's capital fired tear gas Monday at demonstrators who had planned to march to the presidential palace to call for a change in President Omar al-Bashir's government.Witnesses say demonstrators gathered in groups in downtown Khartoum, but were quickly confronted by security forces and unable to march to the palace of President Omar al-Bashir. Police in Sudan's capital fired tear gas Monday at demonstrators who had planned to march to the presidential palace to call for a change in President Omar al-Bashir's government.Witnesses say demonstrators gathered in groups in downtown Khartoum, but were quickly confronted by security forces and unable to march to the palace of President Omar al-Bashir. Al-Bashir on Monday sought to defuse the anger sweeping the country, promising better days ahead and pledging more "transparency, effectiveness and justice in all our national institutions" in an address to the nation marking the anniversary of Sudan's independence 63 years ago. "Our country is going through pressing economic conditions that have hurt a large segment of society," he said. "We appreciate this suffering, feel its impact and we thank our people for their beautiful patience." Al-Bashir said the 2019 budget would maintain state subsidies on many commodities, raise wages, refrain from introducing new taxes and do more for the poorest. He did not elaborate. Sudan's economy has stagnated for most of al-Bashir's rule. He has also failed to unite or keep the peace in the religiously and ethnically diverse nation, losing three quarters of Sudan's oil wealth when the mainly animist and Christian south seceded in 2011 following a referendum. Critics say rampant corruption is eating up a significant part of government funds and engineering shortages of basic items to manipulate prices. The protesters have been chanting against the "government of thieves." WASHINGTON/NAIROBI - The Somali military has executed six al-Shabab militants without a trial, according to officials and rights activists. "The men have been in prison for the last five months. They were part of an assassination unit. One of them was caught red-handed as he killed a government soldier, and his arrest led us to the arrest of five others, and finally we executed them," Farah Mohamed Turba, a Somali military commander told VOA's Somali Service on Tuesday. The militants were executed Sunday by firing squad in the town of Bardhere, about 300 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. Bardhere, an important agricultural town, was once the main stronghold of al-Shabab in the region, but the group lost control of it to Ethiopian troops in 2015. Relatives of those executed, who contacted with VOA from the town, described the incident as "a summary execution" carried out by military forces without a fair trial. Turba said the military was following orders from the Somali defense minister. "Recently, when the militants killed two Somali senior military generals in a blast, our superior military commanders and the defense minister said al-Shabab militants should be killed (on) sight," said Turba. At Least 8 Government Soldiers, 14 Militants Killed in Fighting 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 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 There has been no official statement from the Defense Ministry or the Somali National Army's chief on these latest executions. In 2017, Somali military courts and al-Shabab executed about a dozen people, all of them killed in public settings before crowds of between 30 and 300 people. While executions in Somalia are nothing new, the nature of these latest executions, of taking militant prisoners out of jail and executing them in public without a military court trial, has drawn the attention of human rights activists in Somalia. Al-Shabab has been known not to allow defendants due process before carrying out executions. "We are criticizing such executions carried out by the military, which are trying cases beyond their jurisdiction and failing to give defendants a fair legal process," said an activist in Bardhere, who asked for anonymity, fearing reprisals. VOA's Kadar Hared contributed to this report from Nairobi. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen says China must accept Taiwan's status as a self-ruled island. In a New Year's Day address from her office, President Tsai said China had to "respect the insistence of 23 million people for freedom and democracy," and for both sides to face the reality that there are fundamental differences between their "values and lifestyles" and political systems. Relations between Beijing and Taipei have been strained since Tsai, the leader of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office in 2016 and refused to accept the concept of China and Taiwan joined together as one China. Beijing has mounted an aggressive posture towards the self-ruled island, carrying out numerous military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, blocking Taipei's participation in international organizations, and persuading several nations to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. President Tsai called on China to seek "peaceful" ways to sort out their differences. The partial U.S. government shutdown is in its 11th day at the dawn of 2019, with lawmakers and President Donald Trump still at odds over his demand for money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Democrats in the House of Representatives say that when they assume control of the chamber on Thursday, they plan to quickly approve legislation to reopen the quarter of government operations that have been closed since Dec. 22, although passage in the Senate is uncertain. Trump, Democrats Still Far From Border Wall Deal U.S. U.S. The Democrats' spending plan includes no money for Trump's border wall, which the U.S. leader derided in a New Year's Day Twitter comment. The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Later in the day, Trump invited top congressional leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, to the White House on Wednesday for a briefing on border security. But it was unclear whether that could lead to breaking the stalemate over his wall proposal he contends would thwart illegal immigration. As the calendar turned to the new year, Trump said in an all-caps tweet that Americans would have a good year, if they weren't obsessed with opposing him. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 The House Democrats' budget plan would fund most shuttered agencies through the end of September, while approving funding for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8. In Twitter comments, Trump has continued to push for wall funding, $5 billion as a down payment on the barrier that could cost more than $20 billion, while Democrats have offered to approve $1.3 billion for other border security efforts, but not the wall. In one tweet Monday, Trump said, "Without the Wall there can be no Border Security." House speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement Monday calling for Republican support for the new funding legislation. "It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,'' the statement said. Trump and Democratic lawmakers have not held any negotiations for days over the dispute. The ongoing shutdown of a quarter of U.S. government operations means 380,000 government workers are furloughed while another 420,000 are still working, but will not be paid until the funding dispute is resolved.? BANGKOK - Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical marijuana, but the fine print of the legislation has left advocates of the drug's healing potential with mixed feelings. Since the bill was passed on Christmas Eve, some medical marijuana advocates have expressed disappointment the legislation will effectively exclude the private sector from the lucrative industry, worth tens of billions of dollars globally, in favor of government agencies. Voice of America sat down with Thailand's Office of Narcotics Control Bureau Secretary-General Niyom Termsrisuk to find out who exactly will be able to grow, sell, buy and regulate medical marijuana in a country where it has long been a strictly prohibited substance. Speaking through an interpreter, Termsrisuk told VOA that private firms would be able to cultivate, produce and sell medical marijuana, provided they were two-thirds owned by Thai nationals. "From the cultivation to delivering to the patient, it will be under the law and regulation controlled by the committee. If it fits in the regulation and the qualifications that we have, so (then) yes, they can do it," he said. Thailand's Legislature Legalizes Medical Use of Marijuana Thailands legislature on Tuesday agreed to amend the countrys drug law to allow the licensed medical use of marijuana, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller.Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action, which is also under consideration in neighboring Malaysia. New Zealands government earlier this month enacted a law liberalizing the medical use of marijuana, which had previously been tightly restricted. Thailands legislature on Tuesday agreed to amend the countrys drug law to allow the licensed medical use of marijuana, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller.Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action, which is also under consideration in neighboring Malaysia. New Zealands government earlier this month enacted a law liberalizing the medical use of marijuana, which had previously been tightly restricted. Authorized government agencies, including those overseeing Thai traditional medicine, individual licensed medical doctors; educational institutions and community farmer cooperatives, would all be permitted to cultivate the crop. "We will designate the process and procedure that is standardized so that if any organization comes to fit into that standard that we set, they will have the authority to do it," Termsrisuk said. "But they need to be authorized and registered under the law. And apart from that, it will be in the consideration of the minister of public health but also approved by the committee," he added. There will be strict controls on cultivation, including a mandate that all medical marijuana is grown indoors which is intended to help prevent illegal practices and ensure quality but that significantly increases the cost of cultivation. Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, an activist with Highlands Network, has enthusiastically welcomed the legalization but said there were numerous caveats in the legislation that made commercial cultivation effectively precluded. "All of those (groups) are allowed, but only if they are working under the control of those that have the license," she said, adding these licenses were restricted to government research institutions and universities. "But it's not really for commercial purposes, I would say, because it strictly said research, and it also said mainly for teaching," she said. Chopaka was also critical of a five-year restriction the law places on any expansion of these licenses, and a two-year mandated review that she says could, in theory, result in a complete reversal of legalization if the impacts are assessed to be negative. Nevertheless, the law represents a dramatic shift in a country where strongly conservative drug politics have been underlined by zero-tolerance policies, harsh sentencing laws and a brutal war on drugs. A perception of all drug use as evil had been reinforced through Thai educational institutions and political messaging, though cannabis had been used traditionally for centuries, Chopaka said. But as countries such as Canada, a member of the G-7, brought in full nationwide legalization, attitudes in Thailand had also begun to slowly shift, she said. "So, I think the way it's being done, it is baby steps and like they just want to test out the water," she said. Keeping tight control Marijuana-based medicines will be permitted for patients suffering chemotherapy side effects and from Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and as a Thai tradition remedy for cancer pain, according to the ONCB. Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organization is already working on strain selection, breed improvement, cultivation and harvesting to produce medicines targeting these conditions. Both medical doctors and Thai traditional healers will be able to prescribe these medications under Thailand's Food and Drug Administration and Ministry of Health. But individuals, including patients, will not be permitted to personally grow marijuana at home, and recreational legalization is not on the agenda for the time being, the ONCB said. "It's almost as strict as Australia but probably not that strict, because (in) Australia, the main rule around it was it has to be your last choice. You have to try all the other stuff first before you use cannabis," Chopaka said of the Thai government's legalization model. Dr. Somyot Kittimunkong, who has stood at the forefront of cannabis legalization advocacy in Thailand, is deeply unhappy with restrictions in the law he believes will cut local farmers out of the medical marijuana market. FILE - Thai policemen stand guard next to 100 kilo FILE - Thai policemen stand guard next to 100 kilograms of seized marijuana before a news conference Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. FILE - Thai policemen stand guard next to 100 kilograms of seized marijuana before a news conference Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. "This is the main issue that if they want to help the people at the grassroots level, like the farmers, I think they should allow the Thai farmers to grow for export for making drugs to treat the people," he said. Somyot also interprets the law as constraining commercial entities to cultivation for research only, which he says is unnecessary given the volume of cannabis studies that have already been conducted worldwide. He said mandated indoor cultivation would increase the cost of production by about five times in a country with very good conditions to grow marijuana outside. Mana Siriphittayawat, director of the Legal Affairs Bureau at the ONCB, said that he understood the law may have fallen short of some expectations but defended tight controls to ensure quality and prevent illicit misuse. "We will monitor and control those two things, the production and cultivation, under the necessity (of) using it for medical purposes within the country," he said. Though not yet fully developed, long term the government was looking to develop Thailand's medical marijuana business for export, he said. "We have a vision in developing the medical cannabis business." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is warning that the current goodwill with the United States could end if Washington continues to impose sanctions to force his regime to denuclearize. In his annual New Year's Day address, Kim said it was his "firm will" that North Korea will no longer produce or test nuclear weapons, nor would it "use or spread" its arsenal. He added he was prepared to hold another meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this year. But he said his country may have to take another path unless Washington takes "corresponding measures." He also called on the United States and South Korea to end all joint military drills. Trump Kim Summit Day in Photos FILE - North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. FILE - North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. Kim Jong Un and President Trump signed a vague agreement during their historic summit in Singapore last June, but further negotiations have stalled over Pyongyangs demand for front-loaded sanctions relief tied to small progress, and its opposition to Washingtons call for complete denuclearization prior to granting any concessions. North Korea is also demanding that the United States and South Korea first issue a peace declaration to formally end hostilities and replace the armistice that has been in effect since the Korean War ended in 1953. Critics worry a peace declaration could undermine the justification for the U.S. military presence in South Korea. Despite Kim's warning, South Korea's Unification Ministry welcomed his address, saying it reflected Kim's commitment towards complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean peninsula, and the continued improvement of inter-Korean relations. NoKor SoKo athletes closing Olympics 20180225 FILE - North and South Koreans wave flags during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 25, 2018. FILE - North and South Koreans wave flags during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 25, 2018. Tuesday's speech was delivered exactly one year after Kim announced his willingness to send a contingent of North Korean athletes to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea the following month. The speech set off a series of diplomatic breakthroughs, including three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the meeting with President Trump. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said Tuesday the department "remains focused on safeguarding our nation," as he officially took over the post left by the resignation of Jim Mattis. "I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joints Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense," Shanahan said in a statement. Unlike Mattis, who came to the Pentagon as a revered former Marine general who served in Afghanistan, Shanahan does not have any military experience. Shanahan came to the Defense Department in 2017 from aviation giant Boeing, where he spent more than 30 years overseeing both civilian and military related programs. Outgoing Pentagon Chief Tells Troops to 'Hold Fast' Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving some final advice to troops and the Defense Department's civilian employees maintain your faith in America and continue to stand by the country's allies."Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," Mattis wrote in his official farewell message Monday, his last day on the job."I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving some final advice to troops and the Defense Department's civilian employees maintain your faith in America and continue to stand by the country's allies."Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," Mattis wrote in his official farewell message Monday, his last day on the job."I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while Mattis resigned on December 20 following a White House meeting with Trump during which the two men disagreed over the president's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, where they have been helping in the fight against the Islamic State terror group. Differences With Trump's Views Prompted Mattis Departure US secretary of defense announced he was quitting, personally handing his letter of resignation to president following a lunch meeting at the White House "Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," Mattis wrote in his official farewell message Monday, his last day on the job. "I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life," he continued. "So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes." FILE - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis talks to U.S. FILE - Then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis talks to U.S. troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Dec. 21, 2017. FILE - Then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis talks to U.S. troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Dec. 21, 2017. While it was not the first time the two men disagreed on policy, for Mattis the Syria decision represented a breaking point. "You have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects," Mattis wrote at the time, adding he would stay on until the end of February 2019 to allow time for a successor to be found and so that he could represent the U.S. at a NATO Defense Ministerial meeting. Mattis also warned the president that the United States "must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," naming both China and Russia. And he further warned that the United States could not afford to alienate allies. "Our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnership." Three days later, Trump announced via Twitter that Mattis would be leaving at the end of the year. I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2018 Trump to Replace Pentagon Chief Mattis 2 Months Early With Deputy President Donald Trump said Sunday that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will become the acting Pentagon chief on January 1, replacing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who announced his resignation last week."I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump tweeted, moving to push current Defense Secretary Mattis out of his post two months early.I am pleased to President Donald Trump said Sunday that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will become the acting Pentagon chief on January 1, replacing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who announced his resignation last week."I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019," Trump tweeted, moving to push current Defense Secretary Mattis out of his post two months early.I am pleased to According to Pentagon officials, Mattis' departure, at his own request, would not be marked by any of the fanfare normally seen to pay respect to an outgoing defense secretary. Instead, the handover of authority from Mattis to Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan was to be carried out through a phone call, alerting all relevant government agencies to the change in command. Shortly after the Pentagon released Mattis' farewell message, the Trump took to Twitter Monday. "I am the only person in America who could say that, "I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory," and get BAD press," he wrote. I am the only person in America who could say that, Im bringing our great troops back home, with victory, and get BAD press. It is Fake News and Pundits who have FAILED for years that are doing the complaining. If I stayed in Endless Wars forever, they would still be unhappy! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2018 Mattis began his last message as secretary of defense by quoting from a telegram U.S. President Abraham Lincoln sent to Gen. Ulysses Grant in 1865, a little more than two months before the end of the U.S. Civil War. "Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder or delay your military movements, or plans," it read. India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of doing well at this year's general election despite the party's recent losses in state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with Reuters partner ANI on Tuesday. "No reason for morale down. We are confident and are moving ahead. In 2019, if there is one party which the country trusts and is connected with the people, it is the BJP," Modi said. India's ruling party lost power in three key states in December, handing Modi his biggest defeat since he took office in 2014 and boosting the Congress party opposition and its allies ahead of national polls due by May. Modi said it was more important to focus on his government's achievements, including the introduction in September of a new health care scheme for the poor. "In such big numbers people suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure. It is my biggest achievement," Modi said. He said the party has been discussing what it lacked at the state elections, but winning or losing was not the only yardstick. The Hindu nationalist BJP was willing to work with regional parties in the run-up to the general election, he said. "Our effort is to take everyone along, and listen to everyone. I am committed to give importance to regional aspirations. The country cannot be run by ignoring regional aspirations." Farmer relief Modi said farm loan waivers should be "definitely done" if it helps, but that was not a long-term solution to the problem of farmer distress. "What is lacking in our system, that farmer becomes debt-ridden and the governments have to repeat vicious cycle of elections and loan waivers. So solution is to empower the farmers. From seed to market, give all facilities to the farmers," he said. Farmers' anger about low crop prices and their sense that the government has done far too little to address them contributed to the state election defeats. The government is now considering three options for a relief package to help farmers suffering because of low crop prices at a cost of as much as 3 trillion rupees ($43.20 billion), three government sources told Reuters last week. FILE - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Ur FILE - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel attends a news conference in Mumbai, India, Dec. 6, 2017. FILE - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel attends a news conference in Mumbai, India, Dec. 6, 2017. ?Patel resignation Former Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel had written to Modi about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons, several months before stepping down from the office in December, Modi said. "The governor himself requested [to resign] because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally." Patel resigned after a months-long tussle over policy with the government that raised concerns about the bank's independence as the next general election nears. When asked if there was any political pressure on the governor to resign, Modi denied that was the case. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI governor." ISLAMABAD - Officials in Pakistan said Tuesday that at least four security forces were killed when a group of heavily armed militants assaulted a paramilitary training center in southwestern Baluchistan province. The Pakistani military's media wing said that "terrorists" attempted to storm the residential and administrative blocks of the Frontier Corps (FC) facility in the remote town of Loralai but security guards at the external checkpoint denied them entry. "The initial exchange of fire at check post resulted into martyrdom of four security forces personnel while two got injured," it noted. The assailants entered a compound adjacent to the checkpoint before security forces surrounded them and gunned down three of them while the fourth one blew himself up during the firefight. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack. Baloch insurgents and militants linked to the outlawed Pakistani Taliban as well as loyalists of Islamic State usually take credit for staging deadly attacks against security officials and government installations in Baluchistan. The sparsely populated, largest Pakistani province, is rich in natural resources and hosts several major China-funded infrastructure projects under construction in Pakistan. The violence has also targeted Chinese nationals working in Baluchistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan and Iran. Pakistani authorities allege that anti-state militants, including Baloch separatists, are using Afghan soil for plotting terrorist attacks against the country. Last week, a mysterious suicide blast in the southern Afghan border city of Kandahar killed a top leader of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army along with four of his key commanders. The slain Aslam Baloch was accused of masterminding the November raid against the Chinese consulate in the Pakistani cityof Karachi. BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germany will keep pushing for global solutions to challenges in 2019 and also has to take greater responsibility in the world. Closing a politically turbulent 2018 in Germany, Merkel devotes a significant part of her annual New Year's address to the merits of bringing a multilateral approach to international problems a style she has consistently defended in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's America First'' tactics. Climate change, migration, terrorism The fourth-term chancellor pointed to curbing climate change, managing migration and combating terrorism as the kinds of challenges that benefit from a wide view. Germany starts a two-year stint on the U.N. Security Council on Jan. 1. We want to resolve all these questions in our own interest, and we can do that best if we consider the interests of others,'' Merkel said in a text of the message her office released ahead of a scheduled Monday broadcast. That is the lesson from the two world wars of the last century,'' she added. But this conviction is no longer shared today by everyone, and certainties of international cooperation are coming under pressure.'' In such a situation, we must again stand up for, argue and fight more strongly for our convictions,'' Merkel said. And we must take on more responsibility in our own interests.'' 'Global solutions' She said Germany will push for global solutions'' at the U.N. and noted the country is spending more on humanitarian aid and defense. She said Berlin wants to make the European Union more robust and able to make decisions.'' Turning to home, Merkel acknowledged that many Germans have struggled very much'' with her latest government amid persistent infighting since it took office in March after unprecedentedly long talks to form the governing coalition. She said it had been an extremely difficult political year.'' 'New beginning' Germany's leader for 13 years said she set the stage for a new beginning'' in late October by announcing she won't seek a fifth term. She also gave up the leadership of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, Germany's main center-right party, which has been led since Dec. 7 by ally Annegret Kramp Karrenbauer. Merkel has said she plans to remain chancellor for the rest of this parliamentary term, which is supposed to run until 2021. But questions remain over whether she will actually stay that long, not least because of tensions within her governing coalition. Democracy lives from change,'' she said in her new year message. We build on what our predecessors left us, and shape things in the present for those who will come after us.'' Thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets of Hong Kong on New Year's Day to protest China's apparent tightening grip on the semi-autonomous territory. Pro-democracy activists have become alarmed over a series actions taken by Hong Kong's pro-Beijing government, including banning the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party for reasons of national security, rejecting the renewal of a visa of a Western journalist who hosted a forum with the head of the party, and barring pro-democracy candidates from running in local elections. Rights Activists Fear China's Human Rights Record Will Deteriorate 2018 has been a year of human rights disasters in China, according to an Uighur activist Several pro-independence activists were among the protesters taking part in Tuesday's march. Hong Kong's youth-driven pro-democracy movement sprung from the massive 2014 pro-democracy "Umbrella Revolution" demanding fully free elections. Hong Kong has enjoyed numerous freedoms under the "one country, two systems" formula established when Britain relinquished control of the territory in 1997, including the right to assembly and free speech. On the first day of the school year at the Asian University for Women in southern Bangladesh, groups of teenage girls in skinny jeans, sleeveless tops and T-shirts chattered, their laughter carrying through the sticky air. Formin Akter, 19, stood in a corner by a row of suitcases, facing away from the students who seemed so modern and full of confidence. Wearing a tunic and pants that hung loosely on her, she nervously adjusted a brown georgette scarf that kept slipping from her head. When she finally saw someone she recognized, she beamed, holding a card tied to red straps around her neck. "Look at my identity card!" she said, flashing it like a gold medal. Getting a college ID may have been a mildly exciting rite of passage for other new students. For Formin, a stateless Rohingya Muslim from Buddhist-dominated Myanmar, it meant the world. She had spent most of her life dreaming about this moment. But as a Rohingya in Myanmar's apartheid-like Rakhine State, her goal of attending university had been thwarted. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled a campaign of arson, rape and killing by the military since August 2017, and many of those still in the country are languishing in de facto internment camps. Raised by a father who wanted more than his peasant's life for his daughters, Formin and her older sister, Nur Jahan, had defied those in their community who believed education was wasted on women. They were the only two girls from their village ever to finish high school. Back then, the sisters made a pact. Someday, they would go to university together. In her dorm room, Formin moved her belongings into a cupboard: a small pile of clothes, a dinner plate, a steel pot. Her Burmese-English dictionary one of the few things she had taken with her when fleeing Myanmar a year before was tucked on the top shelf. On one of the walls of the dorm, someone had painted a quote from the Harry Potter series: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." A few hours to the south, in the world's largest refugee camp, her sister Nur Jahan spends her days teaching children and trying to forget how close she was to realizing her childhood dream. This year, her parents pushed her to accept a young man's proposal; now, she is married and pregnant, and must stay at home. Formin said her sister calls her every day. Formin is excited about college, but she knows she's a constant reminder of the education that her sister, and hundreds of thousands of other Rohingya women, can't have. "I miss my sister more than anything else," she said. "Every time I spent with her, I miss." Nur Jahan, sister of Formin Akter, a Rohingya refu Nur Jahan, sister of Formin Akter, a Rohingya refugee girl, sits with her students inside her shelter, where she teaches, at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangaldesh Dec. 4, 2018. Nur Jahan, sister of Formin Akter, a Rohingya refugee girl, sits with her students inside her shelter, where she teaches, at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangaldesh Dec. 4, 2018. Skipping a rope in a remote village The two girls loved to skip rope together when they were growing up in Hlaing Thi, an all-Muslim village of about 6,000 people in Rakhine, one of Myanmar's poorest and least-developed states. Now the village where the girls grew up is no longer home. Scores of Rohingya houses in northern Rakhine, including those in Hlaing Thi, were burned and abandoned in what the United Nations has called an "ethnic cleansing" carried out with "genocidal intent." Satellite images show what remains of the village: rolling green interspersed with the fields that former neighbors left behind, cut here and there by narrow streams. Formin would visit one of those streams every day with her mother to collect drinking water in plastic pails. Since the military launched its crackdown in August 2017, more than 730,000 Rohingya have fled northern Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh. About 15,000 fled this year alone. Myanmar's government denies committing abuses against the Rohingya, saying the military action in northern Rakhine came in response to attacks by Muslim militants. Still, the country doesn't grant most Rohingya citizenship, and Myanmar authorities refer to the Rohingya as "Bengali," a derogatory term because it implies they are interlopers from Bangladesh. The government and the military didn't respond to questions about specific incidents in this story. Restrictions on education, employment and travel meant most Rohingya were like Formin's father, farmers or day laborers largely cut off from the outside world. Formin Akter packs her bag next to her friend Shah Formin Akter packs her bag next to her friend Shahima before heading to Chittagong, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin Akter packs her bag next to her friend Shahima before heading to Chittagong, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. According to a 2015 survey by the Yangon-based Center for Diversity and National Harmony, Rakhine had the country's lowest literacy levels and the lowest rates of primary and secondary school enrollment in Myanmar. Rohingya students struggle to understand teachers because their language isn't recognized in the public school system. But Formin's uncle, Sayat Hossain, showed what was possible against the odds. Admitted to an engineering college in 1994 in the then-capital, Yangon, he was forced to leave school after it was shut down in response to pro-democracy protests two years later, and he fled Myanmar to find work as a day laborer in Malaysia. Eventually he made his way to asylum in Norway, where he now works as a translator. "My uncle studied, so he is in Norway. My father didn't study, so he is a farmer," Formin said. For many in Formin's village, her uncle was something of a local hero. "There was no family like theirs in the village," Mohammed Bashar, the Rohingya chairman of Hlaing Thi, said from a refugee camp in Bangladesh. "They understood the value of an education." Formin's father, Mohammed Hossain, imagined a happier future for his daughters. "You get respect when you have an education," he said. "Illiterate people have to do hard work, but educated people can find comfortable work. I wanted that for my girls." In 2012, when Formin was 13 and Nur Jahan was 16, an international humanitarian group was operating schools for children in need of a secondary school education in northern Rakhine. It offered the sisters the chance to study under a program that would cover their tuition and living expenses. But they would have to move away from home. There were murmurs of disapproval in the village. "People thought the girls would be ruined," said Bashar, the former village chairman. Formin's father said he was often told by fellow villagers: "No matter how much you make them study, they have to sit at home and cook for their husbands. What is the point?" But he allowed his daughters to go away to school just as racial and religious tensions in Rakhine boiled over. Malala on the radio In a white notebook with pink flowers, Formin kept a diary. "I wrote about some happy and sad things every day," she said. "If someone said anything bad about me, I used to write about that." In maintaining that diary, Formin had unconsciously started creating a record of events in Rakhine that few in the largely illiterate population were documenting firsthand. "At that time, we didn't have TV, radio or mobile," she said, matter-of-factly. Just weeks after Formin and her sister began school away from their village, communal violence broke out. It was June 2012, and thousands were displaced across Rakhine State as Buddhists and Muslims torched each other's homes. "We saw the military shoot two people going on a motorcycle," Formin said. Schools were shut, travel was risky, and the hostel where she and other students lived had to close. Authorities responded to the violence, in part, by barring the Rohingya from enrolling in the only university in Rakhine State, citing unspecified "security concerns," according to a report by U.N. investigators earlier this year. That effectively denied the Rohingya access to higher education, which was already limited because of travel restrictions, the report said. But that didn't break the sisters' determination to keep studying. Formin and Nur Jahan moved to a secondary school in Kyein Chaung, a village with a bustling market where Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus ran shops alongside each other. Kyein Chaung had been largely untouched by the wave of violence in 2012, and things began to look hopeful. In 2015, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept elections and came to power in a country that had long been ruled by generals. Many Rohingya rooted for Suu Kyi, who had been a political prisoner, believing she would put an end to their persecution. Nur Jahan, three years older, had finished high school and was teaching children for an international nongovernmental organization. She wanted Formin to graduate, like her, and was paying her sister's study costs with her NGO salary. At school in Kyein Chaung, Formin met a teacher, Ali Ahmed, who was one of the few Rohingya licensed to teach in public schools. He says he encouraged her and other Rohingya students to dream big. "Master Ali," as the students called him, would often pepperhis lectures with inspiring stories, sometimes pulled from news reports he heard on the small radio he kept. That was how he first heard about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani peace and education rights activist. He took the story to Formin's class with a challenge: "If she can go to Oxford from Pakistan, why can't you?" Formin was struck by the story from the moment she heard how a young Muslim woman from rural Pakistan stood up to the Taliban, survived a gunshot wound to the head from a would-be assassin and, in 2014, won the Nobel Peace Prize. At home, she told her family all about Malala. "Did you know they put a gunto her head?" Formin said. "She is a great girl. She cares about education, not other things." In her class, she also heard the story of Helen Keller's remarkable education. Her sister Nur Jahan found her a copy of Keller's autobiography, and she read it with the same rapt admiration. "She is blind, but she didn't stop learning," Formin said. "We can see everything we can't stop studying." The heroic stories of Malala and Helen kept her dreams of university alive. And she began to nurture another desire: to become an inspiration for Rohingya girls like her. Formin Akter holds a copy of the novel Jane Eyre, Formin Akter holds a copy of the novel Jane Eyre, which she says is her new favorite book, inside the library of the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Dec. 4, 2018. Formin Akter holds a copy of the novel Jane Eyre, which she says is her new favorite book, inside the library of the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Dec. 4, 2018. Could she pass her exam? On Oct. 8, 2016, Formin remembers, she went to bed early because she had a physics and chemistry test the next morning. When she woke before dawn for a final round of study, all the students in her lodgings were already up. Overnight, dozens of Muslim militants armed with sticks, knives and homemade weapons had launched an attack on police outposts. The attack marked the emergence of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group that claimed to be fighting for the rights of the Rohingya. In the early light, Formin said, she could see soldiers fanning out across the village. She heard gunfire. The students hunkered down in their lodgings, afraid to move. Some 80,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in the months that followed, many claiming soldiers had torched homes, arrested and tortured suspected militants and raped women. Once again, schools were shut, and gradually reopened over the next few weeks. But Formin's parents had no plans of sending her back this time. They were terrified. It wasn't until four months later, as Formin's high school graduation exam neared, that her parents finally relented. They were still fearful, her mother said, but they also wanted to prove wrong those in the village who had predicted that Formin would fail. Formin Akter uses her mobile phone as her father M Formin Akter uses her mobile phone as her father Mohammad Hossain watches before she departs for Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin Akter uses her mobile phone as her father Mohammad Hossain watches before she departs for Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin and her father made the risky trip back to her high school to take the test. Of the 150 girls who sat for the exam at the Kyein Chaung school in March 2017, only four would pass. Myanmar's Education Ministry typically puts matriculation results on Facebook, but Formin's village rarely had a connection. She asked a friend in another village to look for her roll number on the list of those who had passed, but the friend couldn't find it. Formin cried for days. One evening, one of her teachers called and asked her: "Formin, your roll number is 542?" "I said yes." "OK," he said. "You passed your exam." Formin Akter waits for a tuk-tuk as she heads to C Formin Akter waits for a tuk-tuk as she heads to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin Akter waits for a tuk-tuk as she heads to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. I thought I was going to die Formin returned to school to receive her diploma. But once again, violence intervened. The militant group ARSA had waged a more ambitious attack in the early hours of Aug. 25, 2017, across security posts in northern Rakhine. In the military's response, the U.N. said, entire Rohingya villages were razed, scores of women were raped and murdered, and an estimated 10,000 people, if not more, were killed. The military denies these allegations and says it made a proportionate response to militant attacks. As houses went up in flames in Hlaing Thi, Formin's mother called her at her lodgings. "Our village is burning. We are leaving for Bangladesh," she said. "What will you do, Formin?" Formin didn't know what to do. She felt paralyzed as the rattle of bullets went on and on around her. For the first time in her life, she said, she felt hope slipping away, and she cried, cried because she was scared for her life, and cried for her dream of attending college. "I thought I was going to die," she said. "I thought that would be the last day of my life." Formin remained locked up inside her lodgings for two days. But as she saw local Buddhists and the military start to burn houses in the village, an account that echoes those of other eyewitnesses on both sides of the conflict in Rakhine, she decided to escape with five schoolmates. She was in a panic over how to get away. From afar, her sister Nur Jahan helped her once again. "She didn't know the way. When I called her on the phone, Formin was crying," Nur Jahan said. "There was military everywhere." "Just follow the people," Nur Jahan told her. Using the dim light of a small phone her father had given her, Formin walked with crowds of people heading toward the border through monsoon-drenched forests and streams, protecting her belongings that were wrapped carefully in plastic under her arm. The group moved by night to avoid security forces and civilian mobs, stopping at abandoned houses for shelter. Along the way, Formin said, she saw several bodies. At the border with Bangladesh, Formin paid the equivalent of $10 to a boatman to cross the Naf River. On a wooden boat with nine other people, she reached the other shore and a refugee camp that would become a home in exile. When she was reunited with her family at the camp, one of the first things she asked about was her books back home. Between tears, her mother told her the house had burned down. Formin's most prized possessions had turned to ash. Gone too, was a small pink-and-white notebook, her first diary. Formin Akter applies makeup before heading to Chit Formin Akter applies makeup before heading to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin Akter applies makeup before heading to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. A sister left behind Almost exactly a year since she had fled her country to reach the refugee camps of Bangladesh, Formin was preparing to leave. She was going to college. "I am happy, but nervous," she said, blushing, as she sat on her knees on the mud floor of a hut. She and 24 other Rohingya girls from the refugee camps had been accepted to the university's "Pathways to Promise" program, which offers a full scholarship to selected young women in marginalized communities. She dipped a hand into a purse to fish out a compact face powder with a mirror. She held the mirror in one hand and with the other lightly dabbed the peach-colored powder onto her cheeks with the puff, moving her face from left to right. "I have watched makeup videos," she said, giggling. She also now had a smartphone that she'd bought with her earnings from working as a translator and community health worker for NGOs in the camp. She had filled it with language learning apps: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, English; and a Bollywood movie about a Hindu boy and Muslim girl who flee communal riots together, and eventually get married. But marriage hasn't been a fairytale ending for her sister Nur Jahan. In May, Nur Jahan married a Rohingya from their village. Like Formin, she had been desperate to continue studying, but she was older, and there was no guarantee the university program in Chittagong would come through. "After coming here, we were worried about our daughters' future. The situation became uncertain," their father said. "She has younger sisters who are growing fast." So when a proposal came from a fellow refugee who had spent time working in Saudi Arabia, her parents pushed her to accept. Her husband declined to allow Nur Jahan to be interviewed alone. She sat in a chair with her back straight and legs folded, listening attentively and speaking enthusiastically about her relationship with Formin and their life back in Hlaing Thi. But midway during talk of college, as Nur Jahan tried to stay composed in front of her husband, her voice cracked, and she started to cry. "Our father was very poor, but he helped a lot for our studies," she said. "We made a pact that we would go to college together, and after we finished our education, we would help our father any way we can." Her 79-year-old grandfather, Nur Ahmed, said: "Nur Jahan is even smarter than Formin. She would do even better at college. "I know she is sad. We are also sad. We wish we had waited. But now we cannot do anything. I am happy for Formin, but I feel bad for Nur Jahan. She still blames us Formin Akter smiles as she poses for a picture bef Formin Akter smiles as she poses for a picture before heading to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin Akter smiles as she poses for a picture before heading to Chittagong to attend school at the Asian University for Women, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug. 24, 2018. Formin is hoping to study law after she completes her five-year university program, including two years spent improving her English, math and comprehension skills. "I am a Rohingya. If I become a lawyer, I can do something for the cause of the Rohingya," she said. She reflected on her role models, Malala and Helen Keller. And she spoke of another woman whom she revered. Growing up, she said, she idolized Suu Kyi, who has drawn international criticism for her silence on the plight of the Rohingya. "Yes, yes, I really liked her!" she said. "We thought that woman stood for everyone." If she ever met Suu Kyi, she said, she would ask her: "I am Rohingya, but I am also a woman like you. We are all women like you. Please put yourself in our place. What do you feel?" SYDNEY - Australia has issued a statement raising concerns about China's detention of two Canadian citizens after foreign policy experts questioned why Canberra had been silent. The arrests of entrepreneur Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, a former former diplomat, earlier this month came after Canada detained a Huawei executive in Vancouver at the request of the United States. There was swift condemnation of the arrest of two Canadians by the European Union, Britain, Germany and France. They were concerned about the apparent political motivation of their detention. China accused Spavor and Kovrig of endangering state security. Despite the international outcry, Australia another of Canada's key western allies stayed silent. There was no official explanation, but a group of 30 academics and former diplomats signed a petition urging Canberra to call for the pair to be freed. Shoulder-to-shoulder Rory Medcalf, the head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, says Australia must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Canada. "If middle-sized democracies do not stand together against offensive behavior by China on the international stage, then one-by-one we will be subjected to similar punishment or bullying on those occasions when our interests clash with China's," Medcalf said. In response, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued a brief statement, which does not back Canada's call for the two men to be immediately released. "The Australian government is concerned about the recent detention of two Canadian citizens in China," Payne said. "We would be very concerned if these cases were related to legal proceedings currently under way in Canada involving a Chinese citizen, Ms Meng Wanzhou." Trading partners China is Australia's biggest trading partner. But relations have soured in recent times over allegations that Beijing has meddled in Australia's domestic politics, while Canberra has been accused by China of cyber espionage. Earlier this month, Australia said its companies were among the global victims of an extensive campaign of cyber espionage attacks backed by the Chinese government. Canberra said cybercrime had "the potential to undermine global economic growth, national security and international stability." Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. Armed men killed 37 Fulani civilians Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government said. Violence between Fulani and rival communities has compounded an already dire security situation in Mali's semi-arid and desert regions, which are used as a base by jihadist groups with ties to al-Qaida and Islamic State. The government said in a statement that the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region and that some of the victims were children. Mopti Moulage Guindo, the mayor of Bankass, the nearest town, said the attack occurred around the time of the first call to prayer of the new year and targeted the Fulani part of Koulogon. He said another part of Koulogon is mostly inhabited by Dogon, an ethnic group to which the Donzos are linked, less than 1 km (half a mile) away. Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely allied Islamists took over its north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene to push them back the following year. Islamists have since regained a foothold in the north and center, tapping into ethnic rivalries to recruit new members. MOSCOW - Paul Whelan, the American citizen detained in Moscow on Friday on espionage charges, has been identified as a retired U.S. Marine. Whelan's family posted messages on social media Tuesday, saying they first grew concerned when he did not contact them on Friday. My brother was detained by the Russian government on Friday as an alleged spy. While the law library + info focus will remain, you may see an increase in off-message topics until we get him safely home. pic.twitter.com/2HIF1UmS1b David Whelan (@davidpwhelan) January 1, 2019 "'We have read reports of the arrest in Moscow of Paul Whelan, our son & brother," the statement reads. "Paul is a retired Marine and was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding." The family learned of his arrest only after it was reported by Russian state news outlets, prompting the family to contact congressional representatives and U.S. diplomats. "We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being," the family said. "His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected." On Monday, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officials said Whelan had been detained on December 28 "while carrying out an act of espionage," and that they have opened a criminal probe. They provided no further details, but Russia's state-run TASS news agency said that Whelan faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. A State Department spokesperson said Monday the United States is aware of Russian authorities' detention of a U.S. citizen. "We have been formally notified of the detention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the official said in an emailed statement to VOA. "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it." The State Department did not provide further details, citing privacy concerns. Tensions between Moscow and the West The arrest coincides with several spy scandals that have exacerbated tensions between Russia and the West, including the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, along with the recent U.S. conviction of Russian citizen Maria Butina for acting as an illegal foreign agent. Public figure Maria Butina (R) attends a meeting o Public figure Maria Butina (R) attends a meeting of a group of experts, affiliated to the government of Russia, in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on July 17, 2018. Public figure Maria Butina (R) attends a meeting of a group of experts, affiliated to the government of Russia, in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on July 17, 2018. Butina pleaded guilty to acting under the direction of a Russian official to establish relationships with influential Americans. News of Whelan's detention came less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a New Year's greeting to U.S. President Donald Trump in which he said Moscow is amenable to a continuing dialogue with Washington on a range of topics. In 2016, Izvestia, a Kremlin-aligned news outlet, reported that there were 13 U.S. citizens in Russian jails at the time. The Kremlin has not since published any details on other Americans currently in Russian detention. ISLAMABAD - The Taliban has killed more than 20 pro-government forces and captured several security outposts in northern Afghanistan. The insurgents staged the deadly offensive to try to take control of oil fields in Sayyad district in Sar-e-Pol province, a local government spokesman told VOA Tuesday. Zabihullah Amani said that Afghan security forces, including police and intelligence operatives, deployed to the facility on the outskirts of the provincial capital, also called Sar-e-Pol, repulsed Monday night's attack by the Taliban. Amani added that at least 23 Afghan forces were also wounded in several hours of fierce clashes. Senior police commanders and officers of the intelligence agency were said to be among the dead. Taliban Rejects Peace Talks Offer From Afghan Government The Taliban have rejected Kabuls offer of talks next month in Saudi Arabia where the militants, fighting to restore strict Islamic law in Afghanistan, will meet U.S. officials to further peace efforts, a Taliban leader said Sunday. Representatives from the Taliban, the United States and regional countries met this month in the United Arab Emirates for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. But the Taliban have refused to hold formal talks with the Western-backed Afghan government. We will The Taliban have rejected Kabuls offer of talks next month in Saudi Arabia where the militants, fighting to restore strict Islamic law in Afghanistan, will meet U.S. officials to further peace efforts, a Taliban leader said Sunday. Representatives from the Taliban, the United States and regional countries met this month in the United Arab Emirates for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. But the Taliban have refused to hold formal talks with the Western-backed Afghan government. We will A Taliban spokesman claimed government forces lost more than 50 personnel and insurgents overran three security posts in the area. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claims made by either side and insurgent battlefield details are often inflated. Insurgents also attacked the Chimtal district in the province late Monday where Afghan officials said fierce battles raged into the next day, but gave not details of casualties. The Taliban has inflicted heavy casualties on embattled Afghan military and police forces during 2018 and captured more territory in the process. An insurgent report issued Monday claimed that the Taliban has brought 61 out of Afghanistan's 407 districts under its control in the previous year. The Afghan government has not offered any reaction to the militant claims Top US Commander in Afghanistan Sees Peace Opportunity in 2019 The top U.S general in Afghanistan told NATO troops on Tuesday to prepare themselves to deal with "positive processes or negative consequences" as peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban to end a 17-year war gain momentum. General Scott Miller, who commands U.S. The top U.S general in Afghanistan told NATO troops on Tuesday to prepare themselves to deal with "positive processes or negative consequences" as peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban to end a 17-year war gain momentum. General Scott Miller, who commands U.S. The United States has recently stepped up diplomatic efforts to seek a political resolution to the Afghan war and held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Officials say the interaction is meant to persuade the Taliban to join a peace process with the Afghan government. But the insurgent group refuses to hold any intra-Afghan dialogue until the U.S. agrees on a date or timeline for pulling out all foreign forces from Afghanistan. Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has urged his side to fight back in the Premier League title race with Liverpool. (AFP/Glyn KIRK) But ahead of the visit of Jurgen Klopp's men to the Etihad on Thursday, Kompany issued a rallying cry to the City squad and fans to keep fighting to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier League. "We shouldn't focus too much on points at the moment, we know if we can play to our potential we are a good team," Kompany told City's website. "Our pride has been hurt over the last few weeks but we have everything to play for and it depends on us." City bounced back from consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester with a 3-1 win at Southampton to move back into second above Tottenham. However, City have only won one of seven meetings with Liverpool during Pep Guardiola's three seasons in charge. Kompany, though, called on his side to avenge a painful Champions League quarter-final exit to Liverpool last season. "It's one of those key games you live for. Every living soul that comes into the stadium on Thursday has to be ready to fight and give it to them," added the Belgian. "And we should be able to pull everything out of the locker for that game." The 1,240MW project is Vietnams first thermal power plant to apply pulverised coal combustion technology According to reports, no problems occurred during testing of the $1.75 billion Vinh Tan 1 build-operate-transfer (BOT) facility. The environmental protection systems were operating effectively in accordance with the design and emission parameters and dust content were reportedly lower than the specified threshold. According to a representative of Vinh Tan 1, the successful test not only demonstrates the high quality of the project, but also creates a solid foundation for the company. The 1,240MW project is the first thermal power plant in Vietnam to apply pulverised coal combustion technology. It is slated to play an important role in supplying power to the countrys southern region, as concerns over power supply shortages are growing due to the delays in the Song Hau 1 and Long Phu 1 thermal power plants. The Vinh Tan ventures investment proposal was approved by the Vietnamese government in 2006 and a BOT contract was signed in 2013. To keep up with contemporary technology trends and to mitigate causing harm to the environment, the joint venture had proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trades (MoIT) approval to shift into using advanced supercritical boiler technology which helps boost the plants power generation efficiency while reducing input fuel volume, as well as ash and cinder emission volumes annually. As this is the first power plant in Vietnam to use supercritical boiler technology to burn anthracite coal in water, its success would lay the foundations for effective, economical and environmentally-friendly coal usage in the sector. The high performance ratios of Vinh Tan 1 plants electrostatic precipitator system (99.5 per cent), seawater flue gas desulfurisation system (more than 90 per cent) and selective catalytic reduction system (over 68 per cent) ensure the plant will always meet all required environmental standards. During facility operation, the environmental surveillance system will work around the clock and transmit surveillance data related to exhaust gas, cooling water and others to the Binh Thuan Department of Natural Resources and Environment for supervision. Vinh Tan 1 is expected to provide more than 7.2 billion kWh per year, increasing the southern regions electricity supply and helping reduce the regions dependence on hydropower, especially during the dry season and droughts. The countrys electricity demand is expected to see an increase of more than 10 per cent per annum in the coming years due to the rising population and accelerating economic growth. Southern Vietnam, the countrys largest economic hub, which includes Ho Chi Minh City, faces a particularly critical situation with the current imbalance between the existing supply and the increasing demand for electricity. There is therefore urgent need for the development of power generation infrastructure in the region. At a recent visit to southern provinces, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung urged the acceleration of the pace of constructing thermal power plants and called on investors to upgrade transmission projects as a main task for the next few years. Tran Viet Ngai, president of the Vietnam Energy Association, also expressed concerns about the power supply in the southern provinces. He called for synchronised solutions to minimise power shortages, including ensuring progress on schedule, operational safety, quality management of power projects, as well as environmental protection and effective power usage. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex in Thanh Hoa province According to the latest figures, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) has almost reached its target oil exploitation volume for the year. In December, the group completed its annual plan with capacity of 13.23 million tonnes of oil and 9.6 billion cubic metres of gas, officially reaching its 2018 target with two weeks to spare. PetroVietnam saw oil and gas production output of 22.1 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2018, surpassing its target by 5.4 per cent and fulfilling 96.8 per cent of its yearly plan. The groups oil production in the period reached 12.8 million tonnes, exceeding the target by 5.6 per cent and reaching 97 per cent for the whole year. Of those, oil exploitation in Vietnam was 11.03 million tonnes, surpassing 6.9 per cent of the plan. In gas, PetroVietnam reached 9.26 billion cubic metres of gas in the first 11 months, surpassing 5.2 per cent of the plan. PetroVietnam also enjoyed high production in other products, including 19 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, 1.48 million tonnes of nitrogenous fertiliser, and 8.53 million tonnes of petroleum. Between January and November, thanks to high output and higher oil prices than expected, the groups total revenue hit VND542.34 trillion ($23.58 billion), exceeding the target by 16.8 per cent and surpassing the yearly plan by 2.2 per cent. It contributed VND108.12 trillion ($4.7 billion) to the state budget in the first 11 months, 46.7 per cent higher than its target for the whole year. On exploring and exploiting petroleum products in 2018, PetroVietnam appraised 15 wells and exploited 17 others, locating two new fields at Tho Tinh Nam in Block 05-3/11, and Meo Trang Dong in Block 09-1. The group expected to exploit 14 million tonnes of oil and more than 10 billion cubic metres of gas for the whole year of 2018. According to PetroVietnams CEO Nguyen Vu Truong Son, the group faced difficulties on exploration and exploiting but overcame and completed its key targets. Many member companies of the group have already completed their goals for the whole year, with some affiliates and subsidiaries achieving their highest business results. PV Gas posted revenue and after-tax profit of VND66.3 trillion ($2.88 billion) and VND10.1 trillion ($439 million), surpassing its targets by 12 and 57 per cent, respectively. Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR), the operator of Vietnams first refinery, Dung Quat, surpassed targets by 33 per cent and 50 per cent in terms of revenue and after-tax profit to reach VND103.9 trillion ($4.5 billion) and VND4.9 trillion ($213 million), respectively. PVTrans gained turnover of VND7.05 trillion ($306.52 million), surpassing 34 per cent of the annual plan and contributing to the state budget VND334 billion ($14.52 million), 54 per cent higher than planned. Others achieved high results in 2018, including PetroVietnam Insurance Corporation (PVI) and PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer JSC (PVCFC). PetroVietnam continues to modernise in line with implementing resolutions on efficiency and development A year of highly appreciated awards Along with achieving high business results over the year, 2018 also earned the group many accolades. PetroVietnam topped the Profit500 Ranking, which listed the 500 most profitable companies in Vietnam in 2018. The ranking, announced by Vietnam Report JSC in Hanoi on November 29, honours enterprises that are profitable, have potential to become key pillars of the Vietnamese economy, and contribute to the introduction of Vietnamese brands to the international business community. In the Profit500 Ranking, companies with the highest average pre-tax profits are in telecommunications and IT. In the top five positions achieving the highest profitability in Vietnam, PetroVietnam and its subsidiary PV Gas was included. The three others were Viettel, Samsung Electronics Vietnam and Honda Vietnam. PetroVietnam had also contributed five of the list of 97 Vietnamese companies ranked on the Vietnam Value 2018. PVCFC, PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemical Corporation, Petrosetco Asset Management, PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation and PV Gas were those on the list. Restructuring towards streamlined efficiency PetroVietnam is in the midst of modernising activities in order to implement Resolution No.12 of the fifth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee on restructuring, renovating and increasing efficiency of state-owned enterprises; Resolution No.18 on re-arranging the political system towards more efficiency; and to achieve targets set by the Politburos Resolution No.41-NQ/TW on Vietnams oil and gas development strategy up to 2025 with a vision to 2035. The reduction of professional and office departments, and clearly defining responsibilities of each individual and division in the group, have overcome issues of irresponsibility which were causing delays in processing work. PetroVietnam has reduced special departments from 32 to 17, while the number of offices also decreased from 73 to 51. The number of leaders fell from 111 to 64, and the group expects to reduce this by 200 more to the year 2020 from consultant and assistance offices. Affiliates and subsidiaries are also implementing actively and efficiently. The group has assigned 14 high-ranking officials as leaders of these subsidiaries. Over the next period, PetroVietnam aims to focus on completing internal management regulations; building personnel and conducting staff assessments; and completing the human resource management system according to international standards. With the initial positive results in the restructuring in accordance with guidelines and orientations from the government, PetroVietnam is confident of the support from the Party, the state, ministries, central and local authorities. The group believes it will fulfill all tasks assigned not only for 2018 but also for the following years, making important contributions to successfully achieving national socioeconomic goals. The influential European nation of Luxembourg is keen to strengthen ties with Vietnam Despite being a small European nation, Luxembourg has emerged as the largest investment fund centre in Europe, with some EUR4.23 trillion ($4.82 trillion) in assets under management recorded in June 2018, and second in the world with over 61,000 cross-border fund registrations in 70 markets across the globe. Luxembourg is the shortest route throughout Europe to attract international investors and into Vietnam. Luxembourg-domiciled funds, as in the cases of Saigon Securities Incorporation (SSI), Dragon Capital, and VinaCapital, are examples of the keen interest and appetite for investment in Vietnam, said Marc de Bourcy, charge daffaires at the Luxembourg Embassy, on the sidelines of the workshop featuring Capital market for green growth hosted by the State Securities Commission (SSC), in conjunction with Luxembourg Aid & Development in Hanoi last week. My job is to build bridges between our two countries, our people, and through the Luxembourg Development Co-operation system, our capital market is trying to build a stronger connection with the Vietnamese capital market, he stressed. For such connection to form and pave the way for more investors from Europe, de Bourcy noted that Vietnam would need a reputable and transparent marketplace, on top of the policies and strategies set in place for the local stock exchanges, investors, and promoters that are deemed to be on the right track. The government of Luxembourg has been supporting the development of the Vietnamese capital market and provided technical assistance to the SSC, as well as other stakeholders in the fields of banking, insurance, and securities for over 10 years. We have been moving away from grant-based official development assistance (ODA) towards non-ODA partnerships in sectors like renewable energy, environment and climate change, finance and banking, research and education, and we are seeking to further support the development of the Vietnamese financial centre, said Marc de Bourcy. When a nation looks beyond mere growth to sustainable development, it ought to take a closer look at sustainable financing for development. In order to effectively finance the green growth strategy of the government or the roadmap, a nation would need a vehicle, that is, a sustainable systemic financial centre. You need a strong, resilient modern capital market to do so, said de Bourcy. I think Vietnam, with the decision, the roadmap, and the action plans, is on the right track. And we are looking forward to showcasing what we have done, see whether we can build bridges and in case Vietnam would like to level up Luxembourg, as a natural and longstanding partner of Vietnam, would try to attract the international investments needed to fuel or fund these bankable projects. Thanks to the development co-operation between Vietnam and Luxembourg, with the rise of project VIE032 that has been rolled out over the past two years, the local stock market has been leveraged to improve its capacity. It has also triggered the green financial co-operation between the two nations. I think that in the time to come, mutual development co-operation in the field of green finance between the two countries will be strengthened. Especially, capacity building will be a key in the development of a green capital market in Vietnam, said Pham Hong Son, vice chairman of SSC. The challenges for the development of green capital market in Vietnam, according to Son, are grand, as the country, together with others around the world, is in the progress of finalising green finance policies, establishing institutions for sustainable development, as well as developing international standards in this area. For developing countries like Vietnam, a trade-off between the environment and short-term profit is still taking place in many businesses, with the latter winning out more often than not. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is the perception of investors and capital market participants, noted Son.n Pham Hong Son Vice chairman, SSC In the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in Poland in December, participants came to an agreement on the guidelines for implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement 2015. The financial markets are also involved. Vietnams financial market, in particular, has been working on policies and introducing financial initiatives to strengthen capital mobilisation efforts to combat climate change and support green growth. Vietnam taking part in the agreements, in the knowledge exchange forums, and its setting up of green fiscal policies demonstrates the countrys and its financial sectors efforts in developing a financial market for green and sustainable investment projects. Vietnamese government has approved the National strategy on green growth for the period 2011-2020, with a vision to 2050 in its Decision No.1393/QD-TTg. The Minister of Finance has also issued Decision No.2183/QD-BTC promulgating the Financial Sector Action Plan on the Implementation of the National Green Growth Strategy up to 2020. Most recently, the chairman of SSC has also issued Decision No.948/QD-UBCK on Green Growth Plan for the period of 2019-2020 in the field of securities. Vietnam is in the early stage of finalising green finance policies to facilitate responsible investment and business operations in the financial market. A number of green bond issuances have been conducted at the local level as pilot projects. This means there is a lot of work to do. Marc de Bourcy Charge daffaires, Luxembourg Embassy in Thailand The Vietnam Green Growth Strategy fully embraces objectives such as traditional lifestyle and living in harmony with nature in its green economy paradigm. The World Bank and other multilateral development banks have been warning since 2015 that the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that heads of state and governments have adopted will require moving funding and financing efforts from billions to trillions, and only combined funding and financing from the public and the private sector side can make it possible, with the private sector taking the lead. Vietnams leadership is well aware that the implementation of the 17 Vietnamese SDGs and 115 specific targets depends in large part on resource mobilisation and effective and credible participation of the private sector, and more specifically through Vietnams growing capital markets and key finance and banking players. These actors and players will be crucial in attracting important international investments and investors to finance clean energy projects, energy efficiency, public transport, and water in Vietnam. Currently there is an estimated financing and investment gap of about $2.5 trillion per year worldwide, while in Vietnam there is a funding need of about $30 million by 2020, primarily in the energy sector. The state budget is able to shoulder about $10 billion, to which Development Partners contribute about 30 per cent via ODA and climate finance, hence there is a funding gap of about $20 billion in green growth projects in Vietnam until 2020. The Ministry of Finance has been proactively developing the framework for green capital market and green finance products to mobilise key private investment capital into the National Action Plan for Green Growth. In this context, the vision of SSC to devise a 2030 roadmap for the development of Vietnams stock market is commended for facilitating more and greener capital markets and sustainable financial products. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy director, Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment (MPI) When we came up with the National Strategy on Green Growth for 2011-2020, we estimated Vietnam will need $30 billion by 2030 to implement it. In the green development, 70 per cent is expected to come from the private sector as public funds alone will not be sufficient to fund the growing demand. State capital and ODA are merely inducement, and the government mainly creates a model in terms of framework to promote private sector participation, particularly through green bonds and securities to take part in the implementation of the national strategy on green growth. We have witnessed the private sector investing at least $9 billion in renewable energy and energy savings that shows the prospects of green growth. The issue now really lies in the financial mechanisms that can pave the way for co-operation between the private sector and financial institutions for the capital needed to invest in these kinds of projects. Christmas and New Year festivities are celebrated in Hanoi and throughout the world each year Christmas and New Year office parties are quickly followed by Tet parties. And if youre lucky, just as you return from your little Christmas-slash-New Year jaunt, you will be off again for a more holidays as Vietnam shuts down for its traditional annual celebrations. We celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next by watching the New York City countdown on television, the kisses at midnight in Paris, the champagne toasts in Sydney, and fireworks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These actions may be relatively commonplace across the continents. But customs still vary widely in different cultures around the world. As we learn more about the various traditions around the world, we may discover cultural twists that seem foreign to us. These unique variations in the way people celebrate the New Year are part of what makes exploring the world so fascinating. If you are an altruistic individual who is planning on spending your new years celebration in Las Vegas, please be aware of some of their local laws. One of the most surprising ones would be that it is essentially illegal to feed the homeless. Simply put, if you help the homeless, you may be subject to a hefty fine. Even though city officials seem to be doing their best impression of the grinch this holiday season, they do have a ready excuse. Officials claim that feeding the homeless will encourage varmints to run lose on the streets as well as foster continued problems with human waste. They worry that human waste could potentially get into the waterways, creating pathogens and causing a number of public health concerns. Not to mention the concern that those feeding the homeless will continue to block traffic and create a hazard that way. However, for all of these claims, perhaps this isnt the real reason why Las Vegas lawmakers are cracking down on those who wanted to give the homeless a bit of holiday cheer. Instead, it might be because Las Vegas has recently opened up a center for all homeless individuals to congregate, informally entitled The Homeless Courtyard that has been around since last July. Ideally, this courtyard is supposed to help Las Vegas homeless with an array of services to help them stay off the streets for good. However, hopefully this homeless courtyard also takes into account that there are times the homeless are disabled and are in need of such things as wheelchairs, walking canes and other needed medical supplies. Living on the streets is hard enough, but doing it with a medical problem can make it near impossible. The other wrinkle is that these city officials that founded this courtyard see these charitable individuals that want to feed their homeless as obstructing their goal of helping them get back on their feet. Apparently the old tried-and-true let the government take care of you manta is being trotted out yet again. Although the city officials feel like those who have compassion towards the homeless are simply getting in the way of their plans, it would appear to me that a happy medium is in order. Couple this with mental health issues, and this isnt an easy problem to fix at all. One analogy that you could conceivably coin would be in the medical field. Indeed, the hallmark of helping anyone out whether they are homeless, have a medical problem, or both would be to have compassion towards them. That is one of the main reasons why many people go into the medical field and that is also one of the main reasons why a lot of people do charity work to help the homeless and others down on their luck. Believe it or not, homeless people are a lot like senior citizens. They might realize their situation, but at the end of the day they still want their dignity left intact. Many know that going to this homeless courtyard is probably just going to have them looked down up by the volunteers and others. Many of them would rather just stay on the streets and rely on handouts. However, I am not saying the courtyard is a bad thing. But why not have both? Why not have do-gooders and other well-wishers feed them and also have the courtyard help them as well. Another analogy is this: it has been proven that senior citizens in a nursing facility function better if they get a true loving touch from family rather than from just an employee. It is the same difference for many homeless people, who would rather get compassion on the street than just an empty look in that courtyard. Making his triumphant return to Las Vegas, international DJ Paul Oakenfold put on an epic performance at Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop at Paris Las Vegas last night to celebrate New Years Eve weekend (Photo Courtesy of Chateau). To kick off the evening, Oakenfold was welcomed to Chateau with lavish VIP seating and a confetti presentation that cascaded throughout the venue. The crowd roared as Oakenfold took the stage, performing into the late-night hours. In celebration of pre-2019 festivities, Oakenfold collaborated with Denial Events and Electric Family to amp up his performance. Denial Events used cutting-edge technology to create a transformative experience at Chateau during the Grammy Award nominees performance, while Electric Family provided exclusive merchandise giveaways to guests. President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov expressed on Tuesday condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as to families of victims of a gas explosion that hit a residential house in Russia's Magnitogorsk. BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st January, 2019) President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov expressed on Tuesday condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as to families of victims of a gas explosion that hit a residential house in Russia 's Magnitogorsk "I got the reports about human victims as a result of the gas explosion, which caused collapse of a residential house's block in Magnitogorsk, with deep sorrow," Jeenbekov said in a telegram sent to Putin. According to Jeenbekov, the Kyrgyz people are mourning along with Russians over the tragedy in Magnitogorsk. "On the behalf of the people of Kyrgyzstan and myself, I ask you to submit sincere condolences to families and friends of the victims as well as wish soon recovery to all injured people," Jeenbekov added. A natural gas blast hit on Monday one of the blocks of a 10-storey building in Magnitogorsk, the Chelyabinsk Region, leaving at least eight people dead, six injured and dozens missing. (@rukhshanmir) The United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development and The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP said on Monday that his country is stepping up preparations for global humanitarian crises in 2019 and harnessing the power of satellite and supercomputer technology to better predict where disasters will strike. LONDON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jan, 2019 ) :The United Kingdom UK ) Department for International Development and The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP said on Monday that his country is stepping up preparations for global humanitarian crises in 2019 and harnessing the power of satellite and supercomputer technology to better predict where disasters will strike. In a statement, the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the UK will take early action to prepare for crises where possible in 2019, not just dealing with the aftermath of dire humanitarian incidents. The need for humanitarian aid will remain especially high in 2019, driven by conflict in countries like Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Food insecurity will also be a top concern and priority for the humanitarian community, including in Afghanistan, where this year experienced severe drought. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: One in every 70 people worldwide is caught up in a humanitarian crisis, and throughout 2018 UK aid had been at the heart of providing life-saving assistance to those in need: from supporting efforts to prevent and curb Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo to tackling the risk of catastrophic famine in Yemen. With 132 million people almost double the population of the UK expected to need emergency aid next year, we must act even quicker and smarter to better prepare for humanitarian crises before disaster strikes. Acting early not only helps the UK and developing countries to save money, but also saves more lives. UK aid is leading the way in being better prepared, making use of science, research and innovation to shape a global humanitarian system fit for 2019. The statement said that UK aid was harnessing technology, such as space satellites and super computers, to help improve warning systems to better predict the impact of global humanitarian crises, including: using some of the most accurate weather forecasts in the world to help families, communities and governments prepare for El Nino which could affect up to 25 countries; working smartly with the Met Office, NASA and US scientists to accurately predict where and when cholera will spread in Yemen;teaming up with the UK Space Agency to help farmers in Kenya, Ghana and Zambia to understand when pests or disease may strike, allowing preventative action to be taken more quickly. DFID announced today (Monday 31 December 2018) it will provide 1 million to the World Health Organisation this year to help enhance its Early Warning Alert and Response System (EWARS) to prevent the spread of life- threatening infectious diseases such as diphtheria and measles, as well as diarrheal illnesses, among the 800,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Ms Mordaunt's comments on humanitarian aid in 2019 follow a 34 million uplift in UK aid support to the United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), which supports the UN to respond rapidly to crises across the world. The UK is one of CERF's leading supporters, and in 2018 is its largest donor. Throughout 2018, this fund provided time-critical life-saving assistance to millions of people in 45 countries, including Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Nigeria. UK aid provided life-saving assistance, including food, water, medical care and shelter to millions of people desperately in need in 2018. This year, UK aid responded to crises across the globe including: sending 47 tonnes of aid and a team of aid workers to Indonesia following a devastating earthquake and tsunami which is believed to have left over 2,000 people dead; deploying a team of 67, including 57 medics, to Bangladesh to tackle an outbreak of diphtheria in Cox's Bazar, after hundreds of thousands of displaced Rohingya had fled there; supporting the development of a life-saving vaccine to tackle Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has helped to prevent it spreading to neighbouring countries; meeting the immediate food needs of 4 million Yemenis, and supporting aid agencies to screen and treat for malnutrition and disease. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. According to intelligence data, two invaders were killed and another three were wounded. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted two attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on January 1, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA). Read alsoNew OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to visit Donbas in two weeks Klimkin "Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire in Donbas twice from 00:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time, including once with the use of weapons proscribed by the Minsk Agreements," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 18:00 Kyiv time on Tuesday. In particular, the enemy opened fire from 82mm mortars on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Hnutove in the Mariupol sector, as well as from weapons installed on an IFV-1 infantry fighting vehicle to attack the defenders of the village of Novotoshkivske in the Luhansk sector, the report said. It is noted that to suppress enemy provocations, the defending units returned fire. According to intelligence data, on January 1, two invaders were killed and another three were wounded. As UNIAN reported earlier, on December 31, Russian-led militants violated the ceasefire in Donbas four times. On January 1, 2019, Slovakia assumed from Italy the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and new OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajcak, will visit Donbas in two weeks. Read also"New Year truce": Ukraine reports two WIAs amid four enemy attacks in Donbas "Congratulations to Slovakia and my good friend Miroslav Lajcak for assuming 2019 OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office! Wishing Slovakia in OSCE to be a guardian of OSCE values and principles blatantly violated by the Russian Federation. Looking forward welcoming Miroslav in Ukraine in two weeks, we'll go to Donbas together," Klimkin wrote on Twitter. As UNIAN reported earlier, on January 1, 2019, Slovakia assumed from Italy the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In particular, it noted the importance of the observance of ceasefire and the withdrawal of weapons in Donbas. Slovakia will prioritize efforts to prevent new conflicts from breaking out, while mitigating the humanitarian consequences of existing ones, according to Lajcak. "Slovakia will actively engage in all efforts to reduce tensions, build trust and facilitate dialogue. During our Chairmanship, we will work towards much-needed improvements in the living conditions of the affected population through targeted projects. We will support the full implementation of existing commitments, including those to fully respect the ceasefire and withdraw heavy weapons," Lajcak said. Two enemy troops were killed and another three were wounded, intelligence reports say. Russian-led forces mounted four attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA). Read alsoRussian-led forces near Luhansk massing weapons, conducting live-fire drills Ukraine in JCCC "On December 31, Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire four times, including thrice with the use of weapons proscribed by Minsk Agreements... Over the past day, two servicemen of the Joint Forces were wounded. In response to enemy provocations, Ukrainian troops returned fire. According to intelligence reports, two occupiers were killed and another three were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 1, 2019. "In connection with the shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation and their mercenaries of JF positions, Ukrainian military took adequate measures to preserve the life and health of personnel of Ukraine's Armed Forces," the report said. Ukrainian troops continue to firmly control the enemy on the line of demarcation while respecting the conditions of a complete ceasefire. The latest truce, as a result of negotiations held in Minsk, began at 00:00 December 29, Kyiv time. Hearings on the admissibility of Ukraine's appeal are scheduled for February 27. Wikipedia Wikipedia Deputy Minister of Justice and Ukraine's Commissioner for ECHR Affairs, Ivan Lishchyna, says the ministry is submitting documents to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the violation of human rights in Russian-annexed Crimea. Read alsoECHR may recognize Russia established control over Crimea even before occupation " the Justice Ministry's 'toothy piranhas' are filing an appeal regarding the annexation of Crimea and human rights violations [on the peninsula] for the February meeting of the ECHR," he wrote on Facebook on December 31. According to the official, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and renowned British lawyer Ben Emmerson participated in preparing Ukraine's legal position. Hearings on the admissibility of Ukraine's appeal are scheduled for February 27. Ganna Yudkivska, the judge of the European Court of Human Rights from Ukraine, earlier told the Ukrainian media outlet European Pravda that the court might admit Russia controlled Crimea even before it officially announced the annexation of the peninsula. I am repeatedly asked by various stakeholders whether Covid-19 vaccination could be made mandatory, so today I offer some initial thoughts. This is not a clear-cut legal question and there are good arguments on both sides. There is no law, precedent or policy which governs the matter at present. Labour law, public health and human rights issues intermingle and ultimately, what is reasonable and in the majority interest would likely prevail. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has apologised for the vaccine fiasco last week, but said it was just one bad day. After more than a year of managing and attempting to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley admitted that the Government made a blunder by allowing walk-in vaccinations at health centres across the country. National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says theres no secrecy surrounding a small gift of Pfizer vaccines given to the National Security Ministry by the United States government. In a telephone interview with the Express yesterday, the minister said the small vaccine gift of 80 vials of Pfizer amounted to about 400 doses of the vaccine. However, the arrival of these vaccines generated curiosity in the country as to exactly how the batch came to Trinidad and the handover process as well as who exactly will benefit from the shots. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Los Angeles, January 1 Actor Kevin Spacey will have to attend his arraignment on sexual assault charges in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a judge decided on Monday. According to People magazine, in papers filed with the court last week, attorneys for Spacey had asked a Massachusetts judge to waive the Oscar winner's mandatory appearance at the January 7, 2019 proceeding. "Presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case," an affidavit from Spacey noted. The actor indicated his lawyers would enter not guilty pleas on his behalf at the arraignment. In the supporting documents his attorneys claimed that if Spacey attended the hearing, it would "only serve to heighten prejudicial media interest in the case and will increase the risk of contamination of the pool of jurors available for the trial". Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino had opposed Spacey's request. The 59-year-old actor has been charged with felony indecent assault and battery for his alleged role in a 2016 incident inside a Nantucket restaurant. According to the allegations in Massachusetts, Spacey touched an 18-year-old man against his wishes in a sexual manner inside an eatery in July 2016. The charges comes more than a year after former Boston TV news anchor Heather Unruh publicly accused Spacey of assaulting her son in July 2016. PTI shalender@tribune.com HONG KONG, January 1 Hong Kongs embattled democracy advocates kicked off 2019 with a large street rally on Tuesday, lamenting what they said had been a grim year for freedoms and steeling themselves for fresh battles with Beijing. A thousands-strong crowd-including a small retinue of independence activists-protested over disappearing political freedoms, rising inequality and the local governments perceived coziness with big business and Beijing. Semi-autonomous Hong Kong currently enjoys liberties unseen on the mainland including freedom of expression and the press under a deal struck with Britain before the 1997 handover. But concern is growing that those rights are being eroded by an increasingly assertive China. Last year city authorities made a series of unprecedented moves that caused alarm among activists and prompted rare criticism from western governments. In September a tiny pro-independence political party was banned under an obscure national security law designed to target triad gangs. The majority of Hong Kongs democracy advocates want people to have a greater say in how their city is run, such as the ability to directly elect their leader. Mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 blockaded parts of the city for 79 days but failed to win any meaningful concessions. AFP gspannu7@gmail.com Varinder Singh Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 1 Jaiveer Shergill, a Jalandhar-based lawyer, has been appointed in the Congress media team which was handpicked by party president Rahul Gandhi and is also tipped to get the Lok Sabha ticket from Anandpur Sahib. He is the lone representative from Punjab in the 10 member Media warriors team which has been reportedly setup to counter the BJPs propaganda against the Grand Old Party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The 35-year-old has the distinction of being the youngest face amongst the AICCs newly-appointed team of 10 national spokespersons. Earlier, he was a media panellist of the party. Shergill, a second generation practising advocate of the Supreme Court of India, is also in contention to be the Congress partys Lok Sabha candidate from Anandpur Sahib. Former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni had contested from there last time. The other members of new set of 10 young national spokespersons include, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, Pawan Khera, a former OSD to former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit, Ragini Nayak, a Congress leader from Delhi who has also been the Delhi University Student Union president, Dr Gourav Vallabh, from Rajasthan, Rajiv Tyagi from UP, Akhilesh Pratap Singh from Amethi, the home constituency of Gandhi family, Sunil Ahire, Hina Kaware, a Congress MLA and Dr Sravan Dasoju. The Congress has another set of veteran spokespersons which has not been touched so far. They include veterans such as former Union ministers P Chidambaram, Manish Tewari, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Aman Sharma. The job of the new team will be to counter the false propaganda of the BJP with facts and figures. The party spokespersons will fan out among people and will make them aware about partys plans and programmes apart from telling them how the rival party was often resorting to playing with historical facts and also was misleading them on the countrys fiscal position, said Jaiveer Shergill while talking to The Tribune. editorial@tribune.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, January 1 Known as prominent source of lending for rural population, mostly farmers, in 11 districts of the state, Malwa Gramin Bank (MGB) and Sutluj Gramin Bank (SGB) have been amalgamated into Punjab Gramin Bank (PGB). The notification for the amalgamation, which became effective from today, was released on December 21. The authorities of both banks have not been issuing fresh loans since December 27. Sources say the amalgamation has been implemented without any training, updating software, change of stationary and other mandatory preparations. Harjit Singh Sanjuma, district president of SAD (Amritsar), said: The authorities should have made preparations in advance. Farmers are being refused loan by MGB, Sangrur, despite good credit worthiness. They are being made to suffer without any fault. Jaswant Rai, general secretary of the erstwhile SGB officers association, said: The SGB has stopped all lending schemes till further orders. PGB schemes will be implemented across the state after training to our employees. Some officers told The Tribune that the authorities would have to undertake major overhauling of computer systems of both banks, which might take more than one or two months. Pali Ram Bansal, general secretary of the erstwhile MGB officers association, said: Though there is difference in software and schemes, we will try to resume normal banking operations at the earliest. Newly appointed Regional Manger (RM) of PGB, Sangrur, Amandeep Singh confirmed that lending schemes had been stopped. We will provide training to all amalgamated bank staff about our schemes. The software will also be updated soon. All this is being done to provide better services to our clients, he said. laxmi@tribune.com Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 The political controversy generated by the discontinuation of a scheme launched by the previous Akali-BJP government for providing free power to cow shelters seems to be heading for a solution. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered a committee headed by the Punjab Chief Secretary to examine in a time-bound manner whether the state could discontinue its scheme for providing free electricity to gaushalas while collecting cow cess from the citizens. The Opposition had attacked the government for accumulating approximately Rs 50 crore from cow cess, but not continuing with the free power scheme. Disposing of a bunch of petitions, Justice Rajan Gupta directed the committee, comprising the Chief Secretary and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited chairman, to look into the matter. The directions came on petitions by the Jai Mata Vaishno Gaushala Society. Justice Guptas Bench was told that the petitioners were aggrieved by a commercial circular whereby recovery of pending dues on account of free electricity to registered gaushalas was ordered. Their counsel urged that the state was collecting cow cess from the citizens, yet it decided not to provide free power. Justice Gupta asked the state counsel on whether the matter could be decided by the authorities. In response, the counsel contended that it could indeed be done by the state and other respondents. The state counsel also assured that recovery of dues would not be ordered as of now. The supply of electricity, too, would not be disconnected till the decision was taken. The decision shall be taken within two months. In case of an adverse decision, the petitioner shall be at liberty to seek redress, Justice Gupta said. rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hailed the sweeping Congress victory in the just-concluded panchayat polls in the state as a victory of democracy and a vindication of his governments policies. The Chief Minister also congratulated the people of Punjab for ensuring a largely peaceful poll, in which a whopping 80.38% of the eligible voters exercised their franchise. Of the 13,276 booths where polling was held, repoll had been declared in a mere 14, the Chief Minister pointed out, lauding the security forces for maintaining law and order. He said that undeterred by the false propaganda unleashed by the Opposition parties against the Congress government, the voters came out in large numbers to cast their vote. He said the people of Punjab were no longer willing to be misled by the canards being spread by these parties. The wave in favour of the Congress, which started in Punjab with the Assembly polls held last year and was manifest in the recent elections in various states across the country, was evidently going strong, the CM said. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 The falling exports of basmati because of presence of higher than permissible limit of pesticides has prompted the Centre to step in. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare is asking basmati growing states, including Punjab, to take steps to reduce deposit of harmful chemicals on rice, besides initiating steps to ban specific pesticides. While the government is mulling amendments to the Insecticides Act to ban specific pesticides, the states (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh) have been asked to sensitise farmers against the use of three pesticides, tricyclazole, buprofezin and isoprothiolane. They have also been asked to find spraying methods so that chemicals are not deposited on the crop. These discussions were part of videoconferencing on the issue, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture recently. The government has stepped up efforts on the matter as the new level of determination (LOD), a measure of presence of pesticides, has been fixed by the European Union for buprofezin at 0.01 parts per million (ppm) effectively from July 2019. It will impact the export of the 2018 crop. So far, it was just maintaining the maximum residue limit (MRL) for tricyclazole (0.01 ppm) that was a cause of concern for exporters. India is the top exporter of basmati in the Rs 26,000 crore global market. But high pesticide content has hit exports hard. Figures show that India exported 26.28 lakh tonnes during April-November 2017, as compared to 24.90 lakh tonnes in the first eight months of the ongoing fiscal. The volume of exports is down even as the value is higher because of higher price this year (as against $995 per tonne last year, it is $1,078 per tonne now). Export to Saudi Arabia, the second biggest market for Indian basmati, has also taken a hit after Riyadh insisted that it would not accept basmati having higher than specified limits of pesticides, as followed by the US and EU. Punjab agriculture officials said while they had banned five harmful pesticides for three months, they had requested the Centre to allow them to ban these pesticides for six months. A team of auditors from France and Switzerland had recently visited the state. They were apprised of steps taken to cut the use of pesticides on rice, said an officer. Exports plunge business page editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, January 1 State BJP president Shwait Malik today said Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, had a lot of explaining to do on the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal finalised by the then UPA government in 2010. Malik said: The then UPA government had agreed to buy 12 helicopters from an Italian company for nearly Rs 3,600 crore. In 2013, the Italian police arrested two AgustaWestland executives for allegedly paying bribes to UPA leaders to secure the deal. Sources, meanwhile, say the BJP had decided to use the issue to counter criticism it had been facing over the Rafale fighter plane controversy. They say Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be raking up the issue in his speech in the rally to be held here on January 3. The PM and other senior leaders will subsequently be using it as a ploy to counter the Rafale contract in all public gatherings to be held before the general elections. This is being done because the BJP is facing condemnation from opposition parties on the Rafale issue, said a top leader. A senior leader claimed that with not much time left for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP would be using the chopper bribery allegations to place the Gandhi family in the dock keeping in view the fact that the party was finding it hard to answer criticism relating to the agrarian crisis, including farmer suicides, and rising unemployment throughout the country. Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders Swaran Salaria and Kavita Khanna, wife of former MP Vinod Khanna, have reached Gurdaspur to be a part of the rally. editorial@tribune.com Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, January 1 Presiding over the first Cabinet meeting of the New Year, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday approved the policy for the protection of cows, which includes imposing a special cess to meet the financial burden of setting up cow shelters. It has been decided that Mandi Parishad would raise an additional 2 per cent cess. Besides the departments like Excise, PWD and Bridge Corporation, Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation would part with 0.5 per cent of their profit for funding the cow shelter policy. Similarly, 0.5 per cent of the toll tax collected by the UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority would also go towards funding the policy, said Cabinet Minister Siddhartha Nath Singh while briefing reporters. Soon after assuming office in March 2017, CM Yogi banned cow slaughter houses across the state. Along with came the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, completely stopping the sale of cattle. These two decisions collectively have led to enormous problem of stray cattle destroying the standing crops, becoming a major traffic hazard on highways and aggressively attacking humans. Following this menace, angry villagers have locked up stray cattle in government primary schools across the state depriving children of their place to study. In district after district, government primary schools have been converted into cow sheds where villagers are keeping stray cattle locked up necessitating the need for an alternative arrangement. rchopra@tribunemail.com Toronto, January 1 Kader Khan, best known for penning some of the most powerful dialogues and his comic timing as an actor, passed away on December 31 due to prolonged illness. He was 81. Khan was admitted to a hospital in Canada and his son Sarfaraz confirmed that the actor died on Monday. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks, Sarfaraz told PTI. He also said the last rites of the veteran actor would be performed in Canada. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it. We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers, he added. The news of the death of the actor-screenwriter, who was at his peak in the 1980s-90s, comes a day after his son dismissed media reports of his demise. Khan had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. As per reports, he was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khannas Daag and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchans Jawani Diwani. As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include Dharam Veer, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Coolie, Desh Premee, Suhaag, Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony and films with Mehra include Jwalamukhi, Sharaabi, Lawaaris, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. Khans frequent collaborator megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee and Arjun Kapoor remembered the actor for his contribution to cinema. Kader Khan passes away. Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician, Bachchan wrote. The duo worked together on blockbusters such as Do Aur Do Paanch, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr Natwarlal, Suhaag, Coolie and Shahenshah. Rest in peace Kader Khan saheb, Bajpayee tweeted. Union minister Smriti Irani credited Khan for giving the audiences some of the best funny moments. If you were a late 80s-90s kid who watched Hindi films, chances are you encountered the magic of Kader Khan. Never had the privilege of meeting him but if I ever had I would say thank you for the laughter, thank you for your craft, she tweeted. Calling him one of the finest actors of India, Kher said Khan would be missed for his brilliance. Kader Khan Saab was one of the finest actors of our country. It was a joy and a learning experience to be on the sets with him. His improvisational skills were phenomenal. His humour was eternal and original. He was a wonderful writer. We will miss him and his brilliance, he wrote. An actor and a writer who defined a generation...Youve left a void in the industry that cannot be filled...RIP Kader Khan...My heartfelt prayers to his family, Arjun tweeted. Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar said, Sad to hear the demise of the versatile writer, actor, comedian Kader Khan. He made us laugh and cry at the same time. He entertained us with his punchful dialogues. God bless his soul RIP Sir. Director Anees Bazmee tweeted, Saddened to hear about #KaderKhan. Had the privilege to work with him as a writer in Aankhen, Raja Babu, Shola Aur Shabnam, Bol Radha Bol, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and direct him in my debut film Hulchul. RIP Kader Khan. You shall always be missed. Actor-comic Vir Das remembered Khan as one of the few talents to straddle comedic and dramatic work so brilliantly for so long. Filmmaker Milap Zaveri said he had a huge regret that he never got an opportunity to work with the highly-regarded actor. RIP Kader Khan sir...You were an actor par excellence but an equally brilliant writer. Still quote your lines from the original Agneepath to people. Peeche nahi jaane ka. Peeche jaane se guzra hua waqt laut ke nahi aata, he tweeted. National Film Archive of India (NFAI) also paid tributes to the actor. We are deeply saddened by the demise of prominent actor-screenwriter #KaderKhan. Renowned for his effortless comic performances, he also wrote the striking dialogues for some of the most popular Hindi films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie and Agneepath, a post on its official Twitter handle read. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 1 The Supreme Court will reopen on Wednesday after winter vacation with five vacancies and a new entrant to its Collegium that selects judges for the higher judiciary. Justice Madan B Lokur the second senior-most judge after Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoiretired during the winter vacation, bringing down the effective strength of the top court to 26 against the sanctioned strength of 31. While Justice Lokur was a part of the Collegium, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog were reportedly recommended to be elevated to Supreme Court. But the decision is yet to be made official. With the retirement of Justice Lokur, the composition of the Supreme Court Collegium has also changed. Justice Arun Mishra, who is at number five in the seniority list, has entered the Collegium led by CJI Gogoi. Other three senior-most judges in the Collegium are Justice AK Sikri, Justice SA Bobde and Justice NV Ramana. Justice Sikri is due to retire in the first week of March. Contrary to speculations, the verdict on CBI Director Alok Vermas petition challenging the Centres decision to divest him of all powers and send him on leave is not listed for pronouncement on Wednesday. Verma who is due to retire on January 31 and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana have been at loggerheads for quite some time. They were sent on leave in October and both had filed separate petitions challenging the governments decision. While a three-judge Bench headed by CJI Gogoi had reserved its verdict on Vermas plea on December 6, Asthanas petition awaits hearing. But there are some other important cases scheduled to be taken up on reopening, including the Ayodhya title suit which is to come up on January 4. The CJI is expected to constitute an appropriate Bench after the October 2 retirement of his predecessor Dipak Misra who was heading a three-judge Special Bench. Another important PIL listed for hearing on Wednesday is against shifting of Andhra Pradesh High Court from Hyderabad to Amaravati. Lawyers from Hyderabad have challenged the decision. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Our Correspondent Jaipur, January 1 The polling for the Ramgarh Assembly seat in Alwar district will be held on January 28. Its official notification would be made by the CEC on January 3. The Election Commission had decided to postpone the poll following the death of BSP candidate Laxman Choudhary, on November 29. The BSP candidate can now file the nomination papers between January 3 and 11, Chief Election Officer Anand Kumar said on Tuesday. All other candidates who had filed their papers in November 2018 will be valid for contesting. The polling was held in 199 out of the 200 Assembly constituencies on December 7. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, January 1 The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his interview was full of rhetoric and there was no mention of ground realities or any concern for promises made by him to the people. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister should have spoken about the suffering caused to the people from note ban and GST, bank frauds, black money, national security and farmers woes. "Summary of Modiji's 'monologue' interview-'I', 'Me', 'Mine', 'Myself'. The country is suffering your 'I's and 'lies'," he tweeted. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the people of the country cannot be "fooled" through a "fixed interview" and dared him to face Parliament and a press conference. The former Union minister said the prime minister did not spare the people of the country from his penchant for "false promises, hollow claims and propaganda". Sharma also attacked the prime minister over his claims on surgical strikes, saying "it is a national shame that the Prime Minister seeks to politicise the surgical strike and divide the country". "PM Modi did not spare our people of his penchant for false promises, hollow claims and propaganda even on the New Year day. The habitual peddler of untruths and lies has signalled a nasty narrative for the 2019 election campaign. "People cannot be fooled through a fixed interview. Have the courage to face us in Parliament or address a press conference. Having betrayed the people, do not beg Lord Ram to save you. He did not ask you to lie in the first place," Sharma tweeted. He said the country is proud of its armed forces, their courage and sacrifice and they belong to and defend India and do not belong to any political party. "Let me remind you that PM Modi did not acknowledge the historic contribution of Smt Indira Gandhi in the liberation of Bangladesh and the surrender of Pakistani Army. The task of guiding troops is best left to our brave commanders," he said. Surjewala said, "Bereft of ground reality, 'jumlas' (rhetoric) galore, Modiji's interview looks like a parody." "Nation suffers - DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, Rs 15 lakh in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and 'acche din'," he said on Twitter. In another tweet in Hindi, Surjewala said neither is there any talk of ground realities, nor is there any concern for promises made in the PM's interview. In the interview broadcast by various television channels, Modi talked about a host of issues including surgical strikes, the Ram temple construction and personal attacks on him by the Congress. Modi also accused the Congress leadership of politicising and delaying the legal process in clearance of Ram temple construction. - PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Islamabad, January 1 Pakistan on Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. The list was handed over in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1000 hrs (local time), it said. The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi handed over the list of Indian Nuclear Installations and Facilities to a representative of the High Commission of Pakistan at 1030 hrs (local time), the FO said. The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This has been done consecutively since January 1, 1992, the FO said. The practice of exchanging lists of nuclear installation has endured despite many lows in bilateral ties. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Our Correspondent Jaipur, January 1 On BSP national president Mayawati's demand from the Congress-ruled states to withdraw crime cases against Dalits lodged during April 2 'Bharat Bandh', Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said, "She has a genuine demand because innocent people might have been trapped in the said Bharat Bandh while demonstrating against the Centre's anti-SC/ST act amendments." "Mayawatiji could be right at a point, but the state government would examine the cases, and I firmly believe that an innocent person should not be trapped in the crime cases," Gehlot told media while coming out of the PCC office here. "The law should prevail from village to district, to state, to the country. To take care of workers, the head of any cadre-based party has to make such call like Mayawatiji has communicated. We will (Rajasthan government) do our work," he assured. "Though I very much appreciate BSP president's unconditional support to three-newly formed Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. She herself came forward and without any demand she extended support," Gehlot said. AICC Working Committee's session can be organised in Rajathan as it was proposed to the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the CM said. To a question whether his government ensure action on the disputed decisions taken up by the previous BJP government on the eve of assembly polls, Gehlot said, "Congress does not take any decision based on political vendetta, lodge false cases, put someone in jail like the former government has done. If any one is found guilty, then the law will take its own course of action. We believe in good governance." Recalling PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah's "jumla Congress Mukt Bharat", Gehlot said after the General Elections in May, there would be a sea change in politics as Modi will not be going to be PM...Desh inse Mukt hoga...because the duo have ditched public, youth farmers by making false promises in 2014 LS polls." Gehlot also blamed former CM Vasundhara Raje for leaving a debt burden of R. 3 lakh crore one exchequer and unpaid crop loan waiver worth Rs 6,000 crore out of her announcement of Rs 8,000 crore to farmers just before the Assembly polls 2018. Yesterday, Mayawati has threatened to re-think her party's outside support to the Congress governments of MP and Rajasthan if they do not immediately withdraw the cases lodged against Dalits during the April 2 Bharat Bandh last year. amansharma@tribunemail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 1 Amid evidence of an attempted cover-up in a shocking case of alleged sexual assault of a minor by her foster father in Karimganj, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked the BJP-led Assam Government for stern action in the matter. Gandhi, who recently led revolutionary amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2015, has urged Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal to ensure justice for the child who faced sexual abuse at the hands of her foster father for months with the foster father evading arrest. The Cabinet this week proposed amendments to POCSO Act significantly raising the minimum prison sentences for convicts of child sexual abuse and providing death penalty for aggravated sexual assault of a child. The Assam case qualifies as aggravated sexual assault defined as assault by a person in a position of trust. Meanwhile, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), Indias apex adoption and foster care review body under WCD Ministry, has directed the Deputy Commissioner, Cachar, to send action taken report to the Centre in this case. In his letter, CARA Chief Executive Officer Deepak Kumar has cited POSCO Act and Model Juvenile Justice Rules to say that the minor, after being placed in foster care on May 9, 2018, was sexually abused by the foster father for months before being surrendered back by the foster mother on August 30, 2018. The child was sexually abused (confirmed by the medical report) by the foster father for over three months and still continued to be kept with the abusive family despite facts being known to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Cachar and District Child Protection Officer. Even after sexual assault of the girl was confirmed, the CWC failed to take action against the abuser father in violation of Section 19 of POCSO Act. After the FIR was filed by the child care institution which was housing the child, the local police seem to have connived with the abusive family by getting the childs age ascertained as over 18 years so that the abuser foster father could get bail as the case was not registered under POCSO Act, which makes child sexual assault non-bailable, Deepak Kumars letter to the DC Cachar says. The shocker came to light last week after Diba Roy, Secretary of Silchar-based Nivedita Nari Sangstha, approached the Centre with details of the case showing how Cachar CWC declared the foster family in question a fit family under the law to care for a girl child; how the 13-year-old was sent to foster parents; how she twice reported inappropriate touch by foster father; how the CWC ignored facts and counseled the child to return to the family until August 30 when the foster mother surrendered the girl back. The WCD Ministry is now asking the Assam Police and Cachar CWC tough questions after Assam police subjected the child to an ossification test and claimed she is a major and so POCSO Act wont apply against foster father Gopal Das, named in the FIR dated September 6, 2018 under Section 354 (molestation) IPC. If the child was above 18 years why was she placed in foster care which is meant for children? Which the CWC members did this? Who was responsible for declaring the family as fit persons which the male parent was not fit as he started abusing the girl immediately thereafter? The home study report of the family calls it fit. Why was the child back again and who sent her back to the abusive family even after the child complained to the CWC counselor about the male parents conduct? CARA chief has asked DC Cachar saying the DC is responsible under the Juvenile Justice law to monitor all child welfare committees. Under the law, a minors statement on sexual assault has to be taken as final and the onus of proving otherwise is on the abuser. Also, police have to rely on age records of the child as mentioned in CWC records which in this case is 13 years. The Tribune had first reported this matter last week. rchopra@tribunemail.com Pune, January 1 Thousands of people, mainly Dalits, on Tuesday flocked the Jay Stambh memorial in Pune district to pay tributes on the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle amidst heavy police presence. One person was killed and several others were injured in caste clashes that broke out on January 1 last year on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1818 battle, which has attained legendary stature in Dalit history. At least 5,000 police personnel, 1,200 Home Guard jawans, 12 companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and 2,000 Dalit volunteers are deployed in and around Perne village where people are paying tributes at the war memorial, police said. The Jay Stambh was erected by the British as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. Besides large-scale police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras are monitoring the area, a senior police officer said on Tuesday morning. Police check-posts have been set up along the border of Pune district. Internet services in and around Perne village have been suspended, special Inspector General of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil said. In the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism as the British Army comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas--the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom. Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, was among the first politicians to offer his tribute at the Jay Stambh on Tuesday morning. After laying a wreath at the memorial, Ambedkar hoped the commemoration event would pass off peacefully. Unlike last year, local people of surrounding villages have extended all help during the commemoration. Locals are lending a helping hand. I hope of peaceful completion. However, the police should not act in haste, he told reporters. Ambedkar said the number of visitors is likely to swell this year. The reason behind the surge is because the likes of retired SC judge PB Sawant, retired HC judge BG Kolse Patil and some students (Kabir Kala Manch) took the history of the Koregaon Bhima battle to rural Maharashtra, he said. Unfortunately, the same students who bridged the gap between the Marathas and the OBCs using the Elgaar Parishad platform were labelled as Naxals by the government, he said. These students took real history of Koregaon Bhima to the masses, but the government labelled them Naxals, he said, adding that the government should find the real perpetrators of last years violence and bring them to justice. Police are probing the alleged Maoist links in the January 1 violence, which they suspect was triggered by provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017. In the wake of the clashes, police had booked Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide on charges of inciting violence. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Ahmedabad, January 1 An accused in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case and another who was recently discharged in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case were among the six IPS officers promoted by the Gujarat Government on Tuesday, according to a notification. G L Singhal, one of the seven police officers chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ishrat Jahan case, has been promoted to the rank of inspector general from deputy inspector general of the Commando Training Centre in Gandhinagar. Vipul Aggarwal, who was recently discharged by the Bombay High Court in connection with the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake encounter case, has been promoted to the post of the joint commissioner of police (administration), Ahmedabad. Singhal was arrested in February 2013 in connection with the Ishrat Jahan case. He was granted bail by a CBI court, following which the state government had reinstated him in May 2014 as the superintendent of police of the State Crime Records Bureau. Ishrat, a 19-year-old girl from Mumbai, and three others were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. A special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the Gujarat High Court, had concluded that the encounter was fake, following which the case was transferred to the CBI. Aggarwal was reinstated in November 2014 after being granted bail in the alleged fake-encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife, Kausar Bi, and his aide, Tulsi Prajapati. All the 38 accused in the case have been acquitted, including the 22 accused who were discharged last month. As per the notification issued by the state Home Department, six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in all were promoted. Surat Commissioner of Police Satish Sharma has been promoted to director general of police rank and will continue to be Surat top officer, the state government notification said. Surat Additional Commissioner of Police D N Patel has been promoted as the joint commissioner of police (JCP), Surat, while M A Chawda has been promoted as the inspector general of police, Gandhinagar range. IPS officer J R Mothaliya, additional commissioner of police (traffic), Ahmedabad, has been made the JCP. The pay scale of another 22 IPS officers has been changed, the notification said. A separate notification said eight Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials have also been given promotions. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, January 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday suggested any decision on an ordinance on Ram temple in Ayodhya can happen only after the completion of the judicial process but asserted that the government was ready to make all efforts to fulfil its responsibility. Modi's comments came amidst heightened demands by Hindutava organisations, including the RSS, for an ordinance to allow the temple construction. "Let the judicial process take its own course. Don't weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as government, we are ready to make all efforts," the Prime Minister said during an interview, broadcast by several TV channels. Welcoming Modi's remarks as a "positive" step towards the construction of the Ram temple, the RSS said it was in line with a resolution passed by the BJP in 1989 in Palampur in which the Saffron party had committed to the construction either through mutual consultation or an enabling legislation. However, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut reacted sharply, wondering "whether law is bigger than lord Ram". Drawing a parallel with the triple talaq case, Modi said an ordinance came only after the Supreme Court order. He also accused the Congress of delaying the judicial process in the Ram temple case through its lawyers. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on January 4. Modi also answered a wide range of issues, including on opposition's efforts to form a grand alliance to take on the BJP in 2019 elections, rumblings within the NDA, the 'Modi magic', Urjit Patel's resignation as RBI governor, demonetisation, mob lynching and BJP's defeat in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Amidst criticism that the surgical strike failed to check Pakistan's support for terrorism, the Prime Minister asserted that it would be a "big mistake" to think that Pakistan will mend its ways after just "one war". "Pakistan will never improve on the basis of one war.That nation will still take some time to improve. All PMs of India, across all parties never opposed dialogue with Pakistan," he said. "But, can we hear anything in the midst of bombs? Today, terror supporting Pakistan is isolated," Modi said. Rejecting opposition charges that his government was anti-farmer, the Prime Minister said, "There is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. A majority of them take loans from money lenders. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes." On the opposition charge Patel was forced to quit as the central bank head, Modi said he had been requesting to be relieved for six-seven months due to personal reasons and these requests were made even in writing. While Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala termed it as, "bereft of ground reality, 'Jumlas' (rhetoric) galore, Modiji's interview looks like a parody", his party colleague and former Union minister Anand Sharma alleged that it was "fixed". "Nation suffers -- DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, Rs 15 lakh in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and 'acche din'," Surjewala said. In his counter-offensive, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said, "It is a comprehensive, detailed and candid interview in which the PM has spoken on a wide range of issues that have been in the media space for some time. This interview completely demolishes the motivated agenda of opposition parties and vested interests that seek to malign the sterling performance of his government." PTI editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent & PTI Jaipur/Bhopal, January 1 Reacting to BSP supremo Mayawatis demand to withdraw cases lodged against innocent Bharat Bandh protesters last April, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said his government would examine them. She has a genuine demand because innocent people might have been trapped in the said Bharat Bandh while demonstrating against the Modi governments anti-SC/ST Act amendments, he said. The government will examine cases. I firmly believe that the innocent should not be trapped in criminal cases, Gehlot told reporters while coming out of the PCC Office here. Mayawati had on Monday said she would reconsider her partys outside support to the new Congress governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, if cases against innocent people in connection with the April 2 Bharat Bandh were not withdrawn. The shutdown was called by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act following a Supreme Court order. The protest had crippled several parts of Madhya Pradesh and the subsequent violence left eight persons, mainly Dalits, dead. Gehlot blamed former CM Vasundhara Raje for leaving a debt of Rs 3 lakh crore on the exchequer and unpaid crop loan waiver worth Rs 6,000 crore out of her announcement of Rs 8,000 crore to farmers just before the Assembly poll. In Madhya Pradesh, the state government announced to withdraw all politically motivated cases filed by the previous BJP government. We are going to withdraw politically motivated cases filed by the previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over the past 15 years against the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP, Left parties, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists, farmers, employees and journalists, state Law and Legislative Affairs Minister PC Sharma said. Asked whether Mayawatis threat had prompted the MP Government to go for the withdrawal of such cases, he said, No, it is not the case. The new (Congress) regime was already considering the withdrawal of politically motivated cases. Majority of these matters are against the Congress. rchopra@tribunemail.com Islamabad, January 1 Pakistan on Tuesday shared with India a list of 537 Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. They are 54 civilians and 483 fishermen, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. The Government of Pakistan today (Tuesday) handed over a list of 537 Indian prisoners (54 civilians and 483 fishermen) in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad, it said. The step was taken under the Consular Access Agreement of May 21, 2008 between Pakistan and India, the FO said. According to the agreement, both countries are required to exchange the lists of prisoners in each others custody twice a year, on January 1 and on July 1. India will also share the list of Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails with the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi, the FO said. The two countries have adhered to the practice of exchanging the list of prisoners despite recurring tensions. It is one of the enduring Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) agreed upon when the two sides were trying to disentangle the complex relationship with the help of the composite dialogue process. Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each others territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifted away. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Jitendra K Shrivastava Tribune News Service Patna, January 1 Five people were killed and many others injured in a fire that broke out in a food processing factory under Bochaha police station on the outskirts of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The injured were rushed to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur. A search has been launched for the missing workers in the Tirhut Food Pressing Unit at Wajitpur-Chaknarain. The bodies were sent for postmortem at SKMCH. The fire broke out in the wee hours of Tuesday when around 25 workers were sleeping on the second floor of the factory. Locals claimed that they heard loud sounds at small intervals. The exact number of casualties is yet to be ascertained. Muzaffarpur district magistrate Mohammad Sohail said, Five bodies were recovered so far but the toll could rise after the debris was cleared. He said an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each would be given to the families of the deceased. The injured workers, who were admitted to SKMCH, were said to be in a critical condition. When I woke up I heard screaming of my colleagues. I jumped out of the window from the second floor as there was fire all around, said Riju Baitha, a worker. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Tribune Web Desk Chandigarh, January 1 B-Towns new favourite couple, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt took some-time out from their busy schedules and flew down to New York to celebrate the New Years Eve together, on Monday. Neetu Kapoor who is in New York with her actor-husband Rishi Kapoor undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed disease, shared few pictures on Instagram. Neetu shared an image and captioned it, Happy 2019. No resolutions only wishes this year !!! Less pollution traffic!! Hope in future cancer is only a zodiac sign !!! No hatred less poverty loads of love togetherness happiness n most imp. Good health. Ranbir and Alia were seen having dinner with Ranbirs Father, Rishi Kapoor and Mother, Neetu Singh. His sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, with her husband Bharat and daughter Samara were also present The Kapoors welcomed 2019 together. Riddhima shared a picture on Instagram with the entire family. She captioned, La familia Happy New year from all of us to yall #mydaddystrongestcoolest. On the work front, Ranbir and Alia will next be seen in Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra. rchopra@tribunemail.com Mumbai, January 1 Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday paid homage to his frequent collaborator veteran actor-writer Kader Khan, who passed away on December 31 due to prolonged illness. Bachchan, who has worked with Khan in blockbusters such as Do Aur Do Paanch, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr Natwarlal, Suhaag, Coolie and Shahenshah, took to Twitter to remember the multifaceted personality. T 3045 - Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence ; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician !! pic.twitter.com/l7pdv0Wdu1 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) 1 January 2019 Kader Khan passes away. Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician, Bachchan wrote. Khan was admitted to a hospital in Canada and his actor son Sarfaraz confirmed the news of his demise. He had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. Actor Manoj Bajpayee also paid respects to the actor-writer. Rest in peace Kader Khan saheb, Bajpayee tweeted. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Accounting education body ICAI is set to introduce 30 per cent multiple choice questions at the intermediate and final levels of the CA examination it conducts from May 2019. The move will reduce subjectivity in the exams and strengthen conceptual clarity among students. This reform is just one of the several initiatives the body is taking to facilitate best resources, catering to learning needs of its students. ICAI had last year adopted a New Scheme of Education and Training that conforms to the International Education Standards issued by the IAESB of International Federation of Accountants. As part of the new scheme, electives in the emerging areas of Risk Management, International Taxation, Financial and Capital Markets, Global Financial Reporting Standards, have been introduced in the new CA course to prepare the coming generation of CAs as experts, specialising in their chosen respective areas. The evaluation system applicable to the CA exam conducted by ICAI is also set for a major overhaul, a Pilot Project of centralised evaluation was introduced in the Final level exams held in November 2018. As per the pilot, the examiners will be evaluating the answer books of initially one paper in the presence of Head Examiner/Associate Head Examiners under their supervision and guidance. Based on the result of the pilot, the system will be rolled out for the remaining subjects as well. Digital evaluation has also been rolled out at the intermediate level for a more transparent process of evaluating answer books. Five subjects at the Intermediate-level exams held in November 2018 examinations are being evaluated using the new system. With inbuilt mechanism to monitor and assess the quality of checking by the examiner, this reform will reduce time taken for evaluation and also improve the quality of evaluation of the answer books. These reforms will substantially reduce the time in providing the certified copies to students. TNS rchopra@tribunemail.com Jammu, January 1 Pakistan Army on Tuesday opened fire on forward areas along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The firing took place in Khari Karmara and Gulpur forward areas along the LoC, they said. Indian troops guarding the border retaliated. No casualty has been reported. Despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the ceasefire understanding of 2003, there have been 1,600 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan last year till October 2018. PTI editorial@tribune.com it Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, January 1 Illegal mining in the Tawi riverbed close to towers of the Rs 75-crore cable car project has put the ropeway in a danger. Despite a ban on the mining in the river, the sand mafia is taking away sand and stones from the riverbed, posing a threat to the upcoming ropeway project. The illegal sand mining is going on during night despite a court ban. Now, the mining is being done close to the tower no. 2 and 4 of the Jammu Ropeway Project, said Noor-ul-Hassan, in charge, Jammu Ropeway Project, adding that it could damage the towers anytime. According to official sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, the mining was the biggest factor for the delay in the project. Hassan said they had time and again informed the police post concerned about the illegal mining, but nothing had been done so far. The 1.57-km-long cable car project has two phases. The first is from Mahamaya to Peerkho over the Tawi with seven towers and a total length of 1.11 km. The second phase is from from the Bahu Fort to Mahamaya Park with two towers. It is 447 m in length. Of the seven towers of the first phase, four are on the Tawi bed. Of these, tower no. 2 and 4 are facing threat of damage due to illegal mining. editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Anantnag, January 1 A Special Police Officer (SPO) was shot by militants in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Tuesday evening here. After a violent 2018 that claimed more than 413 lives in the Kashmir valley, the SPO has become the first casualty of 2019. The slain SPO has been identified as Sameer Ahmad Mir, a resident of Hajin-Payeen village in the Rajpora area of Pulwama district. It is the same village where four Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed on Saturday. The police said the attack occurred at 7.30 pm. The militants barged into the house of the SPO and fired at him several times, a police officer said. Sameer was being taken to a hospital but he succumbed to his injuries on the way. Following the incident, security forces reached the spot. They have laid a cordon in the area to try and nab the assailants. Army Chief arrives for two-day Valley visit Srinagar: The Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, on Tuesday arrived in the Kashmir valley on a two-day visit. He interacted with the troops and reviewed the prevailing security situation along the LoC and in the hinterland. Accompanied by Northern Command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and Chinar Corps GOC Lt Gen AK Bhatt, the Army Chief visited the frontier district of Kupwara, where he interacted with the troops. TNS editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Jammu, January 1 To celebrate New Year, Indian and Chinese armies held two ceremonial border personnel meetings (BPMs) at Chushul-Moldo and Daulat Beg Oldi-TWD meeting points in eastern Ladakh. The meetings were organised on the invitation of the Peoples Liberation Army, China. The Indian delegation was led by Maj Gen Sanjiv Rai and Col SS Lamba and the Chinese delegation by Senior Col Liu Hou Jie and Col Song Zhang Li. Giving details, a Northern Command spokesman said the ceremonial meetings commenced with the delegation members saluting the national flags. This was followed by the ceremonial address comprising of exchange of greetings, wishes and vote of thanks. The address reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border, he said. Thereafter, a programme showcasing Chinese culture and traditions was organised, the spokesman added. The ceremonial BPMs were held in the backdrop of successful conduct of exercise at Chengdu in China wherein troops of both the countries interacted, participated in joint exercises and shared experiences. The spokesman said both the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. The delegations parted amid feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the border. Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border, he said. editorial@tribune.com fat Mohidin Tribune News Service Srinagar, January 1 The allegations of sexual harassment by a councillor against Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu have snowballed into a controversy as the latter has now levelled counter-allegations at the woman. A day ago, Shaheena Altaf, a councillor from Srinagars Raj Bagh, accused Mattu of harassment and registered a complaint with the police. On Tuesday, both Mattu and the councillor levelled charges against each other by holding press conferences. The mayor has demanded the disqualification of the councillor from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. He said he had sent a letter to the Governor with signatures from a majority of corporators. Whenever I went to his office, he would tell me to come with him. He would touch my hands and arms. He would come to the office drunk. We do not feel safe. We made him the mayor. We voted for him. He cannot get away with this, Shaheena said. He has no answers thats why he is alleging that I asked for a shop for my husband. He is seeking support from the BJP using his influence, she added. Mattu, however, refuted the allegations and dared the councillor to prove a single allegation.She is of my mothers age. We wont resume work till she is disqualified from the corporation. I dare her to prove a single allegation against me. My only mistake is that I didnt allow corruption in the Municipal Corporation. She was asking for a job for her son and a shop for her husband, Mattu said. Meanwhile, employees of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation protested on Tuesday and accused Shaheena of vandalising the office and manhandling one of the officials. The police said they were investigating the allegations. The mayor and councillor have filed complaints but no case has been registered as yet. editorial@tribune.com Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, January 1 The state government has decided to hire the services of a global company, Ernst and Young India, to develop a software for clearing cases of land transfer under Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act within a months time. The companys software is expected to enable time-bound clearances. Sources said the government was keen that all sanctions were given at the level of Deputy Commissioner and the Revenue Department in the Secretariat within a month. They said the same software would be used for clearing all cases of land purchase under the single-window system. This would include projects under tourism, power, industry or any other sector. The entire exercise, including hiring the services of professional companies, is being done with an eye on the investors meet, proposed to be held in Dharamsala in June after the elections. The government is eyeing an investment of almost Rs 85,000 crore, primarily in power, tourism, industry, health tourism, horticulture and agriculture sectors. With Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act perceived to be the biggest hurdle in attracting investments, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had right at the outset stressed the need for simplifying it. As such, efforts are on to simplify the cumbersome procedures required for seeking permission to buy land in HP by outsiders. Section 118 bars outsiders from purchasing land in Himachal and prior permission has to be sought even by an industrial unit or any entrepreneur. The state government had notified a committee, headed by Chief Secretary in May 2018, which was to examine the issue of simplifying lease rules under the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, so that investors did not face any problem in obtaining clearances. Besides, reducing the number of mandatory NOCs, the government is also contemplating making the grant of these certificates time-bound. This in turn will help the investors to complete the formalities for setting up any project or unit in a time-bound manner without inordinate delays. Any relaxation in Section 118 is a contentious political issue and this time too, the BJP regime faced criticism from the Congress, which accused the government of trying to dilute the provisions to help outsiders buy land in Himachal. The clause of Section 118 was put in place in 1972 by the first Chief Minister of the state, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, to protect scarce land in Himachal from being purchased by outsiders, rendering farmers landless. Cumbersome procedure Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act is perceived to be the biggest hurdle in attracting investments. Efforts are on to simplify the cumbersome procedures required for seeking permission to buy land in HP by outsiders. Section 118 bars outsiders from purchasing land in Himachal and prior permission has to be sought even by an industrial unit or any entrepreneur. The state government had notified a committee, headed by Chief Secretary in May 2018, which was to examine the issue of simplifying lease rules under the Act so that investors did not face any problem in obtaining clearances. Besides, reducing the number of NOCs, the government is also contemplating making the grant of these certificates time-bound. What Sec 118 says Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, provides for restriction on the transfer of land in favour of a person who is not an agriculturist of the state. The section and the rules have been amended from time to time to further the basic intention behind its enactment of protecting the interests of local inhabitants while ensuring that the development of the state is not hampered. editorial@tribune.com Ravinder Sood Palampur, January 1 The Pathankot-Mandi four-laning is set to be delayed by a year or more because of slow land acquisition. Sources said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had completed the land acquisition process for only Chakki and 32 Miles, while for Chauntra-Narla, Narla-Mandi, and 32 Miles-Mattor, land was being acquired. Besides, the land acquisition between Paror and Chauntra is yet to start as land revenue documents for the package are not ready. It takes almost a year or more for the completion of land acquisition for such projects. It is also learnt that global bids for the first package between Chakki and 32 Miles are likely to be finalised. A notification under Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956, has also been issued for the package. The slow land acquisition process may take a year or more for taking over the possession of land on the 190-km stretch between 32 Miles and Mandi. The National Highways Authority of India had earlier planned to hold a stone-laying ceremony before December 31 this year. MP Shanta Kumar had invited Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to lay the stone. The main reason for the delay in acquiring land is lack of coordination between the state authorities and NHAI officials. Besides, the government had also failed to address the grievances of affected persons, whose land was being acquired. Pravin Sawhney Pravin Sawhney Strategic Affairs Expert THE Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, is under pressure from the government to cut his Army to size. Reason: with the bulk of annual defence allocations being spent on the pay and allowances of the 13-lakh Army, there is little money for modernisation of the three defence services. We now have the third report from the single-member Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd) committee, in addition to the four study groups set up by the Army Chief, and the Shekatkar committee which submitted its report in December 2016. The committee had recommended the cutting of 57,000 troops over three years; the saved finances were proposed to be utilised for new verticals like electronic and cyber warfare and so on. The Army Chiefs study groups have promised to slash one lakh troops over two to three years to meet the challenges of modern war. According to General Rawat, the Army needs three things for modern war: technology infusion; restructuring of the Army from the present bloated formations to agile integrated brigade groups; and most importantly, to be the lead service in war (with the IAF in support role). The Lt Gen Hooda committee has reportedly made three key recommendations: reduce the standing Army and create a reserve force that can be called upon in war; make Special Forces (SF) a strategic force; and create a three-star post to recommend new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics and so on for military use. This committee has proposed reducing 20 per cent of the Army strength. Of the three committees, only the Shekatkar recommendations make sense because of its modest aim of simply reducing the Army strength. This committee, unlike the other two committees, did not propose preparing the Army for modern war; it restricts itself to internal management rather than reforms. The Army Chief groups and Lt Gen Hoodas recommendations have issues in their implementation for six reasons. One, modern war requires military reforms (involving the three services). Talking of Army reforms alone negates the basis of modern war joint-ness the prerequisite for swift, intense and result-oriented warfare. Two, given the infusion of cutting-edge military technology like precision standoff weapons with China and its increased interoperability (ability to fight together on common mission) with the Pakistan military, the IAF, and not the Army, should be the lead in modern war. Three, the Army cannot give primacy to hybrid warfare (with focus on counter-terror and psychological operations) and yet hope to be the lead in a modern war. The two hybrid and modern war are as different as chalk and cheese. Four, the Lt Gen Hooda recommendation of raising an SF brigade under the Army Headquarters for strategic tasks without credible counter-offensive capabilities to meet enemys retaliation serves little purpose. The Army has not had these capabilities since 1990, when counter-insurgency (CI) assumed priority. For this reason, during the so-called 2016 surgical strikes, the then Director-General Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, had informed Pakistan within hours that the mission was over and no further strikes were planned. This was done to ensure that Pakistan did not retaliate. India was simply not prepared for an escalation. Given this, how can the Army have SF for strategic task (like demolition of Marala headquarters) when fearing escalation, it could not use it for tactical task of CI operations along the Line of Control? Moreover, the government has already cleared the raising of a tri-service SF division (which might be upgraded to command), which is in addition to the SF with all three services. Five, when the committee says that the reserve units should be optimised for capabilities for desired outcome, it makes little sense. For one, the lessons of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) raisings should be recalled. The RR concept with 50 per cent retired soldiers was mooted in 1990 by Gen K Sundarji. Since few retired soldiers were willing to come back to combat in J&K, the then Army Chief, Gen BC Joshi, was compelled to alter the concept by having all serving troops serve in RR; which remains a regular Army by another name. Given this, where would reserve soldiers, who would come voluntarily and get paid for three months in a year to fight CI operations come from? Seeking human fodder to fight faceless terrorists would be impossible. Besides, how would the Army ensure desired capabilities (equipment and training) for reserve units, when the regular units are woefully short of war-withal? And six, why does the committee need the post of a DG for identifying new-age technologies for the military when two high-powered discussions on this subject are already under way? Since these technologies comprising AI, partially autonomous systems, robotics and human-machine interface are more in the commercial than in the military domain, NITI Aayog had last year released a discussion paper on National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. The committee should read this paper to know how the government proposes to set up centres of excellence by private-public partnerships. Simply put, India has not even begun this defining journey that would revolutionise warfare. Moreover, the Defence Ministry had also set up a task force in 2017 to identify AI technologies for military purposes. Given all this, the Army should stop confusing its internal management with military reforms. Once this is done, it would not be difficult for it to reduce its manpower. If it starts to look at progressively reducing the five divisions and three brigades it raised since 2009, when it started the two-front war capability building plan, a beginning could be made. Feelings Not Facts On Crime City leaders say crime is decreasing in metro KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Community leaders on both sides of the state line are happy to report a decrease in crime from 2017. "I am encouraged and I truly believe that we will see the change within two years," said Kamisha Stanton, KCMO's Violent Crimes Program Coordinator. Show-Me MO Money Minimum wage rising in 20 states, numerous cities At Granny Shaffer's restaurant in Joplin, Missouri, owner Mike Wiggins is reprinting the menus to reflect the 5, 10 or 20 cents added to each item. A two-egg breakfast will cost an extra dime, at $7.39. The price of a three-piece fried chicken dinner will go up 20 cents, to $8.78. Prez Trump Fight Ahead House Democrats unveil measure to re-open government WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington. Hint At The Future US military tweets, deletes New Year's Eve message about dropping bombs US Strategic Command, the unified military force that controls the launch of nuclear weapons, tweeted an unusual New Years Eve message on Monday featuring B-2 bombers dropping 30,000- pound conventional weapons at a test range. Rock Chalk Literary Work A KU Professor Finds George Orwell's Prescient Manifesto Against 'Psychological Warfare' Before his book "Nineteen Eighty-Four" - published in 1949 - predicted the society of surveillance and doublespeak we live in now, George Orwell tried to save the world, a University of Kansas professor has discovered. David Smith, a sociology professor, recently found and published a lost Orwell document that called for the formation of a new international human rights league. Fanboy Playoff Peek Kickoff set for Chiefs' Divisional playoff game Jan. 12 at Arrowhead Stadium Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT CODY: GREAT NEWS. THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS WIN THE WEST AND THEY'RE THE NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE AFC, AFTER BEATING UP ON THE OAKLAND RAIDERS IN 35 TO 3 WIN SUNDA THE CHIEFS NOW HAVE A FIRST ROUND BYE IN THE PLAYOFFS AND HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE SO, THE ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL COULD GO THROUGH ARROWHEAD. Give It Up Anyhoo End-of-year charitable donations may not help tax bill KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The tax bill passed by Congress in December 2017 changed many parts of how people pay taxes, and as 2018 wraps up, one of those chances - the increase in the standard deduction - might have had an affect on charitable giving. The party Forecast A few flurries possible overnight, bitter cold Tuesday Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT KRIS: SO RAIN, BIG FLAKES, AND NOW THE COLD. NEVILLE: WE ARE STILL HANG OUT IN THE MID 30'S SO IT IS CHILLY, BUT THE BIG COLD IS STILL ON THE WAY. WHERE THOSE HEAVIER COATS BECAUSE YOU WILL KNOW WHEN IT ARRIVES. Not exactly a look back but a glimpse at this evening's news cycle and some of the top stories for tonight that influence us into tomorrow with respect to the booty princess of MSM.Take a peek:Closer to home these news links inspire our evening . . .And this is thefor tonight . . . KCMO police investigate shooting where no victim was located KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Kansas City police are investigating a shooting. Monday at 5:49 p.m., police were dispatched to the 6900 block of East 116th in Kansas City, Missouri. When officers arrived at the address, they did not locate a victim. Let's just call it another cold case to conclude 2018 . . . Check the damage and stay safe out there . . . KC police investigate double shooting KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Kansas City police are investigating a double shooting. Monday just before 6 p.m., police were dispatched to a double shooting at the block of 4000 Troost Ave in Kansas City. Police say that two people suffered serious non-life threatening injuries. This is a developing story. 2018 concludes with even more violence on this block thatserves as a local dividing line and a symbol of this town's inglorious past that perpetuates neighborhoods declaring economic war on one another.Read more: Over this next week, more than 180,000 people and 4,400 companies will descend on Las Vegas for CES 2019 to check out the latest technology that will soon end up in your home, your car and your hand. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Some companies have already begun to announce their new products, but in advance of that news, we talked to several experts, looked at rumors and made some logical assumptions based on last year's show to come up with what we think will be some of the major trends at this year's CES. TVs: Larger, sharper, brighter and more rollable Advances in MicroLED and OLED technology will see TVs get larger and sharper. Last year saw the introduction of Samsung's massive, 146-inch The Wall TV, while LG rolled out literally a 65-inch rollable OLED set that unfurled itself from a base. Expect to see more iterations on these themes as those two companies try and outdo each other yet again. While the rollable TV was just a prototype last year, at this year's show, LG should reveal a set you can actually purchase, a Bloomberg story reported. This means that you won't have a massive black square taking over a wall when you're not watching TV. Samsung's MicroLED technology should compete more directly with LG's and Sony's OLED sets; MicroLED panels are just as thin and colorful, yet are technically brighter and less expensive. Expect those sets to look sharper, too. While the technology is in its infancy, 8K sets should proliferate. But the true reason that consumers should be interested in these TVs isn't the resolution. "The real benefit for an 8K set for the medium and long term is simply brightness," said Avi Greengart, research director for consumer platforms and devices for GlobalData. "Some of these 8K sets can get crazy bright, and that allows for remarkably good dynamic range." This means that explosions will look extra intense, while dark scenes will be even darker. Smart Homes: Getting smarter At last year's CES, Google made a big push with Google Assistant and Google Home, showing that the company's voice assistant was inside, and compatible with, dozens of smart home devices. This year, expect more of the same, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect Amazon to push back. While there will be plenty of smart plugs, switches, robot vacuums and appliances, expect to see a greater emphasis on the AIs behind these devices and how those smarts can make all those devices work together. And what benefit will these assistants provide to the consumer? "I don't know that we've ferreted out a lot of these use cases yet, but I do know that there's a desire for devices to be interoperable in the house," said Ben Arnold, senior director of innovation and trends for CTA. Companies will, or should, stress the privacy and security of their smart home devices; expect these companies to emphasize that their products won't snoop on you or allow others access or insight as to what you're doing in your home. MORE: Best Smart Home Hub "Now that these devices are in so many places and so many entry points into the home, how do we make sure that we can secure them to the best of our ability?" asked Dinesh Narayanan, director of partner and channel marketing at Microsoft. Laptops: Smaller, faster and more powerful PCs are going to become more like smartphones, said Microsoft's Narayanan. To that end, Microsoft is working with its partners to develop notebooks that are always connected and that need to be charged only once per day. "Think of how powerful phones have gotten and then how much computing has shifted to the phone. We also see the demand for that type of phone-class experience [on laptops]." Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8cx chip, announced a year ago, promises multiday battery life and greater connectivity, but PC makers have been slow to adopt it. In our review of the HP Envy x2, we loved the laptop's built-in 4G LTE and 14-hour battery life, but we were disappointed in the machine's sluggish performance. The always-connected concept extends to gaming systems, where Microsoft is looking for ways to enable gamers to more easily livestream their sessions. "How do we allow gamers to keep their hands on but initiate streaming, because it's become so fundamental," Narayanan said. Wearables: More health, less fitness Features such as the ECG monitor in the Apple Watch 4 and enhanced sleep tracking in devices like the Fitbit Versa have signaled a shift in wearables, as they evolve from purely fitness devices to ones that look more holistically at your health. Don't be surprised to see more companies show how their wearable will not just make you look better, but also help you live better. As basic fitness trackers have become commoditized you can easily find $15 gadgets that accurately count your steps device makers are taking one of two approaches: making specialized, expensive watches for niche sports, as Suunto and Garmin have done, or going for a wellness angle, which can include everything from letting you know if you have hypertension to telling you if your loved one has fallen. "There are a lot of sometimes-wacky, sometimes-interesting wearables that are going to be at the show," Greengart said. "Some of it is fitness, but a lot is genuinely medical." Sleep tech should also have a bigger presence at this year's show. Companies such as Fitbit are already looking at ways to diagnose sleep apnea, but there has yet to be a definitive product that can help you get a better night's rest. "I walked into some booth in the Sands last year, and there were a bunch of people in sleep chairs," Arnold said. "And that was one of five booths like that." MORE: Smartwatch Buying Guide - Everything You Need to Know Qualcomms new Snapdragon 3100 chip, which promises better performance and longer battery life, will show up in more smartwatches. However, a fairly rigid Wear OS platform means that most of the innovation will be cosmetic at best. AR and VR: Closer to reality, but not there yet There should be plenty of augmented reality and virtual reality companies showing their wares at CES, but broader adoption by consumers is still a few years away. However, pioneering companies will be on hand, such as Pico Interactive, which will be showing off its new 4K VR headset. HTC will also be at the show, demoing new VR experiences with the company's latest headset, the Vive Pro. Vuzix showed off Alexa-enabled Blade AR glasses at last year's CES, so we wouldn't be surprised to see a more refined version at this year's show. "Just based on my inbox, there are going to be a lot of people showing off smart glasses, but none of them have jumped out as being the next big thing," said Greengart. "Augmented and virtual reality have big futures ahead of them, but at the moment, we're sort of post-hype, pre-usefulness." While hardware issues have largely been solved, what's needed is a reason for consumers to wear these devices. "Now, it's about content," Arnold said. "How do we get enough users on any of these platforms to really drive some more investment?' 5G Is Coming to Everything While CES isn't known for its smartphone launches for those, wait for Mobile World Congress, just a month later Qualcomm's recently introduced, 5G-ready Snapdragon 855 processor is bound to ripple down to other products that will be announced in Las Vegas. "Every keynote will invoke 5G," Greengart predicted. From smart home devices to cars to laptops, the faster speeds of this next-gen networking technology will have implications for every kind of connected device. Among other things, 5G promises speeds up to 1,000 times faster than those of 4G LTE. This will enable such things as live 4K video streams, which are great for watching movies or performing open-heart surgery from afar. Samsung announced plans with both Verizon and AT&T to come out with 5G phones in early 2019, while LG will launch its 5G phone on Sprint's network. However, 5G service will be pretty limited at launch. AT&T's service will initially be available in just 19 markets, while Sprint will first turn on its service in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., as well as Kansas City, Missouri. "The promise is quite large," Narayanan said. "It gives us the opportunity to innovate our hardware around that. If connectivity wasn't an issue or wasn't a dependency, how would we architect a system from cloud to edge?" Credit: Tom's Guide [December 31, 2018] HIVE Provides Update on Kolos Norway AS Amid Regulatory Proposal by Norwegian Government ZUG, SWITZERLAND and VANCOUVER, Dec. 31, 2018 /CNW/ - Amid recent regulatory changes proposed by the Norwegian Parliament, HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (TSX.V:HIVE) (OTC:HVBTF) (the "Company" or "HIVE") is providing an update to shareholders and debt holders regarding the Company's Kolos Norway AS ("Kolos") asset located in Norway. In early December 2018 the Norwegian Parliament approved a legislative bill that cryptocurrency miners will no longer be subject to tax relief on power consumption at the same rate as other power-intensive industries. This change, which is included in the state budget for 2019, is expected to take effect in March 2019. HIVE is deeply disappointed and frustrated by the proposed changes to the government framework conditions without discussion, consultation, or dialog with the industry. The Company believes that such changes represent a significant impediment to attracting long-term foreign investment to the region and creates uncertainty for other global investors. It is the Company's view that such changes represent a risk not only for cryptocurrency miners but for all energy intensive industries that are considering long-term capital investments as political forces appear willing to unilaterally propose changes to established frameworks that have attracted investment to the region. This is particularly concerning with regards to the development of data centres which require long-term capital investment, an option which prior to the proposed changes to electricity costs appeared to be a potentially attractive use for the Kolos asset. As a result of sudden and unexpected government actions, HIVE is undertaking an assessment of the impact of upcoming legislative changes on the business case of the Norway facility and to determine the economics of the data centre. From a first estimation HIVE assumes a crucial impact on the economics and will need to react to the Norwegian government's recent changes to the laws which effect the project in the community of Ballangen, Norway. "I am extremely disappointed by the proposed changes to the regulatory framework in Norway." said Frank Holmes, Interim Executive Chairman. "In my view, unilateral decisions by governments without industry consultation and discussion represent a significant risk to stability and long-term investment decisions. My experience as a global Chief Investment Officer is that regulatory uncertainty is a significant barrier to attracting long-term foreign capital and governments that unexpectedly move the goal posts create an unfavorable investment environment. These abrupt regulatory changes have forced us to reassess the value of our asset in Norway which, prior to the proposed change, represented an attractive green-field opportuity to develop data centres to serve the global technology community as well as the potential to erect cryptocurrency mining infrastructure given the access to more than 1,000 megawatts of power on the property. We have already communicated proposed changes to debt holders due to the proposed increase in power costs in the region. HIVE will assess the viability of our presence in Norway as cash management remains a priority that we consider to be in the best interests of HIVE's equity holders." On December 20, 2018, in a letter sent to debt holders associated with the Kolos acquisition, the Company proposed changes to the Loan Agreement. At this time, the Company has proposed extending the term of the convertible loan of NOR 20,885,000, approximately US$2.4 million by one year as management assesses the impact that the Norwegian parliament's proposed changes could have on future development plans and on the value of HIVE's sole Norwegian asset. The Company is committed to working with debt holders to reach an agreement that is in the best interests of all HIVE stakeholders. The Company intends to complete its assessment of the damages inflicted by the policy change upon the value of assets prior to the close of the fiscal year end on March 31, 2019. About HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. is a growth oriented, TSX.V-listed company building a bridge from the blockchain sector to traditional capital markets. HIVE is strategically partnered with Genesis Mining Ltd. to build the next generation of blockchain infrastructure. HIVE owns state-of-the-art GPU-based digital currency mining facilities in Iceland and Sweden, which produce newly minted digital currencies like Ethereum continuously as well as cloud-based ASIC-based capacity which produce newly minted digital currencies like Bitcoin. Our deployments provide shareholders with exposure to the operating margins of digital currency mining as well as a growing portfolio of crypto-coins. For more information and to register to HIVE's mailing list, please visit www.HIVEblockchain.com . Follow @HIVEblockchain on Twitter and subscribe to HIVE's YouTube channel . On Behalf of HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. "Frank Holmes" Interim Executive Chairman Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Information Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. "Forward-looking information" in this news release includes information about the impact of Norwegian regulatory changes proposed by the Norwegian Parliament; the development of the Company's asset in Norway; the Company's proposed extension of the convertible loan related to the Norway asset; the quantum of electricity consumption capacity in Norway; long term growth of the Company; the business goals and objectives of the Company, and other forward-looking information includes but is not limited to information concerning the intentions, plans and future actions of the parties to the transactions described herein and the terms thereon. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the Company may not advance or complete the development of the data centre in Norway on terms favourable to the Company, or at all; loan holders may not agree to the proposed extension of the convertible loan related to the Norway asset; the digital currency market; the Company's ability to successfully mine digital currency; the Company may not be able to profitably liquidate its current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on the Company's operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; and other related risks as more fully set out in the Filing Statement of the Company dated September 13, 2017 and other documents disclosed under the Company's filings at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about the Company's ability to develop digital currency operations in Norway on terms favourable to the Company; the Company will be able to profitably liquidate its digital currency inventory as required; the Company's ongoing partnership with Genesis; historical prices of digital currencies and the ability of the Company to mine digital currencies will be consistent with historical prices; and there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Tipperary woman is part of an Irish ex-pat group in Abu Dhabi that has been honoured for promoting mental health in the country. Laura O'Sullivan from Bouladuff, Thurles is part of the Darkness into Light group in the Arab state that has received one of the country's top humanitarian awards. Inspired by the amazing work carried out by Pieta House, the group of Irish expatriates set up Darkness into Light Abu Dhabi in 2015 to bring the Darkness into Light walk to the United Arab Emirates. However as a result of the incredible support received from the community, they are now operating as a charitable initiative all year around offering free support services to those experiencing mental health difficulties in the community. Members of the committee at the ceremony - Left to Right - Carolyn Rogers (New Zealand), Madiha Butt (Pakistan), Sinead Squires (Limerick), Claire Devine (Tyrone), Sarah Corcoran (Waterford), Marian OConnor (Waterford), Laura Brennan (Clare), Maria Kelly (Galway), Kieran OMalley (Clare), Carol Madigan (Limerick), Laura OSullivan (Tipperary), Ciara Moran (Mayo), Fiona Manning (Westmeath), Jane Ryan (Clare), Priya Mitchell (United Kingdom). Absent from photo: Valerie Healion (Offaly), Judith Duffy (Galway), Sirajum Munira (Bangladesh). The on December 6, their wonderful was recognised when the organisation was awarded the Spirit of the Community Award at the Pride of Abu Dhabi Awards 2018. We are so happy with this amazing honour and thank Pieta House for all the help provided in setting up the group, said a delighted Laura. The pioneering work of the Darkness into Light group has received the presidential seal of approval for its efforts. President Michael D Higgins wrote to the group, including Tipperary woman Laura O'Sullivan, to congratulate them on the honour. The president described their honour as an excellent example of the solidarity and collective support for which Irish communities abroad are well known, including in the United Arab Emirates, a close partner for Ireland and host to the largest Irish community in the Middle East. He continued - The work by Darkness into Light to raise greater awareness of mental health issues in the UAE fosters a deeper and more widespread understanding of the human condition itself. It also encourages the support and emotionally intelligent fellowship of others, which represents humanity at its best. He said the support of the Irish contingent for the awards ceremony is a tangible reminder of why people at home in Ireland continue to be so v ery proud fo our fellow Irish citizens living abroad who are making a positive contribution in their host societies. He said he was happy to send his best wish to all. Everyone should be aware of the implications of the recent passage of the 2018 Farm Bill by the House of Representatives especially since greater Capital Region representatives, both Democrat and Republican, voted "aye" or failed to vote. Tucked away in the Farm Bill at the last minute by Republican leadership was a provision that blocked lawmakers from voting to end United States involvement in the war in Yemen. This subterfuge was deemed necessary as momentum for a War Powers Act vote on Yemen was building rapidly in the Senate. So, as strange as it sounds, United States participation in the war in Yemen will continue unabated because of the Farm Bill. Susan Walsh In a Nov. 30 article from The Hill, Rep. Paul Tonko implied that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's plan for a select committee on a Green New Deal would interfere with work that is already being undertaken by congressional committees on climate change. If we learned anything from the disastrous failure of the 2009 "cap-and-trade" bill under President Barack Obama, it is that bold, progressive legislation doesn't stand a chance or doesn't ever get created without massive popular support outside the halls of Congress. ALBANY Incoming Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins appears to be content with the size of her majority. The Senate Democratic Conference will not be embracing Sen. Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat who has allied himself with the chamber's Republicans since entering the chamber in 2013. The decision to exclude Felder was first reported by the New York Daily News. "New Yorkers elected the largest Democratic Majority in memory consisting of candidates who ran on a robust progressive agenda and proudly sought election as members of our conference," said Senate Democratic Conference spokesman Mike Murphy. "As such, we have decided to remain a 39-member majority. "Of course, we will work with all senators, including Sen. Felder, to advance legislation that will help New York state prosper," Murphy said. After Democrats wrested control of the state Senate away from Republicans on election day, Stewart-Cousins and Felder met to discuss his potential future in the conference. His committee assignments and staffing allocations for the upcoming session, which begins on Jan. 9, still need to be resolved, according to the Senate Democrats. When the chamber was under GOP rule, Felder led the Cities Committee and enjoyed disproportionate control of the legislative agenda because of the narrow partisan divide. His strength in the chamber was on display in the spring, when Senate Republicans held up the passage of the state budget because of his concerns about education standards at religious schools. Despite being vilified by many on the left, Felder easily survived a primary challenge in September. Stewart-Cousins was more accommodating of the eight Democratic senators who made up the renegade Independent Democratic Conference, which formed a power-sharing agreement with Senate Republicans in 2012. As part of a deal brokered by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the IDC's senators were welcomed back in to the mainline Democratic fold in April. Felder, however, remained with the GOP. The former IDC members were viewed as traitors by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, who led six successful primary challenges against them in September. Felder's office said he was "looking forward to caucusing with the Democrats at the appropriate time." David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 CLIFTON PARK Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello was confused and uncooperative when State Police stopped her last week on Route 146A in Clifton Park for alleged road rage, according to court records. Mantello told the trooper who stopped her that she believed she was on a road in the Schenectady County town of Rotterdam and headed to her home in Troy when she was pulled over Dec. 26 in southern Saratoga County, according to court documents. Mantello was charged with driving while intoxicated, following too closely and refusing to take a breath test. She is due back in town court on Jan. 3. Mantello also told police that she was on her way home from Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady and was being followed by another car. Police were initially called when another driver, who police have not identified, called to say an aggressive driver was following their vehicle too closely on Interstate 890 in Schenectady. The caller drove east from I-890 to the Thruway before heading north on the Northway and getting off at Exit 9 in Clifton Park, State Police said. The driver who called police told troopers the second driver - identified by State Police as Mantello - followed their car the entire way. Mantello refused to take a roadside sobriety test and did not provide State Police with a breath sample until they brought her to the Clifton Park station, court records show. At the station her blood alcohol level was measured at 0.13 percent, State Police said. William Roberts, the Troy defense attorney hired by Mantello, declined to comment on the case Monday. Mantello's arrest came at a time when she was weighing whether to challenge Mayor Patrick Madden in the 2019 mayoral race. She was the only Republican currently being considered for the race against the one-term incumbent Democrat. Madden has been holding fund-raisers in preparation for his run for a second four-year term as mayor. Mantello ran for mayor in 2011, losing to Lou Rosamilia. On Friday, Mantello apologized for her actions that night. "I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility," Mantello said in the emailed statement. "I apologize to my family, friends and constituents and am deeply sorry that I let you down. I expect more from myself." Except for issuing the statement, Mantello has kept a low-profile. Friends and supporters said they have only had limited exchanges of text messages with the council president since her arrest. Mantello is also a $70,000-a-year legislative director for state Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Warren County. Little could not be reached for comment Monday about Mantello's employment status. The charges against Mantello come as the Republicans have lost control of the State Senate and anticipate seeing staffing cuts and salary reductions for their remaining staff members. Letitia James, the incoming New York attorney general, has made no secret of how she feels about President Donald Trump. She calls him an "illegitimate president." She says her decision to run for attorney general was largely "about that man in the White House who can't go a day without threatening our fundamental rights." She has suggested that Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice, and implied that foreign governments channeled money to Trump's family's real estate holdings, which she characterized as a "pattern and practice of money laundering." Democratic attorneys general across the country, including James' predecessors in New York, have repeatedly used their offices to confront Trump. But since her election, James has opened herself up to criticism that she has gone too far in allowing politics to shape her agenda. Her strident attacks on the president could potentially threaten the legal standing of cases that her office brings against Trump, his family members or their business interests, legal experts said. Trump recently accused James of winning her election on a "GET TRUMP agenda," and of doing "little else but rant, rave & politic against me." James has signaled that she will be as aggressive as New York's current attorney general, Barbara D. Underwood, and her predecessor, Eric T. Schneiderman, both Democrats, in pursuing Trump in his home state. She will continue a lawsuit against the Trump Foundation that was filed by Underwood and may also examine whether Trump is in violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause, which bars federal officials from accepting gifts, or emoluments, from foreign powers without congressional approval. After an investigation by The New York Times showed that Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars from his parents, most of it by helping them dodge taxes, James issued a statement calling for "a full examination of these claims" by the state, including the attorney general's office. "Donald Trump's days of defrauding Americans are coming to an end," James said. Daniel S. Goldman, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and a former assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said that it was unlikely that James' remarks could directly lead to a dismissal of charges against Trump, but that they could put cases in jeopardy because of an appearance of "an individualized political vendetta." "If there were to be a motion to dismiss because of bias, the attorney general's office would have to show a stronger factual basis for the legal issue," Goldman said. "If there is a close call along the way, it could have an impact on the way a judge rules." A similar issue arose in 2015 when Judge Valerie E. Caproni of U.S. District Court in Manhattan chided Preet Bharara for publicly criticizing Sheldon Silver, the former New York Assembly speaker, after he was charged with corruption. Bharara, then the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, had suggested to reporters that Silver had "sold his office to line his pockets." Silver asked for the charges to be dismissed. Caproni declined, but said she was "troubled" that Bharara's remarks appeared to "bundle together unproven allegations" about Silver. She warned his office to try the case "in the courtroom and not in the press." Goldman characterized Trump's criticism of James as the right message from the wrong messenger, given how Trump has used public remarks on Twitter to discredit criminal and civil investigations involving himself, his family and associates. "Donald Trump is desperately trying to turn everything into a hyperpartisan issue, including criminal justice," Goldman said. "It's essential that prosecutors maintain their neutrality and an objective view of the facts and the evidence, no matter the politics involved." In an interview, James defended her remarks about the president, adding that she believed that her race and gender were shaping what she characterized as assumptions and misconceptions about how she would perform as attorney general. James is the first woman in New York to be elected as attorney general, the first African-American woman to be elected to statewide office, and the first African-American to serve as attorney general. Before winning election, she was the New York City public advocate. "This is similar to when I was about to take office as public advocate, and individuals expressed concerns," James said. "What I have done repeatedly throughout my life is I have been underestimated and have continued to perform." James' role could take on heightened significance should Trump decide to issue pardons for anyone implicated in the investigation by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Convictions under state law, however, are not covered by federal pardons. James has championed a change in state law that would allow the prosecution of those who have been pardoned by the president. The importance of James' position was underscored when Underwood's office announced on Dec. 18 that Trump and his lawyers had agreed to shut down the Donald J. Trump Foundation. That agreement emerged from an investigation that began under Schneiderman, and from a lawsuit filed by Underwood. The lawsuit, which seeks restitution and penalties and could result in Trump and his three oldest children being barred from the boards of other New York charities, will proceed under James' watch. Trump's lawyers had argued that the case should be dismissed because it was politically motivated. A state judge ruled in November that the case could proceed. James began her legal career as a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society, eventually becoming head of the New York attorney general's Brooklyn regional office. In 2003, she was elected to the New York City Council; she was elected as the New York City public advocate a decade later. As public advocate, James sought to redefine the position: She filed 12 lawsuits on behalf of city residents, more than all of her predecessors combined, but to mixed results. A small handful of cases were thrown out because judges ruled that she lacked standing to file the lawsuits. Even inside the attorney general's office, some shared concerns that James' outspoken approach toward Trump may undermine her efforts. Eric Soufer, who served as senior counsel for policy for Schneiderman, said James' bluntness had caused "apprehension and uneasiness" among some high-level officials who have left the office after her election. "You've got to let the cases do the talking," said Soufer, now a managing director at Tusk Strategies, a political consulting group. "She doesn't need to expose what she thinks about Donald Trump. What people want are results." James acknowledged that her words and promises would carry more weight as attorney general. "I recognize that this is the premier law office in this nation," James said in the interview. "I recognize that as the face of this office, one must be circumspect." Days later, James was back in attack mode, telling NBC News that she would use "every area of the law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions and that of his family." EAST NASSAU A 19-year-old and his dog died in the fire that destroyed a home Friday on Saddleback Ridge Road, according to the victim's obituary. Jonathan Saviano worked for Darcy Construction in New Lebanon and loved the outdoors and Ford trucks, his obituary stated. Saviano died with his beloved dog, Buster. LAKE GEORGE A few years after his 11-year-old son died of a brain tumor in 1997, Bill Ruggles helped to start a fund-raising campaign for a pediatric unit at Orange Regional Medical Center in his hometown of Middletown. "He was the bravest person I ever saw," said Ruggles, 62, of his son, Jonathan. "He was my hero." Ruggles recalled how he and others around Middletown raise about $1.2 million for the pediatric center that opened a few years ago. But for Ruggles, the fundraising didn't stop when the pediatric center was built. Ruggles, who grew up in Round Lake and lives part time in Saratoga Springs, was among the crowd Tuesday that ventured into the frigid waters of Shepard Park Beach as part of the annual Polar Plunge. He hoped the event, which benefits Shriners Hospital and a local fire company, would be a success. It usually is. Organizers say nearly 1,000 people take the plunge each year. Each pays $10. Small donations can often add up to a lot, Ruggles said, noting the earlier effort in Middletown was fueled by modest contributions. "You get a little from a lot of people and it makes it easier," said Ruggles who attended the Lake George plunge with his wife, Diane, and his sister, Nancy Bell. "There's no better way to help a little kid." "It's a local event and with so much sadness in the world, it's just a crazy event to come out and fund raise, and I hope they knock it out the park with the money they raise," said Ruggles, a retired teacher who recalled the challenges of having to carry his son into Westchester Medical Center after the hourlong drive from Middletown. The Polar Plunge is a staple of the New Year's Day in Lake George. The event has gone on for years, regularly drawing hundreds of people into downtown. For many, it's an annual tradition. After a long New Year's Eve night, Todd Carkner of Ballston Spa said the plunge helps him clear his head. The 56-year-old said the rule in his group of veterans is that you have to get your hair wet. "This is the start of a new year. You wash away all the bad from last year and just start fresh with a dip in the lake," said Carkner, who has been taking the plunge for the past 15 years. SCHENECTADY No guns were used to kill people in Schenectady and Troy in 2018. While that's a positive statistic, it comes with a tragic sting: The only homicides that took place in those cities last year were cases of infanticide women accused in the deaths of their children. In Schenectady, that alleged crime was the death of 4-month-old Rayen Puleski, whose body was found in August in an earthen hole behind the building where he and his mother, Heaven Puleski, had been living. By contrast, there were 15 homicides in Albany last year nearly double the city's yearly average and many of them involved guns. Despite the bloodshed, new Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said Monday he wants city residents to know that other major crimes, such as robbery and aggravated assaults, dropped in 2018. "We see some of the factors involved in this uptick in homicides, and we have some strategies and plans moving forward to address them," said Hawkins, who has been on the job since September. "Overall, crime is definitely trending down in this community." The chief noted that almost 40 percent of the city's homicides stemmed from domestic disputes, and that many of the others involved rivals or people who knew each other. "These were individuals who had some sort of dispute, some sort of conflict and they resorted to violence and especially in most cases, it was violence with weapons," Hawkins said. The department plans to continue using intelligence in what he described as a targeted approach to get individuals police have identified as violent criminals and their associates off the streets, said Hawkins. In Troy, Deputy Police Chief Dan DeWolf credited so-called "intelligence-led" policing for the drop in homicides in the Collar City in 2018. The concept is one that Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford has said he believes would further reduce crime in the Electric City, as well. DeWolf described the crime-fighting strategy as a combination of "crime analysis and being able to drill down on where your violent crime hot spots are" through the use of social media and more. DeWolf lauded the Capital Region crime analysis center in Albany, and law enforcement agencies routinely share information with each other a sentiment echoed by many police and city officials. "There's no disconnect in communication like there was years ago," he added. The Troy police commander cited instances in which police investigators might attend a high school sporting event to head off disputes that could potentially turn violent, or mount traffic stops that deter illicit activity. DeWolf said that all of the major crimes including burglary, rapes and robbery were also down last year. Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy pointed to good police work, positive economic development and the efforts of Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney's office as factors that tamped down gun violence. He also talked about mapping crime, a component of intelligence-led policing that the police chief has said could further reduce crime in Schenectady. "As you become more advanced, you try and look to see where crime is going to happen, so you're staying ahead of it," McCarthy said, adding your analysis "becomes more layered." McCarthy predicts it'll be a few more years before Schenectady completely sheds the perception that it's a city addled by crime. Schenectady Public Safety Commissioner Michael Eidens said last week that the police brass will meet in the new year to discuss intelligence-led policing. "We want to figure out a good way of tying that concept with community-based policing (and) that we're in the process of implementing (both) at the same time," said Eidens. "It's not a cookie-cutter approach; it has to be done carefully, with a lot of thought." More for you News Albany marked 15 homicides in 2018 Albany's Hawkins stressed the importance of police working closely with community and social services agencies to combat mental health, poverty and the lack of educational opportunities all of which are recognized as contributing causes of violence. Hawkins said the department plans to team up with the school district and other organizations "who are helping our young people resolve conflicts peacefully." He said the department has arrested suspects in most of Albany's homicides and for the others they are trying to build a solid case before bringing formal charges. On the downside, Troy cops responded to more shots-fired calls last year than the year before, said DeWolf. "As much as we're trying, there's still a big problem with guns in the Capital Region," he said. Picasa Forest rangers rescued three lost hikers in upstate New York in late December, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Monday. A 60-year-old man set off at 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve Monday, Dec. 24 for an off-trail hike on Round Top Mountain in Hunter, Greene County. Some time later, the man realized he was lost when he came upon a snowmobile trail that goes around the other side of the mountain, the DEC said. Two Brooklyn men serving sentences of 50- and 75-years to life for their roles in the 1988 execution-style slaying of two Arbor Hill drug dealers were granted clemency by Gov. Andrew Cuomo ahead of the New Year. Alphonse Riley-James and Roy Bolus, who were both 18 years old when convicted, will be released from prison in the next few weeks after serving 30 years for murder, robbery, burglary and criminal possession of weapons. Neither man was accused of pulling the trigger. The two were among 29 individuals Cuomo granted clemency to on Monday, in recognition of their rehabilitative efforts and to remove barriers that criminal records might present to some prisoners' immigration statuses. Upon his release, Riley-James plans to work as a paralegal. He's earned a paralegal certificate, as well as a bachelors degree, while incarcerated and currently teaches basic legal research, leads a chess club and runs a financial literacy newsletter with his wife. He also works as a law library clerk and volunteers at a children's center and as an adult literacy tutor. Bolus plans to complete his doctorate in educational leadership upon release and apply for teaching positions. He received a bachelors degree and two master's degrees while incarcerated, and is currently pursuing his PhD. Bolus has taught HIV prevention courses, leads various charity drives, and served as the president of Yale Law School's PACT-Reentry program. Steve Zeidman, who represents Riley-James and Bolus and is a clinical professor of law at CUNY School of Law, said the commutations will give his clients their lives back. "It's not just what they did for themselves, but on behalf of others," Zeidman said about the programs they developed for other inmates. They are "mentors to virtually everyone in the prison and have achieved remarkable things within the confines of a prison environment, which is no small feat." Riley-James and Bolus where part of a group that came to Albany for a drug deal that ended in the deaths of 21-year-old George Jones Mosley and 20-year-old William Patterson. Mosley and Patterson were shot in the head by Lance R. Sessoms at 57 First St. While neither Riley-James nor Bolus were found guilty of killing Mosley and Patterson who were also Brooklyn natives but had been living in Albany as drug dealers for a few months prior to the shooting both are decades away from appearing before the parole board. Riley-James was sentenced to 50 years to life and currently being held at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill. Bolus was sentenced to 75 years to life and is being held at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman. Given their long sentences, Zeidman said his clients feared theyd die within the confines of prison. Zeidman had yet to talk to his clients about the commutations Monday, but said hes sure theyll be grateful and overjoyed not just for the pardoning, but for the support theyve received by prison employees and administration over the years. As extraordinary as they are, there are countless others like them, Zeidman said. They hope that their release is the start of a trend, that it opens the spigot, so to speak. Its a wonderful start, but its just a start. LEWISBORO Police say two men who went on a New Year's Eve fishing trip have been found dead in the cold water of a suburban New York reservoir, with their rowboat overturned nearby. State Police Capt. David Atkins told reporters another fisherman spotted the boat and the bodies around 7 a.m. Tuesday in the Muscoot Reservoir in Goldens Bridge, Westchester County. 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. Waterford Chance Hazelnis hadn't seen the owl since the morning he drove his truck over the bird, pulled over, followed the injured animal into the woods, wrapped it in his Carhartt jacket and called for help. That was three weeks ago, long enough for the male barred owl to recover from his injuries and regain what wildlife rehabilitator George Sarris called his spunk. By Tuesday, the owl was ready to be released into, well, not the wild exactly. Previously: Waterford man rescues owl during his morning commute He was taken to a busy Stewart's parking lot alongside Middletown Road in Waterford. "What's up, buddy?" Hazelnis said as Sarris pulled the bird, clearly annoyed, from a small crate on the front seat of his black sedan. If it recognized Hazelnis, the owl didn't show it. The owl is lucky it was Hazelnis who drove over it at 6 a.m. on Dec. 11. The GlobalFoundries maintenance technician, tired and coming home to Waterford after a 12-hour shift, saw the owl in front of his pickup in the middle of Fonda Road nearly the same spot where Hazelnis rescued an injured snapping turtle earlier in the year. Hazelnis didn't have time to brake. Miraculously, the truck didn't seem to hurt the owl, which was perfectly centered between its wheels. As other drivers zipped by, oblivious or uncaring of the owl's plight, Hazelnis performed his rescue, cradling the bird until Sarris arrived to pick him up. "He had a head injury," Sarris said as he held the agitated bird outside the Stewart's. "If he wasn't spunky like this, we wouldn't be releasing him." It was mostly rest and relaxation that healed the owl, which is about 2 feet tall, with a nearly 4-foot wingspan. Sarris, a state- and federally licensed wildlife rehabilatator who lives in Clifton Park, said that when the bird was able to fly and catch its own food, it was ready to go. The Stewart's, about a half mile from where Hazelnis rescued the bird, was chosen as the release site because barred owls claim about a square mile of territory. The parking lot wasn't scenic, but was within the owl's home territory, with wetlands aplenty for hunting. Sarris walked to some picnic tables scattered under a few pine trees. When Sarris loosened his grip, the owl flew to a branch about 20 feet up. "He is gorgeous," Hazelnis said. The rescue earned Hazelnis, 32, a few minutes of fame. The story was picked up by the Times Union and local television stations. Hazelnis' brother even saw his story on TV in Florida. "I'm known as the owl guy at work now," Hazelnis said. "This is definitely something I won't forget anytime soon." As the owl sat overhead, swerving its head to take in the scene, Hazelnis talked about how happy he was to see the bird healthy and free. He was glad he'd been at the right place when it mattered. The owl, growing more comfortable, flew to a more distant branch, and then another. Eventually, he took off again, flying into the gray sky before disappearing from view. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill In my favorite comic strip, "Peanuts," by Charles Schulz, Lucy asks Charlie Brown what day of the week he likes best. For the next few frames, we see Charlie thinking and thinking. Finally, he says, "You know, I've always been kind of fond of tomorrow." For once, I have to disagree with good old Charlie Brown. My favorite day is today, because every morning when I wake up, today is what I have to work with. With the New Year upon us, I have a challenge for you. Stop worrying about that which you cannot control. Many years ago, this advice came from Robert Jones Burdette, an American humorist and clergyman: "There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension." Can you guess which two days he's referring to? Various versions by numerous authors expanded on Burdette's answer: "One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone. "The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn." And then we get to the meat of the argument: "This leaves only one day today. Any person can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities yesterday and tomorrow that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives people mad it is remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what will happen tomorrow." Let that sink in for a minute. Today is the only day we can take action and have an impact. Unless we approach each day with a renewed positive outlook, we are wasting enormous potential. And that is what I challenge you to exploit to the max. Use every tool in your kit to build on the traits you need to think and act positively each day. These include reliability, communication and listening skills, cooperation, loyalty and humor, among other qualities. If you are concerned that you are weak in any of these areas, resolve to improve. Make a New Year's promise to not waste another minute on negative thinking. Make every today better than yesterday. I had the honor of knowing Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who authored the best-seller "The Power of Positive Thinking." That book, which he wrote in 1952, has sold more than 5 million copies. I recommend it as an essential volume on everyone's bookshelf. Among the gems you'll find in "Positive Thinking" are thoughts such as these: "You do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit." "The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised." "When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind, which by a law of attraction tends to bring the best to you." "Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. But with sound self-confidence you can succeed. A sense of inferiority and inadequacy interferes with the attainment of your hopes, but self-confidence leads to self-realization and successful achievement." Dr. Peale's writings will inspire you to look at life through a more positive lens. Take a little time in the new year to read or reread this valuable resource. Mackay's Moral: Have a positively Happy New Year! www.harveymackay.com MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414. Beijing China's factory activity shrank in December for the first time in more than two years, an official survey showed Monday, intensifying pressure on Beijing to reverse an economic slowdown as it enters trade talks with the Trump administration. The purchasing managers' index of the National Bureau of Statistics and an industry group, the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, fell to 49.4 from November's 50.0 on a 100-point scale. Any reading below 50 shows that activity is contracting. The December figure was the lowest since February 2016 and the first drop since July 2016. In the quarter that ended in September, China's economic growth sank to a post-global crisis low of 6.5 percent compared with a year earlier. The slowdown occurred despite government efforts to stem the downturn by ordering banks to lend more and by boosting spending on public works construction. Forecasters expect annual growth of about 6.5 percent, down slightly from 2017's 6.7 percent. But some industry segments, including auto and real estate sales, have suffered more serious declines. "Downward pressure on the economy is still large," economist Zhang Liqun said in a statement issued with the PMI. Overall orders and exports both contracted, indicating that Chinese factories are suffering from weak demand at home and abroad. Exports to the United States kept growing at double-digit monthly rates through late 2018 despite President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs. But growth in exports to the rest of the world fell sharply in November and forecasters expect American demand to weaken in early 2019. That adds to complications for Chinese leaders who are trying to reverse a broad economic slowdown and avert politically dangerous job losses. Chinese and U.S. envoys are due to meet in early January for negotiations that are intended to resolve their economically threatening trade war. Over the weekend, Trump sounded an optimistic note, tweeting that he had spoken with President Xi Jinping by phone. "Deal is moving along very well," Trump tweeted. "If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!" But economists say the 90-day moratorium on new penalties that was agreed to by Trump and Xi on Dec. 1 is likely too little time to resolve their sprawling dispute. Chinese economic activity already was weakening after Beijing tightened controls on bank lending in late 2017 to cool a debt boom. The downturn was more abrupt than expected, which prompted regulators to shift course and ease credit controls. But they moved gradually to avoid reigniting a rise in debt. Their measures have yet to put a floor under declining growth. Chinese leaders promised at an annual economic planning meeting in mid-December to shore up growth with tax cuts, easier lending for entrepreneurs and other steps. Question: Regarding my posts about the terrible perversion of Torah and halacha that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky has engineered with his prod... A t this time I believe I have removed all previous posts and comment s deal ing with Michael Hersh/Hirsch from this blog - because of... There are increasing comments popping up that there is no evidence against Tropper. That the tapes are forged or misunderstood. Let me pr... Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com Ameriprise Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services to individual and institutional clients in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Advice & Wealth Management, Asset Management, Retirement & Protection Solutions, and Corporate & Other. The Advice & Wealth Management segment provides financial planning and advice; brokerage products and services for retail and institutional clients; discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory accounts; mutual funds; insurance and annuities products; cash management and banking products; and face-amount certificates. The Asset Management segment offers investment management and advice, and investment products to retail, high net worth, and institutional clients through unaffiliated third-party financial institutions and institutional sales force. This segment products also include U.S. mutual funds and their non-U.S. equivalents, exchange-traded funds, variable product funds underlying insurance, and annuity separate accounts; and institutional asset management products, such as traditional asset classes, separately managed accounts, individually managed accounts, collateralized loan obligations, hedge funds, collective funds, and property and infrastructure funds. The Retirement & Protection Solutions segment provides variable annuity products to individual clients, as well as life and DI insurance products to retail clients. The company was formerly known as American Express Financial Corporation and changed its name to Ameriprise Financial, Inc. in September 2005. Ameriprise Financial, Inc. was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. An unprecedented 165m bottles of sparkling wine and champagne were bought in 2018. Families bought more than 41m bottles of bubbly to celebrate New Year's Eve and Christmas Day after a record-breaking year for fizz. An unprecedented 165m bottles of sparkling wine and champagne were bought in 2018, at a cost of 2.2billion, 10 per cent more than a year earlier. More than two-thirds of this came from sparkling wine, says the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, including prosecco, cava, cremant and English produce. While prosecco continued to claim the lion's share of sparkling wine sales in the UK, growth of the Italian drink has slowed as consumers explore other options. Cremant, a French sparkling wine, was particularly popular, with supermarkets reporting a boost in sales. Marks and Spencer said sales of cremant soared 300 per cent in 2018. Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: 'Fizz is traditionally enjoyed over the Christmas holiday and 2018 looks to be another sparkling success. 'UK consumers now have a far greater range to choose from than ever.' The former chief executive of collapsed retailer HMV quit just weeks before its crucial Christmas trading period. Ian Topping moved to run Homebase, another ailing company snapped up by turnaround group Hilco Capital, the owner of HMV. The 58-year-old handed in his resignation in April, then left at the end of September after serving his notice. He was replaced by retail director Neil Taylor, who had just weeks to bed in before the crucial festive sales season. HMV neared collapse in 2013, but was rescued by Hilco. If it fails to secure a rescue deal, its 125 stores face closure. There was more upheaval two months later when HMV axed its auditor Deloitte to save money. HMV called in administrators last week after it was shunned by shoppers during a brutal festive season, putting 2,200 jobs at risk. Topping now runs Homebase, which Hilco had bought for 1 as it teetered on the brink of collapse. HMV blamed poor festive sales and the rise of online shopping and streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify when it filed for administration last week. In the latest accounts filed at Companies House, HMV said that a large proportion of its sales and profit is achieved over Christmas. Separate filings show the lengths to which HMV went in a bid to survive. BOOKSELLER'S BLAST Waterstones boss James Daunt has criticised HMV for lacking imagination and depending too much on young customers. The managing director of the books chain said an unwillingness to take risks contributed to its demise. He said: 'They added things like tech and T-shirts - aimed at the same relatively narrow demographic. We looked scientifically at how to get in a big range of ages, from kids to pensioners.' Waterstones was owned by HMV from 1998 to 2011, and was sold to Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut for 53m. It is now owned by US hedge fund Elliott. It even axed Deloitte and hired far smaller bean-counter Buzzacott to cut the cost of fees. But these efforts failed and administrators from KPMG were called in to find a potential buyer. HMV neared collapse in 2013, but was rescued by Hilco. If it fails to secure a rescue deal, its 125 stores face closure. The High Street's struggles are expected to continue this year, with retail job losses predicted to rise by 20 per cent to more than 160,000, according to the Centre for Retail Research. The two biggest shopping centre owners in Britain saw 3.5billion wiped off their value last year amid a string of failed takeovers and a shopping industry slump. Hammerson's shares are down 39 per cent, knocking 1.6billion off its value and piling pressure on chief executive David Atkins. And rival operator Intu Properties shed 1.9billion in a 55 per cent fall. This has wiped more than 540million off the stake owned by property guru John Whittaker. The Trafford Centre in Manchester is one of the shopping centres owned by London-listed retail property firm Intu. Atkins, the 52-year-old chief executive of Hammerson, could face calls to step down if he fails to fix the business and start boosting profits. Hammerson shares slumped after it became tangled in a string of unsuccessful takeovers. The group shunned a takeover offer from French property giant Klepierre, and was later forced to abandon plans to buy smaller rival Intu for 3.4billion due to investor concerns about the deal. It owns a number of major shopping precincts in Europe including the Bull Ring in Birmingham and luxury site Bicester Village. Hammerson's climbdown over Intu was branded a humiliation for Atkins, who pioneered the bid. Atkins was paid just shy of 2million in 2017. Meanwhile, Intu's chief executive David Fischel has said he will step down once a replacement has been found. Richard Hyman, an independent retail analyst, said shopping centre landlords were facing a make-or-break year as retailers battle to lure customers and compete with online shopping. He said: 'If landlords don't become more proactive about changing, change will be thrust upon them. The big question is, to what extent do these people have the capacity, courage and the vision to recognise the need to change the way they do business and then determine an effective course? 'This is going to be a defining year for retail. Understanding consumers is something that landlords are going to have to do far more.' Intu saw its market value slump after a second potential buyer backed out, just months after it was jilted by Hammerson. A group made up of Whittaker's firm Peel Holdings, Saudi conglomerate Olayan and Brookfield Property, retreated in November, blaming uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Whittaker already owns 29.3 per cent of Intu and the company's value has plunged. The 76-yearold billionaire built the Trafford Centre and sold it to Intu for 1.7billion in 2010. Shares in Intu, which owns Lakeside in Essex and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, have more than halved. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said there are likely to be more merger and takeover offers in the industry this year. Hammerson shares fell 0.87 per cent, or 2.9p, to 329.4p last night. Intu slid 0.8 per cent, or 0.9p, to 113.4p. Both Hammerson and Intu declined to comment. Sir Martin Sorrell's new advertising firm is starting 2019 on a high note after revealing booming sales. S4 Capital said revenues rose 46 per cent for the 11 months to November 30, with profits up almost 40 per cent. It also added two big deals from global packaged goods companies before Christmas, which will boost next year's figures. It comes as Sorrell takes the fight to his old firm WPP, which he left in April. Sir Martin Sorrell left WPP after he was accused of using company money to pay for a prostitute. He denies the claims. He made his second acquisition at S4 last month, paying 118m for San Francisco-based Mighty Hive, after previously snapping up Dutch firm Media Monks for 266m, beating a bid from WPP. Sorrell, who founded WPP and built it into the world's biggest ad agency, said the takeover was an important milestone as he seeks business from America's technology giants. The 73-year-old said: 'Momentum continues at Media Monks and now at Mighty Hive, and we are making progress in bringing the firms together.' Shares in S4 rose 0.9 per cent, or 1p, to 119p. Sorrell left WPP after he was accused of using company money to pay for a prostitute. He denies the claims. The father-of-four set up S4 Capital shortly after but initially insisted he would not compete with his former employer. Though staff at S4 may have been popping the champagne corks, there was little to celebrate elsewhere on the market at troubled Cabot Energy. The debt-laden oil and gas firm is fighting for survival and has called in creditors for crisis talks. Investors cut the value of its shares in half after the bombshell news emerged, with the stock hitting an all-time low when markets closed. The AIM-listed tiddler, which has production facilities in Canada and is exploring assets in Italy and Australia, said a failure to secure cash this month will probably lead to its collapse. It is seeking to raise emergency funds with a heavily-discounted sale of shares. Its troubles are due to cost overruns. It told investors: 'The company has the continued support of its majority shareholder, High Power Petroleum, and the directors are in advanced discussions with the company's other significant shareholders regarding an equity fundraising.' Cabot dropped 59 per cent, or 0.9p, to 0.62p. There was better news from Serica Energy, which saw shares climb 4.6 per cent, or 5.5p, to 125.5p after announcing drilling had started at one of its oil well sites in the North Sea. Serica said the well, in which it has a 15 per cent stake, is expected to take 140 days to complete and could yield up to 60m barrels. It said success with the project would bode well for other nearby sites. Ubisense, another AIMlisted firm, dropped 0.7 per cent, or 0.5p, to 67.5p despite completing the planned sale of one of its divisions and its brand for 35m. The sale to Bahrain-based Investcorp will see the Londonlisted firm adopt the new name IQGEO Group. Auto Trader Group surged 3.2 per cent, or 14.2p, higher to 454.8p after it won clearance from competition regulators for a joint venture. The combined business with Cox Automotive UK, called Dealer Auction, uses an online marketplace to sell vehicles to dealers. It was a day light on action in the FTSE 350 index of larger firms, but Israel-based garment maker Bagir Group was shredded after a planned cash injection ran into delays. It is waiting for 13m from Shandong Ruyi but the deal must first get approval from China's government, and that is taking longer than expected. Bagir's shares plunged 24.3 per cent, or 0.45p, to 1.4p, with the firm revealing its finance chief, Udi Cohen, had departed. It took Alan Watling nearly four years, endless emails and court action but he finally won compensation for a delayed flight that saw him get home at well past 4am. Alan, 71, had been returning home from a three-day trip to Valencia with his partner, Jenny Cooper, 70, in September 2014. But after arriving at the airport, easyJet said their 9.10pm flight to Stansted was delayed by four hours. Flight fight: Easyjet refused to compensate a couple after their flight was delayed for four hours claiming the plane had been hit by a bird Alan and Jenny had been hoping to arrive home around midnight. After landing at around 2.45am local time, the couple spent half an hour getting through security, before making the one-hour drive home to Maidstone, Kent. 'I was exhausted, but we just had to press on,' Alan says. 'Fortunately, I am semi-retired, so I didn't have to work until later in the afternoon. But it did wipe out the next morning.' Alan knew that as the delay was more than three hours, he and Jenny would each be entitled to 250 (225) compensation under EU law. However, three months after the airline had been emailed, easyJet wrote back rejecting his claim. The customer service representative claimed the delay had been caused by a bird strike, which was an extraordinary circumstance. This meant the couple were not entitled to compensation because airlines don't have to pay out for delays that occur due to reasons out of their control, such as bad weather, political unrest or bird strikes. Yet Alan says this was the first he had heard about a bird strike. At the airport, check-in staff told him the delay was due to a 'technical problem'. On the flight the captain had claimed the delay was down to 'a security issue at another airport'. Alan says: 'easyJet were just playing silly devils.' For years, airlines routinely used the extraordinary circumstance excuse to wriggle out of paying legitimate compensation claims. And in September we revealed how airlines still drag their heels over payouts. Alan refused to be fobbed off and complained to the UK aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). But because the delay had occurred in Spain, he was referred to the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA). In April 2015, it ruled that easyJet should pay up. Determined: Alan Watling and partner Jenny Cooper finally won the compensation they were entitled to after taking Easyjet to the small claims court In its official response, the AESA wrote that while the airline claimed a bird strike had occurred, it had failed to provide any evidence 'to prove the alleged extraordinary circumstances'. But when Alan wrote to easyJet to request payment, he was sent a poorly written email which said: 'If you have been informed by the CAA that a compensation will be payable. We are not able to processed the payment as this will be done by the CAA direct.' Alan, who still works as a vehicle engineer expert witness, says: 'It was a red herring. I've never heard of an airline organisation not paying its own compensation.' How to take on the airlines if it all goes wrong Complain to your airline direct and state that under EU regulation 261 you are entitled to compensation. Some airlines have forms on their websites. How much you can claim depends on where you were travelling and for how long you were delayed. The maximum is 600 (547) . Remember that to be eligible, your delay must have been within the airline's control. This includes routine technical faults. If your claim is rejected, you can refer your case to one of two ombudsman-type schemes the AviationADR or CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution). Most major airlines, with the exception of Jet2 and Ryanair, are signed up and must abide by the independent arbitrator's decision. You can refer complaints about these airlines to the Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk). Call 0330 022 1500 for advice. Alternatively, try online dispute service Resolver, which can negotiate with companies on your behalf. Your final option is to take the airline to a small claims court. You can get a claim form at gov.uk/make-money-claim When he asked for clarification, easyJet responded a month later: 'A decision was made from the CAA and our Disruption team that your EU compensation claim is not payable due to extraordinary circumstances.' More emails followed but easyJet refused to share any evidence to support its claim. In December 2017, Alan paid 35 to submit his case to the small claims court. The case was never heard because easyJet did not file the paperwork in time. And in May 2018, the court ruled that Alan and Jenny should receive the sterling equivalent of 250 each. easyJet claims a series of administration errors and delays to proceedings meant they were unable to gather evidence in time to fight the case. But finally, on June 20, 2018, the airline paid the couple 469.40. 'I assume they get away with this sort of behaviour most of the time it wasn't going to happen with me,' Alan says. Travel expert Frank Behany praises Alan's persistence. He says: 'If an airline is claiming a particular event caused their delay then they should be prepared to produce evidence. easyJet should have paid out following the Spanish regulator's decision. And the idea that the CAA should pay an airline's compensation is absolute nonsense.' An easyJet spokesman says: 'This court ruled in favour of Mr Watling because we could not provide evidence to defend the case due to the delay in the proceedings, which made the gathering of evidence more challenging. 'The delay occurred because easyJet had to wait for information from the passenger and it took numerous court orders to be served on Mr Watling to provide us with the required information. 'easyJet takes its responsibilities under EU261 very seriously and will always pay compensation when it is due. We currently pay compensation when it is due, generally within 28 days.' f.parker@dailymail.co.uk MARISSA BERGEL, Wheeler softball, senior: Bergel hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to lift Wheeler past Holy Cross, 9-7, in the Class S state tournament. The hit was part of a five-run rally in the inning. JOEY GUARNIERI, Westerly track & field, senior: Guarnieri placed first in two sprints at the Southern Division championships. He won the 100 (11.19) and the 200 (22.73). JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney placed first in the 110 hurdles at the Class M state meet in 14.65. He also finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.87) and second in the javelin (160-0). MARGARET WEEDEN, Chariho track & field, junior: Weeden finished first in the high jump at the Southern Division championships. Weeden cleared 5-1 and also placed sixth in the triple jump at 31-5. Vote View Results Jammu, Jan 1 (PTI) A protest by refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) here against the state and central governments for not fulfilling their various demands entered its sixth day on Tuesday. Led by SOS International, an organisation advocating the cause of PoK displaced persons (DP), the protesters began the indefinite chain dharna on December 27. They are demanding implementation of a package approved by the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet in October 2014 for PoK DPs, among others. The other demands include grant of facilities to all displaced at par with valley migrants, reservation of eight seats for PoK DPs in Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, permission to visit their religious places in PoK, bringing 5,300 PoK DP families living outside the state within the ambit of the package approved in October 2014 and return of their cash deposits lying with J&K Bank, Mirpur, with interest. Devender Singh Rana, provincial president of National Conference (NC), visited the protest site and extended his party's support to the protesters. SOS International Chairman Rajiv Chuni presented a memorandum of demands to Rana. The NC leader said all the demands were legitimate and should be fulfilled by the present dispensation. Chuni said the PoK refugees have been demanding justice for quite a long time now but none of the governments had listened to them. He appealed to all the community members to unite and said the dharna would continue till the government fulfils the group's demands. PTI AB DIV DIV Machilipatnam (AP), Jan 1 (PTI) A 17-year-old student was allegedly hacked to death under Ghantasala police limits in Krishna district on Tuesday, officials said. The accused,Anjaneyulu, reportedly attacked the victim when he was coming back home from college on a bicycle, they said. The boy was found dead, in the pool of blood at a sugarcane field in Devarakota village. Speaking to PTI, Avanigadda Deputy Superintendent of Police V Pothuraju said, "The two were in an extramarital affair with a woman, leading to a dispute between them. All three belong to Vokkalagadda village of Challapalli mandal in Krishna district." The woman separated from her husband after a fight, police said adding now she lives with her two children at her native village in Vokkalagadda. The victim is a second year ITI College student. Anjaneyulu, is a toddy plant tapper. He is said to have attacked the youth with a farm knife. "Anjaneyulu has been arrested. He has confessed to the crime," said the DSP. A case was registered in Ghantasala Police Station and investigation is on based on the complaint lodged by the parents of the victim. The body was sent to Avanigadda Government Hospital and post-mortem will be performed on Wednesday, said police. PTI CORR IND New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) At least three incidents of unattended bags lying at Delhi Metro stations kept security personnel on their toes during New Year celebrations in the national capital, a senior official said Tuesday. While two incidents were reported on Monday, the New Year's eve, from Pitampura and Arjangarh stations, the third was reported on Tuesday from the Rohini West metro facility, he said. As soon as the unattended bags were detected by the CISF personnel near x-ray luggage scanners, a bomb detection disposal team and other anti-sabotage paraphernalia was called in, which declared the bags safe, the senior Central Industrial Security Force officer said. He said the three bags contained a total of Rs 4.25 lakh cash and valuables worth another Rs 1.25 lakh and were forgotten by passengers using the Delhi metro. All the three bags were restored to their owners who returned to claim their bags, the officer said. With all the agencies put on high alert in view of the New Year celebrations, the security personnel were extra cautious while dealing with these cases, he said. The CISF has been tasked to secure the Delhi Metro across the Delhi and national capital region, and over 4,500 of its personnel are deployed for providing an armed cover to the rapid rail network. PTI NES NES AQS AQS Jaipur, Jan 1 (PTI) Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Tuesday said the Centre should waive farm loans across the country like the Congress is has done after coming to power recently in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. He also said a farmers' rally will be organised in the state soon, and the details will be finalised after a discussion with state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot. "The Congress has fulfilled its promise to waive farmers' loan in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after coming to power and work on it has begun. The NDA government should also waive farm loans," Gehlot said. He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had waived bad loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of select industrialists when loans of farmers should have been the priority. "The former UPA government (at the Centre) had waived farmers' loans worth Rs 72,000 crore and the Congress (governments) in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have also announced to waive loans," Gehlot told reporters here. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, he said there are only two persons ruling the country. "It is not the BJP that is ruling, but two persons, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, are ruling the country. The BJP and the RSS people, too, have understood this. There is an environment of hatred, violence and insensitivity. "Fake promises were made to the public in the last Lok Sabha elections but things are going to be changed after the (2019 general) elections," he said. Gehlot said Modi will not become the prime minister again. PTI SDA ANB ANB New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) As the Congress and its ruling partner JD(S) work out a seat-sharing strategy in Karnataka, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said his party should get 12 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the southern state in the forthcoming general election. The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo also said the blueprint for seat-sharing will first be discussed at the state level by the coalition coordination committee chaired by senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah and then, finalised by the heads of both the parties after the ongoing winter session of Parliament. "The seat sharing will be on a 2:1 formula. After the formation of the coalition government, this formula was adopted in allocating portfolios, (heads of) boards and corporations. Naturally, the same formula will apply to Lok Sabha seats," Deve Gowda told reporters. According to the formula, 11 seats should come to the JD(S) and the party was seeking one extra seat, he said, noting that differences, if any, would be sorted out after deliberating with Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Asked if the JD(S) will go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls if the Congress does not agree to give 12 seats to it, the former prime minister said, "That issue will not arise. This formula has been implemented smoothly all these days. No need to come to a hurried conclusion." "This will be discussed at the state level and then, at the national level. Ultimately, Rahul Gandhi and myself will discuss and finalise," he said, adding that the JD(S) had got seats in accordance with this formula in the past, when it had allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Asked about the Karnataka president of the JD(S), H Vishwanath, threatening to quit if he was ignored, Deve Gowda said, "That is created by the local media. There will be no such thing." He said more powers and bigger roles will be given to JD(S) leaders at all levels. The former prime minister asserted that the coalition government in Karnataka was strong and was not in "jeopardy". "The government will run smoothly, whatever may be the situation created by the media," he added. PTI LUX RC New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely demolished the "motivated agenda" of opposition parties with his comprehensive interview broadcast Tuesday by television channels, the BJP said, as the Congress alleged that it was "fixed and full of rhetoric". Hitting back at the Congress, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said it is not surprising that it was "desperately working overtime" to negate the positive message of the prime minister's comments. In his reaction to Modi's interview, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala termed it as, "bereft of ground reality, 'Jumlas' (rhetoric) galore, Modiji's interview looks like a parody". "Nation suffers - DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, Rs 15 lakh in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and 'acche din'," he said. Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged that it was a "fixed interview". In his counter-offensive, Kohli said, "It is a comprehensive, detailed and candid interview in which the PM has spoken on a wide range of issues that have been in the media space for some time. This interview completely demolishes the motivated agenda of opposition parties and vested interests that seek to malign the sterling performance of his government." Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP spokesperson, Shahnawaz Hussain, said,"All the false narratives that the opposition was trying to build for many months were demolished by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in just one interview. That's the power of truth and commitment." With Modi indicating that his government is not considering an ordinance to pave the way for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya as long as the matter is in court, BJP ally JD(U) said it feels vindication as it has always maintained that the contentious issue can be resolved either through a judicial process or a consensus among different groups. "We welcome the prime minister's comments. It is a victory of our party's ideology," JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said. In an interview broadcast by various television channels, Modi talked about a host of issues including the surgical strikes, the Ram temple's construction and personal attacks on him by the Congress. Modi also attacked the Congress leadership of politicising and delaying the legal process in clearance of Ram temple construction. PTI KR SKC JTR KR ANB ANB New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday described the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case as an example of the length to which the Congress will go to "destroy" its political opponents, and alleged it had used the CBI as part of a "conspiracy" to target Amit Shah when it was in power. BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani hit out at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, alleging Shah, who was then a minister in the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi, was harassed by the CBI at the behest of the Congress leadership as Modi and Shah were identified by it as main rivals. She alleged that evidence was "manufactured" in an attempt to "destroy" Shah politically. She also accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of supporting a terrorist, a reference to his tweet on the verdict in Sohrabuddin Shaikh case that "nobody killed" him and he "just died". "On the orders of the Congress leadership, the CBI tried to frame Amit Shah as part of a political conspiracy. "The court has admitted that these cases were imposed on Shah for political reasons. Not only in the Mumbai High Court but also in the Supreme Court, the Congress' conspiracy got defeated, " Irani told reporters. All 22 accused in the alleged 20o5-2006 fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted on December 21 by a special CBI court in Mumbai because of insufficient evidence. BJP president Amit Shah, who was the minister of state for home in Gujarat at that time, was also arrested briefly in 2010 in the case before being discharged in December 2014. PTI KR JTR RT Jammu, Jan 1 (PTI) Pakistan Army Tuesday opened fire on forward areas along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The firing took place in Khari Karmara and Gulpur forward areas along the LoC, they said. Indian troops guarding the borderline retaliated. No casualty has been reported. Despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the ceasefire understanding of 2003, there have been 1,600 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan last year till October, 2018. PTI AB DV DV Bulandshahr (UP), Jan 1 (PTI) Police have arrested a man, accused of attacking Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh with an axe during the December 3 violence in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district over alleged cow slaughter, officials said on Tuesday. The arrest of Kalua from a bus stand on Monday night takes the total number of accused held in this case to 30, a police officer said. Kalua told police that on December 3, he was felling a tree to block a road. When the inspector stopped him from doing so, he attacked him with an axe, the officer said. On December 27, police had arrested Prashant Nat, who allegedly shot the inspector dead after the axe attack. Five people were arrested on December 18 for their alleged roles in the mob violence and the cow slaughter case. Violence had erupted after cow carcasses were found in a field near Mahaw village in the district. The inspector and a youth had died during the violence. An FIR against 27 named people and 50-60 unidentified people was registered at the Siyana police station for the violence at the Chingrawathi police post. One of the main suspects among the 27 named in the FIR, local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, is still at large, while an Army jawan, Jitendra Malik, has been arrested and remanded in custody. PTI Corr GVS GVS Bhopal, Jan 1 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government Tuesday said it was going to withdraw all "politically motivated" cases filed by the previous BJP government. The saffron party ruled the state for 15 years since 2003 before being unseated by the Congress in the November 28 Assembly polls. The move comes a day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati threatened to reconsider her party's support to the Congress in the state and neighbouring Rajasthan, if cases in connection with Bharat bandh on April 2 last year were not withdrawn. The shutdown was called by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act due to a Supreme Court order. The April 2 protest had crippled several parts of Madhya Pradesh and the subsequent violence left eight persons, mainly from the Dalit communities, dead. "We are going to withdraw the politically motivated cases filed by the previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in past 15 years against the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP, Left parties, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists, farmers, employees and journalists," state Law and Legislative Affairs Minister P C Sharma told PTI. Asked whether Mayawati's threat had prompted the MP government to go for the withdrawal of such cases, he said, "No, it is not the case". "The new (Congress) regime was already considering the withdrawal of politically motivated cases. Majority of these matters are against the Congress," Sharma said. "Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath ji, our senior leaders and Mayawati ji were in talks for quite some time on the issue. "Nath had already announced that all politically motivated cases in MP would be withdrawn," the minister said, but did not give details on when the chief minister had made such a statement. In a hard-hitting press release issued in Lucknow on Monday, Mayawati had said, "If the newly-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against the innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the BSP may have to reconsider extending the outside support to the Congress governments". The BSP is supporting the Congress in both MP and Rajasthan, where the latter had fallen short of the majority mark. The Congress won 114 seats in Madhya Pradesh, short of the 116-majority mark in the 230-member House, while in Rajasthan it stopped at 99 seats in the 200-member House. In MP, two MLAs from the BSP, one from the SP and four Independents are supporting the Congress. In August last year, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, overturning a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the SC/ST law, was passed by Parliament. PTI LAL MAS BNM SRY Islamabad, Jan 1 (PTI) Pakistan Army claimed to have shot down an Indian spy quadcopter in Bagh sector along the Line of Control on Tuesday. Defence spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, in his official twitter handle, also said that not even a quadcopter will be allowed to cross the Line of Control (LoC). "Pakistan Army troops shot down Indian Spy Quadcopter in Bagh Sector along Line of Control. Not even a quadcopter will be allowed to cross LOC," he tweeted along with a picture of the drone. PTI SMJ SMJ (Eds: Updating with combining related stories, Hasina's quotes) Dhaka, Jan 1 (PTI) The newly-elected lawmakers in Bangladesh will be sworn in on Thursday and a new cabinet could be formed on January 10, the ruling Awami League leaders said on Tuesday, amidst demand of re-election by jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia's BNP, which asserted that its MPs-elect will not take oath. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and its allies won the general elections on Sunday, bagging 288 of the total 299 seats which went to the polls. After her victory, Hasina said that she will be the "premier of all" Bangladeshis and her government's first priority would be to continue the economic reforms. Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which won five seats in the 300-member Parliament, has rejected the poll outcome as "farcical" and demanded fresh election. The opposition Jatiya Oikya Front - National Unity Front (NUF) - comprising the BNP and some smaller parties, criticised the Election Commission (EC) and accused its chief of being biased. The EC, however, ruled out holding fresh polls. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the newly-elected lawmakers will be sworn in to Parliament on January 3 (Thursday), Dhaka Tribune reported. A gazette notification will be issued on Wednesday, he said. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said his party is optimistic about forming a new cabinet on January 10, which is celebrated as Bangladesh founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's homecoming day. "After the landslide victory, Awami League is hopeful that new cabinet members will take their oath on January 10 to mark the historic day," he said. The BNP, alleging irregularities and vote rigging, said the party's MPs-elect will not take oath as they have already rejected the results, the Daily Star reported. The party took the decision at a meeting of its standing committee held at its chairperson's Gulshan office, the paper said. "We have rejected the polls results. We will also continue our legal battle and action programmes," BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. Alamgir, who won from the Bogura-6 constituency, said it has been proved that a credible election is not possible under any partisan government. "The government using state machinery conducted such a farcical election that I think is the most stigmatised election in the country ever," he told reporters, alleging that most of the new voters were denied their right to vote. BNP's ally Gonoforum, which won two seats, said all the opposition candidates will submit a memorandum to the Election Commission on Thursday demanding re-election under a nonpartisan administration immediately. Jatiya Oikyafront Convener and Gonoforum chief Kamal Hossain made the announcement after a meeting of top brass of the opposition alliance. "Countrymen witnessed and perceived it well how a farcical drama was staged in the name of election on December 30... Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League and its loyal Election Commission have shown the world how to destroy the election system of an independent and sovereign country," Hossain said in a statement. He said though the results show the Awami League as the winner, 17 crore people of Bangladesh have lost. "Through it our much expected democracy has been buried," Hossain claimed. Prime Minister Hasina brushed aside the Opposition's allegations of vote rigging, saying "if there had been any allegation, the Election Commission would have cancelled voting in the centre immediately". She said one or two incidents of irregularities out of a total of 40,000 voting centres did not make the whole election unfair. The 71-year-old leader said the priority of her new government will be to complete the programmes that have already been undertaken. "We have okayed different projects, we have to work on them. Now, the most important thing is to ensure the safety and security of our people," she said. She also said that her party does not believe in the politics of revenge. "Rather, Awami League works for the development of people considering them as human being once it gets elected," she said. "They [people] wanted continuity of the government, development for which they overwhelmingly voted for us," she said. While Hasina secured an overall fourth term as the prime minister, her 73-year-old arch-rival Zia, who is reportedly partially paralysed, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail where she is lodged after her conviction in corruption cases. Zia's BNP has been out of power for 12 years. It boycotted the 10th general elections in 2014. PTI CPS/MRJ ZH ZH Colombo, Jan 1 (PTI) Sri Lankan Army chief Lt General Mahesh Senanayake said on Tuesday that the military would commit itself to activate the national reconciliation mechanism in 2019 by helping redress the issues of the victims of the three-decade long civil war. In his New Year message, he pledged that civilian lands held by the state in the country's Northern and Eastern provinces would be legally handed back to their owners this year, further demonstrating the army's commitment to achieve long lasting peace. Sri Lanka witnessed three-decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during which the military occupied civilian lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces for military purposes. Since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, a considerable part of private lands were released to the original owners. However, Tamils demand that civilian lands held for military purposes be fully released to their original owners. General Senanayake also recalled the relief work undertaken by his troops in last month's floods in the former conflict areas as examples of the army's commitment to serve the war affected area and its people. Due to heavy rains and floods in five districts of the Northern Province on 22 December, 75,000 people had been affected. The army and the navy were deployed to provide relief and they rescued a number of people. The army's conduct during the floods came in for high praise from the Tamil civilians in the North while some Tamil politician branded its action as an effort to justify their occupation of Tamil areas. The army has faced criticism for the alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the military conflict with the LTTE. The LTTE's military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland collapsed in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader V Prabhakaran. The UN Human Right Council has passed resolutions calling for war time accountability blamed both on the army and the former rebels. PTI CORR ZH ZH Mumbai, Jan 1 (PTI) Filmmaker David Dhawan Tuesday remembered veteran writer-actor Kader Khan as the "king of writing emotions" and a performer who believed in improvisation. Khan and Dhawan delivered some of the biggest hits of '90s and early 2000s including "Shola aur Shabnam", "Hero No 1", "Coolie No 1", "Aunty No 1", "Haseena Maan Jayegi" and "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" among numerous others. "He has done such a great work. He was a fine writer and an actor as well. He played his innings very well. I have enjoyed working with him. He was so talented," Dhawan told PTI. Khan passed away Monday evening after prolonged illness in Toronto, Canada, where he was hospitalised. He was 81. Recalling his first meeting with Khan during the making of "Bol Radha Bol" in 1992, the director said the actor-writer was a professional par excellence. "I remember going and meeting him first in 1992 during 'Bol Radha Bol' and he was such a big star then. When he used to hear the story and discuss scenes he was so professional and humble. He used to give suggestions and improvise a lot. He contributed a lot in my journey," he added. Dhawan said, as a writer Khan had the flair of penning emotional and dramatic sequences. "I remember when I used to get stuck with a scene, he would write the scene and perform it spectacularly. He used to write lovely lines especially for emotional and dramatic scenes. He was the king of writing emotions." The director said, even though people in the film industry loved Khan, he never got the credit he deserved. "...He has played a great innings and I salute him. I feel the credit he should have got, he did not get. Film industry people have always loved him. He used to believe in enjoying his work to the fullest," he said. Dhawan's son, actor Varun also paid homage to Khan saying his contribution to his father's cinema was "limitless". "RIP Kader Khan saab. One of my inspirations and a truly iconic actor, writer and stage artist. His contribution to my father's cinema was limitless just like his talent. You will truly be missed by everyone," he wrote on Twitter. PTI KKP SHD RDS SHD SHD Mumbai, Jan 1 (PTI) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan Tuesday paid homage to his frequent collaborator veteran actor-writer Kader Khan, who passed away on December 31 due to prolonged illness. Bachchan, who has worked with Khan in blockbusters such as "Do Aur Do Paanch", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Mr. Natwarlal", "Suhaag", "Coolie" and "Shahenshah", took to Twitter to remember the multifaceted personality. "Kader Khan passes away. Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. "A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician," Bachchan wrote. Khan was admitted to a hospital in Canada and his actor son Sarfaraz confirmed the news of his demise. He had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. Actor Manoj Bajpayee also paid respects to the actor-writer. "Rest in peace Kader Khan saheb," Bajpayee tweeted. PTI SHD RDS SHD SHD Kolkata, Jan 1 (PTI) Celebrated filmmaker Mrinal Sen, the last of the triumvirate of directing icons, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, was cremated here on Tuesday in the presence of eminent film personalities. Sen's funeral took place after the arrival of his son Kunal from Chicago on Tuesday early morning. His mortal remains were moved from Peace World mortuary to Keoratala crematorium. The procession was a low key affair as desired by the filmmaker, his son, who addressed him as 'bondhu' (friend), said. "Bondhu (Sen) had often told me there should not be any hype surrounding his death. He had asked me to see wreaths don't pile up on his body and it is not kept in any of the state-run cultural complexes like 'Nandan' or 'Rabindra Sadan'. He had said that he hated such things," Kunal said. Actor-director Anjan Dutt, who was introduced in movies by Sen with "Chaalchitra" in 1981, actor Ranjit Mallick, who made a debut in Bengali cinema with Sen's "Interview", Ray's son, director Sandi Ray, Sen's favourite actor Sreela Majumder, veteran actor Madhabi Mukhopadhyay, director Aparna Sen and Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee attended the last rites. Actor Nandita Das was also present along with CPI(M) leaders Biman Bose, Sujan Chakraborty and others. Sen had breathed his last at his Bhawanipore residence on Sunday after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments. He was 95. The auteur, who started the new wave of Indian cinema with "Bhuvan Shome" released in 1969, was one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the country and had brought recognition to the country's film industry on international platforms. His 1982 Bengali film "Kharij" had won the jury prize at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. PTI SUS KK SHD RDS New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar Monday gave a monetary award of Rs 1 lakh to the food delivery boy who saved lives of 10 persons during the fire incident at Mumbai's ESIC hospital. Gangwar honoured Siddrameshwar Siddharam Humanabade, a food delivery boy who has acted as a saviour in helping the fire victims of the tragic fire accident at ESIC Hospital at Andheri, Mumbai on December 17, 2018, the labour ministry said in a release. He saved lives of 10 persons beyond the call of his duty, it further said. "It is also praiseworthy to mention that Siddrameshwar contiuned his selfless service for rescuing the victims until he started feeling uncomfortable due to inhaling of toxic gases due to the fire. In recognition of his courage, selfless nature and missionay zeal, I am also pleased to reward Siddrameshwar a sum of Rs 1 lakh," Gangwar said. Though not an employee of ESIC, Siddrameshwar has set an example for the whole ESIC team working in hospitals and other units and to the country as a whole in times of such crisis, the minister added. The massive fire at ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri killed nine people. PTI KPM MKJ New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The Railway ministry has decided to take disciplinary action against Union minister Jitendra Singh's OSD for casting aspersions against its minister Piyush Goyal and questioning the wisdom of senior government officials in an article, according to official documents. Railway Board Secretary Ranjanesh Sahai has written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) asking for the immediate repatriation of Sanjiv Kumar, a 2005 batch officer of the Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) for "breach of official decorum and misconduct". Kumar is the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Jitendra Singh, who holds multiple portfolios, including minister of state in the Prime Ministers Office and for Development of North Eastern Region. A case of breach of official decorum and misconduct of Sanjiv Kumar, IRPS, has been brought to the notice of railway board. Sanjiv Kumar has authored an article, published by www.railsamachar.com and www.nationalwheels.com, Sahai wrote in his letter to the DoPT. The article, besides being in bad taste, questions the wisdom of senior functionaries of the level of secretary to the government of India and also casts aspersions on the Minister of Railways (Piyush Goyal), it said. it is proposed to take up the officer under the Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1968. You would appreciate that a misconduct of this nature and that too in the public domain would send a wrong message all around and encourage indiscipline in the service, the letter dated December 28, 2018, said. Sahai asked DoPT Secretary C Chandramouli to consider immediate repatriation of Sanjiv Kumar, IRPS, to this ministry for taking action as deemed appropriate. It added that the issue had the approval of the Railway Board chairman. Ashwani Lohani retired as Railway Board chairman on Monday. Kumar has been vocal in raising concerns related to the alleged wrong functioning of some wings of the Railway ministry. The article written by Kumar clearly mentions that all is not good in the Railway ministry. It needs immediate intervention of the Prime Ministers Office, said an officer requesting anonymity. The Railway ministry has internally transferred another officer for allegedly raising concerns on cadre related issues. Chetan Prakash Jain, a 1994 batch IRPS officer, executive director, Establishment (GC) has been appointed executive director, Establishment (G), which officials say is a less significant charge. Anand Singh Khati has been appointed in his post, officials said, citing an order. On December 14, Jain, along with some other officials, presented a memorandum to Singh, who is also minister of state for Personnel, saying the Railway Board has not agreed with the recommendation of Cadre Review Committee (CRC) for keeping the post of 'member staff' exclusively for IRPS officers. IRPS officers and senior Railway Board functionaries were at loggerheads after the letter, officials said. PTI AKV AKV MIN MIN New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The government has proposed a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore on entities that violate the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, with an additional fine of up to Rs 10 lakh per day in case of continuous non-compliance, sources said. Amid privacy concerns over Aadhaar, amendments have been planned in the Act, under which the government also proposes to arm the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) with more powers, similar to that of regulators, sources said. The Aadhaar Act, at present, does not empower the body to take enforcement action against errant entities in the Aadhaar ecosystem. Children, holding Aadhaar, will have the option of cancellation of the 12 digit biometric identifier within a period of six months of attaining 18 years of age. The consent of a parent or guardian will be must for enrolling a child, while no child will be denied any subsidy, benefits or services for lack of Aadhaar, as per the proposed changes. The proposed amendments also make provision for 'Virtual ID' and voluntary and offline modes of using Aadhaar. A bill to amend the Aadhaar Act, the Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Besides, the government also plans to set up a UIDAI fund under the Aadhaar Act and has proposed that the authority be exempt from taxes on income. Mooting fines for violation of the Aadhaar Act, the draft provisions say that a new section will be added to provide for civil penalties which may extend to Rs 1 crore for each contravention on failure to comply with provisions of the Act, rules, regulations and directions by any entity in the Aadhaar ecosystem. The Aadhaar ecosystem includes enrolling agencies, registrars, requesting entities, offline verification seeking entities and any other entity or group as may be specified by regulations. It further mooted an additional penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for each day of continuing non-compliance after the first contravention. Punishment for unauthorised access to the Central Identities Data Repository as well as data tampering is proposed to be extended to 10 years each from the current three years. According to sources, the government is keen to give UIDAI regulatory powers, considering the fact that over 122 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued across the country but the authority does not currently have powers to take enforcement actions against errant entities. There will be a provision to file appeal before the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal), and against the orders of TDSAT an appeal can be made in the Supreme Court. The government also plans to amend the Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to provide for voluntary use of Aadhaar for obtaining SIMs and opening bank accounts. The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in September last year, had upheld the constitutional validity of 'Aadhaar' but limited the scope of the controversial biometric identity project, ruling it is not mandatory for bank accounts, mobile connections or school admissions. Holding there was nothing in the Aadhaar Act that violates right to privacy of an individual, the SC had cleared the use of Aadhaar (world's largest biometric ID programme) for welfare schemes. The court had held that Aadhaar will remain mandatory for filing of Income Tax (IT) returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN) but struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 that permitted private entities like telecom companies or other corporate to avail of the biometric Aadhaar data. Following this, the Cabinet last month approved amendments to Aadhaar Act, the Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. PTI MBI RKL MKJ New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Jet fuel price Tuesday was cut by a record 14.7 per cent on the back of decline in international rates, making it cheaper than both petrol and diesel. The price of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) -- used to power airplanes -- was slashed by Rs 9,990 per kilolitre, or 14.7 per cent, to Rs 58,060.97 per kl, according to price notification issued by state-owned oil firms. This is the second straight monthly reduction in rates and the biggest single cut ever. Prices were slashed by Rs 8,327.83 per kl, or 10.9 per cent, on December 1. The two consecutive price reduction has brought ATF rates to their lowest levels in a year and will provide much-needed relief to cash-strapped airlines. Rates are now cheaper than both petrol and diesel in most parts of the country and it is less expensive than even non-PDS kerosene in cities like Mumbai. A litre of petrol, used in motorcycles and cars, costs Rs 68.65 in Delhi as compared to Rs 58,060.97 per kl or Rs 58.06 per litre price for ATF. A litre of diesel, which is mostly used as fuel in trucks and buses, comes for Rs 62.66. ATF costs just a shade higher than the price charged for kerosene sold through non-PDS (public distribution system) outlets in Delhi. Non-PDS in Delhi is priced at Rs 56.59 per litre. ATF in Mumbai, home to one of the busiest airport in the country, costs Rs 58,017.33 per kl or Rs 58.01 per litre. A litre of petrol in the city costs Rs 74.30 and diesel is priced at Rs 65.56 per litre. It costs less than even non-PDS kerosene in the city which is sold at Rs 59.53 a litre. Rates vary from city to city depending on local taxes. Continuing its downward march, petrol price Tuesday was cut by 19 paise a litre and diesel rates were reduced by 20 paise. Petrol now costs Rs 68.65 a litre in Delhi and diesel is priced at Rs 62.66. Rates have been on the decline since October 18 and cumulatively prices have been cut by Rs 14.18 per litre in case of petrol and Rs 13.03 a litre for diesel. State-owned fuel retailers revise rates of ATF on 1st of every month based on average international oil rate and rupee-US dollar exchange rate in the preceding month. Petrol and diesel prices are revised on a daily basis. PTI ANZ BAL In the past one year, countries like Britain and United States have expressed their concern of numerous incidents according to them that have undermined confidence in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule. Today thousands of demonstrators marched in favour of full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China in the face of what many see as a marked clampdown by the Communist Party on local freedoms. Incidents that affect freedoms in Hong Kong include arresting of activists, a ban on a pro-independence political party, the de facto expulsion of a Western journalist and barring democracy activists from contesting local elections. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula, with the promise of a high degree of autonomy and universal suffrage as an "ultimate aim". The city is touted to have one of the most robust judicial systems. But recent accusations of politicizations of certain legal cases, has caused this reputation to come under a cloud. The march saw 5,800 people coming out, with calls to restart stalled democratic reforms and to fight "political repression" from Beijing."Looking back at the year that passed, it was a very bad year ... The rule of law in Hong Kong is falling backwards," said Jimmy Sham, one of the organisers. Some of the protestors denounced a move by China for constructing a high speed railway station in Hong Kong, which would be considered as the mainland and be governed by mainland laws. 100 independent activists joined the march, despite authorities clamping down hard on the city's fringe, pro-independence movement. China considers Hong Kong to be an inalienable part of its territory, and denounces "separatists" as a threat to national sovereignty. In the past, movements like this have not gained much momentum. Joshua Wong, one of the democracy activists jailed last year, said, We have encountered many difficulties last year, including some of us being sued and jailed, but we will stand with Hong Kong people, Mr. Wong said. We will fight for the rule of law, fight for Hong Kong, fight for the future, fight for the next generations. China's reach of security apparatus was another main worry according to some protestors. Despite their show of defiance, they fear that Hong Kong would continue to be squeezed by Beijing. Hong Kong authorities banned a political group, the Hong Kong National Party, for its pro- independence stance on national security grounds. A western journalist, Victor Mallet, was also effectively expelled from Hong Kong, soon after he hosted a talk at a press club by the head of the National Party. Some protesters also carried "wanted" posters of Hong Kong's top legal official, Theresa Cheng, criticising a decision to drop a corruption investigation into Hong Kong's former pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying, without a satisfactory explanation. Joseph Cheng, a veteran rights campaigner said "We're going to face a few difficult years, but we must stand firm ... Unlike in mainland China, at least we can still protest." BJP alleges that many of its workers have been killed in the violence Web Desk In a first, lakhs of women stood should-to-shoulder across the national highways, creating a 620 km-long human 'wall' from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip here on Tuesday as part of a state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality. The event comes days after thousands of devotees lit 'Ayyappa Jyothies' (lighting of sacred lamps) and lined up from Hosangadi in Kasargod to Kanyakumari, vowing to protect the age-old customs and traditions of Sabarimala. On Tuesday, women from various walks of lifewriters, athletes, actors, politicians and techies, government officials and homemakers stood across the highways crisscrossing through the 14 districts in the state as the event commenced at 4 pm. Expressing solidarity, thousands of men also lined up parallel forming a second human 'wall'. The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. The event is part of an initiative to protect secular values, gender equality and to spread a message against those trying to push society into the dark ages, organisers of the programme said. Before the formal start of the event, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan garlanded the statue of social reformer 'Ayyankali'. Women participate in "Vanita Mathil" in Kannur | M.T. Vidhuraj CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat and CPI leader Annie Raja also paid floral tributes at the statue. Vijayan had earlier expressed confidence that women, cutting across lines of caste and religion, would join the 'wall' to save Kerala from being "dragged back into the era of darkness." CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had earlier said that 50 lakh women were expected to take part in the event. Health minister K.K. Shylaja led the 'Women's Wall' at Kasaragod and Karat was the last person at the end at Vellayambalam here. School students were given half-day holiday, while universities postponed exams scheduled for Tuesday. The government employees and Technopark employees were allegedly asked to take part in the event, which the main opposition Congress-led UDF dubbed "caste wall" and "wall of contradictions". The participants began lining up at the designated centres since 3 pm. A rehearsal was also held. The 'wall' was formed at 4 pm, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The campaign was suggested at a meeting called by the LDF government following massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. The police have arrested a second man in connection with the fatal attack on a police officer in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh during mob violence on December 3. The man, police said, had attacked Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh with an axe and chopped off a couple of his fingers and also caused a head wound. The officer was subsequently shot dead. Police identified Kalua as the man who attacked the inspector with the axe. On December 28, they had arrested Prashant Nutt for pulling the trigger on Singh. The inspector was part of a team which was called in to control a mob that had become violent after more than 20 cows were found slaughtered in the outskirts of a village. Subodh Kumar was attacked by the villagers who hit him with rocks and beat him with sticks. His car was chased to the field where he was attacked by Kalua and shot by Nutt. The inspector's body was found in an SUV in the middle of a field. Another village youth, too, was killed in the mob violence. Its the Trump-GOP tax laws first anniversary and the wealthy are celebrating like it was Christmas all year, which it basically was for them. Working families, on the other hand, are less festive this holiday season: they werent invited to the party but are expected to pay for it. The so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Trump last Dec. 22. The plan was misleadingly sold as a boon to the middle class despite ample evidence that it really catered to the well-off and well-connected. After 12 months, its clear the warnings were right: the real winners are big corporations and the rich. But working families havent just been left behindtheyve been left holding the bag. Another falsehood asserted by the laws backers was that the huge package of tax cuts would somehow pay for itself. But its not: just as youd expect, cutting taxes has reduced revenue, which in turn has increased deficits. As a result, federal debt will balloon by nearly $2 trillion. Even though working families got relatively little from the tax law, theyre the ones expected to pick up the tab. Conservative politicians have announced they plan to combat the deficits their wealthy tax cuts helped cause with funding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other public services vital to the well-being of working Americans. Another way workers are paying for the TCJA is through outsourcing encouraged by new corporate tax rules. American corporations are now effectively charged half the U.S. tax rate on foreign profits as on domestic ones. Another part of the law says the more factories corporations build overseas, the lower the taxes they pay on their foreign profits. Its a recipe for American layoffs, which is just what General Motors has done by outsourcing production of the Chevy Blazer to Mexico and laying off nearly 15,000 workers in North America. The figures behind all this unfairness are striking. This year over a fifth (21 percent) of the tax cuts are going to the richest 1 percent, who on average are expected to get a tax cut of $50,000. By the time the TCJA is fully implemented nine years from now, the share going to the top 1 percent will jump to an eye-popping 83 percent. The corporate tax rate was cut by two-fifths, falling from 35 percent to 21 percent. As a result, corporations have paid $92 billion less in taxes in 2018 than in 2017a drop of almost a third. The corporate tax cuts helped push up the deficit to nearly $780 billion while giving rocket fuel to corporate profits. Another false promise of the TCJAs supporters was that corporate tax cuts would filter through to working families via higher wages. President Trump specifically guaranteed them a $4,000 raise. But thats not happening: so far only 4 percent of employees have gotten any kind of pay bump tied to the tax law, according an Americans for Tax Fairness study. Nationwide, real hourly wages are up less than 1 percent over the past year. Those tax-cut-boosted corporate profits are instead going in a more familiar direction: into the pockets of wealthy shareholders and powerful CEOs. Since the day their taxes were slashed by the GOP, corporations have announced more than $1 trillion in stock buybacks. Buybacks are a Wall Street strategy that inflates share prices, further enriching the already rich. Prescription drug companies are spending about $65 billion on stock buybacks for CEOs and wealthy shareholders. Not a dime has gone to lower consumer drug prices. One of the most disastrous effects of the Trump-GOP tax cuts is the potential gutting of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The tax law zeroed out the ACA penalty requiring people who do not purchase private health insurance to pay a tax. Getting rid of this requirement saved $314 billion, which was used to help finance Trumps corporate tax cuts. Now, an activist GOP judge in Texas has seized on that provision to declare the entire ACA unconstitutional. If upheld, his decision will result in 17 million people losing private health insurance and Medicaid and eliminate protections for 130 million with pre-existing conditions. The wealthy dont need another reason to pop the champagne this New Years Eve over the TCJA: they started partying before the presidents signature was even dry. But for the rest of us, the first anniversary of the Trump-GOP tax law is a good time to start trying to repeal everything thats wrong with it. Frank Clemente is executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness. The angry Albertan has struck again. And he sounds like this. Were mad as hell and were not going to take it anymore. The rest of Canada owes us big time. Trudeau is deliberately wrecking our province. Not exactly the smartest way to win hearts and minds across the country but anger has a way of blotting out intelligence. Regardless, there certainly is a lot of explosive anger in Alberta these days. And a lot of people who should know better are willing to throw a match at it. The anger stems from frustration over stalled oil pipeline construction; pipelines that were supposed to ship Albertas plentiful oil supplies to the United States and other export markets. They are in limbo mainly because of objections from environmental and Indigenous activists, which have been upheld by the courts. When combined with other complications in the U.S oil market it means Albertas oil is fetching next to nothing compared to the usual benchmark prices. Understandably, this makes a lot of people mad because so many of them depend on a thriving oil industry for well paying work. So its not surprising that we have seen large protest rallies, especially when Liberal politicians are in the vicinity (always a handy target in Alberta), and noisy truck convoys in rural regions where the petroleum industry is the only game in town. And, of course, we are hearing more from the separation bogey man who always seems to pop up at times like this. But this time we have the elite, our so-called leading lights, leading the separation band wagon. First there was Brett Wilson, who raked in millions of dollars selling equities in oil and gas companies and went on to become a celebrity with CBCs Dragons Den. Wilson took up the separation cudgel by tweeting that although he wasnt a separatist, the Liberal party was collaborating to push Alberta and Saskatchewan out of confederation. In other words: Alberta is so alienated and oppressed we might as well separate. Wilson has also absurdly tweeted that Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation are guilty of treason because of their opposition to oil pipelines. And then Jack Mintz chimed in with an op-ed in the Financial Post in which he declared that Alberta had a better case for exiting Canada than Britain does for exiting the EU. Mintz was the president and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute at one time and then went on to become director of the University of Calgarys School of Public Policy. He is also sits on the board of Imperial Oil. That would be the same Imperial Oil that is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, the giant multinational that deliberately buried early evidence of global warming due to carbon emissions. Whatever negatives Alberta would face are easily swamped by the positives that would come with separation, Mintz wrote. Jason Kenney, one-time federal Conservative cabinet minister and now leader of Albertas official opposition, doesnt endorse separation. But hes happy to stoke the flames. Within days of the court ruling in August that put the brakes on construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline, Kenney told a national TV audience that he had never heard so many people in Alberta talk about separation. I am even hearing it from educated, urban professional women who are saying the country isnt working anymore and I understand that frustration, Kenney said. Naturally, those women were not identified. Like Wilson, Kenney also has it in for environmentalists and has pledged to set up a war room to deal with them should he be elected premier. Wilson, Mintz and Kenney never explain how separation or threatening to withdraw Albertas contribution to equalization payments would hasten pipeline construction. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Thankfully, a recent opinion poll indicates that the majority of Albertans dont buy into separation, which, if it were to happen, would leave most Albertans swamped while people like Wilson, Mintz and Kenney would remain high and dry. Like many other people, they have all done well by Alberta. Surely they could come up with a better solution for its current predicament than threats of separation. Read more about: Mattan Lustgarten lives in his aunts basement and he loves it. I am fortunate to have such generous family, says the 26-year-old surgical resident at the University of Toronto. As my aunt says, its a mutually beneficial relationship. In the rare moments when we have time, its nice to have a coffee together, bounce ideas off one another, or talk family matters. Lustgarten doesnt pay rent. Instead he helps out around the house with groceries, cooking and home improvement. This summer I spent several weeks renovating a section of the basement into a kitchenette, he says. Living in his aunts Seaton Village basement has not only allowed him to become closer to his cousins who live upstairs; its also enabled him to start paying off his student debt. Whats wrong with this picture? Nothing, of course, except that it contradicts nearly every stereotype still pervasive in our culture about the kind of person who resides in a basement apartment, particularly one belonging to a family member. Basement dweller is synonymous with many stereotypes, few of them positive: arrested development, unkemptness, internet trolling. Our media seems to pump out cliches about the nameless guy in the basement or, more common these days the nameless millennial in the basement on a near-daily basis. Theres this stereotype of lazy, unhealthy people that are basement dwellers who only come into the light when they have to, says Ally Buso, a student at Humber College who rents a basement apartment for $1,200 a month (utilities included) in Parkdale. Read more: 2,773 applicants, 75 units: Inside Torontos affordable housing lottery Millennials and seniors room together as response to Vancouvers housing crisis Opinion | Emma Teitel: Parents of millennials providing more than financial assistance on home buying This assumption annoys Buso, not only because it is inherently classist (basement apartments tend to be cheaper), but because its also grossly inaccurate in a rental climate where compromise is essential. I know a lot of people I went to school with who turned their noses up at the idea of living in a basement apartment, says Buso. I find it frustrating because in this market, you dont have a ton of choice. Sometimes you have to take what you can get, and a lot of the time a basement apartment is that. How about you? Put another way, people willing to compromise on certain features like natural light and higher ceilings in order to save money are usually the opposite of lazy. They are, like Lustgarten, proactive and practical. This doesnt exactly fit the stereotype of the nameless millennial ingrate chowing down on Cheetos in an underground lair. Not that there is anything wrong with Cheetos, but perhaps its time we retired the basement dweller cliche for good. Yes, there are probably lazy, anti-social, internet trolls living below ground in this city. But we know very well that such people live above ground, too, in penthouses and, since January 2017, in the White House. Its essential that we put these cliches to bed not just because they are annoying but because our city is facing a housing crisis, and basements may be a small but effective means of chipping away at that crisis. They are a really important source of affordable housing supply and its unfortunate that so many of them are illegal, says Janet Mason, a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Mason is referring to the fact that many secondary suites in Toronto are illegal because homeowners have to jump through regulatory hoops to get them approved by the city. Housing advocates hope city council loosens some of these rules so that more legal, affordable basement units can make their way onto the market. In the meantime, Andrea Ferguson, a sales rep with Core Realty Group Inc., advises renters not to be dismissive of basements outright. They can be bright and spacious, and what they lack they can often make up in affordability. I would proceed with caution, though ensure there are at least two means of egress, adequate windows and light, and that there is air intake and outtake. Or, if youre Barb Macfarlane, you might ensure your unit is warm and dark. Macfarlane, 56, loves the features most of us loathe about basements because, she tells me, shes mildly agoraphobic. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... I feel very unsafe when Im out in big open areas, she says. Macfarlane attributes a significant recent improvement in her mental health to her Mimico basement apartment by the lake. She can hear the water from her unit and sometimes a squirrel sits outside her window and waits for her to pop a peanut through the screen. A lot of people dont like the dark, but Im the opposite. This time of year in my basement is absolute heaven. This apartment is never super-bright. Its always very warm and cosy and kind of like (Im) curled up in a little nest. Im so incredibly happy at the change in myself in the last couple of years and a lot of that has to do with my unit. I can go out now because I know Ive got this wonderful, safe little welcoming place to come home to. Basements: theyre not for everyone, but theyre everything to some. The nerdiest New Years party in the solar system happened 6.5 billion kilometres from Earth, where a lone, intrepid spacecraft just flew past the farthest object humans have ever explored. There was no champagne in this dim and distant region, where a halo of icy worlds called the Kuiper belt circles the outermost edge of the solar system. There were no renditions of Auld Lang Syne (in space, no one can hear you sing). But there was a minivan-size spacecraft called New Horizons. And there was a puny, primitive object called Ultima Thule, a rocky relic of the solar systems origins, whose name means beyond the borders of the known world. At New Horizons birthplace, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, scores of space scientists gathered Tuesday morning to wait for the signal confirming that New Horizons had survived its encounter with Ultima Thule. The call came at 10:31 a.m. EST: The spacecrafts systems were working. Its cameras and recorder were pointed in the right direction. We have a healthy spacecraft, mission operations manager Alice Bowman announced. We have just completed the most distant flyby. We are ready for Ultima Thule science transmission science to help us understand the origins of our solar system. At mission control, and in an APL auditorium where the rest of the science team was watching, people jumped from their seats and broke into cheers. The borders of the known world had just been pushed a little bit farther. It had been 30 years since the mission to the outer reaches of the solar system was first conceived. Thirteen years since New Horizons launched from Kennedy Space Center, speeding away from Earth faster than any probe had traveled before. Three years since the spacecrafts famous and fateful encounter with Pluto, when it revealed the distant dwarf planet to be a complex and colorful world. And it had been 10 hours since 12:33 a.m., when the spacecraft was supposed to make the closest approach to its target. At this moment, while were speaking, New Horizons is taking its riskiest observation, project scientist Alan Stern said in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Most other Earthlings had already counted down til midnight and popped their champagne, but at APL, the assembled scientists, their family and friends were still waiting. Way out in the Kuiper belt, they knew, Ultima Thule was growing larger in New Horizons field of view, glowing like a full moon. Thirty seconds to flyby, Stern said. Are you ready? Are you psyched? Are you jazzed? Twenty seconds. Ten. And then Stern raised his hand in the air while confetti fell from the ceiling. The crowd cheered. New Horizons is at Ultima Thule, Stern proclaimed. Or so he hoped. The spacecraft was still too busy conducting observations to send any information home. When it did beam out a status update, the immense distance from Ultima Thule meant it took more than six hours for the light to reach Earth. The scientists did not know until Tuesday morning whether New Horizons had succeeded. It will take days to resolve the first sharp images, and months for all the data collected during the encounter to finally stream down. But somewhere out in the dusky, dusty expanse of the Kuiper belt, New Horizons is already speeding further into the distance, Ultima Thule shrinking in the rear view. This is the biggest and busiest moment for the New Horizons team since its spacecraft soared past Pluto three years ago, capturing detailed close-up photos of the distant dwarf planet. Helene Winters, the missions project manager, said spacecraft operators have been subsisting on chocolate and sleeping on air mattresses at the APL so they could make the most of every minute until New Horizons reached its target. Navigators kept a watchful eye out for potential hazards, which can be hard to spot in this faraway corner of the solar system. Asked whether she thought she would be able to sleep Monday night, Winters laughed. Ask me again tomorrow. The following morning, New Horizonss operators sat in mission control, anxious. Data from the Deep Space Network, a chain of radio antennas NASA uses to communicate with distant spacecraft, was displayed on their screens. Bowman sat with her hands folded, leaning toward her computer. In lock with telemetry, Bowman said. In the APL auditorium, where the rest of the team and their families were watching, the crowd erupted in cheers. Next came the status check: Planning nominal. Power green. Solid state recorders pointed right where NASA wanted them. The spacecraft was healthy. New Horizons had done it. Bowman grinned. It was a fitting end to a celebration that began the night before. The scene at APL was somewhere between a New Years party, a scientific conference, and a comic book convention. Researchers gave talks about the history of the early solar system. Scientists and their guests munched on crudites in a room lit with sparkling blue lights. Small children up long past their bedtimes scurried between chairs and sneaked cookies from the buffet. This is like a dream come true, said Chuck Fields, a podcast producer from Indianapolis who drove nine hours to attend Mondays event. He was dressed in a blindingly bright blazer and tie bearing images of planets, galaxies and the sun. His wife, Dawn, wore matching pants. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... You can find anything on Amazon, Dawn said with a laugh. Alan (Stern) said this was going to be a celebration, Chuck added. So it was like, okay, lets celebrate! Benjamin Holder, 5, pored over an image of New Horizons and the distant rock it was due to encounter. I used to have a cat named Toolie, Benjamin said. But the Thule rock that youre looking for is not named after my cat. His uncle, Erik Lessac-Chenen, stifled a laugh. As a member of the spacecrafts optical-navigation team, he had devoted the better part of the past year and a half to tracking down that Thule rock. NASA nodded to the (entirely coincidental) timing of the encounter by counting down to 12 a.m. and distributing plastic cups of champagne. Then astrophysicist Brian May, better known as lead guitarist for the rock band Queen, debuted a song he wrote for the occasion. Im not nervous, Stern said, with minutes to go until the encounter. No, no, no. Well find out how it all went in the morning. New Horizons is the first NASA mission designed specifically to explore the outer solar system a region that Stern calls a scientific wonderland. Out in the Kuiper belt, where sunlight is 0.05 percent as strong as it is on Earth and temperatures hover close to absolute zero, the primitive building blocks of planets have persisted unchanged for 4.6 billion years. This is history-making, what were doing, in more ways than one, Stern said. Every image sent back from New Horizons is the most distant photograph ever taken. Each maneuver is further than anything NASA has done before. Ultima Thule is also among the most primitive objects ever explored. Unlike planets, which are transformed by geologic forces in their interiors, and asteroids, which are heated by the sun, Ultima Thule is thought to have existed in a deep freeze since it first formed. It is probably the best time capsule weve ever had for understanding the birth of our solar system and the planets in it, Stern said. The encounter with Ultima Thule is among the more difficult feats NASA has attempted. The great distances from Earth and the sun mean that scientists must put up with a long communications lag, and instruments must operate with very little light. Ultima Thule was discovered four years ago, and its orbit and surroundings still arent well known. And New Horizons is a 13-year-old vehicle; its power generator produces just a quarter as much wattage as a lightbulb, which means operators must carefully prioritize their use of remaining fuel. The sheer speeds and distances involved boggle the mind. Ultima Thule is 1 percent the size of Pluto, and New Horizons must get four times closer to image it. At the moment of closest approach, the spacecraft was moving at a breathtaking 32,000 miles per hour. Its cameras had to swivel to track Ultima Thule as it passed by; otherwise, all it would see is a blur amid the black. The New Horizons team had several experiments planned for the brief encounter. Particle and dust detectors were programmed to probe the environment around Ultima Thule. The spacecrafts three cameras took images in color and black and white in an effort to map the tiny world and determine its composition. Deputy project scientist John Spencer said Monday that he is especially interested in those detailed color photos, which could illuminate a particular mystery about cold classical Kuiper belt objects such as Ultima Thule, which never underwent dramatic geologic change. Although these rocks should be primarily made of ice, they appear reddish when viewed through the Hubble Space Telescope. It may be that the ices contain impurities that change color when struck by cosmic rays, Spencer said a possibility he hopes to pin down by looking into craters of more recently exposed material. Who knows? he said. Anything is possible when youre exploring a new class of world youve never seen before. The moment also involved an unprecedented radio science experiment. Six hours before the moment of closest approach, the dishes of the Deep Space Network which NASA uses to communicate with far-flung spacecraft blasted a powerful radio signal in Ultima Thules direction. The signal was timed to arrive at the rock at the same time New Horizons does on Jan. 1, allowing the spacecraft to study how those radio waves get reflected off its surface. As APL staff began to set out plastic cups for champagne Monday night, those signals were racing toward their rendezvous with New Horizons and Ultima Thule a message from an old year on this world, to the next year on a new one. JAKARTA, INDONESIAAuthorities say a landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed at least five people and left 38 others missing on Indonesias main island of Java. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said soldiers, police and volunteers fanned out Tuesday across a damaged village of Sirnaresmi in West Javas Sukabumi district to search the dislodged earth for possible victims. The mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late Monday buried 30 houses, leaving 61 people displaced. Nugroho said the rescuers have retrieved five bodies and pulled three injured people from the mud and rushed them to a hospital. Seasonal rains in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. Read more about: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York took aim at U.S. President Donald Trumps immigration policies Monday, issuing pardons to 22 immigrants who were at risk of deportation or blocked from citizenship because of criminal convictions. The governor also commuted the sentences of seven people currently incarcerated. While President Trump shuts down the federal government over his obsession with keeping immigrants out, New York stands strong in our support for immigrant communities, Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. These actions will help keep immigrant families together and take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York. Immigration has become a key theme in Cuomos annual clemency grants, responding to what he has called a war on our immigrant communities by the Trump administration. Mondays announcement comes a day before Cuomo is scheduled to be sworn in for a third term as governor of New York in a symbolic ceremony on Ellis Island, the historic point of entry for immigrants to the United States. This summer, he pardoned eight immigrants who faced deportation as a result of convictions for relatively minor crimes. Read more: Trump, allies back away from idea that the border wall needs to be a solid wall House Democrats have a plan to reopen government Trumps pick for attorney general once questioned value of border wall Trump has made limiting immigration a prime focus of his presidency, and he is locked in a showdown with Democrats over his desire to include funding for a southern border wall in the federal budget. The resulting government shutdown has stretched into its 10th day. This years high number of pardons contrasts with Cuomos first years in office, when he issued very few, said JoAnne Page, president and chief executive of the Fortune Society, a non-profit group that helps formerly incarcerated people re-enter society. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Those pardoned Monday range in age from 33 to 75, and were mostly convicted on nonviolent drug crimes. The youngest, Kerrone Kay-Marie Parks, was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in Queens in 2013. The recipients of Cuomos commutations included Roy Bolus, 49, who was sentenced to 75 years to life for his secondary role in a drug deal that ended in the deaths of two men. Bolus is pursuing his Ph.D. in prison. Read more about: History is basically nothing but an endless loop of miserable people caked in mud slogging through slightly wetter mud. Maybe that's why "historical" films usually try to sneak in some exciting bloodletting or conspicuous nudity. You have to compensate for all those boring but historically accurate scenes of human misery somehow. But there are a few weird and wonderful (well, mostly weird) historical incidents that are way too bonkers to ever show up in a Hollywood movie. For example ... 5 A WWII Pilot Took Out Tanks With Six Bazookas Strapped To His Plane Charles Carpenter began World War II as a simple observation pilot. With no radio equipment onboard, his job was to recon German artillery positions and then fly all the way back to report them. Easier said than done. But after several simple solo missions, Carpenter had an idea. Instead of making the boring commute back every time, why not cut out the middleman and take out those damn Nazis by himself? But how was he going to do that with only a light scout plane, six bazookas, some rope, and the biggest swingin' johnson in the Air Force? Continue Reading Below Advertisement You guessed it: Carpenter strapped three handheld bazookas under each wing of his plane, then rigged up a system that would allow him to fire from his cockpit by pulling cords attached to them. Now, "Mad Major" Charlie wasn't allowed to return fire during his artillery observation, so he did it on his own dime, flying his jury-rigged plane around Germany and blowing up tanks like the three-way bastard child of MacGyver, Rambo, and the Red Baron. CHANDLER, ARIZ.The assailant slipped out of a park around noon one day in October, zeroing in on his target, which was idling at a nearby intersection a self-driving van operated by Waymo, the driverless-car company spun out of Google. He carried out his attack with an unidentified sharp object, swiftly slashing one of the tires. The suspect, identified as a white man in his 20s, then melted into the neighbourhood on foot. The slashing was one of nearly two dozen attacks on driverless vehicles over the past two years in Chandler, a city near Phoenix where Waymo started testing its vans in 2017. In ways large and small, the city has had an early look at public misgivings over the rise of artificial intelligence, with city officials hearing complaints about everything from safety to possible job losses. Some people have pelted Waymo vans with rocks, according to police reports. Others have repeatedly tried to run the vehicles off the road. One woman screamed at one of the vans, telling it to get out of her suburban neighbourhood. A man pulled up alongside a Waymo vehicle and threatened the employee riding inside with a piece of PVC pipe. In one of the more harrowing episodes, a man waved a .22-calibre revolver at a Waymo vehicle and the emergency backup driver at the wheel. He told police that he despises driverless cars, referencing the killing of a female pedestrian in March in nearby Tempe by a self-driving Uber car. There are other places they can test, said Erik OPolka, 37, who was issued a warning by police in November after multiple reports that his Jeep Wrangler had tried to run Waymo vans off the road in one case, driving head-on toward one of the self-driving vehicles until it was forced to come to an abrupt stop. His wife, Elizabeth, 35, admitted in an interview that her husband finds it entertaining to brake hard in front of the self-driving vans, and that she herself may have forced them to pull over so she could yell at them to get out of their neighbourhood. The trouble started, the couple said, when their 10-year-old son was nearly hit by one of the vehicles while he was playing in a nearby cul-de-sac. They said they need real-world examples, but I dont want to be their real-world mistake, said Erik OPolka, who runs his own company providing information technology to small businesses. They didnt ask us if we wanted to be part of their beta test, added his wife, who helps run the business. At least 21 such attacks have been levelled at Waymo vans in Chandler, as first reported by The Arizona Republic. Some analysts say they expect more such behaviour as the nation moves into a broader discussion about the potential for driverless cars to unleash colossal changes in American society. The debate touches on fears ranging from eliminating jobs for drivers to ceding control over mobility to autonomous vehicles. People are lashing out justifiably, said Douglas Rushkoff, a media theorist at City University of New York and author of the book Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus. He likened driverless cars to robotic incarnations of scabs workers who refuse to join strikes or who take the place of those on strike. Theres a growing sense that the giant corporations honing driverless technologies do not have our best interests at heart, Rushkoff said. Just think about the humans inside these vehicles, who are essentially training the artificial intelligence that will replace them. The emergency drivers in the Waymo vans that were attacked in various cases told Chandler police that the company preferred not to pursue prosecution of the assailants. In some of their reports, police officers also said Waymo was often unwilling to provide video of the attacks. In one case, a Waymo employee told police they would need a warrant to obtain video recorded by the companys vehicles. Officer William Johnson of the Chandler Police Department described in a June report how the driver of a Chrysler PT Cruiser wove between lanes of traffic while taunting a Waymo van. A manager at Waymo showed video images of the incident to Johnson but did not allow police to keep them for a more thorough investigation. According to Johnsons report, the manager said that the company did not want to pursue the matter, emphasizing that Waymo was worried about disruptions of its testing in Chandler. The report said Waymo was concerned about the effect the attacks were having on its emergency drivers, who are intended to remain in monitoring mode. The behaviour is causing the drivers to resume manual mode over the automated mode because of concerns about what the driver of the other vehicle may do, Johnson wrote. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... In a statement, a Waymo spokeswoman said the attacks involved only a small fraction of the more than 40,000 kilometres that the companys vans log every day in Arizona. Safety is the core of everything we do, which means that keeping our drivers, our riders, and the public safe is our top priority, said Alexis Georgeson, the Waymo spokeswoman. Over the past two years, weve found Arizonans to be welcoming and excited by the potential of this technology to make our roads safer. Georgeson said the company took the safety of its emergency drivers seriously and disputed claims that Waymo was trying to avoid bad publicity by opting against pursuing criminal charges. We report incidents we deem to pose a danger and we have provided photos and videos to local law enforcement when reporting these acts of vandalism or assault, Georgeson said. We support our drivers and engage in cases where an act of vandalism has been perpetrated against us. Authorities in Chandler and elsewhere in Arizona remain gladly open to Waymo and other driverless-car companies. Rob Antoniak, chief operating officer of Valley Metro, which helps oversee the Phoenix metropolitan areas transit system, said on Twitter that Arizona was still welcoming autonomous cars with open arms despite the attacks on Waymo vans. Dont let individual criminals throwing rocks or slashing tires derail efforts to drive the future of transportation, Antoniak said. But the official welcome mat has failed to persuade the naysayers. One of them, Charles Pinkham, 37, was standing in the street in front of a Waymo vehicle in Chandler one evening in August when he was approached by the police. Pinkham was heavily intoxicated, and his demeanour varied from calm to belligerent and agitated during my contact with him, Officer Richard Rimbach wrote in his report. He stated he was sick and tired of the Waymo vehicles driving in his neighbourhood, and apparently thought the best idea to resolve this was to stand in front of these vehicles. It worked, apparently. The Waymo employee inside the van, Candice Dunson, opted against filing charges and told the police that the company preferred to stop routing vehicles to the area. Pinkham got a warning. The van moved on. Read more about: WASHINGTONAfter pledging for years to construct a solid wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be backing away from that promise as he and his allies play down what the administration wants built alternately referring to the planned wall as a fence, a steel slat barrier or a metaphor for border security. The shift marks a tacit acknowledgment of retreat by the White House on one of its signature issues as it faces the reality of divided government in the new year and a partial government shutdown that is in its second week. Trump has already altered his long-standing pledge that Mexico would pay for the wall, claiming earlier this month that a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada would cover the cost just by the money we save, a notion dismissed by experts and for which the White House has offered no explanation. Rep. Mark Meadows, a leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, defended the president on Monday, saying Trump has embraced a number of options for border barriers, including a concrete wall in certain areas and steel slats or fencing in others. All have been considered as part of the solution, he said. Trump has been sensitive to any criticism from his supporters, including in conservative media, that he is softening his stance on the wall, and some are saying they are concerned about any move away from building a solid barrier on the border. I absolutely want to build a wall in the sense that the president has described it all throughout the campaign and in the sense that Ive described it in all of my 16 years in Congress, said Rep. Steve King an immigration hard-liner. Wherever theres a wall built, its been effective. Read more: Trumps pick for attorney general once questioned value of border wall House Democrats have a plan to reopen government For Trump, Pelosi shutdown showdown first battle of new era The debate over what constitutes a wall comes as Trump and Republican leadership are at odds with congressional Democrats on the issue of border security, with the impasse leading to a partial government shutdown that is unlikely to be resolved until Thursday at the earliest, when the new Congress convenes and Democrats take control of the House. A Trump-backed spending bill passed by House Republicans on Dec. 20 included more than $5 billion (U.S.) in border-security funding that could be spent on a wall, but that measure has not gained traction in the Senate, where Democrats are resisting the presidents demand. On Monday, the president disputed an assertion by his outgoing chief of staff, John Kelly, that the White House has jettisoned plans for a concrete wall, claiming that the idea was NEVER ABANDONED. In morning tweets, Trump sought to blame the media for the discrepancy and said he still envisions an all concrete wall in some areas but that a see through barrier at the U.S.-Mexican border would be more appropriate in other areas based on what hes been told by experts at Border Patrol. Makes sense to me! he added. In an interview published Sunday in the Los Angeles Times, Kelly was quoted saying that the current White House plan for a barrier is not a wall. The president still says wall oftentimes, frankly, hell say barrier or fencing. Now hes tended toward steel slats, Kelly said. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it. During his presidential campaign, Trump made his plans to build a beautiful solid border wall a central part of his platform. Did you ever see precast plank, for parking garages? Trump said in Derry, New Hampshire, in August 2015, at the first town hall of his campaign. So, you take precast plank. It comes 30 feet long, 40 feet long, 50 feet long . . . And you do a beautiful, nice precast plank with beautiful everything. Just perfect. A year later, at a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida, Trump again referenced concrete plank. Precast, right? Precast. Boom. Bing. Done. Keep going, Trump said. A feature of his campaign rallies both as a candidate and as president has been crowds chanting build the wall. After being elected president, Trumps rhetoric on the wall changed to include the possibility of see-through portions. Trump explained that border agents had advised him that they need to be able to see who is on the other side of the wall; he also claimed that transparent sections would help ensure that Americans near the border would not be hit by large sacks of drugs thrown over by criminals. Earlier this month, Trump further shifted his stance, arguing in a tweet that we are not building a Concrete Wall, we are building artistically designed steel slats. What has changed most in recent days is that an increasing number of Trump allies have openly suggested that the White House may not be wedded to the idea of a concrete wall at all as it seeks to negotiate the end of the shutdown. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trumps close confidants, on Sunday said the president is seeking a physical barrier along the border in places that make sense, asserting that the wall has become a metaphor for border security. In the past, every Democrat has voted for these physical barriers, Graham told reporters outside the White House after a lunch meeting with Trump. It cant be just about because Trump wants it we no longer agree with it. And during a television interview Sunday, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway chided Trump critics for focusing on the word wall. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... It is a silly, semantic argument because people who just want to say wall, wall, wall want it to be a four-letter word, she said on Fox News Sunday. There may be a wall at some places, there may be steel slats, there may be technological enhancements. Trump has previously chafed at the suggestion that he has changed his views on the border wall. In January 2017, Kelly drew Trumps ire by telling congressional Democrats the president had evolved on the wall and was not fully informed when he made it a campaign issue. Trump then responded on Twitter to news reports about Kellys remarks, writing: The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it. Some immigration hard-liners argue that the construction materials matter less than whether there are physical barriers along the border, and that Trump is unlikely to face a backlash among his base. There may be some risk. I dont think its that significant, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter controls on immigration. I dont think people were cheering at these rallies or going to the polls because of the specific construction material for these border barriers. King warned of trying to conflate other border security proposals with Trumps promise of a wall. He said that even fencing was inadequate for security needs along the border and that surveillance and other technology, as well as additional border agents, would be insufficient because ultimately, theyre operated by humans. Walls dont have prosecutorial discretion, King said. He argued that some of Trumps recent comments had undermined his push to secure wall funding. In his Oval Office meeting a few weeks ago with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump said he would take the blame for any shutdown. Then, in a Christmas Day appearance in which he blamed Democrats for the shutdown, Trump described the border barrier as a wall or fence, whatever theyd like to call it. Both of those verbal statements have now been used to undermine the commitment for the wall, King said. The White House press office did not return a request for comment to explain the administrations messaging. In an interview with Fox News Monday, Trump said funding for a wall, without specifying what that means, needed to be part of any deal to end the shutdown. A lot of people are looking to get their paycheck, so Im ready to go whenever they want, he said of Democrats. No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security. The biggest part. Democrats have seized on the inconsistent messaging from the Trump administration. People around the president are trying to put a brave face on it and reverse-engineer a strategy from tweets, but thats not going to solve this shutdown, Sen. Brian Schatz, said Monday. Pelosi has mocked Trumps shifting demands, recently claiming that the presidents wall had transformed into a beaded curtain. The lack of a unified message from the White House also raises another problem, said Rep. Gerald Connolly, Who do you negotiate with, who can agree to a deal and make it stick? He added: Theres no reliable individual or sets of individuals in this White House, including the president. His word is good for about five minutes. And so, it is a problem. Read more about: SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OFKorea, Republic Of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with U.S. President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warns Washington not to test North Koreans patience with sanctions and pressure. During his televised New Years speech, Kim said hes ready to meet with Trump at any time to produce an outcome welcomed by the international community. However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure. Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean co-operation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the Norths Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed. Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. Pyongyang over the past months has accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the Norths unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12. If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (U.S.-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures, said Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and grey-blue tie. It is the unwavering position of our party and the republics government and my firm will that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement ... take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime and push toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he said. Therefore, we have declared domestically and internationally and took various actions showing our commitment that we will no longer create and test nuclear weapons and will not use or spread them. Kim hailed the results of the Norths diplomatic activities in 2018, including his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim said an inter-Korean military agreement reached in their last summit in September to reduce conventional military threats was realistically a non-aggression declaration. Kim also emphasized the development of the North Korean economy and, without elaborating, mentioned nuclear power as part of the countrys plans to boost electricity production. Kims speech was closely watched as North Korean leaders traditionally use New Years statements to reflect on the past year and issue major policy goals for the year ahead. Kim used his New Years speech a year ago to start a new-found diplomatic approach with Seoul and Washington, which led to his meetings with Moon and Trump. Kim also met three times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which boosted his leverage by reintroducing Beijing Pyongyangs main ally as a major player in the diplomatic process to resolve the nuclear standoff. But nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled in recent months as they struggle with the sequencing of North Koreas disarmament and the removal of U.S.-led sanctions against the North. The North has also bristled at U.S. demands to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal. The hardening stalemate has fuelled doubts on whether Kim will ever voluntarily relinquish the nuclear weapons and missiles he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival. In his meetings with Trump and Moon, Kim signed vague statements calling for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. The North used a blunt statement last month reiterated its traditional stance on denuclearization, saying it will never unilaterally give up its weapons unless Washington removes what Pyongyang describes as a nuclear threat. The statement jarred with Seouls claim that Kim is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nukes and suggested that the North will potentially 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. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Some analysts say its becoming clear the North intends to keep a nuclear arsenal and turn the talks with the United States into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation between two nuclear states, rather than a unilateral process of surrendering its arsenal. Washington and Pyongyang have yet to reschedule a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean officials after the North cancelled it at the last minute in November. There are views that North Korea wants a quick second summit because it thinks it can win major concessions from Trump that they probably couldnt from lower-level U.S. officials, who are more adamant about the North committing to inspections and verification. Read more about: PARISA French president struggling to reassert his grip after weeks of violent demonstrations across the country assured citizens Monday night that he understood their anger but said that henceforth order would be applied without compromise. In a potentially pivotal moment of his presidency, Emmanuel Macron sought to calm a country shaken by more than six weeks of unrest, in which wealthy neighbourhoods of Paris have been repeatedly hit by looting and burning. Macron, in the traditional New Years Eve speech given by French presidents, alternated between admonition and conciliation. But his overall message for the Yellow Vest protesters behind the demonstrations was unmistakable: Curb the disorder. Ive seen and heard unthinkable, unacceptable things, Macron said. He vowed to ensure everyone of their rights but also to expect from them their duties. The president offered an unsparing, if broad, assessment of the protest movement, saying that some take as a pretext that they are speaking in the name of the people when in fact they are merely speaking for a hateful mob that takes after elected officials, the police, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals. This is quite simply the negation of France, Macron said. Read more: French police brace for New Years Eve protest unrest French prime minister defends police targeted by protesters Respite in Paris as yellow vest movement abates He was referring to some extremist rhetoric that has emerged most recently on the fringes of the Yellow Vest movement, which began as a citizen revolt over a rise in gasoline taxes, then spread quickly all over France as it encompassed general anger over economic inequality and a heavy fiscal burden. In its latest stages, the protests have veered on the fringes into hate-filled rhetoric. Macrons tone Monday was true to form he has been accused of being didactic and it was uncertain if his words would be enough to calm a country that is seeing some of the greatest expressions of popular anger in 50 years. Macron said the anger had come from far back, suggesting that it had started well before the beginning of his presidency in 2017. Yet while a big tax burden has been a feature of French life for several decades, Macron has become a symbol of economic inequality for many of the protesters. Early in his presidency, he enacted measures (mostly symbolic) to lighten the tax load on the wealthy and employers, while ratcheting up the burden (again symbolically) on the less well-to-do, including retirees on state pensions. He was quickly tagged as the President of the Rich, a label he has been unable to shake. On some of Frances traffic roundabouts, where the Yellow Vests held sway for much of November and December, mock guillotines were erected with Macrons effigy. Macron appeared to briefly put himself on the side of the protesters, declaring at the outset that the lesson of the Yellow Vest movement he was careful not to name it was that we are not resigned, seemingly identifying with the pugnacity of the protesters. He reminded his audience that he too grew up in the provinces, though he quickly escaped for Paris glittering prizes. The political opposition was quick Monday to criticize the French president, saying he had failed to shake what it said was the lack of empathy that has gotten him into trouble with French voters before. Critics noted the return of characteristic Macron refrains: dignity, respect, vision, replacing man at the centre of the contemporary project. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Macron is fond of such propositions, but they do him no favours with rank-and-file voters in deep France. An opinion survey released Monday by Harris Interactive found Macron at a low point in his presidency, with only 31 per cent expressing confidence in him. With the balance of power between the angry street and the countrys shaken institutions thrown into question, Macron faced a challenge Monday to reassert authority. Clearly he was at pains to do so. Unusually, he stood up during the entire 16-minute speech, in contrast to his usual seated posture behind a gilded and ornate desk in the Elysee Palace. And unlike in a speech three weeks ago at the height of the crisis, Macron spoke calmly Monday, with self-assurance. In the earlier speech, appearing near desperation, a haggard-looking Macron promised a quick infusion of 10 billion euros to satisfy Yellow Vest demands, including an increase in the minimum wage and an easing of the tax burden on pensioners. On Monday, Macron appeared less inclined to give in to the street. He advised his fellow citizens to accept reality in France, and to bear in mind the countrys excellent infrastructure, near free schools and quality medical care. Lets stop thinking ill of ourselves, or to believe that France would be a country where solidarity doesnt exist, where one always has to spend more, Macron said, using the broad-brush concept solidarity the French use to designate their generous array of social benefits. Macrons government is placing some hope on a national debate in the coming months, an organized series of government-led citizen forums it hopes will allow the Yellow Vests to vent their demands and frustrations. The reaction has been distinctly lukewarm as were the early responses to Macrons speech Monday night. This president is an impostor, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Twitter. As usual, his tone was that of a giver of lessons, the leading far-left parliamentary deputy Adrien Quatennens told the French television channel BFM-TV. The tone was pretty martial, he said, And I think it will simply reinforce the mobilization. Read more about: AMSTERDAMPolice in Amsterdam are interrogating a 51-year-old Canadian man after he allegedly claimed he had a bomb. Joanna Helmonds, a spokeswoman for the border police agency in The Netherlands, said the incident occurred Monday evening at around 7:15 local time in one of the airports departure halls. As of Tuesday morning, she said authorities are trying to figure out what his motive was. Yesterday, he reported that he had a bomb in his luggage that was set to go off, said Helmonds. Fortunately, he did not actually have a bomb or explosives in his luggage, but its a very serious threat. Helmonds said the departure hall was evacuated for about half an hour as a precaution, but was later reopened after the arrest. She said he is facing charges in connection to making a false bomb report. Further information, such as the mans identity or what province he was from, is not available yet as the investigation is ongoing. Perparim Kapllani opens his Toronto pizza shop every morning at 11 a.m. and closes it every night 12 hours later. Hes been doing it seven days a week for the past decade, not counting brief vacations. Theres nothing unusual about immigrants working hard. But Kapllani, who arrived from Albania in 2000, juggles a second job at the same time in a rather striking way. Between serving customers and making pizzas, Kapllani squeezes into a backroom office no bigger than a broom closet. He sits at a tiny desk and shifts his focus like a rabbit between two screens: on one he can see when the next customer walks in; on the other, connected to his desktop, he writes the next sentence of his novel. There are little moments when I can write something, Kapllani says. Since opening his west-end shop in 2008, Kapllani has stolen enough little moments to write a play, a collection of short stories, and two novels. His most recent novel, The Thin Line, was published in November by Mawenzi House. Were it not for the pizza shop, I might publish a novel every year, Kapllani quips. He comes from the Balkans, a peninsula in southeastern Europe that has been carved up by empires and regional powers for centuries. The 1998-99 conflict between Serbia, a largely Orthodox Christian state, and Kosovos ethnic Albanian Muslims is the backdrop to Kapllanis latest work. Its based on a true story about a 10-year-old boy in Kosovo, the sole survivor of a massacre by Serb forces in April 1999. The boy watched as 20 ethnic Albanian women and children were shot to death in a house, including his mother and three sisters. The boy was wounded, but survived by playing dead. He eventually came to Canada with his father as a refugee. His horrific story is well documented he testified years later at a United Nations tribunal on war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. But Kapllani asked that the survivors name not be published because his novel fictionalizes his experiences. Its a story of very slow healing, Kapllani, 52, says of his novels main character. The ghosts of the loved ones, of the dead, they follow you they chase you. What are you going to do? Kapllanis book was edited by M.G. Vassanji, a novelist who twice won the Giller Prize. Vassanji says it reflects the traumatic experiences refugees bring to Canada, and the Canadian values that help most overcome feelings of revenge. You cannot forget the fact that you lost your mother and three sisters right in front of you, but you can put the past to rest and you can start again, Vassanji says in an interview. It says something about the quality of our society that you can do that, he adds, that youre allowed to be who you are and are given the space to grow and to find yourself. Kapllani wrote about the boy when he worked as a journalist with Albanias biggest newspaper, Shekulli, in the capital Tirana. The boy was one of an estimated 900,000 Kosovar Albanians expelled by Serb forces, and Kapllani met him while he recovered in a military hospital. He identified with the boys pain. Kapllani grew up in Elbasan, a city in the middle of what at the time was communist Albania. When he was 10, his father was found dead in the street with a fractured skull, after years of struggling with mental health issues. The circumstances of his death were never determined. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The municipality found Kapllanis family a room in a building known as the fish palace, because of the fish shop on the ground floor. There were 28 families living there and five washrooms outside the building, he recalls. It was a nightmare. With the help of a locally connected man, Kapllani entered a military school at the age of 14 and graduated as an artillery officer. He became a journalist with the department of defence and, when the communist system collapsed in the early 1990s, got a job at Shekulli. He covered crime, and once went into hiding after exposing local mobsters laundering money in construction projects. He also witnessed the terrifying brutality of the Kosovo war. To myself I said, How can this happen in the middle of Europe, just because they have a different religion or nationality? Kapllani says. He came to Canada as a landed immigrant with his wife and son. His wife is a chemical engineer who works for a company that produces medication; his son graduated last year from the University of Toronto with a degree in industrial engineering. After working in pizza shops for years, and getting entrepreneurial tips from the non-profit Toronto Business Development Centre, Kapllani opened his own place on Lansdowne Ave. near Dundas St. W. A small man with an easy smile, he says he learned quickly that in Canada, ancient ethnic grievances find no foothold. My son, his best friends are Serbians; two Serbian brothers. They came to my house one day a little boy with a (T-shirt) that said, Proud to be Serbian. I said, What! Who is this guy? Kapllani says, laughing. Canada is a miniworld, he adds. When everybody comes from somewhere else, diversity becomes the culture, not ethnic or religious nationalism. Hell continue to explore those themes in literature, right after he wipes the flour from his hands and serves up his deluxe pizza, with pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers. A shooting near Eglinton Ave. W. and Dufferin St. early on New Years Day has sent one man to hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, Toronto police said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at 5:10 a.m. at Vaughan Rd. and Oakwood Ave. Police said one man was found unconscious and paramedics rushed him to a local trauma centre. He is now in stable condition. Police have not released a suspect description at this time. The beginning of 2019 was a violent one for the GTA with six other serious incidents occurring overnight. Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said that in his experience New Years Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for Toronto police. The first incident took place shortly after the new year rang in at 12:35 a.m. when a man was seriously injured in a fight near Queen St. W. and Bathurst St. He is now in critical condition, Hopkinson said. Just a few blocks east on Queen St. W. and Peter St. around 1:45 a.m. a man was stabbed inside a nightclub, Hopkinson said. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police have no suspect information at this time. Also around 1:45 a.m., a fight broke out near Dufferin and Liberty Sts. in Liberty Village, Hopkinson said. A large group of people were fighting in a parking lot near a nightclub, he said. Two men were taken to hospital with minor injuries. One had cuts on his face after being stabbed with a broken beer bottle and the other had a head injury after being kicked several times, police tweeted. In the citys east end around 2:20 a.m. near Main St. and Danforth Ave., two men were stabbed several times suffering minor injuries, police said. One man was stabbed in the face and the other in the back, police tweeted. A woman was arrested at the scene. An hour later in Vaughan a 50-year-old man from Toronto was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a hit-and-run collision, York Regional Police said in a news release Tuesday. Officers responded to reports of an injured man lying on the sidewalk near Jane St. and Pennsylvania Ave. After speaking to witnesses, investigators said the man was hit by a smaller-style SUV that was travelling south on Jane St. Police said the driver got out of his vehicle, looked at the injured man and then got back in his vehicle and fled the scene. He was last seen making a U-turn and driving north on Jane St. Police describe him as white, 30 to 40 years old with short, dark hair and a partial beard. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured zip-up hoodie and jeans. A pedestrian is also in life-threatening condition after a hit-and-run collision near St. Clair Ave. W. and Dufferin St. just before 4:45 a.m. The victim was found unconscious and their injuries are considered very serious, Hopkinson said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Police say the vehicle was possibly a white Honda Civic or Accord. Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents is urged to contact police. A man is in critical condition following an assault near Bathurst St. and Queen St. W. in the early hours of 2019, Toronto police say. The incident occurred just after 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday when a man was seriously injured in a fight, police say. He was knocked to the ground and taken to hospital by paramedics. His injuries have worsened and he is now in critical condition, Const. David Hopkinson said. Two other men were also involved in the fight, Hopkinson said. Suspects were seen fleeing in a light blue car. No other details are available at this time. Toronto police say the 68-year-old woman with Alzheimers who was reported missing on New Years Eve has been located. Mary Connolly disappeared on Dec. 31 around 4 p.m. in the area of Weston Rd. and Lawrence Ave. W. She was found a day later on Jan. 1 at 8:30 a.m., police said in a news release. The missing person report follows a case last week in which a 74-year-old woman went missing on Christmas Eve and was found two days later. Shirley Lee, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2018, was the subject of a Level 3 police search, the highest level that exists. With files from Claire Floody OTTAWAThe federal infrastructure minister says he is looking to connect private backers with some of the countrys rural and northern communities to pay for badly needed broadband internet connections. Provincial governments have leaned heavily on the Liberals to use whatever influence they have with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to get it to fund broadband internet projects, particularly in rural and remote locations. The Liberals created the bank in 2017 to take $35 billion in federal financing, and use it to leverage three-to-four times that from the private sector to help pay for major highways, bridges, and water and electrical systems to ease the financial burden on public coffers. Provinces argue broadband yields a long-term revenue stream that would be enticing to any private investor willing to pay the connection costs. Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says a single broadband line into one rural community is unlikely to grab the attention of large institutional investors, such as pension funds. He is therefore looking at how different revenue models could entice private backers or help bundle several smaller projects into one large proposal. I often say its about us in 2018 thinking like our founders were thinking about a railway connecting Canada, Champagne said. So were looking at different business models, which would be possible, because now we have a new tool, which I think is allowing us to accelerate the process. The Liberals have pledged $500 million to build broadband connections, but provinces told the government in late 2017 that doesnt scratch the surface of what is needed nationwide, according to internal federal documents. As a result, provinces turned their attention to the infrastructure bank. It operates at arms-length from the federal government, although Ottawa has to sign off on any loan the bank intends to make. Notes from a September 2017 meeting of federal and provincial infrastructure officials show provinces argued the mandate of the agency included funding broadband internet systems. Provincial and territorial ministers said helping bankroll broadband doesnt have to take a long time. Push the button and make it happen. Amarjeet Sohi, infrastructure minister at the time, said the only thing the federal government could do was ensure any project funded through the agency was in the public interest. After that, it is hands off and no political involvement, the notes say. The Canadian Press obtained copies of the notes under the federal Access to Information law. Champagne said he has told provinces, territories and municipalities to make sure their broadband projects are bankable, meaning they must be able to generate revenue. Broadband internet, an issue in Champagnes own, largely rural, Quebec riding, can be transformative for businesses, giving them reliable access to the outside world, the minister said. Now, in its execution you have to see, because some of these networks are usually very local and part of the challenge to crowd in investment is to find a revenue model that would be self-sustaining for that particular project. The bank hasnt published a list of projects it is working on and its not clear when such a list will become public. Federal officials noted a number of project proposals that could be eligible for financing through the nascent agency, which they then set aside for the bank to take the lead on, the internal documents say. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Only one project has been approved for financing through the bank: a $1.28-billion loan to help build a $6.3-billion electric rail system in Montreal known by its French acronym REM largely managed and funded by Quebecs pension regime. The banks most recent quarterly financial report says it is securing $1.28 billion of debt for the project between now and 2021 debt that must be repaid within 15 years. Read more about: CALGARYWhile Calgary had nearly half the homicides in 2018 compared to the two years prior, officer-involved shootings deadly cases, in particular are up. The city saw a total of 17 homicides in 2018. By comparison, each of the two prior years recorded 30 homicides. But 2018 also saw five fatal police-involved shootings, with the Christmas Day shooting death of 29-year-old Stacey Perry putting the city at the same number of deaths during police incidents as 2016. That year, the number of officer-involved shooting deaths was so concerning that it prompted a review of the Calgary Police Services use of force practices. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) opened nine investigations into Calgary police incidents in 2018. Aside from the five cases where people were shot and killed, one incident involved a man who was shot and seriously injured by police. There were also three cases where police fired a gun at someone but no one was hurt. The total is more than four times the number of incidents that ASIRT began probing in 2017, when only two police-involved shootings were reported in Calgary. (ASIRT investigates incidents involving Albertas police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.) Of the citys 17 homicides, at least five are allegedly related to domestic violence and seven were reported as shootings. Victims ranged in age from 19 to 63, and half were in their 20s or younger. Read more: An area of unknown: Five takeaways from interim police Chief Steve Barlows year-end interview Details emerge in fatal shooting of woman by Calgary police on Christmas Day Calgarys interim police chief calls on Ottawa for help as meth-fuelled crime skyrockets Of the five cases where no one has yet been arrested or charged, all involve victims of gun violence. These are the lives lost to violence in Calgary this past year and what we know about what happened. Darby Chase Shade, 26 Calgarys first homicide of 2018 came slightly more than two weeks into the year, when Shades body was found in the Westbrook Mall parking lot on Jan. 16. Police said an altercation happened that night at a house party across the street. Two men, Christian Whitebear and Matthew Crane-Watchmaker, have been charged with second-degree murder in relation to Shades death. Nadia El-Dib, 22 El-Dib was killed early in the morning of March 25 in northeast Calgary after leaving a downtown shisha bar with Adam Bettahar, a man she had previously dated. Bettahar stabbed her more than 40 times and cut her throat before shooting her with a gun he had bought two weeks earlier. Bettahar became the subject of a Canada-wide warrant for first-degree murder, and a few days later he was killed in a shootout with Evansburg RCMP. Police released significant details about El-Dibs death at the request of her family, saying they consider her death a domestic homicide. Joshua Brendan Bamfo, 25; and Mahad Abdirahman Ainanshe, 23 Bamfo and Ainanshe were found shot to death in a car in northwest Calgary on the afternoon of April 20. Police spoke to a person of interest in the case, but released them without charges. No one has been charged in the case. Craig Cutter, 24 Cutters death was ruled a homicide a few days after he was found injured in downtown Calgary on May 27. Police say he was stabbed after allegedly fighting with the suspect, Kyle Bearhat, who has since been charged with manslaughter. Jason Dirks, 46 Dirks died in hospital after police found him seriously injured in Calgarys Marlborough neighbourhood on June 9. Shane Robin Baum has been charged with second-degree murder in the case, but police have refused to release details on how Dirks was killed or how the two men, who they say knew each other, were related. Adam Colquhoun, 43 Colquhoun was shot at the Town and Country Inn in southeast Calgary on the morning of July 28. Ryan Foster, 37, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder two days later. Taylor Toller, 24; Alan Pennylegion, 51; and Shawn Boshuk, 52 Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... A triple homicide that police consider domestic in nature saw victims found in two different homes, likely killed days apart. Police say married couple Boshuk and Pennylegion were killed on July 31 and their bodies were discovered later that day, while police say Toller likely died about five days earlier. Police allege all three were killed by 25-year-old Dustin Duthie, who was Boshuks son and Pennylegions stepson. Police believe Duthie was in a relationship with Toller. Boshuk and Pennylegion have several other children, and a family spokesperson said they have been torn apart by the deaths. Duthie has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder. Jason David Peter Greyeyes, 48 Greyeyes was reported missing in early August and his body was found on Aug. 26 in the 21000 block of Sheriff King St. S.W. Two young people, who cant be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were arrested in Halifax and charged with first-degree murder. No more details about the accused or whether they knew Greyeyes have been released because it could risk identifying them. Vinh Duc Chung, 63 Chung died nearly two weeks after an assault near the Calgary Drop-in Centre on Sept. 21. Thirty-six-year-old Tyler Scott Ryan Lindsay originally faced aggravated assault charges in the case, but they were upgraded to manslaughter after Chungs death. Mohsen Al Nemesh, 22 The 13th homicide of the year was a double shooting that also left a 20-year-old man injured in the citys Signal Hill neighbourhood. Al Nemesh was pronounced dead at the scene Oct. 12. Police have asked for help finding a man they say is a person of interest in the case, but so far, no one has been charged. Aram Nadiri, 19 Calgarys youngest homicide victim of the year was also killed in a shooting. Nadiri was found dead in a southeast Calgary home on Oct. 24, and police say they believe he and his assailant knew each other but no one has been arrested or charged in the case. Rofas Ibrahim Sheikeldin, 37 Sheikeldin died in hospital on Nov. 25 after a physical altercation that police said involved more than 20 people at the downtown Paranoia nightclub. Cordelius Harrison, 29, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder two days later. Roy Chi Yan Mac, 38 Police were called to a home in Calgarys northwest on Dec. 17 where Mac was found with gunshot wounds. He died in hospital a day later. Police have not arrested anyone, but they say that they believe the shooting was targeted. Sylina Ann Curley, 43 Curley was found at the Red Carpet Inn in the Montgomery neighbourhood. Police say Curley was in a relationship with 38-year-old Cliffton James Spotted Eagle, the man now charged with killing her. Spotted Eagle had been sharing a room at the motel with Curley, and he was arrested after Curley was found dead on the morning of Dec. 21. Correction Jan. 2, 2019: A previous version of this article misstated the number of homicides in Calgary in the past three years and omitted the killing of Rofas Ibrahim Sheikeldin. In fact, 30 homicides were recorded in both 2016 and 2017, and 2018 saw 17 homicides. Read more about: Watertown mayoral race heats up days before election Mayor Sarah Caron and challenger Ried Holien go on offense days before Watertown's election on June 15. The shadow-puppet master: Preserving the ancient arts A southern teen has been working hard in becoming a nang talung shadow-puppet master amid concerns that the popularity of the traditional performing art may decline. CultureArt By Bangkok Post Tuesday 1 January 2019, 12:51PM One night in Khanom district of Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, 15-year-old Thanawit Kerddam brought out his best in performing a southern folk tale before numerous viewers. He provided the voices to more than 10 nang talung shadow puppets, sang along with fast-paced southern music, and occasionally slipped in jokes and current events. Although the audience from Bangkok did not understand the southern dialect, they felt the characters' emotions as the shadow puppets danced behind the white-cloth screen. Amid concerns that the popularity of nang talung may decline, Thanawit, or Oat, a native of Surat Thani province, tries to prove that the young generation can keep this traditional performing art alive. The boy performs for the Tambon Khanom Community's nang talung youth group, which was founded in 2016 with financial aid from the Power Development Fund of the Energy Regulatory Commission. The Power Development Fund provides financial assistance to communities located near power plants through proposals of project ideas to support their livelihood. I have been practising nang talung since my early childhood, said Thanawit, a mathayom three student at Muang Surat Thani School. I not only have fun but also want to preserve Thai culture. It all started when Thanawit received as a gift several nang talung puppets, including the mainstay characters Theng and Nui the comedians that appear in every shadow-play story from an elderly man when he was about three or four years old. Since then, I have been playing with the puppets by myself. At the age of 10, I began to learn how to master nang talung, including singing and voicing, from video clips on YouTube. My favourite character is the funny Srikaew, who is in every tale. I also like to include dhamma in my voiceover, he said. He would practise two to three hours a day when he has free time, before beginning to study with a mentor about five years ago. Whenever I master nang talung, I feel happy. When I grow up, I want to be a nang talung puppet master and also a ship technician because my hometown is Koh Samui and I like sailing, he noted. His parents helped foster his love of nang talung through their own deep appreciation. They have continually supported his pursuit of becoming a shadow puppet master. Thanawits skills were so impressive that he eventually joined the well-known Suvit Sitthaweesin Troupe in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province. So far, the boy has performed at several funerals and temple fairs and is paid B1,000 per show per night. I am delighted to have earned my own income, the boy proudly said. The most difficult part of each show is to master the puppets movements because postures are delicate. I also need to tie in current news as well as jokes in my improvised voiceover. This time, I mentioned the rubber price problem. But I am most interested in cultural topics. Its a traditional practice for puppet masters to sprinkle current news items in their performances as a form of humorous commentary. A few of his friends also practise nang talung. He believes the shadow play can entertain and de-stress audiences. He is not upset when certain friends tease him for being old-fashioned for loving the traditional art. Tasom Soisuwan, a nang talung instructor and scriptwriter who teaches Thanawit, said he saw the boys potential at a young age. I started writing scripts for him and encouraged him to perform nang talung in front of his classroom. His teachers and classmates liked his shows, so he had the courage to continue. After the boy participated in krob khru, a rite of passage for artists, with famous nang talung master Suvit Sitthaweesin, Tasoms training became more demanding. For example, he told the boy to read and memorise scripts first and master the puppets along with the music. The boy was also taught to practise speaking nang talung according to several masters taped voices. I am confident that Thanawit is able to be a good nang talung master, but one of the problems is the lack of a backup band. So our group needs more financial support. In the past, we had no puppets of our own and had to borrow some from the Suvit Troupe. Fortunately, after receiving money from the Power Development Fund, we bought the set, audio equipment and over 100 puppets for our troupe. We hope for this continual support," the instructor noted. Currently, Tambon Khanom Community's nang talung youth group is paid B3,500 per four-hour show while more famous troupes, such as Khai Nui, are usually paid B60,000. The instructor teaches Thanawit without collecting tuition fees and also provides free scripts to the teen. Nang talung combines all forms of art, including leather carving and painting (for puppet making), literature (for writing scripts), music and performing arts, as well as rituals that have psychological effects on performers. Nang talung is a very disciplined type of performing art because one person performs multiple tasks, from singing to mastering the puppets movements and voices. In addition, a puppet master must have a sense of humour and perform tricks to attract audiences interest. According to Tasom, the charm of nang talung includes rhymes, emotions and fun. Performers can also mix modern melodies and newly composed lyrics about good conscience. Although the art form itself is old, its execution is timeless. I believe nang talung will last for a very long time in the South of Thailand. Even my grandson who is a kindergarten pupil loves it and hangs around with Phi [big brother] Oat [Thanawit] while practising for many hours, Tasom said. Meanwhile, Thanawit said that nang talung is precious and needs to be conserved by new generations. It is still popular in the South and a number of viewers are young people. He would feel sorry if nang talung no longer attracted crowds. To him, all kinds of local performing arts, such as nang talung, manora (traditional dance) and pleng bok (folk singing) should be preserved. I will do my best to fulfil my dream to become a famous nang talung master. I also want to perform abroad and teach younger people, the boy remarked. Pichaya Svasti Phuket New Year leaves four dead in five days PHUKET: Phukets road-accident tally for the New Year holidays stands at four** dead and 32 injured in just five days since the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for New Year 2019 began on Thursday (Dec 27). Tuesday 1 January 2019, 10:34AM Phuket police reported issuing 1,228 fines for moving violations during the 24-hour period for Dec 31. Photo: The Phuket News The 24-hour period for Dec 31 left one person dead and eight injured in seven accidents, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) reported this morning (Jan 1). The inclusion of the death of Thisadee Kankasikam, 44, early yesterday morning (Dec 31) brings the death and injury tally for the campaign to four** dead and 31 injured in 33 accidents. Mr Thisadee died from severe head trauma after the motorbike he was riding collided head-on with a pickup truck in Soi Pa-niang, Rassada, north of Samkong, just before 1am yesterday. He was not wearing a helmet at the time. (See story here.) Meanwhile, Phuket police reported inspecting 5,581 vehicles during the 24-hour period for Dec 31, resulting in 1,275 people being fined for traffic violations, with 10 cases resulting in legal prosecution. Phuket police reported issuing 1,228 fines for moving violations during the 24-hour period for Dec 31, as follows: 27 fined for operating an unsafe/illegally modified motorcycle 92 fined for not wearing seatbelts 355 fined for driving without a licence 21 fined for speeding 49 fined for running a red light 61 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) 33 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic 35 fined for using mobile phones while driving. 28 people were arrested for drunk driving during the period. 527 people fined for not wearing helmets Of the 5,961 people reported as fined for moving violations so far during the first five days of the campaign, 1,623 were caught driving without a licence, 2,518 were caught not wearing helmets while riding on a motorbike, and 457 were caught not wearing seatbelts. The others were caught as follows: Operating an unsafe/illegally modified motorcycle 188 Speeding 125 Running a red light / ignoring traffic signals 272 Ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) 277 Dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic 157 Using mobile phones while driving. 205 Drunk driving 139 ** CORRECTION: The total number of people killed so far during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for New Year 2019 was incorrectly reported as The Phuket News had erroneously accounted for Patarapon Sakkeaw, 14, dying as the result of his motorbike accident near Saphan Hin on Dec 29. He did not die as a result of his injuries. See correction here. The error is sincerely regretted. Phuket enters New Year PHUKET: Phuket entered New Year 2019 with a host of celebrations across the island and fireworks displays lighting up the sky despite heavy clouds and patches of rain in some areas. By The Phuket News Tuesday 1 January 2019, 10:01AM people flocked to temples across the island this morning for New Year blessings. Photo: Pr Dept Phuket Vice Governor Thanyawat Charnpinit and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office Director Kanokkittika Kritwutikon both joined the countdown festivities at Central Phuket. Photo: PR Dept The countdown to the New Year was held on the beach in Patong with its two days of DJs and partying drawing to a close early this morning, while Rawai celebrated in slightly less emphatic fashion with its Rawai Sky night Festival at Nai Harn Lake. Phuket Vice Governor Thanyawat Charnpinit and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office Director Kanokkittika Kritwutikon both joined the countdown festivities at Central Phuket, where the celebrations were led by Pakorn Partanapat, Senior Executive Vice President of Operations at Central Pattana PLC and Central Phukets Senior Vice President Wilaiporn Pitimanaaree Meanwhile, people flocked to temples across the island this morning for New Year blessings. Coronation day for King set for May 4-6 BANGKOK: The coronation ceremony for His Majesty The King will be held during May 4-6, the Royal Household Bureau announced today (Jan 1). By Bangkok Post Tuesday 1 January 2019, 02:14PM His Majesty the King will be crowned in the coronation ceremony to be held from May 4-6. Photo: Patipat Janthong / file Cafe Society: Table Top of delights A minimalist cafe with a warm atmosphere, funky wooden tables and robust coffee, Coffee Table Top is a Thai coffee roaster in northern Phuket. A neighborhood favorite, the coffee shop presents a cozy venue to hang out in during the day. Community By Amy Bensema Tuesday 1 January 2019, 01:07PM Coffee Table Top is always buzzing, and its not just due to caffeine. The coffee shop is a hot little spot in the Laguna Phuket neighborhood, and after a few visits, its easy to see why. The shops location is extremely convenient, and theres parking outside. The atmosphere is relaxing, and there is always a great playlist of tunes providing the background soundtrack. Additionally, the handmade bakery items and pastries are super delicious while the coffee is robust and strong. Speaking of coffee, Coffee Table Top offers up a varied menu which features all of the usual suspects, including Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano, Mocha and Latte. For those looking for something extra sweet, there are also flavored lattes of which I recommend the Caramel Latte. A small selection of tea is also available, as is cocoa and fresh juices. If you are feeling a bit peckish, Coffee Table Top will curb those hunger pains. The handmade bakery items and pastries are the perfect accompaniment to a coffee, and theyre also available for takeaway. Coffee Table Top offers up goodies such as Chocolate Muffins, Raisin Rolls, Danish, and homemade scones. Cake lovers are sure to fall in love with the lush cakes at Coffee Table Top. Some popular favorites include the Blueberry New York Cheesecake, the Lemon Tart, Apple Crumble and moist, gooey brownie. Its important to note that prices are really affordable at Coffee Table Top. Considering the fact that the coffee shop is in quite an affluent area of Phuket, its a refreshing change to be able to grab a quality cake and fresh coffee without breaking the bank. The owner of Coffee Table Top is called Khun Lat. Shes a lovely lady who anticipates her guests every need. Moreover, she has really great English and appreciates a good chat. Shes very receptive to feedback, so if you find something you love about the coffee shop, do let her know. If youre on holiday in Phuket, Khun Lat is also a great person to get local advice from and would surely let you know the best beach or market to visit in the area. Im going to be honest. I like Coffee Table Top. I like it a lot. In fact, I like this coffee shop so much that Ive actually driven all the way from my home in the south of the island up to Cherngtalay just to have a coffee and a brownie. I think the fact that Id drive nearly an hour to visit a coffee shop says all that needs to be said about the place. I cant recommend Coffee Table Top enough. If youre in the area, do make sure you stop in. I have no reason to believe that youll be disappointed. Located in Cherngtalay, at the entrance of Laguna Phuket, Coffee Table Top is open Saturday through Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. For more information, call the coffee shop locally +66 (0) 84 625 9252. Facebook: Coffee Table Top Instagram: @coffeetabletop Written by Amy Bensema, Cafe Society is a monthly column which chronicles one girls search for the perfect cup of coffee. Have a cafe to recommend? Contact Amy via email at bensema.amy@gmail.com or follow her caffeinated adventures as @phuketstagram on Instagram. HDFC Bank Limited provides various banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in India, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai. It operates in Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, Other Banking Business, and Unallocated segments. The company accepts savings, salary, current, and Demat accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; and safe deposit lockers, and rural and pension accounts, as well as offshore accounts and deposits, overdrafts against fixed deposits and salaries, and sweep-in facilities. It also provides personal, home, car, two wheeler, three wheeler, business, educational, gold, rural, and term loans; loans against properties, assets, and securities; loans for professionals; government sponsored programs; and loans on credit card, as well as working capital and commercial/construction equipment finance, term and professional loans, healthcare/medical equipment and commercial vehicle finance, and dealer finance. In addition, the company offers credit, debit, prepaid, and forex cards; payment and collection, export, import, remittance, bank guarantee, letter of credit, trade, hedging, loan syndication, and merchant and cash management services; and insurance and investment products. Further, it provides short term finance, bill discounting, structured finance, export credit, documents collection, Internet and wholesale banking, mobile banking, real time gross settlement, channel financing, vendor financing, reimbursement account, money market, derivatives, employee trusts, cash surplus corporates, tax payment, and bankers to rights/public issue services, as well as financial solutions for supply chain partners and agricultural customers. As of March 31, 2020, it had 5,416 branches and 13,640 automated teller machines in 2,803 cities/towns. HDFC Bank Limited was founded in 1994 and is based in Mumbai, India. Read More Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. distributes and sells propane and related equipment and supplies. The company transports propane to propane distribution locations, tanks on customers' premises, or to portable propane tanks delivered to retailers. It conducts its portable tank exchange operations under the Blue Rhino brand name through a network of independent and partnership-owned distribution outlets. The company's propane is primarily used for space heating, water heating, cooking, outdoor cooking using gas grills, crop drying, irrigation, weed control, and other propane fueled appliances; as an engine fuel for combustion engine vehicles and forklifts; and as a heating or energy source in manufacturing and drying processes. It serves residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale, and other customers in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As of July 31, 2018, it operated 72 service centers and 859 propane distribution locations. The company is also involved in the sale of refined fuels; provision of common carrier services; and retail sale of propane appliances and related parts and fittings, as well as other retail propane related services and consumer products. Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Japan ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Japan ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Passengers of the first arrival of 2019 at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, were delighted by a surprise when waiting for their luggage. Passengers expressed enthusiasm when the baggage carousel delivered gifts ahead of their luggage, with individually wrapped packages for every passenger of the flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Balikpapan. Happy New Year," Sepinggan Airport general manager Farid Indra Nugraha said with a big smile as he greeted passengers at the baggage claims area. The estimated 150 passengers of Lion Air flight JT 858 on the Tarakan, North Kalimantan-Balikpapan route received a parcel of snacks, including cakes and drinks, as well as the typical East Kalimantan souvenir of beaded shawls. "Not bad for breakfast," said one passenger. Their flight had departed at 5:50 a.m. and arrived in Balikpapan at 6:50 a.m. Passengers were also welcomed with a performance of traditional dances from the Kenyah tribe, a local Kalimantan tribe that is famous for its artistic creativity. The dance was accompanied by music from traditional sampe guitar, a four-stringed traditional Kenyah instrument. "This is our appreciation for the people who have used the services of Sepinggan Airport," Farid said. Read also: Indonesian airports recognized for service quality On the previous day, a similar event was held for passengers and crew of the last flight departing from Sepinggan Airport in 2018. Passengers and crew of Lion Air flight JT 663 on the Balikpapan-Palu, Central Sulawesi route, which took off at 8:55 p.m. on Dec. 31, also received similar souvenirs. "We make sure all passengers are well served," GM Farid said. Sepinggan Airport, managed by state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I), in 2018 won the second best airport award with a capacity of 5 to 15 million passengers per year from the Airport Council International (ACI). Throughout 2018, the airport served over 7.5 million passengers, slightly more than in 2017 of 7.3 million passengers, according to airport data. Last year it also recorded 70,420 flights, more than 67,345 recorded in 2017, or up by 4.57 percent. Meanwhile, the amount of cargo passing through Sepinggan Airport rose by over 80 percent to more than 98.8 million kilograms in 2018 from over 54.5 million kg the previous year. "Our target remains the same, which is to be the best airport in Indonesia and also become a reference," Farid said. (liz/kes) Orchard Road is now smoke-free, as a precinct-wide smoking ban kicked in on Tuesday prohibiting smokers from lighting up in public areas except within designated smoking areas (DSAs). Enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA), dressed in white No Smoking Zone polo T-shirts, were on patrol in the prominent shopping district on the first day of the new year, nabbing smokers in the new prohibited areas. These smokers were given verbal warnings and directed to the DSAs. One smoker was Indonesian tourist Budi Mulyawan, 38, who was found smoking close to a standing litter bin in front of Ngee Ann City. He told The Straits Times: "I didn't know about the zone. I just saw a bin, and so I smoked. The officers explained to me that Orchard Road is now a no smoking zone. If I want to smoke, I have to do it in the designated areas. I understand. No problem." Another smoker, 23-year-old Ms Nur Fafa, was spotted smoking on a bench in front of Wisma Atria shopping mall. The Singaporean, who works in retail, told ST: "I get it that they (the authorities) want a healthier environment, but the nearest smoking area is at Ion Orchard. "Smoke breaks are very short, and now we will spend half of the time walking to the smoking area." More than 40 DSAs are available within the Orchard Road no smoking zone. During the initial three-month advisory period, officers will engage smokers and advise them to indulge in their habit within the DSAs. From April, enforcement action will be taken against all offenders. Publicity has been stepped up to increase awareness of the no smoking zone. Signs have been placed on bins and some lamp posts within the zone. Advertisements have also been put up at selected MRT stations and bus stops. Businesses have chipped in. The Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre hotel, for example, has been actively communicating to its guests and corporate clients about Orchard Road's transformation into a no smoking zone - and how the hotel is now a smoke-free premise - through verbal and online correspondence. Read also: Publicity builds up as Singapore's Orchard Road smoke-free date nears Bins with ashtrays have been replaced with those without ashtrays, and directional signage guiding smokers to the nearest DSAs have also been put up at the hotel's side entrances. Similarly, Royal Plaza on Scotts has put up a sign at the hotel's entrance to inform guests of the no smoking zone and the nearest DSAs. Booklets on the new regulation from NEA are also available at the front desk for guests to take away. Experts interviewed expect the ban to lead to a reduction in second-hand smoke leading to health benefits for shoppers and visitors. Dr Rohit Khurana, a consultant cardiologist with The Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre at Gleneagles Hospital, said second-hand smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic. Exposure can lead to short-term effects such as the exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as more frequent and severe asthma attacks, which children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to. Long-term exposure can lead to an increased incidence of coronary heart and vascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes, as well as lung cancer, he said. Associate Professor Alex R Cook, vice dean of research at the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, says there is clear evidence linking smoking bans to improved cardiovascular health outcomes and fewer deaths from smoking related illnesses. The greatest health effects of a ban are also likely to result from a denormalization of cigarette use, he added. Citing the example of a smoking ban implemented in indoor public places in Scotland in 2006, he said this led to a 20 per cent reduction in smoking among pregnant women. Many states in the United States have also witnessed drops in the prevalence of smoking after bans in designated areas were implemented , he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 2 2019 China has spared no expense in its effort to woo the religious groups in Indonesia, as public awareness and condemnation of alleged human rights abuse against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province continues to grow. In the last few weeks of 2018, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian met with representatives of Indonesias two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, and made visits to several Muslim community strongholds in West Java to talk about the controversy. With this dialogue I hope Muhammadiyah and other Muslim communities in Indonesia can recognize the real conditions in Xinjiang, the envoy said through translators after meeting Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir on Friday. Haedar said China, with its big economic and diplomatic forces, should resolve what happened to the Uighur people [in Xinjiang] with a co... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, January 2 2019 Activists have opposed the recent Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announcement that it might seek the death penalty for the bribery suspects connected to the botched construction of a drinking water treatment system (SPAM) in a disaster-hit area in Central Sulawesi. On Friday in Jakarta, the KPK named eight individuals consisting of four officials of the Public Works and Housing Ministrys SPAM working units and four businesspeople suspects for allegedly paying and accepting bribes related to 12 SPAM projects across the country. One of the projects was the procurement of water pipes as part of the SPAM reconstruction in Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi one of the areas most damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in September. More than 2,000 people were killed by the disasters, while about 206,000 others were displaced. The KPK condemns a... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 13:21 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e3b87 1 National Yogyakarta,police,Sexual-assault,#KitaAgni,rape,LBH-Apik,UGM,#NamaBaikKampus Free Yogyakarta Police have opened an investigation into a sexual assault case after an official at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), the school of both alleged victim and perpetrator, reported the case to the police against the victims wishes. Catur Udi Handayani, the lawyer of the victim, who goes by the pseudonym Agni, said the victim had been summoned by the police and had undergone 12 hours of questioning. Catur said Agni underwent the questioning at Rifka Annisa Women Crisis Center, not at the police station, to take into account Agnis psychological comfort. At the time [of grilling], Agni was under pressure and very tired because she was questioned for 12 hours, she said on Monday. Agni said she had been assaulted by another student, identified as HS, during a community service assignment in June 2017 in Maluku. Her case became public after UGMs student press,Balairung, made a report about her case and the subsequent victim blaming by various UGM officials. Catur said the assault happened in a house in Maluku and that Agni did not scream because she was afraid other people in the house would blame her. But she turned her back on HS and then he pulled her so that she was facing him again, Catur said. The lawyer said this fact would be enough to prove that HS had attempted rape as stipulated in Article 285 of the Criminal Code(KUHP) and indecent conduct in Article 289 of the KUHP. In theBalairungreport, Agni said she had turned her back on him and pretended to be sleeping, hoping HS would stop touching her. Agni said she finally yelled at HS after she felt pain as the result of HS action. HS stopped his alleged assault after she yelled. HS lawyer, Tommy Susanto, said his client had also been summoned by the police in mid- December. Tommy denied his client had forced Agni to do anything against her will, although he reportedly acknowledged physical contact. They kissed and did other stuff, but there was no element of force or threat, he said. The lawyer said the physical contact took place while both people were aware. They slept in the same room and the woman went to his place, the place is not her place, he said. The lawyer asked UGM to let his client graduate in February because he said the alleged crime did not have anything to do with academic matters. Earlier, Agni told people close to her that she did not want to pursue any legal avenues because she was afraid the law would not protect her. The head of security, safety and health for UGM workers and the community, Arif Nurcahyo, reported the case to police on Dec. 9. Husna Yuni Wulansari, a #KitaAgni volunteer, said in December that Agni was surprised to learn that the university had reported the case to the police without consulting her first. Husna added that Agni was of the opinion that legal proceedings would be counterproductive to what she sought justice and maximum protection. The legal system, from the police, prosecutors to judges, is notorious for victim blaming. Ratna Batara Munti from the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) said in a recent discussion that its clients often received unsympathetic questions from investigators, including with regard to whether the perpetrator moved their body left and right or up and down during the assault? In 2014, a victim of sexual assault at the hands of Transjakarta staff, was questioned about her attire by judges. The judges asked why the victim, an Acehnese and a Muslim, wore short pants. The judges also asked about the color of her undergarments on the day of the assault. The court sentenced the perpetrator 18 months imprisonment, but the legal process made the victim bear what law experts called double victimization under the hands of legal authorities. UGM criminal law expert Sri Wiyanti Eddyono said last month that the structure and content of laws in Indonesia, especially when it came to gender violence, remained biased in favor of perpetrators. Our criminal law still sees rape and sexual assault within the context of immorality, not as a crime against the body and soul. This is a problem, said Wiyanti, who also chairs an ethics team set up to examine Agnis case. (evi) President Donald Trump said that the partial US government shutdown was likely to continue unless Congress gave him money for a wall on the Mexican border. We have no choice, we have to have border security and a wall is part of border security. Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News that was broadcast during the networks New Years Eve special on Tuesday night. A lot of people are looking to get their pay checks, the president said of government workers who will not be paid during the funding lapse, which began on Dec. 22. He added, however, that he was not giving up in his standoff with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi, who will likely become House speaker later this week. Trump spent New Years Eve at the White House, canceling his plans to go to his Palm Beach resort because of the shutdown that enters its 11th day with the start of the New Year. Talks between the White House and Democrats broke down last week and now House Democrats are planning to use their new majority on Thursday to vote on legislation to end the shutdown without adding funds for the wall. Im in the White House. Im ready to go. They could come over right now, the president said of possible talks with Pelosi and Schumer. Yet its unlikely that legislation would have enough votes in the Senate, which remains under Republican control, leaving it unclear how much longer the shut down will go. With his family in Florida and few staffers at the White House, Trump spent the day on Twitter attacking Democrats, justifying his planned withdrawal of troops from Syria, and defending his border wall, which is at the crux of the government shut down. Im in the Oval Office. Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for Border Security, including the Wall. You voted yes in 2006 and 2013. One more yes, but with me in office, Ill get it built, and Fast! Trump tweeted. Trump also defended on Twitter his decision to withdraw from Syria as the fulfillment of a campaign promise, rejecting criticism from lawmakers in his own party that the abrupt change in policy harms US interests and cedes influence to Russia and Iran. In the Fox News interview, Trump indicated that US forces could continue battling Islamic State even as the withdrawal proceeded. You can do two things at once, he said. With the US preparing its exit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have assumed the lead in shaping Syrias future. At a meeting in Moscow between the two countries foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs on Saturday, they agreed to coordinate next steps and professed a common interest in clearing the country of terrorist groups. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Smith (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Tue, January 1, 2019 09:31 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4d9b53 2 World #USA,#politics,DonaldTrump,back,slowdown,soldiers,withdrawal,Syria Free President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack Monday on shock plans for an immediate pullout of US troops from Syria, but said his drive to end American involvement in wars made him a "hero." The shift came a day after a senior Republican senator said Trump had promised to stay in Syria to finish the job of defeating the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. Trump had earlier stunned allies -- and prompted the resignation of his respected defense secretary, Jim Mattis -- by abruptly announcing that the jihadists were defeated and that US troops in Syria were ready to leave. However, in a tweet early Monday, Trump seemed to signal a more cautious schedule for pulling out the troops, which provide crucial support to Kurdish and other local forces. "We're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants," Trump wrote. In contrast to previously emphatic victory declarations, Trump said that "ISIS is mostly gone." But reflecting his frustration at the outpouring of criticism over his Syria strategy, Trump lashed out at opponents and the media, saying that he should be given more credit. "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero," Trump tweeted. "The results are FAR BETTER than I ever said they were going to be! I campaigned against the NEVER ENDING WARS, remember!" he added. Trump also wants to bring home about half of the 14,000 soldiers locked in a 17-year war against Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas, although no formal announcement has been made. In Syria, about 2,000 US soldiers operate alongside other foreign troops to assist local fighters battling Islamic State, a jihadist group that once held territory across much of Iraq and Syria and set up its own ultra-Islamist government. Though much reduced, and forced into hiding, it is still believed to comprise thousands of guerrillas. The US-led coalition launched its first raids against IS in September, 2014, more than two years before Trump won the US election. US-backed forces seized the jihadists' self-declared capital Raqa on October 17, 2017. Allies worried Part of Trump's appeal in his surprise 2016 election victory was his promise to get the United States out of post-9/11 wars in the Middle East. During a lightning visit to US troops based in Iraq last week, Trump said the United States would no longer be the world's "policeman". "We're in countries that most people have never even heard about," he said, referring to US combat deployments, including in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. "We don't want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us," he said. The view is popular with many Americans, but critics, including some of Washington's closest allies, say the United States cannot abandon its traditional leadership role. "The impromptu announcement of the US withdrawal from (Syria) caused a lot of questions," French Defense Minister Florence Parly said Monday on a visit to French personnel stationed in Jordan. "Our priority is to continue until the end." On Friday, Britain's foreign minister, Jeremy Hunt, was less diplomatic, telling Radio 4 that Trump "makes a specialty of talking in very black and white terms about what's happening in the world." Those concerns are shared at the top of Trump's own Republican party. Leading Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's principal allies in an increasingly unfriendly Congress, used lunch at the White House on Sunday to urge the president to reevaluate on Syria. After two hours, he emerged, saying Trump "understands the need to finish the job." "I think the president is committed to making sure when we leave Syria that ISIS is completely defeated," Graham said. In response to the uproar, Trump national security advisor John Bolton will soon visit allies Turkey and Israel, which each have their own complex goals in Syria's multi-dimensional civil war. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 18:30 894 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4f09e3 4 City anies-baswedan,deputy-governor,Jakarta-governor,PKS,Gerindra-Party Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has said that the political parties who supported him in the 2017 gubernatorial election had the prerogative of choosing his new deputy governor. The post has been vacant for nearly half a year after Sandiaga Uno stepped down to run as the Gerindra Partys 2019 vice-presidential candidate in this years elections alongside party patron Prabowo Subianto. It is up to the political parties. They will decide as they have the right [to name a Jakarta deputy governor], he said at the sidelines of a New Years Eve celebration held on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Monday evening. He added that as governor, he did not have a say in the matter. Lets just wait for the decision from the political parties. Anies and Sandiaga were endorsed by Gerindra and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in the 2017 gubernatorial elections. Longtime allies, the two parties were previously at loggerheads over candidates for the post. They finally agreed to give the seat to a PKS politician and the latter subsequently offered up two names to be proposed as candidates. However, Gerindra insisted that the candidates be determined through an internal fit and proper test between the two parties. The names would first be proposed to the Jakarta Council, which would then hold a plenary meeting to make the final decision on a deputy governor. Anies previously said he felt overwhelmed by the slew of invitations and events he must attend without a deputy to whom they can be delegated. (ars) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu Tue, January 1, 2019 18:18 894 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4efdb1 1 National ParigiMoutong,Mobile-Brigade Free Two police officers were shot at while attempting to move the body of a beheaded person at the village of Salubanga in Sausu, Parigi Moutong, Central Sulawesi on Monday. Parigi Moutong Police chief Zulham Efendi Lubis suspected members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) in Poso, Central Sulawesi, to be behind both the shooting of the officers and the murder. The MIT is a terrorist group led by Ali Kalora. The wounded officers are being treated at the Bhayangkara Hospital in Palu, Central Sulawesi. The shooting happened as a team of investigators was heading to the scene to retrieve the headless corpse. Two of the four bullets that were shot hit chief Brig. Andrew Maha Putra, an officer with the Mobile Brigade Task Force 3 for Operation Tinombala, while the two others hit Brig. Dua Baso, an intelligence unit officer from the Parigi Moutong Police. The two officers had reportedly been clearing the road of branches and twigs police believe had been put there by the suspects in an attempt to block the investigation. "The two of them had to get off their motorcycle to clear the road out, so that the police could pass through. Suddenly, they were shot and hit in the shoulder and buttocks," Zulham said. The officers that were behind them immediately shot back toward the mountainside while evacuating the injured officers to the nearest community health center. Police have yet to find out who was behind the murder and police shooting and to establish their motives. (mai/swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 12:17 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e26a6 1 Longform surabaya,sinkhole,Gubeng,Siloam-hospital Free East Java Police have named a basement project planner, identified as F, a suspect in a case revolving around a giant sinkhole in Surabaya. A 15-meter-deep and 30-m-wide hole appeared on Jl. Raya Gubeng in Surabaya on Dec. 18. No casualties were reported. "We have named a basement project planner from a contractor a suspect in the Jl. Raya Gubeng case," East Java Regional Police chief Insp. Gen. Luki Hermawan said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. He suggested that F would not be the sole suspect in the case, saying that the police were expected to question more people in connection to the case, including a project leader, supervisors and those responsible for project permits. Some people have not fulfilled [summons] due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, but we are sure that there will be other suspects, he said. F, Hermawan said, would be charged under articles 192 and 193 of the Criminal Code concerning the destruction of public facilities. The suspect may face a maximum punishment of nine years in prison. Previously, authorities said land subsidence had caused the sinkhole to appear, pointing a finger at an ongoing basement construction project at Siloam Hospital, adjacent to the site of the incident. Djoko Eko Suprastowo, the managing director of PT Nusa Konstruksi Enjiniring, a contractor for the project, said the company would cooperate with the police. He said, however, that PT Nusa Konstruksi Enjiniring was not the only company involved in the project. The road has been open to traffic for the past five days, but only two lanes are in use. (ggq)/swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 15:35 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e9dcb 4 Business pertamina,one-price-fuel-policy Free State-owned oil and gas holding company PT Pertamina would by the end of this year have established 123 one-price fuel stations a government program to provide fuel to remote regions at prices similar to what are charged in Jakarta. Pertamina vice president corporate communications Adiatma Sardjito said in Jakarta on Monday that the number exceeded the target set by the government. The company opened 54 stations in 2017 and 69 in 2018, although the target was 67. Next year it plans to open another 29. With all the synergy, we managed to open more one-price fuel stations in 2018 although the target was higher than last years, Adiatma said as quoted by Antara. He said the fuel stations were opened in frontier, outermost and least developed regions, known as terdepan, terluar, tertinggal (3T) areas, in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua. In Papua, the company operates 28 one-price fuel stations, in Kalimantan 27, on Sumatra 24, in Nusa Tenggara 15, in Sulawesi 14, in Maluku 11 and on Java and Bali four. Adiatma said Pertamina transported the fuel using various modes of transportation: trucks, ships, small boats and airplanes. We have tried to distribute the fuels to the 3T continuously. It is Pertaminas commitment to supply fuels to all citizens across the country at the same price, he added. Before the fuel stations were opened, fuel prices in remote areas of Papua, for example, could reach Rp 100,000 (US$6.93) per liter. Fuel in the new stations costs Rp 6,450 per liter for subsidized Premium-branded gasoline and Rp 5,150 per liter for subsidized Solar-branded diesel fuel. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan Tue, January 1, 2019 10:05 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4daff2 2 World #Japan,#accident,car-accident,injury,Tokyo,New-Year Free Nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street, police and media said Tuesday. With an "intent to murder", 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku at 10 minutes past midnight, a police spokesman told AFP. According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details. NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. "It is a shock. Really scary, isn't it?" one bystander told NHK. Police immediately cordoned off the street, which was packed with people celebrating the New Year. One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman told AFP. Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. According to local media, Kusakabe hit a total of eight people and assaulted another on the street, which was closed to car traffic at the time as revellers packed the area to celebrate New Year. Takeshita Street is packed with small shops and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan, attracting tens of thousands of international tourists every day. Unlike in other major cities, New Year in Tokyo is a relatively muted affair. There is no major fireworks display and no central point where drunken revellers gather to see in the New Year. Instead, Japanese people tend to see in the New Year with families and quietly go to the shrine to pray for good fortune in the year to come. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jung Hawon (Agence France-Presse) Seoul, South Korea Tue, January 1, 2019 11:34 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e0ed3 2 World #NorthKorea,#NuclearDisarmament,kim-jong-un,change,strategy,US,sanction Free Nuclear-armed North Korea wants good relations with the US but could consider a change of approach if Washington maintains its sanctions, leader Kim Jong Un warned in his New Year speech Tuesday after 12 months of diplomatic rapprochement. At a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June the two signed a vaguely worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But progress has since stalled with Pyongyang and Washington arguing over what that means. "If the US does not keep its promise made in front of the whole world... and insists on sanctions and pressures on our republic," Kim said Tuesday, "we may be left with no choice but to consider a new way to safeguard our sovereignty and interests". He was willing to meet Trump again at any time, he added, "to produce a result that will be welcomed by the international community". The North is demanding sanctions relief -- it is subject to multiple measures over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes - and has condemned US insistence on its nuclear disarmament as "gangster-like". Washington is pushing to maintain the measures against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Kim's speech "expressed his frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations so far", said former South Korean vice unification minister Kim Hyung-seok. The North Korean leader "obviously had certain expectations that the US would take certain steps -- however rudimentary they are -- after the North blew up a nuclear test site and took other steps. But none of them materialised. "He is faced with this urgent task to improve his 'socialist economy' -- which is impossible to achieve without lifting of the sanctions." In a marked contrast with January 1, 2018, when he ordered mass production of nuclear warheads, Kim said the North had "declared that we would no longer produce, test, use or spread our nuclear arsenal", calling for the US to take "corresponding measures". The production pledge was a "significant evolution in leadership intent, if true", Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said on Twitter, but added: "Of course, this is one of those claims where it'll take more than KJU's word to be credible." Kim spoke sitting in a dark leather armchair, in a large office flanked with packed bookshelves along one side and paintings of his predecessors, his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung behind him. As he began speaking -- in a deep, gravelly voice and wearing a dark suit and blue tie -- a clock on a desk read at moments after 12. But at times during the address it was blurred out and towards the end of the half-hour broadcast it was close to 1, suggesting the speech was recorded in several takes. Year of rapprochement The leader's New Year speech is a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out out goals for the future. The 2018 address was a crucial catalyst for the developments that followed. It came after a year of high tensions when the North made rapid progress with its weapons development, carrying out its sixth nuclear test - by far its most powerful to date - and launching rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland. The two leaders traded personal insults - Trump mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man", who in turn called him a "mentally deranged US dotard" - and threats of war as fears of conflict rose. In last year's speech Kim warned "the nuclear button is on my office desk all the time", but also offered to send a team to the forthcoming Winter Olympics in the South. That opened the way for the South's dovish President Moon Jae-In to play the role of peace broker. A rapid sequence of developments followed, with athletes and a senior delegation led by Kim's powerful sister going to the Pyeongchang Games in February, before Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of the Singapore summit with Trump. Kim also met with Moon three times last year -- twice at the border truce village of Panmunjom and once in the North's capital -- as Seoul and Pyongyang pursued several reconciliation initiatives, and at the weekend vowed to meet Moon "frequently" this year. Much of Kim's speech Tuesday focussed on North Korea's moribund economy, saying that improving people's lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task. He also said the US and South Korea should no longer carry out joint military exercises -- which have been largely halted since the Singapore meeting -- calling such drills "a source of tension". "War-related equipment -- including strategic assets of outside powers -- should no longer be allowed to be brought in," he added. Seoul and Washington are in a security alliance and the US stations 28,500 troops in the South to protect it against its neighbour, which invaded in 1950. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Manila, Philippines Tue, January 1, 2019 10:21 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4dbe1b 2 World #Philippines,#explosion,bomb,explosion,shopping-mall,killing,people Free A crude bomb, blamed by security forces on a small pro-Islamic State militant group, killed two people and wounded dozens on Monday in the southern Philippines, an army commander said. Islamist militants operate in the south of the largely Christian Asian country and some are known to have links with groups abroad, including al Qaeda and Islamic State. Major General Cirilito Sobejana, an army division commander, told Reuters the bomb bore a "Daesh-inspired signature", referring to Islamic State by another name. The bomb went off at the entrance to a shopping mall in the city of Cotabato in the early afternoon. As well as the two people killed, 28 were wounded, he said. A second bomb was recovered in the same area, he said. Sobejana said he suspected the blast was retaliation for the killing by government troops of seven members of a small militant group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Shafiqul Alam (Agence France-Presse) Dhaka, Bangladesh Tue, January 1, 2019 13:58 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e3d38 2 World #Bangladesh,#politics,election,landslide,victory,threatens,democracy Free A crushing victory for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an election overshadowed by allegations it was fixed raises fears about the future of democracy in Bangladesh, analysts say. Hasina's Awami League party extended its decade-long grip on power by winning an unprecedented 98 percent of seats while key opposition parties are now floundering in the wilderness with next to no representation in parliament. The Muslim-majority nation is now an entrenched "one-party system", political analyst Ataur Rahman told AFP, likening it to Southeast Asian ruling parties of the 1970s and 80s. "There will be less space for freedom of press, civil society... (and) political parties" after the election, said Rahman, who heads the Dhaka-based Centre for Governance Studies. Hasina, Bangladesh's longest-serving leader, has been accused of locking up dissenters and presiding over enforced disappearances as well as muzzling freedom of speech through a draconian anti-press law toughened this year. She denies any authoritarianism. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) endured its worst ever electoral performance Sunday while the country's largest Islamist party has been crushed in government crackdowns. The Jamaat-e-Islami's leaders and many of its activists have gone underground to avoid arrest since the party was banned from putting up candidates under its own banner in 2012. Five of its top leaders have been hanged over war crimes charges dating back to Bangladesh's 1971 independence war. The BNP has claimed the detention of thousands of its activists ahead of the poll prevented it from running anything close to an effective campaign. It rejected the results, saying the vote was "90 percent rigged" due to ballot box stuffing and a climate of fear which deterred voters from going to polling booths. The BNP picked up only six seats compared with 288 for the Awami League and its allies in a 300-seat parliament, raising questions about where it goes from here. "The country has turned into a totalitarian one-party system. It is not BNP's problem but the whole nation is facing the biggest crisis," BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told AFP. And one Western diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The health of Bangladesh's democracy is now seriously in question." "Bangladesh has decided to follow the Cambodian precedent and not Malaysia's." Political experts say the BNP, a right-of-centre party which has ruled Bangladesh for 15 of its 47 years as an independent country, must accept some blame for its own demise. The root of its present troubles, they say, lies in its decision to boycott the 2014 election over fears it wouldn't be free and fair, gifting victory to Hasina. "It was a suicidal decision," said Rahman. - 'Existential crisis' - The BNP was founded by military dictator Ziaur Rahman in the late 1970s. His widow Khaleda Zia revived it in the 1980s after Rahman was killed in a coup. The party joined forces with the Awami League to oust military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990. But then Zia and Hasina fell out and were nicknamed the "Battling Begums". Zia won two elections, in 1991 and 2001, as she and Hasina alternated in power. The BNP leader was this year sentenced to 17 years in jail for what her supporters say are trumped-up graft charges, ruling her out of the election, Bangladesh's 11th since independence. Zia's party is facing "an existential crisis", according to political scientist Shahab Enam Khan of Jahangirnagar University. He said the huge election defeat was a "wake-up call" for the party to "reform itself" so it can "respond to the new form of politics that has emerged in the country". Khan believes Sunday's controversial election has delivered a "fractured mandate... which neither the public nor the politicians can unconditionally accept or invalidate". "This is an uncertain situation for democracy in Bangladesh, more precisely for BNP," he told AFP. The BNP is unlikely to organise mass protests over doubts it can mobilise enough support but Rahman, the analyst, thinks the it can slowly build support again. "Their movement for an election to be overseen by (a) neutral government will gain momentum," he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 15:15 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4e989d 4 City Densus-88,Depok,West-Java,New-Year-Eve-celebrations Free Police officer chief Brig. Matheus was found dead on Monday at Mutiara Cemetery in Depok, West Java. Depok Police spokesman Second Insp. I Made Budi said Matheus was a member of the Pancoran Mas Police and had been deployed with the National Polices Densus 88 antiterror squad. He was our officer. He had been tasked with working in the antiterror squad, he said as quoted by tribunnews.com. Made added that Matheus, who was safeguarding New Years Eve celebrations, was found with a severe head wound. His body was discovered by a local, who rushed him to Bhakti Yuda Hospital. After trying to revive Matheus, the doctors eventually declared him dead. His body was then taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital, Made said. The man who first discovered Matheus body said he saw a firearm, mobile phone and motorcycle on the scene. (vla) A member of the Workers Social Security Agencys (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) supervisory board, Syafri Adnan Baharuddin, has resigned from his position as he is facing an accusation of sexual harassment from one of his assistants. Syafri asserted the resignation was not a form of admittance to any accusation of misconduct, but rather his attempt to be more focused on legal steps he would take against his accuser so the agency's work was not disrupted. I wont hesitate to take legal action against any individual abusing their powers in judging someone unilaterally, he said at a press briefing on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com. Moreover, Syafri also denied the allegation of harassment against his former assistant RA, calling the accusation vile slander. In a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post, RA, who used to work as Syafris expert assistant, accused his former boss of sexually assaulting her at least four times between April 2016 and November this year. She also said she was harassed both during and outside of working hours. She said she always avoided Syafri whenever possible but the alleged attacks happened when she could not avoid it. Some of the alleged attacks happened during an out-of-town assignment, which RA said was orchestrated by Syafri. "Why did the assaults happen again and again? I don't have any definitive answer. I was probably too stupid or too scared to fight. I was scared of him as he is a dominant, respected figure, whom many in [her office] are afraid of," RA said in the statement. At one point, I felt hopeless and tried to end my life, but it did not happen thanks to one of my friends, RA wrote in the statement. After the first case in 2016, she had reported her superior's sexual misconduct to another member of the agencys advisory council, who responded with a promise to protect RA from any sexual misconduct, RA said. The promise, however, was not fulfilled as RA claimed she never got any protection. The string of sexual misconduct cases came to a head in early December, when RA went to the chairman of the advisory council to file a complaint for the harassment. In an unexpected turn of events, RA claimed she got a collective agreement letter from the council to terminate her contract, which RA declined to sign. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan spokesman Irvansyah Utoh Banja dismissed RAs claim about the contract termination. The advisory council suspended both SAB and RA from their respective positions as an attempt to keep the peace as well as providing an opportunity to both individuals to focus on resolving their personal issues, he told The Jakarta Post on Monday, referring to Syafris initials. Irvansyah added that RAs complaint had been forwarded to the National Social Security Council (DJSN), which is authorized by the regulation to form an ad hoc team to follow up on the issue. The team will consist of five people comprising the council, the Manpower Ministry and experts. While respecting Syafris attempt to take legal action regarding the matter, human rights watchdog the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) warned law enforcers, especially the police, to be more careful in handling such cases by taking into account RAs rights. The victim shouldnt be prosecuted for her testimony, nor be named a suspect for alleged defamation because her testimony was made in self-defense. Should SAB file a report against RA, the police should be professional in obtaining information from RA, ICJR executive director Anggara said. He added that protection for sexual harassment victims should be a priority for law enforcers handling the case, as the harassment could traumatize the victim. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29 2018 The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is marching on with its investigation into a bribery case pertaining to the Jambi budget deliberation by naming 13 new suspects in the case, comprising Jambi Legislative Council (Jambi DPRD) members and businesspeople. Those who were arrested include council speaker Cornelis Buston, deputy speakers AR Syahbandar and Chumaidi Zaidi, as well as five political party faction leaders on the council from the Golkar Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), United Development Party (PPP) and Gerindra Party. The DPRD leaders allegedly asked for money, collected money, held a meeting to discuss the matter, asked to be allocated a project and each received Rp 100 million to Rp 600 million, KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said at a press conference on Friday. The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced suspended Jambi governor Zumi Zola Z... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, December 29 2018 Liar, liar pants on fire: Activist Ratna Sarumpaet addresses journalists during a press conference at her home in Jakarta in October. Ratna admitted during the conference that she had been lying about being beaten up by several people. Her previous claim of assault sparked controversy on social media.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) 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-ac... A cough that seems determined to stay may be irritating, but when is it time to see a doctor about it? If youve been coughing for 18 days, it might be time to visit a doctor, said Benjamin Kaplan, an internist with healthcare organization Orlando Health, as quoted by Medical Daily. A study revealed that the average duration of cough is 18 days, the Washington Post reported. Matthew Mintz, an internist with George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, also said that two-plus weeks of coughing is quite common in most cases of viral respiratory infections. Mintz said that there were two kinds of cough that lingered after a cold. Bad respiratory infection cases could incite a lingering postnasal drip, whose common symptoms include a cough and sore, scratchy throat. While the second kind is called post-inflammatory bronchospasm, and it resembles asthma. Its a tightening of the airways that restricts air flow and is accompanied by cough and wheezing, Mintz added. Read also: Simple homemade flu and cough remedies The three main types of cough are acute, subacute and chronic. A cough is considered acute if it persists for less than three weeks and subacute if it lasts more than three weeks but less than eight weeks. A cough is chronic if it lasts more than eight weeks. While duration is one of the key factors, you are expected to note the accompanying symptoms. For instance, gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause a lingering cough without heartburn. If you have bad breath and a sour taste in the mouth, the disease might be a reason. If you are a smoker or exposed to secondhand smoke, be aware that the tobacco smoke could prolong the cough. If your cough is accompanied by chest pain, unexplained weight loss or bloody sputum, there is a possibility of lung cancer. Make a visit to a doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of these symptoms. So, you should not need to immediately worry should your cough have persisted for more than ten days. However, if you feel that it is worsening and does not respond to over-the-counter medicine and home remedies, make an appointment with the doctor. (wng) Management consulting firm Korn Ferry has released its Emerging Talent Trends 2019 report, which identifies trends in human resources. Dilal Ranasinghe, head of professional search and growth, ASEAN, RPO and professional search business at Korn Ferry, suggested that companies in Indonesia pay attention to three trends, namely personalized salaries, titles or role rebranding and the annual performance review. In a statement, Ranasinghe shared data released by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), revealing that there were would be 83 million people between the ages of 20 and 40 in Indonesia entering the job market by 2020, making the countrys working group rather unique as it comprised a younger generation. Since millennials are considered to have a different perspective on life, them desiring different things are to be expected. Read also: Human resources must adapt to face Industry 4.0: Experts Personalized pay suggests that HR departments avoid generalized reward packages, as millennials and baby boomers are looking for different benefits. Meanwhile, new titles, such as chief happiness officer and chief people officer, have started to appear and they are considered more attractive to the younger generation. In regard to annual appraisals, a survey conducted by Korn Ferry discovered that 30 percent of the respondents said annual reviews did not affect their work performance. In the same survey, 96 percent shared that real time feedback and regular discussions with their superiors were more effective than annual reviews. In developing countries, such as Indonesia, the trend is even more relevant as there is a talent shortage, which influences salary increments, said Ranasinghe,In order to attract, develop and maintain human resources, companies need to realize the importance of artificial intelligence and talent analytics, while also being flexible and thinking ahead in talent management strategies. (jes/wng) Hundreds mourned revered Israeli writer and peace advocate Amos Oz on Monday at a funeral ceremony where the country's president hailed him as the nation's storyteller not afraid to be called a "traitor." Crowds lined up at a small theater in central Tel Aviv, where Oz's closed casket lay on the stage ahead of eulogies from speakers including Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. In a sign of the widespread appreciation and respect for Oz in Israel, his funeral was broadcast live on television, unusual for a writer. Family members, politicians and average Israelis touched by Oz's works slowly filed past the black coffin ahead of the ceremony that followed the writer's death on Friday from cancer at the age of 79. A teary Rivlin recalled their childhood friendship in Jerusalem, where they were neighbors growing up. "Because your writing was personal and universal, you managed to tell our story far beyond our small Israel," he said in his eulogy. Rivlin said Oz had the "ability to see things deeply from the inside, but always a bit from the outside". "You weren't afraid to be called a traitor," Rivlin said, referring to far-right Israelis who criticized his peace activism. "On the contrary, you considered that an honorary title." Oded Kotler, an actor who starred in a cinematic adaption of one of Oz's early works, read out a letter of condolences from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to the author's family, drawing applause from the audience. Oz was later buried at the Hulda kibbutz in central Israel, where he lived for a time after his mother's suicide when he was 12. His wife Nily played a song on the recorder at his graveside, while one of his books was placed on his grave. Read also: Obituary: NH Dini, Indonesian feminist literary figure - 'A real Zionist' - Oz was a celebrated novelist whose stirring memoir "A Tale of Love and Darkness" became a worldwide bestseller that was adapted into a film by Hollywood actress Natalie Portman. His death led to an outpouring of tributes within Israel and from abroad. While his writing is widely acclaimed, he was perhaps equally known as one of the earliest and most forceful critics of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory captured in the Six-Day War of 1967. In recent years, Oz spoke out against the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shunning official Israeli functions abroad in protest at what he called the "growing extremism" of his government. Netanyahu, currently visiting Brazil, paid brief tribute to Oz on Friday, calling him "one of our literary giants". "We will always remember his contribution to Hebrew literature and the Hebrew language," he said. Culture Minister Miri Regev, who has sparked anger from artists over her bid to have a law passed that would cut subsidies to cultural institutions deemed disloyal, attended the ceremony and received light boos when she was mentioned. Two of Oz's grandsons spoke of their grandfather, saying he left a legacy of fighting against racism and violence. Yona Kranz, 74, from the central city of Givatayim, vividly remembered the first time he saw Oz decades ago, when the author visited his kibbutz to talk about his first book. "If there is such a thing as a real Zionist, I think he was one," Kranz said. Oz received numerous awards for his work, including the Israel Prize for Literature in 1998 and Germany's Goethe Prize in 2005, but the Nobel Prize in Literature eluded him despite widespread speculation he would win the prestigious accolade. His novel "Judas", published in Hebrew in 2014, was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize following its English translation. Like many Israelis, Oz served several stints in the military, including in a Sinai tank unit during the Six-Day War of 1967 and during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. In 1978, Oz co-founded Peace Now, Israel's premier anti-settlement peace movement. But while he was a consistent advocate of the creation of a Palestinian state, Oz also took a hard line against those sworn to Israel's destruction and condemned every variety of religious fanaticism. How long people take for lunch on workdays may vary within a given week. There are days when it is necessary to eat lunch as quickly as possible, as close as possible to the work station. On rare occasions it may be possible to enjoy a long, elaborate lunch while entertaining clients or celebrating milestones. But most people have a one-hour or less lunch break. Thinking of working in a country where lunch breaks are longer? Readers Digest has shortlisted a few countries below. Spain (3 hours) Realizing that hot weather causes a decrease in productivity, most Spaniards take a siesta, taking their lunch break between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. when the outdoor weather is at its hottest. Workers eat lunch and take a nap during the break, and return for three more hours of work. However, according to The Guardian, the Catalonian government is set to issue a regulation stating that working hours end at 6 p.m. every day, so that people in the region might no longer enjoy a siesta. Greece (3 hours) Figuring out how to live life at a slow, leisurely pace? Leave it to the Greeks, for whom lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Reader's Digest reported that most people in Greece head home for lunch and a nap at about 2 p.m., and return to work at 5 p.m., when other workers across the globe are finishing work for the day. Read also: Japan worker's pay docked for taking lunch 3 mins early France (2 hours) Lunch and afternoon breaks for school kids and working adults alike fall between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in most parts of France. Reader's Digest cited English-language French digital publication thelocal.fr, which reported that a recent survey found that 43 percent of French workers took more than 45 minutes for lunch every day. China (2 hours) The nap culture is apparently catching on in China, enabling factory workers to take 30-minute naps during a break, a 2014 NBC article reported. Lunch breaks fall between noon and 2 p.m., with a nap preceded by a quick lunch. Brazil (2 hours) A two-hour lunch break is common in Brazil, enabling workers to enjoy hearty lunches. Brazilian workers then return to work without needing to rush home for dinner, which is usually eaten late in the evening. Reader's Digest reported that Brazilian workers like to enjoy their lunch breaks to the fullest, by scheduling a meeting out of the office on 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. to be followed by a two-hour lunch break. (mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lury Sofyan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 1, 2019 10:18 895 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e4dba9c 3 Opinion tax-administration-system,tax,tax-reform,digital-technology,transparency,Industry-4-0,Taxpayer,tax-compliance Free Prabowos presidential candidate team recently proposed a strategy to increase tax revenue by lowering the tax rate. Adopting from Russia, they claimed that tax cut will attract more people to pay tax hence widening the tax base. Our understanding of how people pay tax however is not that simple. It is way beyond a traditional micro economics assumption that taxpayers are fully rational hence they will comply more if the tax gets cheaper. In fact, in line with economics theory, taxation theory has move away from assuming that taxpayer is fully rational. Their decision making is not only determined by tax rate but also influenced by other variables such as society and culture, psychology, personality, cognitive ability, etc. For example, Kirchler (2011) contended that the element of trust to the government is important in shaping tax compliance; in a higher (lower) trusted government, the level of tax compliance is high (low). Empirical research also found that lowering tax rate does not necessarily in line with higher tax revenue. In broader context, it stimulates raising to the bottom issue where countries compete to lower their tax rate putting higher pressure to government revenue and compromising the quality of public services. Rather than simply cutting the rate, increasing tax compliance covers a broader and more fundamental effort. One of the most vivid ideas to level up tax compliance was brought in President Joko Jokowi Widodos Nawa Cita program. The approach is to construct a more agile tax institution which has already taken place in most of developed countries. Some pros argue that more resources and flexibility given to the tax office is needed to tackle the tax dodger, yet the cons view that too much power could also invigorate animal spirit of fraud. The cons argument, unfortunately, are more profound despite a huge potential benefit from implementing this strategy for the whole nation. This agenda has never been put into practice until now. The asymmetric information issue between the tax office and the taxpayers also must be understood as the classical root problem of tax compliance that must be tackled at the first place. When the scale of asymmetric information is huge, taxpayers choose to hide their income and become a free rider. But when the scale is low, the space for taxpayers to hide their income is limited and the force to comply with the tax rule is bigger. In modern approach, third-party data is considered more effective and cheaper to narrow the asymmetric information compare to audit and law enforcement. The data from financial institutions for example could unearth the wealthy individuals who dodge to pay tax. This international movement of easing financial secrecy has been adopted by Indonesia through the Law No.9/2017 and it shows that Indonesia tax jurisdiction has caught up with the latest international act to increase tax compliance. Nevertheless, the latest innovation of the tax system to increase the compliance is unthinkable and out of the box approach. Industrial revolution 4.0 has been revolutionaries humans life and put the idea of sharing information to a new path affecting how people interact, trade and live. This way of thinking has its potential to alleviate the problem of asymmetric information in the area of taxation. Finland has become the frontier to use this information sharing to narrow the asymmetric information and bring transparency at front to level up tax compliance. Every Nov.1, the Finns celebrate the national jealousy day where the tax office open tax data to all citizens. Basically, the idea is that everybody could know how much income and tax that everybody earns. The tax that is paid by neighbor, college, businessman, politician, etc is open to public. The idea is controversial, because it compromises individual right to keep private information. Nevertheless, the benefit for the whole society is potentially immense. Tax transparency triggers the surrounding society to become a watchdog for every taxpayer. It constructs a network of control which creates a social pressure for everyone to pay tax. This social pressure is a cheap and effective tool to shape a sound comply tax society. This social pressure can be channeled as a whistleblowing mechanism that every citizen could report a potential free rider in the economy who benefited a lot from economic growth but choose not to give it back to the economy through paying tax. It narrows the asymmetric information between the tax office and taxpayer. It goes without saying that the tax transparency also acts as the monitoring system for the tax authority itself. The tax fraud so far happens because only certain parties have access to data. The risk perception of being caught will alter if the information is put on the table where everybody can see it. On top of all, in a longer term, this transparent tax system has its potential to shape a more trustable society where family, peers, neighbors, law enforcer, judges, politician and leaders have nothing to hide. Economic literature has stressed that trust is an important social capital that defines economic development path. Higher trust society stimulates more cooperation among citizens, it promotes simpler contract hence inhibits cost of transaction, penalizes corruptive behavior, and give incentives to positive behavior. *** The writer is a PhD candidate in Behavioural Economics, University of Nottingham and works for the Directorate General of Taxes, Indonesias Finance Ministry Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. SPRINGFIELD More than 200 pieces of legislation signed in 2018 became law today. State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville said that the laws vary from the mundane, such as dictating when certain departments have to have their vehicles oil changed, to helpful like the Telehealth Act that will allow more clinicians to provide remote services for patients. Some of them, however, he feels overreach in ways, such as several of the new gun laws that will be put in place like SB 3256 that will require a 72-hour waiting period for all gun purchases in the state including those made by non-residents at Illinois State Police recognized gun shows. Previously, only handguns were subject to a 72-hour period with the rest under a 24-hour period. A lot of these gun laws I have taken to task, Davidsmeyer said. What is the issue were trying to eliminate? Will the bill actually accomplish that goal? On waiting periods, I personally dont have a problem with waiting periods but a lot of the time if someone is going to do something crazy, theyre going to find the means to do it. While I dont mind waiting for 72 hours to get a new shotgun so I can go hunting, someone else may, he added. In Illinois, were kind of second-class citizens in our own state. Out of state, if you have your (Firearm Owners Identification) card you can go pick up whatever you want. Another law would allow relatives of a gun owner to petition a court to grant a restraining owner if the gun owner is proved to be a danger to themselves or others. A judge could also order that the gun owners FOID card be suspended and firearms be removed between 14 days to six months. I have concerns about the constitutionality of confiscating somebodys gun without them having done anything, Davidsmeyer said. Active shooter safety drills will also now be made mandatory for all schools. The drills must be led by law enforcement, conducted within 90 days of the first day of school and all students and personnel must be present for the drill. Davidsmeyer said that while he is totally for shooting drills and believes that schools should hold such drills for the safety of the students and staff, he questions whether or not mandating the drills by law is the best way to implement them. Having a mandate from the state doesnt necessarily make everybodys lives safer but it does take time away from actually educating kids, he said. A lot of time these mandates dont cost people money, it just costs time away from the goal of education. Should they be doing drills? Certainly. In this day and age, it never hurts to be prepared. Im just worried about it taking time away from the ultimate goal of education. Another mandate is the requirement for all parents to have rear-facing car seats for all children under the age of 2 unless they weigh more than 40 pounds or more than 40 inches tall. Again, Davidsmeyer said that while the idea is a positive one it takes away a parents ability to judge what is best for their children. Its something your doctors office should be advising you on, he said. I dont know the government saying that you have to have your kid riding backward is the best way to do this. Other major laws coming into effect include a law banning all synthetic marijuana including those with slight formula alterations, a law removing insurance barriers for outpatient opioid and addiction treatment, a law mandating a written policy for internal review of officer-involved shootings, a law mandating sexual harassment policy for companies within Illinois, and a law ending severance packages for employees who have been fired for misconduct. BRASILIA, Brazil - Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain who has promised radical measures to cut soaring crime and widespread corruption, was sworn in as president on Tuesday, marking Brazil's starkest shift to the right since its return to democracy three decades ago. Bolsonaro, 63, rode a populist revolt against the traditional political class to take the presidency. He has pledged to take South America's largest nation in a new direction - adopting an iron-fisted approach to crime, allowing citizens to arm themselves for self-defense, and promoting more development in the environmentally sensitive Amazon. An ardent admirer of President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has vowed to move this nation away from its left-leaning foreign policy. "I invite all of Congress to join me in the mission to restore and rebuild our homeland, liberating it from corruption, crime, economic irresponsibility and ideological traps," Bolsonaro said shortly after being sworn in. With Bolsonaro's inauguration, Latin America's two biggest economies are now in the hands of anti-establishment populists. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leftist, took office in Mexico on Dec. 1. But while Lopez Obrador won a reputation as a pragmatist while in a previous job as mayor of Mexico City, the new Brazilian leader appears more unpredictable. Bolsonaro is an ardent supporter of the military regime that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985 and is the most conservative ruler to come to power in the region in decades. His vice president and several key ministers are former military officers. Lawmakers who support the new president greeted him in Congress on Tuesday by pointing their fingers in the shape of a gun. In his speech to lawmakers, Bolsonaro promised to reduce bureaucratic regulations, promote a more free-market economic policy and protect police officers. He hinted that he would try to loosen gun laws, saying, saying "A good citizen deserves methods of defending himself." That move, though, could be challenged by Congress. Even more difficult may be injecting steam into the sluggish Brazilian economy, which analysts say will require broad austerity measures. Bolsonaro will need to mediate between the country's three dozen political parties, which will demand compromise and political skill. Authorities said they expected a half-million spectators to attend inaugural events, but the crowds appeared thinner. Still, thousands of people filled the Praca dos tres Poderes, a massive lawn akin to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for Bolsonaro's first speech to the public on Tuesday afternoon. Supporters wore shirts featuring the new president's face and waved Brazilian flags. The government launched the largest security operation ever for a presidential inauguration, mobilizing over 3,000 police officers, firefighters, and soldiers. Bolsonaro was wounded by a knife-wielding assailant during the campaign, and he takes office at a moment when the country is deeply polarized. Many Brazilians oppose Bolsonaro for his history of incendiary statements - he has insulted women and minorities and said he prefers a dead son to a gay one. In his speech to Congress on Tuesday, Bolsonaro struck a conciliatory tone, saying "I reaffirm my commitment to building a society without discrimination or division." Once a darling of the global left for its progressive welfare policies, Brazil is set to become a bastion of conservatism in Latin America. The leftist Workers' Party, which dominated Brazilian politics from 2003 to 2016, boycotted the ceremony. The party was resoundingly defeated in the October election, with many citizens blaming it for a devastating recession from which Brazil is only now emerging. Among them was Lorena Abdaba, 32, a professor who traveled 33 hours by bus from her native state of Espirito Santo to attend the inauguration. She said Bolsonaro represented a historic moment for her country - a moment she couldn't miss. "I also came to watch the official exit of the Workers' Party from the presidency," she said. A few miles away, 19-year-old college student Grace Kelly Silveira, 19, waited at a bus station as Bolsonaro supporters poured through the terminal on their way to the inauguration, cheering as they waved Brazilian flags. "I think he is too radical," she said. She cast a blank ballot in the elections, saying she couldn't vote for the Workers' Party because of their involvement in corruption scandals. "They were major thieves," she said. In foreign policy, Bolsonaro has signaled he plans major changes and that he may follow Trump's lead on some issues. For example, he has threatened to pull out of the Paris climate accords, and said he will relocate Brazil's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Brasilia for the inauguration, as did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, the incoming Brazilian government rescinded invitations to the inauguration that had been sent to Cuban and Venezuelan leaders, traditional allies of the Workers' Party. Like Trump, Bolsonaro upended politics as usual in Brazil, winning the presidency through a social media heavy campaign fueled by popular anger. Many Brazilians, wary of established politicians after a corruption scandal tainted vast swaths of the country's political elite, saw in Bolsonaro an outsider they could trust. As a fringe politician with few alliances, Bolsonaro was one of the few to emerge unscathed from the scandals. Though Bolsonaro promised after the election to be a leader to all of Brazil's 200 million people, on the eve of the inauguration, he tweeted a vow to rid Brazilian schools of "Marxist trash," slipping back into the divisive rhetoric that got him elected. --- Lopes reported from Miami. Sheridan reported from Mexico City. 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. Withdrawal From Syria Is Right, but We Mustnt Abandon Kurds Commentary President Donald Trump recently decided to withdraw all U.S. military presence from the Syrian theater of operations. This has been reported by the media to have been both abrupt and widely criticized, neither of which is particularly true. The most important criticism was said to come via the resignation of Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis. Many of the critics come from the ranks of the Republicans, although the conservative GOP base that makes up the majority of the support for the president, as well as many that lean libertarian, has a much more positive perspective on the withdrawal. Many voted for Trump because of his libertarian stance on staying out of foreign adventures. Long before being elected, candidate Trump was vocally and clearly against these sorts of U.S. military forays, certainly including the second Iraq War. No one should be particularly surprised by this decision, and there is nothing tricky taking place. The president has been very straightforward from the beginning, and pulling out of Syria is a clear continuation and implementation of his foreign policy. Trump is the type of person who is comparatively easy to understand. He comes from the private sector, which, unlike the government sector, expects results. Trump clearly believes that action should be closely linked to the desired outcome. An action is used to obtain a specific goal, and if that action doesnt get you closer to the goal, then you stop the action. This is exactly what led Trump to make the decision to pull out of Syria. The U.S. military presence in Syria is a nebulous thing, with U.S. forces controlling a large but insignificant corner of Syria with no Syrian boots on the ground to hold the territory. We ultimately put in millions of dollars to train Syrian troops to fill that role and fight the ISIS terrorist group, and never put a significant number of combat-ready Syrian troops in the field. Initially, there was even hope that building a U.S.-backed Syrian army would put pressure on Russian-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign. Not only was there no significant progress on any of these goals, but the U.S. position in Syria also didnt provide any particular advantage in negotiations, which is really the minimum gain that would make the effort worthwhile. The Assad regime, with Russian backing, is firmly in control, and nothing we have been doing uniquely moves our interests forward. Trump made the correct decision based on the simple, straightforward facts. However, there are three big problems with the decision to pull out of Syria, and those are the Kurds, the Kurds, and the Kurds. What the United States is doing to the Kurds is a travesty. The Kurds have been loyal allies in both Syria and Iraq and have even held off the annihilation of small Christian villages by terrorists in regions they control. While the president made the correct decision, its not the right decision if we abandon the Kurds in Syria to the Turks. The Turks are very clear that they classify the Kurds as terrorists and intend to kill them all. The solution here goes back to the aftermath of World War I, when Syria and Iraq were more or less randomly created largely by Great Britain and France, according to their own interests and with complete disregard to the local populations. The nations of the world have been pushing back for decades, freeing countries colonized and controlled by the European powers. Now is the time to push back once again and recognize a free and independent Kurdistan. We would anger certain countries such as Turkey, in particular, but they are no longer the friends and allies they once were. On the other hand, we would gain a long-term and loyal ally with an independent Kurdistanand in a region where future problems are almost certainly guaranteed. For Trump, while the following quote has been attributed to many different people, I have selected Gen. George S. Patton: Audacity, audacity, always audacity. Brad Johnson is a retired CIA senior operations officer and a former chief of station. He is president of Americans for Intelligence Reform. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A Whirlpool logo is seen seen on a refrigerator at a Sears store in Niles, Illinois on May 12, 2006. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images) Whirlpool Refrigerator Explodes Inside Florida Home A Whirlpool refrigerator exploded inside a house in Florida over the weekend, causing significant damage to multiple rooms. Mark Ligondie said that he was sleeping when he heard a bang, prompting him to sprint from his bedroom to the kitchen. There were fumes coming everywhere, Ligondie told WPTV, noting that the odor was so strong that it stung his eyes. The fridge exploded and if you look at this angle right here it expanded and expanded so much it bent the metal of the stove, he said. Its surreal. The Whirpool refrigerator was only four months old. The explosion sent pieces throughout the kitchen and surrounding rooms, leaving cracks in the ceiling and walls. Luckily, nobody was injured. Ligondies next door neighbor, Joshua Perez, rushed over to help after hearing the explosion and smoke alarm, saying the incident prompted him to schedule an appointment to check his own fridge. For them to say weve never seen this, this is something we have never seen in our life is kind of alarming, he said. In a statement, Whirlpool said it was investigating the explosion. Its not clear what made the fridge explode. According to a Whirpool owners manual (pdf), there is an explosion hazard. Keep flammable materials and vapors, such as gasoline, away from [the] refrigerator, it states. Failure to do so can result in death, explosion, or fire. This is not the first report of a Whirlpool fridge exploding, however. Another Florida Explosion A Whirlpool fridge was reported to have exploded in the village of Fernandina in Florida in 2015. A Whirlpool Corporation public relations official told a local outlet, the Villages News, that she wasnt sure if the company had received other reports of exploding fridges at the time. I am not the expert, said Kristine Sherman, Whirlpools senior manager of global media and public relations. She added, We take this report very seriously and wish to look into the situation. That explosion was so bad that the couple who lived in the house had to move out immediately, reported the outlet, first staying with friends then moving into a rental near the home. Exploding Washing Machines While there have been few reports of fridges exploding, there have been a number of reports of Whirlpool washers that exploded inside various houses. Two washers blew apart in Texas in 2015, reported the Dallas Morning News. Experts told the outlet that while flammable materials can cause explosions, the more likely cause was a failed bearing, which threw off the concrete counterweight used to balance the spinning drum. The concrete is ballast to hold the machine down in the spin cycle, one expert said. Otherwise it would walk around the room. One man said that his washer died in the same manner. The counterweight used to balance the drum came off, and the machine essentially beat itself to death, he said. Steve Wojs, owner of the Adam the Answerman appliance parts store, said that it appeared that the balancing weights broke loose from the outer tub. Once you lose the weight, the outer tub flies all around and shakes violently, he said. Exploding Whirlpool washers have been reported at other times as well. A Minnesota woman said that her Whirlpool washer exploded, also in 2015. A number of parts flew out during the explosion and struck her, giving her a concussion, reported KARE; many people who commented on her Facebook post said that their washers have exploded as well. From NTD News Indian Bollywood actor and dialogue writer Kader Khan attends the launch of "My World Within," a book of poetry written by Indian lawmaker Kapil Sibal, in Mumbai on March 17, 2012. (STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images) Veteran Bollywood Actor-Screenwriter Kader Khan Dies at 81 Kader Khan, a veteran actor and prolific Bollywood screenwriter, died on Dec. 31, 2018, from a prolonged illness. He was 81. Khans son, Sarfaraz Khan, confirmed that his fathers last rites will be conducted in Canada. My dad has left us. He passed away on Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into a coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks, Sarfaraz told Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI). The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it, he added. We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers. According to reports, Khan had been suffering from breathing difficulties, and doctors had switched him from a regular ventilator to a BiPAP ventilator. Khan was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, which is a degenerative disease that causes dementia and difficulty in walking. Khan is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, a daughter-in-law, and several grandchildren. Sarfaraz told indianexpress.com, [My dad] was unwell from last few months and in the hospital from last few days. We tried everything we could, but it was time. He was a very loving man and he loved everyone who was a part of his life. Amitabh Bachchan, an Indian film megastar who has collaborated with Khan, wrote a heartfelt message Twitter: Kader Khan passes away. Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician. T 3045 Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence ; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician !! pic.twitter.com/l7pdv0Wdu1 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 1, 2019 Khan was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1937. The screenwriter-turned-actor, who had his peak in the 1980s to 1990s, starred in more than 300 films in Hindi and Urdu, and wrote dialogue for over 250 Indian films. Prior to entering the film industry, Khan was a civil engineering professor at M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering in Mumbai between 1970 and 1975. Basically, by education, Im a civil engineer, Khan said in a 2007 interview. I used to teach Theory of Structure, Hydraulics, Strength of Material, RCC Steel, but my subjects which I used to like were theater, Stanislavsky, Maxim Gorky, Chekhov, Dostoevskythese are my other teachers. So my life was split into two. Khan said he had his beginnings in theater when he was aged 8 or 9. In his college years he wrote and directed plays. At college he reportedly performed in a play, winning multiple awards, including a cash prize. Actor Dilip Kumar was impressed and signed Khan onto two projects, Sagina Mahato and Bairaag. Khan wrote the script of the 1972 Bollywood romantic comedy film Jawani Diwani, starring Randhir Kapoor and Jaya Bachchan. This would be his film debut. As a scriptwriter, Khan would frequently collaborate with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. Khan got his first break with the 1974 Bollywood film Roti. In 1973, Khan debuted as an actor playing the role of a prosecuting attorney in Daag, which featured Rajesh Khanna in the lead role. As an actor he often played smooth-talking villainous roles in his early years in the 80s, and later moved to more comedic roles. If you were a late 80s-90s kid who watched Hindi films, chances are you encountered the magic of Kader Khan. Never had the privilege of meeting him but if I ever had I would say thank you for the laughter, thank you for your craft #RIPKaderKhan Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) January 1, 2019 Khan received many awards, including two Filmfare awards in the Best Dialogue category in 1982 and 1993. He also won a Filmfare award for Best Comedian for his performance in Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri in 1991. Many celebrities and notable figures have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to him. Sad to hear the demise of the Versatile Writer,Actor,Comedian Kader Khan.He made us laugh and cry at the same time.He entertained us with his punchful dialogues.God bless his https://t.co/HSrp7MqQMh Sir pic.twitter.com/N8a6HVSlZc Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) January 1, 2019 #KaderKhan Saab was one of the finest actors of our country. It was a joy and a learning experience to be on the sets with him. His improvisational skills were phenomenal. His humour was eternal and original. He was a wonderful writer. We will miss him & his brilliance. pic.twitter.com/m9z1yix9HB Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 1, 2019 Saddened to hear about #KaderKhan. Had the privilege to work with him as a writer in Aankhen, Raja Babu, Shola Our Shabnam, Bol Rahda Bol, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi & direct him in my debut film Hulchul. #RIP #KaderKhan. You shall always be missed pic.twitter.com/kw7onCCGc7 Anees Bazmee (@BazmeeAnees) January 1, 2019 Kader Khan was one of the few talents to straddle comedic and dramatic work so brilliantly for so long. Rest in Peace sir. Vir Das (@thevirdas) January 1, 2019 We are deeply saddened by the demise of prominent actor-screenwriter #KaderKhan. Renowned for his effortless comic performances, he also wrote the striking dialogues for some of the most popular Hindi films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie and Agneepath.#RIP pic.twitter.com/AzpePUxLEF NFAI (@NFAIOfficial) January 1, 2019 Kader Khan Ji brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills and lightened it thanks to his unique sense of humour. He was also a prolific screenwriter, associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 1, 2019 From NTD News A couple of tourists kiss on St. Mark's Square, with the Italo-Byzantine Roman Catholic Saint Mark's Basilica in the background, in Venice, on Sept. 7, 2018. (Laurent Emmanuel/AFP/Getty Images) Venice to Start Charging Day-Trip Tourists With Entrance Fees Italian tourist destination Venice has been approved to start charging visitors entry fees of as much as $11.50 in a bid to cut down on mass tourism. The decision, made as part of Italys 2019 budget, will target day-trippers that arrive on cruise ships. The move follows the introduction of a similar entrance fee that tourists must pay to visit the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily. Tourists are a contentious issue for Venice, with more than 30 million people visiting annually. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter that the fee will allow us to manage the city better and to keep it clean, and allow Venetians to live with more decorum. The fee is expected to bring in about $57 million a year. Tourists staying in hotels already pay a city tax that brings in about $35 million per year. While prices are expected to be no more than $6 per person, it could go up to $11.50 in the peak summer season. The fee is expected to be introduced by this years high season. However, Italian authorities said it could be hard to identify and tax tourists who arrive by road, air, or rail. People who live, work, or study in Venice will be exempt from the fee. Claudio Scarpa, head of Ava, the Venice hotel managers association, told the BBC, The principle is that whoever visits from morning to evening, contributing just a tiny amount to the revenue from tourism, but imposing costs on our services, must understand that its not all there for free. Restrictions on Tourists The new fee is one measure being taken after the United Nations warned that unless Venice cleaned up its act it would be placed on UNESCOs list of endangered heritage sites. In 2015, UNESCO officials said, The capacity of the city, the number of its inhabitants, and the number of tourists is out of balance and causing significant damage. Venice currently imposes restrictions on tourists in an attempt to keep the city clean and free of problems. There is a long list of finable activities, including drunken behavior, dipping your toes in the canals, and snacking while walking down the street. Every summer, there are officers who patrol the citys tourist areas to enforce the rules. Many tourists are unaware that there are special eating areas, away from central hotspots, for the purpose of sitting down and eating. In addition, so-called angels of decorum are on the lookout for are bare-chested people, people feeding pigeons, or those who gather in groups on bridges. In previous years, locals have plastered posters on walls reading: Tourists Go Away!!! You Are Destroying This Area. Tensions With Locals Many tourists arrive by cruise ship, which also has been a source of tension with locals because the ships currently pass by St. Marks Square and dock in the city. Residents said the enormous ships are damaging the historical buildings in the city and polluting the water. In 2016, some took to the water to protest against cruise ships, using gondolas and small boats to prevent cruise ships from passing through the lagoon. In late 2017, Transport Minister Graziano Delrio announced that by the year 2021, those large ships wont be allowed to pass through the city. Instead, they will have to dock in Marghera, an industrial town in the center of the Veneto region, with factories visibly belching smoke into the air. Brugnaro has previously said: We want it to be clear to UNESCO and the whole world that we have a solution. This takes into account all the jobs created by the cruise industry, which we absolutely couldnt afford to lose, and we can start to work seriously on planning cruises. The U.S. Strategic Command, the arm of the U.S. military responsible for nuclear strike capability, posted a New Year's Eve tweet that drew critical public response. (U.S. Strategic Command via Twitter) US Military Deletes and Apologizes For Strange New Years Eve Tweet About Dropping Bombs The arm of the U.S. military responsible for Americas nuclear strike capabilities apologized for a Twitter message saying it was prepared to drop something much, much bigger than the New Years Eve ball in New York after the tweet sparked outcry. In the tweet, which was posted as revelers around the country were preparing to usher in 2019 and was deleted three hours later, the United States Strategic Command said the nation was ready to drop something much, much bigger than the famous New Years Eve ball, and showed a clip of an aircraft releasing bombs. The attached video showed a B-2 stealth bomber streaking through the sky before dropping two bombs, according to the New York Times. The footage was accompanied by driving music and the words STEALTH, READY and LETHAL flashed across the screen. The tweet moved some to voice their outrage. I did not believe this could be real, said Joe Cirincione, President of the Ploughshares Fund and author of Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late. It is an industry ad doubling as a sick, bragging joke by our Strategic Command, Cirincione added. Disgraceful. At first, I did not believe this could be real. But it is. It is an industry ad doubling as a sick, bragging joke by our Strategic Command. Disgraceful. https://t.co/bmxtT3fWw7 Joe Cirincione (@Cirincione) December 31, 2018 I think its very tacky, Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN. We dont need to be acting this way. A very late entry for worst tweet of 2018 from @US_Stratcom (it has been deleted) pic.twitter.com/fP0D2c7EEW Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 31, 2018 The offending tweet was subsequently deleted. The Twitter account of the US Strategic Command then posted an apology, saying the first was in poor taste. Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies. US Strategic Command (@US_Stratcom) December 31, 2018 A spokesperson for the Strategic Command told NYT the post was part of our Year in Review series meant to feature our command priorities: strategic deterrence, decisive response and combat-ready force. It was a repost from earlier in the year, dropping a pair of conventional Massive Ordnance Penetrators at a test range in the United States, the spokesperson added. Stratcom is one of 10 unified commands in the Department of Defense that provides a range of capabilities including strategic warning, missile defense, global command and communications, as well as intelligence and reconnaissance. Some Twitter users defended the tweet. I can't stop laughing. @US_Stratcom, a command responsible for blowing stuff, tweeted something about blowing stuff up and people got the vapors They got weak kneed and deleted the tweet, which is too bad. It was worth it for the replies alone. John Noonan (@noonanjo) December 31, 2018 Never apologize for being ready to defend us, posted Twitter user Doug Gray. Never apologize for being ready to defend us. Doug Gray (@dlg7170) January 1, 2019 I am glad you reminded the world of the important work you do, replied Twitter user Bill Meyer. The tweet is not a representation of hate but the best reminder of the protection you give to the globe! You keep us safe and no one who is hating on this tweet actually believes you want nuclear war. I am glad you reminded the world of the important work you do. The tweet is not a representation of hate but the best reminder of the protection you give to the globe! You keep us safe and no one who is hating on this tweet actually believes you want nuclear war. Thank you! Bill Meyer (@Wjm56081) January 1, 2019 This isnt the first time a government Twitter feed has backpedaled on an ill-received tweet. In May of last year, the Air Force apologized and deleted a Twitter post that tried to link fighting against the Taliban to an online debate. The tweet was not well received by some social media users, with critics saying its lighthearted tone was not appropriate in the context of a serious battle in the nearly 17-year-long war in Afghanistan. Border Patrol Fires Tear Gas to Disperse 150 Caravan Migrants Trying to Illegally Cross Border Customs and Border Protection agents fired tear gas after migrants from a migrant caravan hurled rocks at them. The latest altercation at the U.S.-Mexico border took place on New Years Day in the San Diego border sector. Approximately 150 migrants tried to illegally enter the United States by climbing over and under the border fence, but due to the high number of Border Patrol agents, about 45 turned back. Shortly thereafter, migrants began throwing rocks over the fence at the CBP agents and officers. Several teenagers, wrapped in heavy jackets, blankets, and rubber mats were put over the concertina wire, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Border Patrol agents witnessed members of the group attempt to lift toddler sized children up and over the concertina wire and having difficulty accomplishing the task in a safe manner. Agents were not in a position to safely assist the children due to the large number of rocks being thrown at them. To address the rock throwers assaulting agents and risking the safety of migrants attempting to cross who were already on the U.S. side, both smoke and minimal countermeasures were deployed, the agency added. Agents deployed smoke, pepper spray and CS gas to a position upwind of the rock throwers and south of the border fence. The deployments were not directed at the migrants attempting entry on the U.S. side or at the fence line. The rock throwers were located south of the fence, in an elevated position both above the border fence area and the incursion attempt. The tear gas and pepper spray forced the rock throwers to flee while many of the migrants who were trying to illegally cross the border also turned back. Agents at the border fence said that no migrants at the fence line appeared to be experiencing ill effects from the tear gas or pepper spray. Per use of force policy, the incident will be reviewed by the Border Patrols Office of Professional Responsibility. November Altercation The altercation on Monday between migrants and Border Patrol agents invoked memories of the larger confrontation on Nov. 25. A mob of migrants from the migrant caravan stormed the border that day, trying to overwhelm Border Patrol agents. The migrants managed to rip down part of the fence and some were making their way toward the United States when agents fired tear gas. Some 2,000 migrants participated in the rush near the San Ysidro border crossing, a Mexican federal police officer told The Epoch Times. Most of them fled back into Mexico after the tear gas was shot. In the video, multiple migrants can be seen hurling rocks and other projectiles at Border Patrol agents. Several days later, hundreds from the violent mob were deported by Mexico. Migrants who participate in these violent events who are fully identified will be deported immediately, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. Such provocative acts, far from helping their objectives, violate the legal migration framework and can result in serious incidents on the border. From NTD News Trump Signs Ashanti Alert Act Into Law to Create Alert System for Missing Adults With just hours left in 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law the Ashanti Alert in New Years Eve, which will serve as a national alert system for those too old for an Amber Alert but too young for a Silver Alert. The new law, formally known as H.R. 5075, will require the Department of Justice to set up a federal alert system for notifications regarding missing or endangered adults between ages 18 to 64. It will function in a similar manner as the Amber or Silver Alert in notifying the public about missing or endangered individuals. The Ashanti Alert is named after Ashanti Billie who was abducted after heading to her work at a Blimpie restaurant at a military baseJoint Expeditionary Base Little Creekin Norfolk, Virginia, on Sept. 18, 2017. At 19 years old, Ashanti was too old for an Amber Alert and too young for a Silver Alert. Billie was found dead about 300 miles away behind a church in Charlotte, North Carolina, 11 days after she was reported missing. A landscaping crew discovered her remains behind some boulders in the back of the property. In a statement released late Dec. 31, Senator Mark R. Warner (D-Va) said he hopes the Ashanti Alert Act can help save countless lives. Despite the tragic loss of Ashanti Billie, with the love and support of [her parents] Meltony and Brandy Billie along with the Hampton Roads community, the Ashanti Alert Act is now law of the land, Warner said in the statement. Out of a tragedy, some great news: with the President's signature, tonight the #AshantiAlert Act is the law of the land. It's been an honor to work with Ashanti Billie's parents, @ScottTaylorVa and the Hampton Roads community to pass this life-saving legislation. Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) January 1, 2019 A statewide Ashanti Alert system had been signed into law in June by the governor of Virginia Ralph Northam. In September, the House of Representatives unanimously passed its version of the bill to be made effective nationwide. The bill had been introduced by then-U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor. On Twitter, after Trump had signed the bill into law, Taylor wrote: Had an emotional conversation [with] Brandi Billie, mother of Ashanti and spoke [with] her father Meltony. Thank you [President Trump] for signing [the Ashanti Alert] into law on this NYE. Out of this dark tragedy, light & hope will come for families across [the] country in 2019, he added. #breaking Had an emotional conversation w/Brandi Billie, mother of Ashanti & spoke w/her father Meltony. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for signing #ashantialert into law on this NYE. Out of this dark tragedy, light & hope will come for families across country in 2019. @MarkWarner pic.twitter.com/URsxPX49Eb Scott Taylor (@Scotttaylorva) December 31, 2018 After the Houses unanimous vote in September, Ashantis parents said that the Ashanti Alert will help keep their daughters greatest passionhelping othersalive. It will be like a hug from her. Every alert will be a hug: Hey Mom, Im here. Im helping people, Daddy, Im here; Im helping someone else. It was her passion, said Ashantis mother, Brandy Billie, WTKR reported. An amended version of the bill was passed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 6, 2018. That bill later passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 20. At the time, Meltony, Ashantis father, spoke fondly of her in a prepared statement. If you knew Ashanti, then you knew that you had a friend. I have said often that she never met a stranger. Though it has been hard coping with her leaving me, her earthly father, I have great joy knowing that she is with her heavenly Father and one day we will see one another again. I am eternally grateful for her lifea life well livedbecause through the Ashanti Alert Act lives will be saved. From NTD.com Watch next: Hello, 2019: Revelry, Reflection Mark Transition to New Year President Donald Trump talks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Nov. 1, 2018 in Washington. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Trump Proclaims January as Month Committed to Abolition of Human Trafficking In one of President Donald Trumps final actions of 2018, he proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In a lengthy proclamation issued on Dec. 31, Trump said that its not enough to merely denounce such horrific assaults, instead, we must actively work to prevent and end this barbaric exploitation of innocent victims. Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery, the proclamation stated. We are morally obligated to confront and defeat the abhorrent practice of human trafficking, and I am keeping my pledge to take aggressive action. Such crimes are often described as an everyday problem hidden in plain sight. Data from a landmark Global Slavery Index report in July last year found that 1 in 800 people in the United States lives in modern slavery. The phrase is a broad term used to describe victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation or servitude, and forced marriages, among other abuses. Trump has made combating human trafficking a focal point of his administration over the past two years. In February 2018, he signed an executive order to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that traffic and exploit people. In January 2018, Trump signed a similar declaration for the month. In the Dec. 31 proclamation, he linked stopping human trafficking to building a border wall: I have made it a top priority to fully secure our Nations Southwest border, including through the continued construction of a physical wall, so that we can stop human trafficking and stem the flow of deadly drugs and criminals into our country. In April 2018, Trump signed into law a bill dubbed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017. The act makes it easier to take legal action against individuals who use websites to facilitate sex trafficking, while also aiding victims to fight back against websites that profit from their exploitation. In the same month, the FBI seized Backpage.com, the largest child-sex trafficking website in the United States. Nearly three-quarters of the cases submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children relate to ads posted on Backpage.com. Reports of suspected child-sex trafficking increased 846 percent between 2010 and 2015, largely due to the use of the internet, according to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The bill signed in April has already led to the shutdown of 87 percent of sites used in online human trafficking. Brought To Justice Numerous federal departments and agencies, at the presidents direction, have sought to fulfill the laws governing human trafficking to the fullest extent, resulting in many criminal arrests. In 2017, the Department of Justice secured convictions against over 500 defendants in human trafficking cases. At the same time, the FBI dismantled more than 42 criminal enterprises engaged in child sex trafficking in the same year, according to the proclamation. Meanwhile, in the same year, the Department of Homeland Security initiated more than 800 human trafficking cases, resulting in at least 1,500 arrests and 530 convictions. Health and Human Services modernized the National Human Trafficking Hotline while the Department of Transportation recently established an advisory committee on the best practices to combat human trafficking. Under my Administration, the Federal Government will continue to play a leading role in the fight against human trafficking, Trumps proclamation said. But all Americans can help in this effort by recognizing key indicators that can potentially save a life. Trump said that he would not rest until human trafficking was completely eradicated and described it as a blight on humanity and an affront to our fundamental values. As a Nation, we cherish and uphold the notion that all people are created with inherent dignity and entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the proclamation reads. Human trafficking and enslavement rob victims of these God-given endowments. Chinese movie star Fan Bingbing was ordered to pay taxes and penalties $130 million for tax evasion in October, 2018. (Reuters/Stephane Mahe/File Photo) Top Scandals That Rocked China in 2018 From disappearing movie stars to tainted vaccines, there was no shortage of controversy Fan Bingbing For three months, Fan Bingbing, Chinas highest paid actress, disappeared from social media and public life. This came after accusations the 36-year-old was using yin-yang contracts to mislead tax authorities on how much she was getting paid for her films. Such contracts are a dual system where the true value of money exchanged is under-reported to the authorities in a bid to avoid taxes. Then in October, Fan resurfaced on Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like platform, with a letter to fans in which she apologized for tax evasion. Tax authorities ordered Fan to pay 884 million yuan ($129 million) in overdue taxes and fines. The actress, best know outside of China for her roles in the X-Men and Iron Man film franchises, said she accepted the authoritys decision and overcome all difficulties to pay the penalties. Fan, however, is not the only celebrity caught in the crosshairs in the regimes crackdown against tax evasion. More than 500 Chinese actors are reportedly in the sights of tax authorities as the communist regime seeks to boost its coffers amid a flagging economy and costly trade tensions with the United States. Gene-Edited Babies In November, Chinese researcher He Jiankui shocked the scientific community and the world when he announced the creation of the worlds first gene-edited twins. In a series of YouTube videos, the researcher, formerly employed at Southern University of Science and Technology of China, claimed to have successfully altered the DNA of twin girls born earlier in the month to make them resistant to the HIV virus. Days later, he appeared at a gene-editing conference in Hong Kong defending and expressing pride in his work. He also revealed another pregnancy involving a gene-edited baby was in its early stages. Hes revelation drew swift and unanimous condemnation from scientists and bioethics experts around the world. International scientists slammed Hes experiment as illegal, unethical, unacceptable, and reckless, and called for an independent review of the results. He has claimed that the experiment has been a success with no immediate evidence of harm to other genes. Editing DNA in eggs, sperm, and embryos is ethically contentious because such changes could be inherited by future generations and eventually affect the entire gene pool. Leading scientists have called for a moratorium on its use except in lab studies until more is learned. In the aftermath of the controversy, Hes university, health officials, and the hospital where the babies were born distanced themselves from the scientist, saying they knew nothing of Hes actions. However, questions have been raised about whether He was indeed acting alone or if his actions were endorsed from higher-ups. Hes current whereabouts are unknown. Some media reports say that he is missing, while his former employer released a statement denying that he had been detained. Faulty Vaccines The news in July that Chinese drug company Changsheng Bio-Technology had produced more than 250,000 faulty vaccines for babies unleashed a firestorm of criticism from parents fed up with enduring yet another tainted food and drug scandal. Changsheng Bio-Technology had made substandard DTP vaccines used to inoculate babies against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, which were administered on children in northeast Chinas Shandong province. A investigation later found that the company had in fact produced nearly 500,000 faulty DTP vaccines. The companys subsidiary, Changchun Changsheng, also came under fire for forging data related to manufacturing its Vero-cell rabies vaccine. Weeks later, the drug company Wuhan Institute of Biological Productsa subsidiary run by the state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Groupwas swept up in the scandal after it produced 400,000 defective DPT vaccines. The scandal triggered a swift online censorship campaign, while worried parents turned to Hong Kong and Taiwan for safe inoculation. Changsheng Bio-Technologys chairwoman and 17 other employees, including executives, were arrested. Wuhan Institute of Biological Products was let off with a mere fine. The scare capped off a long list of public health crises that have plagued China in recent years. High-profile tainted vaccine scandals rocked Chinas northern Shanxi province in 2006, and Shandong province in 2013 and 2015. The milk powder scandal in 2008 resulted in several infant deaths and left tens of thousands of babies hospitalized. #MeToo What started with an online post by a Chinese woman accusing her former university teaching assistant of sexual assault snowballed into the blossoming of Chinas own #MeToo movement in early 2018. Many women voiced experiences of sexual harassment and assault on social media, implicating university academics, as well as men in powerful positions including a high-ranking buddhist monk and a well-known media personality. One of Chinas highest-ranking Buddhist monks, Xue Cheng, 51, quit as the president of the Chinese Communist Party-sanctioned Buddhist Association of China in August after he was accused of sexually assaulting his female disciples and psychologically manipulating them. Television star at state-run CCTV, Zhu Jun, 54, was accused of sexual misconduct by a 25-year-old intern. Zhu later sued the unidentified woman for defamation, a case she is fighting. Billionaire chief executive officer of Chinas JD.com Inc, Richard Liu, 45, was accused of rape by a University of Minnesota student during a visit to the United States in August. Minnesota prosecutors in December ultimately did not charge Liu. ZTE Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp. was brought to the brink of collapse after the United States banned the company in April from doing business with American suppliers. The ban was imposed as punishment after the U.S. Commerce Department discovered that the company had breached the terms of a 2017 court settlement requiring it to discipline 35 employees. In that court case, ZTE pleaded guilty to violating U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping U.S. goods and technology to Iran. The technology blockade severely hit the $17 billion company, which heavily relies on the United States for its tech components, and prompted a personal plea to President Donald Trump from Chinese Leader Xi Jinping. In June, the Trump administration reached a deal with ZTE, requiring Chinas No. 2 telecommunications equipment maker to pay $1 billion in penalties, plus $400 million in an escrow account to cover future indiscretionsthe largest ever penalty issued by the Commerce Department. The company was also required to reform its management and executive team and submit to U.S. oversight. Huawei CFO Arrest Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wenzhou was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities. She is accused of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. Mengs arrest triggered strong diplomatic pressure from Beijing against Canada and the United States. Chinas communist regime threatened Canada with grave consequences if Meng was not released. Meanwhile, Chinas state media called for boycotts of Canadian brands in retaliation for Mengs situation. Meng, the daughter of the telecom giants founder Ren Zhengfei, was released on bail on a C$10 million ($7.5 million) bond and faces extradition to the United States. The arrest came amid a temporary trade truce between the United States and China after a Trump-Xi meeting in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1. Talks between the two countries, however, have made progress despite the controversy. Less than two weeks after the arrest, China detained two Canadians on suspicion of endangering Chinas national security. Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, who worked at International Crisis Group, a non-governmental think tank, was the first to be detained. The second was Michael Spavor, a businessman based in the northern Chinese city of Dandong who facilitates cultural exchanges with North Korea. A third Canadian, Sarah McIver, was also detained for illegal employment. McIver, a teacher, was released after receiving an administrative penalty and has returned now to Canada. Mengs arrest further put the spotlight on the opaque operations of the China-based tech giant and its links with the Chinese Communist Party. Watch Next: Huawei Exposed: How the Media is Getting it Wrong An Iraqi Syriac Catholic priest leads Christmas morning mass at the Mar Behnam and Mart Sarah Syriac Catholic Church, which was damaged and defaced during its occupation by Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in the predominantly Iraqi Christian town of Qaraqosh, in Niniveh province some 30 kilometres from Mosul, on Dec. 25, 2018. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images) The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East Commentary During the holiday season, many people spend time thinking about Nazareth, Bethlehem, and the Middle East. Of course, most of those thoughts are about peace, love, and events from more than 2,000 years ago. Current events in that region are not as nice. In early December, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby warned that Christians in the Middle East are facing imminent extinction. He noted that followers of Christ face daily the threat of violence, murder, intimidation, prejudice, and poverty. That may come as a surprise to many observers who thought the significant threat had passed. Not that long ago, the ISIS terrorist group (also known as Islamic State, ISIL, and by its Arabic language acronym Daesh) spread across significant parts of the Middle East known as the Levant. On July 4, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi stood at the pulpit in the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in the Iraqi city of Mosul and declared an Islamic state (caliphate) under the leadership of a caliph (a religious successor to the prophet Muhammad). Soon ISIS-led military parades marched through the streets of Raqqa, Syria. ISIS was a significant military threat to the world, certainly not the junior varsity that President Barack Obama suggested it was. It had about half as many soldiers as the British army, controlled a territory larger than the United Kingdom, and had access to sophisticated weapons seized from Iraqi forces. Neither the Syrian Arab Army nor the Iraqi Armed Forces could contain its expansion, and the Obama administration wasnt interested in getting involved in a new Middle East war. Therefore, it was very hard to see how ISIS would be stopped as the caliphate spread. Moreover, ISIS fighters were certain of their ultimate victory. From the time they emerged in Syria and spread into Iraq, they believed they were carrying out a divine plan. The prophet Muhammad had predicted a future in which a revived caliphate would conquer the world shortly before the end of time, and these ISIS fighters and leaders were carrying out that prophecy. Genocide With military strength and conviction of success came the ability and the inclination to abuse those who opposed their movement. ISIS leaders used brutality to spread confidence among their followers and terror among all others. Too often, non-Muslims were abused, forcibly converted, evicted, and sometimes beheaded or crucified. Some women and girls were kidnapped into sexual slavery (and occasionally killed). Due to a combination of their expulsion and being converted or killed, the number of Christians in Iraq is now below 200,000, down from about 1.4 million in 2002. In 2015, Pope Francis referred to the genocide of Christians under ISIS. In 2016, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling the atrocities perpetrated by ISIS against religious and ethnic minorities war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. That same year, Secretary of State John Kerry used the term genocide to describe what was happening to non-Muslims under ISIS. That designation was important, because groups designated as victims of genocide are more likely to receive military protection and preferential treatment as refugees under U.N. protocols. Unfortunately, the Obama administrationlike most other governments around the worlddisavowed the genocide label. The explanation given by the State Department for rejecting the genocide designation was that ISIS gave Christians the option of paying a religious tax (jizya) to avoid facing forced conversion, eviction, or execution. In reality, however, the tax escalated until the non-Muslims were out of money; then the persecution accelerated. The jizya option was never a viable long-term solution. Donald Trump spoke of ISISs genocide of Christians when he was a candidate. As president, he used military force to beat ISIS into submission. The caliphate eventually disappeared. Moreover, in December 2018, he signed the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act into law. Republican and Democratic Party members supported the legislation unanimously in both the Senate and the House. The new law guarantees U.S. financial and technical assistance to Christians and other religious minority residents of Iraq and Syria who are persecuted by Islamic terrorists. In addition, the law enables the U.S. Department of Statein conjunction with other agenciesto conduct criminal investigations related to suspected terror plots, to apprehend alleged members of terror groups, and to identify warning signs of genocide and persecution in order to prevent future atrocities. The End of ISIS? With ISIS in retreat and the caliphate no longer in place, one might wonder about the need for this new legislation and the reason for the statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The unfortunate truth is that ISIS is not gone. It has retreated from the major cities, but its believed to be regrouping in small towns along the SyrianIraqi border, where ISIS is still evicting, persecuting, and even executing Christians. When al-Qaeda in Iraq was declared defeated by U.S. officials in 2007, its membership was believed to be in the hundreds. It grew back and became the terror group we now know as ISIS. According to United Nations estimates, ISIS today has 20,000 to 30,000 members. Its entirely possible that there are as many fighters loyal to ISIS today as there ever were. They have just lost their geographic center. They obviously could grow back into a significant threat. The question that must be asked relates to the impact of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. The United States doesnt need to act as a world police force, and we are glad to have our soldiers come home, but withdrawal from Syria might make it easier for ISIS to regroup and rebuild. Fortunately, lawmakers seem intent on keeping a close eye on the situation. President Trump visited Al Asad air base in Iraq on the day after Christmas to meet with U.S. troops. While there, he said he has no plans at all to remove the approximately 5,200 U.S. troops that are currently serving in Iraq. Hopefully, they (and the significant Russian presence that remains in Syria) will provide a sufficient deterrent to ISIS. The U.S. government also seems serious about the promise to provide support to the victims of ISIS persecution. That will likely include both humanitarian aid and the arming and training of militias for self-defense. Lets hope the militias dont become necessary and that 2019 brings Christians and other minority religions in the Middle East a brighter future. Ronald J. Rychlak is the Jamie L. Whitten chair in law and government at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of several books, including Hitler, the War, and the Pope, Disinformation (co-authored with Ion Mihai Pacepa), and The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East (co-edited with Jane Adolphe). Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Teen Kills Himself After Accidentally Shooting and Killing Friend on New Years Eve, Police Say A Georgia teenager killed himself after accidentally shooting and killing his friend hours before ringing in the New Year on Dec. 31. The Gwinnett County Police Department said a group of teens gathered in a shed in Lawrenceville on Monday when one of them took out a gun and accidentally shot another member of the group, ABC News reported. Two teens ran, but police said the boy who fired the shot stayed behind and called 911. One teenager was accidentally shot, and another committed suicide in related tragedies hours before ringing in the new year in Georgia. ABC News 201911 Officers discovered one teen dead inside the shed, the report said. Afterward, police heard a single gunshot while attempting to locate the involved parties from the initial 911 call, officials said. Officers located a male with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound a short distance from the makeshift shed, a statement from Gwinnett police read. Local news outlet WSB-TV reported that the teens were 16 to 18 years old. Their names were not released by officials. It appears that a group of four males were gathered in a makeshift shed. At some point, a gun was displayed. The gun was fired and one subject was struck. Then the men then ran from the shed. Two of the friends heard what they described as a pop and found who we believe was the initial shooter, deceased of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Ashley Wilson with the Gwinnett Police Department said, elaborating on the incident to WSB-TV. #BREAKING: @GwinnettPd on the scene of a tragic double shooting in Lawrenceville. We're told two male teens are dead after one accidentally shot another and then took his own life. @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/NPDpU3nXYs Claire Simms (@Claire_FOX5) December 31, 2018 Neighbors Speak Out The shooting occurred at 3:15 p.m. local time along Riverlanding Circle in Lawrenceville, described as an upscale Atlanta suburb. You know, its New Years Eve and to have this happen so close to home, its just really devastating, an unnamed neighbor said. And now, were just in a state of panic to know who these two children are. Are they children of our community where we can reach out to their families? So this was just really unexpected. Nothing like this ever (happened) in this neighborhood, one neighbor said. The owner of the property with the shed doesnt appear to have any connection to the teens, Wilson told the Gwinnett Daily Post. The (shed) is kind of a shack that kids hang out in, so were kind of like, Oh my God, said Riverlanding Circle resident Barrie Hunter, reported the Post. Weve lived here for 18 yearsthis is the first crazy thing (like this) to happen. According to another unnamed neighbor, the shed is a local hangout spot. The kids used to play in it when they were younger, the resident told the Daily Post. Now, what goes onwho knows. Andrew Tran told WSB that he used to go to the same shed. I was shocked because just thinking about it, it could have been my friends, he said. The two teens identities were not released pending notification of their families. Other details about the shooting are not clear. Suicide Hotlines In the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Young people can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868. In the United Kingdom, suicide hotline Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or one can email jo@samaritans.org. In Australia, the crisis support service hotline is 13 11 14 (Lifeline). Other worldwide suicide hotlines can be found at www.befrienders.org. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announces her resignation as chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after local elections in Taipei, Taiwan on Nov. 24, 2018. (Ann Wang/Reuters) Taiwan Tells China to Use Peaceful Means to Resolve Differences TAIPEIChina must use peaceful means to resolve its differences with Taiwan and respect its democratic values, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Jan. 1, ahead of a major speech about the island by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. China has heaped pressure on Tsai since she took office in 2016, cutting off dialogue, whittling down Taiwans few remaining diplomatic allies and forcing foreign airlines to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites. China fears Tsai wishes to push for Taiwans formal independence, though Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo. Beijing has regularly sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island on drills. Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in a years time. Tsais pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party suffered stinging losses to the China-friendly Kuomintang in mayoral and local elections in November. In a new years address at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait needed a pragmatic understanding of the basic differences that exist between them in terms of values and political systems. Here, I would like to call on China to face squarely the reality of the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan, Tsai said, referring to the islands formal name. China must respect the insistence of 23 million people on freedom and democracy, and must use peaceful, on parity means to handle our differences, she added. Chinas interference in the islands political and social development is Taiwans biggest challenge at the moment, Tsai said. China denies any interference in Taiwans internal affairs. Taiwanese media have documented a wide range of tactics deployed by Beijing in attempts to influence the election, with the ultimate goal of having candidates with a pro-Beijing platform win. They include spreading fake news on Taiwanese social media, funding pro-Beijing candidates campaigns, and deploying an army of Chinese netizens to make online comments favorable to Beijing. China views Taiwan as a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if needed, with no right to international recognition as a separate political entity. Democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China. On Wednesday, Xi will give a speech to mark 40 years since a key policy statement that eventually led to a thaw in relations with Taiwan, the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan. On Jan. 1, 1979, China declared an end to what had been routine artillery bombardment of Taiwan-controlled offshore islands close to China and offered to open up communications between the two sides, after decades of hostility. Chiang Kai-shek fled with defeated Nationalist forces to Taiwan in December 1949 after losing a civil war to the Communists. Despite the deep business, cultural and personal links which exist today, no peace treaty or formal end to hostilities has been signed. By Yimou Lee. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. In this March 29, 2018, file photo, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents frisk a suspected MS-13 gang member and Honduran immigrant after arresting him at his home in Brentwood, New York. (John Moore/Getty Images) Record Low Crime Rate in Long Island After Crackdown on MS-13 Its been five months since President Trump gave his speech about liberating Long Island from the brutality of the international gang, MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha. Since Trumps crackdown, gang related crime rates in Long Island have dropped to record lows. We have now seen a 22 and a half percent reduction in violent crime this year, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone during a press conference, according to Newsday. And in fact, every category of violent crime has decreased in 2018. As 2018 comes to a close, Suffolk County officials announce record low crime rates for the Suffolk County Police jurisdiction. Violent crime dropped 22.5% in 2018 versus the year prior while property crime dropped 11%. Overall, since 2014, crime has dropped 28%. pic.twitter.com/KlUd7Y9PTx Suffolk County PD (@SCPDHq) December 31, 2018 The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) formed a gang taskforce in response to an increase in gang activity. That, and the partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, has contributed to the falling crime rate in Long Island, said SCPD Commissioner Geraldine Hart. Operation Matador, a unified effort to combat the proliferation of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gang activity in Long Island, has arrested a total of 475 individuals since May 2017, states a news release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Of those arrests, 274 were MS-13 members or affiliates. 210 arrests were made in Nassau County and 177 in Suffolk County. This Years Homicide Report A total of four homicides found in Long Island this year are believed to be linked to MS-13. Two of the homicides were found to have been killed in 2017 but because the bodies were found within a 12-month period, the bodies were counted in this years homicide statistics, reported Fox News. Two other homicides in Long Island this year were gang related but they did not involve MS-13. On Dec. 18, 2018, the body of 17-year-old Harold B. Sermeno was found near the Five Towns Community Center in Nassau County with several gunshot wounds, according to the LI Herald. This is one of the murders that is believed to be MS-13 related but the case is still under investigation. In 2017, police reported that 14 killings were connected to MS-13 in Long Island, according to Newsday. The gang is infamous for its brutal crimes including executions, machete attacks, hacking victims to death, and human trafficking. MS-13: Code of Conduct MS-13 has a three principle motto: kill, rape, control. In Maryland, MS-13s animals are accused of stabbing a man more than 100 times and then decapitating him, dismembering him, and ripping his heart out of his body, a news release from The White House said of the gangs horrific crimes. The gang was also involved in a case involving two girls: one who gang members kidnapped and sexually assaulted, and another who they kidnapped and murdered. According to The White House, the gang has more than 10,000 members in the United States, while recent investigations have revealed that MS-13 gang leaders based in El Salvador have been sending representatives into the United States illegally to connect the leaders with local gang members. An investigation led by ICE resulted in the indicting of 12 alleged MS-13 gang members in Queens, New York, on Dec. 12. The gang members were charged for attempted murder and conspiracy, as well as weapons and drug charges. The NYPD, in close cooperation with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the Queens District Attorneys Office, are making New Yorkers safer by focusing our significant resources on the relatively small percentage of criminals responsible for much of our citys crime and disorder, said New York City Police Department Commissioner James P. ONeil on the arrests. Watch Next: Migrant Caravan: Its Purpose in Warfare Against the U.S. NASA New Horizons Probe Believed to Have Passed Distant Space Rock on Landmark Mission ORLANDO, Fla.A NASA explorer is believed to have reached the solar systems outermost region, flying close to a space rock 20 miles long and billions of miles from Earth on a mission to gather clues about the creation of the solar system. The body is farther from Earth than any other that has had such a close encounter with a NASA probe, scientists believe. The New Horizons probe was slated to reach the third zone in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Jan. 1. Scientists will not have confirmation of its successful arrival until the probe communicates its whereabouts through NASAs Deep Space Network at 10:28 a.m. Eastern, about 10 hours later. Once it enters the peripheral layer of the belt, containing icy bodies and leftover fragments from the solar systems creation, the probe will get its first close-up glance of Ultima Thule, a cool mass shaped like a giant peanut, using seven on-board instruments. Scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched, according to NASA, making the mission unique in that respect. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and selected it for New Horizons extended mission in 2015. Anythings possible out there in this very unknown region, John Spencer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons, told reporters on Dec. 31 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. 4 Billion Mile Journey Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on a 4 billion mile journey toward the solar systems frigid edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. During a 2015 fly-by, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed that methane-rich dunes were on the icy dwarf planets surface. After trekking 1 billion miles beyond Pluto into the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons will now seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets. As the probe flies 2,200 miles above Thules surface, scientists hope it will detect the chemical composition of its atmosphere and terrain in what NASA says will be the closest observation of a body so remote. We are straining the capabilities of this spacecraft, and by tomorrow well know how we did, New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern said during the news conference at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. There are no second chances for New Horizons. While the mission marks the farthest close-encounter of an object within our solar system, NASAs Voyager 1 and 2, a pair of deep space probes launched in 1977, have reached greater distances on a mission to survey extrasolar bodies. Both probes are still operational. By Joey Roulette Mom Recalls 7-Year-Old Daughters Last Moments Alive Before Walmart Parking Lot Shooting The mother of a 7-year-old girl who was shot and killed in a Walmart parking lot has spoken out from her hospital bed, saying the girl was intentionally killed. LaPorsha Washington, the mother of slain girl Jazmine Barnes, told ABC13 about the girls final moments. The Harris County Sheriffs Office said that a man in a red pickup truck pulled up next to their vehicle and opened fire at a car, killing Jazmine and injuring Washington. "HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HER" A Houston mother is in agony after she said her 7-year-old daughter was killed in an attack while leaving a Walmart store. #BREAKING #abc13 #hounews https://t.co/3p4BkHOAFk Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) December 31, 2018 As I turned around and looked back at the street, I heard shots start firing and they came through my window, broke my glass, and hit me in my arm, she told the station. They sped off in front of us and the truck slowed down and continued to fire as he was in front of us. It was not fair. It was not fair. He intentionally killed my child for no reason. He didnt even know her, he didnt know who she was, Washington said. After the shooting, Washington and her other daughters noticed Jazmine was unresponsive. She said, Momma, Jazmines not moving. Shes not talking. I turned around and my 7-year-old was shot in the head, she recalled. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. Unfortunately, the life of my 7 yr old little girl was taken selfishly by a unknown suspect. I hope and pray for my family to find peace and justice for our loss. I could never imagine the day of losing one of my own children let alone the youngest of my 8 in such a selfish and sensless way (sic), says the page. The suspect was described as a white man in his 40s with a beard. Officials said they are looking for a red four-door pickup truck, KHOU reported. Please keep this family in your prayers. A total of 5 occupants in the car witnessed this innocent child, their loved one, shot and killed before their eyes. So senseless. Its never easy, and extra hard during the holiday season, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted on Dec. 30. Authorities are hunting for a man who shot into a car as it left a Houston-area Walmart Sunday, killing 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes. The suspect is described as a white male in his 40s who fled the scene in a red truck. https://t.co/DyFvROo12U pic.twitter.com/a0kIN1MCDG CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) December 31, 2018 Were going to use all resources available to bring this killer to justice, police spokesman Jesse Razo said, Local12 reported. And I urge you, whoever did this, you know who you are, please turn yourself in now because we will be looking for you, we will locate you, we will find you. It wasnt clear what triggered the shooting. The motive is unknown right now, Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland told CNN. And according to ABC13, officials are trying to determine if the attack was random or targeted. The sheriffs office is asking locals in the area around Wallisville Road near the E. Sam Houston Parkway, near the Walmart, to check surveillance video to try an identify the suspect. Jazmines great-uncle said to ABC13 that wants locals to come forward. Hes not human, the relative said of the suspect. Anyone with information about the shooting can call 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Anonymous tipsters can submit a tip online via www.Crime-Stoppers.org. Knife Attack at Manchester Train Station Leaves 3 Wounded A knife-wielding man stabbed three people at Manchesters Victoria Station in a horrifying attack on New Years Eve, according to local reports. At 8:52 p.m. local time, the British Transport Police received a call of a man with a knife in the station. It has since been confirmed that an officer and a man and woman in their 50s were stabbed on the train platform by the suspect who was wielding a long knife, according to the Greater Manchester Police (GMP). A witness heard the suspect shout Allah, or God, after he stabbed them, according to The Sun. The victims have been taken to hospital with knife injuries and the suspect has been detained and questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the police. The man sustained injuries to his abdomen while the women sustained injuries to both her face and abdomen. The BTP officer sustained a stab wound to the shoulder. The GMP said in a press release that while the injuries were serious to all victims, they were not life-threatening. BREAKING: Video shows the arrest of the suspect at #Manchester Victoria station after he stabbed 3 people pic.twitter.com/54B1G3Y1fe Global News Network (@GlobalNews77) December 31, 2018 Arrest being made after the stabbing at Manchester Victoria station tonight. pic.twitter.com/YWCplziU03 A'L (@adamlea2) January 1, 2019 Eyewitness Sam Clack, also a producer at the BBC, said he was just feet away from the attacker. He wrote to Twitter: Just been very close to the most terrifying thing. Man stabbed in Manchester Victoria station on tram platform. Feet from me, I was close to jumping on the tracks as attacker had long [sic] kitchen knife. Totally shaken. This is seriously messed up. Just been very close to the most terrifying thing. Man stabbed in Manchester Victoria station on tram platform. Feet from me, I was close to jumping on the tracks as attacker had long kitchen knife. Totally shaken. This is seriously messed up. pic.twitter.com/CnUw7j2TOT K (@Clack_Sam) December 31, 2018 Clack, 38, described the incident to Mirror Online: I just heard this most blood curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood curdling way. I saw police in high-viz come towards him. He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12 inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear Im still shaking, The guy was feet from me with a knife in his hand. Never been so scared, he added. Another woman jumped onto the tracks fearing for her life after being fellow commuters told her to run, according to Mirror Online. The woman, Rebekka, told Mirror Online: I heard the most bloodcurdling scream Ive ever heard and turned to see everyone running towards me. Some guy told me to run. Keep running was all he kept saying just keep running. I jumped off the tram track and started to run down the tram lines and hid behind some concrete slabs under one of the arches. Officers continue to work alongside @gmpolice following an incident at Mancheter Victoria earlier this evening. Tram services are disrupted. One officer is receiving treatment following a stab injury. https://t.co/J0ziuDxHzo pic.twitter.com/OC5b5MnlQy British Transport Police (@BTP) December 31, 2018 I had no idea what had happened at this point, I was just really scared, I didnt know if I was going to die. Eventually we walked back and Id heard people were stabbed. Its so sad, I just cant understand how people can choose to hurt innocent people in this way. Im in awe of the BTP [British Transport Police], as soon as I heard the screaming they were running to the scene to protect everyone. They are heroes. Rebekka added that she just cant stop replaying it in her mind and that her heart weeps for the people that did get hurt. British Transport Police and some Greater Manchester Police, as well as the North West Ambulance Service, remain on the scene. The station is on lockdown. We continue to respond to an incident at #ManchesterVictoria station. The station is currently closed. Officers are at the scene and a man has been arrested. BTP Gtr Manchester (@BTPGtrMcr) December 31, 2018 Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said of the incident, There is currently no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time. While we dont yet know the full circumstances and are keeping an open mind, officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are leading on the investigation. This is to ensure we have all the expertise available to us and progress our investigation as soon as we possibly can. From NTD.com Watch Next: President Trump Says Change Must Come From Within For Peace In Middle East The wreckage of a Honda when first responders freed a woman trapped after her ex-boyfriend T-boned her car at 50 mph in Parkland, Pierce County, Washington, on Dec. 30, 2018. (Pierce County Sheriff) Man Charged With Domestic Violence for Smashing Into Ex-girlfriends Car at 50mph A woman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries when her ex-boyfriendalready under a restraining orderdrove into the side of her car at 50 mph in Washington state. Both were trapped inside the wreckage of their vehicles following the crash in Parkland on the morning of Dec. 30, according to Pierce County Sheriffs Office, while emergency services rushed to the scene. When deputies and firefighters arrived, a 34-year-old female was trapped inside a Honda and a 37-year-old male was trapped inside a Volkswagen that had flipped over onto its roof, said the sheriffs office in a statement. Both vehicles had significant damage and the occupants had to be extricated by firefighters. Both drivers were transported to hospitals with life-threatening injuries, the statement said. He has since been charged with various crimes for the incident, including first-degree domestic violence assault. Photographs released by the sheriffs office show the Volkswagen lying upside down next to a house where a hole has been punched through the wall. The womans Honda is deeply crushed on the drivers side, with only dents on the passenger side. The man was later named as Christopher Walker by Fox. As sheriffs began to investigate, it emerged that the crash had been no accident. The female victim reportedly was seen in her vehicle by the male suspect as he was driving in Parkland, according to the sheriff. The male suspect T-boned the female victims Honda at speeds estimated to be at least 50 mph, crushing the side of the vehicle and critically injuring the victim, he continued. The sheriffs later learned that the two drivers had been in a previous relationship and that the woman had recently taken out a restraining order against the man. Knife Clipped to His Waistband A witness heard Walker yell, Im gonna [expletive] kill her, according to court documents, reported Fox. Walker had a knife clipped to his waistband when he was arrested, deputies reported, according to Fox. He has been released from the hospital and booked into Pierce County Jail, facing a list of charges: domestic violence assault in the first degree; assault in the second degree; felony violation of a domestic violence no-contact order; three counts of reckless endangerment; violation of a domestic violence protection order; and driving with license suspended. The woman had been granted a restraining order against Walker just three days before he slammed into her, according to the News Tribune, after she claimed he had threatened multiple times to kill her, had been violent, and was stalking her. He had thrown her across a parking lot and pinned her against a car by the neck, according to court documents cited by the Tribune, and had rammed a vehicle because she was inside. According to the restraining order, reported the Tribune, he waited outside homes to see if she was with anybody and would send threats to her friends and co-workers via text. He threatens every couple days to kill himself if I leave him or dont talk to him, she wrote, according to the Tribune, describing him as her estranged husband or ex-husband. According to the Tribune, he has prior convictions for second-degree assault, harassment, second-degree robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, forgery, and bail jumping. Man Arrested for Attempting to Kidnap 9-Year-Old From Harry Potter Ride at Universal Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter should be a magical adventure and not a time to watch out for attempted kidnappings. Twenty-three-year-old Jason Mikel was arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap a 9-year-old girl from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal in Orlando. Mikel, of Illinois, was arrested on charges of attempted kidnapping of a child under the age of 13, battery, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department. On Monday, during Mikels first appearance before a judge, a defense attorney told the judge the evidence does not support the recommended charge of kidnapping, according to WKMG. The judge gave the state of Orlando 24 hours to file a supplemental report, but until then, Mikel will be held without bond until further notice. According to police statements, Mikel and the girl were in the locker area of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction when he touched her shoulders and told her to go outside, where her mother was supposedly waiting. The girl became scared, managed to get away, and returned to her mother, police said. A man touched her on the shoulder and told her to go outside and her mother was outside, an arrest affidavit stated, referring to the girl. She got scared and was able to get away from him and return to her mother. A witness reportedly went on to say she saw Mikel put his hands on the girl and tell her, Mommy is over here, according to the police statement. The witness said the girl looked very scared and broke free from him and ran over to her mom, according to officials. The witness then checked with the girls mother, who denied knowing the male, reported Fox News. The witness then told Universal employees about the incident, at which point Mikel ran away, police said. How It Happened The girls mother told police she had briefly lost sight of her daughters whereabouts. She said her daughter was very scared as she ran up to her and told her someone had tried to grab her, according to the affidavit. The mother wants to press charges, according to Fox News. Employees followed Mikel to the Hogwarts Express, where they detained him. When the police arrived, they informed him that he was accused of touching a child and was not free to leave, reported Fox News. Mikel had a scraped knee and a bloody lip, but its not known how he got the injuries, police said. According to the police, he refused medical treatment. The police also found a little under 2 grams of marijuana on Mikel and he was given an additional charge of possession, according to the affidavit. Police said they interviewed the girl, her mother, as well as a witness and obtained statements, before arresting Mikel. Mikel was reportedly transported without incident. He has been issued a trespass warning with an indefinite expiration date for all of the Universal Studios properties. Mikel has been booked into the Orange County Jail, where he is being held without bail, reported Fox News. One of a group of 69 migrants rescued south-west of Malta waits to be processed in Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Dec. 30, 2018. (Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo) Malta Rescues 249 Migrants in 24 Hours, While NGO Boats Held Offshore VALLETTA, MaltaMaltas armed forces saved 180 migrants in two rescue operations in the Mediterranean on Dec. 31, less than 24 hours after picking up another group of 69. A patrol boat picked up 28 migrants from a dinghy 71 miles southwest of Malta, and an additional 152 packed aboard a wooden vessel close bythe largest such rescue mission for many months, the army said. That followed the Dec. 30 rescue by a Maltese patrol boat of 69 migrants from another wooden boat in distress southwest of the small Mediterranean island. However, 49 more migrants remain blocked at sea days after they were picked up by two NGO rescue ships, with both Malta and Italy refusing to take them in, part of a concerted European effort to halt migration flows from Africa. The Sea-Watch 3 rescued 32 people on Dec. 22, while the Sea-Eyes Professor Albrecht Penck rescued 17 people on Dec. 29. Both boats are operated by German NGOs. Jan Ribbeck, head of mission aboard the Professor Albrecht Penckel, said maritime law stated that rescued people had to be moved to land as soon as possible. It is utterly unscrupulous that no single European state is taking this responsibility, he said in a statement, urging nearby Malta to take in the migrants for eventual redistribution among several EU countries, as has happened in the past. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees also called for the migrants to be allowed into a safe port before the arrival of forecasted bad weather. States need to implement a regional arrangement that provides shipmasters with clarity and predictability on where to disembark refugees and migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, the U.N. refugee agency said in a statement. Italy has led the way into clamping down on migrants seeking to come to Europe; it has stopped NGO rescue boats from docking in Italian ports and offered more help to Libya to prevent people from leaving. According to the Italian government, some 12,977 migrants entered Italy in 2018 via boats from Libya, down about 88 percent from 2017 levels and about 93 percent from 2016. An Aedes Aegypti mosquitothat transmits the Zika viruson human skin in a lab in Cali, Colombia, on Jan. 25, 2016. (Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images) Louisiana Police Zika Meth Warning Goes Viral Have you heard the one about Zika in meth? It went viral. When Police in the small city of Harahan, Louisiana offered to test peoples meth for the Zika virus, their Facebook post picked up over 300,000 views, along with hundreds of comments from amused, bemused, as well as a few enraged internet users, and sparked international press coverage. The initial post on Dec. 28 warned that meth purchased in the Louisiana area could have been contaminated with the Zika virusthe mosquito-borne disease that can cause serious birth defects. It urged all meth users to Please bring all of it to your local Police Department and they will test it for free. If youre not comfortable coming to us, an officer will be glad to come to you and test your meth in the privacy of your home. Please spread the word! Were available 24/7/365. The following day, Harahan Police Chief Tim Walker confirmed what most people had already guessedthe post was a joke intended to generate social media interest. It is not possible to have the Zika virus in methamphetamine, Walker told the New Orleans Advocate, admitting he was surprised at the viral reach of the post. Shrunken Baby Heads Zika virus symptoms are generally mild and include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headaches, according to the World Health Organization. However, infection during pregnancies can cause congenital malformations including microcephalyshrunken head syndrome. There is no warning over catching the Zika virus in the United States, according to the CDC. There have been warnings issued for specific locations in Florida and Texas in the past two years. The CDC currently warns that due to the Zika risk, pregnant women should not travel to the Caribbean, Central America, and many countries in South America. Walker said he took the idea from other law enforcement agencies that did something similar over the last year, including police in Alabama, Ohio, and New Jersey. Unlike Harahan, those other posts, however, came with a disclaimer. Most people got the joke, and most were positive. A few took issue, however. You guys are walking a fine line for a lawsuit, wrote one user. Can you provide evidence of Meth infected with Zika? The CDC would be all over your state. This is basically entrapment, if not true. You are spreading lies to make arrests. I hate drugs, love cops, however, this is the wrong approach. But according to Rafael Goyeneche, president of the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission, such tactics have long been used by law enforcement as tools against naive lawbreakers. If somebody is gullible enough to believe that I dont see anything sinister with it, he told the Advocate, citing as a similar example how authorities lure fugitives out of hiding by announcing theyve won $1 million. I think when youre dealing with social media youre going to see law enforcement use that as a tool, Goyeneche said. But while Harahan might have successfully baited the clicks on social media, the meth users werent biting. So far no one has taken up their offer of free testing. But Walker is still hoping. Following a similar campaign, in March 2016 police in Granite Shoals, Texas, arrested someone who brought their meth to take advantage of free testing for Ebola. (L) University of Utah student-athlete Lauren McCluskey runs in Salt Lake City, on Aug. 30, 2017. (Steve C. Wilson/University of Utah via AP) (R) Convicted repeat sex offender Melvin Rowland. Rowland is suspected of killing McCluskey and then committing suicide, Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 23, 2018. (Utah Department of Corrections via AP) Lauren McCluskey Murder: She Warned Police About Ex-boyfriend 6 Times Before He Killed Her Lauren McCluskey, the University of Utah student killed by her ex-boyfriend, called the police six times in the days leading up to her murder. McCluskey, 21, whose body was found in her car outside the Medical Plaza dorms on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 22, had been shot to death. Her killer, 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, was found hours later in a church, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now reports by the University of Utah Department of Public Safety (UUPS) and the Utah Department of Public Safety, as well as publicly released 911 calls, show that McCluskey expressed concerns to police about Rowland six times in the 10 days before she was killed. String of Concerns A very sad McCluskey called two friends on Sept. 26 and told them that Rowland would not let her hang out with friends. The friends feel Lauren does not sound right and they notice that week that Laurens physical appearance had begun to change, UUPS wrote in the report. Both believe Lauren was too trusting and was being taken advantage of by Rowland. Neither likes Rowland because he just didnt ring true.' McCluskeys friends contacted the resident adviser in their dorm on Sept. 30 to report they were concerned about her relationship with Rowland and anxious about her safety. University housing officials received the report and conducted various reviews of Laurens situation, ultimately deciding not to overstep in assistance to Lauren unless she was seeking support. UUPS officials said that around that time McCluskey began to suspect Rowland had a criminal record and was a registered sex offender. Additionally, she discovers his real age and name. When she asks Rowland about this, he tells her he has many identities.' McCluskey broke up with Rowland on Oct. 9. Lauren returns to campus, contacts Rowland, and he comes to her room. As he approaches, he looks into the window before going to the front door, UUPS wrote. This action startles Lauren. McCluskey then confronted Rowland and broke up with him, but allowed him to use her car allegedly to run some errands. That same day Lauren receives a text from a friend of Rowlands informing her that she had broken Rowlands heart, but that he would drop off the car. Other messages tell her to go kill yourself.' McCluskeys mother called campus police on the day Rowland was supposed to return the car, informing them that the ex-boyfriend is a sex offender and expressing concerns that her daughter might be in danger. University police went with McCluskey to pick up her car. McCluskey later filed a complaint with campus police saying Rowland had demanded money in exchange for not publicly revealing embarrassing photographs of her. She had sent $1,000 to an account in the hope of protecting her reputation, university police chief Dale Brophy said in October, Fox13 reported. Brophy said police were investigating the case as sexual extortion and knew Rowland was a sex offender. McCluskey called Salt Lake City Police on Oct. 19 to complain that campus police were not doing enough to stop Rowlands harassment. Im worried because Ive been working with the campus police at the U, and last Saturday I reported and I havent gotten an update, she told Salt Lake City Police dispatch in a 911 call. They havent updated or done anything, she added. Findings of the Review Melvin Shawn Rowland was an evil, violent, manipulative, predatory sex offender who took the life of a promising young woman, the university said in the review into McCluskeys killing. He misled many people. He had multiple identities, plausible storylines, and charm. The university said that upon a comprehensive review we discovered that there were several indications that Lauren McCluskey was in trouble. Had victim advocates been engaged, Lauren might not have been left to assess the dangerousness of her situation on her own. There were shortcomings both systemically and individually. University officials pointed to coordination failures within UUPS, within the campus Housing and Residential Education unit, and among various campus departments. While the University has developed systems and programs to respond to student welfare issues, those systems were not engaged nor utilized. The report also blamed UUPS officers for not checking on Rowlands parole status. He had been released on parole three separate times and had violated his parole and returned to prison twice. Rowland was on parole when he shot McCluskey in the head. The UUPS detective involved in the investigation of Laurens case should have ascertained his parole status when she had evidence that he was a convicted felon and the victim in her statement identified Rowland as a suspect, the report concluded. The report also found that state systems to alert officers as to an offenders status with AP&P did not function as they were designed and that campus police seemed to lack the knowledge and awareness of these systems. We respectfully disagree with the conclusion that Laurens murder could not have been prevented, McCluskeys parents wrote in a rebuttal to the review. Her parents argued, There were numerous opportunities to protect her during the almost two weeks between the time when our daughter began expressing repeated, elevating and persistent concerns about her situation and the time of her murder. More than 1,000 women are killed each year in the United States by abusive partners. ICE Prevented From Dealing With Illegal Alien Who Allegedly Killed California Officer Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not able to deal with an illegal alien who allegedly killed a California police officer despite the alien having been arrested twice previously for driving under the influence, according to the agency. Gustavo Arriaga, 32, was pulled over by Newman Police Department Cpl. Ronil Singh on Dec. 26 on suspicion of a third DUI. But when Singh approached the vehicle, Arriaga gunned him down, police officials said. Normally, when felony crimes are committed such as driving under the influence, local police and sheriffs alert Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which places a hold on the suspects. When the cases are finished, the suspect is then deported. Californias sanctuary law and other pro-illegal alien laws typically prevent normal law enforcement procedures such as alerting ICE when an alien is arrested for allegedly committing a crime if the crime is not serious. Being in the country illegally is also a crime. Its a misdemeanor upon first entry and a felony when re-entering after being deported. We remain deeply concerned that Californias sanctuary laws continue to undermine public safety and cause preventable crimes by restricting law enforcement cooperation and allowing public safety threats back into the community to re-offend, ICE spokeswoman Liz Johnson said in a statement obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle. Arriaga was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Chowchilla in 2014 before the sanctuary law was passed. Its not clear whether authorities there were aware of Arriagas immigration status. As far as immigration status, I can tell you we do not ask those questions. We have no reason to, Chowchilla Police Chief David Riviere told the Chronicle. He was stopped for a traffic violation and found to be DUI. A spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown told The Associated Press that police could have informed federal authorities if the suspect was a known gang member. In addition to Arriaga, seven other illegal aliens were arrested, including his brother and girlfriend, for trying to deceive police officers to give Arriaga time to flee to Mexico after the alleged murder. Immigration holds were placed on at least six of them and Arriaga. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson also addressed the contentious immigration issues surrounding the case, noting that crime by illegal aliens often rubs people especially raw since theyre not supposed to be in the United States. If he wasnt here then he wouldnt have been driving drunk and it wouldnt have been reported to officer Singh and the enforcement stop potentially never would have occurred, he said at a Friday press conference, noting the two prior driving-under-the-influence arrests and how the suspect has ties to the Sureno Street Gang. Why are we providing sanctuary for criminals, gang members? Christianson added. Its a conversation we need to have. President Donald Trump also noted that the suspected murderer was in the country illegally. 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, he stated on Twitter on Thursday. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall! From NTD News Hospital Says Worker Who Said She Would Give Jews The Wrong Meds No Longer a Worker An Ohio hospital said that a worker who published a series of anti-Semitic messages on Twitter is no longer working there. The Cleveland Clinic disassociated itself from Lara Kollab, 27, of Westlake. She was a supervised resident at the clinic from July to September 2018, the clinic stated. She was still listed as working there as of December 2018 on some websites. Cleveland Clinic was recently made aware of comments posted to social media by a former employee. This individual was employed as a supervised resident at our hospital from July to September 2018. She is no longer working at Cleveland Clinic, the clinic said in a statement on Dec. 31, 2018. In no way do these beliefs reflect those of our organization. We fully embrace diversity, inclusion, and a culture of safety and respect across our entire health system. According to state records, Kollabs medical license remains active. It was issued in Cuyahoga County in July 2018 and is valid currently until June 2021. According to her profile, Kollab graduated from the Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine. The college said on Monday, We are shocked that one of our graduates would voice statements that are antithetical to Touro and to the physicians Hippocratic Oath. We have received word from the Cleveland Clinic where Dr. Kollab was last affiliated and learned that she is no longer employed there. Touro College added, Touro College is appalled by the anti-Semitic comments reportedly made by Lara Kollab, a graduate of the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. The mission of Touro College is to educate, perpetuate, and enrich the historic Jewish tradition of tolerance and dignity. We are shocked that one of our graduates would voice statements that are antithetical to Touro and to the physicians Hippocratic Oath. We have received word from the Cleveland Clinic where Dr. Kollab was last affiliated and learned that she is no longer employed there. Touro College (@WeAreTouro) December 31, 2018 Kollabs Statements Attention was drawn to Kollabs anti-Israel and anti-Jew statements by the Canary Mission. In her missives, she called for violence against Jews, supported terrorists, and compared Israel to Nazi Germany. In January 2012, she wrote, hahha ewww.. ill purposely give all the yahood [Jews] the wrong meds In September 2012, she wrote, loll my friends husband works in an arabic restaurant a yahoodi [Jew] came in asking for israeli hummus he kicked him out of the restaurant. In October 2012, replying to a comment on a post she made, she said, I think [the Holocaust] did happen, its just exaggerated and the victimization of the jews (ignoring the others killed) is overdone. In January 2014, she posted three missives that defended Hamas, a recognized terrorist group. Over the years, shes tweeted in support of terrorists multiple times. Kollab also regularly compared Israel to Nazi Germany. In one post, she wrote, Typical nazi mentality. zionists are the spawn of hitler. After the mission drew attention to Kollabs tweets, she deleted her account. She also deleted her Facebook account, her LinkedIn account, and one of her Instagram accounts. Kollab has not spoken publicly since the statements were revealed. Negative Reviews In her profile on vitals.com, Kollab was slammed with hundreds of negative reviews after her tweets were highlighted. Lara has shown that she is unfit to be a doctor. She does not view all her patients as equals. She is disrespectful, degrading, and an embarrassment to the human race. She has made hundreds of anti-Semitic comments over the years, and it is heart wrenching and painful to read them. She deserves to have her license revoked. I dont understand how she made it this far through her career, having made all these comments on social media for years already. She does not deserve the recognition nor the title that comes along with being a DO, wrote one commenter. Any doctor who intends to poison patients should not have a medical license and should be in jail, added another. She said on record that as a doctor she will deliberately prescribe Jewish patients the wrong medication. Her license must be revoked at once! The sad thing is she completed her medical degree at a college that is orthodox Jewish and closely affiliated with a number of universities and hospitals in Israel, added another. This doctor would give the wrong medication, to a patient, based on that patients religion (Jewish, in her case). Cant trust a doctor who would make such a statement, regardless of whether the patient is Jewish or not. Doctors are trained to help, not harm. She needs to have her license revoked, added another. From NTD News Abdulrahman Noorah was charged with first-degree manslaughter, among other charges, for hitting and killing Fallon Smart while speeding through Portland, Oregon on Aug. 19, 2016. (Multnomah County Sheriffs Office) Hit-and-Run Driver Fled to Saudi Arabia Mid-2017, Possibly With Official Help A 21-year-old Saudi Arabian national who hit and killed a 15-year-old girl while driving with a suspended license has escaped justicepossibly with official assistance. Abdulrahman Noorah had been in the United States for a little over a year and, in that time, had racked up 18 citations for traffic and parking offenses, Patch.com reported. His license was suspended shortly after. Despite having no license, on Aug. 19, 2016. Noorah drove his gold Lexus down Hawthorne Avenue in Portland, Oregon, at speeds above 60 miles per hour. While weaving through traffic, Noorah failed to see 15-year-old Fallon Smart who was crossing the street legally at a crosswalk. Noorah struck Smart and then drove away, leaving Smart to die. Smart was about to start her sophomore year at Franklin High School. He later returned to the scene of the accident where witnesses spotted him and pointed him out to police. Noorah, then 20, was arrested and indicted on numerous charges including manslaughter, felony hit-and-run, and reckless driving. His bail was set at $1 million. While Smarts parents had to start a GoFundMe page to try to raise money to pay for their daughters funeral, the Saudi Arabian Embassy paid out $100,000 to cover the bond for Noorah so he could go free until trial. Amanda Sledz 2016820 Mystery Passport, Mysterious Black SUV While Smarts family mourned their lost daughter, Noorah, who held a student visa, continued to live a normal life, attending classes at Portland Community College. But he was required to wear an ankle bracelet with a GPS tracker. Then, on June 10, 2017two weeks before his trial was set to beginNoorah disappeared. According to Oregon Live, Noorah, then 21, packed a bag and climbed into a black SUVa GMC Yukon XLwhich drove two miles down a dirt road and stopped while Noorah sawed off his ankle bracelet. The mysterious SUV than took Noorah to an airport where he boarded a plane with some passportnot his own, which law enforcement had confiscatedand flew back to Saudi Arabia. GPS records from the bracelet and surveillance footage corroborate the story, the Daily Mail reported. A year later, the Saudi government confirmed to U.S. marshals that Noorah was in Saudi Arabiaa country with which the U.S. has no extradition agreement. Beyond the Law Were doing everything we can to get him back, Eric Wahlstrom, a Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal, told Oregon Live. Practically, though, there is nothing any U.S. agency can do. Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Marshals Service believe that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia orchestrated Noorahs escape at the time. Noorah would have needed a believable passport and a ticket on an international flight in the name on the passportall of which would have been extremely difficult to obtain clandestinely while wearing an ankle bracelet. Noorahs family is not particularly wealthy or prominent in Saudi Arabia. A bail report written by Deputy Kari Kolberg of the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office Close Street Supervision unit pointed out that his father owned a trailer business and his mother taught kindergarten. Even so, her report stated that Noorah was considered a flight risk, the Willamette Weekly reported. [The sheriffs office] recommends that the defendant, Abdulrahman Noorah, remain in custody pending the outcome of his criminal case, said the seven-page letter, dated Aug. 31, 2016. This decision is based on the protection of the community, the nature of the charges, a lack of ties/stability in the community and potential flight risk. This is not the first time the Saudi government had bailed out Saudi nationals accused of crimesand not the first time those accused criminals have fled back to the Middle East. History of Saudi Disrespect for U.S. Justice The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has shown a willingness to bail out its citizens when they are indicted overseas. According to Willamette Weekly, in 2013, the Saudi government had posted bond for two citizens accused of crimes. In one case, the bail amount was $2 million, in the other case, $5 million. In both cases, the charges were dropped. In 2015, the Saudi Consulate posted $100,000 for a Saudi national accused of rape in the state of Utah. That suspect, Monsour Alshammari, was arrested at the border trying to cross into Mexico. He eventually was tried and pleaded guilty to the crime. Noorah was not the first Saudi national to escape justice in Oregon with government assistance. In 2012, Saudi Arabia posted bail for Ali Hussain Alhamoud who had been indicted on multiple sex crime charges, including first-degree rape. Alhamoud got on a plane back to Saudi Arabia the same day he was released from Lincoln County Jail, Oregon Live reported. Christopher Larsen, an attorney representing Smarts mother, Fawn Lengvenis, told Willamette Weekly, We were adamantly opposed to his release. Read More Recent Arrests Clear Way for Reform of Saudi Arabia and Its US Ties Later, when speaking with Oregon Live, Larsen later asked, Why isnt the Saudi government respecting our justice system? Its still absolutely crazy that this could happen, Multnomah County prosecutor Shawn Overstreet told Law and Crime. I cant even imagine what it must feel like for the family who lost their 15-year-old daughter. From NTD.com Watch Next: I Was a Communist Slave A story of tragedy, faith, and resistance in the face of brutal totalitarianism, Memoir of a Communist Slave is one mans journey to uncover what he believes has held him and his people hostage for too long. Hello, 2019: Revelry and Reflection Greet New Year Fireworks, concerts, and spiritual services abounded to mark the transition to 2019. A look at how people are ushering in 2019: United Arab Emirates Fireworks crackled at Dubais Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, as hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered downtown to watch the spectacular display. The fireworks replace last years somewhat anticlimactic LED lightshow that ran down the facade of the 828-meter-tall (2,716-foot) tower. Cafes and restaurants with a view of the Burj Khalifa charge a premium for their locale on New Years Eve. Casual sandwich chain Pret a Manger, for example, charges $817 for a table of four. That price gets you hot and cold drinks and some canapes. For burgers near the action, fast food chain Five Guys charged $408 per person for unlimited burgers, hotdogs, fries, milkshakes, and soda. Elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah attempted to set a new Guinness World Record with the longest straight-line display of fireworks reaching 7.35 miles (11.83 kilometers). Philippines Dozens of people were injured ahead of New Years Eve, when many across the Philippines set off powerful firecrackers in one of Asias most dangerous celebrations despite a government scare campaign and threats of arrests. The Department of Health said it recorded more than 50 firecracker injuries in the past 10 days, which is expected to increase overnight when Filipinos usher in 2019. Officials have urged centralized fireworks displays to discourage wild and sometimes fatal merrymaking. China New Years Eve isnt celebrated widely in mainland China, where the lunar New Year in February is a more important holiday, but countdown events were held in major cities. Outdoor revelers in Beijing had to brave temperatures well below freezing. In Hong Kong, festive lights on skyscrapers provided the backdrop for a fireworks, music and light show over Victoria Harbor on a chilly evening. Kiribati The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first in the world to welcome the new year. Kiribati is made up of low-lying atolls along the equator which intersect three time zones, the first of which sees the new year 14 hours before midnight in London. The new year was welcomed in the capital, Tarawa, with church services and mostly quiet private celebrations. Australia An estimated 1 million people crowded Sydney Harbor as Australias largest city rang in the new year with a spectacular, soul-tinged fireworks celebration. One of the most complex displays in Australias history included gold, purple and silver fireworks pulsating to the tune of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, made famous by Aretha Franklin, who died in August. The show used 8.5 tons of fireworks and featured more than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects. Earlier, a thunderstorm drenched tens of thousands of people as they gathered for the traditional display, creating a show of its own with dozens of lightning strikes. In Melbourne, 14 tons of fireworks deployed on the ground and on roofs of 22 buildings produced special effects including flying dragons. In Brisbane, people watched as fireworks exploded from five barges moored on the Brisbane River. South Korea After an eventful year that saw three inter-Korea summits and the easing of tensions over North Koreas nuclear program, South Koreans entered 2019 with hopes that the hard-won detente will expand into a stable peace. Thousands of South Koreans filled the streets of the capital, Seoul, for a traditional bell-tolling ceremony near City Hall. Dignitaries picked to ring the old Bosingak bell at midnight included famous surgeon Lee Guk-jong, who successfully operated on a North Korean soldier who escaped to South Korea in 2017 in a hail of bullets fired by his comrades. A peace bell was tolled at Imjingak, a pavilion near the border with North Korea. Paris Parisians and tourists gathered on the Champs-Elysees to celebrate New Years Eve under heavy security. Anti-Macron protesters from the yellow vest movement have issued calls on social media for festive demonstrations on the famous avenue. Paris police have set up a security perimeter in the area, with bag searches, a ban on alcohol, and traffic restrictions. The Interior Ministry said Sunday that the heavy security measures are needed because of a high terrorist threat and concerns about non-declared protests. President Emmanuel Macron gave his traditional New Year address to briefly lay out his priorities for 2019, as some protesters angry over high taxes and his pro-business policies plan to continue their demonstrations in coming weeks. Ahead of midnight, a light show with the theme of brotherhood took place on the Arc de Triomphe monument at the top of the Champs-Elysees. London Britons ushered in the new year with the familiar chimes of Big Ben. Parliament announced last week that the clocks massive bell would sound to mark the new year with the help of a specially built electric mechanism to power the hammer, which weighs about 440 pounds (200 kilograms). The clock mechanism, which has kept time since 1859, has been dismantled as part of the renovation work. New Years Eve without Big Ben would be positively un-British. The comforting chimes are used by TV and radio stations throughout Britain to herald the moment of transition from the old to the new year. New York A drenching rain couldnt keep crowds from packing Times Square for the traditional crystal ball drop and a string of star performances. Christina Aguilera pumped up the crowd, performing in a snow-white dress and coat while partygoers danced in their rain ponchos. The celebration took place under tight security. Partygoers were checked for weapons and then herded into pens, ringed by metal barricades, where they waited for the stroke of midnight. But the weather forced police to scrap plans to fly a drone to help keep watch over the crowd. Revelers paid up to $10 for plastic ponchos trying to stay dry. Umbrellas were banned for security reasons. Guam Couple Welcomes Likely First American Baby of 2019 The first American baby born in 2019 was delivered in a hospital in Guam, a U.S. Pacific island territory. The child, named Malakai, was born 19 minutes past midnight on New Years Day, reported the Guam Daily Post. According to the report, the baby weighed in at 6.6 pounds and is 17.9 inches. Dr. Tom Shieh said he delivered the baby at Guam Memorial Hospital, adding that the mother and child are fine. The Guam Daily Post noted that Malakai is the first baby born in the United States in 2019. Malakai is the third child of Desirae and Kyle Mafnas and was described as a healthy baby who had been eating all morning, said his mother, reported the Pacific Daily News. The parents told the Guam Post that Malakai is a blessing as Desirae had a miscarriage before he was conceived. We had a miscarriage right before Malakai was conceived. His name stands for godsend, Kyle told the publication. I came in at 11 a.m. and then didnt give birth until 12:19 a.m. It was the whole day, Desirae added. I am just very happy that my wife and the baby are healthy and happy. Thats all that matters, said Kyle Mafnas, who works as a firefighter. Malakai was asleep during the presentation of his gifts, which were valued at $6,600, the report said. Its a healthy handsome BOY! Welcome our first baby of the New Year! His name is Malakai. He will lead us into 2019. Congratulations mommy Desirae Mafnas & Family, Shieh said. Guam is located close to the international date line in the Pacific Ocean, and it uses the motto, Where Americas Day Begins. New Year's baby Malakai Mafnas: "God sends" family joy after loss. Read more at: https://t.co/u5GX0oOgXp Guam PDN (@GuamPDN) January 1, 2019 Islands in the western Pacific Ocean like Samoa, Tonga, and Kiritimati are the first places to welcome the New Year. Auckland, New Zealand, is the first major city in the world to celebrate New Years. It doesnt appear that there were any babies born on Samoa, Tonga, and Kiritimatior on any other Pacific island. Many More Babies Born on New Years Day Its not clear who the first baby born in the world is. The first baby born in 2018 was identified as a child from Auckland, New Zealand. And this year, Aucklands first baby was identified as little Cora Rae Atkins from the North Shore, New Zealand, according to Stuff.co.nz. Cora may be the first baby born in 2019. Cora was born at 12.34 a.m. on Jan. 1 at North Shore Hospital. [She] was a good New Year present. So far, shes quite content. Shes pretty much slept from 5 oclock this morning til [2 p.m.]. Shes pretty happy, father Leach said. [Were] a little bit overwhelmed because it was quite a quick delivery. Meet Auckland's first baby born in 2019, Cora Rae Atkins from the North Shore https://t.co/OG5jAQTgnP pic.twitter.com/ChRNVbyASi Stuff Life & Style (@StuffLifeStyle) January 1, 2019 According to the U.N., An estimated 395, 072 babies will be born around the world on New Years Day. Of those, a quarter will be born in South Asia alone. In cities around the world, revelers will welcome not only the New Year with great festivities but also their newest and tiniest residents. As the clock strikes midnight, Sydney will greet an estimated 168 babies, followed by 310 in Tokyo, 605 in Beijing, 166 in Madrid and finally, 317 in New York. Fiji in the Pacific will most likely deliver 2019s first baby; the United States, its last. Globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries, said the U.N. Those countries are India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, the United States, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh. In 2017, about 1 million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survival, according to the U.N. 2018s First Babies In 2018, on New Years Day, another Guam couple welcomed the first baby born in the United States. Two seconds after midnight on New Years Day, Jennica Lynch and Davante Perez welcomed Logan James Lynch Perez, reported People magazine at the time. Guam Couple Welcomes First U.S. Baby of 2018, Joining Other New Year's Babies Born Worldwide https://t.co/IZA5bUUb4i People Parents (@People_Parents) January 1, 2018 It was painful, but it was worth it, Lynch told the Pacific Daily News at the time. Hes a handsome, healthy baby. Dr. Shieh was also involved in delivering the baby. He said the birth was all natural, not induced. Its exciting, were blessed, Lynch added to the Pacific Daily News. Were thankful for everything. Meanwhile, the first baby born in the world last year was named Rex, delivered in Auckland. Happy New Year, happy new parents. Stuff 20171231 Everyone was saying that there was a good chance that he was the first but we dont know for sure, yet, Ena Lu, the mother of Rex, told Stuff.co.nz last year. Its a bit surreal. When he came out it was just magical, she added. Hes actually a really good baby, when he came out he was really loud, but once I fed him he went to sleep and now hes been asleep for four hours. So I got some decent sleep. Gross Incidents Concerning Food in 2018 People can sometimes do the most outrageous things, or even very unsanitary things when it involves food, which may invoke all kinds of reactions from other people, whether it be anger, disgust, or straight out confusion. There are plenty of incidents in 2018 that may make your head turn with the amount of ridiculousnessfrom spitting on food to frying rats on the grill. There is no shortage of the amount of absurdity that stems from these mentioned incidents. The first one is spitting in food. There is a case in March 2018 where a Pita Pit employee in Missoula, Montana, spat on a customers food. The entire altercation had been recorded and then it was posted on Facebook. The incident took place at around 2 a.m. in the morningthe customers had dared the employee to spit into the food, to which the employee responded. It was not exactly what started the altercation in the first place, but the customers had alleged that the employee was not having a good day, and did not want to be there. The employee has since been fired, and the owners of the Pita Pit had given a timely response to the ordeal and said that the former employees actions do not reflect on the values of the owners or the store in any way, according to the Facebook post. In the same post, the owners had made a public apology to the customer who had shot the video. Perhaps this incident may take the cake on what is acceptable in terms of grossness, but what about the incident where a shopper sipped a soup straight from the ladle at an open, and public hot bar? Something to think about the next time you eat at the salad bar. pic.twitter.com/yALLvVPbut WTF!? (@wtfvids_) October 27, 2018 This shopper was holding a bag of groceries, presumably to buy, was seen drinking soup right from the ladleone that everyone else uses to scoop soup. The post, originating from Reddit, managed to gather 1 million views across social media and received very stern and negative comments regarding this behavior. Apparently, according to Reddit user bubbly48, the same person who had shot the video said that this wasnt the said shoppers first soup. It was his second soup. The first one made me stop and see if he would do it again. Then I went to security. It is uncertain what happened after, but at least one thing is for certainthe soup had been contaminated. While speaking of contamination, two other cases come to mindone worker who got elbow deep in tea and a worker who purposefully put foreign objects in sausages. The case of the employee who had her elbow deep in tea happened in a fast-food restaurant, Raising Canes, in Kansas City, Missouri. A Snapchat video was taken where it showed an employee using her forearm to stir the tea, and then pour the tea into the dispenser. Laughter could be heard from another employee who was filming the whole thing on Snapchat. The captions read: dont drink tea from Canes and she tryflin cause we dont care no more. Needless to say, both employees were fired. The company released a statement to FOX4, saying that the company takes pride in what it does, and that all the crewmembers are held to the highest standards, and that whatever these employees did does not reflect the company. Meanwhile, a worker was caught putting random objects, that clearly had no place, into sausages. On two instancesMarch 25 and 28a worker at the Wisconsin Johnsonville Sausage plant, Johnathan Lane, was captured by the factorys surveillance cameras putting cigarette paper and wire connector into the sausage links. And then Lane, who put those foreign objects into the sausages, reported his findings to his superiors after pretending to discover the objects. Fortunately, the items were removed before they made it into packaging, and the company halted the process and removed all products that might have been affected, according to Fox6Now. Lane was arrested on June 1 and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for the offense. Unfortunately, thats not the end of the listone burger chain, Teddys Bigger Burger, had to close its doors at one of its locations and fire two of its employees because of a rat problem. Why were the employees fired? Because they were cooking a rat on the indoor grill. The Twitter video from user HawaiiKidBranz of the rat being cooked on the grill was initially set on Snapchat, and has the captions, i think its time to quit teddys. Dont eat at Teddys Burger in Mapunapuna. They cooking rats on the grill pic.twitter.com/3OTTVFgita KidBranz (@HawaiiKidBranz) November 22, 2018 The president of the burger place said in a statement that as a company, it was horrified that the former employees would conduct themselves in such a way. The company would completely sanitize and replace all the equipment and utensils. It will then send a corporate team to do a full inspection and audit the location before it opens again. It will also be contacting a licensed pest control agency to examine the restaurant for rodents. Yet, this wasnt the only case of rat problemsanother restaurant, Dixie Pig in Oakland Park had 14 restaurant food violations. It closed its doors on June 14 temporarily to address its rat problem. After the temporary closure, a video was made public by WPLG Local 10 News. The video showed a cook who was using a hatchet to smash a rat that was inside the kitchen and crushed the rodent underneath cooking equipment. The person who made the video who was stressing the unsanitary conditions of the kitchen and the restaurant. There were other videos made with rats seen on other surfaces in the kitchen. The employee behind the camera had a dispute with the owner and quit a week later. Since the discovery of the rats, pest control has been at the restaurant daily, according to WPLG. A reinspection was carried out after the restaurant was vigorously cleaned. Upon finding no more rodents, the restaurant was allowed to reopen. A bonus caseits ridiculous and doesnt include anything gross or disturbing, but instead, garners more of a why would you even do that kind of reaction. A couple ordered a $35 cake from an Australian supermarket for their sons birthdaythey had, along with the order, requested that the cake be decorated with a frog theme. When the couple asked the supermarket, Woolworths, to decorate the cake, what they received was anything but what they asked for. Instead of a frog themed cake, the cake decorator drew a happy face and the number three with icing. The couple was very shocked to find this, and they called Woolworths to see if they could get the cake redecorated, but they were told that the supermarket didnt decorate cakes. Fortunately, the couple was able to find another cake decorator who was able to salvage the barely-decorated cake, according to FoxNews. Woolworths was reported to have reached out to the couple and gave them a $50 gift card for the ordeal as an apology. Gordon Ramsay and His Wife Tana Confirm Shes Pregnant With Fifth Child Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana, announced theyre expecting a fifth child. Ramsay, 52, made the announcement in an Instagram video on New Years Day. He got the help of his four other children17-year-old Matilda, 19-year-old twins Holly and Jack, and 20-year-old Meganto make the announcement. Exciting news! happy new year from all the Ramsays, it said. The video shows that Tana, 44, is a few months into her pregnancy already. Gordon Ramsay and his wife are expecting their fifth child. Congratulations. https://t.co/Q5JZj2FggP pic.twitter.com/bPV5wd8RQo LADbible (@ladbible) January 1, 2019 The video shows the children wishing viewers a happy new year before reaching Tana, who also makes the pronouncement, before revealing her bump, confirming their next child. And guess what Happy New Year because weve got another one coming. Oh my lord, oh no! Gordon Ramsay says in the video, referring to the pregnancy. A number of people wished Ramsay well in the comments section. Gordon Ramsay and his family rang in the new year with a boom a baby boom! People 201911 What a beautiful family. Happy New Year!! said one person. Another person added: Soooo Happy for your Nu bundle of joy set to arrive and bless your beautiful family! The announcement comes two years after Gordon and Tana were given the news that she had suffered a miscarriage and lost their baby. At the time, he thanked his fans. Regarding the miscarriage, he wrote on Facebook at the time: Hi guys, Tana and I want to thank you so much for your support over the past couple of weeks. We had a devastating weekend as Tana has sadly miscarried our son at five months. Were together healing as a family, but we want to thank everyone again for all your amazing support and well wishes. Id especially like to send a big thank you to the amazing team at Portland Hospital for everything theyve done. The Mafnas family celebrated an island tradition: the first baby born on US soil! 2019's Baby New Year is Malakai, son to Desirae & Kyle Mafnas. Malakai arrived 19 seconds after midnight, weighing 6.6 pounds & being 17.9" tall. CONGRATS! (Courtesy: Tom Shieh on Facebook) pic.twitter.com/DmAIPs4Jzb KUAM News (@kuamnews) December 31, 2018 Ramsay also told the Daily Mail at the time: It has brought us all so much closer. You realize how lucky you are and you reflect on what you have, how fortunate you are with your remaining children and you remind yourself of what youve got. Its made the family unit even tighter. Meanwhile, Ramsay apparently doesnt go easy on his family in the kitchen. Hes really tough on me, yeah. He definitely is, Matilda said, according to People. My recipes are kind of, like, if you dont have one of the ingredients, its not a big deal. But with Dads, if you dont have one of the ingredients, like, it doesnt work as well. His is a lot more fussy. First American Baby Born in 2019 The first American baby born in 2018 was delivered in a hospital in Guam, a U.S. Pacific island territory. The child, named Malakai, was born 19 minutes past midnight on New Years Day, reported the Guam Daily Post. According to the report, the baby weighed in at 6.6 pounds and is 17.9 inches. The Guam Daily Post noted that Malakai is the first baby born in the United States in 2019. The parents told the Guam Post that Malakai is a blessing as Desirae had a miscarriage before he was conceived. We had a miscarriage right before Malakai was conceived. His name stands for godsend, Kyle told the publication. I came in at 11 a.m. and then didnt give birth until 12:19 a.m. It was the whole day, Desirae added. Malakai is the third child of Desirae and Kyle Mafnas and was described as a healthy baby who had been eating all morning, said his mother, reported the Pacific Daily News. Meet Auckland's first baby born in 2019, Cora Rae Atkins from the North Shore https://t.co/OG5jAQTgnP pic.twitter.com/ChRNVbyASi Stuff Life & Style (@StuffLifeStyle) January 1, 2019 Malakai was asleep during the presentation of his gifts, which were valued at $6,600, the report said. Guam is located close to the international date line in the Pacific Ocean, and it uses the motto, Where Americas Day Begins. Its not clear where the first baby of 2019 was born. However, it might be a baby born in Auckland, New Zealand. And this year, Aucklands first baby was identified as little Cora Rae Atkins from the North Shore, New Zealand, according to Stuff.co.nz. Cora may be the first baby born in 2019. Cora was born at 12.34 a.m. on Jan. 1 at North Shore Hospital in Auckland. [She] was a good New Year present. So far, shes quite content. Shes pretty much slept from 5 oclock this morning til [2pm]. Shes pretty happy,Coras father Leach said. [Were] a little bit overwhelmed because it was quite a quick delivery. Richard Overton on his front porch in Austin, Texas in a June 2018 file photo. (Google Maps) Google Maps Adds Memorial to World War II Veteran Richard Overton Google Maps has added a memorial to World War II veteran Richard Overton, who recently passed away. Overton died at a facility near his Austin, Texas, home on Dec. 27, 2018, at age 112. He had been battling pneumonia throughout the year. Overton was believed to be Americas oldest living veteran prior to his death. Google Maps added a memorial to Overton at the location of his home. People that go to 2011 Hamilton Avenue are treated with a view of Overton on his front porch, where he loved to hang out, behind the American flag in his front yard. Signs in the yard announce that he was a proud WWII vet and another is a poster he received from Brown Distribution that says, For all you did and still do this Buds for you. Overtons Legacy Shirley Overton, whose husband was Richards cousin and longtime caretaker, said that Overton was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve and taken to a rehab facility, where he passed away. They had done all they could, she told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In a statement, which was posted on Twitter, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lauded Overton. Richard Overton is an American icon and a Texas legend. With his quick wit and kind spirit he touched the lives of so many, and I am deeply honored to have known him, Abbott said. Richard Overton made us proud to be Texans and proud to be Americans. We can never repay Richard Overton for his service to our nation and for his lasting impact on the Lone Star State. Born in 1906, Overton received increasing attention as he aged, especially after becoming the oldest veteran in the United States. In 2013, then-President Barack Obama honored Overton during a ceremony to honor veterans at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Overton went on his first private jet ride to Washington in April 2018 for a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Overton celebrated his 112th birthday in May 2018 on his front porch, which is known locally as his stage. He built the house in East Austin in 1945. He loved to smoke cigars and puffed about a dozen a day, most of them on the porch. The Dallas Morning News reported that strangers often stopped by the house on Richard Overton Avenue, renamed after him last year, to take his picture or shake his hand. They could also go to a nearby mural that includes him in it. Many of his family members had already died, including his nine siblings, his wife, and his ex-wife. He never had any children. Overtons funeral is slated for Jan. 12, at 11 a.m. at Shoreline Church on Burnet Road and will be open to the public. From NTD News Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, attends a press conference on the second press day of the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, on Oct. 3, 2018. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters) Ghosns Jail Detention Extended Again as Prosecutors Build Case Japanese prosecutors extended Carlos Ghosns stay in jail for 10 more days, another setback for the fallen auto executive who has sought bail to start mounting his defense in the case that has shocked the global car industry. A Tokyo court approved the extension of detention until Jan. 11, The Foreign Press in Japan said in a statement Dec. 31, citing the Tokyo District Court. National broadcaster NHK reported the news earlier. The ousted Nissan Motor Co. chairman stands accused of understating his income by tens of millions of dollars and of passing trading losses to the carmaker. Lawyers for Ghosn declined to comment beyond confirming the extension. Nissan said in a statement its not in a position to comment on Ghosns detention and that its own investigation is ongoing and its scope continues to broaden. A representative for the Tokyo court couldnt immediately be reached during holiday hours for a comment. The arrest of the high-flying executive on Nov. 19 at Tokyos Haneda airport has rocked the worlds biggest auto alliance, raising questions over how the two-decade partnership between Nissan and French partner Renault SA will change after Ghosns downfall. While Nissan dismissed Ghosn as chairman shortly after his arrest, Renault has retained him as chairman and chief executive officer, saying it needs evidence of his wrongdoing. Since Ghosns arrest, prosecutors have repeatedly extended his detention and rearrested him over new allegations. Ghosn has refuted wrongdoing through his lawyers, denying that he transferred personal financial losses to Nissan or acted in a way that constituted a breach of trust. Ghosns lawyers have also said the claim that he under-reported his income is flawed because his compensation agreement wasnt properly ratified. Ghosns aide Greg Kelly, who was arrested at the same time over his alleged role in helping the executive understate his pay, was released on a bail at 70 million yen ($634,000) on Dec. 25. Kelly has also denied wrongdoing, saying he will restore his name in court. Nissan has dismissed Kelly from his role as a representative director. Ghosn has been widely credited with saving Nissan from failure in the late 1990s and bringing it together with Renault. His arrest came after a months-long investigation by Nissan into his conduct, a probe that was largely kept from its French partner. That lack of transparency and concern that Nissan will use Ghosns absence to push for more power within the alliance has heightened tensions between the two automakers. If eventually released on bail, Ghosns movements would likely be restricted to his home or a hotel, and he would need court permission to leave the country, legal experts have said. Japans prosecutors have faced criticism for a lack of clarity and communication on how they are handling the case. If proven, each of Ghosns alleged offenses may carry a sentence of as much as 10 years, prosecutors have said. Nissan has also accused Ghosn of misusing company funds, including over homes from Brazil to Lebanon and hiring his sister on an advisory contract. The Ghosn drama has also raised questions about Nissans corporate governance, with the allegations spanning at least a decade. Nissan, as a company, was also indicted along with Ghosn for the pay understatement. CEO Hiroto Saikawa has sought to reassure staff that the carmaker is addressing governance shortcomings. Nissans board removed Ghosn from the post of chairman on Nov. 22. Renault, which is the biggest shareholder in Nissan, has refrained from removing Ghosn, instead appointing interim replacements. Renaults most powerful shareholder, the French state, says Ghosn is presumed innocent until proven guilty and has demanded Nissan share the evidence its collated against him. Saikawaa one-time protege of Ghosnhas emerged as a driving force in the carmakers investigation into the alleged wrongdoing by Ghosn and Kelly. Their arrests were the result of a coup by executives including Saikawa, Kellys wife, Dee Kelly, said in a video this month. By Ma Jie, Isabel Reynolds & Kae Inoue From Bloomberg Avelino Misreal Vasquez-Perez was charged with resisting arrest without violence, burglary, battery, and traffic citations by police in Palmetto, Fla. on Dec. 27, 2018. (Manatee County Jail) Florida Official Shoots Alleged Intruder Who Was Fleeing From Police A Florida official shot a man who entered his house after the man crashed his car into a nearby home while fleeing from police officers. The situation started late on Dec. 27 when Palmetto police officers spotted Avelino Misreal Vasquez-Perez driving recklessly. They believed he was driving under the influence and attempted to pull him over. But the suspect sped away. He crashed a few blocks later into a home on Fourth Street West. He and his passenger fled and officers soon caught the passenger. The shooting happened after Vasquez-Perez scaled a fence into the backyard of Palmetto Commissioner Brain Williamss backyard. He then broke into the garage, trying to hide from the police. Williamss daughter, who lives next door, saw the suspect and called her father. He armed himself and heard Vasquez-Perez trying to enter the kitchen. The suspect then pushed Williams and tried punching him, prompting Williams to shoot him, police said. Essentially, he confronted this individual at the point when he tried going from the garage into the kitchen. Into the living area of the home. Mr. Williams told him, stop, put your hands up, get down, while his daughter is on the phone with police, Palmetto Chief of Police Scott Tyler, according to WFLA. We find it was lawful, it was proper, it is self-defense. Hes in his own home. Hes in his kitchen. Basically, defending from someone coming in the kitchen, so hes got a right and hes got a responsibility to defend his home and his family and he did that. Police said Williams wont face criminal charges. We have to do what we have to do to defend our home and our family. If you dont have a firearm you pick up a heavy object and fight and thats what he did, said Tyler, reported Fox 13. Vasquez-Perez then took off running but later surrendered to the police and was rushed to a nearby hospital to undergo surgery. Hes expected to recover. I am glad that everything turned out the way it did. I guess he is doing OK and we are happy and glad that no one in my family was hurt, Williams told the Miami Herald. Vasquez-Perez faces charges of resisting arrest without violence, burglary, battery, and traffic citations. Cassie Jalanopoulos, who also lives in the area, said that Vasquez-Perez ran toward his home. I heard quite a few noises. There was scratching and banging, several bangs actually, Jalanopoulos told Bay News. I certainly didnt want anybody coming through [my] back door. Thats why I ran to the backyard to lock it because I saw him coming towards me. Im glad he didnt come through my door, because who knows what I would have done to him. Crime Decreased in 2017 The FBI said that both violent crime and property crime decreased in 2017 compared to 2016. Overall violent crime decreased 0.2 percent from 2016 to last year, while property crime decreased 3 percent during that time, the agency said in September, releasing data from the previous year. There were more than 1.2 million violent crimes reported to UCR nationwide in 2017. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in murders and a 4 percent decrease in robberies from 2016 to 2017. Aggravated assaults increased 1 percent in 2017. The FBI began collecting data solely on an updated rape definition last year, and 135,755 rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2017, the FBI stated. The report also showed there were more than 7.7 million property crimes last year. Burglaries decreased 7.6 percent and larceny-thefts decreased 2.2 percent. Motor vehicle thefts increased 0.8 percent from 2016 to 2017. The figures were compiled from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies around the United States that submitted their crime data to the FBI. From NTD News Elizabeth Smart during a news conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, while her father Ed Smart looks on, on Sept. 13, 2018. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo) Elizabeth Smart Blasts Officials After Her Kidnapper is Moved Near Elementary School Elizabeth Smart has issued a statement blasting the authorities after one of her kidnappers was moved close to an elementary school. Wanda Barzee, who along with Brian David Mitchell kept Smart captive after snatching her from her bed in 2002, was released from prison on Sept. 19, 2018. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole said that Barzee, 73, being released was due to a miscalculation. Barzee is living less than 1 mile from Parkview Elementary School, located near downtown Salt Lake City, according to the Utah Department of Corrections sex offender registry. Barzee is living in an apartment complex on W. 900 Street in Salt Lake City, according to the Corrections website. The complex is located fewer than 1,000 feet from the school. Smart said in a statement sent to various news outlets that Barzee should not be housed near a school. Every possible caution and protection should be taken when it comes to protecting our children, Smart said. Whether a person is deemed a current threat or if they have a history of child abuse, neglect, sexual violence, etc., prudent measures should be taken, including housing them as far away as possible from schools, families, and community centers. Reached by The Associated Press, Yandary Chatwin, a spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City School District, declined to comment. Just before Barzees release, Smart lashed out and said she was worried about anyone living near Barzee. I am very concernedfor the community, for the public, as much as I am for myself, Smart said. Smart said Barzee is capable of great evil, describing how Barzee would sit nearby, even touching the girl, while Mitchell raped her. There were no secrets. She knew what was going on. And, I mean, she just was the kind of woman thatshe was just evil and twisted, Smart said. I remember when they used to force me to drink alcohol. And one time they had me drink so muchI was a 14-year-old girl, Id never touched alcohol in my lifethat I ended up throwing up and then passing out in it. And both of them just let me lie there all night. And when I woke up the next morning, I mean, my face and my hair were completely crusted to the ground. And they both laughed. She laughed. Smart, who was a captive for nine months, also revealed that sources have informed her that Barzee still carries around a book written by Mitchell. The book states that Mitchell wanted to kidnap seven girls in total, all of whom would become his wives. Clearly, she hasnt let it go, Smart said. From NTD News A Taco Bell restaurant is shown in Lantana, Fla. Taco Bell recalled over 2 million pounds of seasoned beef on Oct. 14 due to fears over metal contamination. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, file) Confrontation Over Taco Sauce Leads to Shooting at Taco Bell: Police A confrontation over taco sauce led to a shooting on Dec. 31 at a Taco Bell in Oklahoma. After a customer complained about the sauce, the situation devolved to the point where shots were fired. It appears that there was some type of confrontation with an employee through the drive-thru, Master Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department told KFOR. A man was complaining about not getting enough sauce, or not getting any taco sauce and was very upset. The man allegedly fired at least one round through the drive-thru window then went inside the Oklahoma City Taco Bell. The employees locked themselves in the bathroom, Knight said. He apparently left. Its unclear exactly what he did while he was in there as they were hiding. The employees could hear the suspect banging around inside the store, but were unsure what he was doing, police told KOCO. The gun the man used was described as a semi-automatic handgun. No one was injured. Police officers said that the suspect was described as a black male. Anyone with information was urged to call crime stoppers at (405)-235-7300. Woman Dead After Taco Bell Shooting The incident comes less than two weeks after a Kansas woman died from a gunshot wound sustained at a Taco Bell in Kansas City. The shooting took place on Dec. 22, just after 5 p.m. at 39th and Rainbow. Police officials told WDAF that the woman was shot in the Taco Bell parking lot and ran into the fast food establishment for help. She was rushed to the nearby University of Kansas Medical Center. Officers said the investigation had just started. At this point we are kind of at the beginning stages, Kansas City Police Department officer Zac Blair said. We have gone from a minor aggravated battery to a homicide. We will recheck everything we did in the original call and we are going to redo it and make sure everything gets done correctly. The woman was later identified as 27-year-old Krystal Swygert, reported the Kansas City Star. Police officials initially said that the womans injuries werent life-threatening but she later died during surgery. Crime Decreased in 2017 The FBI said that both violent crime and property crime decreased in 2017 compared to 2016. Overall violent crime decreased 0.2 percent from 2016 to last year, while property crime decreased 3 percent during that time, the agency said in September 2018, releasing data from the previous year. There were more than 1.2 million violent crimes reported to UCR nationwide in 2017. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in murders and a 4 percent decrease in robberies from 2016 to 2017. Aggravated assaults increased 1 percent in 2017. The FBI began collecting data solely on an updated rape definition last year, and 135,755 rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2017, the FBI stated. The report also showed there were more than 7.7 million property crimes last year. Burglaries decreased 7.6 percent and larceny-thefts decreased 2.2 percent. Motor vehicle thefts increased 0.8 percent from 2016 to 2017. The figures were compiled from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies around the United States that submitted their crime data to the FBI. From NTD News Chuck Norris Criticizes Californias Lax Immigration Laws After Officers Death Chuck Norris, martial artist and star of the popular television series Walker, Texas Ranger, took issue with the Golden States lax immigration laws after the recent death of a California police officer. The actor noted that an illegal immigrant, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, allegedly killed Cpl. Ronil Singh of the Newman Police Department the day after Christmas, in an article titled How Many More California Cops Could Die? on Dec. 30 in his weekly column on the news website, WND. Tragically, Singh is another innocent victim in a long line of murders by illegals in the Golden State where borders are porous and returned deportations are plentiful, wrote Norris. Here's the link to my latest weekly Culture Wars article. Thanks for reading, Chuck Norris https://t.co/taiERlPpsg Chuck Norris (@chucknorris) December 31, 2018 Perez Arriaga shot Singh during a traffic stop and was later arrested while trying to flee to Mexico, police said. Singh, 33, left behind a wife and a 5-month-old son. Norris also pointed out that Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson has blamed Californias sanctuary law for preventing authorities from reporting Perez Arriaga to immigration officials after the man was arrested twice in the past for drunk driving. If Perez Arriaga had been deported, the sheriff said, Singh would still be alive. We cant ignore the fact that this could have been preventable, Christianson told reporters. He asked why California was providing sanctuary for criminals (and) gang members. Its a conversation we need to have. On Dec. 18, another illegal alien, Gustavo Garcia, conducted a reign of terror in Tulare County, according to officials, killing one person, robbing a store, stealing a vehicle, and injuring several other people, before dying in a car crash during a high-speed chase with police. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told the Fresno Bee that he agreed with a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that stated the deadly rampage could have been prevented if the agency had been notified of Garcias release from jail after he was arrested previously for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Sheriff Boudreaux said Californias laws need to be changed to allow law enforcement to better communicate with ICE officials, reported the Bee. Norris also expressed concern over legislative proposals such as AB 931, a bill that would have limited the use of deadly force by law enforcement in California to situations where it is necessary instead of when there is a reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm, as the law currently states. A big thanks to all my fans over the decades. I appreciate every one of you. Chuck Norris 20171012 The legislation was introduced in February 2017 but was not taken up before the legislatures deadline in August 2018. However, Democratic Assemblywoman Shirley Weber promised to introduce a new bill addressing the use of force in law enforcement in January 2018, according to NBC. While California Democrats are making it easier for illegals to come into the state and commit crimes, they are simultaneously making it more difficult for law enforcement to protect citizens and themselves, wrote Norris. Why cant they see the sheer and dangerous dichotomy there? It puts California cops in double jeopardy! Norris then asked why Californians elect politicians who refuse to enforce immigration laws and protect criminals by not cooperating with ICE. He also called on the state to do more to support President Trumps bolstering of Californias southern border. This is not a partisan issue, but a safety issue. We must protect cops, not put them in further harms way, so they can also protect us, he wrote. Trump Mentions Singh in Speech Trump brought up Singhs murder in his Jan. 8 Oval Office speech to the nation. Americas heart broke the day after Christmas when a young police officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien, who just came across the border. The life of an American hero was stolen by someone who had no right to be in our country, Trump said. Singh was a legal immigrant. While Trump has worked to crack down on illegal immigration, hes repeatedly championed those who enter the country legally. Day after day, precious lives are cut short by those who have violated our borders, Trump added. In California, an Air Force veteran was raped, murdered, and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history. In Georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murder for killing, beheading, and dismembering his neighbor. In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl. Over the last several years, Ive met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. Ive held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices, and the sadness gripping their souls, Trump said. How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job? After Singhs death, Trump called Singhs widow to express his condolences. Trump also spoke with law enforcement colleagues of the fallen officer. The President praised Officer Singhs service to his fellow citizens, offered condolences, and commended law enforcements rapid investigation, response, and apprehension of the suspect, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Trumps reaction came in stark contrast to most elected officials in California, who have not addressed the murder of Singh. Instead, most California officials, who are predominately Democrats, have focused on the recent deaths of illegal immigrant children near the border, trying to blame the Trump administration for the deaths. Singhs Funeral Hundreds of people attended the funeral of Singh at the Crosspoint Community Church in Modesto on Jan. 5. Modesto police officer Jeff Harmon said Singh was a hard-working officer who chose to serve his community instead of being at home with his family on Christmas night. [He] stood so much for what is right in our world and yet, unfortunately, was taken too soon from us by what is wrong in our world, Harmon said at the service, reported The Epoch Times. Later, a police motorcade transported Singhs body to the officers final resting place, Lakewood Memorial Park. Mourners watched as bagpipes played, then a 21-gun salutealso know as a three-volley salutewas fired, which is a traditional battle custom to indicate ceasefires where each side would clear and care for the dead. 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. China's Premier Li Keqiang (R) talks to Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sept. 5, 2018. (Parker Song/AFP/Getty Images) Chinese Loans for African Countries: Debt Traps or Development Funds? LAGOS, NigeriaWhen Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari presented the countrys 2019 budget at a joint session of the countrys parliamentarians at the turn of 2018, he was interrupted by boos and jeers from lawmakers as he struggled to highlight the key achievements of his administration. Among the criticism directed at the governmentand aside from issues such as poor economic growth despite relatively high crude oil prices in 2018were the high deficit in the governments budget as well as its heavy borrowings to cushion the effects of revenue gaps. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeria is servicing debts with more than 50 percent of its total revenue, a percentage described as unreasonably high by analysts and responsible for Nigerias tenuous recovery from recession. In September 2018, during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation roundtable, attended by African leaders, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that Beijing was offering $61 billion in funding to African countries. At the meeting, Buhari stirred a raging debate on the countrys debt profile, while noting that Nigerias loans from China were valued at over $5 billion in the past three years. The News Agency of Nigeria cited Nigerias Debt Management Office as saying that the loans (granted under Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative) would be used to finance road and rail transport, aviation, water, agriculture, and power projects, including the upgrade of airport terminals, the LagosKano rail line, the AbujaKaduna rail lines, and the Zungeru hydroelectric power project. Concerns about Nigerias debt profile have grown, as some critics think the countrys acceptance of Chinese loans hasnt generated much in the way of economic growth. Beijings less stringent loan terms havent eased the suspicion of economic experts, given that China has a history of luring developing countries to take loans in exchange for their natural resources and infrastructure. Sri Lanka recently forfeited control of its main southern port owing to its failure to offset a $6 billion loan from China. There are concerns that some African countries struggling to repay their loans may suffer a similar fate. Sheriffdeen Tella, a professor of economics, attributes Nigerias heavy borrowing to mismanagement and capital flight, adding that African countries are invariably assisting China to generate additional funds by seeking loans from the Asian country. Given the bad experience of some African countries with Chinese loans, its important for an assessment of all loan agreements to counter the risk of losing the Nigerian economy to Chinese hegemony, Tella notes. The dangers for Nigeria and other African countries is that the inputs for the projects to be financed, including technical manpower, are imported from China which means the projects arent creating jobs for Nigerians, he said. His worry is that the funds end up going back to China, instead of creating more wealth in Nigeria. This implies that a large proportion of each loan doesnt get to the borrower, but resides in the country (China) producing these inputs, he told The Epoch Times. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Nigerian federal minister and World Bank vice president, has expressed a similar view. She thinks the loan from China wasnt a wise decision, describing indebtedness to China as the hardest in the world. She wrote on Twitter, The Chinese know exactly what they are doing. If you read their loan agreements with African countries, you will see how tightly they cover their exposure. Meanwhile, our own leaders go there to naively, gleefully, and with a huge dose of inferiority complex, sign on to bad deals. I know, because I had to deal with it in the course of my work at the World Bank, helping African countries to get the HIPC Debt Cancellation. It annoys me to no end to see our countries binging on Chinese loans. The Situation in Kenya, Zambia Credit-rating company Moodys recently issued a warning to sub-Saharan Africa concerning the risk of losing strategic state assets to China if they fail to repay loans. Angola, Nigeria, Zambia, and some others were mentioned. Angola owes China some $21.2 billion, with a pending proposal for another $4.4 billion. Reports say China now owns more than 70 percent of Kenyas bilateral debt. The East African country is yet to pay 320 billion Kenyan shillings (about $3.15 billion) borrowed to build the Standard Gauge Railway between Nairobi and Mombasa. Moodys says Kenya is among countries at the highest risk of losing strategic assets to China over the pile of debt it owes Beijing. Edward Kusewa, an economist and university professor, told The Epoch Times that the development finance offered to Kenya was an option it couldnt resist because of the countrys revenue challenges. Kusewa is concerned that Kenya is overburdened by debt, adding that the countrys recurrent expenditure had gone so high that little is left for development purposes. The economist, however, says he thinks corruption by African leaders is at the root of heavy borrowing. In Zambia, there is fear that the country might lose its international airport for defaulting on its Chinese loans. The IMF has warned that Zambia and Ethiopia were at high risk of debt distress to China. But Dr. Lubinda Haabazoka, president of the Economics Association of Zambia, told The Epoch Times that reports of Zambia losing its international airport to China werent true because under Zambian laws, it is illegal to give public property as collateral for loans. Haabazoka says such reports arose from Chinas growing economic influence in the country. He says China is despised in Zambia because the citizens think China has taken their jobs, businesses, and the economy. He said, The problem with Chinese loans is that they dont come in the form of Forex in most cases, because everything is done from Chinese banks. Those things (loans) come in labor, raw materials, and other tools of project implementation, so the projects are implemented by Chinese companies, but there is little that benefits Zambian companies. So much money coming in would have even helped to stabilize the economy but it doesnt come; cash only comes to buy those raw materials that can be sourced within Zambia. That is the major problem of a China loan. There have been debt-sustainability worries. A Way Forward As the continent begins a new year, experts have proffered solutions to the debt crisis. Tella reasoned that if countries such as China (which have surplus funds) dont find borrowers, the multiplier effect of their funds on their economy will be zero or even negative. While taking loans may be an inevitable economic measure, Tella urged African governments to be more careful and get trusted local experts involved before signing loan agreements with the Chinese or other fund providers. This should involve project feasibility firms, with financial experts, lawyers, engineers, and technocrats whose integrity will be at stake for the misadvising government, he said. Haabazoka stressed that African governments need to slow down on debt service. We hope that going forward, the government will consider public-private partnerships to finance projects. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been hijacked by foreign investors that refuse to pay taxes. Meanwhile, Kusewa called for an end to corruption, which he described as the primary solution to Africas debt crisis. We need to get rid of the corruption within this country. The biggest problem is corruption. If we make corruption zero, we can see change. We need to reduce the cost of governance and introduce austerity measures, he said. China Releases New Rules for Police, Giving Officers Broad Immunity While on Job In China, police officers will soon be officially exempted from getting punished for any harm they cause while on the job, raising concerns about human-rights violations. Chinas Ministry of Public Security published new rules on its official website on Dec. 29. The regulations, which contain 33 articles, will go into effect on Feb. 1, 2019. According to the announcement, while police officers perform their duties, they would not shoulder any legal responsibilities if their actions may cause harm to the legitimate interests of citizens, legal individuals, or organizations. If there are any damages, the police stations where the officers are employed will pay the compensation, according to the rules. In addition, each police station is not allowed to punish its police officers by suspension, detention, demotion, or dismissal from their positions, unless it first undergoes appropriate legal procedures to investigate the suspected officers. The rules afford great immunity to the police officers, but not to citizens. Individuals who commit acts that violate the authority of police officers would be investigated for criminal responsibility if their actions constitute a crime. If their actions are not determined to be a crime, but nevertheless violate public safety management, these individuals would be punished accordingly, according to the rules. The new orders give police officers free rein to do whatever they please, said James Li, a former lawyer in Beijing who is now an activist living in Canada. They dont have to shoulder any responsibility how they carry out their duties, Li said in an interview with The Epoch Times sister broadcaster, NTD. Li added that the new law would further allow the Chinese Communist Party to use the police officers as its henchmen, serving the interests of the Party. Citizens must be submissive to the authorities, while police are absolved of any responsibility in the event of police misconduct or brutality. Chinese police already have an infamous reputation, and well-documented history, of violence against its own people. In March 2015, a Chinese netizen revealed that her parents were beaten up by a group of police officers who had dined at her parents restaurant. The officers had refused to pay up. When her parents requested that they settle the bill, the officers became violent. In February 2016, police in Qilian District, Yunnan Province were caught on tape beating several elderly citizens who collected recyclables. The police claimed the seniors had violated traffic laws. In May 2016, the incident of Lei Yangs death caused a public uproar. A young graduate of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Renmin University was detained by police on suspicion of soliciting prostitution. He died in police custody in Beijing, shortly after police beat him. Five police officers were investigated for Leis death. However, the Beijing procuratorateakin to a prosecutors officefound the officers not guilty. On Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, some Chinese netizens raised concerns about the new rules. The Ministry of Public Security is not a legislative body. How come it can set rules to decide whether someone needs to shoulder legal responsibility? one netizen from Beijing wrote. Several netizens expressed fear of what the new rules might entail. One netizen with the moniker yangzi2010 from Beijing wrote, We are doomed. I suspect some [police officers] might become even more vicious. Capital Controls Open a Crack Wider for Tax-Compliant Moroccans Moroccos cash-strapped government plans to reward compliant taxpayers with more hard currency for travel abroad as it gradually loosens capital controls. Within days, the Rabat-based foreign-exchange regulator will more than double the amount people can take out of the country to as much as 100,000 dirhams ($10,500), from the current 40,000 dirhams, according to its managing director, Hassan Boulaknadel. The minimum allowance will be raised to 45,000 dirhams, he said in a telephone interview Dec. 28. Foreign-exchange regulations should move gradually toward more flexibility to allow Moroccans to properly profit from their revenues, he said. Its important to work on the flexibility aspect to restore trust between the citizen and the administration in general. Almost a year after Moroccos move to ease its hold on the dirham by widening the currencys trading band, the authorities are taking another step to dismantle some of their defenses as part of a plan to liberalize the economy. The regulator also known as Office des Changes last raised the so-called tourism travel allowance in 2010. To protect the countrys vulnerable external balance, Morocco applies stringent rules against capital flight, especially in foreign currency. While tweaking the dirhams peg has been talked about for years, the idea was postponed in 2017 after fears of a devaluation prompted a rush for dollars and euros, causing a plunge in foreign reserves. Ordinary Moroccans dont have the right to open bank accounts abroad or hold foreign currency at local lenders. For those traveling abroad, the regulator allows people to exchange money before leaving the country. Despite the restrictions, spending by Moroccan tourists has doubled since the last increase in the foreign-exchange quota in 2010 to 8.5 billion dirhams in 2017, official data show. The figure excludes students abroad and pilgrims who travel to holy shrines in Saudi Arabia each year. The amount of the tourism travel allowance will depend on income tax returns of Moroccan would-be travelers, Boulaknadel said. The focus on foreign travel marks the governments latest effort to cope with tax dodgers. Alarmed by a slowdown in fiscal receipts in recent years, the tax authority has deployed an approach thats as much carrot as stick. With evasion still widespread, its offered rebates and amnesty for professionals such as attorneys and medical practitioners who may be willing to come clean, while also conducing tax audit raids against corporations, some of whom were listed on the local stock exchange. Morocco is sticking with a balancing approach to taxpayers. Despite the plan to loosen the rules, Boulaknadel warned that raising the tourism travel allowance should by no means allow Moroccan tourists to open bank accounts or hold assets abroad. By Souhail Karam From Bloomberg Brazils New President Bolsonaro Vows to Strengthen Democracy BRASILIAJair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazils president on Jan. 1 and immediately called on Congress to combat endemic corruption and promised to work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny. Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain, vowed to adhere to democratic norms. He said his government would be guided by the promises he made to Brazilian voters fed up with graft, high levels of violent crime, and a still-sputtering economy. I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny, Bolsonaro said after being sworn in. My vow is to strengthen Brazils democracy. On the economic front, the new leader promised to create a new virtuous cycle to open markets and carry out important structural reforms to shore up a yawning public deficit. Bolsonaro, 63, was a seven-term backbench congressman who rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazils first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago. Bolsonaro plans to realign Brazil internationally, moving away from developing nation allies and closer to the policies of Western leaders, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump, who sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to his inauguration. As a clear sign of that diplomatic shift, Bolsonaro plans to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with Brazils traditional support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue. Crowds of supporters, many with the Brazilian flag draped around their shoulders and with faces painted yellow and green, the national colors, gathered before the Planalto palace, where the presidential sash was set to be draped on Bolsonaro. Backed massively by conservative sectors of Brazil, including Christian evangelical churches, Bolsonaro would block moves to legalize abortion beyond the current limited exceptions and would remove sex education from public schools, opposing what he calls cultural Marxism introduced by recent leftist governments. One-third of his cabinet are former army officers, mostly fellow cadets at the Black Needles Military Academy, Brazils West Point, all outspoken backers of the countrys 1964-1985 military regime. In an interview with Record TV on the eve of his inauguration, Bolsonaro lashed out at Brazils notorious bureaucracy, which makes doing business in the country difficult and expensive. He vowed to strip away the so-called Brazil Cost that hamstrings private enterprise. The government machine is really heavy, he said. There are hundreds of bureaucratic governing bodies across Brazil, of regulators as well. We have to untangle the mess. Brazilian businesses are eager to see Bolsonaro take office and install a team of orthodox economists led by investment banker Paulo Guedes, who has promised quick action in bringing Brazils unsustainable budget deficit under control. Guedes plans to sell as many state companies as possible in a privatization drive that he forecasts could eventually bring in up to 1 trillion reais ($257 billion). That would help restore order to government finances. The key measure, however, for reducing the deficit and stopping a dangerous rise of Brazils public debt will be the overhaul of the countrys costly social security pension system. Pension reform will be Bolsonaros biggest challenge since he has yet to build a base in Congress, where he has eschewed the political horse-trading that has traditionally helped Brazilian presidents govern the nation of nearly 210 million people. By Anthony Boadle Big Bang Theory Star Donates $5,000 to Family of Late KTLA Anchor The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar made a generous donation to the family of late TV news anchor and reporter Chris Burrous on Dec. 30, according to TMZ. Nayyar was listed as the highest donor on the familys GoFundMe page as of Dec. 31, with $5,000 given to the campaign. More than $65,000 of the $75,000 goal has been raised by nearly 1,500 people in two days. The page was created by Gigi Graciette to support Burrouss wife Mai Do-Burrous and 9-year-old daughter Isabella. As they mourn and deal with this sudden loss, the last thing they need to worry about right now is how to pay for a funeral, Mai finding a job, bills, and other immediate expenses, stated the campaign page. Burrous, 43, from Porter Ranch, California, was a Los Angeles news anchor for KTLAs Morning News since 2011. He was found unresponsive on Dec. 27 at the Glendale Days Inn after a man he was with called the authorities at 1:14 p.m., said Glendale Police in a news release. The original call to the Glendale Police Department indicated the deceased had possibly overdosed, read the news release. The Glendale Fire Department responded to the scene and found Burrous not breathing. He was given CPR and transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers, KTLA President and General Manager Don Corsini and news director Jason Ball said in a statement. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many. He brought a kindness to his work and will be deeply missed by the entire KTLA family. Do-Burrouss sister Rosemary Do Silverstein also started a GoFundMe page for the family, and both campaigns said that all funds would go to Burrouss wife and daughter. The second campaign has raised more than $26,000 of a $50,000 goal from over 500 people. KTLAs Chris Burrous was one of a kind. He came into our homes every morning, bringing his endless enthusiasm, childlike curiosity, and wicked sense of humor to brighten our days, wrote Do Silverstein. On the weekends, he shared your stories, whether through emails, Hi-5 photos, or tweets. He even let you in on the most special secret of all where to eat! He did this because he loved connecting with all of you. Burrous, the son of a former NASA engineer, launched his two-decade career after graduating from Chapman University with a degree in broadcast journalism, according to KTLA. In 1999, he joined KGET in Bakersfield as a morning news anchor. It was there that he met his wife, Mai Do-Burrous, a fellow journalist. In 2003 the couple married and now they share a daughter, Isabella, whos 9 years old. After spending 14 years as a reporter and anchor at news stations across the United Statesincluding KGPE in Fresno, KMAX in Sacramento, and WPIX, KTLAs sister station in New York Cityhe went to KTLA in 2011. Burrous told the New York Daily News that he asked for a transfer to California so that his daughter could grow up near her grandparents. The family ended up settling down in Porter Ranch. At KTLA, he helped extend Morning News to seven days a week, anchoring weekends, and covering breaking news on weekday mornings, reported KTLA. His weekend Burrous Bites segments were a viewer favorite. For one of his last Burrous Bites news segments, where the anchor visited popular local eateries, Burrous met with the Pasadena Rose Queen at La Grande Orange Cafe. The segment aired on Dec. 30. Kunal Nayyar is a British and Indian actor and comedian who moved to the United States in 1999. Aside from the popular series The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar has starred in the television series Fantasy Hospital and Sanjay and Craig, as well as voicing roles in animated films Trolls and Ice Age: Continental Drift, among other work. It's the beginning of the end. Click below and follow along as we celebrate the final season premiere of The #BigBangTheory! https://t.co/WMbMJTlhAj The Big Bang Theory (@bigbangtheory) September 24, 2018 The Big Bang Theorys last and final season, the twelfth, will end in May 2019. As a founding member of The Big Bang Theory cast, Nayyar makes about $900,000 per episode, according to Cheat Sheet. Watch next: Big Ben Strikes Midnight on NYE 2019 (2nd L-R) Joel Cassady, Ryan Marshall, Sarah Blackwood, Gianni Luminati, and Mike Tayler of the band Walk Off The Earth at the 2013 YouTube Music awards at Pier 36 on Nov. 3, 2013, in New York City. (FilmMagic/FilmMagic for YouTube via Getty Images) Beard Guy From Canadian Pop Band Walk Off the Earth Has Died Multi-instrumentalist, Mike Beard Guy Taylor, former band member of Walk off the Earth (WOTE), has died. The band announced his death on itsTwitter on Dec. 30. He passed peacefully from natural causes last night in his sleep, according to the tweet. The band described Taylor as someone who had a love for life that was unmatched and a willingness to give that went beyond ordinary means. Taylor was the father of two, and the band asked its followers for privacy for his family. Taylor was well know for his unexpected and expected quirky behavior, featured in the bands many pop-song covers. Besides being a peculiarly playful and musically talented character in the band, Taylor was also known as Beard Guy. The reason for this is obvious. Walk Off the Earth The indie pop band from Canada is extremely popular for its creative, colorful, and animated song covers on YouTube, with one of its videos gaining more than 185 million views, and many others gaining tens of millions. Its YouTube channel currently has over 3.3 million subscribers. \ Beard Guy made his last appearance with the band playing a melodica keyboardsporting his trademark beard, beanie, and cool demeanorin a music video covering Happy Hanukkah by Jewish American artist, Matisyahu. Beard Guy appears to have a healthy appearance in the video, but details leading up to his naturally caused death have not been disclosed. In the tweet, the band expressed its love for Beard Guy with profound sadness and looking back at past interviews with the band, you can tell that the beloved band member was held in high regard. In an interview with Music Heals YouTube channel, Sarah Blackwood, one of the bands vocalists, and Beard Guy answer a question about the healing effects of music. After Beard Guy described the positive impact the bands music has had on fans through online and live performances, Blackwood asks, Do you think music heals, Beard Guy? Beard Guy replies, 100 percent, Sarah. Beard Guys never wrong. Music definitely heals. It All Started in Ontario WOTE originated in Ontario, in 2006, with Gianni Luminati Nicassio and Ryan Marshallboth vocalists and multi-instrumentalistsaccording to The Canadian Encyclopedia (TCE). They released their first album titled Smooth Like a Stone on a Beach in 2007, after meeting the bands current line up. Eventually, the band met with Taylor, who gained his nickname after his appearances on YouTube in 2009. Since then, the band has become a YouTube success. And what does the band name, WOTE, mean? Well, its a common question they get, so they devoted their Facebook story description to those inquisitive minds. More than anything else, its a state of mind. When youre deeply entranced by a collection of musical compositions and your day-to-day stresses become a lot less bothersome, youve walked off the earth. Santa Baby by WOTE, featuring Baby Santa Romeo, is the bands latest cover on YouTube, and although the video doesnt feature real band members, Beard Guys energy is present as he joyfully hammers away at his tiny red pianoas a puppet. Sometimes having a few armed citizens on hand can be a disadvantageto criminals, as was the case when two men decided to steal some tools. (Sandstein/https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8755590/CC BY 3.0) Armed Customers Foil Would-Be Tool Thieves A pair of young hoodlums decided to steal some tools from a local hardware store but they didnt consider that the customers there might have some hardware of their own. Two suspects, aged 22 and 23, entered the Coastal Farm & Ranch store in Marysville, Washington, just before 3 p.m. on Dec. 22, according to the Marysville Police Department. The pair grabbed four nail guns, each worth about $400, and headed out to the parking lot where their Honda Civic was waiting. But things didnt go quite as smoothly as the pair had planned. Images from the parking lot. pic.twitter.com/uAFaBV32K1 Marysville Police (@MarysvilleWAPD) December 22, 2018 Armed Response According to Herald.net, half a dozen armed customers surrounded the two miscreants. One customer stood directly in front of the suspects car, blocking its getaway. He ordered the alleged thieves to get out of the car. According to the Herald, one suspect told the other, He wont shoot, run him over. The driver hit the gas and the car hit the customer, who fell onto the hood and slid off. Immediately, at least three of the customers opened fire on the fleeing car. One aimed at the drivers side front tire, and another at one of the rear tires. Two of the tires were punctured but the thieves continued their escape. A store employee leapt into his car and gave chase. When the two suspects saw him, the passenger stuck what the employee assumed as a gun out the window. Seeing the risk, the employee gave up the chase. Even so, the two suspects didnt get far. Marysville police found the suspects car abandoned about three blocks from the store, with two flat tires, and the stolen tools still inside. We believe that at least two civilians fired at the shoplifters or the shoplifter's car as it was fleeing the store. Those citizens then left before police arrived. We are asking that those who fired contact MSVL police to provide us a statement as to what they saw. Marysville Police (@MarysvilleWAPD) December 23, 2018 After a search of the area, assisted by a K-9 unit, the two suspects were located and apprehended. The pair denied having a gun, claiming that they never saw anyone pursuing, and denied hitting anyone with their car. However, the store security video captured the collision clearly. One of the suspects was from Mukilteo; the other hailed from Everett. Both ended up in the Snohomish County Jail as the prime suspects in a first-degree felony theft. According to Marysville police Commander Mark Thomas, the people who shot at the fleeing suspects might or might not have been breaking the law themselves. None of them stuck around to be interviewed by the police. Anytime youre firing a weapon in a public place, especially a few days before Christmas in a crowded parking lot, it is a grave concern, Thomas told the Herald. While the potential for by stander injury was high, nobody ended up getting shot. The Marysville Police are hoping the people who fired at the fleeing car, as well as any other witnesses, will come forward to assist in the investigation. Residents Blame Drugs Marysville residents responded to the news in various ways. Eric Keenen shared his thoughts on the Marysville Police Twitter feed: Citizens are getting frustrated by the brazen shoplifters. I have seen more shoplifters in the past year than my entire 50 year life. Clerks are told to let them go but lawful citizens pay for this! Seattle drug and homeless culture has spread. Another Twitter user Melinda Schoening said she saw a link between substance abuse and rising crime. It is beyond frustrating to watch our cities go down hill because of people who are not seeking help for their addiction and instead want to trash the streets and steal, she posted. I have lived in Marysville for 12 years and it breaks my heart to see it turn into this. From NTD.com Agriculture Remains a Sticking Point to USEU Trade Deal WASHINGTONThere is a lack of clarity surrounding the future of a U.S.EU trade deal as European leaders may resist lifting import barriers to American agriculture. A coalition of more than 50 food and agriculture organizations in the United States insist that any trade deal with the EU should include American agriculture products. The coalition led by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) sent a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Dec. 18 asking Washington to pressure Brussels on lifting import barriers that protect European farmers and removing regulatory measures that are overly restrictive for U.S. products. Our trade deficit in food and agricultural goods with the EU has ballooned from $1.8 billion in 2000 to nearly $11 billion last year, stated the letter. This is not because European consumers do not want American products. It is because EU tariffs and non-science-based regulations deny consumers a choice. According to NPPC, the EU is the second largest pork-consuming market in the world. EUs high tariff and non-tariff barriers, however, restrict U.S. pork exports to European countries. Non-tariff barriers such as standards and requirements that products must meet in order to be placed in the EU market creates a challenging environment for U.S. exporters. According to a 2018 report released by the U.S. trade representative, some EU regulations are unclear and difficult to comply with. For example, EUs safety and sanitary guidelines for meat products are unnecessarily restricting trade without furthering the food safety objectives because they are not based on scientific principles, the report claims. The EU also does not accept international standards even if, for certain products, they are equal or superior quality to the European standards. Dermot Hayes, an economist at Iowa State University predicts that the elimination of these barriers would bring billions of dollars in new exports and create about 18,000 new American jobs. The EU has played the United States like a drum in the past. This must stop, said Jim Heimerl, NPPC president and a pork producer from Ohio. Long-term Sticking Point Under President Obama, the United States launched talks on a sweeping trade deal called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the EU. And agriculture had already been a sticking point during those negotiations. Both sides failed to reach a deal by the end of Obamas presidency. When President Donald Trump took office, he canceled the negotiations in one of his first acts. And he launched new talks with the EU in July last year, agreeing in a joint statement to work together towards zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods. As part of the deal, the EU pledged to buy more soybeans and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. The bloc kept its promise and doubled its U.S. soybean export since July. American soybeans now account for 69 percent of the EU market, according to a Wall Street Journal report. LNG exports also rose by more than 50 percent during the same period. EU officials, however, have been reluctant to include U.S. agriculture in the negotiations, which continues to be a major issue between Washington and Brussels. Washington insists on including agriculture in the future agreement, but the European Union has no mandate to do that, said Heather Conley, senior vice president and director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic International Studies. Certainly there are very strong voicesFrench government voices, in particularthat do not want that to happen, she added. The EU Commission expects to receive a mandate from the member states for the negotiations in early 2019. This mandate will determine the parameters for EU positions in the negotiations. If agriculture is omitted from the mandate, this will preordain failure of the negotiations before they begin, warned the nations food and farming sector players in their letter. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is scheduled to meet his counterpart, Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Trade Commissioner in Washington on Jan. 9 to continue negotiations. Both sides met in November and discussed regulatory cooperation issues and the parameters of future negotiations. After the meeting, Malmstrom told reporters that they had discussed enabling EU countries to buy more U.S. soybeans and LNG. She also said that Brussels wanted to do a limited trade deal on industrial goods, including autos, to reduce tariff rates to zero for both sides. However, the scope of these talks can only be determined in 2019 when the USTR completes its consultation process with the U.S. Congress and EU receives a negotiating mandate from member states to launch formal talks with Washington. The U.S. goods trade deficit with the EU was $151.4 billion in 2017, which is a top concern for Trump. The deficit is expected to be higher in 2018. According to the USTR, U.S. exporters face persistent barriers to entering the EU market. And some of these barriers have been there for years despite repeated efforts by the U.S. officials to resolve them through bilateral talks or World Trade Organization dispute settlement. 9 Injured After Car Rams Into Crowd in Tokyo in Domestic Terror Attack on New Years Day A car plowed into crowds who were celebrating the passing of the New Year early on Jan. 1 in Tokyos Shibuya Ward, Japan, leaving a total of nine people injured. Police said eight people were hurt by the car when it car drove into the crowd, including a young male who was taken to hospital in critical condition, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo. A ninth man was slightly injured after the driver had allegedly struck him after getting out of the car. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims, according to RT. A police spokesman said a man has been detained over the incident and that he had described the incident as an act of terror, Reuters reported. Police arrested Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, on suspicion of attempted murder. He had been driving a rental car with an Osaka license plate, Kyodo reported. Kusakabe had tried to flee the scene but was captured about 20 minutes after the incident, RT reported. Kyodo reported that investigative sources said the man claimed he had intentionally committed an act of terrorism in retaliation for an execution and would not make any excuse for what he did. It was not immediately clear whether he was referring to a specific execution or Japans system of capital punishment, the news agency reported. In 2018, Japan executed 15 people, matching the highest-ever figure met in 2008 since the Japanese government resumed the death penalty in 1993. In early July 2018, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that was responsible for the sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway in 1995. The incident took place in a popular fashion district and tourist area of Harajuku on Takeshita Street, near Meiji Shrine, in central Tokyo. Hundreds were heading to the shrine to pray for good luck, heralding in the New Year. The street had been closed to traffic at the time because large crowds were expected in the area for New Years Eve celebrations. I cant believe it. This is a place Im familiar with, so its very shocking, Tatsuhiro Yaegashi, a 27-year-old worker in the area, said according to Reuters. Police and riot police were called to the scene. As of 5 a.m. local time, most people had dispersed from the area, Kyodo reported. Local TV footage showed the small van with a smashed-up front end as ambulance workers and police officers rushed to the scene. From NTD.com Washington: President Donald Trump invited the top congressional leaders from both parties to a White House briefing on border security on Wednesday and suggested he wants to "make a deal" to end the government shutdown. It's the first sign of a possible opening for negotiations to break the stalemate that's had parts of the government shut for 11 days. Congressional aides said the offer was extended to the eight top leaders from both parties in the new House and Senate that convenes on Thursday and will include a briefing by Homeland Security officials. A closed sign is displayed at The National Archives entrance in Washington. Credit:AP Democratic leaders haven't publicly said whether they'll accept the invitation. Trump in a tweet on Tuesday suggested he was offering an olive branch to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who's set to become House speaker later this week when her party takes control in the chamber. London: Theresa May says Britain will begin a new chapter in 2019, calling on Remainers and Leavers to put their differences aside, just two weeks out from the make-or-break parliamentary Brexit vote. In her New Year's message, the British prime minister, who narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in her leadership less than a month ago, said Britain could "turn a corner" if the parliament backed her deal in the Commons. Theresa May: hoping for better times ahead. Credit:AP "New Year is a time to look ahead and in 2019 the UK will start a new chapter," May said. "If Parliament backs a deal, Britain can turn a corner." Acknowledging the 2016 EU referendum was "divisive," May said everyone wanted the best for the country. London: Day after day, news reports in Britain prominently feature migrants making the perilous trip across the English Channel in small boats, including a dozen who landed on Monday. Headlines and anti-immigration politicians call it a crisis, and the Cabinet member in charge of migration policy has labelled it a "major incident" fuelled by criminal gangs. The total number of people, primarily from Iran, who have made the journey and requested asylum since early November is only about 240, in a country that has averaged about 25,000 asylum applicants per year over the past decade. Migrants aboard a rubber boat after being intercepted by French authorities off the port of Calais in northern France. Credit:AP What is new is that they are regularly smuggled into Britain by boat which used to be fairly rare supplying jarring pictures of people being pulled from foundering little craft in rough seas, or being taken into custody on beaches. And it comes at a tense moment in the nation's politics, as Prime Minister Theresa May tries to arrange a divorce from the European Union a process largely driven by anxiety over immigration while fending off calls from Brexit opponents for a second referendum on the matter. Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted to sexually assaulting a housemaid when he was a teenager in a speech that drew condemnation from women's groups, but which his office later dismissed as a joke. Duterte has made headlines around the world for remarks that run the gamut from innocuously bawdy to dangerously sexist, including jokes about rape. His speech on Saturday to local officials, however, appears to be the first time he has publicly admitted to personally assaulting a woman. Rodrigo Duterte at the ASEAN Plus China summit in November 2018. Credit:AP In a speech that focused his ire on the Roman Catholic Church a powerful political institution in the predominantly Catholic country and what the president sees as its hypocrisy, Duterte recounted a confession he made to a priest about entering the bedroom of a maid and assaulting her. "I lifted the blanket," Duterte, 73, said. "I tried to touch what was inside the panties." Two of the nations high-security immigration detention facilities Maribyrnong in Melbourne and part of Villawood in Sydney will be closed after a quarter of a century of operation in a move the Morrison government is hailing as a win for its tough border protection policies. Immigration Minister David Coleman has announced Maribyrnong is closing immediately while the Blaxland compound at Villawood will close around the middle of this year. Mr Coleman said in a statement that by stopping asylum-seeker boat arrivals, the Coalition had been able to close 19 detention facilities, saving more than $500 million. The number of people in immigration detention peaked at about 10,200 in the middle of 2013, with the vast majority boat arrivals, but now stands about 1250. The government has stopped the boats, got the children out of detention and closed the once-full immigration detention facilities, Mr Coleman said. Rewind a few years, and you would have found Keisha Nash crying in the shower. The former vice-captain of Mornington Secondary College had received what she considered a really bad year 12 result, an ATAR score of 63.65. Yet today the 23-year-old is studying medicine at one of Australias most in-demand schools, a place packed with school duxes who received ATARs of 99 or even higher. Keisha Nash is one of the success stories of a new program getting more indigenous students to study medicine. Credit:Jessica Hromas The Torres Strait Islander worked her way into a science degree via a bridging course. Then she was able to snap up a coveted place studying medicine at Monash University through a program that allows Indigenous students to bypass strict entry criteria. A massive stockpile of toxic chemicals uncovered in the citys north is under 24-hour guard amid concerns a fire at the site could dwarf the damage caused by the West Footscray industrial blaze last year. Authorities have discovered four warehouses in Epping packed with industrial-size bins and drums that are collectively estimated to contain more than 1.2 million litres of chemical waste. Toxic waste was being stored at this Epping building. Credit:Simon Schluter While testing on the contents is still underway, it is likely to be the largest illicit chemical dump found in Melbourne. Inspectors from the Environment Protection Authority and Country Fire Authority are struggling to access the properties on Devon Court and Yale Drive because of the number of containers and the presence of strong, potentially toxic vapours. Epping mum Janet McGarry, 56, was caught in the crush at Central Station about 2am, after celebrating at her nephew's house at Dawes Point. The massive flood of people wanting to catch trains home created a crush situation shortly after midnight at Central Station as thousands pushed their way onto the main concourse. Delays of up to three-and-a-half hours were felt across the grid, with many New Year's Eve revellers taking to social media to vent about the havoc that occurred after the midnight fireworks. Ms McGarry said rail staff moved the massive sea of people from Wynyard Station to Town Hall Station, before moving them on again to Central Station. Janet McGarry's 88-year-old mother Pauline luckily stayed in a spare room at her nephew's after the celebrations and avoided the crush. "They weren't letting people through the ticket barriers so thousands of people just starting flooding into the main concourse at Central," she said. "When they finally let people go through, they only opened one barrier, so people were just pushing and crushing people against the gates." Ms McGarry said many were jumping the ticket gates to get onto the platforms, but she and others who were physically unable were pushed and shoved against the closed gates in the rush. "A young woman who saw what was going on had to basically push back the crowd for me so I could get to one of the barriers that were actually opened," she said. "It was so dangerous, there could have been a serious incident." Before sweeping to election victory in 1996, John Howard promised that Canberra's National Museum of Australia would have a permanent new building after years languishing in a small visitor centre. Previously classified documents, released on Tuesday by the National Archives of Australia, reveal the prime minister's cabinet rushed to fund and build the controversial structure in making it the centrepiece of Centenary of Federation celebrations. The papers also foreshadow a debate in the national capital over doomed plans for a pedestrian bridge linking the north and south banks of Lake Burley Griffin. The National Museum of Australia's permanent building on Acton Peninsula. Credit:Katherine Griffiths Resisted by Paul Keating, a permanent home for the National Museum lacked support under Labor, which was advised to dissolve the institution less than 15 years after its creation. The museum drifted under the Hawke government before an injection of emergency funds kept its collection intact. At one time, just 400 or so years ago, the bubbles in champagne were considered a blemish. The story that the Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, called out excitedly from his cellar (come quickly, I am tasting the stars) was a marketing invention of the early 1800s. The famous cleric actually spent most of his time attempting to eliminate the secondary fermentation that is, today, so highly sought after. It was when the French court suddenly decided fizz was fashionable that the drink exploded in its popularity. So why did we indulge so excitedly on New Years Eve? And why is it that we link the popping of a cork on one particular night so inextricably with the idea of a new beginning and resolutions for personal change and a determination to view the world afresh? Former prime minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The idea we can draw a line under the past and start again is a vital part of what makes us human. It allows us to tackle big problems by offering the hope that things just might turn out differently next time, and thats great. And we do, indeed, possess a real ability to change the particular circumstances around us and alter our immediate future. Its this ability to negotiate our environment that will be critical in the coming year. At least this is something that we, as individuals, can control. The real challenge lies, however, in the way our politicians will attempt to frame the critical questions that will determine if our society is to succeed. Telstra has failed in another attempt to stop its rival Singtel Optus from running advertisements showing Telstra's phone boxes sinking in the desert after a court threw out its case. As part of the in-house designed marketing, Optus used the results of a December 2017 P3 Mobile Benchmarking report - measuring networks for their speed and coverage - to publicise that it was ranked number one, alongside the phrase "Empires end. That's what they do." Optus depicted Telstra's phone boxes as sinking into the desert. Credit:Patrick Scala The advertisements have seen the two telcos in court since May, with Telstra arguing the marketing campaign suggested there was a "significant and permanent change" making Optus' network now better than Telstra's. Telstra wanted the advertisements stopped on the basis they were misleading and deceptive. Optus simultaneously took Telstra to court over its advertisements of unlimited mobile plans, which were speed-capped when a certain amount of downloads had been reached. The Federal Court ruled these ads were misleading and contributed to a consumer watchdog crackdown on the way these plans are described. Of the many astonishing revelations from last year's Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, one of the more sobering was that the Insurance Council of Australia had recorded 31,000 breaches of the general insurance industry's code without even one of them resulting in sanctions. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne's final report is due by February 1. The royal commission has already had its effects the big banks are tightening up their approach to lending and there have been real financial consequences from the airing of so much dirty linen, with Westpac losing an estimated 20 per cent of its market capitalisation $22 billion in the past year, and the other big banks also hit. Standing as we are between Commissioner Kenneth Hayne's interim findings, issued in September, and his final report, due by February 1, it is timely to wonder what would constitute appropriate direct sanctions for the egregious abuses of trust, some of them arguably criminal in character, that the royal commission has dissected. After all, the same lack of competition in the sector that Commissioner Hayne has identified as a key factor in misconduct will also limit the deterrent effect of exposure alone. Unlike his counterpart Dyson Heydon when he looked into trade unions, Commissioner Hayne has not been given a police taskforce to assist in the pursuit of criminal charges, and his focus has been on systemic issues rather than establishing criminal intent on the part of individuals, although he has certainly suggested avenues for prosecution. The man accused of fatally beating the owner of a local talent agency during a mugging surrendered Monday evening to authorities seeking him on a count of second-degree murder, New Orleans police announced. Tyrone Fountain, 40, faces mandatory life imprisonment if eventually convicted of murdering the woman whom a law enforcement source identified as 55-year-old Marla Belin. Police accused Fountain of snatching Belins purse about noon Dec. 17 in the 1700 block of North Dorgenois Street. They said he then slammed her body to the ground, hit her head on concrete several times and punched her. He fled with Belins purse but was soon caught and jailed on counts of simple robbery and simple battery. Orleans Parish Magistrate Court Judge Harry Cantrell set Fountains bail on those counts at $20,000. Fountain later made bail to secure his release from custody, records show. Belin was placed on life support following the beating but was taken off it Friday. Officials quickly classified her death as a murder, leading to the upgrading of the criminal count against Fountain. His bail was raised Tuesday morning to $500,000. Before turning himself in to police Monday to be rebooked, Fountain gave two televised statements that seemingly were aimed at minimizing his role in Belin's killing. 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 He professed his innocence to WWL-TV, saying from his home, "I didn't do nothing." Separately, he told WDSU-TV that he knew Belin and was arguing with her about money. He said that at the time police say he attacked Belin, he suffered an epileptic seizure and blacked out as has happened before. "I dont know what happened and stuff, but they say I got into a fight with her," Fountain told the station. WDSU also quoted Fountain as saying that Belin's dogs had attacked him during their argument. New Orleans Criminal District Court records do not show any other arrests under Fountain's name prior to the robbery and attack on Belin. Public records suggest he has previously spent time living in Texas. Belins firm, Nola Talent Unlimited, focused on linking local musicians with corporate and private event planners, according to information online. She was one of at least 146 people who were murdered in New Orleans in 2018. Leave it where it is and renovate the building Move into the Municipal Auditorium in Treme Listen to Treme residents and find another location Put it in Plaza Tower, if financing becomes available Vote View Results Run for the Shadows: A David Bowie Birthday Tribute Fri. Jan. 4 | A large, masked and mysterious cast of New Orleans musicians, complete with a choir, assembles an annual tribute spanning the career of the late Thin White Duke at 10 p.m. at One Eyed Jacks. Jamison Ross Trio Sat. Jan. 5 | Jazz drummer, vocalist and past winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition, Jamison Ross spent much of 2018 collecting accolades for his All For One album, released early last year. He leads his trio at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Snug Harbor. Mamalarky Sun. Jan. 6 | Fundamental Thrive Hive, the debut from the Los Angeles via Austin psych-folk trio, thrives on squiggly, warm-sounding jazz riffs and Livvy Bennetts sandy pop melodies. New Orleans songwriter Alejandro Skalanys New Holland opens with Guts Club and Palm Sunday at 10 p.m. at Banks Street Bar. New Orleans Tamale Festival Sun. Jan. 6 | The second annual New Orleans Tamale Festival includes a tamale-eating contest, a tamale king and queen, tamale vendors and music by Margie Perez and Armando Leduc y Salsa Royale. From noon to 6 p.m. at Poor Boys Bar. Phunny Phorty Phellows & Funky Uptown Krewe Sun. Jan. 6 | The costumed krewe kicks off Carnival season with its annual Twelfth Night ride on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line. Theres a pre-party at the Willow Street Car Barn at 6:30 p.m. The Phellows depart at 7 p.m., followed by the new Funky Uptown Krewe on their own car, led by Mannie Fresh. Societe des Champs Elysee Sun. Jan. 6 | Krewe members in costumes or formal attire ride a streetcar from Faubourg Marigny to Union Station and back for a parade and party themed Makin Groceries on the Champs Elysee with guests Al Carnival Time Johnson, Elysian Brass Band and others. At 5 p.m. FILE - This Oct. 23, 2018 file photo shows HealthCare.gov website on a computer screen in New York. A federal judge's ruling that the Obama health law is unconstitutional has landed like a stink bomb among Republicans, who've seen the politics of health care flip as Americans increasingly value the overhaul's core parts, including protections for pre-existing medical conditions and Medicaid for more low-income people. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison) Jeff Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, where he teaches Louisiana government. He is author of a blog about Louisiana politics at www.between-lines.com. When the Louisiana Legislature is in session, he writes about legislation in it at www.laleglog.com. Follow him on Twitter, @jsadowadvocate or write to jeffsadowtheadvocate@yahoo.com. His views do not necessarily express those of his employer. There was always going to be major turnover in the Louisiana Legislature a year from now. That much was determined way back in 1995, when vote ACY Drivers zip obliviously down La. 22 past Acadian-style homes, metal workshops and dense patches of cypress and tupelo lining the highways curving path through southeastern Ascension Parish unaware of what lies below. Like so many older state highways in Louisiana, La. 22 sits on an earthen embankment that elevates the road surface above the swampy land in this area just west of the Amite River Diversion Canal. In Ascension, the August 2016 flood brought attention to an often little-recognized effect of all those elevated highways crisscrossing flood-prone land: These roads can serve as small dams, diverting and even halting natural, overland water flow in times of high water. Can't see video below? Click here. With a share of $1.2 billion in federal flood recovery money coming to Louisiana, Ascension Parish officials want to poke proverbial drain holes through one of these man-made bottlenecks along La. 22 in the Acy area. In the process, these officials said, the new openings also would greatly mitigate the flood impact of planned upgrades to Ascensions Laurel Ridge Levee, upgrades now stalled in court. "We don't want to do something that's intentionally harmful to somebody else. I mean if we can do something that's regional and do something that has no effect, then that is our first choice, said Bill Dawson, the Parish Council chairman. Parish officials and their engineers are proposing a plan to dig two channels under La. 22 and do other excavation in the Acy area, turning the sections of La. 22 that would cross over those future channels into almost three-quarters of a mile of bridges. The digging would also require rerouting part of the Laurel Ridge Levee. The bridges and the digging, which would happen outside the Ascension levee system, would allow water draining from more northern parts of the Amite River Basin to pass unimpeded under the highway into vast swamps to the south, Ascension engineers say. The La. 22 work would be part of about $186 million in work that would include the improvements to the Laurel Ridge levee and additional work to the more southerly protection levees for Ascension's Marvin J. Braud Pumping Station. For months, a $24 million, 4.5-mile extension of the Laurel Ridge Levee has been the subject of public opposition in neighboring Livingston Parish. A state court lawsuit brought in May by that parishs government has stalled the otherwise permitted project while the two parishes have tried to negotiate a solution. Officials and residents in Livingston contend the levee extension would protect Ascension at Livingstons expense, blocking floodwater from entering Ascension but pushing floodwater onto areas outside the levee protection area. +2 French Settlement residents discuss their fears about the ever-present threat of flooding FRENCH SETTLEMENT A moratorium on new development. Dredging the Amite River. Stopping Ascension Parish from building the Laurel Ridge Levee 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 Those claims received a boost from Ascensions own engineering work. A draft mid-2017 study by HNTB found the extension and other Laurel Ridge levee upgrades would raise water levels in French Settlement by more than half a foot and as much as 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches as far east as the Whitehall and Maurepas areas in a 100-year flood. But the same engineering firm, HNTB, now says a new analysis with enhanced land surface measurements shows the impact isnt as great as they originally thought. Also, the proposed channels under La. 22 would lower the flooding impact from the Laurel Ridge and Marvin Braud levee improvements. Based on this new analysis, which assessed the effect of the channels and levee upgrades altogether, some parts of Livingston would still see a levee-induced water level increase in a 100-year flood but a far smaller one, ranging from 1.2 to 2.6 inches. Flooding in Port Vincent would drop from 1.2 inches to 0 inches, HNTB found. It does a big drop in the water surface elevations, so this project altogether would benefit Ascension and Livingston, Melissa Kennedy, an HNTB engineer and project manager, told the East Ascension drainage board in December. HNTB reached this conclusion as part of a high-level analysis of possible Ascension projects for the $1.2 billion in flood recovery money expected to come to Louisiana through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Part of the analysis looks at whether any of the projects have a regional benefit, any negative impact on the environment or neighboring communities, and an overall positive benefit-cost impact. All are factors HUD is expected to evaluate. While HNTB found, for instance, the combination of levee and La. 22 improvements appears to meet those marks, another plan to pump floodwater from Bayou Manchac into the Mississippi River to protect the Spanish Lake, south Baton Rouge and Prairieville areas was found to be too expensive with too little benefit. The East Ascension drainage board has followed HNTB's recommendations, backing La. 22, the levee upgrades and two other projects as submissions for the future HUD dollars. But the state, which will oversee the federal recovery program, is still waiting on the rules to govern the HUD money and on a key hydrological model of the Amite River Basin expected in March. It's also not clear what Livingston officials think about the latest analysis. In a recent interview, Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said he hasn't seen the HNTB analysis and really couldn't comment until his parish's engineers review the findings. Yet Chris Moody, a lawyer representing Livingston in the levee lawsuit against Ascension, the state and the Pontchartrain Levee District, said local officials, the Governor's Office and the office of Congressman Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, have been looking for a "multiparish solution." Moody added that as long as that process is happening, Livingston won't be pushing forward with its lawsuit. He said the suit is an option no one really wants to have to pursue and he is "cautiously optimistic" about a resolution. "Its a tough balance. Whats good for one parish is not always good for the other parish," he said. "Were trying to get a win-win-win. Advocate staff writer Caroline Grueskin contributed to this report. Acadian Ambulance will expand its operations to Ouachita Parish on Tuesday. Starting at 12:01 a.m., the Lafayette-based business will take over operations and bring a fleet of 19 ambulances, four with critical care transport capabilities and one specialized for bariatric patients, and a EC-135 helicopter to be based at the Monroe Regional Airport. We are very excited to begin serving the citizens of Ouachita Parish, said Acadian Ambulance Regional Vice President Michael Burney in a press release. Working together with local hospitals, health care partners and first responders, we look forward to providing exceptional ground and air ambulance service and care to the residents of the parish. Acadian will also employ more than 90 people in the parish in roles ranging from EMTs and paramedics to dispatchers, fleet maintenance crew and administrators. Fifty-four of them are former employees of AMR, Ouachita Parishs previous ambulance provider. Taylor Richard will serve as operations manager for Ouachita Parish. Richard has been with Acadian Ambulance for more than eight years and most recently served as operations coordinator in Dallas. Acadian Ambulance now serves emergency and non-emergency transportation in 36 parishes in Louisiana and other communities in Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Nokia is set to release what could be one of the more intriguing mobile phones of 2019. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has given the public a hint of how the Nokia 9 PureView will look like in an image he posted on Twitter. Leaked Image The device features five rear cameras. The leaked image shows the phone has a penta-lens setup and Android One branding. It also revealed a screen with rounded corners and a fingerprint icon, which suggests the device will include an in-display fingerprint reader. The handset is rumored to use the Snapdragon 845, instead of the upcoming 855, but it is anticipated to feature 128 GB of internal storage, 6 GB of RAM, wireless charging and 6-inch "2K" display with HDR10 and tall aspect ratio. Spider Web-Like Rear Cameras The five rear cameras appear to be an evolution of other PureView devices such as the Lumia 1020. These cameras will work together to capture more detail than other devices usually do. They also have 10 times the light of other smartphone cameras, making the Nokia 9 PureView an ideal device for those who want to own a camera-centric phone. The pricing and availability are yet unknown but given the specifications, the upcoming smartphone could be the most expensive of Nokia's flagship devices. Nokia 9 PureView Debut It isn't yet clear when Nokia will launch the device. The company may introduce the phone by late January, but this will fall between CES, which is set early January, and Mobile World Congress, which is scheduled later in February. It is possible that Nokia will debut the 9 Pureview at one of these events. "We could see the Nokia 9 PureView make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, which runs from January 8th to January 11th, 2019. However, it could held back until Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona later in February 2019," Damien Wilde of 9to5Google wrote. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In brief: The New York City Police Department recently added a number of remote-controlled drones to its box of tools. The high-tech copters will be used tonight to spot illegal activities at the annual ball drop in Times Square. The deployment marks the first official use of the drones since purchasing them in early December. The New York City Police Department is pulling out all the stops at this years Times Square New Years Eve ball drop to keep party-goers safe. In addition to 7,000 officers, 1,200 fixed cameras, bomb-sniffing dogs, and 200 sand-filled blocker trucks, NYPD will be flying a drone over the crowd to watch out for criminal activity. According to the Associated Press, the quadcopter will be controlled from a base station and the trained operator will be able to radio nearby units if he spots any illegal activity, which will include anyone drinking or possessing alcohol in the restricted area. The drone is equipped with a powerful zoom lens to allow it to fly high enough above the crowds that it will not be readily visible from the ground. New York City Police Commissioner James ONeill said that there are no known credible threats for this years event, but that large numbers of patrols and other precautions are standard protocol every year. However, this is the first year the department will be deploying an unmanned vehicle. [We] must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology, said ONeill earlier this month in an announcement that the department had acquired 14 of the state-of-the-art drones. In addition to the high-quality camera, the drone is also capable of thermal imaging and 3D mapping of an area. The commissioner also said they would be on the lookout for unauthorized drones flying over the event. As a safety precaution, the craft will be tethered to a building so that in the event of a malfunction, it will not crash into the crowd. Officials estimate that more than 2 million people will be attending the New Year's celebration this year. Why it matters: A federal judge in Illinois has thrown out a class-action lawsuit against Google over its collection of biometric data without consent. Users of the companys photo sharing and storage service filed suit in Illinois US District Court in 2016. The plaintiffs were asking for a total of $5 million claiming that Google had violated Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIFA). The law provides that companies must get written consent before collecting any biometric data including fingerprints and facial scans on residents of the state. It sought $5,000 for every intentional breach of the law and $1,000 for unintentional violations caused by negligence. Back in 2017, Google tried to have the case thrown out, noted Illinois Policy. It argued the suit was meritless because the company did not perform facial scans on residents, but rather on photos. The Court rejected the motion for summary judgment ruling that photos are covered under BIFA. According to Reuters, this time, the search giants legal team argued that it was not liable for damages against the plaintiffs since they did not suffer any harm from the scans. US District Judge Edmond Chang agreed. [The Court lacked] subject matter jurisdiction because the plaintiffs have not suffered concrete injuries, he said in his ruling. Even if the case had not been dismissed, it is not certain to have won anyway. Google uses its facial recognition to organize users photos by person so they can easily find pictures of their children for example. It even works for pets. Apple uses similar technology in its photos app for macOS. Both technologies can only group similar pictures if the user has already created a tag linked with the biometric data. It is probable that the court may have considered this tagging a form of consent had the lawsuit gone to trial. Neither Google nor the plaintiffs were available for comment. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has invited congressional leaders to the White House for a briefing on border security, the first face-to-face session involving Republicans and Democrats as the partial government shutdown entered its second week. The briefing will occur one day before Democrats take control of the House and Trump gets his first taste of divided government. It was unclear whether the Wednesday session would break the budget impasse now in its 11th day as Trump had demanded billions of dollars for a U.S.-Mexico border wall and Democrats have rejected his request. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security will brief the top two leaders in each party in the House and the Senate. In the last televised White House session on Dec. 11, Trump said he would take responsibility for a shutdown over the wall as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said they would not support wall funding. The shutdown began Dec. 22 and there has been no sign of direct negotiations involving Republicans, Democrats and the White House. Members of Congress left Washington while Trump remained at the White House. On Thursday, House Democrats plan to use their new majority to vote through measures that would reopen nearly all of the shuttered federal agencies through the end of September, at funding levels Senate Republicans have previously agreed to. Those spending bills contain scores of priorities and pet projects for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The Democratic proposal holds out one exception: The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security, would keep its current level of funding, with no new money for a border wall. The plan would also extend the department's budget only through Feb. 8, allowing Democrats to revisit funding for key parts of Trump's immigration policy in a month. The president has asked for $5 billion in border money, far beyond the $1.3 billion that Democrats plan to vote through this week. Trump, who tweeted his opposition to the plan on Tuesday, has reiterated that he had no plans to back down. Word of the White House briefing was first reported by Politico. Trump used Twitter on the first day of 2019 to insult a retired U.S. commander in Afghanistan as a dumb loudmouth, sing the praises of an ultranationalist former aide and tell America to chill and "ENJOY THE RIDE." Trumps cheery tone in an all-caps tweet welcoming the new year did not last the morning. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 That may have been before he read all his mail. Trump went on to bash retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal over remarks McChrystal made Sunday, calling the president untruthful and immoral. General McChrystal got fired like a dog by Obama. Last assignment a total bust. Known for big, dumb mouth. Hillary lover! https://t.co/RzOkeHl3KV Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 McChrystal was forced to resign in 2010 after making disparaging comments about Obama administration officials in a Rolling Stone article. He had been a rising star in the Army, a decorated expert on counterinsurgency tasked with turning around the stalemated Afghanistan war. Although McChrystal's comments were made on ABC two days prior, Trump did not comment publicly until he responded Tuesday morning to a tweet from conservative commentator Laura Ingraham. Ingraham had tweeted an article Monday titled "Media Didn't Like McChrystal Until He Started Bashing Trump." Catching up to it Tuesday, Trump evidently agreed. The presidents very first words of the new year were an endorsement of a pro-Trump book by former White House aide Sebastian Gorka. The former Breitbart writer, a frequent television defender of the president, either quit or was fired in 2017 partly in protest that Trumps first major speech about the U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan made no mention of what Gorka called Radical Islam. Dr. Sebastian Gorka, a very good and talented guy, has a great new book just out, Why We Fight. Lots of insight - Enjoy! Trump wrote. Trump has been holed up in the White House instead of vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as planned, because of the government shutdown now in its second week and his standoff with Democrats over funding for a border wall. One thing has now been proven. The Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring! Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. In a second tweet, he said: "The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!" Trump also tweeted congratulations to newly inaugurated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a populist conservative who like Trump was elected to shake up the status quo. (c) 2019, The Washington Post Written by Anne Gearan and Erica Werner The leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs Ive featured for five years in the weekly Conversation on Leadership run successful organizations and businesses in Central New York. Near the end of each interview, I usually ask a variation of these questions: What keeps you in Central New York? What are CNYs strengths? What would you tell someone considering a move to CNY? The answers always sound similar. In summary, executives in every field say: CNY is an affordable place to live, has great schools and colleges, is populated with talented and dedicated people, is surrounded with stunning natural beauty, and offers career opportunity. I compiled a sampling of responses this year. Below are the first half of excerpts. The second half about the blessings of living and working in CNY were posted separately. Responses are similar to excerpts I ran to start 2018, to start 2017, and at Thanksgiving in 2014. John Brusa is president and CEO of the engineering firm Barton & Loguidice: When I tell someone about the qualities of Central New York, I highlight our education system, safety, and cost of living. It's very affordable to live here, compared to other places in the country, and real estate is relatively inexpensive. Additionally, we have plenty of water, electricity, and strong infrastructure here. Central New York is a great place to raise a family. Its safe, and our education system is top notch. If theyre interested in supplemental schooling, its easily accessible at Syracuse University, ESF, Le Moyne any of our colleges. And if you want to get away for a weekend, youre not far from main hubs like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh. You can make it in an afternoon and enjoy a weekend. I love Upstate New York and the outdoors Im an outdoor guy. Living here gives you the best of both worlds. You can live in a rural area of Central New York and in 15 minutes be downtown in Armory Square. For a business like B&L, it comes down to people. I dont think you can beat Upstate New York for a solid workforce that you really can build a business around. Kirk Narburgh, CEO and managing partner of King + King Architects: My wife and I have traveled all over the world. We continue to travel on a regular basis all over the world. We are always excited to come home. Regardless of the places that we travel to, Central New York is one of the most beautiful places. Its one of the places with opportunity in the world. The cost of living is excellent. The landscape is unbelievable and often gets overlooked. Sure, the weather has ups and downs, but I hear complaints from people who dont have changing seasons. When it comes to wintertime, we always tell people: Take up a winter sport. We ski, weve always skied, and it helps. Were in a great central location here. We can be in D.C. in six hours. We can be in Boston in four and half hours. We can be in Toronto in five hours. Its a wonderful location to be able to get to so many places that have European flair, or a high urban setting like New York City or Boston, in such short order. You can also escape those places and come home and have your nice and quiet place. There are so many great attributes around here the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks. Niagara Falls is two and a half hours a way. People lose sight of the things that are closest. Sara Meneilly is the nurse manager leading about 55 full-time people at Community Hospitals emergency department. She moved back to Central New York after six years as a U.S. Army combat medic: Ive been everywhere throughout the United States, including Hawaii, and I spent a lot of time in Texas. Its beautiful here. Central New York is stunning. The colors in the fall. The green in the spring and the summer. The waterfalls. The water. You can go to a lake, which has sand on the beach, or you can hike a waterfall and spend all day there. You can camp. I wouldnt camp in North Carolina or Texas because of the size of the bugs and the snakes and the scorpions. In Texas, I had a scorpion in my boot. If you could come to my back yard here, you could watch the hummingbirds come to the feeder and the animals traipse through the woods. Youd understand the beauty of it. Upstates a diamond. Its just so beautiful. And the people here? They are pretty cool, too. Tim Moshier developed expertise in the Army with technologies to detect bio-warfare pathogens. After five years at MITs Lincoln Lab, he moved back to Central New York to found Acumen Detection with a ground-breaking device to quickly detect pathogens for civilian markets: There's a lot of talent here, and the schools here turn out really sharp, talented people. That was one of the attractions when I left MIT Lincoln Lab to come here. You think about Lincoln Lab, and they have a lot of smart, talented people, too. But I set up my company at SRC because they were doing things here that nobody else was doing. That was very attractive. In addition to the schools like Syracuse and Cornell that are turning out talented people, there are many organizations that are enthusiastic to help new companies. There's the Center of Excellence. There's Cornell University itself. There are different government opportunities that help you with capital and with training. The Central New York International Business Association has been great in helping us get connections down to New Zealand and we continue to use them. There are a lot of resources to help start a new business here. New York has a reputation on taxes. But we have some great infrastructure, and the taxes help pay for great schools. It's kind of you get what you pay for. You can moan about taxes, but there is an upside to what they bring us. For quality of life, you have the Finger Lakes wine country and microbreweries and really good restaurants and different specialty foods. I love the area. The change of seasons is great. Were close to Canada if you want to get a little different flavor of things. We're not that far from New York, and its easily accessible by train or a bus. Then when you're done with a big city you can come back here to the clean air and quiet of Central New York. Laurie Black is director of Onondaga Countys Early Childhood Alliance, helping to make sure every child succeeds in school: Theres so much variety in activities because we have the four seasons. Everyone says its a wonderful place to raise a family, and I believe its true. It's very manageable the commute is no more than 20 minutes for anyone, and you can get across the city in five minutes. I mean there's so much that makes the ease of living possible. Its a manageable community from a public policy point of view in that our population is not so big that we can't tackle issues together and we know who the players are and we know that we work a lot together. For a young person, this is a city where you have the ability to put forward ideas, to put forward innovation. The entrepreneurs in our community are making incredible advances and landing on lists giving them national attention. This is a community where you can make your mark. Anyone who wants to get involved can have an impact on public policy. I hear complaints about New York state taxes or that the weather is sometimes a little dreary. But I dont hear those complaints in my interactions with people who relocate to Central New York. They think it's the greatest place ever because of the ability to get around, because of the ability to travel to different parts of our state in a short amount of time, because its affordable to buy a house, because its easy to see so much beauty around us. Dr. Lawrence Chin is chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and holds a variety of other positions at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He moved to Syracuse from Boston in 2011: One of the things that I like most about Syracuse and this region is the people. The people who live here, that have settled here, are incredible, wonderful. You know, I grew up in Detroit. I lived in L.A. Ive lived in Baltimore and Boston. Ive lived on the West Coast, and Ive lived on the East Coast. The people here are genuine, theyre hard working, theyre respectful, theyre honest. The people in this area are fantastic. Some people complain about winter. It can be a challenge, but you can learn something from that challenge. You can learn something about yourself. I think that there is a lot of value in having snowy days that force you to be inside and to be introspective. Sometimes its good to really have no options other than to be inside and think and be yourself. Then there are days that are beautiful, and youre like, Wow! You really appreciate that. The weekly CNY Conversation" features Q&A interviews about leadership, success, and innovation. The conversations are condensed and edited. To suggest a leader for a Conversation, contact Stan Linhorst at StanLinhorst@gmail.com. Last week featured Ed Riley, who led restoration of the Hotel Syracuse. His leadership advice: The people youre leading deserve to understand their worth, to understand what theyre contributing. Three people were injured early New Years Day after a shooting at a large house party on Cannon Street near the intersection of Forest Avenue in Syracuse, according to Syracuse police. Police said it appears someone began firing shots into the crowd during the party. There are no suspects at the time, police said. A 25-year-old man was shot in the left shoulder, police said. While on the scene, police said they learned two other shooting victims had been brought to Upstate University Hospital by private vehicle from the same incident. Police said a 25-year-old male was shot in the left leg, and another 18-year-old male was shot in the left foot. All the injuries are considered non life-threatening, police said. The investigation is continuing, and Syracuse police area asking anyone with information to contact them at 442-5222 or use the SPD Tips app. All calls are kept confidential. CICERO, N.Y. -- A senseless fight between two teenagers led to a fatal stabbing in Cicero Sunday night, according to Sgt. Jon Seeber of the Onondaga County Sheriffs Department. Seeber said a third teenager, Cameron Weatherly, 18 of Baldwinsville, was at the scene but not involved in the fight. Weatherly drove away with the alleged killer. He was later questioned, not charged, and released by police. Police say Maurice Martin, 15, stabbed Zakariah Ibrahim, also 15, near the corner of Wynmoor Drive and Chinkapin Circle. Ibrahim died shortly after. It was a senseless fight that turned fatal, Seeber said. Weatherly drove away in a Red Volkswagen Jetta with Martin after the fight, Seeber said. Police caught the two at the intersection of Henry Clay Boulevard and Vine Street. Martin was arrested and later charged with 2nd degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty in front of City Court Judge Vanessa Bogan Monday morning. Police brought in Weatherly for questioning. He was not charged and Seeber said he was not directly involved in the fight. No one answered calls to Weatherlys home Monday evening. The fight stemmed from an argument between the two boys. Seeber said he could not confirm the circumstances behind the argument and that police are still investigating. Ibrahim was the second 15-year-old to be killed in Central New York over the weekend. Janya Thomas died Saturday after being stabbed by a 13-year-old boy on Pennsylvania Avenue in Syracuse. Update: Police say the driver intentionally struck the tree in an attempt to cause self-harm. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A decades-old tree in the heart of Eastwood was destroyed tonight after a driver went off the road and crashed into it. A black four-door Cadillac sedan smashed into the tree at the corner of James Street and Grant Boulevard just before 6 p.m. Monday evening. The tree was toppled and the vehicle badly damaged. Neighborhood volunteers decorate and light the towering evergreen tree for the holidays each year. It stands behind a veterans memorial at the small park across from Walgreens. Jimmy Monto, president of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association, was on scene shortly after the crash. ENA raises money to maintain the veterans memorial at the park and to light the tree. Its really sad," he said. "We work really hard every year to get it lit. Monto said hes been in touch with Mayor Ben Walsh and that the city plans to help find a new tree. Monto said the car appeared to be totaled after running into the base of the tree. The veterans memorial appeared intact, he said. Monto said the driver fled the scene. Police could not immediately be reached for more information. The tree has been in the small park in downtown Eastwood for decades. Monto said its been there at least 30 years. Several years ago, the neighborhood group began hosting a tree-lighting ceremony there with music and festivities, followed by a reception at the nearby Palace Theatre. The crash is the second serious accident in that part of James Street today. Earlier in the day, a vehicle went off the road three blocks east in the 1800 block of James. The car crashed into a utility pole. Crews could be seen removing the pole early Monday afternoon. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Kenton Buckners first month as Syracuse police chief has seen a continued rash of teen violence in the city. In an interview Monday, he said the recent murders of two teens are disappointing and disturbing, and he called on responsible adults to step up where they can. Buckner, who took over at the department Dec. 3, said its often impossible to prevent the kind of violence the city has suffered recently. Most of it, he said, results from beefs between people who know each other. And it often takes place inside peoples homes. When that violence erupts among children and teens, though, its particularly upsetting. There are so many things that go wrong that cause people to act out, he said. Its a continuation of something our community is very disappointed about and something very disturbing. The citys most recent homicide involved a pair of teens. Police say a 13-year-old boy, Mykeem Kimbrough, stabbed and killed a 15-year-old girl, Janya Thomas, this weekend. Buckner said preventing crimes like this one is nearly impossible. It happened inside the girls home, he said, between two people who knew each other. We cant expect police to be the single solution, Buckner said. Youre hoping good people -- when you see something like this, you try to let cooler heads prevail. In another case two weeks ago, 16-year-old Antonio Gullotto was shot in the head and killed in his familys apartment. Police later arrested two men: Nashwan Hamood, 30, and Ameer H. Homran, 20. In both cases, police quickly located suspects and made arrests. Buckner credited his officers and said that getting criminals off the street should help put neighbors and community members at ease. But theres lots of work still to be done. Buckner noted the challenges that violence among young people presents in the city schools as well. He credited Syracuse City School District Superintendent Jaime Alicea for the work hes done preparing school staff to deal with students who may be traumatized by losing friends and classmates over a holiday break. You and I would think a young person 15 years of age should be enjoying Christmas break and looking forward to going back to school and friends, he said. Jaime has been doing a great job preparing staff for the students' return. Still," he added, Its frustrating. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A driver intentionally crashed a black Cadillac STS into a tree in Eastwood Monday evening in an attempt to cause self-harm, according to police. The driver was not seriously injured. The tree, which volunteers decorate and light for the holidays, was toppled and destroyed. The driver fled the scene on foot, according to Lt. David Brown, a spokesman for the Syracuse Police Department. Officers located the driver, who was taken to St. Josephs Hospital for evaluation. Police are not releasing the drivers name due to the nature of the drivers medical condition, Brown said. The tree is in a small park owned by the city at the corner of James Street and Grant Boulevard. The park also houses a veterans memorial. The Department of Public Works has been notified of the damage, Brown said. Jimmy Monto, president of Eastwood Neighborhood Association, said hes been in touch with Mayor Ben Walsh, who said the city will help replace the tree. The neighborhood association maintains the memorial and raises money to decorate the tree each year. Anyone in need of help or counseling can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the local community services support line at 315-251-0600. For more information or resources regarding mental health, visit www.211cny.com. Click the image above to watch the video In todays weather forecast we are expecting a fine and sunny day with westerly breezes. Its a one-clothing layer day today with a high of 28 and an overnight low of 17 degrees. Humidity is 89 per cent. Low tide is at 10.30am and high tide at 4.40pm(Tay St). Theres a sea swell of 1.1m and sea temperature is 20 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 8.36pm. If youre going fishing the next best fish bite time is between 9 and 11am. On this day in NZ history in 1938 the first official New Zealand airmail to the United States left Auckland for San Francisco on Pan American Airways Samoan Clipper. On this day in world history in 1839 photography pioneer Louis Daguerre took the first photograph of the moon. In 1905 after a six-month siege, the Russians surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese. In 1936 in Berlin, Nazi officials claimed that their treatment of Jews was not the business of the League of Nations. In 1942 in the Philippines, the city of Manila and the U.S. Naval base at Cavite fell to Japanese forces. In 1981 British police arrested the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer. Today is the birthday of Isaac Asimov, American writer of over 300 books including Foundation and I, Robot. Born in 1920, he once said The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I've found it!), but 'That's funny...' To get involved in activities around the Bay of Plenty, please check out our Whats on page. Have a great day! Preparing for tomorrow's opening One Day International against Sri Lanka at the Bay Oval has meant hard work in the nets for the Blackcaps, but also taking time out to engage with fans with a little beach cricket. Fresh from taking out the test series against the Sri Lankans with a massive 423 run win in the second test in Christchurch, the Blackcaps are in Tauranga to launch their five-match ODI series with two matches at the highly-regarded venue. Bumper crowds and glorious weather are expected for both occasions, tomorrow and Saturday. Veteran opener Martin Guptill, who returns to the international picture after missing out since last season with calf injury issues, says he's enjoyed watching his teammates' test performances, and they're looking forward to transferring that form into the one-day format. The test team, they've played some extremely exciting cricket in the last little while and the results have shown that four series in a row they've won and hats off to them, they've played extremely well. They've found a way to score runs and perform under pressure so it's been exciting watching. And we change to the one day format and it's equally as exciting. We've got some hard-hitting batsmen with some experience to round off the top order, and then Jimmy Neesham comes back into the side and he's been in good form as well, so it's looking pretty exciting for these next few one-dayers. Newly-recalled Blackcaps allrounder Jimmy Neesham bowling in the Bay Oval nets Boult gleefully takes the catch off Colin Munro World number two ranked Twenty/20 batsman Colin Munro will join Guptill in opening the batting, with local hero Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls completing the top order. Tauranga-born Doug Bracewell returns to the international scene to contest for an all-rounder position, while the Northern Knights' Tim Seifert will take the wicketkeeping gloves for the series in place of the resting Tom Latham. Back in the Blackcaps for the first time since January last year, Doug Bracewell works on his technique in the Bay Oval nets New Bay resident Colin de Grandhomme is also resting for this series. Tauranga's Trent Boult who along with Munro indulged in an afternoon of beach cricket with fans at the Mount Main Beach yesterday after training leads the quick bowling attack which includes Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and the express pace of Lockie Ferguson among the selection options. Northern Districts' Ish Sodhi is the sole spinner in the squad. Sri Lanka also go into the series with a number of changes from the squad which lost the test series 1-0 to New Zealand, including the return of veteran paceman Lasith Slinger Malinga. Guptill, who has fond memories of taking on Sri Lanka at the Bay Oval after scoring 102 against them at the ground three years ago, says his injury issues are behind him, but he's still got work to do to get back to the form he'd like to be in for tomorrow's match. It's fair to say I may be a bit rusty. I was rusty the other day playing for Auckland as well so hopefully the cobwebs can be blown out in the nets and then hopefully I can hit the ground running. The team have new coach Gary Stead at the helm, and are starting their buildup to the World Cup in England later in the year, but Guptill doesn't see those factors affecting his approach to the game. It's pretty much business as usual to be honest, I don't see my role changing too much in the side. Colin and I have just got to go out there and see what we can do and have a bit of fun at the top of the order. Just keep doing the same things we're doing that's made us so successful over the last few years. Ish Sodhi practices a reverse sweep Keeping the standards high will be a key focus for the Blackcaps, who as the world's third-ranked nation in ODIs will be looking to guard against complacency against the eighth-ranked Sri Lankans. Enjoying the experience of playing in front of the Bay Oval crowd will be high on Guptill's priority list too. It is exciting playing here, he says. With the banks being built up here it's a much bigger crowd nowadays and it's a nice family venue as well so everybody has a nice day out. The two 50-over One Day Internationals at the Bay Oval tomorrow and Saturday start at 2pm. New Zealand squad for the two matches: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor Boult's impeccable bowling action comes out even on the beach Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Bay of Plenty You will be driving the Roller and also required to help out the team hands on. You will be working around Tauranga, for... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz An uneventful night of New Years Eve celebrations has been recorded for most of the country, with police saying they are pleased with behaviour nationwide. No significant issues or incidents have been reported to police at any of the main New Years Eve events or celebrations, according to a media statement released today. Police presence in the main areas was focused on preventing harm and ensuring revellers stayed safe while enjoying themselves. Police largely dealt with minor disorder incidents, liquor ban breaches and intoxication. Arrests that were made were mostly related to alcohol and disorder incidents. Locally, no major problems were reported at celebrations in Mount Maunganui despite large crowds, says police. A decision was made once again for no organised event to be held at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. This meant Moturiki Island and Mount Drury were out of bounds. In place of the Mount Maunganui celebrations was instead a number of midnight fireworks, launched from several locations across the city. Family friendly events were hosted on the Tauranga Waterfront, at Gordon Spratt Reserve in Papamoa and at Fergusson Park in Matua. Around the country behaviour was just as tame as in Tauranga. Large crowds at Rhythm and Vines were generally well behaved, with great cooperation between agencies and event organisers, says police. No arrests were made at Rhythm and Vines for the New Year period, says police. A total of four arrest were made in the Gisborne area for disorderly offending. Police say they are also happy with crowd behaviour at New Year celebrations across the Coromandel Peninsular. In Whangamata about 1000 revellers gathered to see in the New Year, who were well-behaved and returned home after celebrations. Across the peninsula, general issues were minimal and less than previous years, with a handful of arrest were made for disorderly behaviour offending. Waihi, Whitianga, Pauanui and Tairua saw in the New Year with no issues, says police. Celebrations in Nelson Bays progressed well with most revellers being well-behaved. Trafalgar Street was the main attraction in Nelson where several thousand attended to enjoy music and festivities in good spirits. There were a small number whose actions resulted in arrests, with a total of 18 arrests in Nelson for drunk and disorderly type offending. New Year celebrations in Canterbury were also generally well-behaved too, says police. About 1,500 people gathered in Hagley Park, with no arrests being made. Crowds were well-behaved in Akaroa, Hanmer Springs, Twizel and Timaru. by Austin Bay December 31, 2018 As 2018 began, Kim Jong Un's North Korean dictatorship was touting its ICBMs. Many weapons analysts believed North Korean ICBMs could strike Seattle and San Francisco. As 2018 began, North Korean leaders routinely threatened South Korea, Japan and the U.S. with nuclear attack. In January, Kim claimed would soon deploy nuclear warheads. Propaganda is one thing but North Korea has a documented, decades-long record for vicious, unprovoked conventional military attacks, assassinations, terror attacks and paranoid violence. As 2018 began, the Trump administration swore Kim's vicious regime would never be allowed to possess operational nuclear weapons. A Pyongyang armed with nuclear weapons capable of hitting North America would radically alter the strategic security situation throughout the entire Pacific Ocean basin. As 2018 began, the Trump administration repeated its 2017 "coercive diplomatic" demand: Kim would either "denuclearize" and submit to rigorous inspection and verification or he and his regime would be destroyed. The U.S. summarized its demand with an acronym, CVID: Complete, Verifiable and Irreversible Denuclearization. Finally, as 2018 began, the Korean War continued. Remember, the Korean War isn't over. The 1953 armistice isn't a peace treaty. North and South Korea are still at war. As 2018 ends, the Korean War continues. However, during 2018 a small but palpable change in diplomacy occurred, one that may lead to something other than conflagration. Given the consequences of renewed all-out war in Korea -- both the massive physical destruction and the global economic depression that would follow -- the slight change is significant. I think you can make the case that the minimal change is the biggest foreign policy and international security story of 2018. June 2018's Singapore summit where Trump met Kim is indicative of the diplomatic alteration. However, it was part of a larger American diplomatic effort that began in February 2017. In March 2018, Kim told a South Korean delegation he was willing to discuss denuclearization. He did something very unusual; he made no demand of South Korea and the U.S. other than that they discuss the subject face to face. That was a hint that Trump administration's diplomacy and military displays had given Kim a new perspective. In Singapore, a sketch of a very peculiar deal emerged. North Korea's young, flabby, criminal dictator would exchange his nukes for American, South Korean, Japanese and Chinese investment, and the promise that he would live to enjoy his nation's economic success. The peculiar deal could lead to a Korean War peace treaty, though that's speculation. This isn't: As 2018 ends, the Kim regime continues to refrain from testing ICBMs and nuclear devices, a promise Kim made in April before a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. At the time he also said tests were no longer required since North Korea had "proven" missile and nuclear technology. The halt indicates tentative engagement in a longer negotiation. It could end in an instant fit of pique. In November, North Korea claimed it tested a "hi-tech" tactical weapon. Pyongyang recently said it is "impatient" with U.S. and international sanctions. In December, another event indicated all is not lost: South Korean railroad experts conducted a close inspection of North Korean railroads. Over two weeks, a South Korean train crept along some 2,000 kilometers of North Korean track, gathering highly granular data on North Korean rail infrastructure and verifying its miserable condition. Pyongyang wants Seoul to help rebuild its railroads. South Korea says it will -- after denuclearization. Denuclearization requires inspection and verification within the secretive North Korea. Paranoid North Korea let South Korean railroad experts inspect and verify. Was it a tentative first step toward accepting the nuclear weapons inspection and verification regimen CVID requires? Perhaps 2019 will tell provide a few more clues. According to the Polish Foreign Minister, Jacek Czaputowicz, a nuclear deterrent is the only way for European countries to demonstrate their sovereignty. Czaputowicz proposed that France share its nuclear weapons with the rest of the EU as well hand over to it its place on the UN Security Council. Poland and Ukraine cannot stop provoking laughter from international observers. After the lunatic idea circulating in Ukraine of resurrecting the countrys nuclear arsenal, it is now Poland's turn to send shockwaves around Europe. Polish foreign minister Czaputowicz proposed that France share its nuclear arsenal and hand over its seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to the European Union. It is is worth noting that this suggestion did not even receive an official comment from Paris, showing that there was little prospect of the Polish idea being taken seriously. Warsaw continues its opposition to the EU's domestic policies on migration and austerity, while in foreign policy, agrees with countries like Ukraine and the United States, particularly the neocon faction opposed to Russia. If there is a distinctive feature in the political proposals that come from Poland, it is an acute Russophobia. The idea of hosting a US base on Polish territory, and assuming its costs, is another Polish proposal. The Americans are serious considering taking them up on the offer. The Poles and the Ukrainians would be willing to sacrifice themselves on behalf of their allies for the privilege of being able to poke the Bear. Fortunately for them, Paris, London and Berlin have neither the military capabilities nor the suicidal intention to challenge Moscow with permanent military bases on its border. Neither do they wish to share their nuclear weapons with other EU countries, nor engage in any such hare-brained ideas that threaten humanity as the American Aegis Ashore system or the planned US withdrawal from the INF Treaty. The proposal that France grant its UNSC seat to the European Union is not such a far-fetched idea if we consider the political evolution of the last 70 years. Certainly the Security Council no longer represents the balance of power of the 1950s. The UNSC is exactly like a nuclear deterrent: once you have it, it becomes virtually impossible to voluntarily give it up. It reflects a guiding principle of the great powers, whereby no concession ought to be given to competitors, allies or enemies, especially concerning matters that are fundamental and strategically important in the short, medium and long term. For our current multipolar context, certainly a Security Council without the UK and France would make more sense, especially if the EU, India and a representative of South America were to be granted seats in their place, thereby better reflecting the subdivision of power in the world today. Clearly the motivations that have pushed Czaputowicz to make this request to Paris have nothing to do with an effort to rebalance global forces in the UNSC. Rather, it seems like the umpteenth example of a strongly Russophobic Eastern European country going against the policies of Brussels and actively opposing both Berlin and Paris, only to result in creating further subdivisions within the EU. The disintegration of the European Union proceeds along two tracks: along domestic matters and along foreign policy. In domestic terms, austerity policies that stem from a lack of economic, financial and monetary sovereignty continue to isolate Berlin and Paris from the remaining EU capitals, with the so-called Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) leading the uprising. In terms of foreign policy, the situation seems even more complicated, with countries friendly to Moscow, like Italy and Hungary, trying to stem the open Russophobia of Poland, the Baltic countries, and even the non-EU Ukrainians and Georgians who fan the flames of provocations. One should not forget that there are two factors that can play in the favor of those pushing for the disintegration of the EU. One is the sabotage of the North Stream 2 (NS2), which could constitute a red line for Berlin, given that it would have enormous financial and strategic repercussions concerning energy supply. It is likely that Germany would bring to bear all diplomatic and economic weapons at her disposal to harm countries attempting to sabotage plans for the creation of NS2. It is no coincidence that Czaputowicz, when he cited the NS2 project as an example of confrontation between Poland and Germany, promptly clarified that both Berlin and Warsaw see a political rival in Moscow to keep under control. The other example (fortunately the most remote and unlikely to sabotage the NS2) concerns the drumbeats of war in Ukraine beaten by the likes of London and Warsaw. These countries would not hesitate to use another provocation against the Donbass to seek further sanctions against Moscow and its companies, and possibly even European companies that may continue to trade and cooperate with the Russian Federation. In this way, British and Polish politicians would, on the one hand, further drive a wedge between EU countries and Russia. But on the other hand, they would risk breaking up the united front sanctioning Russia, by forcing countries to break ranks as a result of the economic costs they bear from participating in such sanctions. Czaputowiczs proposal for the French UN seat, and especially for the sharing of Frances nuclear deterrent, highlights the levels of craziness countries like the UK, Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics states have reached, as they continue to work themselves into a frenzy over the non-existent Russian threat. Fake news, or disinformation has been around for a lot longer than most MSM pundits would let you believe. And its impact has always been significant, sometimes making history change course. The allied invasion of Northern France in June 1944 might not have been a success contributing to the downfall of Hitler and the Nazis if it were not for disinformation which British double agents fed to German agents, that the planned invasion was, in fact, going to be hundreds a miles away in another location along the French coast. Hitler swallowed it and therefore did not move tank units to Normandy, giving the allies a distinct advantage, even though they met with formidable resistance from German units. In those days, of course, journalism itself was a respected profession with a clear outline of the required role of journalists who were expected to be non-partisan. Indeed, such a unique, enshrined role was evident in the Vietnam War where US generals saw how much damage could be done to the US propaganda machine, by allowing foreign correspondents absolute freedom, editorially and practically, reporting on the war. The payback from the powerful state was to be seen in the first Gulf War where embedding journalists with US troops, resulted in gargantuan disinformation as even khaki clad big name journalists relied entirely on information presented to them via the military and never left their camps. This year, there has been a record number of deaths of journalists around the world, leading me to believe that there is a distinct link between journalists murders and disinformation cabals which swallow them up and dictate their fetid copy. In the West, there has never been a more blurred line between journalists, spies and academics in Africa and the Middle East until now, while in those countries, what we like to think of as a pristine western model of journalism actually never existed. In countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria and Egypt, the state does not control the media. It doesnt need to. It owns it lock, stock and barrel and the journalists themselves some of whom believe they are actually doing real journalism work are so blinded by the indoctrination that they simply cant even understand what it was in the West which we cherished so much in the so called Fourth Estate. Journalists in these countries do not see it as their role to hold their own state, or its players to account, but merely to parrot the messages from the elite and help them with spreading disinformation, often quoting other outlets as genuine sources of valid information, aptly called The Echo Chamber. Ignorance is the wholesale currency, and with it comes a heavy price for the naive and deluded western correspondents, who wear PRESS on their outer clothes, foolishly believing that when they are caught reporting on a war, that they will be respected as neutral bystanders. Sadly, because the propagandists who work high up in those countries hierarchies even the journalists and editors havent any idea what journalism is, they assume that all western journalists, covering the war in Syria, say, are foreign agents working for MI6 of CIA, masquerading as correspondents and therefore need to be treated as such. Similarly, the state-run police and security services are spooked when western academics ask too many clever questions, like the case of Matthew Hedges, the British academic erroneously arrested in the UAE for spying. Police were unable to admit that theyd made a mistake with their initial arrest, so, typically, the case gets handed upwards, which only guarantees one thing in such a paranoid, monolithic society which also has a shocking contempt for media and western-style journalism: fake evidence, or fake news, if like, needs to be found. The spooks are onto you. But thats a good thing But even if you can leave the salient fact that most western journalists covering the middle east tend to be biased, if not entirely partisan, in their reporting on the war in Syria or Khashoggis murder, we are starting to see western journalists operating under the influence, if not direction, of security services in a new media environment of farce, when we talk about journalistic standards. In the UK, a Guardian journalist, Luke Harding is at the centre of a storm about a story claiming that Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort met with Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The Guardian is currently being sued both by Assange and Manafort for libel as both parties strongly deny the meetings took place, leading some in the UK to believe that Hardings sources which the Guardian will not reveal were UK intelligence operatives feeding Harding disinformation. To give you an idea just how sloppy and corrupt British media has become, the accusation hurled at Harding that he is churning out fake news fed to him by Mi6 spooks actually elevates him in the newsroom. Clickbait is the new religion in a morally bankrupt newsroom where truth is a parenthesis, sometimes an obstacle, to a great headline. Partisan journalism is a dangerous thing. It can start wars, bring down governments and infuse Arab uprisings. When the source becomes so powerful in its relation with the journalists as it is in Brussels with 1,200 correspondents who parrot the propaganda of the European Commission each day we can understand the journalists murders. But the gap between the West and the Middle East is closing. Khashoggi has wrongly been presented by liberal western media as a sort of hero wanting to liberate his own country from the savagery of its Saudi elite. Conveniently, for leftish journals like the Washington Post this ticks a number of boxes, not least of all how it portrays Trumps key ally in the Middle East the house of Saud as a brutal dictatorship. But you couldnt find a better example of the personification of a fake news operative, who wasnt even a journalist, than Jamal Khashoggi. The 59-year old columnist, we now know, was planning to create an opposition movement which would overthrow the Saudi rulers, the same rulers who paid him handsomely for over 30 years as one of their own journalists. He was a Muslim Brotherhood acolyte who was on the Qatari payroll, managed by an American lady, who assisted him with his vociferous, if not spiteful, attacks on Mohammad bin Salman. Khashoggi had big plans, with the help of Qatar, to bring down the House of Saud and he wasnt particularly bothered about abusing the trust of that 30-year friendship, which trusted him and shared information with him. No angel, and certainly no journalist. Khashoggi in fact, was an intelligence officer, who worked under the auspices of being a journalist who loved the sound of his own voice, while he used his abused trust to win the respect of western journalists. Khashoggi was not even a journalist But the hypocrisy of the West to un-blur this line between security asset and journalist is astonishing. In the Middle East, the line is already blurred as people in Saudi Arabia consider both roles, working for the royal family, as intertwined anyway. Western medias conspiracy to canonize him is curious. I wonder if its a reaction of editors who feel guilty for operating their own newsrooms, based on working with fake news as an alternative to journalism of years past. These days I have noticed a stunning lack of professionalism from journalists working for online departments, due, I believe, largely to the fact that their main source the internet is largely made up of false news. And they know it. These days there is absolutely no shame or stigma whatsoever for running an article which is absolutely overloaded with mistakes. I often contact editors in the UK and prove to them their errors but my interjection is seen as a minor annoyance and one which threatens relations between editor and journalist. Newsrooms these days in London are non-confrontational arenas which accommodate a new generation of underperforming journalists which really knows no other trade than purveying fake news, like their colleagues in Damascus or Riyadh. The newsroom has changed dramatically in 30 years The journalist who broke the Hitler Diaries story the forged volumes themselves purchased by the Sunday Times in 1983 from a German magazine in todays media environment would no doubt become editor-in-chief. When the scandal broke, Rupert Murdoch fired his own editor over the embarrassment. More recently, one of its own Middle East experts was let go though for being in the pocket of the Syrian dictator. Hala Jaber who won a number of awards covering the Middle East, gave us an insight into what is required to win such accolades, when she too was exposed as being a secret agent of the Assad government, helping the Syrian leader and his cronies with media advice, when needed. Many Beirut hacks wondered how Jaber got exclusive interviews with Assad (which were no doubt scripted), even though the Syria leader started one such interview with asking her about the health of her father. In this part of the world, if you are prepared to surreptitiously help despots by agreeing to being part of their fake news agenda and promotion of themselves as great leaders you are not paid with cash of course, but access. That is how you win press awards in the Arab world, getting to people and locations which are shut off to the newsrooms star who just flew in from London. Dont bother trying to google articles from Jaber about Assads torture cells. Thats not part of the deal which keeps the lines blurred or the Echo Chamber running. Romania holds the mandate of President of the Council of the European Union for the next six months. For the first time since joining the EU on January 1, 2007, Romania has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. In order to mark this moment, on the building of the Romanian Government, the flags of Romania and the UE have been projected since Monday evening, 19:00, as well as the official logo of the rotating presidency.The motto of the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council is "Cohesion, a common European value."The opening ceremony of Romania's presidency at the EU Council is scheduled for January 10, when the College of Commissioners and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker will be in Bucharest."2019 is the year when our country will hold, for the first time, the presidency of the EU Council. Let us capitalize on this opportunity and prove that Romania is involved seriously in building the European project," President Klaus Iohannis said in the New Year message, just one day before our country begins its mandate."It is a country project that must unite us - state institutions, political forces and civil society, all Romanians, wherever they are. I assure you we are prepared to have a successful mandate for the dignified Romania to rise and regain its place and importance in Europe and in the world," Prime Minister Viorica Dancila also pointed out in a message issued on the occasion of the New Year.On June 30, Romania will hand over to Finland the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila expresses her confidence that state institutions, political forces and civil society will coagulate their forces and will constructively participate for a successful mandate of Romania at the presidency of the Council of the European Union, saying it will be a moment of maximum visibility not only at the institutional and political level but for the whole society. "Dear Romanians, 2018 was the year of centennial Romania, 2019 will be the year of European Romania, the promoter of cohesion among the member states. It is essential that at this symbolic moment for the European destiny of our country to prove trust, force and wisdom. As of today, we will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union for a period of six months. Romania will have the chance but also the responsibility to demonstrate and capitalize on its European potential and its European valences in the effort to strengthen what constitutes European construction, a union of citizens, liberties and our conjugated capacities," Viorica Dancila said on Tuesday in a video message sent to AGERPRES on the occasion of Romania's taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. In her opinion, the role of EU Council presidency implies the impartial and professional management of the topics on the agenda."From the simplest to the most complex, these topics have implications in our everyday lives and will contribute to the evolution of European society. We are talking about defining the European Union's post-2020 budget, the functioning of the European single market and the competitiveness of the European industry to boost the digitization of European industry and the evolution of artificial intelligence, social rights, the internal security agenda, the fight against terrorism, the management of migratory challenges and the future of the EU. A difficult and honorable task that we have thoroughly prepared at the level of the Government. It is a country project that must unite us around a common goal and for the benefit of Romanians," the prime minister said. Viorica Dancila considers that the presidency of Romania at the Council of the European Union will be a moment of maximum visibility not only at the institutional and political level but for the whole society. "I am a person of dialogue and consensus, I have confidence that together state institutions, political forces and civil society we will coagulate our forces and we will constructively participate for a successful mandate of Romania. It will be a moment of maximum visibility not only at the level institutional and political, but for our entire society. We have the opportunity to be seen actively contributing to European decision-making and showing a correct image about Romania. In addition, the value of the Romanians in this great European family consists also in the dynamic and profound pro-European spirit, an approach that Europe needs at this time marked by uncertainties but of particular importance to our common future. It is an opportunity to show both the cultural and intellectual wealth of Romania, of Romanians and the way we all understand to live and develop in a European Union of diversity," the prime minister pointed out. Dancila expressed her confidence that Romania will contribute to keeping the unity, cohesion and solidarity as fundamental elements at European level. "The motto of our presidency will be ?Cohesion - a common European value.' The European Union can progress in the spirit of the founding ideas of the European project only by keeping cohesion and overcoming the gaps between the member states in all their forms of manifestation. That is the tone in which we want to sustain the intense pace of the works of the EU Council. Our goal is at the handover of the mandate to be reconfirmed as a strong voice, a serious partner that leaves a solid basis for defining the next chapter of the European construction," said Viorica Dancila. The prime minister urged Romanians to be united. "With these thoughts, I invite you to start with confidence the New Year, aware of this responsibility and opportunity. Dear Romanian and European citizens, let us be united and enjoy together everything our EU membership means. Happy New Year to all!" concluded Viorica Dancila. Romania is holding the mandate of president of the Council of the European Union for the next six months. For the first time since joining the EU on January 1, 2007, Romania has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the Union. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulates Romania on starting its first mandate at the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. ''Happy New Year! I wish Romania all the best with your first EU [Council] presidency. I am confident you will deliver and look forward to working with you," the European official said on Tuesday on his official Twitter page. Between 1 January and 30 June 2019, Romania will exercise for the first time the rotating presidency of the EU Council on the background of a European agenda marked by political developments and files with a decisive impact on the future of the Union, including the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, negotiating the future European budget and elections for the European Parliament in May 2019. (CNN) U.S. President Donald Trump will give the Pentagon about four months to withdraw the nearly 2,000 military personnel stationed in Syria, The New York Times reported Monday, citing administration officials. Trump told Lt. Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, the head of US forces fighting ISIS in the region, during his trip to Iraq last week that troops could have several months to ensure a succinct departure, two US officials told the Times. A Pentagon spokesman, Cmdr. Sean Robertson, told the Times on Monday, "I'll let the president's words speak for themselves." The White House did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the Times' story. CNN has previously reported that a withdrawal of troops from Syria would take months because US commanders have said they need to move slowly in order to protect the troops. Earlier Monday, Garrett Marquis, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told CNN that the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, and Ambassador James Jeffrey, the special representative for Syria engagement, would accompany national security adviser John Bolton on a trip to Israel and Turkey early next month to discuss the withdrawal. "Ambassador John Bolton will travel to Israel and Turkey in early January to discuss the deliberate and coordinated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, and increased cooperation with the Turkish military and other partners," Marquis said in a statement, adding that Dunford and Jeffrey would be traveling with Bolton in Turkey. Trump defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria in a series of tweets on Monday, saying he is "just doing what I said I was going to do" during his presidential campaign. "... I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Just doing what I said I was going to do!" The President said in another tweet Monday morning, "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero." Trump's comments come a day after Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the President, told reporters at the White House that Trump will reevaluate the withdrawal plan for Syria. The South Carolina senator told CNN later Sunday that the President had not reversed his Syria orders. On Sunday, Graham said that during the President's surprise trip to Iraq last week, commanders on the ground informed Trump that ISIS is not "completely destroyed," which he said was an "eye-opening" experience for the commander in chief. Still, Graham said, Trump remains committed to bringing American service members home, even as he continues to weigh the greater regional dynamics. A car has smashed into revellers who were gathering for New Years celebrations in Tokyo, Japan, injuring eight people. A man, in his 20s, has been arrested and police said he is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the vehicle at crowds. The street, in the city centre, was sealed off as officers investigated the shocking incident on Tuesday morning. Footage from local broadcaster NHK showed a small van with its entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene. Emergency services are seen behind a car that crashed into a crowd gathering for the New Year in Tokyo / EPA Local media reported that a suspect had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The crash occurred early on Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a street well-known to tourists, which runs past the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku. Every New Year's Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night for people welcoming the New Year with a shrine visit. K im Jong-un has warned he will change course on denuclearisation if the US continues its sanctions. The North Korean leader, during his closely-watched annual New Year's address, added that he is ready to meet US President Donald Trump at any time. His comments came after last year's speech set the country on an unprecedented path of international diplomacy with South Korea and the US. Mr Kim met US President Donald Trump to discuss denuclearisation in June 2018 but with few results so far. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued a warning over denuclearisation / REUTERS In his latest New Year address, Kim said denuclearisation is his "firm will" and suggested that North Korea would no longer produce nuclear weapons. North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in 1 /18 North Korea's Kim Jon Un meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes hand of South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) to cross the military demarcation line Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in cross the border line at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Reuters Kim walks with Moon at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP The two leaders meet at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspect an honor guard after Kim crossed the border into South Korea for their historic face-to-face talks, in Panmunjom AP South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend the inter-Korean summit Reuters Kim Jong Un (2nd L) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (L) attend a farewell ceremony with Moon Jae-in (2R) and his wife Kim Jung-sook (R) AFP/Getty Images Ri Sol Ju (L), wife of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, and Kim Jung-sook AFP/Getty Images The couple's toast at a farewell dinner at the end of the summit AFP/Getty Images The official dinner at the end of their historic summit AFP/Getty Images An image of flowers is beamed onto the Peace House where the summit had taken place during a closing ceremony AFP/Getty Images Kyu Cho, 27, reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A woman reads a newspaper with a front page story about the inter-Korean summit REUTERS A man walks past a newspaper featuring a front page story about the summit AFP/Getty Images But also urged Washington to take unspecified corresponding action to speed up the stalled diplomatic process. North Korea marks 70th anniversary with huge military parade North Korea might be "compelled to explore a new path" to defend its sovereignty if the United States "seeks to force something upon us unilaterally ... and remains unchanged in its sanctions and pressure," Kim said in his nationally televised address. The comments are likely to fuel growing scepticism over whether Pyongyang intends to give up the nuclear weapons programme that it has long considered essential to its security. There was no immediate reaction from the US State Department, but South Korea's presidential office welcomed Kim's speech, saying it carried his "firm will" to advance relations with Seoul and Washington. North Korea 70th Anniversary Parade: In Pictures 1 /8 North Korea 70th Anniversary Parade: In Pictures northkorea70thanniversary1 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he attends parade AP northkorea70thanniversary2 Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty Images northkorea70thanniversary3 Participants wave flowers as they march AFP/Getty Images northkorea70thanniversary4 The march took place on Sunday, September 9 AFP/Getty Images northkorea70thanniversary5 Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu AFP/Getty Images northkorea70thanniversary6 People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung REUTERS northkorea70thanniversary7 The parade celebrated 70 years AFP/Getty Images northkorea70thanniversary8 Performers from the parade REUTERS Kim and Mr Trump vowed to work towards denuclearisation and build "lasting and stable" peace at their landmark summit in Singapore in June, but little progress has been made since. Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps toward denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility. Those measures were in line with its resolve to "no longer make, use or spread" nuclear weapons, Kim said, indicating a possible moratorium on weapons production for the first time. Trump says 'tremendous progress' being made with North Korea Although Pyongyang did not conduct nuclear or missile tests last year, satellite images have pointed to continued activity at the North's related facilities. U.S. officials say those initial steps were not confirmed and can be easily reversed, and have called for strict sanctions enforcement on the impoverished country until full, verifiable disarmament. Washington halted some large-scale military exercises with Seoul to aid nuclear negotiations, but smaller drills continued. F our people have been injured after a man ploughed his car into a crowd of people in western Germany. German authorities said it appeared to have been an "intentional attack against foreigners". Officers said the 50-year-old driver of a silver Mercedes slammed his car into a crowd in the city of Bottrop. Police said those hit included Syrian and Afghan citizens, with some seriously injured. Police at the scene in Bottrop / AFP/Getty Images The driver then sped off toward the nearby city of Essen, where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop. He was stopped by police and arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide. Police said the driver, whose name wasn't released, made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest. Officers added there were indications he suffered from mental illness. Herbert Reul, the top security official in the North Rhine-Westphalia state, told German news agency DPA: "The man had the clear intention to kill foreigners." In April, a German man drove a van into a crowd in Muenster, killing four people and injuring dozens. The driver, who had sought psychological help in the weeks preceding the attack, then killed himself. In 2016, a Tunisian man ploughed a truck into a busy Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group. The driver, who fled the scene, was later killed in a shootout with police in Italy. A rmed hunters have killed 37 civilians in Mali, its government has said. It said in a statement that the attackers, dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, raided the village of Koulogon and killed 37 Fulani civilians. Some of the victims were children. Ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives in the country last year. And ongoing violence between Fulani and rival communities has compounded an already dire security situation in Mali's semi-arid and desert regions, which are used as a base by jihadist groups with ties to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Moulage Guindo, the mayor of Bankass - the nearest town - said the attack occurred around the time of the first call to prayer of the New Year, and targeted the Fulani part of Koulogon. He said another part of Koulogon is mostly inhabited by Dogon, an ethnic group to which the Donzos are linked, less than half a mile away. Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely allied Islamists took over its north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene to push them back the following year. Islamists have since regained a foothold in the north and centre, tapping into ethnic rivalries to recruit new members. T he Archbishop of Canterbury has urged the nation to overcome the "struggles and divisions of recent years" in his New Year's sermon at Lambeth Palace. The Most Rev Justin Welby said the country is "wonderfully much more diverse than we used to be, yet we disagree on many things. And we are struggling with how to disagree well". "Turn on the television, read the news, and you see a lot that could tempt you to despair", he said in a message delivered at his official London residence on the South Bank of the Thames. But, he went on: "Hope lies in our capacity to approach this new year in a spirit of openness towards each other. Committed to discovering more of what it means to be citizens together, even amid great challenges and changes. "That will involve choosing to see ourselves as neighbours, as fellow citizens, as communities each with something to contribute. It will mean gathering around our common values, a common vision, and a commitment to one another. "With the struggles and divisions of recent years, that will not be easy. But that difficult work is part of the joy and blessing of being a community." It comes after the archbishop used his Christmas Day sermon to highlight the importance of forgetting "tribalism" and "political advantage". The leading Church of England cleric made a number of political interventions during 2018, criticising issues like the gig economy and zero-hours contracts, which he labelled the "reincarnation of an ancient evil". L ondons skyline was filled with an array of dazzling colours as an incredible fireworks display ensured the capital welcomed 2019 with bang. More than 100,000 revellers descended on the heart of the city for its official New Years Eve light show along the banks of the River Thames on Monday night. A spectacular display lit up the night sky over some of the capitals most famous landmarks as onlookers watched in awe. Some 70,000 projectiles, made up of 12,000 fireworks, exploded over the city during the extravagant show. The words "London is open" rang in the new year at the main celebration, which boasted the largest annual display in Europe. The phrase was spoken in seven languages around two minutes past midnight as the skyline filled with lights. Fireworks explode around the London Eye during New Year's celebrations in central London just after midnight / AFP/Getty Images A soundtrack featuring Europe's finest musical artists celebrated the diversity of the capital, after Big Ben, silent for much of 2018 due to renovations, chimed once more. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the sold-out display would show Europe that the capital will remain "open-minded" and "outward looking" post-Brexit. He said Westminster politicians had given the world the impression that Britain is "insular, inward looking", as Britain begins the new year countdown to Brexit. London New Year's Eve 2018 - in pictures 1 /11 London New Year's Eve 2018 - in pictures Fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye PA Fireworks explode around the London Eye during New Year's celebrations in central London AFP/Getty Images Fireworks light up the city's skyline REUTERS Revellers wait for the start of fireworks on London's Embankment PA Fireworks explode over The London Eye and Elizabeth Tower near Parliament Getty Images Fireworks explode over Westminster Abbey Getty Images Revellers wait for the start of fireworks PA Fireworks explode over the London Eye during the New Year's eve celebrations after midnight AP Fireworks explode over The London Eye and Elizabeth Tower near Parliament Getty Images Revellers wait for the start of fireworks on London's Embankment PA Two men dressed as kings as they wait for the fireworks over the London Eye EPA Mr Khan said he hoped this year's event would "send a message of support" to the more than one million European citizens for whom London is home. Festive lights also brought night skies alive all over the world, including in Dubai, Sydney, Auckland and Hong Kong. As London waited for the big countdown, cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and Moscow had already welcomed the New Year with stunning firework shows of their own. The London Eye took centre stage for the incredible light show / AFP/Getty Images Ahead of the main event in London, the citys mayor Sadiq Khan said: Every year our capital puts on the greatest fireworks show in the world with the spectacular images of our skyline shared all around the globe. "I'm proud that this year the millions watching around the world will see us send a message of support to more than one million EU citizens who call London their home. Fireworks set off across the world to celebrate 2019 As has become a New Years Eve tradition in the UK capital, Transport for London (TfL) put on free travel for all its Tube and bus services between 11.45pm and 4.30am Bus services in central London were disrupted due to the celebrations. Fireworks explode over Westminster Abbey and Elizabeth Tower near Parliament / Getty Images The Metropolitan Police also had a busy night on its hands, with Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy DOrsi saying: "It is a lovely time of year and we would like everyone who comes to London to have a good time. The safety of those attending is our top priority and officers have been planning for several months for New Years Eve. Officers will be out and about to deter criminals and keep crowds safe but we need you to look after yourself and those around you as well. Fireworks explode over The London Eye and near Parliament / Getty Images "If you see anything suspicious or that causes you concern, please tell a steward or police officer. Keep an eye on your belongings and only bring what you need. Australia and New Zealand were among the first to welcome the arrival of 2019 in fine style with displays of fireworks watched by millions of people. The first to bring in the New Year were people in Samoa. It became 2019 there at around 10am UK time. The UK capital's skyline was illuminated in colour for its New Year celebrations / REUTERS Festive lights later splashed the night sky of Downtown Dubai as the city held an impressive celebration. The skyline across the city was filled with an array of colours and smoke as a spellbinding fireworks display flew across the Burj Khalifa tower the worlds tallest building - in the United Arab Emirates city. Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks In Paris, hundreds of revellers were seen lining the streets in the Champs-Elysees as the city celebrated its New Year's Celebrations. A security guard was stabbed to death by a group trying to get into a private party in London's West End, police said. Three other people were also knifed in the attack in Park Lane at about 5.30am on New Years Day. It happened on a night of bloodshed in the capital in which another person - a woman in Camberwell - was also stabbed to death. Meanwhile, a woman was shot in Dalston. Police said the Park Lane victim, a man in his 30s, and the two other men injured were working as security staff for a private party when they were attacked by a group trying to enter the property. Police outside a property in Park Lane, London, after a security guard was stabbed to death and three others injured as they tried to bar a group of men from entering a New Year's Eve party / John Stillwell/PA The group attacked the security staff as well as a woman who tried to step in and help. The 37-year-old man, 29-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were all treated by paramedics outside the party before they were taken to hospital. None of their injuries are thought to be life-threatening, police said. A forensic investigator in a property in Park Lane, London, after a security guard was stabbed to death and three others injured as they tried to bar a group of men from entering a New Year's Eve party / John Stillwell/PA A large police presence remained in the area on Tuesday evening, with at least 12 officers in the area. Parts of Mount Street, Aldford Street and Park Street were cordoned off and pedestrians attempting to access the area were blocked by officers on the scene. A police cordon in Park Lane, London, after a security guard was stabbed to death and three others injured as they tried to bar a group of men from entering a New Year's Eve party / John Stillwell/PA Appealing for information, Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge said: The incident took place outside a venue that was hosting a private party. I would like to hear from anyone who was present at that event and witnessed this incident. A number of witnesses have already been spoken to, but it is clear many others who were present are yet to be traced, some of whom may have captured the attack on their mobile phones. A forensic investigator at the scene / John Stillwell/PA It appears the deceased and the two injured males were working as security staff for the party, they were attacked by a group of males who were outside trying to enter the venue. The female was also attacked as she assisted the security staff in closing the front door of the premises. This shocking incident happened just hours into a New Year, the area was particularly busy with people out celebrating and making their way home from various parties and organised events. Please call the incident room with any information. Police at the scene on Sunday / John Stillwell/PA The shocking death marks the second knife-related killing in the capital in 2019, after the death of the young woman in Camberwell. A woman believed to be in her 30s was found with stab wounds at a home in John Ruskin Street at about 4.20am. Officers said paramedics battled to save the woman once they arrived, but she died at the property. There were 132 homicides in the capital in 2018, with a majority of those who died being younger people. A woman in a hijab has been hailed after she was pictured helping the victims of the suspected terror attack in Manchester. High profile solicitor Nazir Afzal said the woman was far more reflective of the Muslim community than the attacker, after three people were stabbed at Manchester Victoria station on New Years Eve. A suspect was alleged to have shouted Islamist slogans as he was bundled into a police van. Two commuters, a woman and man in their 50s, as well as a British Transport Police officer, were knifed in the attack. The woman in the hijab was pictured comforting the pair of commuters, with her arm around the female victim. Two other members of the public, as well as two police officers, were also pictured. Mr Afzal said: Awful news but Manchester has shown how it responds to those who try to divide us. The woman with hijab helping victims is far more reflective of Muslims than the idiot with a knife. Wishing a speedy recovery to those harmed. Another Twitter user responded: The woman in the hijab shows the caring side of humanity and reflects well on the reality of the Muslim community. She deserves our thanks. Police officers at the scene of the stabbing / Phil Noble/Reuters Another said: Reading reports about the Victoria Station attack and got to say the only photo that should go viral is of the Muslim lady wearing a hijab helping the victims. Good people exist. We cant let the actions of a few taint our view of the many. Journalist Jake Simons added: This woman in the hijab helping the victims of the Manchester attack, as well as all the police and bystanders who jumped in, shows why we will win and they will lose. Makes you proud. Police confirmed on Tuesday that they are treating the frenzied attack as being terror-related. A house in Cheetham Hill raided by police on Tuesday as they investigate the suspected terror attack / Pat Hurst/PA A man, 25, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. And on Tuesday afternoon, officers raided a newly built semi-detached house in Cheetham Hill, a mile north of the city centre where the attack happened. Greater Manchester Police is continuing to appeal for video footage of the incident, which happened a short distance from the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. T he terror suspect who was arrested after a "frenzied" New Year's Eve stabbing, which left three people hurt at Manchester Victoria station, has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old, who is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, has been assessed by specialist medical staff. Police are searching his home. A spokesman said: "The counter-terrorism investigation remains ongoing. "There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation. "The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues." Prime Minister Theresa May joined British Transport Police in commending the emergency services for containing the threat during the incident, which occurred at around 9pm on Monday at the station. By Chris Lau, Danny Lee, South China Morning Post | Dec. 31, 2018 China's debt-ridden aviation conglomerate HNA Group has sued a company connected to its subsidiary Hong Kong Airlines for more than HK$800 million (US$102.6 million), just two weeks after news surfaced of the exodus of top brass from the city's third-largest carrier. The recent string of boardroom departures for the airline, including its co-chairman and several directors, as well as financial concerns at HNA have put the group under scrutiny from industry regulators. HNA Group (Hong Kong) Investment is seeking the repayment of a debt amounting to about HK$854 million from Hong Kong Airlines Consultation Service, a legal document made available on Monday at the city's High Court revealed. According to the Companies Registry, Hong Kong Airlines Consultation Service is solely helmed and owned by Zhong Guosong, who was a director at Hong Kong Airlines until August 21 this year. Zhong is also executive chairman of HNA's budget carrier Hong Kong Express. Hong Kong Airlines responded to media inquiries at 5pm on Monday, denying the airline had links with the company mentioned in the lawsuit. "This lawsuit is not related to Hong Kong Airlines," said a company spokeswoman, without being able to offer more clarity or detail on the company's complex and opaque corporate structure. "Hong Kong Airlines does not own Hong Kong Airlines Consultation Co." "We are operating normally and remain committed to offering our best service to customers who have chosen to fly with us," the spokeswoman added. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Express, which is also controlled by HNA Group, also distanced itself from any involvement, despite Zhong, its executive chairman, being listed as a director. "HK Express has no relationship with Hong Kong Airlines Consultation Service and it is not appropriate to make any comment in terms of this company's management structure and its financial issues," a spokeswoman said. The Post also contacted HNA Group for comment. The lawsuit comes amid piling bad news for the beleaguered carrier. In December, its finance chief abruptly resigned after less than 18 months on the job, with no replacement appointed as yet. Separately, six directors at Hong Kong Airlines have left since July. The company is said to be struggling to meet a deadline to repay HK$4.5 billion in bonds by January 20. Among the departures was Tang King-shing, Hong Kong's former police chief, who resigned late last month as vice-chairman of the carrier's board, citing personal reasons. Chief financial officer Jacky Lui Jiaqi and chairman Zhang Kui have also left. David Yu, adjunct professor of finance at New York University Shanghai, said he believed there was friction among factions in the group. "HNA is known for its extensive related companies and varied shareholdings with other parties, and [Hong Kong Airlines] is no different," he said. "As with many companies that are not 100 per cent wholly owned, seeing eye to eye [all the time] is generally rarer over longer periods as shareholders have their own divergent views. In this specific case ... the continued group restructurings will inevitably cause some friction among various shareholders." Soon after the resignations came to light, a Hong Kong Airlines spokesman said the changes would not affect its business and operations. "We have recruited experienced leaders to join our management team. Hong Kong Airlines is also operating as normal and remain committed to offering our best service to customers who have chosen to fly with us," he said. T he 39 people arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in west London have been released from custody. The Metropolitan Police said 20 men and 15 women, aged between 16 and 22, were released under investigation after the attack in Hammersmith. A further four people, two men, both 18, and two boys aged 16 and 17, have been released on bail over the incident which unfolded in the early hours of New Years Eve. The victim, who had been fighting for his life in hospital after being knifed in Fulham Palace Road just before 1am, is now in a stable condition. Greyhound Road in Hammersmith, where 39 people were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder / PA He was chased by a number of people following an altercation in a shop, officers said. The suspects were seen entering the property in Greyhound Road, where there was a party, a short time after the attack. Forensics officers at the scene of the stabbing in west London / PA Officers tried to speak to the large number of people who were inside but they refused to cooperate, leading to the 39 arrests. A witness, who did not want to be identified, said she saw a group of "kids" running back and forth up and down the street immediately before the stabbing and heard someone shouting: "Get him." She said: "The person who must have done the stabbing was shouting, 'come on then, come on then'. "I heard, 'oh no, don't do it' and it was a girl's voice. "Whoever that girl was, she's probably the only one with sense there. "They must have stabbed the guy outside Sainsbury's then ran back into that flat." 39 people arrested on suspicion of murder in Hammersmith The woman said she then saw the victim as he was worked on by paramedics. "As I got to the corner I saw a guy on the floor. He was stabbed here (in the chest)," she said. Speaking after the arrests, Superintendent Mark Lawrence said: "What appears to have been a minor argument has resulted in a man sustaining life-threatening injuries. T he hustle and bustle of life can sometimes lead to sleepless nights. After a busy day, it can be hard to switch our brains off long enough to get a restful sleep. In the UK, one third of adults sleep just five to six hours per night, according to the Great British Bedtime Report. This is significantly less than the recommended seven to eight hours per night adults need to be mentally and physically refreshed. Sleep is essential to living. When we dont sleep, we can feel tired and irritable and if we go too many nights without sleeping this can lead to illness, weight gain, inability to make decisions and can lead to serious health problems. To help revive your sleep health, consider visiting one of the below sleep retreats in 2020. Lucknam Park, England People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Just two hours from London, stately Lucknam Park is hosting a retreat this weekend (January 17 to 19). Expect guided meditations, hypnotherapy and a gong bath. Lead by hypnotherapist Fiona Lamb and Qi Gong teacher Tallulah Rendall, the retreat will also include a therapeutic session at the on-site Equestrian Centre where guests will have to opportunity to connect with a horse. Available from January 17 to 19, the retreat is 1,040 per person for two night stay including breakfast, a three course lunch and two three-course dinners. lucknampark.co.uk One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives Hosted by sleep guru Alison Francis, guests at One&Only's Reethi Rah resort in the Maldives can take part in a 'sleep journey' that focusses on achieving that holy grail of uninterrupted and rejuvenating sleep. The retreat begins with an assessment before sleep a trainer will look at your current sleeping pattern (or lack of) and develop a tailored programme for you. Price available on request when booked through luxury bespoke tour operator Carrier. carrier.co.uk Six Senses Thimphu, Bhutan Six Senses Thimphu resort / Six Senses/Frederik Hasselkjaer The best country to visit in 2020 also offers a world-class sleep program at its Six Senses outpost. Choose from three to 10 nights and experience Ayurvedic rituals and singing bowl meditation with the yogic sleep package designed to rejuvenate a tired body and mind, reduce stress levels and improve the quality of sleep. It aims to introduce a deep state of relaxation by combining yoga nidra with meditation and gentle yoga poses combined with spa treatments for a more restful nights sleep. Available throughout the year. From 657 for three nights plus accommodation. sixsenses.com Lefay Resort & Spa, Italy Head to Italy for five nights and rediscover the magic of sleep. With two locations the mighty Dolomites or overlooking Lake Garda Lefay Resort & Spas five-night sweet dreams programme tackles insomnia with hormonal analysis and plenty of spa treatments. During your time at Lefay, you will have breakfast, lunch and dinner included, a number of body and facial massages, foot reflexology treatments, acupuncture sessions and moxibustion treatments all designed to help you get a better nights sleep. Available throughout the year. From 2,139 per person for five nights, lagodigarda.lefayresorts.com/ The best sleeping aids- in pictures 1 /11 The best sleeping aids- in pictures Sleep soundly with our pick of the best sleeping aids... This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray Smells can affect your mood, making you feel more relaxed and calmer; lavender has this effect. This pillow spray is clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster and wake feeling more refreshed with the aroma-therapeautic super-blend of lavender, vertivert and chamomile which sooths you to sleep. 18, This Works, Buy it now Lumie Bodyclock Starter 30 If you find it difficult to wake up in the mornings, this is the gadget for you. This is a dawn stimulator, which wakes you up gradually with increasing natural light, which is a signal to your body to ease production of sleep hormones such as melatonin and increase those that help you get up and go such as cortisol. 59.95, Lumie, Buy it now T2 Sleep Tight Tea Bags These tea bags make the perfect night time brew, with a delicate sweet flavour and calming aroma thanks to the lemon-balm, lavender, jasmine blossoms and rose petals to help you wind down. 7.50, T2, Buy it now Hush Pyjamas All-natural fabric will guarantee you a better nights sleep compared to manmade fibres. Cotton is lightweight and soft to the touch, as well as being breathable, which is great if you overheat easily. Most importantly you need to find them comfortable. These pyjamas from Hush are affordable and gorgeous. 49.50, Hush, Buy it now Drift Mattress Theres a lot of great mattresses on the market at the moment, but this one is the only one thats got 4,000 micro-pocket springs, as well as an all-natural wool layer sleep surface which is temperature regulating allowing air to circulate, and wicking moisture away for a deep sleep. 49.50, Hush, Buy it now Magic Blackout Blind This is an ingenious invention; a temporary blackout blind window covering, which you can cut to size and reuse. Keeping your room completely dark is vital, as this triggers the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin which is extremely light-sensitive and may not be produced optimally until completely dark. 29.99, Magic White Board, Buy it now Tranquillity Neom Scented Candle Specially formulated with the natural fragrance of 19 soothing essential oils, including lavender, sweet basil and jasmine, which smell wonderful but also have a relaxing effect on mind & body, helping you prepare for sleep. They recommend burning for 2 hours prior to sleep. 30, Neom, Buy it now Draper London linen This is some seriously luxurious bedding, but worth every penny, as its the lightest Percale in 300 thread count Egyptian cotton, so incredibly cool and airy to the touch. The better your body temperature is regulated, the less youll wake up, resulting in much deeper sleep. From 92.50, Draper London, Buy it now Kikki K 3am notebook Scientists have found a direct link between anxiety and rhythm of sleep, when you have anxious thoughts, your heart rate goes up and your mind starts to race. A great way to over come this is to write these thoughts down, and Kikki K has designed a lovely little notebook just for these3am thoughts. 10, Kikki. K, Buy it now Foot Warmer Hot Water Bottle Slipper Studies have found that cold hands and feet are associated with sleeplessness. The Sleep Council recommends increasing the temperature of your cold feet by using a hot water bottle, rather than bed socks, and this inspired creation makes nice and easy. 22.95, Heat Treats, Buy it now Shanti Maurice, Mauritius The Shanti sleep package aims to help you go into a deep state of relaxation to aide a restorative sleep. Using meditation, yoga, Tibetan sound massages and Magnesium sleep therapy, expect to spend your time on Mauritius more relaxed and stress-free than ever. Available throughout the year. From 703 plus accommodation, shantimaurice.com Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Switzerland The spa at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz / Grand Resort Bad Ragaz Want to get serious about your sleep? This top Swiss medical resort offers a sleep diagnostics program run by doctors and includes medical check-ups and a sleep investigation. The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland is one of the best medical health resorts in the world and its three-day, two-night retreat is designed to help aide a healthy and restful sleep. Using video-polysomnography experts diagnose all the disturbances you have in your sleep and receive specific recommendations from those results. They will also do a number of medical tests to see if theres anything holding you back from a good nights sleep and you will have discussions with your doctor at the retreat who will devise a personal health dossier for you. Available throughout the year. From 3,834 per person including accommodation, healthragaz.ch Marbella Club Wellness, Spain Marbella Club Wellness offers several retreats that range from one day to seven nights, all bespoke and can be individually adjusted to your needs. The tranquillity and sleep enhancing retreat is a gentle program that uses evidence-based techniques to help improve sleep. Experts at the resort will help equip you with routines that will be sustainable for long after the retreat. Available throughout the year. Price on request, marbellaclubwellness.com Kamalaya, Thailand Soak up the lush views at Kamalaya in Koh Samui / Kamalaya Kamalaya, located in Koh Samui, an island off the coast of Thailand, is one of the best wellness retreats in the world. The sleep enhancement program has been designed to re-establish a healthy and restful sleep while addressing imbalances and sleep issues for the long term. You can choose from a five, seven or nine-night program that includes all meals provided, wellness consultations, body bio-impedance analysis, massages, traditional treatments and a sleep enhancement pack. While youre not joining in with rejuvenating body treatments and sessions, take in the islands natural beauty and discover why so many travellers love Koh Samui. Any listing of cannabis legalization highlights for 2018 has to begin with the triumph of marijuana at the ballot box in the midterm elections -- voter approval for adult use in Michigan and medical marijuana in states as culturally conservative as Utah and Missouri, the defeat of virulently anti-cannabis Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas and the election of pro-legalization governors and state legislators. The big shifts in cannabis in 2018 were at the state level. Progress toward the ultimate goal -- federal legalization -- was subtle but significant nonetheless. The dizzying pace of the news makes it easy to forget 2018 began with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversing the hands-off Obama era policy toward state-legal cannabis businesses. The decades old ban on hemp was lifted, giving America's farmers a lucrative new crop and creating a large and legal (though regulated) source of CBD. A disappointment in tax court reminded the cannabis industry that prohibition is deeply embedded in federal law, but a close look at 2018 shows political support for federal prohibition is weakening. Jeff Sessions' crackdown revealed prohibition has no constituency. Presuming you have not already forgotten Jeff Sessions entirely, do you remember the angst that seized the cannabis industry in 2017 when he was appointed Attorney General? There was immense worry Sessions, an anti-marijuana zealot, would rescind the Cole Memo, which then was believed to be the single thread keeping the Department of Justice from smashing the legal marijuana businesses taking root in states from California to Massachusetts. It took him a full year to do it but Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo as practically his first official act of 2018. The crackdown, however, never followed. Senator Cory Gardner, an otherwise conservative Republican from Colorado, thought Sessions had promised during his nomination not to enforce federal marijuana laws in states -- such as Colorado -- that had legalized. Feeling betrayed, Gardner used his senatorial prerogative to block dozens of top appointments to the Department of Justice, vowing he would not relent until the hands-off policy was reinstated. Trump eventually sided with Gardner and Sessions let the matter drop. Sessions, who drew no distinction between medical and adult use marijuana, wanted a free hand to shut down medical dispensaries. Beginning in 2014 Congress has annually added a rider to the budget of the Department of Justice forbidding it from spending a penny harassing medical marijuana dispensaries or patients. When Sessions demanded Congress drop the restriction, Congress responded by ignoring him. The rider remains in place. By trying and failing to reverse Obama era policies on state-legal marijuana, Sessions ended up making them permanent. Related: AG Jeff Sessions Was (Basically) Fired: The Cannabis Industry Reacts Hemp, which never should have been illegal, is now legal. The sprawling Farm Bill of 2018 includes the Hemp Farming Act that ends decades of prohibition on growing an ancient and extraordinarily useful crop. The bill removes hemp containing no more than 0.3 percent THC from the Controlled Substances Act, largely frees the crop from federal regulation except by the Department of Agriculture and generally makes hemp a normal crop eligible for crop insurance and available for research. The implications are difficult to exaggerate. Farmers who have struggled with years of depressed commodity prices made worse by Trump's trade war with China are talking about a hemp "gold rush" in a market expected to grow from $820 million in 2017 to at least $10.6 billion in 2025, according to Grand View Research. While CBD is the most prominent current use for hemp, it is far from the only market. The FDA has cleared hemp seeds as a food ingredient. Hemp fiber and byproducts have literally thousands of uses, including as paper, cotton substitutes and plastics, though realizing that potential will first require building processing facilities. Related: CBD Is Just the First Huge Benefit From Legal Hemp FDA is winning a turf war with DEA over who will regulate CBD. In June, the Food and Drug Administration made history by approving Epidolex, the first drug ever approved with an ingredient -- CBD -- derived from cannabis. That approval put the DEA, which insists on keeping all forms of cannabis on Schedule 1 as a drug with no medical use, in a corner. Left with no real option, the DEA removed FDA approved drugs containing CBD from Schedule 1 -- the first time the agency has backed off on prohibition to the least degree. The FDA approval of Epidolex comes as the global medical establishment is reexamining the assumption that cannabis has no medical use. The FDA has argued that CBD should be removed from Schedule 1 but the DEA contends America's obligations under two global narcotics treaties requires cannabis in all forms be prohibited, which is why the agency agreeing to reschedule FDA approved drugs with cannabis ingredients is so significant. The tussling over regulatory turf escalated with the Farm Bill legalizing hemp. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, in a lengthy statement issued after President Trump signed the Farm Bill, made clear that legally sourced CBD is still a regulated substance and the agency will oversee its use in foods, nutritional supplements and prescription drugs. While that is likely to slow the rush to infuse everything that can be eaten or drunk with CBD, it means CBD will be regulated by a science-based agency instead of being banned from use by federal narcotics agents. Related: The DEA Actually Didn't Reschedule CBD: Industry Insiders Explain What Epidiolex's Reclassification Really Means Prohibition fervor still burns hot at the IRS. Whats the difference between a guy selling drugs from his apartment in 1974 and a licensed marijuana dispensary in squeaky-clean compliance with every applicable state and local law and regulation today? The drug dealer in 1974 was allowed to deduct business expenses. The dispensary operating legally today largely is not. You take any other business operating and cannabis is paying a much higher effective tax rate, says Dana Borys, tax partner and tax segment leader at MGO, a professional services firm with a significant cannabis practice. Theyre still making money but somebody opening a new business is very surprised to see how much they are paying in taxes. They are learning, often a little late, they cant deduct a lot of expenses they could ordinarily. Just after Thanksgiving the US Tax Court handed down a ruling that Harborside Health Center of Oakland, Calif., one of the longest operating and best regarded dispensaries in the nation, could not take ordinary business expenses for tax years 2007 to 2012. Harborside now owes many millions in federal taxes. The ruling, like all things tax related, is a tough read if youre not an accountant but Judge Mark Holmes made the main point clear: Harborside may well be the largest marijuana dispensary in America, the judge wrote. To the Commissioner (of the IRS) that just makes it a giant drug trafficker, unentitled to the usual deductions that legitimate businesses can claim. Judge Holmes ruled Harborside, and every other legal marijuana dispensary, remains a drug dealer to the IRS for one simple but inflexible reason: section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, which was added in 1982 after a drug dealer cornered into filing a tax return successfully fought to deduct his mileage, phone bill and other routine expenses of running a business (even an illegal business). The ban on deducting business expenses for drug dealing was all but forgotten until California voters legalized medical marijuana in California in 1996, said Harborside's attorney, Henry J. Wykowski. Its clear from (the judge's) opinion that this is a confusing area for the taxpayer and the IRS has issued no guidance, Wykowski said. The judge concedes that someone else could see it differently. Harborside brought its case in hopes of a favorable decision that would effectively invalidate 280E for state-legal cannabis businesses. Harborside is likely to continue fighting in the appeals courts, but Wykowski said the real solution is for Congress to change the law. What we tried to do was change the law and we didnt succeed, yet, Wykowski said. I hope in my heart of hearts that this will all become irrelevant when the STATES Act passes. His hope isn't farfetched. Remember the deal Senator Gardner reached with President Trump? In return for Gardner getting out of the way of appointments to top jobs at the Department of Justice, Trump agreed, at least in principle, to support a new law to permanently bar the federal government from interfering with cannabis businesses that comply with state law. With that agreement, Gardner and Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, introduced the STATES Act, which among other things specifies that profits from legal marijuana businesses would no longer be deemed the proceeds of a crime, which would allow the industry to use banks and, presumably, normal tax deductions. Prohibition definitely began to show cracks in 2018. It may not be long before it collapses. Related: Florida Medical Marijuana System Now In Court Federal Cannabis Prohibition Got a Lot Weaker in 2018 The Cannabis M&A Boom Is Looking Like the Dot.com Boom. Here's How to Avoid the Bust. Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved See more LAUREL, Md. As people around the world celebrate the new year, astronauts in space are getting to work. Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques recorded a festive video for the people of Earth Monday (Dec. 31) with a simple New Year's Eve message. "Happy New Year!" Saint-Jacques said in English and French in separate videos posted to Twitter. This New Year's Day, the three-person crew of the International Space Station have some chores and science to do. They're scheduled to spend the day unpacking a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship (which arrived earlier this month) and performing science experiments, NASA spokesperson Dan Huot told Space.com on Dec. 20. But the space travelers will get some time to rest. "Whenever the crew is asked to work a holiday, though, they get an extra day off in the future to make up for it," he said in an email. The station's current Expedition 58 crew consists of Saint-Jacques (of the Canadian Space Agency), NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos. Kononenko commands the crew. Canadian Space Agency David Saint-Jacques waves a "Happy New Year" message to Earth fro 2019 from the Cupola of the International Space Station on Jan. 1, 2019. (Image credit: Canadian Space Agency/David Saint-Jacques via Twitter) The station crew isn't the only one working through the new year. Today, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made a historic flyby of the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule. At a range of 4.1 billion miles (6.1 billion kilometers) it is the farthest-ever flyby of an object in our solar system. New Horizons scientists at the mission's operations center at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland are expecting to receive the first post-flyby signal from New Horizons later today at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT). New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern (center) celebrates with school children at the moment the spacecraft was planned to reach its closest approach to Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019 at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. It is the furthest flyby in history. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA) And still another space mission had a busy New Year's Eve. NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe arrived in orbit around its target asteroid Bennu on Monday (Dec. 31). "The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion maneuver perfectly," OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona said in a statement. "Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years." Space.com staff writer Hanneke Weitering contributed to this report from New York City. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. LAUREL, Md. Wow, what a way to ring in the new year. As the world celebrated the start of 2019, scientists with NASA's New Horizons spacecraft partied with them. But the bigger celebration came just over 30 minutes later, when New Horizons made history with the flyby of Ultima Thule, a mysterious object 4.1 billion miles (6.6 billion kilometers) from Earth in the Kuiper Belt, home to frozen relics left over from the birth of the solar system. It's the farthest flyby of an object in our solar system; and the second rendezvous for New Horizons, which visited Pluto in July 2015. "We set a record! Never before has a spacecraft explored something so far away," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, said after the flyby today (Jan. 1). "I mean, think of it. We're a billion miles further than Pluto, and now we're going to keep going into the Kuiper Belt. [New Horizons at Ultima Thule: Full Coverage] New Horizons flew by Ultima Thule at 12:33 a.m. EST (0533 GMT), hurtling past at a mind-boggling 32,000 mph (51,500 km/h) as it captured the first close-up views of a Kuiper Belt object. The cosmic rendezvous occurred so far from Earth, it'll took more than 6 hours for a signal from New Horizons to reach Earth. At about 10:30 a.m. EST, the first signal from New Horizons was received at its mission operations center here at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "We have a healthy spacecraft," said Alice Bowman, mission operations manager for New Horizons. "We've just accomplished the most distant flyby. We are ready for Ultima Thule science transmission." And oh, the party. With news of signal confirmation, a standing ovation by mission team members and invited guests broke out in an auditorium here. And of course, there was the New Year's Eve bash. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flies by the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019 in this artist's illustration. It's the furthest planetary flyby in history. (Image credit: Adrian Mann/All About Space) "Nerding out on New Year's Eve" To celebrate New Horizons' visit to Ultima Thule, the mission team threw an epic New Year's Eve party. Hundreds of guests including science team members, dignitaries, reporters and their families packed a meeting hall here to ring in 2019, and then cheer for the flyby. As Stern said, everyone was "nerding out at New Year's Eve." "Are you psyched?" Stern asked the crowd as they cheered just seconds before the flyby. "Are you jazzed?" New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern (center) celebrates with school children at the moment the spacecraft was planned to reach its closest approach to Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019 at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. It is the furthest flyby in history. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA) Among those guests were Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), actor Chase Masterson of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," as well as astrophysicist (and Queen lead guitarist) Brian May. May even debuted a new original song the aptly named "New Horizons" at midnight to celebrate. "To me, it is the incredible newness of it," May, a New Horizons mission team member, told reporters before the flyby. "This is going way beyond where anyone has gone before, literally." Astrophysicist Brian May, the lead guitarist of Queen, speaks with reporters ahead of NASA's New Horizons flyby of the Kuiper Belt Object Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. May composed a special song just for the flyby. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA) The celebration occurred in the midst of a partial government shutdown, which shuttered much of NASA's public outreach for the Ultima Thule flyby. But NASA and JHUAPL were able to stream live webcasts and photos of the flyby. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science, even received special dispensation from NASA chief Jim Bridenstine to attend. "I think it is fitting that this flyby of Ultima Thule is at the interface of the 60th anniversary of Explorer 1 [the first U.S. satellite] in 2018 and the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 2019," Zurbuchen said in an email that Stern read aloud Monday. "To me, this milestone for New Horizons is full of everything that NASA and NASA science is about." Another NASA mission also hit a milestone on New Year's Eve. The space agency's sample-return probe OSIRIS-REx officially began orbiting its target asteroid Bennu on Monday (Dec. 31), making it a banner 24 hours for planetary science. Voyage to the Kuiper Belt It's been a long road to Ultima Thule for New Horizons. NASA launched the $700 million nuclear-powered spacecraft in January 2006 on a mission originally aimed at Pluto. That mission was an astounding success, with New Horizons zipping by Pluto and its five moons on July 14, 2015, revealing the first-ever detailed photos of the dwarf planet (including its adorable heart). But even before New Horizons reached Pluto (which itself is in the Kuiper Belt), mission scientists were looking to the next target. In 2014, mission scientist Marc Buie of SwRI discovered Ultima Thule (then known only by its official name, 2014 MU69) using the Hubble Space Telescope and a new destination was set. [Ultima Thule in Photos: Images from the Kuiper Belt] New Horizons and Ultima Thule will be 4.1 billion miles away when it visits the Kuiper Belt object. This chart shows the path of New Horizons compared to other probes that have left the solar system. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) The key draw of Kuiper Belt objects is their primordial nature. They are time capsules, Stern said, preserving the earliest conditions of the solar system at temperatures near absolute zero. "The object is in such a deep freeze that it's essentially preserved from its initial formation," he added. "Everything that we're going to learn about Ultima, from its composition to its geology to how it's assembled, are going to teach us about the original formation conditions of the solar system." And scientists have a lot to learn. They've only managed to glean tantalizing clues about Ultima Thule since its discovery in 2014. This photo of the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule (2014 MU69) reveals a new clue into the object's shape just ahead of New Horizons' closest approach on Jan. 1, 2019. This photo was taken on Dec. 30, 2018 by New Horizons from distance of about 1.2 million miles (1.9 million kilometers). (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) In Hubble telescope photos, Ultima Thule appears to have a reddish hue. Exactly why is unknown. Early observations suggested that it may actually be more than one object, a binary, but more recent images (including one taken on Saturday, Dec. 30) have hinted that this isn't so. Ultima Thule appears be a single object, mission scientists said. "We know it's not round," said deputy project scientist John Spencer of SwRI before the flyby. Recent images show Ultima Thule as an elongated, oval-shaped object. In fact, Ultima Thule may look like a bowling pin, with two lobes connected by a center mass. A photo taken by New Horizons on New Year's Eve just before closest approach clearly shows two lobes and an elongated shape, an improvement on Sunday's view, scientists said. The Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule takes on a bowling pin shape (left) in this view from the New Horizons spacecraft taken on Dec. 31, 2018 just before its flyby closest approach on Jan. 1, 2019. At right is an artist's sketch of the object, which is about suggest it is approximately 20 miles long by 10 miles wide (32 kilometers by 16 kilometers). (Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI; sketch courtesy of James Tuttle Keane) But exactly how fast does it spin (estimates vary between 15 and 30 hours)? Does it have craters, or a smooth surface? Does it spout dust? Could it host moons or rings or something altogether unexpected? "This is unknown exploration; anything is possible," Spencer said. "Anything is possible out here when you're exploring a new class of world that you haven't seen before." See more Only a detailed analysis of New Horizons' images and other data from its seven instruments will tell the tale, scientists said. "We are going to change what we know about the Kuiper Belt, literally overnight," Stern said. Another flyby ahead? It will take about 20 months for New Horizons to beam back all of its images and other observations of Ultima Thule. That's because it has just a small 15-watt transmitter to beam a vast amount of data home. "I am in awe that we can even do this," Stern said. "The spacecraft has a 15-watt transmitter on it...that's a quarter of a light bulb. And we're receiving it from 4 billion miles away." But the New Horizons team won't be idle during that time. Scientists are actively searching for a third Kuiper Belt object for New Horizons to potentially visit. If that target is found soon, and if it gets funding approval from NASA, the team could get the green light for another flyby, in a year that will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the first by astronauts. "Fifty years ago, the first humans walked on another world, the moon, as a result of NASA," Stern said. "And NASA was the first space agency in the world to reach every planet in the solar system, from the closest planets Venus and Mars to the farthest, Pluto. And now we're out exploring even further." Editor's note: This story, originally posted at 12:43 a.m. EST, was updated at 12:57 p.m. EST with new images of Ultima Thule from New Horizons. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Brasilia: Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain who has promised radical measures to cut soaring crime and widespread corruption, was sworn in as Brazilian president on Tuesday, marking the country's starkest shift to the right since its return to democracy three decades ago. Bolsonaro, 63, rode a populist revolt against the traditional political class to take the presidency. He has pledged to take South America's largest nation in a new direction adopting an iron-fisted approach to crime, allowing citizens to arm themselves for self-defence, and promoting more development in the environmentally sensitive Amazon. Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, accompanied by his wife Michelle Bolsonaro, at the swearing in ceremony. Credit:AP An ardent admirer of President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has vowed to move this nation away from its left-leaning foreign policy. "I invite all of Congress to join me in the mission to restore and rebuild our homeland, liberating it from corruption, crime, economic irresponsibility and ideological traps," Bolsonaro said shortly after being sworn in. Chandler, Arizona: The assailant slipped out of a park around noon one day in October, zeroing in on his target, which was idling at a nearby intersection a self-driving van operated by Waymo, the driverless-car company spun out of Google. He carried out his attack with an unidentified sharp object, swiftly slashing one of the tyres. The suspect, identified as a white man in his 20s, then melted into the neighbourhood on foot. A Waymo autonomous vehicle passes through an intersection in Chandler, Arizona. Credit:The New York Times The slashing was one of nearly two dozen attacks on driverless vehicles over the past two years in Chandler, a city near Phoenix where Waymo started testing its vans in 2017. In ways large and small, the city has had an early look at public misgivings over the rise of artificial intelligence, with city officials hearing complaints about everything from safety to possible job losses. Some people have pelted Waymo vans with rocks, according to police reports. Others have repeatedly tried to run the vehicles off the road. One woman screamed at one of the vans, telling it to get out of her suburban neighbourhood. A man pulled up alongside a Waymo vehicle and threatened the employee riding inside with a piece of PVC pipe. Moscow: Russia's Federal Security Service has detained a US citizen in Moscow on suspicion of espionage according to a statement on its website on Monday. Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organisation in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalising the possession of handguns in Moscow, Russia, in 2013. Credit:AP The investigation department of the FSB, as the domestic security service is widely known, started a criminal case and investigations are underway, Interfax said, citing the FSB. It didn't provide any details on where the person was being held. The charges he faces could carry a prison term of as much as 20 years, according to Russia's criminal code. The US has been alerted to the detention, according to a State Department official who said Russian authorities are expected to provide consular access to the person as required under the Vienna Convention. The State Department official didn't name the person being held, but the Russian security service identified him as Paul Whelan. His identity couldn't be confirmed independently. David Whelan said in an email that he was Paul Whelan's brother and said that his brother had been arrested. He declined to comment on how he learned of his brothers detention, his work status at the time of his arrest. Moscow: The family of an American arrested in Russia on espionage charges said on Tuesday that he is an innocent businessman who was attending Moscow for a wedding. Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired Marine, was detained last week by Russia's domestic security services while he was in Moscow for what they described as a "spy mission". Experts fear that the arrest may be a case of retribution for the arrest of Russian foreign agent Maria Butina in the US last year. "[It] looks increasingly like a hostage situation," said Kremlin critic Bill Browder, once a major foreign investor in Russia who ran afoul of the government in the late 2000s while investigating tax fraud. "All foreign travellers to Russia should beware that anything could happen." Finance minister Victor Dominello has lodged defamation proceedings against a Sydney radio station over a news item that reported he threatened a local councillor in order to have a building development approved the precise opposite to the accusation that had been levelled against him. Radio station 2GB summarised in its 7am news bulletin on September 9, 2017 a Sydney Morning Herald story that reported Mr Dominello had been referred to the corruption watchdog after he was accused of linking the preselection of Ryde deputy mayor Jane Stott to her vote on a 1400-unit development. NSW Finance Minister Victor Dominello has campaigned against overdevelopment in his Ryde electorate. Credit:Dean Sewell However, 2GB stated that he had threatened a local councillor "in order to have a 1400-unit development approved" when the Herald reported that he called Ms Stott to convey his opposition to the development. In a statement of claim filed with the NSW Supreme Court, Mr Dominello claims that the 2GB story portrayed him as having behaved corruptly by using threats and intimidation to secure a benefit for a developer, of abusing his position and of using the influence of his position to benefit a developer. The annual release of Cabinet documents from 20 years ago is generally seen as an exercise in transparency, with the public able to get an insight into the issues considered by the government of the day, and the advice given by various ministers. In the National Archives of Australia's January 1 release of Cabinet documents for 1996 and 1997, the first year of the Howard government is documented, including how it dealt with gun control, native title, immigration and other issues still felt today. The secretive Pine Gap facility, photographed in 2016. Credit:Kristian Laemmle-Ruff But there are still some documents that aren't released to the public, or are only released with big black boxes where the information is still considered too sensitive to be made public. Advice given to the Howard government about the expansion of US military operations at Pine Gap outside Alice Springs is still subject to redactions, because it contains "information pertaining to Defence plans, operations or capabilities of continuing sensitivity". Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt will write to pharmacists and doctors to remind them of their responsibilities, after consumer advocates raised concerns that patients were not being given vital information about medicine interactions and side effects. The Consumers Health Forum of Australia called on Mr Hunt to step in after receiving complaints that patients were not always being given consumer medicine information documents (CMIs), which pharmaceutical companies are required by law to make available. Health advocates say people need to know more about the medicine they're given. Credit:Michelle Mossop In the past CMIs were provided as a leaflet inside prescription medicine boxes but most products now direct patients to read the information online, leaving it to doctors or pharmacists to print off the documents for patients starting new medications. But consumer advocates say this makes the information inaccessible to many, particularly if busy GPs and pharmacists fail to provide the documents which experts say are far too difficult to read and understand. Australia's attempt to strip citizenship from an alleged recruiter for Islamic State has been thrown into doubt after Fiji reportedly said he was not one of its citizens. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said on Saturday that the country was much safer after the government revoked Neil Prakash's Australian citizenship. Neil Prakash featured in several Islamic State propaganda videos. Credit:AAP Canberra believes Prakash who is wanted over an alleged plot to behead a Melbourne police officer is a dual national as his father was Fijian. A person with such dual status can be stripped of their Australian citizenship if they engage in terrorism-related conduct, and Islamic State was declared a terrorist organisation in 2016 for this purpose. Former foreign minister Gareth Evans has called on the Morrison government to step up its protest to Beijing over China's detention of two Canadians, one of whom Mr Evans knows personally and says is a victim of political retaliation by the Chinese government. Mr Evans was for a decade the president and chief executive of the International Crisis Group think tank, whose senior adviser for north-east Asia, Michael Kovrig, has been detained in apparent retribution for Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou pending possible extradition to the United States. Detained in China: Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig (left) and Michael Spavor. Credit:AP The Canadian arrests are deeply troubling, and it's time for the Australian government to join those others in the international community saying so loudly and clearly, Mr Evans said. In the case of Michael Kovrig, whom I know personally, I am totally confident that it is only about retaliation against Canada for the Meng case and in reality has nothing to do with his or Crisis Group's foreign policy analysis and advocacy activities in China, which have always been, to my knowledge, open and above board, objectively focused, and in fact well respected by Chinese policymakers, advisers and analysts. Emerging anti-Nationals organisation Anyone But Nats will start the new year with $60,000 in the bank and a mission to take on the perennial rural party at the NSW and federal elections, with Barnaby Joyce as its prime target. The group's foundation, and growing support, comes after the Nationals' scandal-plagued 2018, starting with former leader Mr Joyce's affair and ending with Mallee member Andrew Broad's "sugar baby" controversy, where the former assistant minister sent messages to a younger woman with the online alias "Sweet Sophia Rose". Rohan Boehm with constituents, when he was an independent candidate for the NSW state seat of Barwon. Credit:Dean Sewell Anyone But Nats will support viable candidates in Nationals-held seats. Beginning in the NSW town of Mudgee in February, the group will run a series of community forums at regional centres in key electorates to whip up support, including Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Broken Hill. Anyone But Nats co-founder Rohan Boehm believes the National Party is facing an existential election. The ACT Legislative Assembly's ethics and integrity adviser has rejected a Labor-Greens push to widen the territory's lobbyist register to include in-house lobbyists, arguing there was no compelling or logical reason to do so. In a submission to an Assembly committee inquiry into the proposal, the parliament's integrity adviser Stephen Skehill has rejected the need for widening the people the register covers beyond third-party lobbyists. Speaker Joy Burch, centre, had asked Mr Skehill to send the committee a submission to the lobbyist register inquiry. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos While the inquiry is expected to report back to the Assembly early this year, the proposal to widen the register was a key item on the Labor-Greens 2016 deal to form government, and in a recent progress report was labelled as being "on track" for completion this term, suggesting the government will press on. The agreement means the government plans to widen the register to include in-house government relations staff, industry associations and project management officers and companies, as well as review the changes after one year. UPDATE: Police have found a 15-year-old girl feared missing after catching a flight from Perth. Officers had been told Angelina Chakovski was dropped off at Perth Domestic Airport about 1am on Monday, December 31, to catch a flight from Perth to Melbourne. Angelina left Perth on Monday. Angelina was expected to catch another flight to Merimbula, however it was believed she instead caught a 10am flight to Sydney. About 10.45pm on Monday, a man and a woman, aged 57 and 56, attended Mascot Police Station and reported the girl missing after she failed to arrive in Merimbula. While many are surely still making their way home with a ringing head after seeing in the New Year at events across Perth and the state, WA Police have been quick to praise punters in the wake of a busy but ultimately safe night. A big police response had been deployed on Monday evening and was still in effect on Tuesday morning, with random breath test buses spotted by WAtoday still pulling over cars and checking on drivers as the sun came up. Police were still breath-testing drivers early on Tuesday morning after a busy but largely uneventful New Year's Eve. Credit:File photo About 1700 police resources had been deployed across the state on New Years Eve, Operational Commander Jo McCabe said, but despite being kept on their toes there was little in the way of major incidents to report on Tuesday morning. Although the evening was busy for police state-wide, responding to over 1300 calls for assistance, it was pleasing to see that no significant incidents occurred, Commander McCabe said. Sniffer dogs at the First NYD festival on New Year's Day in Melbourne. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Forty people have been caught with drugs at the inaugural First NYD festival in Melbourne's CBD after police swarmed the event with sniffer dogs. Of those caught, eight people were arrested at the New Year's Day music event, which unfolded as news broke of several drug overdoses at Beyond the Valley festival near Warragul, resulting in the death of one man. The suspected drug overdose death of the 20-year-old from Mansfield is set to further intensify debate about pill testing at festivals, despite opposition from state governments in both NSW and Victoria. People often underestimate the immense contribution the regions make to the nations economy. One third of Australias population lives outside of the cities. Regional Australia is responsible for around 67 per cent of our exports, and 45 per cent of domestic tourism. I suspect if you carried out a poll today in our metropolitan cities people would believe all of regional Australia is in drought - but it isnt. Its a classic example of Australian city-dwellers only ever hearing bad news about the regions, because disaster is all that cuts through on the six oclock news. Every day when city people wake up, they should thank regional Australia for delivering their way of life. Credit:Louise Kennerley It's the economic success stories of regional Australia that are often overlooked. While many parts of Australia are battling through drought, in many regional areas communities are thriving. I raise this point not to diminish the gravity of drought, but to highlight that our city-dwellers sometimes fail to see the whole picture. An accused north Queensland molester has been recaptured after breaking free from police and running into nearby bushland at the weekend. The man, 25, arrested for serious sexual assault offences and taken to Ravenshoe police station, was being transferred to a vehicle bound for Mareeba watchhouse on Saturday when he escaped, police said. The man will face Cairns Magistrates Court on Wednesday after his charge list was extended following the escape. Credit:Google Maps He was still handcuffed when he ran from officers. Officers chased him, set up cordons and called in the dog squad, but their search was hampered by heavy rain and the fugitive got away. Police are on the hunt for a man who carjacked a woman with a knife in Sydney's south overnight. The 52-year-old woman had parked her Toyota Yaris on Railway Parade in Kogarah about 10.25pm when a man approached her with the weapon and demanded she leave the car. Police were called to the scene and patrolled the area in an attempt to find the man to no avail. He has been described as approximately 30 years old, 175cm tall, of medium build with a short dark beard and tanned skin. The man left the scene heading north on Railway Parade with the black 2018 Yaris, with registration YIY53C. The state government is running behind its own timeline on its much-vaunted new rail line between Parramatta and central Sydney, having failed to release the final business case amid concerns the cost might balloon above $20 billion. Transport authorities had expected the final business case for the line to be completed by the end of 2018. Sydney Metro West. Credit:NSW Government The line is to run from Westmead through Parramatta and Olympic Park to the Bays Precinct at Rozelle and the central business district. The business case was to include confirmation of the number and location of stops. But the government has not released the business case and, according to industry and Transport sources, the estimated cost of the line may have jumped to as high as $25 billion after land acquisition around station sites was factored in. Field Day festivalgoers have slammed heavy-handed policing and a state government that they say is out of touch with young people. Police announced they would target anti-social and criminal behaviour at the annual New Year's Day music festival event Field Day, at which 167 people were charged with drug possession and supply offences in 2018. Police outside Field Day attempt to make a man open his mouth. Credit:The Sydney Morning Herald The possession or supply of prohibited drugs is a serious criminal offence. Those thinking of bringing substances into the event are reminded there will be uniformed and plain-clothed police patrolling the festival, which will include the use of drug-detection dogs, said Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell in a statement released on Monday, two days after 22-year-old Joshua Tam died of a suspected overdose at the Lost Paradise music festival at Gosford on Saturday night. Mr Tam was the fourth person to die of a suspected overdose at a NSW music festival since September last year. In Victoria, a 20-year-old man died on Tuesday from a suspected drug overdose after attending a music festival south-east of Melbourne. The state government has shelved the purchase of new ferries for Parramatta route after failing to receive suitable offers from shipbuilders. The decision comes as the government is urged to do more to avoid ferries leaving passengers behind at Parramatta River wharves over the busy summer months because they are full. Parramatta River ferries have been reaching capacity from as early as 10.30am in recent days due to the fine weather enticing more people onto the water. A population boom along the banks of the Parramatta River is adding to demand for ferry services. Credit:Nick Moir Government documents obtained by the Herald show the replacement of Sydney's ferries is one of scores of "major funding pressures" facing the state's transport agencies. A large police presence with dozens of undercover officers and sniffer dogs and warnings about the consequences of anti-social behaviour has failed to deter the thousands of revellers who descended on Field Day on New Year's Day. The annual event in Sydney's Domain had been in the polices cross-hairs since the death of Joshua Tam, 22, on Saturday night - the fourth young person to die in 2018 of a suspected overdose at a music festival. Police sniffer dogs are on the case at the Field Day music festival in The Domain. Credit:Wayne Taylor On Tuesday, revellers turned out for the festival in their thousands, with the warnings about staying away from drugs seemingly falling on deaf ears. The Herald witnessed dozens of searches after positive indications from sniffer dogs. Many of the festivalgoers selected for drug testing were then allowed to enter the festival. A 15-year-old girl missing from Perth since Monday has been located safe and well after a police appeal to find the girl who was believed to be missing in Sydney. According to police, the family including missing teen Angelina Chakovski presented themselves to Mascot Police Station about 7:20pm on Tuesday. Police said the girl stayed somewhere safe overnight, and that she and the family were "okay and happy". Missing 15-year-old Angelina Chakovski. Credit:NSW Police Police reached out for public assistance on Monday to find the girl after she was believed to be missing in Sydney. Severe delays to trains across Sydney's rail network on New Year's Eve following a thunderstorm has again underscored a lack of resilience in the system, as new figures show a deterioration in on-time running of services over the past four months. Thousands of revellers experienced delays of several hours to their journeys home from New Year's Eve celebrations after the storm caused major disruptions to train services. Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins. Credit:Jessica Hromas The flow-on effects cascaded across multiple lines, resulting in severe levels of overcrowding at train stations such as Central, Town Hall and Wynyard as people returned home after watching fireworks on Sydney Harbour or attending other festivities. The severe disruptions were blamed on lightning hitting overhead electrical wiring or signalling at eight locations on the rail network early on Monday evening, including at Gordon, Flemington and in the southern parts of the CBD. The riches of the sea Mr Sidney F. Harmer, of the British Museum, on the whaling industry: [It] had survived from the time of Alfred the Great, but if the killing of whales continued at the present rate he believed there would soon be no more whales left. He was afraid that efforts to preserve these unique animals would meet with little sympathy from the directors of whaling companies, who took a very optimistic view. A senseless prank Residents of Rose Bay, Vaucluse and Watsons Bay are wroth at a senseless prank played by a gang of larrikins who, on New Years Eve, visited a number of private and business residences where horses are kept, reported our correspondent. Each horse had 1923 daubed in tar on its ribs. Some of the owners who wished to use their animals yesterday had difficulty in making them presentable. From the Herald kitchens Amy Peden, research director of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia, said she expected to see the number of drownings rise in summer as more people cool off in rivers, pools and at the beach. "What has been shocking, though, is the number of multiple fatalities involving families. Any drowning is a horrible thing for any family to endure, but in many cases this summer, members of a family have witnessed the drowning of someone who had gone to the rescue of another," she said. "It is totally devastating and very hard for a family to recover from it," said Ms Peden. Another tragic record has also been broken. Each year about five to six people drown while trying to rescue others. The early data from December shows that in one month alone around five to six perhaps even more of those who died were Good Samaritans trying to save others. Many were poor swimmers or couldn't swim, and many were unfamiliar with the conditions, according to preliminary information compiled by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia (RLSSA). Of the 5594 people who drowned in Australia between July 1, 1992 to June 30, 2010, 103 people drowned while attempting to rescue another, a study that reviewed each drowning death found. "This syndrome presents a unique problem because of the paradox of lauding altruism on one hand yet deploring its fatal outcome on the other," wrote Professor John Pearn, the national medical advisor to the Royal Life Saving Society Australia, and fellow drowning expert Dr Richard Franklin from James Cook University in the study published in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education in 2012. Loading The syndrome of the "rescuer-who-drowns" comprised a neglected and under-identified set of victims where preventive approaches are difficult, they wrote in The Impulse to Rescue. Parents comprised 40 per cent of those who died while trying to save a child. Sometimes they faced the "unthinkably terrible choice" where several children were in trouble, and they had to choose which child to save. The paper found nearly 90 per cent of those who died trying to save others were male, and half the victims were international or interstate and unfamiliar with the water hazard. In a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Williamson family, Ms Williamson was remembered as a "really beautiful person, and a devoted mum". Started by a family friend Karen Sampson whose son Cooper helped the Williamson children to shore, it raised $4100 towards its goal of $5000 in one day. Loading "Rip to Josie [you are] a hero for trying to save your children and they were smart to run to [their] dad to try to save you. My heartfelt condolences to your husband and your children," wrote a friend Sandra. The basic principle of water safety is to teach rescue techniques that don't place the rescuer at risk, wrote Franklin and Pearn. Basic line-throwing skills could help, they said. Only 20 per cent of untrained adults could throw a line within two metres of someone in the water on the first attempt. "In the heat of the moment, 20 per cent do not secure the end of the flung rope." Trained children, though, could accurately throw a rope 10 metres and pull a victim to safety in 23 seconds. Given that altruistic rescuers would always impulsively attempt to save drowning victims, the only solution was to acknowledge their heroism and better train the public in rescue skills. "We believe that such heroism can thus be bought at less than fatal risk by equipping them with the skills to better achieve the purpose of their altruistic acts," they concluded in the 2012 paper. The Royal Life Saving Society encourages the public to learn CPR and water safety skills. "Before entering the water, assess the situation is there something on hand which you could use to reach the person, such as a rope, stick, or towel? Is there something you could throw to the person?" In theory, the RLSSA encouraged people to not exceed their skill level, and try to find someone else instead of attempting to save someone else if they didn't have the swimming or rescue skills, said Ms Peden. Some filmmakers can get surly or defensive when discussing their work on social media. James Wan simply asks for your decency. Wan, the Aussie director of Aquaman, is in the midst of a successful run with the latest DCEU release that opened this month to middling reviews but a monstrous box office. The undersea adventure, shot on the Gold Coast and starring Jason Momoa in the title role, just won the US box office weekend again in its second week of release with a $US51.6 million take, according to Sunday estimates - and has grossed more than $US750 million worldwide. But although Aquaman could soon become the DC universe's highest-grossing movie yet, some fans apparently still feel the need to go after any detractors. Former Hollywood star Kevin Spacey will plead not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery. The Oscar-winning actor is due to appear in a Massachusetts court later this month over accusations he groped an 18-year-old man in 2016. The 59-year-old, who played Frank Underwood in Netflix's hit TV series House of Cards, had requested not to appear at his January 7 arraignment. Spacey's lawyer told the Nantucket District Court his client's presence would "amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case". Attorney Juliane Balliro had argued that Spacey's presence at his arraignment would only "heighten prejudicial media interest in the case" and increase the risk of contaminating the jury pool. But Judge Thomas Barrett dismissed the request. A few days before Christmas, the container ship "SM Shanghai" was steaming toward California's Port of Long Beach. Just ahead and coming to the end of an 11-day journey from China, the "Ever Lucent" was headed for the nearby Port of Los Angeles, where the "Thomas Jefferson" was preparing to sail in the opposite direction for Xiamen. The US-China trade stoush has seemingly done more to reduce American exports to China than to lower imports from the Asian nation. Credit:AP The global economy, in other words, was chugging along nicely on one of the world's busiest sea lanes. Trade wars be damned. In fact, President Donald Trump's assault on globalisation has had a paradoxical effect on world trade flows. A rush to get ahead of new and higher tariffs, particularly on US imports from China, has motivated retailers and other American companies to increase orders, which has helped boost volumes at the country's ports. "The warehouse and distribution centers are full in southern California," said Phillip Sanfield, a Port of Los Angeles spokesman. "We're experiencing some logistical issues at the San Pedro ports just because there's so much cargo in play here." Department store Kmart has pulled a popular Christmas gift from sale after several customers reported that components on the remote-controlled motorbike could overheat and even catch on fire. But the ATV Madness 2.4Ghz toy has not been fully recalled, with Kmart saying its quality assurance team was investigating the problem. Kmart has received several reports of it ATV Madness remote control quad bike overheating. Samantha Solly said her family had a close call after her four-year-old son received the toy as a Christmas gift from his grandmother. She said the toy had been charging in the kitchen of her Adelaide home on Boxing Day for about two hours when her sister smelt something burning. 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! STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Although appointed by President Ronald Reagan, recently retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was a judicial moderate who straddled the center of a court deeply divided along ideological lines. He cast the deciding vote in many cases with major political implications, such as those involving gay rights, affirmative action, abortion, religious freedom and capital punishment. When Kennedys seat was filled by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in October, a Politico news story reflected the widespread media belief that it would cement a conservative majority on the nations highest court for decades to come. That, however, is almost certainly not the case as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. seems poised to assume Kennedys role as the courts unpredictable swing vote. Conservatives have been wary of Roberts since 2012 when he cast the deciding vote to save the Affordable Care Act. His assertion that its individual mandate was a valid exercise of congressional taxing power seemed strained, its weakness implicitly acknowledged in the Obama administrations brief which relegated it to a fallback argument. Speculation abounds that Roberts actually changed his vote in the months following oral argument out of concern that the court -- his court, as Chief Justice -- would otherwise become the target of Democratic fury during the years presidential campaign. Beyond this vote, Roberts has been drifting leftward generally. According to the "Martin-Quinn" measures of judicial ideology developed by Professors Andrew D. Martin and Kevin M. Quinn of the University of Michigan, he's clearly the most moderate of the court's five Republican-appointed justices. Two recent votes by Roberts are further evidence that he's turning into another Anthony Kennedy. ASYLUM RULING On Dec. 21, Roberts, joining the courts four liberal justices, cast the deciding vote as the court denied an emergency application by the Trump administration to enforce, pending appeal, its policy of denying asylum to migrants who enter the United States illegally from Mexico. U.S. District Court Judge Jon S. Tigar had issued a nationwide restraining order two days earlier temporarily barring implementation of the policy. Trump denounced that ruling as the product of an Obama judge. In an extraordinary move, Roberts fired back at the president, declaring, We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. While that would certainly be the ideal, it's just as certainly open to debate. For if it were really that simple and absolute, there would be no discernible liberal or conservative wings on the Supreme Court. In any event, Trump's statement was political in nature and well within his right to make. By disregarding the restraint traditionally observed by members of the judiciary and challenging Trump publicly, Roberts invited speculation about his motives in voting to deny the administration's asylum application. On Dec. 10, the Supreme Court declined to hear appeals in two cases that raised the issue of whether Medicaid recipients have a private right of action to challenge a states determination of qualified Medicaid providers. Roberts joined the liberal justices here, too, in voting against granting review. PLANNED PARENTHOOD The legal actions received substantial media coverage because they were initiated by Planned Parenthood and had major implications for the funding it receives. But the appeals were important to the individual states, too, since they could face the threat of a federal lawsuit, with all the attendant costs and fees, for simply changing providers of medical products or services for their Medicaid recipients. Although the standards for Supreme Court review are exacting, these two cases clearly met them all. For example, there is a split among the Circuit Courts of Appeals on the issue, with five Circuits finding that Medicaid recipients have such a right, and one ruling that they do not. Without a final resolution of the matter, the estimated 70 million Medicaid recipients in different states will continue being treated disparately under the same federal statute based solely on where they live. Planned Parenthood had urged the court to deny review, which, of course, is the precise result that Roberts and the four liberal justices engineered. Justice Clarence Thomas penned a strong dissent, accusing the majority of ducking the cases just because Americas foremost abortion business was a key player in them. But these cases are not about abortion rights, he pointed out. They are about private rights of action under the Medicaid Act. And, in any event, some tenuous connection to a politically fraught issue does not justify abdicating our judicial duty. The handwriting is on the wall. Roberts is the new Kennedy. The conservative Supreme Court is a myth. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- We have a winner! A Brooklyn couple welcomed the citys first baby of 2019 at Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, just seconds after the stroke of midnight. Nexhmije Mia Balanca and husband, Rinush, are ringing in the new year Tuesday with their brand-new baby boy, Dion Karpuzi, who was born 7 pounds, 7 ounces. (We) wish nothing but health and happiness for our handsome prince..." said Balanca. All the best in the New Year; hes Gods gift from heaven." First born in West Brighton Amy Isola, of New Dorp, gave birth to the first baby of 2019 at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton. Nearly 12 hours after the citys first arrival, a Staten Island mom welcomed her own New Years baby at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton. Amy Isola, of New Dorp, gave birth just before 11 a.m. to Riley Jean Isola, weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. Riley Jean is my New Years miracle after years of trying unsuccessfully, said Isola. She came early and brought us such happiness and joy. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two city firefighters (FDNY) suffered minor injuries while battling a blaze that ignited in a vacant Tompkinsville home in the early morning hours of 2019, said an FDNY spokesman. FDNY was alerted to the fire, at 79 Monroe Ave., at 6:07 a.m. Tuesday, said an FDNY spokesman. Firefighters were on scene by 6:08 a.m. where a heavy fire had spread throughout a two-story home, said the spokesman. The raging blaze called for a second alarm to be transmitted to firefighters, resulting in additional units to fight the fire. Firefighters had the blaze placed under control by 8:18 a.m., the spokesman said. As of Tuesday morning, firefighters, the American Red Cross, and city Department of Building inspectors remained on scene. Earlier in the evening, firefighters also fought a smaller dryer vent fire in a home at 160 Wirt Ave. in Rossville just after midnight, and it was put under control by 1:05 a.m., said the FDNY spokesman. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Investigators now believe the Westerleigh man missing since Dec. 20 may have been the victim of a homicide, according to a law enforcement source. The source would not confirm that cops are investigating the death of Michael Stewart, 40, as a homicide, but said that it is heading that way. Some of Stewarts family members also believe they have lost a loved one. His aunt, who asked to only be identified as Roxanne B., believes he is dead. I dont want to believe it, but I have to, she said, adding that they havent stopped searching for answers. Stewart was last seen making stops at a Port Richmond bar and two barbershops within walking distance, according to police and Stewarts family members. More than a week later, on Saturday, a four-hour police standoff at 86 N. Mada Ave. resulted in two individuals being taken into custody. According to a Daily News report, sources said Stewart went to that residence with a man and his girlfriend on the night of his disappearance. Sources told the Advance that detectives are examining Saturdays incident as part of the missing persons case. The two people taken into custody have not been charged, police said. Roxanne B. hopes those people can provide answers about what happened to her nephew, whom she described as a great father of a 4-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. He gave them anything they wanted,'' she said. He adored them. Roxanne said she last saw Stewart at a church Christmas party about a week before his disappearance, and that he was planning on joining the church after the holidays. Multiple police vehicles were stationed outside the North Mada Avenue residence Monday afternoon. Police also have expanded their search into Perth Amboy, N.J., sources told the Advance. Stewart, a union carpenter and construction worker who is the father of two small children, was seen at ONeills Irish Pub at 1614 Forest Ave. at about 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20. Surveillance footage inside Back 2 Life barbershop, near the intersection of Forest and Richmond avenues, shows Stewart interacting with another customer at around 7 p.m. that same night. A man working at the time said Stewart and an acquaintance exchanged words with another customer who entered the shop, but he didnt think it was serious. Stewarts family has set up a GoFundMe page to try to raise funds to pay for a private investigator. Were doing whatever it takes, said lifelong-friend Jaclyn Tantao. Anything that will help get Michael back, we will do." Stewart is described as being about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, light skin, a medium build and a shamrock tattoo on his neck. He was last seen wearing an olive green jacket with a bright green shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers and a black beanie hat. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can be submitted online at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES), then entering TIP577. CITY HALL -- The Coast Guards work patrolling the waters around the Staten Island Ferry will not be affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown. Coast Guard patrol teams can often be seen following ferryboats traveling to and from St. George to lower Manhattan. The Coast Guard said that because those patrols fall under national security, those details will continue even when the government is shut down. These patrols and our presence on the water is authorized by law that provide for national security, said Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy. Another thing that would happen even though we are in a partial government shutdown, is anything that may happen on the water in order to protect life and property. Last week, the Coast Guard announced that despite the partial shutdown, members would be paid through Dec. 31. It was previously unclear whether the 42,000 active duty Coast Guard members and thousands of other civilian employees would be paid during the partial shutdown. Unlike other branches of the military, the Coast Guard is not part of the Department of Defense, which operates under a budget that was approved into next year, according to the Washington Post. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore, affected by the partial shutdown. Coast Guard Spokesman Chad Saylor said that unless Congress passes a continuing resolution or appropriations bill, the Coast Guards next pay period is still up in the air. The Coast Guard Sector New York branch is one of the largest and busiest in the country, Conroy said. Within the New York region, the Coast Guard operates three boat stations: Station New York, which operates on Staten Island; Station Sandy Hook in New Jersey; and Station Kings Point on Long Island. The only activities the Coast Guard stops during a government shutdown are those that do not fall under national security or protect life and property," Conroy added. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. I was at a really noisy fundraiser the other night and I bumped into a fellow actor. We would be considered a type: around the same age, bearded and shall I say thinning up top. We both have been around awhile and we both agreed: Its harder to get cast in something when youre of a certain age. We were both grateful that Sue Fenley at Sundog asked us to participate in this years radio program. He had directed one episode and I did foley. Which brought me around to the subject of directing. As I told him, Its the one job in theater where youre never too old or too ugly. Nobody cares what you look like or if you sound like Mickey Mouse when you speak, if youre mobile or bound to a chair, rotund or slim. Nothing matters but the work and what you can bring to it. About 10 years ago, female actors decried the fact that there were no good parts for women of a certain age. Obviously, they changed that. Actors such as Jane Fonda pioneered the movement to get women of a certain age to write, direct and star in their stories. If you look at the television landscape, several shows feature older female actors: Grace & Frankie, Mom with the superb Allison Janney, Call The Midwife and Downton Abbey, and the movies have started to turn in the direction of womens stories, possibly as a result of the #metoo movement, with A Star Is Born and VoxLux. As a result, older male actors have also benefitted, with Tony Danza doing a terrific job as Tony Sr. on The Good Cop and both Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin emotionally gripping as two older friends in The Kominsky Method. And lets not forget Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson as the former mates of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the aforementioned Grace & Frankie. Its nice that its finally happening for elder actors of both genders. Its encouraging when young and handsome or beautiful is no longer a calling card. I want to know when age gets the respect it gets in other parts of the world and we all stop practically killing ourselves in our efforts to appear younger, slimmer, healthier and hip. The advantages of age (senior Metro cards, senior discounts at the movies, clothing stores and book stores) are few, but I, for one, am grateful, even if its only because some folks didnt think wed be around long enough to enjoy them. Baby boomers are starting to grow moss. Except for Mick Jagger. Hes never gonna slow down! I earned every single grey hair on my quickly balding dome, every wrinkle in my face, every varicose vein on my legs, every line in my hands. My body tells a story of wear and tear put forward in what I have thought of as worthy causes. When will that be honored? In directing, one can use every single life experience one has ever had to bring out the various qualities of each character. You kind of get to play each role in a way. I actually had the pleasure of sitting in for almost the entire cast during my latest directorial project and it was a gas. I learned a lot about the characters, especially the female characters in the play, just by saying their lines and blocking their moves. My cast was extraordinarily patient and kind with me and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did and had the same sort of emotional connection to the piece. We grew close, as anybody who has ever done theater does, a closeness that slowly evaporates after the shows run, but never disappears altogether. These are people you know you can trust, wholl have your back when you forget a line, misplace an object, enter or leave too early or just plain forget what the hell youre doing and why youre doing it. My thoughts turn to the one part that has, so far, escaped me. I have long wanted to be part of a production of Inherit The Wind, the classic theater piece by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Until recently, I could not decide whether I would want to play Drummond or Brady. A single line in the play made my mind up for me. I figured if I could deliver that line the right way, it could touch an audiences heart, all my work would be worth it. And thats what art doestouch you, change you, make you feel an emotion unexpectedly. Im almost too old at this point to do the part. But, the operative word here is almost. If youve ever thought about doing theater, or joining a band or a vocal group, taking music or acting lessons, going back to school or taking a long trip to see somebody you havent seen in awhile, my question to you is this: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? Nothing lasts forever. Or to put it in the words of a master: If it be now, tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will comethe readiness is all. Thats Shakespeare, ya know! Hamlet, to be precise. Hold those grey heads up! While heading to the mountains, don't be tempted to make snow angels in the flurries alongside the Sierra roadways, Caltrans highway officials warned. Snow play is not permitted in State Roadside Rest Areas or beside highways, onramps and offramps, Caltrans wrote in a statement Monday. People parking in these areas can create traffic, hazardous driving conditions and hamper big rigs from using rest areas for federally mandated stops, the statement explained. Pulling off onto the shoulder can also prevent snow plows from clearing the roads. ALSO: Northern California weather phenomenon delivers crystal views Caltrans said they are working with the California Highway Patrol to prevent snow play in non-designated areas. Illegally parked vehicles may be cited or towed. A list of legal snow play areas can be found on the California State Parks website here. Officers Pete Mann and Marc Peachey out of the Truckee office for the California Highway Patrol, and other CHP officers in Northern California, provided a list of dos and don'ts for driving in the snow. You can read them here. 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. A $19 million vacation home? Only a rarefied few can swing that type of transaction. And only a precious few locations are worth it. But billionaire Mark Cuban's recent purchase of a seaside mansion in Laguna Beach, CA, ticks all the boxes. While he's based in the Dallas area, Cuban is frequently on the West Coast shooting episodes of "Shark Tank." It's likely he and his family will get some serious use out of the six-bedroom, 10-bath, contemporary stunner in the elite Montage Residences. Ever the deal-maker, the Dallas Mavericks owner scored the estate for well under its asking price. Located in one of Orange County's most prestigious enclaves, the mansion initially went on the market in January 2018 for $26 million. "The Montage Residences are perfect for the discriminating buyer. All owners have access to multiple amenities from the adjacent Montage Laguna Beach," says listing agent John Stanaland of Villa Real estate. Amenities include housekeeping, access to a posh spa, room service from the hotel's restaurants, and concierge services. There's also engineering support in the unlikely event that anything goes wrong in the house. Homeowners also have access to the Montage's Mosaic Pool, just in case they want to mingle with other folks instead of using their own private pool. "The home has an impressive wine cellar, media room, and a gym," says Stanaland. "There's also a beautiful indoor-outdoor space for enjoying the best of Southern California living with breathtaking ocean views." Cuban founded Broadcast.com, which made him a billionaire when it was acquired in 1999 by Yahoo! for $5.7 billion. Now 60, he's diversified his holdings, investing in companies such as Landmark Theaters and Magnolia Pictures, in addition to the Dallas Mavericks. He's also busy funding new ventures he learns about on the popular entrepreneurial reality show "Shark Tank." The post Mark Cuban Makes a Move and Scores Laguna Beach Beauty for $19M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. (CNN) Kenya is the latest country where China is frantically defusing a public relations storm over President Xi Jinping's signature Belt and Road megaproject. In a statement Friday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed as "not true" numerous reports that a key port in Mombasa was at risk of being seized by Beijing over unpaid debts. Speaking to journalists last week, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also pushed back, dismissing as "pure propaganda" reports based on a leaked letter from the country's Auditor General warning that assets belonging to the Kenya Port Authority -- including Mombasa's massive Kilindini Harbor, the largest port in East Africa -- were listed as collateral for a multi-billion-dollar loanto fund a railway project. "The Chinese government themselves say this (it) is nonsense," Kenyatta said, while the AG's office denied publishing any such letter, copies of which circulated widely online. Despite Beijing and Nairobi's vehement denials, concerns over the loans speak to a growing fear in many developing countries that their governments, in rushing to cash in on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), have left themselves overextended, with Chinese state-owned companies ready to snap up ports, railways and other key infrastructure across the globe should debtors default. Five years into the BRI, the sheen is also coming off the project in Beijing, amid an ongoing -- though temporarily paused -- trade war with the U.S., and concerns over future funding and returns on an increasingly unwieldy list of overseas investments. Debt fears For critics of the BRI, Sri Lanka's Hambantota port is the perfect example of the risks developing countries are taking on with their Chinese loans. In December 2017, Beijing acquired a 99-year lease to the port -- located in a key strategic position on the Indian Ocean -- in return for forgiving some of the billions of dollars the South Asian country owed China. The move sparked fears China would use similar defaults in other countries to acquire a host of new infrastructure, with both potential economic and military benefits -- leapfrogging rivals in the region such as India and the US. In mid-2018, the Zambian government had to deny reports it was preparing to hand over control of multiple public assets, including the state broadcaster and Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, to China. Kenya's own issues date to 2014, when Nairobi signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation to fund a new rail link between the Kenyan capital and Mombasa, on the Indian Ocean. The train line, known in Kenya as the standard gauge railway (SGR) project, was completed in 2017, slashing the transport time between the country's two largest cities. It is now in its second phase, with the Kenyan government reportedly borrowing a further $1.6 billion from China to fund a line from Nairobi to Naivasha. But while the SGR has been a boon to residents of Nairobi and Mombasa, it has yet to generate half the revenues anticipated in feasibility studies, according to The East African newspaper -- raising fears over the country's ability to repay the loan. It has also been criticized for being vastly overpriced, reportedly costing about three times the international standard. Repayments are due to start in mid-2019, when a five-year grace period expires. On Friday, Kenyatta insisted that "we are ahead of our payment schedule." "We are not tied to any country," he added. 'Land grab' In the first half of 2018, Chinese companies provided overseas loans of about $50 billion, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), adding to the more than $8 trillion of investment previously announced. However, that figure was down on the same period the year before as concerns grew over the BRI both overseas and back in China. "(Late 2018) saw a number of high-profile projects suspended (including in Malaysia) or scaled back (including in Myanmar) amid growing concerns over debt sustainability and transparency," the EIU report said. Many countries that were initially willing to take Beijing's money have expressed concern over what could happen should they default on debt payments, particularly after the Sri Lanka deal. Part of the problem stems from Beijing's "ad hoc approach" to settling debt issues, according to a report by the Center for Global Development (CDG), which pointed to a lack of consistency in dealing with defaulting nations. In the past, China has been willing to write off or restructure debts and extend further lines of credit, while at other times it has demanded assets to service the loans. "Without a guiding multilateral or other framework to define China's approach to debt sustainability problems, we only have anecdotal evidence of ad hoc actions taken by China as the basis for characterizing the country's policy approach," the CDG report said. This creates significant uncertainty, and forces governments borrowing from China to rely on maintaining strong bilateral ties above all else to ensure future lending policies. African leaders heaped praise on President Xi after the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in September, with Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi telling state media"we admire and hold you in very high regard! Keep the innovation, friendliness and international outlook as bright as the Chinese spirit!" "Your friends in Botswana wish the very best for a successful One China!" he added, an apparent reference to Beijing's policy regarding Taiwan, a key element in its approach to Africa, where numerous countries have dropped diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in recent years. Elsewhere, however, concerns and uncertainty over the BRI have sparked a backlash against China -- particularly in the Maldives and Malaysia, where opposition parties critical of Beijing have recently taken power. In January 2018, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed accused Beijing of staging a "land grab" in his country. After his Maldivian Democratic Party took power this November, it pledged to end "China's colonialism" and renegotiate loans agreed by former strongman Abdulla Yameen with Beijing. In August, recently elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad shelved two Chinese-funded projects over fears they could "bankrupt" the country. China has vigorously pushed back against such criticism, saying it is subjected to a double standard. "It is unreasonable that money coming out of Western countries is praised as good and sweet, while coming out of China it's sinister and a trap," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in September. Fork in the road While the loudest criticism of the Belt and Road Initiative has come from overseas, there are also growing doubts over the project within China. Since the BRI was launched, critics have warned the scheme could leave China overextended, with billions of dollars wasted on projects that never pay off. While Beijing may acquire control of certain projects in return for forgiving debts, any strategic wins could be outweighed by a host of white elephant investments that offer little benefit to China. A recent survey conducting by Peking University and the Beijing-based Taihe Insitute found that nearly half of 100 countries evaluated were not a good fit for BRI projects due to weaknesses in financing and infrastructure, adding that the government should "assess and prevent the risks" before pushing ahead with them. The BRI is also facing pressure from Washington -- despite the temporarily paused trade war -- and other rival nations keen to restrain China from supplanting their influence over developing countries, as well as a potential funding shortfall for future projects. While boosters for the BRI remain plentiful, and the project is not on the verge of failing any time soon, there are signs that a shift is underway. The number of contracts signed in 2018 was down on previous years, and country's big development banks have reportedly been told to partner with the World Bank and other international lenders on future projects. The Belt and Road Initiative was supposed to be Xi's signature project, one that would drive China back to its traditional position of power and dominance both in Asia and wider afield. But as the country enters 2019, the plan is looking shakier than in ever -- and appears in need of a rethink. Failure to do so, according to Bloomberg analyst Nisid Hajari, risks that "this plan to project Chinese power, influence and trade across much of the world could undermine all three." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Are the wheels coming off China's Belt and Road megaproject?" iStock/Coscarella Gianfranco(MELBOURNE, Fla.) -- A child was injured after falling into a rhino exhibit Tuesday at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida. The toddler, who is approximately 2 years old, and the mother were taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children and Orlando Regional Medical Center, Brevard County Fire Rescue said. The child fell during the "Rhino Encounter," a "hands-on, educational experience with Brevard Zoos white rhinoceroses," Brevard Zoo said in an emailed statement to ABC News, adding that the program has been operating since 2009 without incident. "During the encounter, participants and the rhinoceroses are separated by a series of steel poles," it added. "According to witnesses, the child stumbled and fell in between two of the poles and at this point, the snout of at least one of rhinoceroses made contact with the child." The "Rhino Encounter" is a zookeeper-led program for ages 3 and older, according to the zoo website. The condition of the child is unknown at this time, the zoo said. The mother had non-critical injuries to her arm, fire rescue said. Our number one concern is the safety and welfare of our guests and our hearts go out to the family, Keith Winsten, the Zoos executive director said. The Rhino Encounter program has been suspended while the zoo evaluates its safety. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. BART officials said a body was discovered under a train at the Castro Valley station this evening. As of 7:17 p.m. a body was found after reports went back and forth over whether someone was on the tracks. Police and firefighters searched the tracks and did not find anyone but later discovered the person under a train. Trains are not stopping at the Castro Valley station but delays on the system should be minimal, according to BART officials. Riders can get between the Castro Valley and Bay Fair stations on Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District bus No. 93. 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. Fire officials said a fire that was burning a combination residential-commercial building this afternoon in San Francisco has been contained. The one-alarm fire was reported at 4:03 p.m. in the 6900 block of Geary Boulevard. Firefighters contained the fire to a second floor deck. No one was injured and no one was displaced. Fire officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The Bay Area's first baby of 2019 is apparently a girl born at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield. The healthy girl was born at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday to Elesha Matte and Kamehameha Quitugua of Fairfield, according to Lanette Matte, Elesha's sister, also a Fairfield resident. "This is (Elesha's) 10th child, but this pregnancy was a little harder," said Lanette, noting that Elesha's labor was induced starting about 11 a.m. Monday. "This little girl was saying she wanted to come out on her time. I guess she really wanted to be a New Year's Baby." As for mom, "She's doing good, she's happy," Lanette said. There was a relative dearth of babies born early on Jan. 1, 2019. A phone survey of more than 35 Bay Area hospitals turned up, before 1:30 a.m., only the NorthBay Medical Center birth and another at 12:51 a.m. at Natividad Medical Center in Monterey. Representatives of a few hospitals either declined comment or couldn't be reached early Tuesday morning. "We haven't had any babies at our hospitals" as of 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, "and I don't remember this happening before on New Year's," said Dean Fryer, communications manager with Sutter Health, which operates several Bay Area hospitals, including Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley. Kaiser Permanente spokesman Karl Sonkin echoed that. As of 2 a.m. Tuesday, no Kaiser hospitals in the Bay Area had recorded a birth. "This is very unusual, indeed," Sonkin said. BART officials said a body was discovered Monday night under a train at the Castro Valley station. BART officials reported at 7:17 p.m. that a body was found after earlier conflicting reports over whether someone was on the tracks. Police and firefighters searched the tracks and did not find anyone but later discovered the person under a train. A pedestrian died after a vehicle hit him on northbound state Highway 1 in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, officials with the California Highway Patrol said. The collision was reported at 5:46 p.m. Monday just east of 41st Avenue and just north of the Capitola city limits. A man died at a hospital after he was pulled from Richardson Bay near Sausalito Monday afternoon, fire officials said. Firefighters from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District were called at 2:18 p.m. to a dock at Schoonmaker Point Marina at 85 Liberty Ship Way. Two people were reported to be in the water, Battalion Chief Matt Barnes said. They were in a small vessel that resembled a rowboat, Barnes said, and firefighters don't know yet whether the pair fell in the water or the boat overturned. Firefighters arrived in five and a half minutes and found that a man and a woman in their early to mid 40s were in distress. Barnes said that one was submerged while the other person was on the surface. Both were taken from the water and taken to a hospital. A PG&E equipment failure may be behind a power outage that affected about 870 customers in Vallejo, a company spokeswoman said. The power went out at about 6:50 p.m. Monday and PG&E officials didn't know yet Monday night when power would be restored. A separate power outage Monday night was affecting 3,425 PG&E customers in Vallejo. The power went out at about 5 p.m. Crews had restored power to hundreds of customers by about 8 p.m. Fire officials said a fire that was burning a combination residential-commercial building in San Francisco has been contained. The one-alarm fire was reported at 4:03 p.m. Monday in the 6900 block of Geary Boulevard. Firefighters contained the fire to a second floor deck. No one was injured and no one was displaced. Fire officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation. A Nebraska man facing a medical emergency was rescued from a rocky beach on the Sonoma County coast by a helicopter crew with the California Highway Patrol, CHP officials said. Bodega Bay firefighters called at about 3 p.m. Monday requesting a CHP helicopter to help with a rescue at Schoolhouse Beach in unincorporated Sonoma County. The patient, who was in his 60s and visiting from Nebraska, suffered a medical emergency at the bottom of a cliff about 50 feet high, according to CHP officials. Because of the seriousness of the man's condition and his location, the helicopter was called to hoist the man off the beach so he could be taken to a hospital. The helicopter crew lowered a basket and firefighters placed the man inside and he was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. A body was found Monday afternoon at the Altamont Landfill north of Interstate Highway 580 east of Livermore, and it is considered a suspicious death, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said on social media Monday night. Sheriff's deputies responded to the landfill, at 10480 Altamont Pass Road, about 2:15 p.m. Monday, after workers at the landfill found the body in one of the mounds of dumped garbage. "The body was likely discarded in another city and transferred to this location," according to a sheriff's department Twitter post. Foul play is suspected. No information on the identity or gender of the body, or how the person died, was available Monday night. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A Nebraska man facing a medical emergency today was rescued from a rocky beach on the Sonoma County coast by a helicopter crew with the California Highway Patrol, CHP officials said. Bodega Bay firefighters called at about 3 p.m. requesting a CHP helicopter to help with a rescue at Schoolhouse Beach in unincorporated Sonoma County. The patient, who was in his 60s and visiting from Nebraska, suffered a medical emergency at the bottom of a cliff about 50 feet high, according to CHP officials. Because of the seriousness of the man's condition and his location, the helicopter was called to hoist the man off the beach so he could be taken to a hospital. The helicopter crew lowered a basket and firefighters placed the man inside and he was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. CHP officials did not say this evening how the man is doing. 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 vigil will be held Tuesday to remember Oscar Grant III, who was fatally shot 10 years ago by a BART police officer. The event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at the Fruitvale BART station, where the 22-year-old Hayward man was shot on New Year's Day in 2009. Speakers, poets, artists, community leaders, activists, lawyers and educators at the vigil will join family and friends. The Oscar Grant Foundation, led by Grant's mother Wanda Johnson, is hosting the event. Former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle said he meant to use his Taser stun gun instead of the service revolver he used to shoot Grant on the platform of the Fruitvale station shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2009. Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison. He was released from custody in 2011. San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management is encouraging residents and visitors to sign up for text alerts to stay informed in case of an emergency on New Year's Eve. People can text the phrase NYESF to 888-777 to receive emergency text message alerts related to New Year's Eve events in San Francisco. New Year's Eve celebrants can also visit www.sfdem.org/NYESF. AlertSF sends alerts and instructions following a natural disaster, police, fire or health emergencies, or during significant transportation problems. The system has more than 110,000 subscribers, or 30 percent of San Francisco households, according to the agency. Already grappling with how to retain plastic it has collected at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a cleanup rig had another setback over the weekend and will be returning to port in Alameda sooner than expected. During an inspection Saturday, crewmembers found that an end section of the cleanup's U-shaped boom had detached, Ocean Cleanup founder Boyan Slat said on the nonprofit's site. There was no danger to the crew, the environment or marine traffic, and there's no risk that the rig would roll over, said Slat, a Dutch inventor who founded the cleanup project in 2013. The Ocean Cleanup System 001, dubbed "Wilson," has had issues since it launched in September with retaining plastic collected in its 2000-foot Pac-Man-shaped boom with a woven underwater skirt. So far, plastic enters the system but isn't retained long enough to harvest it. Engineering and technology teams have been working on the problem since November. A 37-year-old man killed in a crash last week in Martinez has been identified as David Elizarraraz, according to the Contra Costa County coroner's office. Elizarraraz, a resident of Martinez, was driving a car that crashed at about 10 p.m. Thursday into a parked commercial vehicle in the 800 block of Howe Road, police said. Emergency crews had to remove Elizarraraz from the car and he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said it appears he was the only occupant of the car. The cause of the crash has not been released. A man was found shot in a car that crashed this afternoon in East Oakland, police said. The solo-car crash was reported at 1:35 p.m. in the 6000 block of MacArthur Boulevard, according to police. A man in the car had a gunshot wound and officers gave him first aid until paramedics arrived. The victim was taken to a hospital, police said. His condition was not released. The Marin County Fire Department has installed new cameras at several mountaintop locations to help early fire detection. The fire department worked with Sonoma and Napa counties, PG&E and www.ALERTWildfire.org to create the comprehensive camera network that covers locations in three counties. County officials said PG&E paid approximately $5,000 per camera, and county personnel installed the cameras at six locations over the past month. The cameras replaced ones that had been in place since 2014. The cameras feed to a new North Bay network and can be viewed by anyone online. Two 16-year-old boys were arrested after fleeing from San Francisco police in a stolen vehicle and then striking a pedestrian and fire hydrant in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, police said. Around 3:30 p.m., officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle but the driver sped off. At some point, one of the boys got out of the car and fled, and the driver then hit the pedestrian and hydrant in the area of Turk and Jones streets, according to police. Both teens were arrested and were determined to be wanted suspects, one for robbery and the other for aggravated assault, police said. The pedestrian, a 43-year-old man, suffered minor injuries in the collision. The San Francisco police Tenderloin Station account posted on Twitter a photo of a large plume of water that resulted from the crash into the fire hydrant and said the crash also impacted traffic signals in the area. A 23-year-old Pittsburg man was arrested after leading Antioch police on a pursuit and then ramming a police vehicle this morning. Donald Jackson was arrested after allegedly fleeing from a crash and refusing to yield to a traffic stop by officers at about 9:40 a.m. in the area of D Street and West Tregallas Road, Antioch police Lt. Trevor Schnitzius said. During the pursuit, Jackson allegedly hit another vehicle and then intentionally rammed an Antioch police vehicle twice, police said. Another officer used their patrol car to disable Jackson's vehicle, but he then tried to arm himself with a short table leg in the car and fought with officers as they tried to take him into custody, according to police. A police K-9 was eventually deployed to arrest Jackson, who was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries from the collision and the police dog. The vehicle he was driving was also determined to be an unreported stolen car, police said. Bausch & Lomb was ordered to pay a $135,000 settlement in a consumer protection case over allegedly deceptive packaging of eye care products, the Marin County District Attorney's Office said today. A lawsuit, filed by district attorneys in Marin, Riverside and Yolo counties, maintained that the company sold products with "slack fill" or excess empty space that misrepresented the volume. Under laws governing packing of retail products, consumers should be able to tell from packaging what they are buying, Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian said. The Contra Costa Water District Board of Directors will hold a public meeting on Wednesday in Concord to consider proposed water rate structure changes and a rate adjustment. The district reviews rates and charges on an annual basis to ensure it is able to collect the amount of revenue to provide reliable water service, according to the district. For 2019, the district is proposing a rate adjustment to generate up to a six percent revenue increase. The rate structure establishes how costs are divided among the more than 60,000 customer accounts. 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 died this afternoon at a hospital after he was pulled from Richardson Bay near Sausalito, fire officials said. Firefighters from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District were called at 2:18 p.m. to a dock at Schoonmaker Point Marina at 85 Liberty Ship Way. Two people were reported to be in the water, Battalion Chief Matt Barnes said. Firefighters arrived in five and a half minutes and found that a man and a woman in their early to mid 40s were in distress. Barnes said that one was submerged while the other person was on the surface. Both were taken from the water and taken to a hospital. The pair was in a small vessel that resembled a rowboat, Barnes said, and firefighters don't know yet whether the pair fell in the water or the boat overturned. Barnes said winds in the area were anywhere from 30 to 35 mph. Asked whether it was dangerous for the pair to be on the water, "Yeah, definitely," he said. Also, a firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for care. Barnes said fire officials don't know whether the man and woman were drinking alcohol. Some people in the area helped with the rescue. When firefighters arrived, some were holding one person out of the water, Barnes said. Boaters in a sailboat initially made contact with the victims. 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. From a man spotted walking down an SF street with a duck on a leash to the therapy pig at SFO, San Francisco residents are no strangers to weird pets. But what exactly do local laws say about our furry, feathered and scaly friends? San Francisco and other cities surrounding the bay have extensive laws, mainly through their Health Codes, that regulate the sale and keeping of animals. While many laws range from the oft-necessary (such as restricting dog barking or not allowing pups at farmers markets) others are quite unusual and specific. Some also date back to more than 50 years ago or hopefully don't need much enforcement anymore, such as a ban on animal sacrifice or rules regarding walking an elephant down the street. When Nancy Grace Roman was 11 years old, her family was living in Reno, Nevada. She was enthralled by the stars in the clear night skies and joined with friends in forming an astronomy club. It was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with the cosmos. When she died Wednesday in Germantown, Maryland, at 93, Roman was remembered as the mother of the Hubble. As NASAs first chief of astronomy and the first woman in a leadership position at the space agency, Roman oversaw the early planning for the Hubble Space Telescope, which began orbiting Earth above its atmosphere in April 1990 to capture an unobstructed view of the universe. Placed into orbit from a manned Discovery shuttle and named for pioneering American astronomer Edwin Hubble, it became the first large optical telescope in space. It has enhanced knowledge of distant galaxies as well as planets in our own solar system by transmitting images that would have been distorted if it were operating from within the Earths atmosphere. The idea for that kind of large optical telescope had circulated in the scientific world since astronomer Lyman Spitzer Jr. envisioned it in 1946. But the concept met with skepticism over feasibility and cost. So the road toward getting the Hubble into the skies was a long one. It was Nancy in the old days before the internet and before Google and email and all that stuff who really helped to sell the Hubble Space Telescope, organize the astronomers, who eventually convinced Congress to fund it, Edward J. Weiler, Romans successor as chief scientist for the Hubble, told the Voice of America in 2011. In addition to coordinating the efforts of astronomers and engineers in their development of the Hubble, Roman wrote testimony for NASA representatives making the case for the Hubble before Congress and she pitched the project to the Bureau of the Budget. Roman also took part in development of the Cosmic Background Explorer, a satellite launched in 1989 that confirmed the Big Bang Theory of the universes creation. She was a trailblazer for women at a time when science was considered a mans world, and she became a longtime advocate for women in science. More for you News Notable Bay Area deaths of 2018 I still remember asking my high school guidance teacher for permission to take a second year of algebra instead of a fifth year of Latin, she recalled. She looked down her nose at me and sneered, What lady would take mathematics instead of Latin? That was the sort of reception that I got most of the way, she told the Voice of America. Roman was born on May 16, 1925, in Nashville, Tennessee, the only child of Irwin Roman, a geophysicist, and Georgia (Smith) Roman, a music teacher. When she was 3 months old, the family left for Texas and Oklahoma, where her father advised oil companies on drilling possibilities. The family moved to Reno when her father was named western regional chief for federal research into geophysics. In Reno, of course, the skies were very clear, a beautiful place to observe the sky, and we lived on the edge of the city at the time, Roman recalled in a 1980 interview for the National Air and Space Museum. We had very few lights. I started an astronomy club with the girls in the neighborhood. We learned the constellations, read astronomy. I just never lost my interest in it. The family later moved to Baltimore, where she attended high school. She received a degree in astronomy from Swarthmore College in 1946, obtained a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949, then worked at its Yerkes Observatory as a researcher. She later joined the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, specializing in radio astronomy, and was recruited by NASA in 1959, a year after it was founded. The idea of coming in with an absolute clean slate to set up a program that I thought was likely to influence astronomy for 50 years was just a challenge that I couldnt turn down, she recalled in her National Air and Space Museum interview. The Soviet Unions launching of Sputnik in October 1957 proved that satellites could fly. Nonetheless, Romans early work at NASA lacked the glamour attached to the manned spaceflight program of the 1960s in response to President John F. Kennedys call for America to put a man on the moon by the decades end. Roman retired from NASA in 1979 but continued as a consultant as work progressed toward the Hubbles launching. In 2017, when Lego created a 231-piece Women of NASA set, Romans likeness was among four it featured as women who were space pioneers. Romans death, at a hospital, was confirmed by a cousin, Laura Verreau, The Washington Post reported. It said she had lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and had no immediate survivors. In her later years, Roman passed on her love for space research to young people and especially sought to inspire girls to pursue a career in science. She taught astronomy to fifth-graders at Shepherd Elementary School in Washington in the late 1990s. As she put it: One of the reasons I like working with schools is to try to convince women that they can be scientists and that science can be fun. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . When officials at the University of Utah invited Joe Biden to speak there in December, Bidens representatives listed a number of requirements for the appearance. His booking firm, Creative Artists Agency, said the school would need to fly Biden and his aides to Salt Lake City by private plane. It would have to buy 1,000 copies of his recent memoir for distribution to the audience. There would be no insertion of the word former before vice president in social media promotions. And the speaking fee would be $100,000 a reduced rate, it was explained, for colleges and universities. But three days before the event, Bidens aides learned that the public university would be using state funds to pay his fee. They already had a policy against taking tuition dollars, and decided that accepting taxpayer dollars for such a windfall might appear just as politically distasteful. Biden made the trip anyway but declined to take a check. That costly last-minute reversal exposes the complicated balance Biden has attempted since leaving the vice presidency two years ago: between earning substantial wealth for the first time and maintaining viability as a potential 2020 presidential contender. He has done so while building a network of nonprofits and academic centers that are staffed by his closest strategists and advisers, many making six figures while working on the issues most closely identified with him. It has effectively become a campaign-in-waiting, poised to metamorphose if 76-year-old Biden announces his third bid for the presidency. Biden is expected to reveal his plans early this year, after consulting with his family over the holidays. Having skipped the 2016 race after the grueling death of his elder son, Beau, from brain cancer, he would enter the coming Democratic contest as an early front-runner. With his political self-branding as Middle-Class Joe, he is seen by Democratic strategists as well-equipped to make inroads into President Donald Trumps base of blue-collar white voters. So long as a campaign remains possible, Biden has appeared mindful of the political backlash against the last Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, for earning millions by speaking to private interests in the run-up to 2016, and for her family foundations acceptance of huge sums from corporate and foreign donors. He has imposed telling restrictions on his moneymaking and fundraising activities: Biden does not speak for pay to corporate, advocacy or foreign groups and does not consult or sit on boards, said Bill Russo, his spokesman. His nonprofits do not accept contributions from abroad, and the Biden Cancer Initiative does not take money from drug companies, he said. Yet Biden, whose blue-collar roots have been central to his political persona through six terms in the Senate and two as vice president, has accumulated millions of dollars through a lucrative book deal and selective paid speaking. He also has helped to start three foundations, a political action committee and academic centers at the Universities of Delaware and Pennsylvania. At least 49 staff or board members of the various Biden entities worked previously as aides or advisers to Biden, or held other positions in the Obama-Biden administration or campaigns. Their salaries and stipends consume a substantial share of the budgets of the six groups, including the philanthropic ones. The list includes Bidens sister and longtime campaign manager, Valerie Biden Owens, who is vice chairwoman of both the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware and the Biden Foundation, as well as a paid consultant to the institute; Mike Donilon, his strategist across four decades and now managing director of the institute and a consultant for Bidens PAC; and Steve Ricchetti, his vice-presidential chief of staff and now managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. Another longtime Biden operative, Joshua Alcorn, has been paid by Bidens PAC while serving as an executive at the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. The top compensation, as far as can be determined from Internal Revenue Service records, belongs to Gregory C. Simon, who was projected in a tax exemption application to receive $552,500 a year to run the cancer initiative. Biden selected Simon in the final year of the Obama administration to lead the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force for less than 40 percent of that amount. Biden declined through his spokesman to be interviewed about his post-vice-presidency. But several people close to him emphasized that he had built his mini-empire not to prepare for 2020 but to make a continuing contribution on matters of long-standing concern. They planned a lot of this under the assumption that Hillary Clinton would be president of the United States, said Sarah Bianchi, a former Biden policy aide who is now a paid senior adviser to the institute. That said, some top staff members will undoubtedly decamp for a campaign if there is one, several advisers said. Whether all the groups could sustain operations is unclear, given that Biden could face pressure to suspend fundraising to avoid improper influence. During the 2018 cycle, Biden maintained visibility with campaign visits to 24 states and at least 135 other speaking engagements, giving him a platform whenever he wanted. At a book-related talk in Missoula, Montana, in early December, he fueled coast-to-coast speculation about his plans by declaring himself the most qualified person in the country to be president. Sources of Wealth Biden has long been self-deprecating about his relative lack of wealth, compared with some politicians. He and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, left office with assets worth between $277,000 and $955,000 (not including their house near Wilmington, Delaware), as well as a mortgage of $500,000 to $1 million and other smaller loans, according to a 2015 federal disclosure. The report gives values in ranges. But they have very likely earned more in the two years since leaving office than in the prior two decades, thanks largely to a three-book deal with Flatiron Books reported to be worth $8 million (a figure unconfirmed by the publisher). Two months after the contract was announced, they bought a six-bedroom vacation house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware off the water for $2.7 million. No mortgage was recorded. Joe Bidens only salaried work, according to Russo, is a University of Pennsylvania professorship that occupies about one day a week. Jill Biden who is writing one of the three books earns $99,398 as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, state records show. Joe Biden, who earned $230,700 a year as vice president, receives a hefty federal pension after 44 years of public service. The couples last public tax return, from 2015, shows they receive about $66,000 a year in Social Security and other pension benefits. Russo said Biden would be transparent about his finances if he ran. He will make available his tax returns, financial interests and other information that used to be and should once again become commonplace, he said, referring to Trumps defiance of a four-decade tradition of voluntary disclosure by presidents and many candidates. Biden has restricted his paid speeches to about 40 ticketed shows and campus appearances, according to Russo. Most of have been shaped around a yearlong tour to promote his 2017 book Promise Me, Dad, a plain-spoken account of the final year of Beau Bidens life. It spent 11 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list and has sold more than 300,000 copies, according to NPD PubTrack Digital. Biden did make at least two corporate speeches, to conferences held by a financial services company and by the hedge fund led by Anthony Scaramucci, Trumps brief-tenured communications director. But he donated the fees to charity and passed on future corporate events, said a person close to him who was not authorized to speak by name. Biden has spoken subsequently at events for advocacy and partisan groups or underwritten by corporations health care conferences; a banquet for the Charleston, South Carolina, branch of the NAACP; the Human Rights Campaigns national dinner but not for pay, Russo said. Open records requests to public universities revealed that Biden had appeared at some without charge Rutgers in October 2017 and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, last month. The Nevada school paid $225,000 to the Clinton Foundation for a speech by Hillary Clinton in 2014. Russo and Bidens representatives at Creative Artists declined to disclose his usual fees. But his contract with the University of Utah, obtained through the states Freedom of Information Act, was for $100,000, plus $10,000 for the private plane. In an October email between university officials, one told the other that an agent for Biden had described that as a discount. The book events feature Biden being interviewed for an hour by another prominent figure, like screenwriter Aaron Sorkin or philanthropist Melinda Gates. Tickets for a recent appearance, in Burlington, Vermont, cost $45 to $90, with a meet-and-greet package going for $375. The Bidens pay a staff of five to handle scheduling, media and advance work through a Delaware firm they incorporated called CelticCapri, after his and her Secret Service code names. Staffs of Allies Nearly all of the former vice presidents closest advisers are attached to one of his centers, full or part time. Ricchetti, who has been gauging donor support for a Biden candidacy, is at the Penn Biden Center, a foreign policy think tank intended to give the university a higher profile in Washington. Others on the staff include Antony J. Blinken, who was Bidens national security adviser, and several regional policy experts. At the Biden Institute at Bidens alma mater, the focus is on domestic issues including strengthening the middle class, gay and civil rights, and violence against women. It is housed within the School of Public Policy, which was recently renamed for him as well. Administrators at both universities declined to provide budgets or salaries. Their presidents called Bidens contributions invaluable, particularly in luring dignitaries to their campuses. Among our strategic priorities is bringing Penn to the world and the world to Penn, and who better to do that? said Amy Gutmann, Penns president. Bidens PAC, American Possibilities, is led by Greg Schultz, a political operative who served as his senior White House adviser. The committee paid him $225,000 over 18 months, records show. The PAC raised $2.5 million during the 2018 midterm cycle from contributors who included technology entrepreneur Sean Parker and Hollywood producers Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. But only 21 percent of its spending was distributed to Democratic candidates and committees more than 120 in all while the rest went to salaries and expenses like Bidens travel. There is modest overlap between Bidens political donors and the benefactors of the Biden Foundation, the only one of his nonprofits that has voluntarily disclosed its donors. Notable is Tim Gill, a Colorado software entrepreneur and influential gay-rights activist, who, with his husband, is listed as giving at least $1 million to the foundation, as well as the maximum $10,000 each to the PAC. The foundation is chaired by Ted Kaufman, Bidens chief of staff in the Senate and appointed successor after the 2008 election. With Bidens help, it raised $6.6 million in its first two years, including seven gifts of at least $500,000. The Bidens pitched in $100,000, according to Kaufman. Staff compensation accounted for 42 percent of the foundations $2.6 million in spending in 2017. That included $256,000 for the executive director, Louisa Terrell, who was deputy chief of Bidens Senate staff. The foundations website now lists 16 staff members, including policy experts in areas like military families and violence against women. These are people who have been with him doing these kinds of things throughout his career, Russo said. The Biden nonprofits are not traditional grant-makers, and the only one made by the Biden Foundation was nearly $500,000 to spin off the cancer initiative. That group took in $3.9 million in 2017, including three gifts from undisclosed donors worth at least $1 million, according to tax filings. It spent $1.8 million, more than three-fourths of it on salaries and other compensation. That included Simons package and a projected $292,500 for the vice president, Danielle Carnival, who had worked on cancer policy in the Obama White House. At the Beau Biden Foundation, based in Wilmington, Delaware, salaries accounted for 45 percent of spending in 2016 and 2017, while grants accounted for less than 1 percent. Those around Biden would not speculate about what might happen to the groups if he entered the 2020 race. But at least one set of plans has already been shelved. When the Biden Foundation applied to the IRS for tax-exempt status in February 2016, it stated that one mission would be to educate the public regarding Vice President Bidens career in public service by building a first-of-its-kind vice-presidential library and museum for the study of the vice presidency. Then Trump was elected, perversely reviving Bidens three-decade dream of winning the presidency, a job that comes with its own library. Since that time, said Mark Gitenstein, the foundations president, the board of the Biden Foundation determined that was no longer a relevant objective. This article originally appeared in The New York Times A lawsuit against AC Transit alleges the agency discriminated and retaliated against a bus driver because she was pregnant. According to the complaint filed Friday, the transit district did not accommodate plaintiff Nikki McNaulty through and after two pregnancies. That included refusing to provide adequate lactation accommodations or modified work assignments, which McNaultys lawyers allege violates Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act. The suit, which is seeking class-action status, alleges that AC Transit temporarily removed McNaulty from her health insurance and obstructed her efforts to obtain a desk job in retaliation for taking maternity leave. In an email, AC Transit spokesman Robert Lyles declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said a suit represents only one side of a case. In this light, we ask the public to withhold judgment as we work to uncover the circumstances giving rise to this issue, his statement said. McNaulty, who began at AC Transit in March 2013 as a bus driver, was demoted in August to senior typist clerk after taking unpaid leaves of absence due to her pregnancies, the lawsuit said. When McNaulty was five months pregnant with her first child in August 2015, she saw a workers compensation doctor after experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning from driving older-model buses, the complaint alleges. After doctors recommended that McNaulty return to work with limited driving and exposure to bus fumes, she tried unsuccessfully for three months to get a desk job to accommodate her needs, the lawsuit said. Because she couldnt obtain appropriate working conditions, McNaulty went on an unpaid leave three months before her scheduled maternity leave, which left her without pay for weeks, according to the complaint. McNaulty alleges the stress from work caused her to go into labor three weeks before her delivery date. McNaultys return to work in February 2016 was delayed 10 days because the district did not initially provide space for her to pump breast milk and the eventual space was not a private lactation room but rather an empty conference room, the lawsuit said. During her second pregnancy, McNaulty faced similar barriers to working. Based on her difficulties with the company during her pregnancy, and her need to return to work for financial reasons, Ms. McNaulty did all she could proactively to ensure her return to work went smoothly, the complaint said. After her second child was born, McNaultys request to return to work part time was denied because of AC Transit policy, the lawsuit said, causing McNaulty to go on another unpaid leave from October 2017 to January 2018. When she returned to work, McNaulty learned she would not receive the lactation accommodations she requested and faced a choice between taking a modified bus route that would reduce her pay or being forced to take another unpaid leave. In August 2018, McNaulty took a senior typist clerk position with AC Transit, a job with lower pay and fewer hours than her bus operator position, her lawyer, Felicia Medina, said. Through the suit, Medina said, McNaulty hopes to change AC Transits policies so other pregnant women wont face the difficulties she did. When it comes to changing policies, shes seeking to change the company culture, which is anti-working mother, Medina said. Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb One of our favorite former debutantes was MIA at the Palace Hotel during the 77th Cotillion Debutante Ball on Dec. 22. But Cameron Phleger had a very good excuse: The day before, she and her husband, Michael Horwitz, welcomed their first child into the world (huzzah!) thus ensuring the future pool of cotillion escorts. Hosted by the august ladies of the Cotillion Club Committee, this years presentation of 15 young ladies making their formal curtsy to a social milieu composed of founding Peninsula and San Francisco families was smaller than previous balls. Yet generational ties among the debutantes and 500 guests ran deep. Debutantes Elaine Wisnom Kastner and Whitney Thorn Wisnom are first cousins. Olivia Huntington de Polo descends from the pioneering railroad baron whose surname graces the famous Nob Hill hotel once owned by the late Dorothy Dolly Fritz Cope, whose granddaughter, Lucinda Swearengen, was among this debutante class. You have to be careful what you say around here, noted Judy Flood Otter, with a laugh. Everyones somehow related. And former debutante Anne Giannini McWilliams (a granddaughter of Bank of America founder A. P. Giannini) was celebrating her 70th cotillion from the dais as she proudly watched her granddaughter, Caitlyn McWilliams, expertly nail her curtsy. Oh, and dashing actor Don Johnson (who used to live in San Francisco while filming his Nash Bridges TV series) was also on hand, decked out in white-tie and tails, with his wife, former cotillion debutante Kelley Phleger Johnson (and Camerons big sister), as their daughter, Grace Johnson, made her debut. After my debut, my mothers friends finally began to call me by my name and I was allowed to call them by theirs, instead of, say, Mrs. Rosekrans, recalled Beatrice Bowles, who debuted in 1962. It was a transformational ritual as these women welcomed me into their circle of friends. Her daughter, Jane Cafe restaurateur Amanda Michael admitted to being a sort of rebel debutante, as evidenced by the exquisite tattoo dragon peeking out from the back of her gown. Michael debuted in 1986 with her pal, Kelley Johnson. And this year, their daughters, Grace Johnson and Jane Gamble, debuted together. Kelley and I were laughing at rehearsal yesterday, said Michael. I received a dress violation from the cotillion committee because I wore a straight column gown instead of one with a full skirt. Though Kelley Johnson now lives in Southern California, she cherishes the cotillion as a time to gather with her extended family that descends from her late grandfather, Herman Phleger, a prominent San Francisco attorney and Nuremberg trial prosecutor. Grace loves tradition, her Northern California family, and is excited to be a part of this, says Johnson of her daughter, a university student and budding model. Amanda and I both had our baby girls at the same time. Whenever wed visit, theyd be side by side on the couch. Its funny how life intertwines. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. 2018 cotillion debutantes Olivia Huntington de Polo Penelope Valentine Devlin Jane Lucretia Gamble Atherton Grace Johnson Elaine Wisnom Kastner Sibyl Anna Kaufman Holly Lorraine Lawrence Caitlyn Mariah McWilliams Electa Macy Narasin Sarah Brooks Rogers Hanna Bransten Rumsey Claire Kelton Ryland Lucinda Dorothy Fritz Swearengen Whitney Thorn Wisnom Abigail Grace Wolfenden See More Collapse Fare thee well: Yet life is also heartbreaking. A mere 24 hours later, cotillion guests were devastated to learn that a Presidio Heights house fire took the lives of their friends, former stockbroker Mike Hooker (whose grandfather, Samuel F.B. Morse, founded Pebble Beach) and his wife, Connie Colladay Hooker, a former bank executive. Friends recalled how the Hookers always added exuberance to any gathering. And in their retirement, they continued to live joyfully whether traveling, growing roses or entertaining their large circle of friends and extended family. At one point during the cotillion, the crowd parted and I almost bumped right into the always upbeat Mrs. Hooker. Seeing me juggle my camera, notebook and cellphone, she laughed knowingly. Youve got your work cut out for you tonight, she said, beaming. Merry Christmas. Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow It has been 10 years since 22-year-old Oscar Grant was tragically shot and killed by a police officer at Fruitvale BART Station but his death is as raw and painful as ever. Grant was a beloved member of our East Bay community. He was a devoted father. A loving son. A kind neighbor. And a loyal friend. His death was senseless, unjust and entirely preventable. Over the past decade, Ive gotten to know Grants family. Ive witnessed the courage of his mother, Wanda Johnson, as shes worked to prevent the killing of other young black men like Grant. I am in awe of her strength as she has fought to prevent this horrific tragedy from befalling other families. Sadly, Grants story is not unique. Far too many innocent people of color and particularly African American men have needlessly lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement. Since Grants death, Michael Brown has been shot to death in Ferguson, Mo.; Tamir Rice was killed playing with a toy gun in a park in Cleveland; Freddie Gray died in a rough ride in Baltimore; Eric Garner suffocated in a choke hold on Staten Island in New York; Mario Woods died in a hail of bullets in San Francisco; and Stephon Clark was gunned down in his grandparents backyard in Sacramento. The sad reality is that just living your life as a black person in America can be seen as a threat. Let me be clear: I have nothing but respect for the vast majority of our nations police officers, who risk their lives every day to keep us safe. Most members of law enforcement are committed public servants, and I am grateful to the brave men and women who serve our communities with compassion, thoughtfulness and sensitivity. Still, the fact remains black and brown men and women are too often killed by police officers who fear them for no reason other than the color of their skin. According to the Washington Post, police fatally shoot about 1,000 people each year in the United States. As the mother of two black sons, and the grandmother of five black grandchildren, I worry that one of them could be next. No mother should have to worry that their child wont return from a trip to the store or a ride on the train. And as an elected representative, I am committed to enacting reforms that will make our communities safer. Under the Obama administration, the federal government took steps to strengthen oversight of local police departments, like investigating departments with a pattern of abuse, after the shooting of Brown in Ferguson. But the Trump administrations Department of Justice has abandoned these efforts. It has even undermined federal programs like the Office of Community Oriented Policing, which aimed to improved relations between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. As one of his last acts, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions quietly made it more difficult for Department of Justice officials to enforce reform mandates against police departments with a pattern of abuse. The Trump administration has made it clear that they dont see police reforms as a priority. I think thats a grave mistake for victims of police violence and their families, for residents of communities that have been over-policed and underserved, and for the members of law enforcement who rely on neighbors trust to solve crimes and advance public safety. In recent years, a movement has swept the country declaring that Black Lives Matter. But even before that, our community was confronted by senseless police violence in the wake of Grants death. On the 10th anniversary of this tragedy, I mourn Grants death. I pray for his family and his loved ones, who are still grieving. And I pledge to honor his memory by fighting for police reforms that empower our communities, address unconscious biases in law enforcement and bring greater accountability for departments with a pattern of abuse and police officers who abuse. We cant bring Grant back. But we can work in his memory to make the call of Black Lives Matter a reality in our justice system. Together, we can and must build a nation where equal justice under the law is a reality for all Americans, no matter the color of their skin. Barbara Lee, a Democrat, represents Oakland in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is co-chair of the House Democrats Steering and Policy Committee and the first African American woman to serve in a leadership role in Congress. Californias first year of legal cannabis offered lots of promise and failed to deliver. Part of the reason why Californias legal cannabis market has hit the skids has to do with outsize expectations. Proposition 64s political backers were looking to score points with the public. Business interests were eager to exploit a massive new market. Government officials expected a deep new revenue source for their budgets. Nearly all of these promises have fallen short. California voters didnt make a mistake. Legalizing cannabis was the right choice for public opinion and public health, and its allowed the state to make important steps toward equity in its justice system. But creating a successful legal cannabis industry will require the public to temper its expectations. It will also require the state to make course corrections in 2019. Slash the red tape Californias eagerness for new taxes and regulation is driving growers and retailers out of the legal market: The cost of legalization was so high in 2018, they couldnt afford to stay in business. Simply getting the space, equipment and labor to set up a legal grow operation is already a difficult, capital-intensive undertaking. State and local government officials arent making it easier with expensive business licenses, NIMBY-ish local restrictions on sales and distribution, and taxes that often add up to as much as 40 percent of the cost of goods. These burdens are a huge part of the reason why legal cannabis sales havent met expectations. The state government needs to speed up its backlogged permitting process and slash its excise taxes. It also needs to push local governments to accept a legal product. Increase market safety Two separate reports have concluded that state Treasurer John Chiangs idea for a state bank wouldnt work. Still, the state must find a safe place for cannabis entrepreneurs to stash their cash. Doing so will improve public safety and encourage growers to enter the legalized market. Both improvements are necessary to promote a healthy industry in 2019. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. The arrest of an undocumented immigrant in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Stanislaus County has raised questions about whether the killing had any connection to state or local sanctuary laws, which limit police cooperation with federal immigration agents. Both President Trump and Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson claimed sanctuary laws were the reason Gustavo Perez Arriaga, accused of slaying Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh last week, was still in the United States. They said the killing showed the need for tougher border security. Arriaga, 32, a day laborer with gang affiliations and past arrests for drunken driving, was arrested Friday after a statewide manhunt, and seven others have been arrested on suspicion of aiding his alleged attempt to flee to Mexico. Here is a look at some of the issues: Q: Did sanctuary laws protect Arriaga from deportation in 2014, when he was arrested in Madera County on suspicion of drunken driving? A. No. Californias sanctuary law, which Christianson claimed had kept law enforcements hands tied, did not take effect until 2018. The law prohibits police from asking people placed under arrest about their immigration status or keeping them in custody at federal immigration agents request. The law also prohibits local law enforcement from notifying the federal government about an immigrants impending release from jail. Those restrictions do not apply to inmates charged with violent crimes or other serious offenses. Some local governments, including San Francisco, had their own sanctuary laws in 2014, but Madera County did not. Madera District Attorney David Linn ordered county jail officials in 2017 to notify immigration officials of the scheduled release of undocumented immigrants, an apparent change from previous policy, but his order was rolled back after a lawsuit and enactment of the new state law. Q: Do police and sheriffs deputies inquire about immigration status when making an arrest? A. That varies among police departments and individual officers, in California and elsewhere. If a suspected drunken driver lacked a license, or the drivers license looked fishy, or the individual looked or sounded foreign, some officers might contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ask about their legal status, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell University law professor and author of a widely used textbook on immigration law. It depends on the gravity of the crime and the frame of mind of the police officer, said Bill Hing, a University of San Francisco immigration law professor. Arriaga would not have been eligible for a California drivers license in 2014. A state law allowing licenses for undocumented immigrants took effect the following year. Its not known what type of license he showed to the arresting officer. Q: If Arriaga had been arrested for drunken driving instead of suspected homicide, would the sanctuary law protect him? A. Yes, within limits. His fingerprints, like those of all people placed under arrest, would be entered by the county into a nationwide database that U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement uses to track undocumented immigrants. The database existed in 2014, but ICE officials have told The Chronicle they had no contact with Arriaga before his latest arrest. Q: Do local sheriffs and police chiefs still have leeway to make it possible for ICE to pick up an immigrant held for a relatively minor offense, like drunken driving, after his release from custody? A. Apparently so. Even under the sanctuary law, local governments are prohibited only from communicating immigrants release dates to ICE in messages that are not shared with the public. Some sheriffs have kept the federal agency posted by simply making the release dates public. Q: Does the Stanislaus County sheriffs criticism reflect opposition among many local governments to the sanctuary law? A. It varies by region. When the Trump administration challenged the California law in court, some local governments supported the suit, including San Diego and Orange counties and many of their cities. The suit also drew support from the California State Sheriffs Association, which includes all 58 county sheriffs. Stanislaus County supervisors did not endorse the suit. A federal judge in Sacramento upheld most of the law, and the administration has appealed. Q: Are there states where drunken driving suspects are routinely questioned about their immigration status and handed over to ICE? A. Maybe not routinely but it happens. ICE, as Hing noted, relies on local law enforcement away from the border. Under the Trump administration, theyre happy to take somebody convicted of DUI, but they are still more interested in dangerous people. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Where to live in the Bay Area Moving? Our guide lets you search dozens of cities, towns and neighborhoods to find the one thats right for you. Two women were arrested on Christmas Eve at Los Angeles International Airport as they prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong with $180,000 in cash and gold jewelry they had bilked from several San Francisco seniors using the notorious blessing scam, prosecutors said Monday. Defendants Mudi Wu and Fuxi Dai, both 51, were brought back to San Francisco, where they each face 15 felony charges including embezzlement on an elder, grand theft, extortion and conspiracy. The women made an initial appearance Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, where they were ordered to be held in jail on $250,000 bail. They have outstanding warrants in San Mateo County associated with similar cases in Daly City. The arrest marks a significant takedown in a well-documented con that targets seniors in the Chinese community in neighborhoods across the city. The perpetrators of the blessing scam are often hard to catch, which has prompted city leaders and law enforcement officials to conduct numerous public awareness campaigns, warning citizens of the nefarious grift. The scammers who have been known to operate in cities around the country typically tell their victims an elaborate story and get them to place all their cash and valuables into a bag, which the perpetrators pretend to bless and hand back. In reality, the con artists switch bags and keep the loot often a persons life savings. It is extremely troubling that elderly Chinese women are being targeted and exploited due to their cultural beliefs, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said Monday. We will continue to spread the word, but its incumbent upon us all to be good neighbors, and to make sure that the most vulnerable among us know about these scams. Wu and Dais latest spree allegedly began Nov. 29 when they approached a 72-year-old woman, telling her an elaborate story, including that she was being followed by the spirit of a dead woman and that her son would die in a car crash within three days unless she obtained a blessing, prosecutors said. Wu and Dai told the victim to collect all the cash she had at home, along with a handful of rice, and bring the cash to them to be blessed, prosecutors said. When the woman returned with $25,000 in cash plus jewelry, authorities said the defendants grabbed the loot and took off. Then on Dec. 1, Wu and Dai allegedly approached a 69-year-old woman with a similar story about her son dying in a car crash. This time, prosecutors said they got $900 in cash after pulling the bag switch. On Dec. 9, prosecutors said they took a victim for $7,000 after promising to protect her from sickness, and on Dec. 14, they got $100,000 out of a victim plus jewelry, prosecutors said. In the last case, officials said Wu and Dai told the 72-year-old woman she had walked through the blood of a dead woman and child and that her family had been cursed by the ghost of the dead woman. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky It seems unlikely that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as Californias attorney general speculated in a recent court filing would be charged with murder if the utility is found responsible for the lethal Northern California wildfires. But it wouldnt be unprecedented. In 1978, the Ford Motor Co. was charged with murder in Indiana for the deaths of three teenage girls whose Ford Pinto exploded when hit by a truck. The charges, based on the design of the Pintos gas tank, were reportedly the first murder case against a U.S. corporation. A jury acquitted the company. In California, then-Attorney General Kamala Harris charged two drug-treatment companies and four employees in 2015 with murdering a patient at a rehabilitation center in Riverside County, where three other patients had died. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle 2016 A judge later dismissed the murder charges against the companies, A Better Tomorrow and Forterus Inc. Two executives pleaded no contest to lesser charges and were ordered to undergo counseling. More typically, a company whose wrongful conduct led to fatalities is sued for damages in civil court, where PG&E is facing billions of dollars in potential liability from 2017 fires. But as the nations courts increasingly attribute human rights, like religious freedom, to corporations, some prosecutors have targeted corporate headquarters with charges normally reserved for gun-toters of the human species. In Fridays filing in a San Francisco federal court, Attorney General Xavier Becerra cautioned that it hasnt been determined whether PG&E bears any responsibility for the Camp Fire, which killed at least 86 people and leveled the town of Paradise in Butte County. But, asked by U.S. District Judge William Alsup whether the utility may have committed any crimes, Becerras lawyers said it can be a crime to cause a fire by mismanagement of power lines. If the company, through its employees and managers, acted recklessly in failing to keep its lines and poles free of vegetation, and taking other steps to prevent fire, it could be guilty of involuntary manslaughter, the filing said. If the conduct was worse, showing a conscious disregard for life, it could be prosecuted as second-degree murder. If a responsible corporate officer possessed the required mental state for murder, and was acting within the scope of employment, then that crime could be attributed to the corporation, said Kelly Strader, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. He said a corporate officers conduct could implicate both the officer and the company in murder by acting with an actual awareness that your actions endanger human life. The charge, against humans, is punishable by 15 years to life in state prison. It also carries a fine of up to $10,000, and restitution to the victims survivors, which presumably could be leveled against a corporation. For additional penalties, the courts might turn to laws governing civil suits. Interactive California Fire Tracker This interactive map provides information on wildfires burning across California and lets you explore coverage of past fire seasons. Under federal sentencing guidelines, there is something colloquially referred to as the corporate death penalty, basically a financial takeover of the corporation by the government, said Rory Little, a law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco. Short of that, he said, a judge could require an independent monitor to oversee the company for an indefinite period. PG&E is already under a federal monitors supervision after its conviction on charges stemming from the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. The Ford case was tried under an Indiana law that allowed prosecutors to file murder charges, punishable by a fine of up to $30,000, against corporations implicated in reckless homicide. The fuel tank design of the 1973 Pinto had already forced Ford to recall more than 1 million vehicles, and led a Southern California jury to award $127 million in damages after another fatal crash in 1978. Prosecutors in the criminal case contended the company had waited too long to start the recalls and failed to properly warn drivers. Fords lawyers said any vehicle would have exploded when hit from behind by a speeding van. The jury deliberated for more than three days before acquitting the company. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko BUENOS AIRES Hector Timerman, a former Argentine foreign minister who was charged with treason in 2013 for his role in negotiating an agreement with Iran relating to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, died Sunday at his home here. He was 65. His lawyer, Graciana Penafort, said the cause was respiratory failure. Timerman had been under treatment for liver cancer, she said. He was very deteriorated physically, and his heart simply did not tolerate any more, Penafort said. Timerman was foreign minister under President Cristina Fernandez from 2010 until 2015, the year she left office. His tenure was marked by increasing tension between Argentina and the United States. He had served as Argentinas ambassador in Washington from 2007 to 2010. The memorandum of understanding that Timerman signed with Iran in 2013 was billed as an effort to get answers from the Iranians who were accused of carrying out the suicide bombing of the Jewish community center, the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association, or AMIA, in which 85 people were killed and some 300 injured. The deal, which called for the two countries to set up a joint commission to investigate the bombing, was approved by Congress but later declared unconstitutional. Iran has long denied any involvement in the bombing, for which no one has been convicted. In 2006, Argentine prosecutors accused top Iranian officials, including former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, as well as Imad Mugniyah, a Lebanese senior commander of the militant group Hezbollah, with being involved in the attack. Mugniyah was assassinated in 2008, and Rafsanjani died in 2017. Federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman characterized the agreement with Iran as part of a cover-up to ensure that Iranians would never face justice. He contended that the memorandum was the first step toward canceling fugitive notices, known as red notices, that had been filed with Interpol, the international police organization; the notices had prevented the suspects from traveling freely. Shorty after he made the accusation against Fernandez and Timerman, Nisman, was found dead in his luxury apartment in Buenos Aires with a gunshot wound to the head in January 2015. His death remains unsolved. In December 2017, a federal judge, Claudio Bonadio, ordered that Timerman and several other key officials in Fernandezs government be taken into custody for their role in the agreement with Iran. Timerman was granted home detention because of his illness. Bonadio said there was enough evidence to indict Fernandez and her former allies for treason because they had sought impunity for the Iranian nationals accused of the attack on the AMIA headquarters and to normalize relations between the two states. Shortly after the judges decision, the New York Times published an opinion piece by Timerman in which he called himself a political prisoner. As part of his indictment, Bonadio also claimed that Ronald K. Noble, an American citizen and a former New York University law professor who led Interpol from 2000 to 2014, was also part of the cover-up. Noble has disputed that accusation. He wrote on Twitter on Sunday that Timerman had died under a cloud of false accusations because #Argentinas judiciary failed to conduct a thorough investigation. Also on Twitter, Fernandez said that Timerman, as a Jew, had been particularly interested in making sure that those who carried out the 1994 bombing were brought to justice. Hector got sick due to the pain and suffering provoked by the irrational and unjust attack that we both suffered due to the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, Fernandez wrote. Timermans efforts to receive medical treatment in the United States were derailed when his U.S. visa was canceled following the indictment. Although the visa was reinstated, allowing him to travel, supporters say the lapse cost him precious time. His respiratory issue was the tragic result in the delay of being able to travel to the United States in January 2018, Penafort, his lawyer, said in a text message. When he finally got to the United States, it was too late to carry out the treatment that would have improved his living conditions in these last months. Before joining the government, Timerman was a journalist, following in the footsteps of his father, Jacobo Timerman, a prominent journalist who was imprisoned and tortured by the brutal military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1976 to 1981. Jacobo Timermans case inspired an international human rights furor, which led to his release. Hector Timerman was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 16, 1953. He got his start as a journalist at publications his father helped start. From 1978 to 1984, he lived in exile in the United States, obtaining a masters degree in international relations from Columbia University in 1981. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen but gave up his citizenship in 2006. In addition to his work as a journalist, Timerman was also a human-rights activist and a founder of the human rights group Americas Watch. He is survived by his wife, Anabel Sielecki, and two daughters, Amanda and Jordana. Daniel Politi is a New York Times writer. A personal New Years resolution could include working out more or making healthier decisions. But ask Bay Area residents what theyre hoping the publics resolution should be for 2019 and the answer is plain: to address San Franciscos homelessness crisis. The perennial problem has grown worse as rents across the Bay Area continue to skyrocket, prompting many to move out or to find refuge couch surfing, living in their cars or creating homeless encampments along city streets and freeway underpasses. Local politicians must address the persistent problem with affordable housing and adequate services for people on the streets, residents said. I hope they solve the homeless problem in an equitable and decent way, said Susan Bryan, who has lived in San Francisco for over 50 years. Bryan said she believes the problem started in the 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan slashed federal funding for subsidized housing. All of a sudden, people were appearing on the streets, she said. They were out of their housing. There hasnt been a strong policy at the city, state or federal level to address those growing pains, some said. With the election of Mayor London Breed in 2018, who said that addressing symptoms of homelessness was a priority of her office, Bryan and others are hopeful that something will change. We need to find somewhere for them to be, said Donell Dominique, a facilities coordinator for travel website Hotwire. Leaning up against a parking meter in the Financial District, Dominique smoked what he hoped to be his last cigarette ever his New Years resolution was to quit smoking, 19 years after he quit alcohol and drug use. But his big-picture New Years resolution was to see the city address the homelessness problem he sees every day when he commutes in from Vallejo. One possible solution, Dominique said, was to turn unused buildings downtown into shelters, just as Berkeley recently did with its old City Hall. Creating affordable housing, rather than market-rate and business developments, would also be a potential solution. Rather than repeatedly clearing away encampments, said Berkeley resident Sarah Paxson, local politicians should address root causes. People in the Bay Area are complacent, so it becomes something we care less about, she said. The first step would be to build below-market-rate housing to lower prices around the region, Paxson said. The needle is starting to move at the city level, some said. Breed recently requested that the Board of Supervisors spend the citys $181 million windfall on homelessness and housing initiatives, and announced that the city has reduced tent camps in the area by 34 percent. In October, Breed said she wanted to set a goal of adding 1,000 beds in transitional housing and navigation centers by the summer of 2019. Whether that momentum continues into the new year could have serious implications for the citys future. Were not richer because we have billionaires, Bryan said. We are richer when people have hope for the future. Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu (CNN) A lion killed a worker Sunday at a North Carolina zoological park after it escaped a locked enclosure during a routine cleaning, officials said. As a team led by a trained animal keeper cleaned the enclosure, "One of the lions somehow left a locked space and entered the space the humans were in and quickly killed one person," the Conservators Center in Burlington, west of Durham, said on its Facebook page. "The Conservators Center is devastated by the loss of a human life today," the center said. The center did not name the worker but the Caswell County Sheriff's Office identified her as Alexandra Black, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Indiana State University. Black, a native of New Palestine, Indiana, had been an intern at the Conservators Center for about two weeks, the sheriff's office said. Black's "passion was the zoological industry -- this was not this person's first internship," the center's executive director, Mindy Stinner, said, according to CNN affiliate WNCN. "And this person wanted to spend a lifetime around these animals," Stinner said in an emotional press conference. Black was not a staff member but was working under the supervision of a staff member, according to Stinner. Male lion was shot and killed The male lion was euthanized, Stinner said. It was unclear how the lion escaped, the center said. Stinner said all large cats are locked in a separate area from humans during the routine cleanings. "At no time did the lion ever enter a space that was not enclosed by the park's perimeter fence," she said. Stinner said visitors were at the park but officials safely and quickly got them out of the park. "This is not a situation we've ever had before. Safety is a very, very important feature of running any zoological park," she said. Center is closed until further notice The zoological park houses more than 80 animals, including tigers, small wild cats and other small carnivores, according to its website. It offers guided walking tours near the animal enclosures. The park is regulated the US Department of Agriculture, according to Stinner. Stinner, an educator, co-founded the center in 1999 in Mebane, North Carolina, as an educational nonprofit to provide a home for select carnivore species, according to the center's website. It relocated to a 45-acre swath in 2004, the website said. Stinner said they first started doing rescue and sanctuary work, but moved away from that emphasis and worked with more species, trying to involve the community more. "We like to think of ourselves as kind of a community zoo," she said. The center is closed until further notice, officials said. "We need to assess our situation, and we need to make sure that everyone here is safe and feels safe," Stinner said, "because this is a very scary thing." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Lion escapes enclosure, kills worker." Islamabad, Jan 1 (PTI) Pakistan Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. The list was handed over in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. Imran Khan "The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1000 hrs (local time)," it said. Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi handed over the list of Indian Nuclear Installations and Facilities to a representative of the High Commission of Pakistan at 1030 hrs (local time), the FO said. Pak shares with India list of nuclear installations The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. "This has been done consecutively since January 1, 1992," the FO said. The practice of exchanging lists of nuclear installation has endured despite many low in bilateral ties. Chandigarh, January 1: The Local Government Department is well on course towards implementation of its path breaking and futuristic measures and as part of this, the modalities regarding One Time Settlement (OTS) policy aimed at regularizing the illegal constructions have been completed by the department and the policy would be presented for the approval of the cabinet in the cabinet meeting scheduled for January 2. Disclosing this here today while interacting with the media-persons at Municipal Bhawan in sector-35, the Local Government Minister, Punjab, Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu made it clear that the policy has been formulated as a onetime measure only and afterwards there would be heavy penalties for those indulging in illegal constructions. The minister further divulged that the one time settlement policy also includes giving chance of getting their old buildings regularized to those who have done so without the Change in Land use (CLU). Mr. Sidhu also elaborated that this initiative would result in making the department self sufficient from financial point of view. Decks cleared for One Time Settlement policy Calling Advertising a significant source of revenue generation, Mr. Sidhu said that Ludhiana is leading the pack with Rs. 25 crore revenue which earlier was a meager Rs. 9 crore. The minister also said that 200 shops in Amritsar have been allotted to the victim families of 1984 riots. Listing other measures, Mr. Sidhu said that after the rolling out of the online building plan approval scheme last year, till now 500 plans have been submitted online and after 15th January it would be mandatory to submit the plans through online mode only. Coming to the skill development sector, Mr. Sidhu said that an MoU has been signed between the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) and Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) which would establish Innovation, Incubation and Skill Development Centre (IISDC) centres at Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. Elaborating on other important aspects, the minister said that apart from strictly implementing the fire safety norms emphasis is also being laid on the GIS Mapping of the buildings to stall the illegal constructions and by June this year, the process would be completed. On the occasion, the Food and Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister, Punjab, Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Industries & Commerce Minister Mr. Sunder Sham Arora, Principal Secretary, Local Government Mr. A. Venu Prasad, Director Local Government Mr. Karnesh Sharma and CEO, PMIDC Mr. Ajoy Sharma were also present. Chandigarh, January 1: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hailed the sweeping Congress victory in the just concluded Panchayat polls in the state as a victory of democracy and a clear vindication of his governments policies. The Chief Minister also congratulated the people of Punjab for ensuring a largely peaceful poll, in which a whopping 80.38% of the total 12,787,395 eligible voters exercised their franchise a record for the state. Of the 13,276 booths in which polling was held, repoll has been declared in a mere 14, the Chief Minister pointed out, lauding the security forces for maintaining law and order during the elections despite attempts by the opposition to trigger trouble. Undeterred by the false propaganda unleashed by the Opposition parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), against the Congress government, the voters came out in large numbers without fear to cast their votes in favour of his partys candidates, said Captain Amarinder Singh. Congress victory in the just concluded Panchayat polls This shows that the disillusionment of the electorate with the SAD and other opposition parties, including the BJP and AAP, was complete, said the Chief Minister, adding that the people of Punjab were no longer willing to be misled by the canards being spread by these parties. The wave in favour of the Congress, which started in Punjab with the Assembly polls held last year and was manifest in the recent elections in various states across the country, was evidently going strong, till the lowest rung of the democratic ladder, the Chief Minister said. The Panchayat polls indicated the palpable pro-Congress mood in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, said the Chief Minister, expressing the confidence that his party would win the parliamentary polls too hands down. The people of Punjab had seen the development and progress of the past 21 months, since the Congress government took over, as against the utter ruination into which the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime had plunged the state during 10 years of their misrule, said Captain Amarinder Singh. Lok Sabha elections The negative campaigning of the opposition, which was clearly bereft of any positive agenda, had also contributed to the Congress victory in the Panchayat elections, and would continue to stand the party in good stead in the LS polls, he added. Of the 13,175 Sarpanches announced elected so far, 11241 belong to the Congress, with SAD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for only 981 and 100 respectively. Other smaller parties and independents accounted for 813 of the elected Sarpanches. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has suffered another ignominious electoral defeat, indicating that it had become completely irrelevant and was a non-entity in Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh pointed out. Government of Yucatan to increase Chichen Itza fee by 110 percent Chichen Itza, Yucatan Visitors to the popular ruins of Chichen Itza could be in for a surprise when they are charged more than double for an entrance fee. As of 2019, the government of Yucatan will increase the cost to enter the archaeological zone from 242 peso to 480 peso for foreign tourists. The price increase for Chichen Itza is being supported by the local legislature, however, entrepreneurs of the tourist sector of Yucatan have written a letter stating their concerns about such an increase. In a letter to the Legislative Branch, they say that the increase, which amounts to 110 percent, will cause economic losses to service providers and decrease the arrival of visitors to the site, adding that they cannot absorb that financial loss. President of the Tourism Business Council (CETUR) Yucatan, Jaime Solis Garza, explained that at this time, tour companies have already scheduled their services for the year with the wholesale operators at December prices, adding that they were not notified of the intention to increase the entrance fee. Solis Garza said that 90 percent of visitors to Chichen Itza are foreign, of which about 90 percent come to site from Quintana Roo, leaving a negative impact on both Quintana Roo and Yucatan tour companies. He stressed that if this increase is not reversed, the tour operators, transportation companies and travel agencies will take their Quintana Roo tourists to the archaeological zone of Tulum where the entrance fee is 75 peso. Taliban militants have killed several Afghan security forces in fresh attacks on several security checkpoints in the northern Sar-e-Pul Province, according to officials. In one of the January 1 attacks in the Sayyad district of the province, local police chief Khalil Khan was killed along with four other officers, a source told RFE/RL. The dpa news agency quoted provincial council member Mohammad Asif Sadiqi as saying a high-ranking provincial official with an Afghan spy agency and an army company commander were also killed in the attacks on two security posts, which it said left 23 Afghan security forces dead. Gunbattles raged for several hours in the Sayyad district as heavy artillery fire by Afghan troops trying to beat back the insurgents sent locals fleeing for safety. AP quoted Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi as claiming responsibility for both attacks. The violence comes a day after Iran said a Taliban delegation made a rare visit to Tehran for talks with a senior Iranian official on efforts to end Afghanistan's 17-year-long war. It also occurred just over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of 7,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan, about half of the U.S. contingent in the country. Many observers warned that the partial withdrawal could further degrade security and jeopardize possible peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending its insurgency. U.S. forces make up the bulk of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission that is training and advising Afghan security forces in their fight against the Taliban and Islamic State militants. The U.S. military also has some 7,000 troops deployed in a separate U.S. counterterrorism mission. With reporting by AP and dpa The family of a U.S. citizen being held by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) over suspected spying says he is innocent and was in Moscow to attend a wedding. Paul Whelan, a retired Marine, was last heard from on December 28, according to a statement from his family, obtained by RFE/RL on January 1. His failure to contact his family was very much out of character for him, the statement said. We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected, it added. Whelan, 48, could face between 10 to 20 years in prison if found guilty. Russian officials did not disclose any details of his alleged involvement in espionage. David Whelan told RFE/RL in a direct message via Twitter that his brother "has a corporate security role" with BorgWarner, a U.S.-based supplier of automotive parts and components. BorgWarner said in a statement sent to RFE/RL on January 1 that Paul Whelan was the company's global security director. It added that he is responsible for overseeing the company's facilities in Auburn Hills, Michigan, "and at other company locations around the world." BorgWarner has 60 manufacturing sites in 18 countries, but none of them are listed as being in Russia. A spokeswoman for BorgWarner told RFE/RL that the company "does not have any facilities in Russia." Russia's state-owned conglomerate Rostec said in 2013 that its truckmaker, KamAz, had a long record of collaboration with a subsidiary of BorgWarner known as BorgWarnerTurboSystems. David Whelan told AP in a January 1 interview that his brother had been to Russia "several times" before and was helping a former U.S. Marine friend of his plan a wedding with a Russian woman. On the morning of the day he was detained, Paul Whelan had given a tour of the Kremlin museums to a group of wedding guests, his brother said. He failed to show up for the wedding on the evening of December 28. David Whelan said his absence led the family to fear he had been in a car accident or perhaps mugged, and were searching the Internet for news about "dead Americans in Moscow." The U.S. State Department has said it knows about "the detention of a U.S. citizen by Russian authorities" and had been formally notified by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The State Department said on December 31 that it had requested consular access to Paul Whelan and expected "Russian authorities to provide it." David Whelan said in the AP interview that his family was told by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that it has been unable to speak with Paul Whelan. David Whelan said his brother had previously worked for Kelly Services, an international office-staffing company that does have offices in Moscow, and had been to Russia on business and to visit friends he had met on social-media networks. Paul Whelan reportedly had a page on the Russian social-media site VKontakte on which he writes messages in basic Russian. David Whelan said his brother was stationed in Iraq several times with the U.S. Marines and has been living in Novi, Michigan. The announcement of Whelans detainment came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow remains open to dialogue with Washington in a New Years greeting to U.S. President Donald Trump. Relations between the United States and Russia remain strained over a raft of issues including Russias role in wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine, its alleged meddling in elections in the United States and elsewhere, and the poisoning of a Russian double agent in Britain. At the end of November, Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina, citing tensions after Russian forces opened fire on Ukrainian Navy boats before seizing them and capturing 24 Ukrainian sailors. The detention of Whelan comes weeks after Russian Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to acting as an agent for the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied that Butina is a Russian agent and has organized a social-media campaign to secure her release. In the past, Russia has arrested foreigners with the aim of trading prisoners with other countries. In his annual year-end news conference on December 20, Putin said Russia would "not arrest innocent people simply to exchange them for someone else later on." Fahrudin Muminovic, a survivor of the mass shootings in and around the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995, has struggled to rebuild his family's life since the war ended. Twenty-three years later, that task has finally been made a little easier. A Facebook campaign sparked by the story of his and his sister Fahreta's effort to reconstruct the family home raised $227,000 in the course of just 16 days. The home in Urkovici, about 15 kilometers northeast of Srebrenica, was reduced to ruins during the conflict. For Fahrudin, who was shot in the hand and leg when bullets rained down during the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim boys and men by Serbian soldiers in Srebrenica, now a part of the Serbian entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, despair has finally turned to hope. "We returned here [to Urkovici] in 2002 and we have not received anything so far, except six sheep," he says from the living room of a relative's house. Their father, along with many other males in the family, was killed in the massacre. Their mother died 26 days after giving birth to Fahreta during the conflict in 1993. Parentless and impoverished, they turned to an aunt and uncle for shelter after the war. During that period, Fahrudin testified to the horrors he experienced as a 7-year-old during the war. At the trial of seven war crimes suspects in The Hague in 2007, Fahrudin spoke in great detail about what he had seen during the 1992-95 conflict. Fahrudin and his father were hauled away from their home and blindfolded by Serb forces so they couldnt see what was happening. After being herded with others at an area in Orahovac, Fahrudin lost his fathers hand and found himself knocked to the ground. Gunshots rang out and bullets pierced his leg and hand. The young boy could smell the blood flowing around him as the bodies piled up. Fahrudin would have joined them in death except for a soldier who showed mercy on him by defying orders to kill him. He was the sole survivor that day. The seven defendants were eventually convicted of several war crimes by the tribunal, including genocide. It took Fahrudin nearly a year to recover from his physical wounds, but he was scarred for life. He and his sister Fahreta were left to pick up the pieces. With the outpouring of support from those who donated money, the siblings now smile at the prospect of putting their pain behind them and having their own place to call home. The money raised will go a long way in Bosnia, where the average net monthly salary is less than $500 and just over one-third of the population is unemployed. The siblings say they will buy a place in Sarajevo and use the rest of the money -- along with the help of the Federal Ministry for Displaced Persons and Refugees -- to restore their war-ravaged house in Ukrovici. "Soon, we will get our own roof over our heads," Fahreta says cheerfully. With accommodations now being taken care of, Fahrudin can turn his attention to another goal: finding the family of the doctor who saved his life after he was wounded. Fahrudin says he recently heard that the doctor, who found him and took him in a white jeep adorned with a Red Cross symbol to a hospital in nearby Zvornik, had died. But that doesn't deter him, or his uncle, from trying to reach out and show that even in the war some Bosnian Serbs treated Bosnian Muslims, known as Bosniaks, humanely. "I'd like to meet them. It allows you to see that everywhere in this country there is good," says Ramo Muminovic. "The Serbs killed Fahrudin's father in this country, but its also where a Serb saved Fahrudin," he adds. Rescuers have found an 10-month-old infant alive in the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk some 35 hours after a suspected gas explosion knocked down a section of the high-rise, killing at least nine with dozens still unaccounted for. The baby boy was plucked from the wreckage on January 1, having survived freezing temperatures since the blast, which occurred early on New Year's Eve. The TASS news agency reported the infant was found lying in his crib wrapped in layers of blankets, which likely saved his life. The child -- identified as Ivan Fokin -- suffered frostbite and a head injury, TASS reported, citing a regional emergency center. His mother survived the explosion and the collapse and has visited her son in the hospital. Authorities had been forced to temporarily halt most of the rescue operations because of fears the efforts would shift rubble and cause more sections of the building to collapse. "There is a real risk that more sections of the building will collapse," he said, adding that it could take up to a day before it is safe to resume rescue efforts. Later, rescuers removed some dangerous segments of the building and resumed their operations. Rescue workers had braved frigid conditions through the night in an effort to locate victims. The Emergency Situations Ministry said that 26 apartments housing 46 residents were destroyed. More than 30 people remain unaccounted for. President Vladimir Putin traveled to the city in the southern Urals later on December 31 and met with local officials before visiting some of the injured at a nearby hospital. "It is in the character of our people, despite New Year's festivities, to remember to think of the dead and wounded at this moment," Putin said at the hospital. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the creation of a government commission to provide aid to the victims of the disaster. Regional Governor Boris Dubrovsky said on December 31 that seven children were among the missing. Emergency Situations Minister Yevgeny Zinichev said it would take at least 48 hours to clear the debris. Special large heaters were brought in to try to keep any possible survivors from freezing to death under the rubble as the rescue operations continue. "We must work as quickly as we can since temperatures do not give us any time to linger," Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Pavel Baryshev told journalists. According to the regional government, the explosion took place at 6:10 a.m. local time on December 31 in a complex of apartment buildings that was built in 1973 and houses some 1,100 people. "We were sleeping and I woke up feeling I was falling down," said Yulia Gavrilova, a survivor. "I first thought I was dreaming it. Then I woke up for real and realized that I was standing outside. The wall was not there any longer. My mother was screaming that she couldn't breathe, and my son was screaming from another corner." Sixteen people were evacuated from parts of the building not directly affected by the blast, and several others were able to escape the blast on their own. The head of the Tajik diaspora in Magnitogorsk, Abulmajid Sharipov, told RFERL that a Tajik family of five was living in an apartment in the collapsed part of the building. Shuhrat Ulfatov, 26, was found unconscious and hospitalized after spending more than six hours under the debris in freezing cold. The fates of his wife and three children are unclear. The Emergency Situations Ministry said on its website that, in all, 48 apartments from the third to the 10th floor in the building's central part were damaged by the explosion. The Investigative Committee said it has launched a probe into the explosion and dispatched investigators from its central headquarters in Moscow to Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk is located some 1,700 kilometers southeast of Moscow. With reporting by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, TASS, Interfax, and RIA Novosti Romania has taken over the rotating European Union Presidency as the bloc faces the prospect of Britain's impending departure and rising nationalism in many member states. Romania's six-month term began on January 1 under the motto: "Cohesion, a common European value." It is the first time that Romania has taken the EU Presidency. In an interview with Germany's Die Welt on December 29, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the "Bucharest government has not fully understood what it means to preside over the countries of the EU." The role "requires a willingness to listen to others and a willingness to put one's own concerns in the background," Juncker said. "I have some doubts about this." Romania and the EU have disagreed over a proposed overhaul of Romania's judiciary that the EU feels is politically motivated and would undermine the country's fight against corruption. Key moments in Romania's term holding the EU Presidency will be Britain's scheduled departure from the bloc on March 29 and EU parliamentary elections scheduled for May. Based on reporting by dpa and AFP Thirteen people were injured when a wooden pedestrian bridge collapsed during New Year's celebrations early on January 1 in Moscow's Gorky Park. The Moscow mayor's office issued a statement saying that "no serious injuries" were reported. Earlier, the state TASS news agency quoted an unidentified police source as saying three of the victims were seriously injured. The bridge over a skating rink was crowded with many dozens of people when it collapsed, sending people tumbling about 3 meters. According to a video posted on social media, the spectators were listening to the Russian national anthem at the time of the incident: The Moscow city government said the collapse was caused by "a technical fault in the skating rink's structural elements." With reporting by TASS and RBK North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned that his country could seek a "new path" in relations with the United States "if the U.S. does not keep its promise made in front of the whole worldand insists on sanctions and pressures on our republic." In a New Year's statement broadcast on January 1, Kim praised his June 2018 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore, where the leaders had "fruitful talks" and "exchanged constructive ideas." He also said he was ready to meet again with Trump "at any time in the future." Kim also called on the United States to extend its halt on military exercises with South Korea. He added that the United States "continues to break its promises and misjudges our patience by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushing ahead with sanctions and pressure." At the June summit, Kim and Trump agreed to a vague pledge to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, but little progress has been made on the issue in recent months. A meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean officials was canceled in November and has yet to be rescheduled. On December 31, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that Kim had sent Trump a "letter-like" message that was "conciliatory" in tone. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in also said Kim had sent a message to Seoul expressing a desire to hold additional Korean summits in 2019 with the goal of denuclearizing the peninsula. Last year, Kim used his New Year's address to open up a new diplomatic initiative with Washington and Seoul that led to three summits with Moon and the historic Singapore summit with Trump. Kim also met three times in 2018 with Chinese President Xi Jinping. With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa Some businesses in the northwestern region of Xinjiang are using forced labor at exploitative rates in connection with the mass incarceration of ethnic minority Muslims in camps, RFA has learned. Beginning in April 2017, Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas have been jailed or detained in "re-education" camps throughout the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Estimates suggest that some 1.1 million people are currently being held in the networkequating to 10 to 11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the region. While Beijing initially denied the existence of the camps, official media are now claiming that the camps are an effective tool to protect the country from "terrorism" and provide "vocational training" for Uyghurs. The mass detentions have drawn significant attention from the international community, and particularly from the U.S., where lawmakers have called for access to the camps and proposed sanctions against officials and entities in China deemed responsible for abusing the rights of inmates. In the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang, bordering Kazakhstan, nine Kazakh women from Yining county were recently sent back to a "re-education" camp after they refused to sign a labor contract with a monthly salary of 600 yuan, around 40 percent of a typical wage for a manual worker, of which they would have received only around 300 yuan, Kazakh Muslims with ties to the region told RFA. The women were sent to work in the Yining County Textile Industrial Park after being released from an internment camp, and expected to work 12 hour shifts and undergo an hour's "political education" every day for the money, sources said. When they refused to go along with the terms of the contract, they were sent back to the camp, they said. Friends and relatives later wrote to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) about the case. One source said the majority of the textile park's 2,000 employees are former camp inmates who work 12 hours a day, with one hour's "political study" after finishing their shifts at 7.00 p.m. 'Surplus labor' Muslim Gulzira Khan and her daughter Kundiz Tursinjan were sent to a "re-education" camp on July 15, 2017, and released on Oct. 7, 2018, and told to report to the textile park for work 10 days after their release, sources said. They were told to sign an employment contract last Friday and threatened with being sent back to the camp. However, calls to Gulzira's phone were disconnected on Friday and Monday. Calls to several businesses in the Yining Textile Industrial Park rang unanswered during office hours on Monday. A recent Ili TV news report depicted the growth of the local textile industry as beneficial to local ethnic minorities, and to the region's economy. It said the Ili Zhuowan Apparel Co. was set up to make leather and other gloves in 2017, with the orders coming from overseas buyers and from the domestic e-commerce sector. Textile and garment factories are currently being helped by "preferential policies" in the region, "solving the problem of surplus labor," the report said. Muhtal, an ethnic Kazakh born in China but now living in Kazakhstan, said three of his family members have been sent to camps with no explanation or criminal charges since April 2017. "My mother Aytulla was detained on April 25, 2017 in a political education camp in Xinjiang, while my father Murat was detained on March 19, 2018," Muhtal said. "And my cousin Mustafa Khan was arrested in Qitai County, Changji, on Oct. 17, 2017. I recently heard that he was doing so-called factory work there." Another Muslim, Nurbek Hajbey, said his brother Umulbek was detained in the Emin county political re-education camp for more than nine months before his release on Nov. 25. He is now being prevented from going overseas. "Umulbek is under surveillance by the police during the day ... and they say he can't leave the country because the bank gave him a loan," he said. Passport hassles Ethnic minority Muslims in Xinjiang wanting to apply for a passport must gain approval from their village or neighborhood committee, the township government, their local police station and police department, and their employer, which is required to issue a document vouching that they have no relatives overseas. The process can drag on for months. And even passport-holders must now find a government employee to act as guarantor in their absence, and any overseas trips are limited to 15 days, sources said. An anonymous source in Xinjiang's Altay prefecture said the policy is now in operation across the region. "Now the time limit for overseas trips has shrunk to 15 days," the source said. "It used to be three months." "Another thing is that you have to have one or two guarantors who must be a government employee," the source said. "If you don't return to China before the end of 15 days, your guarantor will be sent to a political re-education camp." The friends and family of overseas Chinese Muslim minorities are also sent to camps if their relative speaks out about the situation in Xinjiang while outside China, sources said. A second source said guarantees for overseas travel have also been sought in the form of cars and apartments, which are held as surety for the person's overseas trip. "After returning to China, they will undergo 20 days of uninterrupted questioning about who they met with in Kazakhstan, what was said, whether any state secrets were revealed," the source said. "They repeat the same questions many times, and if you give a different answer from the last time, you will be sent to a re-education camp." Anyone traveling to Kazakhstan is also warned that Chinese security personnel will be watching them at all times wherever they are, according to another source, who also confirmed the claims made by the other sources about overseas travel. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Thousands of marchers took to the streets of Hong Kong on Tuesday in protest at growing political suppression in the city and the decision not to pursue corruption cases against a former leader. An estimated 5,000 people turned out for the march, some carrying banners calling for democratic reform, and others protesting a string of high-profile corruption allegations involving senior government figures and major companies. The city's seven million residents are angry over a recent decision not to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying over alleged financial conflicts of interest during his time in office, and over shoddy construction at Hung Hom railway station, according to march organizer Jimmy Sham of the Civil Human Rights Front. Shouting slogans that included calls to prosecute Leung and for incumbent chief executive Carrie Lam to resign, the protesters marched from Causeway bay to government headquarters in Admiralty. Others chanted: "Stop suppressing our citizens!" as police shouted warnings to the crowd not to gather outside government offices. Meanwhile, more than 50 overseas Chinese veterans of the 1989 pro-democracy movement on Tiananmen Square signed an open letter on New Year's Day calling for public commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the military crackdown on June 4, 1989, which falls this year. The letter from former student leaders and activists including Wang Dan, Wu'er Kaixi, Zhou Fengsuo and Wang Juntao called for a reexamination of the trajectory Chinese politics has taken ever since, namely the abandonment of democratic reform. "In 1989, Chinese students and people took to the streets to fight corruption and demand democracy," the letter read. "Their demands were suppressed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, and a large number of people were killed or injured." "Thirty years on, this historical wound is still bleeding," it said. "If the Chinese nation wants to move towards a more civilized state, it cannot continue to evade this major historical event." "On the eve of the 30th anniversary, the whole world needs to reconstruct the memories of the past, resist totalitarian power, and fight for democracy," the letter said. Xi Jinping tightens controls Wang Juntao told RFA in an interview that the beliefs of former student leaders and activists exiled overseas in the wake of the crackdown have never changed. "Those beliefs are that, without democracy and constitutional government, China's development can never be stable or long-lasting, and the Chinese people will be unable to enjoy the fruits of that development fairly," Wang said. Hu Ping, honorary editor of the overseas Chinese political magazine Beijing Spring, said that the large scale commemoration of the June 4th is especially important for today's China. "The 1989 democratic movement was a mass movement, not only in Chinese history but also in world history," Hu said. "Such movements are rare, and this movement showed that the Chinese people have a strong desire for democracy and freedom." Hu and Wang both said it was the job of overseas dissidents to help the rest of the world to remember what happened in 1989. The number of people who died when People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops cleared Beijing of thousands of protesters calling for democracy who had camped for weeks in on Tiananmen Square remains unclear and in dispute, and the government clamps down quickly on any public commemorative activities and censors discussion of the issue. Victims' group the Tiananmen Mothers have compiled exact accounts of the deaths of 202 people across China, including Beijing. In the highest estimates, diplomatic cables from the U.S. and Britain declassified in the past five years cite Chinese government documents with estimates of 10,000 or slightly more. However, younger people in China continue to bypass the "Great Firewall" of internet censorship to find out about the events of 1989, activists say. The administration of President Xi Jinping has broadened government control over freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, and the right to political participation, continuing a trend set in place after the 1989 crackdown, and detaining hundreds of activists in recent years, rights groups say. The Tiananmen massacre was preceded by a peaceful gatherings of students, workers, and others in Beijings Tiananmen Square and other cities in April 1989 calling for freedom of expression, accountability, and an end to corruption, but the government responded by instituting martial law, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report issued on last year's anniversary. Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Xi Wang for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Contributed photo Fantasia is a great cat for the right family. This 2-year-old wants to live with adults and older teens who are cat savvy. She would like to be the only pet so she can get all the attention. She is a quiet and reserved kitty that would appreciate a peaceful home. Fantasia is still learning and she wants to get off to a great start in her new home, so she and her new family will need to continue her training. (Training Required) Fantasia does have some special needs but she still has lots of life to live and love to give. Please ask the adoption counselor to explain when you visit with Fantasia in Waterford. Remember, the Connecticut Humane Society has no time limits for adoption. Inquiries for adoption should be made at the Connecticut Humane Society located at 701 Russell Road in Newington or call toll free: 1-800-452-0114. January 01, 2019 12:39 IST 'In mocking him, Modi and Shah went horribly wrong.' 'It made Gandhi determined to fight to the finish, which now has the entire Sangh Parivar rattled,' says a Congress leader, privy to the repeated RSS outreach for a rapproachment. Archis Mohan reports. Photograph: INC/Twitter As he lent a hand to former prime minister Manmohan Singh cut a cake at the party's national headquarters on December 28 to celebrate its 133rd foundation day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi remarked how his job as party chief was increasingly to distribute the cake equally because sometimes people tended to run away with the whole cake. There were laughs all around, but few had any doubt the message their 47-year-old boss was sending out -- he might allow seniors in the party to arm-twist him now and then, but would not spare the whip if pushed into a corner. For long ridiculed as 'pappu' by not just the Sangh Parivar but also those within his own party, Gandhi has for over the last 12-13 months displayed a consistency of courage and hard work that has helped galvanise moribund Congress workers across India, stunned his political rivals in Bharatiya Janata Party and forced frenemies in the opposition space into silence. Year 2018 was not only been about the resurgence of the Congress party in the Indian politics, but about Gandhi's emergence as a future leader of the country. After the Congress's wins in the three Hindi heartland states on December 11, the day Gandhi completed a year as the party president, few within his party can afford to treat his words lightly. According to sources in Twitter, the use of #pappu is currently lowest in the last five years, and is at times even lower than #fenku. Several opinion polls have put Gandhi ahead of Modi in popularity in southern Indian states, a big reason why Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M K Stalin announced that the Congress president would be the UPA's prime ministerial candidate for 2019. Since the Gujarat assembly polls and the recent assembly polls to five states, BJP strategists have waited for Gandhi to make mistakes -- whether by making an incongruous statement, or leaving for a vacation overseas in the midst of a campaign. "We had factored in that he would commit some mistakes along the way, which we would exploit. The rude truth is that he hasn't," a BJP strategist, involved in the party's Rajasthan poll preparation, told this reporter recently. Those close to Gandhi say they have always known about his exceptional understanding of Indian politics, a worldview that for them was at times exasperatingly detached and his commitment to equity. What has changed is his zeal to oust Modi and Shah. "The Sangh Parivar in mocking him, Modi and Shah in pushing him into a corner, went horribly wrong. It made Gandhi determined to fight to the finish, which now has the entire Sangh Parivar rattled," says a Congress leader, privy to the repeated outreach from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for some kind of a rapproachment. IMAGE: Dr Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi cut a cake to celebrate the 134th Congress foundation day on December 28. Photograph: PTI Gandhi has been telling Opposition leaders, as he said in Parliament in July before famously hugging the prime minister, his single point agenda is to see Modi and Shah ousted, while even a Nitin Gadkari or Rajnath Singh were acceptable as next prime ministers of India. According to a source in the Samajwadi Party, Gandhi recently told SP chief Akhilesh Yadav that it was acceptable to him if the Congress was not a part of the SP-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh if it helped defeat Modi and Shah. Gandhi has also come to enjoy much trust among the next generation leadership of his potential allies, including Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary, DMK chief Stalin, the Nationalist Congress Party's Supriya Sule, and others. Within his party, Gandhi warned leaders to speak up on the Rafale fighter jet issue if they foresee a successful career in the Congress. In 2015, Gandhi's 'suit boot ki sarkar' jibe had made Modi government withdraw its land acquisition bill. He has been the foremost critic of Modi government's 'Gabbar Singh tax'. In 2016, Gandhi had travelled across Uttar Pradesh as part of his 'kisan yatra', where he had promised a farm loan waiver. Gandhi has also fostered in the party the need to consult stakeholders in drafting party manifestos and policies. For the Gujarat and Chhattisgarh assembly polls, the Congress manifesto drafting teams consulted hundreds of organisations and thousands of activists. As a key member of his young team says, the challenge for the party was now to disabuse the youth in large parts of India, particularly in urban areas, who have come to hate the Gandhi family. Ever since the party's win in the assembly seats, the Congress has launched a campaign to show Gandhi as not just a successful leader, but someone who is also an endearing person. There is an effort to make Gandhi espouse "positive narratives" to show him not merely as an Opposition leader adept at bringing down his opponents by spouting the language of the street, with such slogans as 'chowkidar chor hai'. For example, Gandhi has taken to posting positive stories of success of unsung Indians on Facebook and Twitter. The Indian Youth Congress and National Students Union of India are in the process of launching campaigns to reach out to the youth, to show how their party and its leader have the interest of India's youth close to their hearts. Would 2019, as one NSUI campaign states, have the electorate trust Gandhi to lead them into a 'Behtar Bharat'? Last updated on: January 01, 2019 11:07 IST Happy New Year! Stunning fireworks displays welcomed the New Year across the world. Take a look. People watch as fireworks explode over Copacabana beach during New Year celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photograph: Raquel Cunha/Reuters Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the midnight display on New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. Sydney organised its biggest-ever fireworks display and used new effects to light up the skyline for 12 minutes. More than 1.5 million spectators packed the harbour front and parks to enjoy the spectacle. Photograph: Scott Barbour/City of Sydney/Getty Images Schoolchildren hold balloons as they pose during celebrations to welcome the New Year at their school in Ahmedabad, India. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters WATCH: India lights up for New Year's Fireworks explode over the Marina Bay in Singapore. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters A man wears glasses shaped as the year 2019 as he attends a new year countdown event at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, Japan. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters Watch: Auckland welcomes 2019 with a bang! Fireworks explode near Petronas Twin Towers during New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photograph: Lai Seng Sin/Reuters People watch as the Burj Khalifa is lit up during the New Year celebrations in Dubai, UAE. Photograph: Satish Kumar/Reuters WATCH: Dubai rings in new year with spectacular fireworks display People watch as fireworks explode around the Selamat Datang Monument during New Year's Eve celebrations in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photograph: Willy Kurniawan/Reuters Revellers enjoy during New Year celebrations in Moscow's Red Square, Russia. In Moscow, more than 1,000 ice rinks were opened for merrymakers. Photograph: Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters The Arc de Triomphe is lit during New Year's celebration in Paris, France. In Paris, a fireworks display and sound and light show under the theme "fraternity" played out on the Champs-Elysees. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters Revellers take part in Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, Edinburgh, Scotland. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters Fireworks explode over the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany. Every year, hundreds of thousands of spectators gather for New Year's Eve festivities at the landmark Prussian monument. Photograph: Adam Berry/Getty Images Fireworks explode over The London Eye and Elizabeth Tower near Parliament as thousands of revellers gather along the banks of the River Thames to ring in the New Year in London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images A woman celebrates the New Year at Jogyesa Buddhist temple on January 1, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images January 01, 2019 12:09 IST Success in the Lok Sabha polls would help Twitter chart out its growth story in India. Karan Choudhury and Archis Mohan report. Photograph: Kind courtesy Pixabay.com As social media sites fight it out to emerge as the biggest platform in the run-up to the upcoming general election, Twitter has set sights on the 190 million strong rural Internet user base in India. From promoting the usage of local languages, hiring regional bloggers, social media influencers, regional think-tanks to organising road shows to educate people more about the platform, Twitter hopes to gain a chunk of new users from rural India next year. Currently, it has close to 30 million users in India, quite small if compared to Facebook (294 million), WhatsApp (200 million) and Instagram (71 million). However, activity on the platform during the recent assembly polls in five states, particularly in Hindi and Telugu, has enthused Twitter to look at the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an opportunity to expand its user base, especially in Indian languages. IMAGE: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey with Congress President Rahul Gandhi during his visit to India. Photograph: PTI Photo Last month, during his maiden visit to India, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey reached out to all political parties and met government officials -- at the Centre and in states -- as well as senior police officers and civic body officials, to talk about delivering governance via the platform. According to sources close to the firm, Dorsey has also made it clear to his team in India that the platform would require to gain new users from rural India to make the expansion possible. To achieve this, the company says it has a fresh strategy to target tier-III and rest of Indian towns and villages. "Over the next few months, road shows would be organised throughout the country to educate people on how easy it is to connect to their political leaders via Twitter. Small-scale events would be organised in villages where young local influencers would teach people how to tweet, talk to them about online trends, teach them how to look for reliable information on the platform," says a source part of the team creating a blueprint of the initiatives. These influencers would also educate people about fake news, how to spot and report it. "These influencers want to assure people that the platform is heavily moderated and the danger of fake news on the platform is lesser than in messaging apps," added the source. Local languages would play an important role as well. The social media giant plans to launch initiatives in as many as 10 languages and hopes to add local dialects as well. These would include Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi. A massive recruitment drive is on to bring in people who will be part of the vernacular initiative. According to Twitter, the success in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls would help Twitter chart out its growth story in India. It has already tasted success in the recent assembly elections. Between October 1 and December 11, Twitter saw more than 6.6 million tweets in relation to #AssemblyElections2018. Throughout the elections campaign, politicians and political parties extensively used Twitter to reach out to the electorate. Poll promises and policy announcements of political parties were some of the top-tweeted moments. Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi were the top mentioned leaders on Twitter. The rural economy emerged as the most talked-about election-related topic over the past nine weeks. Twitter had earlier said it would offer all the tools it used in the 2016 US presidential elections to the social media teams of all political parties in India. Its BlueRoom initiative might feature interviews with leaders of political parties, local representatives, student union leaders, as well as political commentators. Source: January 01, 2019 12:41 IST IMAGE: Goa CM Manohar Parrikar welcomed at the state secretariat in Panaji on Tuesday. Photograph: Courtesy @goacm/Twitter Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday attended his office at the secretariat in Panaji for the first time in the last four months, on the New Year Day. Parrikar, 63, has been absent from the office for extended period due to a pancreatic ailment. He had undergone treatment at private hospitals in Mumbai and the United States last year. He had last attended the office in August 2018, before he was shifted to Mumbai for treatment. The chief minister, with medical appendage, got down from his car at the main gate of the secretariat at around 10.45 am, smiled at people, and walked inside, sources said. Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party workers who had gathered outside the complex cheered when Parrikar arrived. He was formally welcomed by BJP MLAs, including Legislative Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, ministers Mauvin Godinho, Milind Naik, Nilesh Cabral and former MLA Kiran Kandolkar. Sources from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Parrikar held a meeting with officials of the Personnel department to review existing vacancies and other issues like promotions and transfers that needed urgent attention. He also met staff of his office, they said. In the first public appearance since his return from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi in October, the chief minister had last month inspected the work on new bridges over the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers near Panaji. He had met Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu last week to discuss various developmental works. He also discussed with the minister the Centre's plan to make Goa an investment destination. Since his discharge from AIIMS, Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence at Dona Paula near Panaji. Source: January 01, 2019 10:35 IST Signing up for it means a month without alcohol! Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images The findings of a University of Sussex study suggest that Dry January is the secret to better sleep and losing weight. The research, lead by Sussex psychologist Dr Richard de Visser, was conducted with over 800 people who took part in Dry January in 2018. They reported that: Drinking days fell on an average from 4.3 to 3.3 per week Units consumed per drinking day dropped on an average from 8.6 to 7.1 Frequency of being drunk dropped from 3.4 per month to 2.1 per month on an 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 sleep better and three in five lose weight. '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.' By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/09/2021 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! What couples are still together and which MAFS couples have split up and divorced? And where are they now? 's first twelve seasons featured 44 different couples getting married at first sight -- so which couples are still together, who has split up and divorced, and where are they all now?Each season of -- which premiered in the United States seven years ago and is based on a Danish series -- features couples (previously three couples, but four couples on Seasons 8 and 9, and five couples beginning with Season 10) being matched together by relationship experts and agree to marry when they first meet.Complete strangers become husband and wife in a matter of minutes, and the couples' lives are then documented by TV cameras over the course of the next four to eight weeks (eight weeks, in the case of 's most recent seasons).The couples typically enjoy their first night together in a hotel after exchanging vows -- with some couples deciding to consummate their marriage immediately -- and then embark on a honeymoon, move in together, and simply attempt to deal with the struggles of daily life as man and wife.At the end of the extreme marriage experiment, each couple must decide whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce on "Decision Day."has experienced very mixed results over the years. While a significant number of couples decide to stay together and continue their new marriage at the end of their season, the real world seems to hit them hard after the cameras leave, resulting in the couple splitting up only months later.Do cast members see a different side of their spouses once cameras are gone, or do the romances naturally fizzle over time?Some couples are still together to this day and are extremely happy. Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from Season 1, for example, have had two children.Several other couples have also had children -- including Ashley Petta and Anthony D'Amico Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd , and Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie However, there are also relationships that ended badly. Jessica Castro from Season 2, for instance, accused Ryan De Nino of alleged death threats, and she went on to file a restraining order and lawsuit against him.Some couples have also never even made it to "Decision Day" and ended their marriage prematurely, including Season 4 couple Heather Seidel and Derek Schwartz as well as Season 6 couple Molly Duff and Jonathan Francetic Are the remaining couples now lovers, friends or enemies?! What about early season couples like Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion, Jaclyn Methuen and Ryan Ranellone, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell, Sonia Granados and Nick Pendergrast, and Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson?And how about more recent season couples like Danielle DeGroot and Cody Knapek Sheila Downs and Nate Duhon Jaclyn Schwartzberg and Ryan Buckley Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana , and Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally Keith Dewar and Kristine Killingsworth , and AJ Vollmoeller and Stephanie Sersen Click thelink below to see photos of each couple and find out! BEGIN GALLERY >> Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available 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 Property details: 2.1 ACRES Ranch California City CA. KERN COUNTY NO MINIMUM / NO RESERVE --- HIGH BID OWNS THE LOT This property is located north-east of Mojave this land lies along 58 Hwy near North Edwards, south of Aerial Acres in Kern County. A really growing community. Enjoy the Wonderful 4 Seasons Weather, all in the growth in The Heart of This City! Just across State Route 14, north of State Hwy 58 Barstow-Bakersfield and 395 Fwy. Aerial Acres is a fly-in unincorporated community in Kern County, Californi... Price: $ 1,200 State/Province: California Seller State of Residence: California Location: 928**, Orange, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California You have to drink vodka in one go and exhale through the nose rather than mouth. With the New Year just around the corner, the chance of visitors to Russia not being asked to join the locals for a few celebratory drinks is extremely slim. But what steps should you take to make sure a traditional vodka session doesnt leave your head spinning by midnight? RBTH offers useful tips on how best to prepare for a New Years feast and avoid its less welcome side effects. When it comes to stereotypes about Russia, there are few more potent than the natives supposed attachment to drinking vodka. Foreigners often wonder: "Why do Russians love vodka so much?" However, with the New Year celebrations upon us, another question becomes more topical: "How should you drink vodka with Russians?" Some attribute Russians' supposed extraordinary ability to drink a lot of vodka to genetics. However, Russians themselves say that this ability has nothing to do with biology and is in fact rooted in Russian traditions. Russian businessman Artyom Minayev often invites foreigners to Moscow restaurants to discuss business and has concluded that foreigners do not know how to drink vodka. "The biggest problem with Europeans, Americans and the Chinese is that they drink and do not take any food immediately after. So after a second or third shot it is no longer possible to talk to them about work! says Minayev. Russians love vodka because it really does warm you up and because it goes so well with Russian cuisine. When you drink vodka, you should do it with some fatty foods, even if its just sour cream! You can have boiled or fried potatoes with it, bread, sausage, cheese, oily fish. There are numerous snacks that are not at all expensive and that will prevent you from getting drunk." There are other secrets too Many Russians, before sitting down to their New Year feast, consume a raw egg. They say it is the best way of making sure that one will last the whole evening and leave the table sober. However, doctors are categorically opposed to this method because raw eggs are the easiest way of contracting salmonella. If you have concerns on that score too, you can just drink a tablespoonful of sunflower oil. On his first visit to Moscow, Santiago Fonseca from Mexico.made some thorough preparations for the New Year party he was going to have with his girlfriend's friends, fearing that otherwise he would not be able to make it through the night. I had read that fat prevents alcohol absorption, he says, so I drank several spoons of oil and ate two potatoes. It is hard to believe it but I remained sober even having drunk a whole bottle of rather dubious vodka!" Having said that, despite the fact that fat helps you to stay sober, it is also very important not to overeat and not to eat too many starchy and sweet foods as they generate more work for the liver and pancreas, making it more difficult for them to process alcohol. Vodka etiquette and how to avoid a hangover Anastasia Knezhevich sells numerous varieties of vodka at her shop and has to spend a lot of time explaining to foreigners how vodka is consumed in Siberia, where she is originally from. "I think the problem with foreigners is that they mix vodka in cocktails and sip vodka slowly, says Knezhevich. I keep telling them that you have to drink vodka in one go and exhale through the nose rather than mouth. Thats why Russians are capable of drinking a lot of vodka and remaining alive afterwards. According to Artyom Minayev, at a Russian dinner party it is important for a foreigner to show that he or she is a friendly person. To that end, it is necessary to drink the first two or three shots, after which it is possible to take a break to save energy for more to come. "When a foreigner is ready to have another shot of vodka, they need to take the bottle and fill the glasses of all those present. I was at one dinner once where a Japanese guest kept pouring vodka only into his own glass. It was so tactless that nobody wanted to invite him ever again. Incidentally, he never managed to sign the important contracts that he had come to Moscow to sign," recalls Minayev. If none of the recommendations above proves useful in your case, here is another piece of advice from RBTH: First thing the next morning, drink a glass of salty water or brine. This is the most effective ancient remedy against hangovers and headaches, and many Russians swear by it. All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Journalist and anchor Dinesh Gautam has been appointed news editor across five Indian states for the soon-to-launch network ETV Bharat. Appointed by media baron Ramoji Rao, Gautam will oversee the news content for the new network in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand. ETV Bharat is aiming to break the mould of Indian broadcast news by offering hyper-localised news and infotainment across 13 languages.Gautam has held senior editorial positions at several channels including 24 x 7 News, Live India, and Shara News Network, and was previously prime time anchor and principal correspondent at Zee News . A regular on All India Radio, Gautam was also recently the creative head of Moon Light Theatres, writing and directing plays presented by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.I am truly elated to be part of this behemoth news network, which is investing unlike any other media house in people and infrastructure, keeping in view the future of news media, said Dinesh Gautam.I see tremendous opportunities and areas where we can provide value to our audience, he added.ETV Bharat is hoping to emulate the success of sister channel ETV Telugu The microbiome is one of the most significant scientific discoveries of our age, regarded as a new organ of the human body, & it is proposed to revolutionize the future of healthcare. As such, the microbiome is of eminent importance to global thought-leaders. -Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder, CEO uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, will host a microbiome conference in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland following their selection as a 2018 Technology Pioneer. The conference is invitation-only. In January, the heads and members of more than 100 governments, top executives of the 1,000 foremost global companies, leaders of international organizations, and prominent thought leaders will gather in Davos to define priorities and shape global, industry, and regional agendas. uBiome was chosen to join the Technology Pioneer community in 2018, composed of early-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development, and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. Previous recipients include Google, Foundation Medicine, Airbnb, Kickstarter, Spotify, and Twitter. The microbiome is believed to have a profound effect on human health, including synthesizing vitamins, metabolizing nutrients, impacting immune response, and interacting with our hormones. Given that recent research suggests microbes influence body systems and various health conditions, understanding and further manipulating these interactions may allow for better management and treatment of conditions. The microbiome is one of the most significant scientific discoveries of our age, regarded as a new organ of the human body, and it is proposed to revolutionize the future of healthcare. As such, the microbiome is of eminent importance to global thought-leaders, Dr. Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome, said. uBiome is honored to contribute cutting-edge insights to initiatives and world-critical discussions at the Annual Meeting by hosting a microbiome conference. To learn more about uBiomes accomplishments, please visit https://ubiome.com/news-press/. About uBiome Founded in 2012, uBiome is the leader in microbial genomics. The Companys mission is to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful to people. uBiome combines its patented proprietary precision sequencing with machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutic targets. uBiome has filed for over 250 patents on its technology, which includes sample preparation, computational analysis, molecular techniques, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications. uBiomes commercial products include SmartGut, the worlds first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohns Disease, and ulcerative colitis; SmartJane, the first sequencing-based womens health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions; SmartFlu, the worlds first sequencing-based clinical respiratory test, which identifies more than 20 clinically relevant targets for viruses and bacteria associated with the flu and common cold; and Explorer, a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness. uBiomes platform has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, patients, and doctors and more than 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney. Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018, as well as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.uBiome.com. The acquisition will facilitate us to grow the company further and serve other markets in more states as well as to integrate and build out their existing platform of mortgage loan servicing which will create stronger relationships with our borrowers in the future. New Fed Mortgage, a fast-growing multistate residential mortgage lender headquartered in Massachusetts is poised to expand the company further in 2019 with the announcement of plans to purchase Commonwealth Mortgage LLC, a direct to consumer lender located in Woburn, MA early in 2019. Recent Growth New Fed experienced rapid growth in 2018 adding on 25 new employees to its team along with the addition of 2 new retail branch locations. President Brian D'Amico: Over the past year we have built our infrastructure and have been looking for opportunities for growth. Our vision for growth has been through retail branches in New England and to open a consumer direct channel outside of New England. The acquisition of Commonwealth enables us to do that while expanding our lending footprint. We are now more versatile with our current infrastructure and more importantly we have the right people in place. About New Fed Mortgage New Fed Mortgage Corp. based in Danvers has specialized in residential retail mortgage lending since 2001, and is licensed in seven states with team of 65 employees. New Fed offers in house underwriting for Conventional, Jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, Portfolio lending and state housing programs. Products available include 1st time home buyer programs with little 0 down, pick your own term traditional fixed rate programs, ARM programs, construction loans and 203K renovation loans. The advantage of being a local based lender unlike most big banks, New Feds focus is solely on mortgage lending and fostering a family style work atmosphere. New Fed takes an all-in team approach from the beginning of the process with personalized open communication through loan processing to closing. About Commonwealth Mortgage Founder and CEO of Commonwealth Mortgage Mike Richards, Esq. achieved extraordinary results funding billions of mortgage loans since its inception back in 2000 growing the company to a multi-state platform. Commonwealth has been on Banker & Tradesman Fast 50 list amongst the fastest growing lenders in recent years and is approved with lending authority by Fannie Mae, VA, FHA and USDA. Mike Richards also formed a subsidiary national closing/title company, CMR Closing Services. LLC with responsibility of oversight for several attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. The company has disbursed billions of dollars in residential mortgage fundings as well as title certifications and other settle agent functions. Future Expansion and Plans New Feds acquisition of Commonwealth will enable the expansion mortgage lending into additional states that include Virginia, Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania. New Fed will be hiring additional staff to coordinate the internet mortgage division. DAmico commented, The acquisition will facilitate us to grow the company further and serve other markets in more states as well as to integrate and build out their existing platform of mortgage loan servicing which will create stronger relationships with our borrowers in the future. New Fed Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender. Members of the MA Mortgage Bankers Association and the Better Business Bureau of Eastern MA. For more information contact New Fed Mortgage at 877-639-3331 or email to info(at)newfed.com Transaction expected to add increased attributable nickel and cobalt production from a long-life, world-class mine TSX Venture: KBLT OTCQX: CBLLF FRA: 27O TORONTO, Jan. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. ("Cobalt 27") (TSXV: KBLT) (OTCQX: CBLLF)(FRA: 27O) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive scheme implementation agreement (the "Implementation Agreement") with Highlands Pacific Limited ("Highlands") (ASX: HIG; POMSoX: HIG) dated January 1, 2019, pursuant to which Cobalt 27 will acquire all of the issued ordinary shares of Highlands that it does not own by means of a scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") under Part XVI of the PNG Companies Act in Papua New Guinea. Key highlights of the transaction include: Creation of a leading high-growth, diversified battery metals streaming and royalty company Increases exposure to a large, long-life, low-cost, high-growth nickel-cobalt mine (Ramu) Expands and diversifies existing portfolio with increased nickel exposure Accretive to Cobalt 27 shareholders Attractive re-rating potential Repayment of Ramu partner loans after closing will accelerate cash to Cobalt 27 Anthony Milewski, Chairman and CEO of Cobalt 27, stated: "The acquisition of Highlands will allow Cobalt 27 to gain a direct interest in the Ramu nickel-cobalt mine and materially increase its attributable exposure to the mine's nickel production from 27.5% to 100% and cobalt production from 55% to 100%, relative to the previously announced Ramu Cobalt Nickel Stream. It does so at nearly half the cost of the previously announced Ramu Cobalt Nickel Stream, provides increased balance sheet flexibility, and enhances value for Cobalt 27 shareholders. It also brings cash flow to our business, something we have told our shareholders was important from the beginning." Highlands' key asset is its 8.56% interest in the Ramu nickel-cobalt mine ("Ramu") located near Madang on the north coast of PNG. Following repayment of Highlands' attributable Ramu construction and development loans, Highlands' ownership would increase to 11.3%. Ramu is majority-owned and operated by Metallurgical Corporation of China Limited ("MCC") which holds a 67.02% stake in MCC-JJ Mining which owns 100% of MCC Ramu NiCo Ltd. ("MCC Ramu"), holder of an 85% joint venture interest in Ramu. The Government of PNG and local landowners (the "PNG Stakeholders") own a 6.44% stake in Ramu, which would increase to 8.7% upon repayment of construction and development loans. The Ramu mine was financed and constructed by MCC for US$2.1 billion which, at the time, was China's largest overseas mining investment. MCC is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Shanghai Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of approximately US$9 billion. As previously announced by Highlands on October 8, 2018, MCC is evaluating a potential expansion of the Ramu mine, which could cost in the order of ~US$1.5 billion. Details in respect of any potential expansion have not been finalized. Cobalt 27 would have the opportunity to participate in any potential expansion and increase its attributable production through its acquisition of Highlands pursuant to the Scheme. Highlands also holds interests in the Star Mountains Copper Gold exploration project in PNG and is evaluating the Sewa Bay laterite nickel project in PNG in conjunction with Japanese trading house Sojitz Group. Cobalt 27 intends to evaluate strategic alternatives with respect to these non-core assets. Scheme Summary Under the terms of the Scheme, Cobalt 27 will acquire all of the issued ordinary shares of Highlands that it does not already own (the "Scheme Shares") for an all-cash offer price of A$0.105 per share (the "Base Purchase Price"). The Base Purchase Price consideration offered for all of the Scheme Shares is valued at approximately US$70 or C$96 million, of which US$61 or C$83 million is anticipated to be funded with cash consideration and available credit assuming the PanAust Buy-Back Agreement (as defined below) is completed. The Base Purchase Price consideration offered implies a value of A$115 million for all of Highlands' shares, including those already held by Cobalt 27 and PanAust Limited and its subsidiaries ("PanAust"). The Base Purchase Price to be received by Highlands shareholders represents a 44% premium over Highlands' closing share price on the ASX on December 24, 2018 prior to its trading halt, and a 30% premium to Highlands' volume-weighted average share prices for the 20 trading days up to and including December 24, 2018. If before December 31, 2019 the London Metal Exchange ("LME") official closing cash settlement price for nickel is US$13,220 per tonne or higher for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, Highlands' scheme shareholders will receive contingent consideration of A$0.010 per Scheme Share payable in cash (the "Contingent Purchase Price"). If the Contingent Purchase Price becomes payable, the total consideration, including the Base Purchase Price and the Contingent Purchase Price, would represent a 58% premium over Highlands' closing share price on the ASX on December 24, 2018 prior to its trading halt, and a 43% premium to Highlands' volume-weighted average share prices for the 20 trading days up to and including December 24, 2018. Also under the terms of the Scheme, Highlands will use its best endeavours to enter into a buy-back agreement with PanAust (the "PanAust Buy-Back Agreement") pursuant to which PanAust would transfer to Highlands legal and beneficial ownership of 128,865,980 Highlands shares currently held by PanAust, and agree to the cancellation of any outstanding liabilities owed by Highlands to PanAust, in return for Highlands transferring to PanAust all of the shares in Highlands Frieda Limited (which is the entity holding Highlands' participating interest in the joint venture established under the Frieda River JV Agreement) and an estimated US$0.3 million in cash, an amount equal to the difference between the net carrying value of 20% of Frieda River in Highlands' financial statements and the value of PanAust's current shareholding of Highlands at the offer price. If the PanAust Buy-Back Agreement closes, such shares in Highlands will be bought back by Highlands and cancelled, and will not be acquired by Cobalt 27 under the Scheme. Directors of Highlands (other than Anthony Milewski, because Anthony is also Chairman and CEO of Cobalt 27) have stated that they intend to vote shares that they own in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to the independent expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interest of shareholders. Shareholders holding in aggregate of approximately 30% of Highlands' shares outstanding have stated an intention to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal. Those shareholders comprise PanAust holding 11.79%, funds associated with LIM Advisors Limited holding 9.42% and Tribeca Investment Partners Pty Ltd. holding 8.92% of Highlands' shares outstanding. PanAust's intention to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal is subject to board and regulatory approval in China. PanAust is a subsidiary of Guangdong Rising Assets Management Co ("GRAM"), a Chinese state-owned enterprise. Benefits to Cobalt 27 Shareholders: Spending less to get more relative to proposed Ramu Cobalt-Nickel Stream Greater nickel and cobalt exposure Lower transaction cost Significantly lower pro forma debt Consistent with strategy of gaining exposure to battery metals Increased exposure to low-cost, long-life Ramu mine Expands and diversifies existing portfolio with increased nickel exposure Accretive to shareholders on a NAV basis Superior platform in Australasia to review and invest in regional opportunities Simplifies the ownership and future funding mechanism for Ramu The transaction Scheme is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019, subject to approval of the Scheme by the shareholders of Highlands, court approval, regulatory and applicable stock exchange approvals and certain other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. Further details regarding the terms of the Scheme are set out in the Implementation Agreement which will be publicly filed by Cobalt 27 under its profile at www.sedar.com. On May 22, 2018, Cobalt 27 previously announced a stream transaction with Highlands pursuant to which Electric Metals Streaming Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cobalt 27, would have purchased the equivalent of 55% of the cobalt and 27.5% of the nickel from Highlands' attributable share of Ramu production for US$113 million. Under the stream transaction, Cobalt 27's implied production exposure would have amounted to approximately 450,000 pounds of cobalt and approximately 1,000 tonnes of nickel, based on 2018 Ramu production guidance for Highlands' pro forma 11.3% interest in Ramu. By comparison, the corporate acquisition of Highlands pursuant to the Scheme would imply an increase in attributable production to Cobalt 27 to over 600,000 pounds of cobalt and over 2,900 tonnes of nickel (based on 2018 Ramu production guidance for Highlands' 8.56% interest). Upon repayment of Highlands' attributable partner loans, Highlands' interest in Ramu would increase to 11.3%, which would imply 2018 attributable production of over 800,000 pounds of cobalt and over 3,800 tonnes of nickel. The Scheme therefore enables Cobalt 27 to acquire significantly more attributable cobalt and nickel production at a lower transaction cost compared to the stream transaction. In light of the current commodity price environment for cobalt and nickel, Cobalt 27 declined to extend the stream transaction, which has been mutually terminated. About the Ramu Mine Construction and commissioning of the US$2.1 billion Ramu mine was completed in 2012 by owner/operator MCC, as its cornerstone asset in a nickel-focused resource portfolio. Ramu mine was completed in 2012 by owner/operator MCC, as its cornerstone asset in a nickel-focused resource portfolio. Ramu is a large scale nickel-cobalt mine with total estimated reserves of 1 billion pounds of nickel and 100 million pounds of cobalt. Management of Highlands currently estimates a mine life of 30+ years. Ramu produces approximately 3% of annual global mined cobalt as a co-product. Ramu exceeded annual production projections in 2017, reporting net cash flow of US$170 million (unaudited), on production of 34,666 tonnes of contained nickel and 3,308 tonnes of contained cobalt, both in excess of nameplate capacity. (unaudited), on production of 34,666 tonnes of contained nickel and 3,308 tonnes of contained cobalt, both in excess of nameplate capacity. Ramu is among the most efficient integrated lateritic nickel-cobalt operations in the world, ranking in the bottom half of the 2018 global nickel asset cost curve. A regional map shows the location of the assets of the Ramu mine: In addition to MCC's investment in Ramu, a number of other prominent resource companies successfully operate in PNG and are responsible for significant and widespread investment in, and economic development of, the country in recent years. The most notable of these include Harmony Gold and Newcrest Mining's proposed US$2.8 billion Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture copper and gold mine; Newcrest's US$7.2 billion merger with Lihir Gold Limited in 2010; and, Barrick Gold's US$298 million sale of 50% interest in the producing Barrick Niugini (Porgera) Gold Mine to China's Zijin Mining Group in 2015. Additionally, oil and gas majors, ExxonMobil and France's Total recently announced plans to invest an additional US$13 billion in LNG assets and Repsol has had upstream operations in PNG since 2015. Advisors and Counsel Scotiabank and Argonaut are acting as financial advisors to Cobalt 27. Stikeman Elliott LLP and Piper Alderman are acting as legal counsel to Cobalt 27. About Highlands Pacific Highlands is a mining and exploration company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and the Port Moresby Stock Exchange in PNG. Highlands' primary assets include an 8.56% interest in the producing Ramu mine and a 20% interest in Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, both located in PNG. Highlands also holds 49% interest in a joint venture with Anglo American on the Star Mountains Copper Gold exploration project in PNG and has exploration tenements on Normanby Island (Sewa Bay). About Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. Cobalt 27 Capital Corp. is a leading electric metals investment vehicle offering exposure to metals integral to key technologies of the electric vehicle and battery energy storage markets. The Company has acquired a cobalt stream on Vale's world-class Voisey's Bay mine beginning in 2021, including the announced underground expansion and holds one of the world's largest stockpiles of physical cobalt. The Company also manages a portfolio of nine royalties and intends to continue to invest in a cobalt-focused portfolio of streams, royalties and direct interests in mineral properties containing cobalt For further information please visit the Company website at www.cobalt27.com Scientific and Technical Information The majority owner and operator of Ramu is MCC Ramu Nico Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCC which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code "1618") and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and has a market capitalization of approximately US$9 billion. The scientific and technical information in this news release, as well as additional material scientific and technical information with respect to the Ramu project, has been prepared by MCC in its capacity as operator of Ramu and disclosed by MCC and Highlands and is available on MCC's HKEX profile at http://www.hkexnews.hk/index.htm as well as on Highlands' website at http://www.highlandspacific.com/asx-announcements. All estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources in respect of Ramu in this news release are presented in compliance with the 2012 Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Reserves and Ore Reserves established by the Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee (the "JORC Code"). Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed on behalf of Cobalt 27 by Robert Osborne, a "Qualified Person" as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve Estimates The following are the ore reserves and mineral resources (inclusive) for Ramu as at June 15, 2018, reported under the JORC Code. The report on reserves and resources was prepared for and are the responsibility of Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited, the operator and manager of Ramu. For reporting in a NI 43-101 format, the inferred resources are not totaled with the measured and indicated mineral resources. The Ramu technical report has been reviewed for scope and content of JORC and NI 43-101 reporting by an independent qualified person on behalf the Company. In the following table note: Ni and Co grades shown to 1 decimal only. Totals are rounded. Dry ore tonnes reflect -2mm economic portion of the recoverable resource. Ore reserve based on US$12,000 /t nickel and US$48,501 /t cobalt. 0.5% Nickel cut-off grade for the mineral resource and the ore reserve. Ore Reserves Nickel Cobalt (Mt) (%) (%) Proven 24 0.9 0.1 Probable 33 0.9 0.1 Total Reserves 56 0.9 0.1 Mineral Resources Measured 34 0.9 0.1 Indicated 42 0.9 0.1 Measured and Indicated 76 0.9 0.1 Inferred 60 1.0 0.1 Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain information which constitutes 'forward-looking statements' and 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation: statements as to Cobalt 27's management's expectations with respect to the proposed combination of Cobalt 27 and Highlands, including the combined company's financial position, cash flows and growth prospects; statements as to the anticipated benefits of the Scheme transaction; certain combined operational, financial and other information and projections; statements pertaining to the anticipated completion of the Scheme and the timing thereof; and the receipt of any court, regulatory and stock exchange approvals therefor; statements pertaining to the timing and amounts of cash consideration related to the acquisition of Highlands; statements pertaining to estimates of mineral resources and mineral reserves at Ramu; statements pertaining to future production and mining costs at Ramu; statements pertaining to future prices of cobalt, nickel and other commodities; and statements pertaining to the adoption of electric vehicles globally. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the Company's control. For more details on these and other risk factors see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the heading "Risk Factors". Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties underlying these forward-looking statements materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. This news release also contains references to estimates of mineral resources and mineral reserves. The estimation of mineral resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Estimates of mineral reserves provide more certainty but still involve similar subjective judgments. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral resource or mineral reserve estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates and/or changes in mine plans; (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licences; and (vii) changes in law or regulation. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this release and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. SOURCE Cobalt 27 Capital Corp Related Links www.co27.com Modeled after the new 133,500-ton Vista-class ship, the float cruised down the five-mile parade route this morning delighting the crowd of 700,000 who jammed along with the float riders to a Carnival nine-piece band playing "Uptown Funk" and "I've Got a Feeling" as well as the estimated 80 million television viewers watching at home. Aptly named "Come Sail Away," the colorful, highly detailed 55-foot-long ship-shaped float featured floral-inspired reproductions of signature Carnival features like the iconic red and blue funnel, a water park and fun-filled Lido Deck party, and the line's newest attraction -- the first-ever trampoline park at sea, in partnership with Sky Zone with jumpers on a working trampoline built into the front portion of the float. The float also included a replica of the Carnival AirShip flying overhead, just like the blimp that will embark on a month-long tour of California to promote Carnival's continued expansion in Long Beach, as well as new cruise itineraries from San Diego and San Francisco. Decorated with flowers, seeds and plants from 100-plus countries representing the global array of nations that Carnival employees hail from, the floral masterpiece also featured a BlueIguana and RedFrog from their namesake watering holes, with scuba divers at the water line blowing actual bubbles as the float sailed down the parade route. The "Come Sail Away" float was a favorite throughout the week of media coverage leading up to the parade. Dozens of broadcast segments featured the float's trampoline, the unique cruise ship details, the Rose Parade Queen christening the ship in a maritime-themed naming ceremony, and former Miss USA Deshauna Barber, who served in the U.S. Army and was the featured guest on the float in a salute to members of the armed services. In conjunction with West Coast debut of the Carnival AirShip, consumers can enter a sweepstakes at www.carnival.com/choosefun for a chance to win a free cruise as well as other prizes each week during the month of January. Additionally, for anyone who takes a picture of the AirShip and posts it on social media with the hashtag #ChooseFun, Carnival will make a $2 donation to its longtime charity partner St. Jude Children's Research Hospital up to a maximum donation of $20,000. Designed by Carnival's in-house creative team and Fiesta Parade Floats, construction of the maritime marvel began in mid-November and encompassed 10 designers collectively working hundreds of hours right up until parade time. Dozens of volunteers, including Carnival travel agent partners, joined the designers to decorate the float. On Jan. 2, "Come Sail Away" will be seen close-up by more than 200,000 spectators who attend the traditional post-parade viewing party in downtown Pasadena with the Carnival AirShip flying over the city, as well. "We're the number one cruise line from the West Coast and what better way to celebrate this distinction and the arrival of Carnival Panorama than by our first-ever Rose Parade which truly captures the essence of what Choosing Fun on a Carnival cruise is all about," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival Panorama is set to debut with a special three-day cruise from Long Beach on Dec. 11, 2019, followed by the launch of year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera service on Dec. 14, 2019. The ship joins Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration to carry upwards of 600,000 guests annually from the West Coast more than any other cruise operator. To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com. For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL. Carnival can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at twitter.com/CarnivalPR. About Carnival Cruise Line Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line" with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery Carnival Panorama in 2019, Mardi Gras in 2020 and an as-yet-unnamed ship in 2022. SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line Related Links http://www.carnivalcorp.com OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sami K. Zeineddine, MD, FACOG is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the field of Medicine in recognition of his role as an Obstetrician & Gynecologist at Alegent Creighton Clinic Women's Health Specialists. With reverence, integrity, compassion, and excellence at the forefront of the company's values, Alegent Creighton Clinic Women's Health Specialists mission is to heal all facets of clients well being. Dedicated to providing their clients with the quality healthcare services they deserve, the company offers a wide range of services to clients including specializing in the areas of behavioral care, cancer care, digestive health, heart care, primary care, quick care, maternity care, trauma and rehabilitation care and more. With over eighteen years of experience in the field of Medicine, Dr. Sami K. Zeineddine has established himself as a trusted professional in the profession. Throughout his career, Dr. Zeineddine attained extensive experience in all facets of medicine including high risk, multiple births, OB/GYN, urology, and invasive surgery. Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has earned the coveted title of Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, throughout the course of his education and training, Dr. Zeineddine attended Lebanese University where he earned his Medical Doctor degree. To further enhance his professional development, Dr. Zeineddine is a distinguished fellow of several elite organizations including CHI Health Clinic. Dr. Zeineddine is also a member of AMA, ACOG, IAPS, and LSUA. Charitable to various organizations, Dr. Zeineddine is an active support of organizations advocating for cancer, children, and women's health. When he is not working, Dr. Zeineddine enjoys sending quality time with family. Dr. Zeineddine dedicates this recognition to his wife Ghiwa, and his children Leila, Evan, Ahmad, and Ali. For more information, please visit www.alegent.org Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com BOSTON, Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the "Adviser") and subadvised by Wellington Management Company LLP (the "Subadviser"), announced today sources of its quarterly distribution of $0.3760 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of December 13, 2018, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Notification of Sources of Distribution This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) with important information concerning the distribution declared on December 3, 2018, and payable on December 31, 2018. No action is required on your part. Distribution Period: December 2018 Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.3760 The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable December 31, 2018, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount. Source Current Distribution ($) % Breakdown of the Current Distribution Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date ($)1 % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions for the Fiscal Year to Date1 Net Investment Income 0.1024 27% 0.7554 50% Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0648 17% 0.0975 6% Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0% 0.3546 24% Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.2088 56% 0.2959 20% Total per common share 0.3760 100% 1.5034 100% Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on November 30, 2018 4.77% Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of November 30, 2018 9.65% Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through November 30, 2018 -5.33% Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of November 30, 2018 9.65% You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has declared the December 2018 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed quarterly distributions in the amount of $0.3760 per share, which will continue to be paid quarterly until further notice. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investments Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Wellington Management Company LLP is an independent and unaffiliated investment subadviser to John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund. About John Hancock Investments John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we're one of the strongest and most-recognized financial brands. We serve investors globally through a unique multimanager approach: We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards and serve the best interests of our shareholders. Our approach to asset management has led to a diverse set of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes. About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and as Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups, and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were over CAD$1.1 trillion (US$849 billion) as of June 30, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com. One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and education savings plans. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com. 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on January 1, 2018, and will end on December 31, 2018. SOURCE John Hancock Investments MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IRET (NYSE: IRET) announced today that it has completed its previously announced 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock and operating units. The reverse stock split took effect after the market closed on December 27, 2018, with trading commencing on a split-adjusted basis on December 28, 2018. Pursuant to the reverse stock split, every ten (10) issued and outstanding shares of common stock and operating units of IRET were converted into one (1) share of common stock or operating unit of IRET. Accordingly, the previously announced quarterly dividend of $0.07 per common share payable on January 15, 2019 to shareholders of record as of January 2, 2019 will now be $0.70 per common share, reflecting the 1-for-10 reverse stock split. IRET shares will continue to trade on the NYSE under the same ticker "IRET" and with a new CUSIP number (461730 509). The reverse stock split affected all record holders of IRET common stock and operating units uniformly and did not affect any record holder's percentage ownership interest in IRET, except for de minimus changes as a result of the elimination of fractional shares. The reverse stock split reduced the number of shares of common stock and operating units outstanding from approximately 133,405,000 shares and units as of October 31, 2018 to approximately 13,340,500 shares and units following the reverse stock split (prior to adjustments for fractional shares). Holders of common stock who hold in "street name" in their brokerage accounts do not have to take any action as a result of the reverse stock split. Their accounts will be automatically adjusted to reflect the number of shares owned. A letter of transmittal relating to the reverse stock split will be sent to record holders of certificates of common stock by American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, IRET's transfer agent, within twenty days of the effective time. Shareholders who receive a letter of transmittal should follow the instructions in that letter. About IRET IRET is a real estate company focused on the ownership, management, acquisition, redevelopment, and development of apartment communities. IRET owns interests in 87 communities consisting of 13,702 apartment homes. IRET's common shares and Series C preferred shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE symbols: "IRET" and "IRET PRC," respectively). IRET's press releases and supplemental information are available on its website at www.iretapartments.com or by calling Investor Relations at 701-837-7104. Contact Information Jonathan Bishop Vice President Investments Phone: 701-837-7104 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE IRET Related Links https://www.iretapartments.com BALTIMORE, Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Elizabeth Ann Lilly is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a 2018 Lifetime Achiever in the field of Psychiatry in recognition of her role as Psychiatrist and Associate at J. Richard Lilly, M.D., A.B.F.P and Associates. Serving the Crownsville, Maryland region for decades, Dr. Elizabeth Ann Lilly owns her own psychiatric practice specialized in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry. Aside from her own practice, she is associated with her husband's practice, J. Richard Lilly, M.D., A.B.F.P and Associates, that is specialized in several facets of healthcare and offers a wide array of services to their clients including 2D Echo's, Auto Accidents, Diabetic Teaching, Dopplers, Holter Monitor, In-House Labs, Liability, VAT Testing and more. Having gathered over forty seven years of experience in the field of psychiatry as a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, Dr. Elizabeth Ann Lilly has become a trusted name in the industry and is revered for her outstanding contributions. Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Lilly has specialized in several facets of Psychiatry and gained expertise within the areas of ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, insomnia, manic depression, schizophrenia, and sleep disorders. A firm believer that "giving your best talents to help your fellow man is true happiness, but family must not be sacrificed in the process," Dr. Lilly is equipped in handling all aspects of mental health. Attaining extensive knowledge in handling children, adolescents, and adults, Dr. Lilly worked as a family doctor for three years before completing her residency in psychiatry. Dr. Lilly is an advocate of an Early Identification Program utilized in an effort to detect early warning signs of potential psychiatric disorders for seven years in her career as a psychiatrist. For seven years, she served as Associate Professor at the National Children's Medical Center at its inception of their eating disorder program. While pursuing her educational endeavors, Dr. Lilly attained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College. Later, Dr. Lilly received her Medical Degree from Temple University School of Medicine and completed her four year Residency at the Psychiatric Institute of the University of Maryland. There, Dr. Lilly would complete a two year Residency in Adult Psychiatry, and two year Residency in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. To further enhance her professional career, Dr. Lilly is an affiliate of several organizations including the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Medical Association. EPSDT and Board Certified in Psychiatry, in recognition of her professional achievements, Dr. Lilly was honored from 2015-2017 with a Top Doctor Award in Crownsville, Maryland. Top Doctor Awards is dedicated to selecting and honoring those in the healthcare field who have portrayed clinical excellence while delivering the highest standards of care and accommodation to their patients. When she's not working, she loves doing a bit of watercolor painting, reading, writing poetry, visiting her family vacation home in the Florida Keys to relax, and spending time with her five grandchildren. Dr. Lilly dedicates this recognition to her husband, J. Richard Lilly, M.D., her children John Richard Lilly and Donald Wellington Lilly, and her grandchildren; John Richard, Cameron, Donald Austin, Arielle Marie and Jason Benjamin Lilly. For more information about Dr. Elizabeth Ann Lilly or her services, visit: www.doctorlilly.com. Contact: Katherine Green 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Clashes with police also reported in Saint Denis Paul Joseph Watson PrisonPlanet.com January 1, 2019 99 vehicles were set on fire in the migrant-heavy Paris suburb of Saint Denis last night while clashes with police were also reported. The Intelligence Fusion Twitter account posted a map which stated that, In addition to 99 cars being set on fire, nine bonfires were also identified. Setting cars on fire has become a tradition for migrant youths who routinely set vehicles ablaze on New Years Eve. Located just 6 miles from the Eiffel Tower, Saint Denis is home to no less than 400,000 illegal immigrants. Out of the suburbs 1.5 million population, 600,000 are Muslims from North Africa or sub-Saharan Africa and there are at least 160 mosques. 99 vehicles were set on fire in Seine Saint Denis, #Paris on New Year's Eve. Clashes were also reported between locals and police officers. #France pic.twitter.com/O1uMNbKT4N Intelligence Fusion (@IntellFusion) January 1, 2019 The area is a perfect illustration of how mass migration and integration has completely failed. According to journalist Andrew Malone, the area is already lost to France, with open drug dealing, Sharia courts, women wearing the full Burka despite it being banned and police afraid to patrol the streets. Migrant areas of Paris have routinely suffered riots and mass torching of vehicles over the last 15 years, most notably in 2005 when youths of mainly African and North African heritage burned a total of 8,000 vehicles over a period of 3 weeks. Areas of Paris, including Seine-Saint-Denis, and Lyon were also hit by unrest on Halloween night last year following a message on social media calling for a purge against police. 200 riot police were needed to quell chaos in an immigrant suburb of Nantes, France as youths set cars on fire and torched a shopping center back in July following the police shooting of a Muslim man. In a recently published interview, Frances former Interior Minister Gerard Collomb warned that the countrys security situation is dire thanks to mass immigration. Asked what he thought about the security situation, Collomb responded, The relations between people are very hard, people dont want to live together. Pressed as to whether he thought mass immigration was responsible for this unrest, Collomb responded, Enormously so, before going on to acknowledge that France did not need any more immigration. Communities in France are engaging in conflict with one another more and more and its becoming very violent, said Collomb, agreeing with the interviewer that some form of societal breakdown like partition or secession was a major concern. How much time do we have before its too late? the interviewer asked Collomb, to which he replied, I dont want to create fear, but I think theres very little time left.Its difficult to estimate, but I would say that within five years the situation could become irreversible. Yes, we have five, six years to avoid the worst. However, none of this has stopped French President Macron from signaling that he will continue an open borders policy. During a television appearance in April, Macron said that mass migration was Europes destiny and that Africans will continue to flood into the continent for many years to come. A recent Ifop poll found that 79 percent of the countrys citizens believe France does not need any more immigrants. Throughout last month, Paris also separately saw its biggest riots in 50 years as anti-Macron Yellow Vest protesters rampaged through the city as part of demonstrations against the EU and austerity measures. As I document in the video below, Paris has changed for the worse over the last few years, with violent crime and sexual assault on the increase thanks to mass migration and a total lack of integration. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: Follow on Twitter: Follow @PrisonPlanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71 ********************* Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. This article was posted: Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 10:10 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Comment on this article RT January 1, 2019 A car has rammed pedestrians on a busy Tokyo street that was closed to traffic for New Year festivities. A 21-year-old man initially confessed to a terrorist act but later recanted, leaving investigators puzzled about his motives. The car, which was driving in a wrong lane, bulldozed into revelers in Japans capital city as it swerved into a shopping street bustling with people just after midnight, NHK reported. The ramming is believed to have been intentional, as the street had been closed to traffic due to the New Year celebrations. Hundreds of people were heading to a nearby shrine to pray for good luck in the new year. Eight people were injured in the incident, including one male university student who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe. He initially attempted to flee the scene on foot but was located and apprehended by police some 20 minutes after the incident. Kusakabe repeatedly changed his story when questioned about his motives. Initially, the 21-year-old claimed that he had carried out a terrorist attack. However, he then backtracked on that, saying instead that he had attempted a murder. Shortly after, Kusakabe again changed his tune, claiming that he rammed the people in response to executions. It is unclear if he was referring to the system of capital punishment that exists in Japan, or to specific executions. Japan executed 15 people in 2018, its highest number in one year since 2008. Death penalties are carried out with no advance warning to an inmate, his or her family or their legal representative. Earlier this year, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that had carried out a sarin chemical attack on Tokyo subway in 1995. Their deaths rekindled the debate on capital punishment, with the US and Japan being the only countries among the G7 group that still have recourse to it. Last week, Japan executed two prisoners who had been on death row since 2004, charged with robbery and murder. This article was posted: Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 6:24 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Analysis: Why Ghanaians love European football than local leagues Football is the most favourite sport in the world and the nations most popular Black Stars, Ivory Coast fire blank in international friendly Black Stars and Ivory Coast played a pulsating goalless draw in a friendly on G7: Leaders to unveil global anti-pandemic action plan G7 leaders are to commit to using all their resources in an effort to ensure WhatsApp launches privacy campaign after backlash WhatsApp has launched its first major privacy-focused advertising campaign in Impressive Italy breeze past Turkey in Euro 2020 opener Euro 2020 opened in spectacular fashion as Italy got their campaign off to an Virgin Atlantic explores 'flying taxi' partnership Virgin Atlantic is exploring whether it could launch a flying taxi service as ADVERTISEMENT The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has boasted that Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) will win this years governorship election in the state. Mr Amosun also advised the federal government against deploying soldiers to the state for the polls, even as he assured that the elections would be free of violence in the state. He stated this Monday night at the New Year cross-over fanfare held at Oke-Ilewo in Abeokuta. The governor, who was reelected in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is running for the Senate on the partys platform, is backing Mr Akinlade who moved to the APM after losing the APC ticket to Dapo Abiodun. The ruling partys candidate, Mr Abiodun, is currently enmeshed in a certificate forgery scandal after being exposed for not participating in the mandatory one-year national youth service for Nigerians who obtain a first degree or its equivalent before the age of 30 years. Mr Amosun boasted that his protege, Mr Akinlade, will beat Mr Abiodun and other contestants and emerge as the next governor to take over from him in May. The outgoing governor called on the people of the state to make peace their watchword as the elections approach. Let us prove to the world that Ogun State is known for peace and a state which has produced a number of eminent personalities in the country, Mr Amosun said. Let us tell them that we dont need the service of the military and police for the conduct of election because we are going to comport ourselves as peaceful people. And for the youth, dont allow yourself to be used as political thugs. Anybody who approaches for such, tell them to bring out their children to join in the thuggery. As he prepares to leave office, Mr Amosun thanked the people of the state for their contributions to the success of his administration, noting that the crossover ceremony will be his last as their governor. He expressed optimism that the next edition of the event will be conducted by Mr Akinlade, and he would be invited as a former governor of the state. Mr Amosun said he has done his bit in adding value to governance, noting that the support he got from individuals and bodies contributed to his achievements in office. The crossover ceremony attracted a number of fun-seekers who were entertained by various artistes and musicians. Traditional rulers led by Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland also graced the occasion. Other notable personalities at the event include Sarafa Ishola, a former Minister and Director-General, Akinlade Campaign organisation; Olufunsho Amosun, wife of the governor; Olanrewaju Bisiriyu, the Head of Service; Mr Akinlade and Suraj Adekunbi, Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly. ADVERTISEMENT The Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says a nine-year-old girl, Ajadi Islamiya, now walks again a year after being crippled by a fatal road accident in 2017. Islamiya, whose mother died in the crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 31, 2017, walked exactly a year to the crash. Clement Oladele, the Ogun Sector Commander of FRSC, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ota, Ogun. NAN recalls that an overspeeding commercial bus with 18 passengers had on that day while heading to Lagos from Ekiti State, rammed into a stationary truck due along the Ogere axis on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Five people were killed in the crash, including the mother of the girl, while 13 others sustained various degrees of injury. According to Mr Oladele, Islamiya sustained multiple fractures from the auto crash and was taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, Ogun, for an intensive treatment by the Ogere FRSC teams led by Maxwell Lede. The sector commander commended the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Victor Emmanuel, for treating the girl without being sure of recovering his money for the past one year. I want to thank and give glory to God because she can now walk on her own without any artificial support. Only God who preserves her from the valley of the shadow of death on the Dec. 31,2017 is worthy to be praised, he said. Mr Lede, who is the Ogere Unit Commander of FRSC, told NAN that he was excited to see that the commands efforts in the timely rescue of the accident victims were not in vain. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) on Tuesday attended the 2019 New Year Church Service in Zaria, Kaduna State, saying it was to strengthen inter religious harmony and enhance national cohesion. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group attended the service at St. Marys Parish Church, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State. Commenting on behalf of the group, the leader of the delegation, Isa Mshelgaru of Building Department, Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, said the visit was to strengthen relationship between the two faiths. Mr Mshelgaru said the visit was meant to further boost the bond of relationship between the followers of two faith toward fostering national unity. He observed that going by the tenets of the two major religions in Nigeria, non of them preached violence, adding that they both preached peace, love, unity and joy. He described Christians as the closest people to Islam but lamented that Nigerians were divided by selfish politicians who hide under religion to achieve personal desires. Killing one another is an imaginary life; in the actual sense it does not exist; we are all created by one God, we must therefore, endeavour to live together in peace with one another. We should share joy, happiness and sorrow together. Our leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zazzaky said we should learn to live together in peace. When we are united as Nigerians, nothing will break us apart and nothing will go against the peace of the nation, not even Boko Haram nor militants or any other thing else. Responding, the Parish Priest, Michael Ibrahim-Bazai, expressed appreciation for the visit, describing it as the first of its kind. He said: We are happy to receive our brothers and sisters from Islamic faith here in our Church to celebrate with us today on 1st January 2019. It is true that sometimes we are scared of each other, this is because some of us are ignorant of the religion but we are all one. Mr Ibrahim-Bazai stressed the need for followers of the two religions to always practise their religion according to its tenets to pave way for peaceful and harmonious relationship. He encouraged the two faith to respect, accommodate, embrace and tolerate one another towards building a stronger society and by extension, a stronger nation. The priest lauded the frantic efforts of the movement for rescuing and providing medical treatment to some Christians during religious crises in Zaria and urged them to sustain the tempo. He sought for consideration of Christians in areas of admission quota, especially in some professional courses in ABU as well as consideration for job vacancies. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visitors were hosted to a lunch and refreshment at the Church premises. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Sumayya Abubakar, a pregnant woman who was abducted in Dauran town in Zamfara State, has been released by her kidnappers. A close associate of the family, Ibrahim Garba, confirmed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday morning. The abductors threatened to kill Mrs Abubakar after her family said they could not raise the N20 million ransom the criminals demanded. Perhaps to show their determination to carry out their threat, the kidnappers told Mrs Abubakars father in a telephone conversation that they killed 20-year-old Surajo Umar, a neighbour to Mr Yusuf, who was also in their custody. Mrs Abubakar and Mr Umar were abducted in October alongside four others in a village in Dauran town, Zurmi local government area of Zamfara State. But, according to Mr Garba, the ransom was later reduced to N10 million. Mr Garba said Mrs Abubakars parents paid the N10 million and she was released. He added that Mrs Abubakar was unhurt. Ms Abubakar and Mr Umar were abducted in October alongside four others, (including the twins) in Zurmi, a village in Dauran town in Zamfara State. The four others have been released after payment of ransom by their relatives, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. PREMIUM TIMES reported how two of the victims, twin sisters, were released in November 2018 after payment of ransom to the kidnappers by the victims relatives. The abductors threatened to kill them after the girls family said they could not raise the N15 million ransom the criminals demanded, but reports said the kidnappers later reduced the amount. In an audio clip that went viral, one of the twins was heard pleading for help from both the government and the general public, saying some kidnapped victims, whose families could not pay the ransom to free them, were slaughtered in their presence. PREMIUM TIMES efforts to reach the Zamfara police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, to confirm the release were unsuccessful, as at press time on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT The Zamfara State Government has donated N8.5 million to families of deceased and injured Nigerien soldiers during an ambush by bandits during a joint operation by the Nigeria Army and Nigerien soldiers at Dumburum forest in Zurmi Local Government area of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident happened when the criminals laid an ambush against the soldiers during which five of the Nigeriens were killed. The donation was presented to officials of the Government of Niger Republic by Governor Abdul Azeez Yari on Monday when he visited Maradi to commiserate with the Nigerien government and families of the victims. Mr Yari was received by the Nigerien Minister of Defence, Kalla Muktari, Governor of Maradi State, Zakiri Umar, and other Niger government officials. Mr Yari said the donation was to support their families. NAN further reports that each of the five families of the deceased soldiers would be given one million Naira; N500,000 would be presented to each of the five injured soldiers, while N1 million would be given to the commander of the soldiers who was also injured during the incident, he said. He described the incident as unfortunate and prayed to Almighty Allah to give their families the fortitude to bear the loss. He pledged to sustain a long and good relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic, particularly between Zamfara and Maradi states. He said the collaboration between Nigeria and Niger Republic, especially tackling insecurity challenges, was necessary and should be improved. We will cooperate and work together to ensure effective inter-border security to protect the lives and properties of our people, he said. Responding, the Governor of Maradi State, Mr Zakari, thanked the Zamfara government for the visit and described it as a timely and welcome development. He said Maradi had a long existing good relationship with Zamfara. We will continue and work with Zamfara State, particularly in the areas of security and border control, he said. NAN also reports the governor and his entourage attended the funeral prayer for the Nigerien soldiers. The governors delegation comprised Emir of Zurmi, Abubukar Atiku; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Sanusi Rikiji; Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Shinkafi; commissioners and local government chairpersons. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Governor Samuel Ortom has said that he chose to pursue his governorship ambition on the platform of the PDP because it was a more credible alternative for him to achieve his policies. Mr Ortom stated this on Monday in Makurdi, during the flag-off of his governorship campaign. The governor, who won his election on the platform of the APC where he defected to, after losing the PDP governorship ticket in 2014, returned to the PDP some months ago. We had to abandon that platform in search of one that offers more accommodation and support for our policies, especially the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017, he said. He regretted that highly placed officials in the APC-led federal government made various attempts to frustrate an imperative legislation aimed at finding a lasting peace between farmers and herders in the state. Such frustrating efforts by highly placed members of the federal government necessitated my exit from the party to one that will not compromise our stance on a matter so key to the Benue people. This is the platform on which we seek the renewal of our mandate. No one will bend us as far as the Ranching Law is concerned because we draw consent and sustained support from the Benue people, he said. Mr Ortom, while reacting to critics allegation that he had not performed, declared that he had done well given the circumstances of our economy and unwarranted aggression and attacks on Benue. I may not be a genius, but I perfectly know what I wanted as a governor. I cannot lie to the people that trust me. Take this truth from me; my government has done well, and statistics dont lie. Commenting on the issue of nonpayment of salaries, the governor said that funds were being sourced to pay outstanding arrears of salaries, gratuities, and pensions. Also speaking, the former Senate President, David Mark, appealed to the Benue electorate to vote massively for all candidates seeking elections on the partys platform to secure a better future for the state. The immediate former governor of the state and a senatorial candidate of the party, Gabriel Suswam, accused the APC of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians. He, therefore, urged the people to vote for the PDP and reject the APC. Earlier, in his remarks, former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, also a senatorial candidate, assured Mr Ortom that the people from Benue South Senatorial zone would vote for the PDP. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that dignitaries at the event included the National Deputy Secretary of the party, Emmanuel Agbo; an ex-Senate president, Iyorchia Ayu; PDP board member, Margaret Icheen, and Mr Ortoms appointees. (NAN) The publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi, has thanked readers of the medium for their unalloyed support of the organisation. In a New Year Message, Mr Olorunyomi, a multiple award-winning journalist, said the newspaper remains committed to helping strengthen Nigerias democracy, advocate for good governance, and in the affirmation of the rights of citizens. Without you, it will never have happened and with you, we are assured of even greater strides as we pledge ourselves again to continue offering our country an ethical, very professional, and innovative tradition of journalism. PREMIUM TIMES, based in Nigerias capital city of Abuja, began operations eight years ago and has amassed dozens of local and international awards over the period. In late 2018, at least three of the newspapers reporters bagged local and international journalism awards. Our tools remain modest mostly journalism but definitely the genre of investigative journalism, Mr Olorunyomi said. In this pursuit, we continue building on the great traditions of our past: a journalism that helped secure Nigerias independence, that contributed to the effort at consensus building after the tragic civil war, that joined in terminating the scourge of military dictatorship, and the ongoing effort to insist on a wholesome tradition of democracy and good governance. Today, our country is still a work in progress many dark patches, but many shining stars of hope and promise too. We, therefore, want to acknowledge the incredible collaboration and say a huge thank you to all our readers, contributors, and supporters who have made this journey possible in the first place, and worthwhile to keep on the rails. Earlier, in a New Year message to PREMIUM TIMES staff, Mr Olorunyomi charged reporters to continue to uphold the ethics of journalism. With the newspapers entry into Nigerias already saturated field of journalism, Mr Olorunyomi said PREMIUM TIMES Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) was established four years later to help affect the broad ecosystem of practice through innovation and development. The two organisations have so far grown in bounds and leap and have attracted global and local attention and reward for the quality of our work, Mr Olorunyomi said. Nothing that we do today that is really original. We are scions of a glorious tradition that came to rough times. Thus, in truth, we are only re-building that great tradition of a journalism that helped secure Nigerias independence, that contributed to the effort at consensus building after the tragic civil war, that joined in terminating the scourge of military dictatorship, and that remains focussed on offering our country a wholesome tradition of democracy and good governance. Mr Olorunyomi said Nigeria, today, though a poster child of dark patches is in many remarkable ways also a banner of shining stars of hope and promise. It is a work in progress. Those little dots of hope, however, are, in part, a huge tribute to the extraordinary work we all do here as a team, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Mojeed (the Editor-in-chief) and I want to sincerely thank you to all as wonderful team members of this enterprise for the extraordinary work you do to make this dream possible and worthwhile. From the front desk, through the reporting, writing, designing, programming members of our team to the editors and managers, the success of this ongoing narrative in Nigerian journalism is a tribute to your sweat, your labour, and your collective vision. The hallmark of our practice has been an ethical, professional, and innovative tradition of journalism. As we start out this year, 2019, let us carry along a higher resolve to keep these values aflame. A member of House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), says adopting parliamentary system will help reduce corruption and address frictions among different arms of government in Nigeria. Mr Chinda, who led 71 other lawmakers to sponsor a bill aimed at reverting the county to parliamentary system at the House in December 2018, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the idea was out of the need to curb frictions and ensure synergy among arms of government. According to him, If you ask some legislators of some government policies, it is difficult for them to clearly understand because the interface between the executive and the legislature is not as it should be. The parliamentary system will ensure that the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are on the same page. The system will iron out all these things; that is why we have thrown it up for Nigerians to look at, discuss and see that it will help us in proffering solutions to some of the problems of our country, he said. Mr Chinda added that there was need to try something else away from the presidential system as the cost of governance was too high for the country. The lawmaker said in the process of introducing the bill, the sponsors considered the idea of a unicameral legislature as against bicameral currently being practised. He said he was in support of a unicameral legislature as it would further cut cost. Mr Chinda said the sponsors were not condemning the presidential system neither were they praising parliamentary system but were looking for a system that best suits Nigeria, given its dynamic nature. He recalled that Nigeria practised parliamentary system in the past where power was devolved, leading to healthy competition among regions and resulting in great progress. What we have proposed in that bill is that the exclusive list should be pruned down and so issues of devolution of power is taken care of and I can assure you that you will see healthy competition and this country will grow for all of us. I am from Rivers, why can I not go to Sokoto to do my business there when I see myself as a Nigerian. It is because of the constitution and the laws that we have; you fill forms and you have to indicate your tribe. We should begin to remove that mentality and begin to think of Nigeria first, he said. He said the parliamentary system would help to check the issues of corruption as ministers would be part of the parliament and they would be accountable. The lawmaker said the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the amended Electoral Amendment bill for the fourth time was another reason Nigeria should revert to the parliamentary system. He explained that the amendment was made to move the electoral process forward but it was left by the president for almost a year before finally declining assent on the ground that it was too close to election. ADVERTISEMENT I am of the view that we should override the president and I have also spoken to some members about it, he said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, has called on Nigerians to sustain the achievements and progress recorded by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in the past four years with their votes, come February 2019. Mr Obaseki made the call while worshipping at the Cathedral Church of St. John, Diocese of Sabongida-Ora Anglican Communion, Owan West Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday. The governor said when the people cast their votes for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the general elections, it would enable the president continue his good work of developing the nation. We must understand that Nigeria faces major challenges, but we are on course as we have done quite a lot of work in the last four years, he said. We need to sustain the work we are doing by voting enmasse for APC to ensure that the development continues. The governor said the demographic growth of the population of the nation was alarming with the attendant challenges. He, however, said the president was equal to the task in creating opportunities and empowering people to make life meaningful for Nigerians Mr Obaseki said his administration was investing in basic education, Primary Health Care and agriculture to attract industries to the state. I want to assure the people of Edo that I will make life possible for the people. In his sermon, entitled Our year of divine expansion, Augustine Ohilebo, Diocesan Bishop, Diocese of Sabongida-Ora, said Christians would not enjoy Gods blessings without personal relationship with Him. If you are outside the camp of God you are prone to danger. Sin hinders your relationship with God and limits your expansion. For you to experience divine expansion, you need to get in contact with God, the Bishop admonished. ADVERTISEMENT The United States Embassy in Nigeria has temporarily closed its consular section in Lagos and the capital city, Abuja. In a statement published on the U.S. embassy Facebook page on Monday, the closure was as a result of the government shutdown in the U.S. The U.S. embassy, in its statement, also apologised to Nigerians for any inconveniences the shutdown may have caused, stating that once the issues get resolved, the consulates would be reopened. Due to the current US government shutdown, the American centres located in the embassy, Abuja, and Consulate-General, Lagos are unfortunately closed. They will reopen once the US government shutdown is resolved. Sorry for any inconvenience to our valued patrons, the statement reads. The shutdown is linked to the funding of a proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. With Mexico refusing to fund the wall, the Mexicos ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, told U.S Today that Mexico and the U.S. have done and can do great things together, but the one thing Mexico will not be doing with the U.S. is building a wall along our common border. While the battle on who funds the wall hangs, President Trump held a meeting at the White House On December 11, with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer over the U.S.-Mexico border wall funding demanding they give him $5 billion to construct the wall. The Democrats have refused to fund the Mexico wall. Mr Trump declared a shutdown of the government border security if he does not get the funds. I am proud to shut down the government for border security, he declared. Mr Trump noted that the shutdown would not take effect on government officials of Secret Service agents, the Customs, Border Patrol agents and U.S. troops deployed at the border. ADVERTISEMENT Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to be confident and steadfast in the hope for a better future for Nigeria. Mr Jonathan stated this in his New Year message to Nigerians in which he affirmed that 2019 offers the citizens a new opportunity to aspire for the realization of the dream of a prosperous nation. Below is the full text of the message which he shared on both his Twitter and Facebook accounts: I do not intend to give a long message this New Year. All I just want to say is that there is hope and a future for Nigeria. We do not just have a New Year, we have a New Opportunity. A New Opportunity to be better leaders and better followers. To be better citizens who join hands with our fellow Nigerians, irrespective of region and religion, to bring Nigeria ever closer to the dreams of our Founding Fathers. The year 2019 brings with it its own challenges, but if one sentence should summarise our collective national attitude to those challenges, that sentence is this-Nigeria will survive and thrive, by Gods grace and our collective fidelity to the Nigerian Dream. On behalf of my family and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, I wish you and your family a Happy New Year. 2019 is the year of better things for Nigeria. Nigerias deepwater oil field, Egina, achieved first oil production late on Saturday, raising the countrys daily oil production above 2.09 million barrels in December 2018, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has announced. With the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) latest output cut resolution taking effect Tuesday, January 1, Nigerias daily oil production should now been reduced to 1.71 million barrels. On December 9, OPEC resolved to cut 2.5 per cent, or about 800,000 barrels from its October 2018 production levels, to boost crude oil prices and stabilize the international oil market. The decision cut Nigerias output further by about 43,775 barrels, from about 1.751 million barrels last October. But, both the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and Nigerias representative in OPEC, Mele Kyari, expressed optimism Nigerias projected daily oil output of 2.3 million barrels in the 2019 budget was still achievable. Both officials based their optimism on the 200,000 daily oil production expected from the Egina oil field and another 500,000 barrels of condensate, which is not usually factored into the OPEC oil production calculation figures. Mr Kyari, who is also the General Manager, Crude Oil marketing Department of NNPC, said when added to the current daily oil production of 1.71 million barrels, it would be sufficient for Nigeria to meet its projected 2.3 million barrels oil output target. The Egina oil field located some 130 kilometers off the coast of Nigeria at water depths of over 1,500 meters, is one of Nigerias ultra-deep offshore oil concessions operated by Total Exploration & Production, in partnership with the NNPC, Chinese national Oil Company, South Atlantic Petroleum (Sapetro) and Petrobras of Brazil. In a review of NNPCs operations for 2018, the Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, said the oil field achieved first oil production at about 11.20 p.m. on December 29, 2018. The addition of about 200,000 barrels of oil production from the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) was the industrys major milestones achievement in 2018, Mr Baru said. He said the FPSO was completed and sailed away to location in August last year. With the achievement, Mr Baru, who was quoted by the NNPC spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, said Nigerias daily crude oil production capacity rose to about 2.09 million barrels in 2018. The increment, he said, represents about nine per cent growth, compared to the 2017 average daily production of 1.86 million barrels. Mr Ughamadu said the NNPC upstream subsidiary, the National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), was the major contributor to the industrys growth in 2018, with about 52 percent daily crude oil production growth over its 2017 performance. The NNPC spokesperson said the average production from NPDCs operated assets alone grew from an average of 108,000 of oil per day (bod) in 2017 to 165,000bod in 2018. He described the achievement as the strongest production growth within the Oil Industry in recent times, even as he added it was worth being celebrated. The GMD said NPDCs equity production share of 172,000 barrels was about 8 per cent of national daily production capacity. Mr Ughamadu said the NNPC GMD told the staff that out of about $1.7billion, the corporation has already defrayed $1.5billion of the arrears. Joint Venture (JV) partners over a five-year tenor repayment plan, ADVERTISEMENT However, Mr Baru said the NNPC would stick to the core payment agreement with the JV Partners, while transiting to self-funding IJV modes with the corporations partners. Mr. Baru quoted the achievements of NNPC in the Upstream sector by listing other milestones achieved by his team to include: reduction in contracting cycle for Upstream Operations to nine months from an average of 24, even as the corporation targets a six months cycle; lowering of production cost from $27/barrel to $22/barrel; and improving on the security situation in the Niger Delta through constructive engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders. Mr. Baru revealed that in the frontier basins, NNPC has intensified explorations activities in the Benue Trough, with the expected spudding of Kolmani River Well 2 on January 19. He explained that activities would resume in the Chad Basin as soon as there is greenlight on the security situation in the enclave. In the Midstream, the NNPC GMD stated that in 2018, Nigeria achieved an average national daily gas production of 7.90bscf, translating to 3 per cent above the 2017 average daily gas production of 7.67bscf. He said out of the 7.90bscf produced in 2018, an average of 3.32bscfd (42%) was supplied to the Export market, 2.5bscfd (32%) for Reinjection/Fuel Gas, 1.3bscfd (16%) was supplied to the domestic market and about 783mmscfd (10%) was flared. Out of the 1.3bscfd supplied to the domestic market, an average of 71mmscfd went to the Power Sector, while 470mmscfd was supplied to the Industries and the balance of 69mmscf delivered to the West African Market through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP). Mr. Baru said NNPC would bridge the medium-term domestic gas supply deficit by 2020 through the corporations Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (&CGDPS), adding that a reputable Project Management consulting firm is collaborating with an NNPC team to achieve accelerated implementation of the projects. He assured that full implementation of the project would boost domestic gas supply from about 1.5bscf/d to 5bscf/d by 2020, with a corresponding 500 per cent increase in power generation and stimulation of gas-based industrialization. Mr. Baru said all existing power plants in the country now had a permanent gas supply pipeline infrastructure, while the corporation would also continue to expand and integrate its gas pipeline network system to meet increasing domestic gas demand. He listed key gas pipeline infrastructure projects on which, he noted, significant progress had been made in their execution to include: Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS II), Obiafu/Obrikom-Oben (OB3), Odidi-Warri Expansion Pipeline (OWEP), Trans Nigeria Pipeline Project (TNGP) Ajaokuta-Kaduan-Kano (AKK) Pipeline, Trans Nigeria Pipeline Project (TNGP) and Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NGMP) Project. Several public office holders have facilitated with Nigerians in New Year messages sent to PREMIUM TIMES President Muhammadu Buhari, in his New Year message, urged Nigerians to use the opportunity of the preceding year as a good time to look forward to considering new prospects, unfold our plans, and prepare for landmark dates and events. The dawn of a New Year is also a time to look forward. To consider new prospects, unfold our plans, and prepare for landmark dates and events. At the turn of every year, we often use the opportunity to look back at the past and forward to the future. To review the outgoing year, its high and low points, successes and failures, and be fully thankful to God. A time like this offers a precious opportunity for thanksgiving, stock taking and reflection on goals and targets set for the preceding year, and how much was accomplished. The ones not done can then be rolled over into a new year, the president said. In his message, a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in a statement he personally signed, called on Nigerian to leave in peace and prosperity to end terrorism. It can also be the year when we put an end to terrorism and usher in a golden age of peace. Mr Abubakar also urged Nigerians not to lose hope, noting that Nigeria is no stranger to overcoming difficulties. The Senate president Bukola Saraki in his goodwill message called on Nigerians to remain positive and hope for better days even as they celebrate the commencement of the New Year, 2019. Mr Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, said the current social, economic and political challenges would give room for better times if Nigerians remain hopeful and collectively work together to ensure a turnaround. I congratulate all Nigerians who are today ushering in a New Year in an atmosphere of peace. While a lot needs to be done to increase the level of security in the land, revive our economy, gainfully engage our youths, the New Year gives us another opportunity to take steps that would lead us to our desired destination as a nation. In a similar message, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) advised Nigerians to shun violence as the country prepares for the 2019 general elections The statement signed by Mr Ayokunles media assistant, Bayo Oladeji, also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to avoid taking sides in the forthcoming election. The year 2019 is a crucial year to all Nigerians because it is a year of general elections. I, therefore, urge all Nigerians to make sure that they abide in peace without being involved in violence throughout the year, especially before, during and after the election. We should all distant ourselves from electoral manipulation in whatever form. I urge politicians not to be too desperate to be voted into power and get themselves involved in using thugs to cause chaos or commit electoral fraud. Vote buying is evil, all stakeholders should shun it. In the same vein, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, in a statement signed by his media adviser, Uche Anichukwu, urged Nigerians to live in peace amidst ethnic, religious, and political divisions and recriminations. I urge Nigerians to embrace 2019 with hope and the belief that Nigeria will eventually get to the Promised Land. We already have what it takes to be great as a nation, but we have to give every individual as well as every part of the country a sense of belonging and the opportunity to make the utmost contributions it is capable of. While discussing security, Mr Ekweremadu emphasised the need to strengthen the security of lives and property as well as close the widening divisions in the country in the New Year. ADVERTISEMENT The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in his message assured the people of his state of accelerated development in 2019. In a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor noted that 2019 will witness more projects execution and empowerment of the people in line with the tenets of New Rivers Development Blueprint. According to him, massive investments in infrastructure, access to education and training, qualitative healthcare and the creation of economic opportunities will remain some of his administrations key priorities in 2019. No part of the state will be left behind in the ongoing development process, he said. Also in a New Year goodwill message, the national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed, called on Nigerians to select the path of moving forward in 2019. We must look back on 2018 with thanks and gratitude and thank God for Nigeria and all that he has done for us. Also, we must enter the New Year and see it as a new day for Nigeria. We can either chose to continue forward or return to the old ways that held us back for so long. Just as 2018 must turn into 2019, we must also continue to move forward. As time cannot proceed backwards. Nor should we. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), Maikanti Baru, has said that the countrys refineries had not undergone Turn Around Maintenance(TAM) for an aggregate of 42 years. Mr Baru disclosed this in his New Year message issued by the Corporation spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, on Monday. He said that in spite of the challenge, major rehabilitation works were carried out in all the three refineries. He said that the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company had its Distribution Control System successfully upgraded while the Port Harcourt Refining Company had major interventions in Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit, and Power Plant Unit fixed. He added that Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company was undergoing major repairs of its , Catalytic Reforming Unit and Crude Distillation Unit 2. According to him, efforts were afoot to get the original builders of the refineries to carry out TAM on them after securing favourable private funding for the exercise. On the downstream sector, he said that although 2018 was riddled with some supply shortages, he was delighted that the corporation rose to the occasion with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the resilience and hard work of NNPC staff members. As at today, there is fuel availability in the nooks and crannies of the country, he said. He further disclosed that the NNPC imported a total of 15.874 million metric tonnes of petrol through the DSDP and the NFSF arrangement in 2018. This, he said represented 62 per cent increase over the 2017 supplies of 9.807 metric tonnes. As at today, the NNPC has 2.98 billion litres, equivalent to over 59 days sufficiency at 50 million litres daily evacuation, he said. He added that the corporations depots had been resuscitated and put to use through decanting of over 140 million litres of PMS nationwide, explaining that systems 2B and 2E pipelines supplying petroleum products to South West, South-South and South East Regions had been resuscitated. On the Industry milestones in the outgone year, Mr Baru disclosed that the Egina project had achieved First Oil at 11.20pm on Dec. 29, 2018 while he noted that the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading, FPSO, vessels was currently adding 200,000 barrels of oil per day to the countrys crude oil output. He further stated that Nigerias crude oil daily production recorded an upward swing of about 2.09 million barrels in 2018, translating to a nine per cent increment, compared with the 2017 average daily production of 1.86 million barrels. Compared against the low-level daily crude oil production in 2016 and what obtains now, Mr Baru said the nation had maintained a line of consistent year-on-year improvement. He explained that the average production from NPDCs operated assets alone grew from an average of 108,000 of oil per day (bod) in 2017 to 165,000bod in 2018. He described the feat as the strongest production growth within the oil Industry in recent times, even as he added that it was worth being celebrated. The GMD said NPDCs equity production share which stands at 172,000bod, representing about eight per cent of national daily production, was no less impressive. ADVERTISEMENT He added that the desired results were the outcomes of initiatives his Management team intended, among which, he noted, were the Asset Management Team (AMT) structure, Strategic Financing, Units Autonomy and security architecture framework. Mr Baru promised that NNPC would stick to the Repayment Agreement with the JV Partners while transiting to self-funding IJV modes with the corporations partners. Tiding up the Cash Call issues has led to increased commitment and enthusiasm to invest in Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry even as it has also boosted NNPCs credit profile internationally, he added Mr Baru highlighted the achievements of NNPC in the Upstream sector by listing other milestones achieved by his team to include: reduction in contracting cycle for Upstream Operations to nine months from an average of 24, even as the corporation targeted a six-month cycle. Others include lowering of production cost from 27 dollar per barrel to 22 dollars per barrel; and improving on the security situation in the Niger Delta through constructive engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders. Mr Baru revealed that in the frontier basins, NNPC had intensified explorations activities in the Benue Trough, with the expected spudding of Kolmani River Well 2 on Jan. 19, 2019. He explained that activities would resume in the Chad Basin as soon as there was a green light on the security situation in the enclave. In the midstream, the NNPC GMD stated that in 2018, Nigeria achieved an average national daily gas production of 7.90bscf, translating to three per cent above the 2017 average daily gas production of 7.67bscf. He said out of the 7.90bscf produced in 2018, an average of 3.32bscfd (42%) was supplied to the Export market, 2.5bscfd (32%) for Reinjection/Fuel Gas, 1.3bscfd (16%) was supplied to the domestic market and about 783mmscfd (10%) was flared. The GMD stated that out of the 1.3bscfd supplied to the domestic market, an average of 71mmscfd went to the Power Sector, while 470mmscfd was supplied to the Industries and the balance of 69mmscf delivered to the West African Market through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP). Mr Baru said NNPC would bridge the medium-term domestic gas supply deficit by 2020 through the corporations Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (&CGDPS). According to him, a reputable Project Management consulting firm is collaborating with an NNPC team to achieve accelerated implementation of the projects. He assured that full implementation of the project would boost domestic gas supply from about 1.5bscf/d to 5bscf/d by 2020, with a corresponding 500 per cent increase in power generation and stimulation of gas-based industrialization. Mr Baru said all existing power plants in the country now had a permanent gas supply pipeline infrastructure, even as he stressed that the corporation would continue to expand and integrate its gas pipeline network system to meet increasing domestic gas demands. (NAN) PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 12:09:02 News release from Vestas Asia Pacific Singapore, 1 January 2018 Vestas has secured a 18 MW order in Taiwan with local Engineering Procurement and Construction provider Star Energy Corporation for two of their latest wind energy projects. The order includes the supply and supervision of installation of 5 V105-3.45 MW turbines delivered in 3.6 MW Power Optimised Mode. The wind park will be located in Changhua along the west coast of Taiwan, which holds the largest wind energy capacity of any county, municipality or city in Taiwan. Vestas High Wind Operation (HWO) will help increase energy production, reduced hysteresis losses and increased grid stability during High Wind condition which is ideal for Taiwans good wind condition and requirement. This is an important order for us as it signifies our return to the Taiwanese market, said Clive Turton, President of Vestas Asia Pacific. Star Energy Corporation and Vestas have a long-standing service collaboration and the order adds to this relationship, showcasing the confidence and trust that Star Energy Corporation has in Vestas. The order also includes a 5-year service agreement AOM 4000 including a Vestas Online Business SCADA solution. Vestas is currently servicing 159 MW of wind turbines in Taiwan including multibrand turbines. Turbine installation is expected to commence around the second half of 2019. For more information, please contact: Stephanie Foo Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific Tel: +65 9645 4558 Mail: FOHKH@vestas.com 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 92 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 78 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 23,900 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on:We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: Attachment PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 13:43:12 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Amir Manager +1-347-918-3531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 630 Words U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1-347-918-3531 Catheter is medical device made from medical grade material having wide range of application in various medical fields such as neurovascular, cardiovascular, urology, nephrology, gynecology, and gastroenterology. Catheter is a thin tube that can be injected in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. The process of inserting a catheter inside the human body is known as catheterization. A wide range of polymers are used for production of catheters including silicon, rubber, nylon, latex and others. Silicon is most preferred polymer for manufacturing of catheter but this polymer is mechanically weak and can cause serious facture during surgery. Different types of cardiac catheters are used for treatment of different cardiac conditions.The market of thermodilution catheter is supposed to driven by frequent increase in cardiovascular diseases. Growing aging population and rise in demand for minimally invasive surgeries are expected to drive thermodilution catheters market globally. Growing population and economies in developing countries such as India and China are expected to drive the growth of the thermodilution catheter market in Asia. Government interest for improvement of healthcare infrastructure can be important factor for rise in thermodilution catheter market. High cost involved in cardiac surgery procedures and lack of experienced and skilled professionals can limit the growth of catheters global market. The increase in prices of thermodilution catheter by key players can also retrains the global market.Cardiac catheters are of various types include angiographic balloon catheters, bipolar pacing pins, hexapolar balloon pacing catheters, semi flotating electrodes, wedge pressure catheter, thermodilution catheter and others. Thermodilution Catheter are frequently referred as pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) or Swan-Ganz catheter, in honor of its inventors Jeremy Swan and William Ganz.It is used to determine cardiac output by passing a catheter with a thermistor through the heart. It is also used in conjunction with disposable pressure transducer kits to monitor intravascular and intra-cardiac pressures.Thermodilution catheters market is expected to grow over forecast period due to increasing in the investment in the healthcare sector. Innovation of some new products with focus on patients comfort is expected to offer good opportunity for the global cardiac catheters. In addition, new designs of thermodilution catheters which gives rapid and accurate measure of cardiac output have raised their demand in the global market. Thermodilution catheters market supposed to grow rapidly over the forecast period due to increasing adoption of the technique for cardiovascular therapy by healthcare professionals.Based on type of material used for manufacturing, thermodilution catheter are classified as nylon, polyurethane, PVC and other. Polyurethane thermodilution catheter is supposed to dominate the global market. Based on end user thermodilution catheter market is classified as Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Diagnostic Laboratories and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Thermodilution catheters have been used in hospitals worldwide since 1970. Hospital end user segment is expected to contribute the maximum share among end users.On the basis of regional presence, global thermodilution catheters market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the largest market for thermodilution catheters which is followed by Europe and Asia. The Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region due to attention of new investors in the catheter market. In Asia Pacific region the developing countries such as India and China are expected to offer good opportunities for the global thermodilution catheter market due to adoption of minimally invasive procedures and advancement in technology.Request to view Sample Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2120 Some of the major players in global thermodilution catheters market are B. Braun AG, Biosensors International Limited, Edwards Life Sciences,Intra Special Catheters GmbH, Teleflex Inc. Other prominent players in thermodilution catheter market are Argon Medical Devices, ICU Medical Inc., Becton Dickinson and Company (BD), Pulsion Medical System. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 1) Malacanang advised people not to speculate on the Cotabato bombing so as not to "sow unnecessary fear and panic." "We empathize with the families, relatives and friends of those who suffered from this unhappy occurrence. To them we vow that we will get to the bottom of this at the soonest possible time," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement Tuesday. The bombing happened on Monday afternoon, New Year's Eve, at a mall in Cotabato City. Police estimated that the explosion killed two people and injured 32 others. Authorities said they are still investigating the incident to determine what kind of explosive was used in the blast and who was responsible for the explosion. The country's chief peace negotiator, meanwhile, called the blast an "isolated incident." In a separate statement released Tuesday, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said, "This is an isolated case and our security forces are on top of the situation. Let's trust that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and that acts like this will be stopped." Galvez, like Malacanang, encouraged Filipinos to remain calm and not spread what said were unfounded speculations regarding the incident. BTC condemns perpetrators of blast The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), meanwhile, said they condemned those who were responsible for the incident. They disclosed one of their employees died in the explosion. The BTC said, "We grieve for the others who also died or got wounded by this evil act. Only someone who really oppose peace can perpetuate such terroristic, immoral and cowardly action." It added, "The government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as the Moro National Liberation Front and countless advocates, are very much in the forefront of establishing peace through the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). Hence, we can only view the bombing as a desperate attempt to sow fear in the people of Cotabato City whose great majority is yearning for true peace and human development." The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) also expressed concern as similar incidents in the past were meant to derail the Bangsamoro peace process. In a statement released Monday, the MILF said it was too soon to say what the motive behind the bombing was, and they were calling on authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and that no premature conclusions be made regarding it. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) and the Japanese government extended their condolences to the victims of the bombing, as well as to those affected by Tropical Depression Usman. EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said his "thoughts and prayers" went out to the victims of both incidents "The EU fully supports the on-going peace process in Mindanao. I frequently visit Cotabato and am impressed each time by the progress made, and the commitment of my counterparts to build a better future for the region. Peace and reconciliation is the the way forward. Violence and hatred will never succeed," he said. Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda also extended his condolences, saying Japan "stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of the Philippines." PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 13:44:13 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Amir Manager +1-347-918-3531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 747 Words U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1-347-918-3531 A subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system is a type of defibrillator which continuously monitors the heart rates in cardiac patients. Being placed subcutaneously, it generates electric impulses to treat heart suffering from ventricular tachyarrhythmia and normalized the heart rhythm. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) helps to save patient life by regulating irregular heartbeat. It is generally not used in patient with symptomatic bradycardia. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) consists of titanium case powered with battery and circuit that offers defibrillation therapy, subcutaneous electrodes and accessories.Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems is programmed in order to deliver tier therapy like antitachycardia pacing (ATP) and cardioversion shocks for treating slower hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardias and high energy shocks for treating hemodynamically unstable VT and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Fast ventricular tachycardia are common in cardiac patients. Antitachycardia pacing helps to reduce these episodes by decreasing incidences for syncope. Antitachycardia pacing against fast ventricular tachycardias helps to decrease morbidity for shocks.However, it is generally harmful in patient suffering with symptomatic bradycardia as heart beats too slowly in symptomatic bradycardia patients. The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) is implanted without insertion of the leads in the heart. The subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system is implanted subcutaneous (under the skin) below the armpit along the rib cage or the left axilla and not inserted at the standard location near collar bone. The lead connecting the device is placed under the skin instead of placing it inside the heart.The advantages of subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems over other defibrillator are that it provides defibrillation therapy without generating transvenous leads. Moreover, the subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system (S-ICD) do not show any of the symptomatic or long-term complications caused due to implanting a lead in the heart, such as collapse of the lung, perforation of the heart, etc. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market is anticipated to be driven by factors like, easy implantable procedure and very less complications.The major factors driving the global subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market are rising incidences of cardiovascular diseases, increasing awareness about cardiovascular disorders, rising need for cardiac monitoring system like subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems, etc. According to report published by WHO in 2015, 17.5 million people died due to cardiovascular disease which represents 31% of the global death. Factors contributing to increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases are growing aging population, changing lifestyle, increasing disposable income, smoking, etc. Subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market has anticipated to grow at significant growth rate in next few years owing to increase in the cardiac patient pool.The American Heart Association has recommended several guidelines to use subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems in order to produce desirable impact on arrhythmia. The conditions like acute myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, electrolyte imbalance and drug toxicity leads to arrhythmia, which could be life threatening when not treated efficiently. Monitoring patients with arrhythmia with subcutaneous implantable defibrillator system has proven to deliver effective treatment. With significant scope, subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market has anticipated to imbibe a high potential with a significant growth rate.Geographically, the market has been categorized in five main regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, growing aging population and active intervention by government like Million Hearts initiative by US government to spread awareness about risk associated with cardiovascular diseases are the factors contributing to the growth of subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market in North America, and followed by Europe.In addition, the market in North America is expected to grow rapidly due to high demand for new and innovative products. According to a recent report by the Japan Aging Research Center, the Asia Pacific is on the verge of suffering from aging of population. Japan, China, and South Korea are the countries experiencing highest problem of aging population followed to rising risk for cardiovascular diseases. The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Asia will be responsible for increase in cardiovascular burden across the region. The region also constitutes some of the developed markets such as Australia and New Zealand. These nations possess well established infrastructure along with high awareness and huge demand for subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems and is expected to propel the market.Request to view Sample Report:The Key players operating in the global subcutaneous implantable defibrillator systems market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Imricor Medical Systems, Inc., LivaNova PLC Company, Mayo Clinic US, Medtronic plc, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, MRI Interventions, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc., etc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 13:42:36 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Amir Manager +1-347-918-3531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 475 Words U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1-347-918-3531 The heart is the most vital organ in the human body, so taking care of it is important. Due to this cardiac ultrasound has become a foremost application of ultrasound. Cardiac ultrasound system has become extensively used in last decade as a tool to help prevent heart disease. This system also help patient to find their problems in early stages for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Technological advances over the past few years have made ultrasound equipment quite portable. Portable ultrasound machines are best for the situations such as limited space, necessary of mobility, or the scanning must be done in the field.Currently portable ultrasound machines are used in Cardiac, Radiology, Endocrinology, and Pediatric applications. Portable Cardiac ultrasound systems, also referred as echocardiography or echocardiogram, are used for different types and stages of heart valuation. Echocardiography uses ultrasound to show the structure and function of the heart and related blood vessels. Portable cardiology ultrasound system is about the size of a laptop computer, have been developed for point-of-care cardiac assessment at the bedside or in the physicians office to extend the accuracy of the bedside physical examination.Increased aged population and increase in cardiovascular disease worldwide is major driving factor for portable cardiology ultra sound system market. The global market of portable cardiology ultrasound system is expected to be driven by advancement in computer software that allows for improved imaging in a smaller package and helping shorten exam times by reducing the number of steps needed. Portable cardiology ultra sound system can be easily transported and require less space can also be key factors which will increase its demand in market. Several professional have also adopted portable cardiology ultrasound system for diagnosis can also drive theglobal market. High cost of portable cardiology ultrasound system and less availability of trained and experience operators can restrain the market of portable cardiology ultrasound system.On the basis of regional presence, global portable cardiology ultrasound system market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Europe is supposed to dominate market of portable cardiology ultrasound system due increasing market penetration of therapeutic ultrasound, and growing emphasis on minimally invasive procedures. After Europe the portable cardiology ultrasound system with ultrasound market dominated by North America due to presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, increasing awareness of patients and healthcare professionals. The Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for portable cardiology ultrasound system marketdue improving healthcare facility and increasing number of cardiology diseases in aged people.Request to view Sample Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2119 Some of the key players of portable cardiology ultrasound system market are Koninklijke Philips N.V., GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Esaote nasce, Providian Medicals. Other prominent players in portable cardiology ultrasound system market are Chison Medical Imaging,ALPINION Medical, Systems, Medgyn Products, Inc., Telemed Medical Systems. Persistence Market Research (PMR) PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 09:27:42 Press Information Persistence Market Research (PMR) 305 Broadway 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007, United States, yogesh sengar Team Lead +1-646-568-7751 email http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com # 571 Words 305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Team Lead+1-646-568-7751 A plasticiser is a chemical substance which is added to another material, usually a plastic, to make it flexible, resilient and easier to handle. There are more than 300 different types of plasticisers out of which around 50-100 are currently used commercially. The most common plasticisers are phthalates and adipates. Plasticisers are added to a polymer matrix to increase its flexibility and enhance its chemical properties in the final plastic product. Addition of a plasticizer can lower the glass transition temperature, melt viscosity and elastic modulus of the polymer. Plasticisers are additives which increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material. Plasticisers also enhance the properties of materials such as concrete, clays, and other related products.Plasticisers Market: Drivers & RestraintsBio-based plasticisers are produced from vegetable raw materials and are used as an alternative of petroleum based plasticisers. In order to assure sustainability, end users are looking for safe, bio-degradable and non-phthalate-based plasticisers. Decreasing supply of harmful phthalate and increasing consumer awareness are factors limiting growth of the global market. At the same time, ban on phthalate-based plasticizers in consumer goods, food packaging material and medical products have led to the development of eco-friendly bio-based plasticizers. Higher cost of bio-plasticizers as compared to phthalate-based plasticizers is a key challenge faced by the bio-plasticizers market players.Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11710 Plasticisers Market: SegmentationThe global plasticisers market is classified on the basis of end use, product type and region.Based on application, the global plasticisers market is segmented into the following:Automotive,Cables & Wires,Flooring, Roofing & Cladding,Coated Fabrics,Film & Sheet,Packaging,Healthcare & Personal Care,Others (Toys, Tubes & Hoses and Inks & Waxes) ,Based on product type, the global plasticisers market is segmented into the following:Dicarboxylic/tricarboxylic Ester-based Plasticizers,Trimellitates,Adipates, Sebacates & Maleates,Bio-based Plasticizers,Plasticizers for Energetic Materials,Other Plasticizers.Plasticisers Market: OverviewPlasticisers are the most commonly used additives in the global plastic market. The global plasticiser market exceeded 8 Mn metric tons by 2014 end. The most dominant application areas of plasticisers are plastics and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Efforts are in progress by different regulatory authorities to promote environmental friendly products which have led to an increase in the demand for bio-plasticizers in developed regions. Phthalate-based plasticizer was prominent and represented more than 75% share in the global plasticisers market. However, stringent government regulations and increasing health concerns of the consumers, stimulated the demand for bio-plasticisers which is currently a significant trend in the market.Plasticisers Market: Region wise OverviewGeographically, global plasticisers market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA). By 2015 end, North America held the largest share in the global market due expanding application in flourishing industries of healthcare, chemicals and packaging. Europe all together is an established market due to stable growth in manufacturing and healthcare industry. In Western Europe countries, around 1 Mn tons of phthalates are produced annually, out of which approximately 0.9 Mn tons of phthalates are used to plasticize PVC. Overall, Western Europe, APEJ and North America are projected to hold more than 75% share in the global plasticiser market.Plasticisers Market: Key PlayersThe key research institutes in global plasticisers market are Eastman Chemical Company, BASF SE, Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC, Perstorp Holding AB, Exxon Mobil Corporation, PolyOne, Supreme Plasticizers, Vertellus Specialties Inc., KLJ Group to name a few.Visit For TOC@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/11710 PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 13:46:46 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Amir Manager +1-347-918-3531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 636 Words U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1-347-918-3531 Beriatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. Obesity has become one the major health scares in the recent times. One of the main problems that obese people face is an increased effort required for walking and mobility and maintaining their general lifestyle independence. Due to this, a large number of people are opting to use the bariatric walking aids. Bariatric equipment and supplies are meant for obese individuals. The major characteristics of bariatric walking aids are that they are designed to be stronger, sturdy and larger in size. Bariatric walking aids have increased weight capacities, heavy duty supports and are wider in width so that obese individuals can fit in. The equipment is defined as bariatric if it has a 300-900 pound limit, even though there is no width or weight limit specified for bariatric equipment.Looking from another perspective, due to a rise in obese patients, the popularity of bariatric surgery is increasing day by day. Hence, bariatric walking aids market is exhibiting sustained growth and this trend is going to continue in the coming decade. The type of bariatric equipment that is in demand include wheelchairs- both manual and electric, mobility scooters, road scooters, canes, folding canes, offset canes, quad canes, axillary and elbow crutches, forearm crutches, knee walkers and rollators.Bariatric Walking Aids Market: DriversAs the geriatric population of the world is increasing, there is a rise in the incidences of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Also, proactive government interventions in the healthcare sector, rise in income, technological advancement and a growing obese population across the globe are the main drivers of the bariatric walking aids market. Bariatric walking aids are mainly used by obese individuals and use of such type of equipment is increasing in this segment of the population. On the other hand, there has been a significant increase in the healthcare budgets of United States, China and India and this is also a major driving factor of the bariatric walking aids market.Also, the rapid technological advancements coupled with an intensive research and development effort in the field of mobility aids and transportation equipment has also invigorated the bariatric walking aids market. The rise of per capita income in the emerging economies of India and China has also increased the demand of bariatric walking aids. All these factors are going to boost the bariatric walking aids market in the coming decade.Bariatric Walking Aids Market: RestraintsOne of the main restraint affecting the global bariatric walking aids market is the high product pricing due to which people are not able to afford such costly equipment, especially in the developing countries. In addition, a low acceptance level due to social stigma is also hampering the growth of the personal mobility devices market.Bariatric Walking Aids Market: Key RegionsCurrently, North America is the largest and most lucrative market for personal mobility devices. The rising geriatric and obese population in this region is fuelling the growth in the bariatric walking aids market. Europe is the second largest market for personal mobility devices. However, due to the economic crisis in the European Union and shrinking healthcare budgets may hamper the growth of bariatric walking aids market in Europe. In Asia, countries like India, China and South Korea are expected to become lucrative bariatric walking aids markets. The reason of this is the rising economic prosperity in these countries coupled with an increase in the healthcare budgets along with an increase in the obese population.Bariatric Walking Aids Market: Key Market PlayersMajor players in the bariatric walking aids market are Invacare Corporation, Pride Mobility Products Corporation, Stryker Corporation, Amigo Mobility International Inc., Patterson Medical Holdings Inc., Argo Medical, Drive Medical and Hill-Rom Holdings Inc.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2153 PR-Inside.com: 2019-01-01 13:46:28 Press Information Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Amir Manager +1-347-918-3531 email http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 864 Words U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb: https://www.futuremarketinsights.comManager+1-347-918-3531 The countries like U.S. and United Kingdom are combating bariatric diseases for decades. Bariatric ailments are caused due to obesity. Obesity is not only an ailment but it is a deep rooted lifestyle disease which can further aggravate and can usher several other diseases into the body. A massive population of the world is at the brink of aging and a major chunk of that population is obese and they are fighting a long term war with their extra flabs. Its a challenge for the healthcare leaders to support and create a healthcare friendly climate for this massive population of over weight adults. In the last few years the healthcare leaders of U.S., U.K., China, Japan and India are mulling over this issue. The top honchos in the healthcare ecosystem are planning to create a proper support system for these people who are crippled by age.The industry insiders believe that the bariatric walkers market will grow and shall churn out a whooping revenue from the markets which are directly related with the obese elderly population. The constant demand will generated in several potential markets across the globe which will further spike the periphery of the Bariatric Walkers market.The Bariatric walkers are normally light weight and tailor made for bariatric elders. They are made of aluminium and they are normally equipped with two button mechanism which also makes them portable and user friendly. There are several other bariatric walkers available in the markets made of plastic and wood. But the bariatric walkers markets are predominated by aluminium made walkers. They can shoulder a weight of 600 lb. The size of the bariatric walkers market will soar in the recent future. Amongst many the United States is one of the leading manufacturers and procurers of bariatric medical items such as Bariatric walkers. Presently the bariatric walkers market in U.S. worth few billions and it will jump in the coming few years.The size of Bariatric walkers market is surging steadily in U.S. and North America. Diseases like obesity is spreading like an epidemic in the U.S. and thus it is creating a proper market for bariatric walkers manufacturers. A recently tabled report suggests that the adult population in U.S. will shoot up in the coming few years. The report further reveals that the elderly population in U.S. will gallop from 35 million to approximately 71 million by 2030. The medical bills of the obese adults are likely to swell in the recent future which will directly impact the growth of the Bariatric Walkers market in U.S. The bariatric market in U.S. and U.K. and China has grown in the past few years. These nations have ducked others and they are presently leading the flock of the obese nations. Experts believe that China is another potential market which has an ocean of opportunities for Bariatric Walkers makers.Though the bariatric walkers market is dominated by manufacturers from U.S. and U.K. but Chinese manufacturers are at loggerheads with them and they are constantly trying to earn an extra piece of pie from the global market. The local competition maiming the growth of the bariatric walkers market in the South East Asian, Indian and other emerging markets. Though there is a clear difference in quality and pricing of the products manufactured in the local markets, but still they are dominating the local markets and fetching ample revenue from the markets which is spread across the length and breadth of South East Asia.The bariatric walkers market in China touch few billions in the coming few years and can give a stark competition to countries like U.S. and India. A study reveals that the 15 percent of the worlds obese population resides in India and China and both the South Asian giants are aging steadily. China and India are fighting for the top position in this region. They both have a thriving bariatric walkers market because of their massive population and stable healthcare ecosystem. Even foreign manufacturer are eyeing this massive south East Asian bariatric walkers market, but industry observers believe that the bariatric walkers market in this region is hard to penetrate as cost and quality and income disparity will be some of the deciding factors which will surely dominate the surge of bariatric walkers market in this region of the globe.Though the local bariatric walkers markets in India and China are flooded with products made by local manufacturers but the demands of the medical tools are equally high in these markets. Varied income groups, steady economy and a massive population of obese adults are some of the key components which is adding fodder into the expansion and growth of bariatric walkers market in this parts of the globe. Some of the U.S. based bariatric walker makers such as Medline, Drive are revamping their strategy to foray into this market and to compete with some of the local manufacturers and importers of bariatric walkers in India and China such as, Kazunga.com Made in China .com, Karma.com , RKM Global Products and Xcellance Medical Technology.Request sample: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2152 In this post, I reported on the shameful attack by Senators Mazie Hirono and Kamala Harris on a judicial nominee Brian Buescher for belonging to the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic social and charitable organization. The two Senators insist that Buescher drop his membership in that organization and recuse himself from cases in which it has taken a position. Why? Because according to Hirono, the Knights have taken a number of extreme positions. She cites its support for Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative that defined marriage in state law as the union of a man and a woman. A majority of California voters agreed with this extreme position. In response to this attack, the Washington, D.C. local chapter of the Knights has sent the following open letter to Hirono and Harris. Dear Senator Harris, Senator Hirono, and respective staffs: Greetings from your local, Capitol Hill-area Knights of Columbus Council, Patrick Cardinal OBoyle Council 11302! We recently read about statements which expressed the fear that the Knights of Columbus held many extreme beliefs. It is our great pleasure to assure you that this fear is not grounded in any truth. The Knights of Columbus in general, and OBoyle Council in particular are dedicated to the three fundamental principles of charity, unity, and fraternity. In the past few months OBoyle Council has worked with local parishes including St Peters (House-side Catholic church) and St Josephs (Senate-side Catholic church) to raise funds and give away over $4,000 worth of coats to neighborhood children, collect soda and beer can tabs to donate to the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute which helps the developmentally disabled, and collect diapers and other supplies for new mothers in need. Over the course of the past year we donated an ultrasound machine to a clinic, picked up trash around Nationals Park, and donated supplies to a local school. We do all this as well as social gatherings and spiritual events. We hope this list of activities helps to assure you that we are simply a group aiming to do Gods work while building friendships. 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. Our teams page can be viewed at https://give.specialolympicsdc.org/kofc. Additionally, if any Catholic men on your staff are interested in joining OBoyle Council for charitable and social events they can find more information on our website at https://oboyle.dcknights.org/ and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KofC11302/. If you have any further questions or concerns please reach out to us at [email protected] Thank you for this opportunity to write to you. We pray that you have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! -Cardinal Patrick OBoyle Council 11302 of the Knights of Columbus Council 11302 of the Knights should be commended not just for its charitable work but also for its good humor. Or maybe its sense of humor. I dont know which is less likely Senators Hirono and Harris jumping into icy water on behalf of charity or any Catholic member of either staff daring to join a chapter of this extreme organization. The thought of either occurrence brings a smile to my face. On a tropical island where air conditioning provides a measure of comfort from the heat, cooling costs account for a significant portion of a residential, commercial, industrial and government utility bill. For an institution such as the Guam Department of Education, operating and maintaining nearly 3,000 air-conditioning units across schools and offices puts a dent into the departments monthly energy bill. GDOE spends about $12.3 million on power, according to the Bringing Energy Savings To Schools study, which was funded by the Guam Power Authority. The study provided several recommendations to reduce GDOEs power consumption. GPA General Manager John Benavente recommended tapping into solar-assisted thermal air-conditioning units, which he said would use a block of about five or 10 units to cool the school, "almost like central air. Lynn Scott, chief operations officer at Green Energy Solutions Inc., broke down the basic elements behind solar-assisted thermal air conditioning. GESI is the solar thermal dealer for the patent holder on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Scott showed a prototype of a solar thermal collector a proprietary system consisting of 20 glass cylinder tubes each lined with thin solar heat-conducting film. Inside the cylinders are high-pressure copper coils that serve as a heat exchanger. The tubes are in a rack made from corrosion-resistant aluminum. Solx Energy out of Great Britain owns the patent for solar thermal technology for refrigeration and air conditioning. One of their products under that patent is called Thermx, a solar thermal collector. What it does is it helps the ACs compressor run less, he said. While the setup resembles a solar water heater system, the solar thermal system is designed for refrigerants, according to Scott. You don't see a lot of electrical wires, not a lot of moving parts. It is a very simple setup, he said. The anticipated life span of a solar thermal collector system is at least 25 years, according to Scott. You will end up replacing your aircon three or four times long before you lose the use of your solar thermal. Practical application According to Scott, the compressor is basically the major energy consumer in an air-conditioning unit. He said a typical compressor has two primary functions to heat the refrigerant freon gas and to push the gas through the system. While a typical compressor uses electricity to perform these functions, the solar thermal collector uses the sun to heat the refrigerant gas and kinetic energy to push the gas around the coils. According to Solx Energy, the collector can be integrated with cooling and heating systems to reduce energy consumption by an average of 30 to upwards of 50 percent with minimal space requirements. Scott said the technology can be used for schools, government buildings, and commercial and industrial facilities. The solar-assisted thermal technology also can be combined with other systems to optimize its benefits. To illustrate the potential energy savings, Scott provided an example of a GESI project that combines solar-assisted thermal technology for a warehouse facility on island. For the project, GESI is installing a 60-ton VRF (variable refrigerant flow) air-conditioning unit attached to the solar thermal collector, LED lighting and photovoltaics. With everything combined for that project lights, changing to VRF, adding the solar thermal and adding solar PV they should be able to reduce their energy consumption by around $9,000 a month, Scott said, adding, Their power bill is usually $13,500 a month. When we are done, we should see around 80 percent reduction in their power bill. The technology also could work for the GDOE school system, according to Scott. The schools are great. The reason for that is, with a VRF multisystem, the classrooms are just right in a row, so the installation is quite simple," Scott said. "The majority of the schools on Guam also have nice flat roofs that are single story, so the collector can be tucked up in a roof and you wont even see it. A VRF multisystem consists of a single outdoor condensing unit, which is connected to several indoor cooling units. Solar thermal works with all brands of VRF because it is a modulated compression system, according to Scott. A modulated compression system is a component in an air-conditioning unit that regulates capacity based on the cooling demands of the space. The cost of installing a solar thermal collector depends on several factors, including the location of the setup and the type of air-conditioning units, among others. 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. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. Jerrel Floyd is an Alabama raised reporter who covers Summerville and Dorchester County for The Post and Courier. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. 212 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Advertising By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber MOSCOW (Reuters) Russias FSB state security service said on Monday it had detained an American citizen suspected of spying in Moscow and had opened a criminal case against him. The FSB said the American had been detained on December 28 but it gave no details of the nature of his alleged espionage activities. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Russia had notified it that a U.S. citizen had been detained and it expected Moscow to provide consular access to see him. Advertising We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it, the spokesperson said, without providing details of the identity of the American or the reasons behind his detention. The English-language service of TASS news agency named him as Paul Whelan but Reuters was unable to independently confirm the exact spelling of his name. The State Department did not identify him. Under Russian law, espionage can carry between 10 and 20 years in prison. Russias relations with the United States plummeted when Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and Washington and Western allies have imposed a broad range of sanctions on Russian officials, companies and banks. Earlier this month Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to a conspiracy charge in a deal with prosecutors, and admitted to working with a top Russian official to infiltrate American conservative activist groups and politicians as an agent for Moscow. (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Will Dunham in Washington; Editing by Richard Balmforth) This post was updated at 3:39 p.m. Tuesday with a correction to the balance of political power in the state Senate, that reflects the recent resignation of Guy Reschenthaler, who is moving on to a seat in Congress. Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly - old and new - met in Harrisburg Tuesday to gavel in for its 203rd legislative session. The New Year's Day opening is a function of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which requires the Senate and House of Representatives to gavel in at "12 o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January of each year." The first day is devoted to the high pomp and circumstance that often surrounds the formal operations of the state's legislative bodies. But in a nod to the people's business that gets to the very heart of why these bodies exist in this place at all, the returning and incoming lawmakers were also greeted with advocates lobbying for redistricting reform. In the order of business for the day, 25 newly-elected senators, including seven first-termers, and 200 newly-elected House members, including 42 freshmen, were sworn in to their new terms. Here are some other pertinent facts and figures about the new General Assembly. One freshman member, Montgomery County Democrat Liz Hanbridge, was absent and will be sworn in at a later date. In the Senate, President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, was elected by his peers to the top elected office in that chamber, which he has held since December 2006. In the House, meanwhile, Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County, was re-elected to a third, two-year term as Speaker of the House. The chambers also approved their respective rules of order for the new session and, in a joint session, formally certified the returns of the Nov. 6, 2018 gubernatorial election. That latter act will set the stage for the second-term inauguration of Gov. Tom Wolf on Jan. 15. As the new session dawns, Republicans hold majorities in both the Senate, 28-21, with one vacancy; and the House, 110-91, with two seats vacant. Any real chance for high political drama Tuesday evaporated last week, when Scarnati stated that after an investigation into the residency of Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny County, he would recommend she be seated. Sources familiar with those discussions have noted Scarnati had said all along he would not press the issue if he did not have enough votes in the majority GOP caucus to win such a challenge. As it happened, the sources said, there were enough members in the Republican caucus who wanted to honor the will of the voters as expressed in the November election for the challenge to fizzle. Scarnati also noted Tuesday, as he had in his statement last week, that there is no precise definition of the residency qualification that was at issue, which also would make a challenge problematic. There was no hint of any friction from the Williams investigation as the swearing-in ceremonies got underway. Both chambers are next scheduled to return to session on Jan. 15. A record number of women will be sworn into office in Pennsylvanias General Assembly on Tuesday with 50 of them in the House and 12 in the Senate. Another woman will take the oath of office in the House later this month. That may be historic for Pennsylvania but still 34 other states have a higher percentage of women in their state Legislatures, according to preliminary post-election information compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures. But thats not the only factoid about who will have a hand in the law-making process in Pennsylvania in 2019-20 that may strike you as interesting. Here are some others: House partisan make-up: 110 Republicans and 91 Democrats (two vacancies) Senate partisan make-up: 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats About the House Republicans: Youngest member: Rep. John Hershey, who is not from Hershey but rather Juniata County. He is 25 years old. His grandfather is former state Rep. Art Hershey who represented a portion of Chester County for 25 years. Oldest member: Rep. Tina Pickett of Bradford County. She is 75 years old. Most veteran member: Rep. Tim Hennessey of Chester County. He was first elected to the House in 1992 and has sat through budget addresses delivered by six different governors. Number of freshmen members: 19 Gender breakdown: 22 women and 88 men Also noteworthy: Due to a number of retirements of veteran lawmakers who were committee chairmen last year, there will be nine new chairmen taking the reins of yet-to-be-announced committees. They include: Reps. Sue Helm of Dauphin County, Curt Sonney of Erie County, Karen Boback of Luzerne County, Jim Cox of Berks County, Garth Everett of Lycoming Couty, Jim Marshall of Beaver County, Dan Moul of Adams County, Tom Murt of Montgomery County, and Mike Peifer of Pike County. This caucus has six members with more than 20 years of service and will have 74 with fewer than 10. Also 17 members of the House GOP caucus are military veterans. About the House Democrats: Youngest member: Rep. Brandon Markosek of Allegheny County. He is 26 years old. He was elected to the seat his father, former Rep. Joe Markosek, occupied for 36 years. Oldest member: Rep. Tony DeLuca of Allegheny County. He is 81 years old. Most veteran member: Rep. Tom Caltagirone of Berks County. He was first elected to the House in 1976, and is not only the longest serving member of his caucus but also of the entire General Assembly. Number of freshmen members: 24 Gender breakdown: 29 women and 62 men Also noteworthy: Rep. Jordan Harris of Philadelphia is the first black lawmaker to serve as the caucus whip since K. LeRoy Irvis held the post 45 years ago. This caucus has four members with more than 30 years of House service and will have 24 with none. Also two Democrats who were re-elected in November will not be serving. One of them, Sid Michaels Kavulich, died in October , and the other, Vanessa Lowery Brown, was convicted of bribery and submitted her resignation under protest last month. About the Senate Republicans: Youngest member: Sen. Guy Reschenthaler of Allegheny County. He is 35 years old. Oldest member: Sen. Gene Yaw of Lycoming County. He is 75 years old, making him the oldest member of the entire chamber. Longest serving member: Sen. Robert Tommy Tomlinson of Bucks County has served in the Senate since 1995. Number of freshmen members: Two Gender breakdown: Six women and 23 men Also noteworthy: The Senate GOP ranks will shrink by one in two days when Reschenthaler resigns to assume his duties as a newly elected congressman. This caucus will have 14 members with 10 or more years of service in the Senate and 14 with four or less. SENATE DEMOCRATS: Youngest member: Sen. Katie Muth of Montgomery County. She is 34. Oldest member: Sen. Andy Dinniman of Chester County. He has 40 years on Muth. He is 74. Longest serving member: Sen. Vince Hughes of Philadelphia. He won his Senate seat in a special election in 1994. Number of freshmen members: Five Gender breakdown: Six women and 15 men Also noteworthy: This caucus hasnt had a five-member freshman class since Watergate. This caucus will have 9 members with 10 years or more of Senate service and 8 with four years or less. Central Pennsylvania animal lovers got their new year started with a frigid dip into the Susquehanna River. They plunged into those waters from the shores of Harrisburgs City Island, where the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area hosted its annual Penguin Plunge fundraiser. The Tuesday event was the fundraisers 22nd year. The plunge, which sees around 200 participants a year, raises about $30,000 annually, said Megan Strausbaugh, the HSHAs marketing director. The plunge is meant to kick off a new year of fundraising, she said. That helps us, she said. The winter months are kind of slow for us, so that gives us the financial push that we need to keep our operations running smoothly. Money was raised through both registration fees and donations, Strausbaugh said. 50 Penguin Plunge 2019 In addition to the dozens of plungers, wearing bathing suits and costumes, including viking headwear, many gathered on the shoreline before noon Tuesday, New Years Day, just to watch. The spectators, who wore coats and hats, held cellphones, recording videos and snapping photos as bare-chested men and bikini-clad women shivered in the cold windy air. At noon, organizers gave a countdown, and participants waded into the water, hollering and splashing in the cold. Though daytime temperatures were predicted to reach more than 50 degrees, the water likely was about 40 degrees, according to water-rescue workers helping with the event. Rachel Clippinger, a first-time Penguin Plunger, said she had participated in similar events elsewhere. She called the Tuesday plunge the coldest plunge shed ever done. It was exhilarating, Clippinger said. Its a great way to start your new year. She was in attendance with her soon-to-be mother-in-law Heather Lindsley, and both said they were glad to support the local Humane Society. Were animal lovers, Clippinger said. Were actually looking to adopt in the new year. Two people are in stable condition after they suffered non-life threatening injuries in a shooting on Sunday in York County. Krystal Rodriguez, 31 and Francisco Rodriguez, 32, were shot by Jose Antonio Rivera-Sabe, 28, according to York City Police. The time of the incident was not provided by police, but the shooting occurred at the intersection of West Market Street and Belvidere Avenue, police said. The incident stemmed from a disagreement, which police said is under investigation. Krystal Rodriguez was shot three times in the leg, and Francisco Rodriguez was shot once in the leg, police said. Both are in stable condition. Rivera-Sabo, of York, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. He is being held at York County Prison on $150,000 bail. WATERVILLE -- A Lycoming County man who held law enforcement at bay for hours was killed when he fired on state troopers Monday afternoon and they returned fire. Brant Hartung, 62, was killed about 12:30 p.m. in his home on Church Street in Waterville, state police said. Emergency services had been dispatched to the home at 4:42 a.m., when Hartung complained of chest pains, Cpl. Matthew Sweet said. He refused to allow them to come into the home and told the county 911 center he thought someone was attempting to get into his house and poison him, he said. Emergency personnel retreated when they heard gunfire and Sweet said troopers were dispatched about 5:05 a.m. Hartung refused to leave his home and about 7:40 a.m. fired shots at law enforcement, causing state police to activate its special response team, Sweet said. While efforts continued to get him to surrender, state police said they obtained an arrest warrant charging him with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault. The fatal exchange of gun fire occurred while efforts to were continuing to get Hartung to come out of the house, they said. No one else was injured, they said. Route 44 and several local roads in Waterville in the Pine Creek area in northwestern Lycoming County were closed until the standoff was over. Assisting state police were Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police from the Jersey Shore area and personnel from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. A skit depicting Donald Trump teaming up with Vladimir Putin to imprison Uncle Sam only to be stopped by Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty proved that once again, the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia never fails to get political. The traditional New Years Day event has been going on for hundreds of years. Its made up of various divisions, specializing in music, skits or sheer revelry. But when it comes to satire and political commentary, that is solidly in the domain of the Comics Division. The Lobster Club, part of the Goodtimers Comic Club, put on the skit which was loaded with references to various controversies connected to President Donald J. Trump. It had Trump carrying a large prop made to look like a VHS tape with the letter P on it (a reference to the alleged pee tape mentioned in the Steele dossier) and concluded with Trump being arrested by the FBI. It easily became one of the more tweeted about moments of the parade. This year's #LobsterClub performance is rattling people who I feel would usually defend the #Mummers at all costs. pic.twitter.com/IK9Eg05zsb Mike (@TechFinnell) January 1, 2019 You can watch the skit in its entirety in the video at the top of this post. Cant see the video? Click here. The Lobster Club wasnt the only group to get political in the comics division. Finnegans New Years Brigade (also a member of the Goodtimers Comic Club) put on a skit titled Humpty Trumpty: Made in America which opened with a mummer representing Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney being led like a dog by another mummer dressed as Jay Z a reference to the citys debates concerning the Made in America festival (which Jay-Z curates). Another skit, by Murray Comic Club group Vaudevillians, advocated for fairer funding for Philadelphia schools. This story has been updated to more accurately describe the skit. Donald Hoffmans purchase in November of Hauser Estate Winery in Adams County had nothing to do with any longtime consumption of wine or any recent trips to Napa or Bordeaux. Ive not been much of a wine drinker before, he said during a late December phone conversation. Maybe an occasional white wine. Im not really much of a drinker at all anymore. But hell be toasting in the new year as the owner of one of the mid-Atlantics most prized venues following his bankruptcy purchase of the operation for $1.2 million, a transaction that closed on Dec. 20. It includes the winery and cider operation, the latter of which operates under the trade name Jacks Hard Cider, and the tasting room at 410 Cashtown Road near Biglerville. It was one of those things that come along and youre kind of like Where did this come from? he said. And now that it occurred, its lets go do it. In Pennsylvania, where a majority of the wineries are family-owned, where many are farmers who transitioned into grape growing and wine making over the past couple decades, Hoffman brings a much different background. He began his career in the U.S. Nuclear Submarine Navy as a senior reactor operator and engineering officer, and later as a manager and lead reviewer at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In 1985 he founded EXCEL Services Corporation in Rockville, Maryland, to provide specialized professional services to nuclear utilities in licensing and regulatory support, according to his bio. He remains the president and CEO of that company. Hoffman, 68, is a Fellow and past president of the American Nuclear Society and for a time was listed among the favorites to become the newly elected Donald Trumps choice as the Secretary of Energy. The wine and cider producer opened its 360-degree glass-enclosed tasting room in July 2008 on a hilltop that allows visitors a million-dollar view of farmland and woods that stretch to the edge of the Gettysburg battlefield. A few months later it opened a shop in downtown Gettysburg, where four wineries now operate tasting rooms. Both of those Hauser Estate locations offered music in addition to wine and cider, and the business grew in an area frequented by tourists and regulars from Pennsylvania and Maryland. But on July 31, 2018, the operation declared bankruptcy, and its ownership posted this message on Aug. 4 on its Facebook page. We know that the area in which we live is a tight knit community and there are many rumors floating around about Hauser Estates future. We have heard just about everything. The truth is, with a heavy heart, we had to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. We love our guests and our staff and we are doing everything possible to restructure and come back better than ever. We ARE open, we still have wine, Jacks Hard Cider, and PA beer, and we still have that view! Change is hard but inevitable and we are doing our best. We are so fortunate that so many people care about us and have felt the love through conversations, posts and emails. Hoffman said he first heard about Hauser Estates predicament from his son, a former classmate at Dickinson College of Jonathan Patrono, the grandson of Jack and Helen Hauser. John Jack Hauser was for years president of Musselman Foods. The initial idea of running a winery and cidery, Hoffman said, seemed like something way outside my bandwidth and expertise. Still, I found myself more and more involved and more interested and fascinated at what could be, Hoffman said. I saw the real potential, and the financial part wasnt nearly as important to me as the opportunity to take something that already had a history and make it even better for those who had worked so hard to make it so and to give something back to the community. So this much is known today: 1, The winery has closed for several weeks and will reopen Friday, Jan. 18. Though the remainder of the winter months, the tasting room will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. By spring, it likely will return to a seven-day-a-week schedule. 2, Hoffman anticipates keeping the Gettysburg tasting room open, but thats not yet confirmed nor are the hours or days it would be open for business. 3, With the new ownership only beginning to arrange its priorities, Hoffman is estimating a grand opening in early April. 4, While the well-known Jacks Hard Cider line will keep its name, the name of the winery will change, per the bankruptcy agreement. Hoffman said he hasnt thought about what the winery will be called. One might guess it will have a connection to one or both of his passions: nuclear science and technology and animals. Hoffman said hes the chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Partners for Animal Well-Being and also involved with the countys humane society, in addition to owning five rescue pit bulls. Hence, the name for his new winery/cidery holding company: Atomic Dog LLC. Hoffman was candid about what he wants to do first: Get the Jacks Cider brand back online, which has been the expertise of Patrono for years. Contacted recently, Patrono said that while the latest ordeal has been tough to get through, hes proud of how Hauser Estate and Jacks has established a relationship with the community. It has become a destination point, just a great place to have a bottle of wine or cider and, at least in the summer, just sit out and enjoy, he said. So I think its really just the community-type thing that we have [built here]. He noted that while the wines never circulated much beyond the community, the cider has. That goes to 10 states, and thats the part of the business that has taken the biggest hit during this process. But it will come back, he said. Donald Hoffman said one name he will keep as the new owner of Hauser Estate Winery is the Jack's Hard Cider brand. (Hauser Estate photo by Glasswork Media Arts) The Jacks line of cider could add a couple new choices, Hoffman suggested, based on what customers have been requesting. As for the wines, which will be released later on this winter and through the spring, the new owner hinted at some collaborations to enhance and expand what it will have to offer. Bottom line, he said, I want the community to know first and foremost that were back, and were back bigger and better than weve ever been before and please feel free to be engaged and involved with us and let us know what kind of things youd like to see us change, too. As for how hands-on Hoffman will be, he said that hes still trying to figure out how hes going to get the bandwidth to carve the hours out of a schedule that already requires 60 to 80 hours for his primary business. Still, on the phone, he sounded excited, part of it perhaps a feeling of deja vu from 33 years ago when EXCEL was nothing more than a concept. He also sees a chance to offer a diversity of ideas to enhance and improve what they already have and give them better tools to be more successful. He laughed at the suggestion that the thought of running a cidery/winery had to be the farthest thing from his mind a year ago. Candidly, Im not even sure as late as August or September that I would have told you that I would be having this conversation, he said. I was certain that some large winery or cider group, maybe one of the larger cider producers, would have seen the value in this and scooped this up. But for whatever reason they didnt. I dont pretend to know all those reasons, but I intend to make the most of this. Follow Paul Vigna on Twitter @pierrecarafe In early November 2018 Samsung revealed that their new Infinity Flex Display designed for future Foldable and scrollable Smartphone and beyond. In early December Huawei vowed that they would release of a foldable smartphone in 2019. As we enter 2019, we're being told today that Korea's energy-to-petrochemical giant SK Innovation will BE introducing next-gen flexible film developed for foldable devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that begins next Tuesday. The transparent film, called Flexible Cover Window, was designed to protect displays and is considered a core component of foldable smartphones for its flexibility as well as its durability. The company claims that after being folding the film tens of thousands of times it remained unmarked. The film is also scratch-resistant. Market interest in the plastic film has been growing alongside plans for the commercialization of foldable devices ranging from smartphones to laptops and tablets. SK Innovation has completed the development of polyimide film for flexible displays, a project it began in 2016, and is currently preparing to commercialize the material. In Q2 2019 the company plans to invest US$36 million to start commercialization of the product in Korea's North Chungcheong Province. The company said it had secured a competitive edge by developing other electronics-industry materials in addition to the PI film, such as lithium-ion battery separators. SK Innovation is the worlds second-largest supplier of lithium-ion battery separators. Besides Samsung and Huawei promising a foldable smartphone in 2019, we learned in late October that Wintel has been secretly working a number of foldable devices that could be on the horizon, such as the one shown above code-named "Copper Harbor." Microsoft has a series of patents on such a device. Patently Mobile reported on one of their patents back in July here. With SK Innovation being at CES 2019 to push their new flexible displays films, It's clear that the concept of foldable smartphones that began as hyped rumors is now entering a new phase with companies having real products on their roadmaps or even in the pipeline. While Apple has a series of foldable smartphone patents on record, Apple is likely to delay entry into this new category of mobile devices until it's proven itself. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Saturday, Dec. 29 12:51 p.m. -- Officers responded to the 700 Block of George Street for an animal complaint. 11:22 a.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 800 Block of State Street for a suspicious situation. 10:11 p.m. -- A deputy responded to the Village of Sanford in reference to a suspicious situation. The deputy made contact with a 55-year-old Lee Township woman who reported that her car had a flat tire while she was at work. She was not sure if the tire had been punctured maliciously or not, but she wanted the event documented. 9:02 a.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the corner of Eastlawn Drive and Washington Street for a traffic license violation. 8 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a residence in Jerome Township in reference to a breaking and entering. The deputy made contact with a 42-year-old woman who accused her landlord, a 39-year-old man, of taking about $1,000 worth of property from her residence. 2:44 a.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 3000 Block of North Saginaw Road for a false alarm. Friday, Dec. 28 11:39 p.m. -- Officers responded to the corner of North Saginaw Road and West St. Andrews Road for a traffic offense. 8:48 p.m. -- Officers reported to the 100 Block of Fast Ice Drive for a warrant arrest. 8:44 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 1300 Block of West Main Street for a suspicious situation. 7:33 p.m. -- Officers responded to the corner of US-10 and Eastman Avenue for a vehicle crash that resulted in property damage. 7 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Jerome Township residence in reference of a 39-year-old woman who stated two men, a 43-year-old and 35-year-old, were attempting to move an RV through her yard, tearing up the grass in the process. the woman she she does not own the property, she just rents it and did not want to be held liable for any damages. The men said they had permission to move the RV and also had a tow truck on scene to minimize any damage. They volunteered to repair any damage they caused. 7:17 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 1500 Block of Colorado Street for an animal complaint. 6:42 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 400 Block of South Saginaw for a larceny. 5:34 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the corner of Jerome and West Buttles streets for a hit-and-run crash. 5:06 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Jerome Township residence for a third-party report of an unknown person sending inappropriate messages to an underage girl on social media. The 11-year-old recipient was contacted, as well as her parents. The message and the app were delated prior to the deputy's arrival. The message was declared to be a scam from an unknown person. The girl did not reply to the message, and instead deleted the entire app. 5:02 p.m. -- Officers responded to the 300 Block of Broadhead Drive for a suspicious situation. 3:21 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 3100 Block of Isabella Street for a traffic hazard. 12:17 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the corner of East Ashman and Byrd streets for a vehicle crash that resulted in an injury. 12:12 p.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 3900 Block of Lincoln Woods for a suspicious situation. 9:55 a.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 3900 Block of East Ashman Street for a suspicious situation. 5 a.m. -- Officers were dispatched to the 4000 Block of Woodlawn Street for a suspicious situation. Many people find a "giving heart" during the Christmas season and volunteer time or money to help children and families less fortunate. St. John's Lutheran Church and School is no exception, and have taken on several new programs this year. One addition is a program called "Reverse Advent Calendar," led by St. John's Family Life Director Anna Kruger. At the end of November, congregational members took home empty boxes and a program of Advent devotions. Throughout the four weeks of Advent, families were asked to read their daily devotion and add one non-perishable food item to their box. On Christmas Eve, each family returned the now-filled boxes to the church when they came for one of the three services. The boxes were placed near the altar and received a blessing before being donated later that week to "The Bridge" Food Center of Midland. This volunteer run food center provides food to be purchased at a low cost to enable individuals/families making less than $56,000 in the surrounding area to "bridge the gap" in putting nutritional food on their tables. A total of 100 boxes were filled and returned to St. John's, with a total of more than 2,400 food items. These items will be placed in the "Bonus Section" of the Bridge, where shoppers can select one item free for every $10 spent up to $40 (4 free items) in the store. Rep. Knute Buehler is promising to remain active in Oregon politics and calling on his supporters to do the same in upcoming months, as Gov. Kate Brown and the Democratically controlled Legislature pursue ambitious agendas in Salem. In a New Years Eve video message, the Bend lawmaker and 2018 Republican candidate for governor thanked his supporters and apologized for losing the election. It was disappointing on a personal level but more importantly, its deeply sad for what this means for Oregon, Buehler said, although he did not go into specifics. Buehler announced that he plans to use social media and the digital platform built for his campaign to continue communicating with Oregonians and to speak truth to power on issues such as problems in the states child welfare system. Its a plan he referred to in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive earlier this month. Buehler said he will focus on four goals: saving foster kids in Oregon, returning sanity to our state budget, encouraging authentic health care reform and returning civility to our politics. The state we love is still worth the fight, Buehler said. As The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, the governor is also keeping her campaign active going into 2019 in order push for her legislative priorities: a cap and fee system for greenhouse gas emissions and billions of dollars in business tax increases to pay for public education improvements. Hillary Borrud hborrud@oregonian.com 503-294-4034 @hborrud Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. WASHINGTON (AP) House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trumps border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington. The House is preparing to vote as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday, as one of the first acts after Democrats take control, according to an aide who was not authorized to discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week. What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will consider either measure or if Trump would sign them into law. "It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported," Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement late Monday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The package does not include the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall on the southern border. The president told Fox News Channel in an interview Monday that he was "ready, willing and able" to negotiate. He added: "No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security." McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart made it clear Senate Republicans will not take action without Trump's backing. "It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign," he said. Republican senators are refusing to vote on any bills until all sides, including Trump, are in agreement. Senators were frustrated that Trump had dismissed their earlier legislation to avert the shutdown. House Democrats did not confer with Senate Republicans on the package, but the bills are expected to have some bipartisan support because they reflect earlier spending measures already hashed out between the parties and chambers. One bill will temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels, with $1.3 billion for border security, through Feb. 8, while talks continue. The other will be on a measure made up of six other bipartisan bills some that have already passed the Senate to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. They would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30. The House is planning two separate votes for Thursday. If approved, the bills would go to the Senate. Senate Democrats support the measures, according to a senior aide who was unauthorized to discuss the plan and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted that without funding for Trump's wall, the package is a "nonstarter." He said it "will not be a legitimate answer to this impasse." But as the shutdown drags on, pressure is expected to build on all sides for a resolution, as public parks and museums close, and some 800,000 federal workers are going without pay. Trump could accept or reject either bill, and it's unclear how he would respond. The president continued to insist Monday he wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite assertions otherwise of three confidants. "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED," Trump tweeted Monday. "Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides)." Trump's comments came after officials, including his departing chief of staff, indicated that the president's signature campaign pledge to build the wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. White House chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of "a solid concrete wall early on in the administration." "To be honest, it's not a wall," Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and "steel slat" barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that "the wall has become a metaphor for border security" and referred to "a physical barrier along the border." Graham said Trump was "open-minded" about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of "Dreamers" young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham told CNN before his lunch with Trump that "there will never be a deal without wall funding." The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking any funding for the wall, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. -- The Associated Press SEATTLE Starting Tuesday, no one under the age of 21 in Washington state will be allowed to purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle. The new law goes into effect after Washington voters passed Initiative 1639 in the November general election. Initiative 1639 was a sweeping measure that sought to curb gun violence by toughening background checks for people buying assault rifles, increasing the age limit to buy those firearms and requiring the safe storage of all guns. Only the age-limit portion of the measure goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The rest of the initiative becomes law on July 1, 2019. Supporters of the measure say it will prevent gun violence by setting limits on the sale of the type of rifles most commonly used in mass shootings. But opponents say it violates the constitutional rights of young adults. Theyve file a federal lawsuit to block the measure. The Associated Press Your report on the Oregon Department of Administrative Services study comparing employee compensation between public and private employers (New study finds Oregon state worker compensation is competitive, Dec. 26) is rightly critical of some anemic and potentially misleading conclusions of the study. But it leaves out what is arguably the most important advantage state employees have over those who work for private employers job security. Stable employment is understandably highly prized in our competitive economy. While it may be difficult to put a dollar value on the protections that union contracts and state regulations bestow on public employees, it is obvious when their job security is compared with that of unorganized workers who serve "at the pleasure" of their bosses. Michael Munk, Portland An Oregon inmate convicted of multiple sex crimes in 2000 died Friday at a Boise hospital, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections. Dan A. Beebe, 59, was serving his sentence at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario. The agency said the states medical examiner will determine the cause of death. Beebe was convicted in Multnomah County; his earliest release date was in late 2019. -- The Oregonian Rinsing chicken or turkey before cooking it is an ingrained step for many home cooks passed down through generations and reinforced by cookbooks. Recipes like the Perfect Roast Chicken in 1999s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook advise cooks to Rinse the chicken inside and out. But that doesnt reflect the science. To wash or not to wash? Thats a question home cooks ask experts at the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline a lot around the holidays. Or they dont ask and end up dispersing food pathogens all over their kitchens, increasing the very risk of foodborne illness they are trying to avoid. Consumers should rinse their fresh fruits and vegetables with cold water, but not raw poultry, meat or eggs, according to the experts. For decades, the Department of Agriculture has been advising against washing raw poultry and meat. People are still shocked when we tell them not to wash poultry, said Marianne Gravely, one of USDAs food safety educators. Back in the early 90s we were saying that. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne pathogens sicken an estimated 48 million Americans every year, putting 128,000 in the hospital and killing 3,000. Washing chicken wont remove many bacteria, said Benjamin Chapman, an associate professor in North Carolina State Universitys agricultural and human sciences department. But it can spread germs to hands, work surfaces, clothing and nearby utensils or food a process called cross-contamination. That washing process can really only increase risk, he said. All I really can do is control it through cooking. Cooking is the only way to kill pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter. Consumers should use a food thermometer to ensure meat and poultry reach a safe minimal temperature: 165 degrees for poultry; 160 degrees for ground meats; 145 degrees for steaks, chops, roasts, fresh or smoked ham, fish and shellfish. Dont rely on your cookbook for temperature settings. A 2017 study co-authored by Chapman found that of nearly 1,500 recipes in New York Times Bestseller cookbooks, only 8 percent included an endpoint temperature and a third of those gave an incorrect one based on USDA guidelines. Two other steps in safe food handling separation and cleaning help prevent cross-contamination. Keeping raw meat and poultry separate from fresh produce in your grocery bag, in your refrigerator and during food preparation also minimizes cross-contamination. Food safety experts recommend washing anything used in food preparation including counters, cutting boards and utensils in hot, soapy water. And washing your hands properly with soap for 20 seconds before and after preparing food can really prevent the contamination of other things, Gravely said. Chapman and his colleagues at NC State are collaborating with the USDA and RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, to investigate how pathogens are transferred around kitchens. Preliminary results from the first of a multiyear study showed that participants spread bacteria from raw meat to spice containers, refrigerator handles and even salads. Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, said her organization plans to work with cookbook writers and editors to incorporate more guidance for safe food handling. The Food and Drug Administration recommends rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables with cold running water. Washing can remove more bacteria from fruits and vegetables than from meat, but theres still a limit to how much. Pathogens are just so small and the surface of produce is so creviced, Chapman said, that the pathogens do a really good job attaching and hiding where water cant even get to. Some produce, such as bagged lettuce and spinach, is clearly labeled as already washed and does not need to be washed again, the FDA says. Washing those vegetables or fruits again wont reduce the number of pathogens any further and could spread bacteria around the kitchen. The FDA advises consumers to avoid detergents or soaps when washing food because they can leave behind a residue and can affect taste. There are no FDA-approved food cleaners on the market, and the agency hasnt found anything to be more effective at removing bacteria than cold running water. There are a lot of myths out there that if I wash, I can wash the pathogens off, Chapman said. You can wash a little bit off, but not enough to significantly reduce your risk. Because consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables raw, the risk of contracting a foodborne illness from contaminated lettuce or cantaloupe is greater than from properly cooked chicken. With meat and poultry, there is a kill step, but its cooking it isnt rinsing, said Feist. With raw fresh produce, theres always going to be some risk. You cant wash it away. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. WASHINGTON Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the Wests iconic national parks on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty. "It's a free-for-all," Dakota Snider, 24, who lives and works in Yosemite Valley, said by telephone Monday, as Yosemite National Park officials announced closings of some minimally supervised campgrounds and public areas within the park that are overwhelmed. "It's so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I've seen in my four years living here," Snider said. The 10th day of the partial federal government shutdown, which has forced furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal government employees, has left many parks without most of the rangers and others who staff campgrounds and otherwise keep parks running. Unlike shutdowns in some previous administrations, the Trump administration was leaving parks open to visitors despite the staff furloughs, said John Garder, senior budget director of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. "We're afraid that we're going to start seeing significant damage to the natural resources in parks and potentially to historic and other cultural artifacts," Garder said. "We're concerned there'll be impacts to visitors' safety." "It's really a nightmare scenario," Garder said. Spokespeople with the Interior Department did not immediately return emails seeking comment on Monday. National Park Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum had said as the shutdown took hold that "national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures." In practice, that meant on Monday that many park toilets were closed or filled to overflowing, despite holiday crowds. Campers at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California's deserts were reporting squabbles as different families laid claims to sites, with no rangers on hand to adjudicate, said Ethan Feltges, who operates the Coyote Corner gift shop outside Joshua Tree. Feltges and other business owners around Joshua Tree had stepped into the gap as much as possible, hauling trailers into the park to empty overflowing trash bins and sweeping and stocking restrooms that were still open, Feltges said. Feltges himself had set up a portable toilet at his store to help the visitors still streaming in and out of the park. He was spending his days standing outside his store, offering tips about the park in place of the rangers who normally would be present. "The whole community has come together," Feltges said, also by phone. "Everyone loves the park. And there's a lot of businesses that actually need the park." Some visitors have strung Christmas lights in the twisting Joshua trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, the Los Angeles Times reported. Most visitors were being respectful of the desert wilderness and park facilities, Joshua Tree's superintendent, David Smith, said in a statement. But some are seizing on the shortage of park staffers to off-road illegally and otherwise damage the park, as well as relieving themselves in the open, a park statement said. Joshua Tree said it would begin closing some campgrounds for all but day use. Oregons only national park, Crater Lake, carried a warning on its website: For most parks, there will be no National Park Service-provided visitor services, such as restrooms, trash collection, facilities, or road maintenance. At Yosemite, Snider, the local resident, said crowds of visitors were driving into the park to take advantage of free admission, with only a few park rangers working and a limited number of restrooms open. Visitors were allowing their dogs to run off-leash in an area rich with bears and other wildlife, and scattering bags of garbage along the roads, Snider said. "You're looking at Yosemite Falls and in front of you is plastic bottles and trash bags," he said. In Yellowstone National Park, private companies have picked up some of the maintenance normally done by federal workers. The contractors that operate park tours by snowmobile, buses and vans are grooming trails, hauling trash and replacing toilet paper at pit toilets and restrooms along their routes. Nearly all roads inside Yellowstone are normally closed for winter, meaning most visitors at this time of the year access park attractions like Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone through guides. Those guides are splitting the cost of grooming the trails used by their vehicles to keep their operations going, said Travis Watt, general manager of See Yellowstone Alpen Guides based in West Yellowstone, Montana. The tour companies can likely keep this system going through the entire winter season if they need to, Watt said. Its definitely not our preference the park service does a good job doing their thing and we hate to see them out of work, Watt said. But its something we can handle. Thirty-three people were killed in Portland in 2018, including four who died in police shootings. The victims ranged in age from 18 to 89. An 89-year-old woman was kidnapped, sexually abused and killed by a convicted sex offender who followed her home from her volunteer work at a food pantry in Northeast Portland, according to police. A beloved chef at the Oregon Culinary Institute was found shot at work, and his wife, a romance mystery writer whose work included a book called The Wrong Husband, was charged in his death. A man and a woman were shot in the head in two execution-style shootings that occurred within four hours of each other in the citys downtown. A Seattle man, suspected of fleeing a similar shooting there, is accused in the double murder. One man was a sitting - duck, waiting unarmed in his parked car downtown when two rival gang members, police say, walked up and fired through the drivers side window. The victim thought he was about to meet a woman with whom hed connected on Facebook. Instead, the two rivals who had initiated those Facebook communications purporting to be the woman, ambushed him, police said. One of the accused gunmen had checked out of a federal halfway house hours earlier, and had cut off his ankle bracelet five minutes before the shooting, according to police and prosecutors. Five of the killings were determined to be acts of self-defense and did not lead to arrests. In three of the five, the people defending themselves were working when they were attacked, including a FedEx driver who was bombarded with racial slurs, a U-Haul employee who fired at a man during an attempted robbery, and a tattoo artist who shot a homeless man armed with a knife in the strip mall parking lot, according to police. At least three bodies were found in car trunks or a vehicle. One woman was strangled in a van that was abandoned, and the van was later towed with her body inside, according to court records. The body was left in the van for days before police discovered her. A man was discovered in the trunk of his girlfriends burning car after firefighters put out the fire. And, the 89-year-old woman killed was discovered in the trunk of her attackers car during a traffic stop, police said. Four people were killed by police. One of those marked the first fatal police shooting by Portland State University campus officers. Three others involved Portland police: the high-profile police shooting of a carjacking suspect who burst into a Southeast Portland homeless shelter with a knife; the shooting of a man who wounded two others in front of police in a downtown parking lot; and the shooting of a man who held a woman at knifepoint inside a Southeast Portland motel. Excluding the police shootings, 21 of the remaining 29 homicides resulted from gunfire, one from strangulation, two from stab wounds, two from head trauma, one from torture, maiming and sexual abuse. The causes of two of the people killed have not been released. The 33 killings mark an increase from 27 recorded in 2017 but werent far out of line with the citys count in recent years: 20 in 2016, 34 in 205, 26 in 2014 and 16 in 2013, which was the lowest number recorded in 42 years. Excluding the police shootings, 12 of the remaining 29 homicides, or 41 percent of the years homicides are unsolved. The 2018 homicide rate among the 30 largest cities was projected to be 7.6 percent lower than 2017, resulting largely from sharp declines in San Francisco, Chicago and Baltimore, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Portland had the fewest homicides of the nations 30 largest cities, with a rate of 4.4 per 100,000, according to the centers Dec. 12 figures. PORTLAND HOMICIDES 2018: (Solved means police have made an arrest or identified a suspect but doesnt reflect a conviction. This list includes officer-involved fatal shootings.) 1. Robert Porter, 53, Jan. 3. Shot by a U-Haul employee when Porter entered the business at 4831 S.E. Powell Blvd. armed with a gun and demanded money, police said. A Multnomah County grand jury found Tyson B. Pfau was justified in fatally shooting the would-be robber . Pfau shot Porter multiple times, and another employee called 911. SELF-DEFENSE, SOLVED. 2. Jonathan Lehman, 35, Jan. 4. Died from blunt trauma to the head after he was assaulted on Dec. 28, 2017. Alphonzo Leon Johnson, now 43, was initially charged with manslaughter but a grand jury did not return an indictment, finding he acted in self-defense. Johnson told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he saw Lehman, shirtless and holding a meat tenderizer mallet, walking toward his uncle at 9268 S.E. Clinton St. Lehman turned and walked toward Johnson, yelling and swearing at him. Johnson said he punched Lehman in the head. Lehmans head hit the ground. Lehman died at a local hospital days later. SELF-DEFENSE, SOLVED. 3. Cody Bennett Oller, 25, Jan. 8. Shot in Concordia neighborhoods Fernhill Park at 6010 N.E. 37th Ave., 10 blocks from where he lived. Police responded to the park shortly after 9:30 p.m. They found Oller lying on the ground in the park at Northeast 37th Avenue and Ainsworth Street. UNSOLVED. 4. Ellante Williams, 30, Jan. 21. Shot while seated in his locked SUV parked at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Stark Street about 5:37 p.m. Rival gang members, Aaron Birt, 25, and Avarihae Collins,19, are accused of luring Williams to the location on the pretense of meeting a woman, then shooting him through the drivers window. Police say the killing was the result of a gang rivalry between Birt and Collins, who officers identified as Failing Street gang members, and Williams, a Kerby Bloc Crip. Brit had earlier that day left a federal halfway house with a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet on that he cut off shortly before the killing and ditched nearby, police said. Williams was shot multiple times and died of bullets to the neck that traveled to his brain and chest, police said. GANG-RELATED, SOLVED. 5. Kentraveon Hill, 18, Jan. 23. Shot at the Hazelwood Station apartments at Northeast 147th Avenue and Burnside Street. Hill was pronounced dead at the scene.. A grand jury did not return a murder indictment against Guthrie Melvin Ray Damron, 20, but did indict him on other charges. Police suspect Javier Blanco, then 17, and Hill planned to rob another man named Austin Jones, according to Multnomah County prosecutors. During the robbery, police said, Hill pulled a gun, and Damron, who was with Jones, responded by shooting and killing Hill, prosecutors say. Blanco was wounded in the shooting. Damron has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful sale of an AR-15, theft of a firearm and criminal mischief, according to court records. SOLVED. 6. Davonte D. Kerney, 22, Jan. 31. Shot shortly after 8 p.m. near Northwest Park Avenue and Flanders Street. A witness said she heard a gunshot on her way out of the Pacific Northwest College of Art student housing building in the North Park Blocks. UNSOLVED. 7. Richard R. Hanley, 38, Feb. 10. Shot by Joseph D. Vinci, a Portland tattoo artist, who a grand jury deemed acted in self-defense. Vinci shot Hanley, who was homeless, in the parking lot of his business at 1230 S.E. Seventh Ave. shortly after noon. Vinci came out of his business and confronted Hanley, who had thrown a lint roller at another business owner in the strip mall, police said. Vinci struck Hanley with a retractable baton, and Hanley pulled out a knife. Vinci grabbed a 9mm pistol from his waistband and fired at Hanley. He died from a chest wound. SELF-DEFENSE, SOLVED. 8. John A. Elifritz, 48, April 7. Shot multiple times by seven Portland police officers and one Multnomah County sheriffs deputy inside CityTeam Ministries homeless shelter on Southeast Grand Avenue. Police confronted Elifritz, a suspect in a carjacking, after he burst into the shelter. Witnesses said officers shouted commands at Elifritz to drop a knife. Two Portland police officers first fired 40mm rubber rounds at him. Elifritz lunged at officers before five other Portland officers and one sheriff's deputy fired lethal shots, killing Elifritz, police said. Earlier in the day, Elifritz had called 911 to report that his wife and children were murdered, but police checked and learned that his family was OK. Officers later saw Elifritz holding a knife to his throat, and he ran from them. Officers chose to let him go. They planned to refer him to officers in the bureau's Behavioral Health Unit for a follow-up. But soon after, Elifritz was suspected in an attempted carjacking and then a successful carjacking, a road-rage encounter and the crash of a stolen car before he entered the shelter. By the time he entered the shelter, emergency dispatchers and police had identified the man with the knife as Elifritz. POLICE SHOOTING. 9. Eugene C. Gora, 85, May 10. Found dead by a friend about 6:30 p.m. on the floor of a welding garage where he lived at the corner of Northeast Skidmore Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Police did not release how he was killed. UNSOLVED. 10. David Gigi Eugene-Pierce, 28, May 21. Shot during a fight around 11:10 p.m. on Southwest Second Avenue, between Ash and Ankeny streets. Pierce died before paramedics arrived at the scene. Pierce identified as a transgender woman and was known on the streets by her nickname, "Gigi," according to police. Sophia Grace Adler, 34, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 days in jail and two years of probation. When she was arrested, she was accused of murder with a firearm, but then a grand jury only indicted her on the single weapons charge. Adler told police she shot Pierce because Pierce was trying to stab her with a knife. Adler fired a .45-caliber pistol while it was still hidden in her purse, prosecutors said. SELF-DEFENSE/SOLVED. 11. Daniel Brophy, 63, June 2. Shot in the Oregon Culinary Institute where he worked. His wife, Nancy Crampton-Brophy, 68, a romance mystery novelist, has pleaded not guilty to murder with a firearm constituting domestic violence. The Beaverton author, who wrote a book called The Wrong Husband, used a 9mm pistol to intentionally kill her husband of 27 years, police and prosecutors said. SOLVED. 12. Barak Rosen, 30, June 16. Found shot just before 4:45 a.m. on the former Marshall High School campus in Southeast Portland, which is the current temporary site for Grant High School while its campus undergoes a renovation. Rosen was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at the track, police said. He lived in an apartment near the campus. Rosen moved to Portland in December 2017 and grew up in La Verne, California, his family said. UNSOLVED. 13. Jason Washington, 45, June 29. Shot by Portland State University Officers Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey while Washington, a U.S. postal worker and Navy veteran, tried to break up a fight near the Cheerful Tortoise just before closing time. The encounter marked the first fatal shooting by the university's police force. A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by the campus officers. Washington was in possession of a friend's handgun amid the drunken melee outside the Cheerful Tortoise bar when Dewey and McKenzie ordered him to drop the weapon, authorities have said. Within seconds of the command, and after they say Washington refused to drop it and turned toward the crowd, the officers opened fire. Nine bullets struck Washington. POLICE SHOOTING. 14. Kenneth Coleman, 44, June 29. Shot in the chest about 10:45 p.m. near a Goodwill stores parking lot on Northeast Halsey and Wasco streets. Police responded to a report from the store's security guards that a person was unconscious and not breathing. UNSOLVED. 15. Billy Ray Mayfield, 36, July 1. Shot about 9:15 p.m. in the 12200 block of Southeast Harold Street. Daniel Troy Harwood, 27, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm. He was initially arrested on a single allegation of unlawful use of a weapon in September, and then indicted on the murder charge on Nov. 29. Harwood told court officials he uses methamphetamine daily and drinks daily. SOLVED 16. Dallas Boyd, 29, July 13. Died of asphyxiation by manual strangulation at the hands of Terry Hickman, 58, a homeless man who was living out of a van, police said. Hickman showed up at the North Portland apartment of a friend on July 19 and said hed killed someone. He said he and a woman had been doing drugs in his van, he dozed off and awoke to find the woman trying to steal some of his stuff -- including drugs that were hidden in her bra, according to a memo filed by prosecutors. Hickman said the pair began to struggle and he ended up choking her and snapping her neck, according to the memo. Hickmans friend flagged down police on North Lombard Street near Portsmouth Avenue to report that Hickman had confessed to a killing and was at her apartment, where he had showered, eaten and spent the night. Police interviewed Hickman, who told them where his van was parked, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police discovered the van had been towed a few days earlier from 12095 North Portland Road, so they went to the tow lot where the van was being stored. Police could see Boyds body inside and smell decay, the affidavit said. Hickman was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted assault. SOLVED. 17. Andre Pennington, 47, Aug. 20. Shot at the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp at 4326 N.E. Marine Drive and died at a local hospital. Jamias Leondre Hart-Rasberry, 30, has pleaded not guilty to murder, unlawful delivery of cocaine and violating his parole. The shooting occurred four days after a Multnomah County judge issued a probation violation warrant for Hart-Rasberry, following his Aug. 9 sentencing to two years of probation for delivery of cocaine. Hart-Raspberry told court officials he didnt know Pennington and had been couch surfing since his recent release from jail. SOLVED. 18. Andrew Patrick Hathaway, 28, Sept. 5. Stabbed multiple times and then stuffed in the trunk of a burning car at a parking lot at 6308 North Marine Drive. The white 2003 Chevrolet Impala belonged to his girlfriend. Portland firefighters responded at 1:01 a.m. to the report of a vehicle fire. After battling the car fire, they found Hathaways body inside. UNSOLVED. 19. Marcine Herinck, 89. Kidnapped sometime between Sept. 18 and 24, tortured and killed by a sex offender who spotted her and followed her to her home on Northeast 150th Avenue from her volunteer shift at Portland Adventist Community Services, police said. Timothy Mackley, 58, has pleaded not guilty to a 23-count indictment charging him with 13 counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder, four counts of first-degree burglary, two counts each of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree kidnapping and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a corpse. On Sept. 18, Herinck had a brief run-in with Mackley after he dropped his cell phone on the floor of the food pantry and thrift store at Portland Adventist Community Services, where Herinck volunteered, stocking shelves. She accused him of trying to look up her dress, and Mackley was asked to leave but later returned. Herincks body was found in Mackleys car during a traffic stop on Sept. 24, Portland police said. SOLVED. 20. Joseph Magnuson, 55, Sept. 26. A punch and a fall led to his death. Prosecutors said Timothy Warren, a FedEx driver, punched Magnuson above his left eye after Magnuson shouted racial slurs at Warren and tried to hit him near Northeast Hoyt Street and 29th Avenue. Theres no indication Warren intended to kill Magnuson, Senior Deputy District Attorney Adam Gibbs wrote in a decline-to-prosecute memo. The state medical examiner later determined Magnuson was in extremely poor health beforehand and that his fall to the ground aggravated pre-existing medical conditions and led to his death. Witnesses described Magnuson as starting the conflict, yelling at Warren as the delivery worker was driving through the area. They said Magnuson repeatedly called Warren the n-word and other aggressive and abusive phrases after the driver stopped his truck and tried to speak with Magnuson about his behavior. Gibbs wrote that Magnuson would still be alive if Warren kept driving, but the decision by Mr. Warren, who is black, to not let the racist vitriol to which he was being subjected go unanswered is not of legal significance. Magnuson was living in a van near the park where the deadly encounter occurred. SELF DEFENSE, SOLVED. 21. Patrick Kimmons, 27, Sept. 30. Shot by Portland police Sgt. Garry Britt and Officer Jeffrey Livingston, about 3 a.m. after he had shot and wounded two other men in a parking lot at Southwest Harvey Milk Street, between Third and Fourth avenues. A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by the officers, who testified that when they saw Kimmons running toward them with a handgun, they fired at him and continued to fire their guns after Kimmons darted south between two parked cars. Livingston fired five times. Britt fired seven times. Both officers, who were armed with 9mm Glock handguns, testified that they stopped firing once Kimmons dropped to the ground. Kimmons collapsed by a hedge grove along Southeast Harvey Milk Street. He was hit nine times and pronounced dead a short time later at OHSU Hospital, police said. An autopsy showed Kimmons was shot in the right lower leg, right buttocks, right lower mid-buttocks, left mid-buttocks, upper left buttocks, left thigh, left groin, left chest and right chest. The shot to his right chest appeared to enter from his back, testified Dr. Cliff Nelson, a deputy state medical examiner. Asked why he continued to fire once Kimmons ran between the parked cars and was running from the officers, Livingston said he still considered Kimmons a threat. POLICE SHOOTING. 22. Markell Jones, 44, Oct. 5. Shot outside the Moda Center while seated in the front passenger seat of a car at Northeast Wheeler and Multnomah streets. A Portland police officer heard the gunshots when Robert Jay James Jr., 35, fired a gun into a white Dodge Durango at the corner, killing the passenger and wounding the driver. Police saw the shooter run from the scene and chased him. Police recovered a gun on James. The single round left in the firearm matched the caliber and head stamp on the spent casing on the street. James has pleaded not guilty to murder with a firearm, attempted aggravated murder with a firearm, second-degree assault with a gun, unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm. He wounded Macenzi Nelson, police said. SOLVED. 23. Izryl T. Johnson, 21, Oct. 7. Shot about 11:45 p.m. in the 4000 block of Southeast 94th Avenue. Police found Johnson lying in the street. Officers started first aid until medical personnel arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. UNSOLVED. 24. Samuel Edward Rice, 26, Oct. 10. Shot by Portland police tactical Officer Kelly Van Blokland after Rice held his girlfriend hostage at the Del Rancho Motel on Southeast 82nd Avenue. Police surrounded the motel and evacuated guests in nearby rooms. They also called for the crisis negotiations team and the tactical team to respond. At one point, the suspect was seen at the door, yelling to officers if they came inside, "She will die,'' according to police dispatch records. During the standoff, Rice also called 911, identified himself by a different name and demanded money. Police negotiators tried to place a call to him and talk with him. A sniper with the Special Emergency Reaction Team eventually fired a single shot into the motel room, and other tactical officers moved into the room to rescue the woman. Rice was pronounced dead at the scene from a single wound to the head. Earlier that morning, Rice had pulled a knife on a customer inside a 7-Eleven store at Southeast Flavel Street and 82nd Avenue. A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by police. Officers from the bureaus Behavioral Health Unit previously had tried to link both Rice and his girlfriend to community services, but he declined help, according to police. Officers also had taken Rice to area hospitals in the past for mental health treatment, they said. POLICE SHOOTING. 25. Armond Ramoan Harper, 42, Oct. 19. Found shot in the lot of an auto body shop, directly across from Peninsula Park at the corner of North Albina Avenue and Rosa Parks Way before 10 a.m. Many people in the area rushed to his aid at the scene. He died at a local hospital the next day. Police attempted to do a canine track of the suspect who fled on Rosa Parks Way, but no one has been arrested. UNSOLVED. 26. Tajheondre Price, 27, Oct. 23. Shot about 1:30 a.m. and found on a sidewalk outside the Glass House Tavern at 9710 Northeast Sandy Blvd. Price, of Eugene, was in Portland visiting his youngest son for a week when he was killed. Another man was wounded in the shooting and survived, police said. UNSOLVED. 27. Tyler Chism, 28, Oct. 25. Stabbed in the chest in a lot at Northwest Third Avenue and Everett Street shortly after 2 a.m. Police found Chism lying on the ground, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. According to witnesses, Chism had been in an argument with his girlfriend when another man approached, suddenly pulled a sword from his cane and stabbed Chism. The attacker then sheathed the sword back into the cane and used it to walk off. Timothy Carl Cato, 59, identified by police as the attacker, has pleaded not guilty to murder and unlawful use of a weapon. He did not know the victim, police said. SOLVED. 28. Christopher Tompkins, 59, Nov. 2. Found dead near Interstate 84 at 6830 Northeast Broadway after someone called 911 about 3:50 p.m. Police called the death suspicious and included it on their homicide list but havent identified how Tompkins died. UNSOLVED. 29. Edward L. Taylor Jr., 26, Nov. 15. Shot around 1:54 a.m. outside the strip club Dream on Saloon at 15920 S.E. Stark St. after multiple people called to report shots fired. Taylor was found dead on the sidewalk just north of the club. Police recovered shell casings from the clubs parking lot. UNSOLVED. 30. Dominique Eivers, 41, Nov. 19. Shot at the Court Louise Apartments at 13059 S.E. Powell Blvd. Eivers, of Gresham, flagged down someone who drove him to a hospital, where he died. Nathan W. Moore, 38, was arrested later that day. Hes pleaded not guilty to murder and unlawful use of a weapon. SOLVED. 31 and 32. Carol Horner, 70, Nov. 19; and Brian E Hansen, 51, Nov. 20. Horner was shot in the forehead about 9:05 pm. under the west end of the Morrison Bridge. She was found lying on the east sidewalk along Southwest First Avenue near Harvey Milk Street. Police found a single .45 caliber shell casing near her body. About four hours later, Hansen, of Vancouver, was shot near his left ear around 12:30 a.m. on the south sidewalk of the Burnside Bridge, according to police and prosecutors. Police identified James Barquet, 26, as the gunman through surveillance video on the Burnside Bridge. They stopped him at Southwest Third and Pine Street about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 20 as he was pulling a small suitcase on wheels. During a pat-down, police recovered a .45-caliber pistol from his waistband that police say was used in both killings. Seattle police also are investigating whether Barquet shot a woman in Seattle in the predawn hours of Nov. 19. Barquet has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of first-degree robbery and being a felon in possession of a gun. Horners daughter said her mother grew up in Salem but had been living on the streets for the last four years due to severe mental illness. SOLVED. 33. Ian R. Olson, 18, Dec. 21. Shot in a Motel 6 in Northeast Portland. A motel worker found Olson, of St. Helens, when she entered the room to clean it, police said. Officers were called to the building at 518 N.E. Holladay St. around 11:15 a.m. UNSOLVED. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian A drunk driver was arrested early on New Years Day after rear-ending a police car and injuring an officer, troopers say. The Oregon State Police said Andrew Steven Allen, 29, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. Officer Andrew James Hutchinson, 40, suffered minor cuts, but no other injuries were reported. Allen had a blood alcohol content of .20 percent, according to the Oregon State Police. Thats over twice the legal limit of .08. He was taken to a hospital and later jailed. Troopers accuse him of rear-ending Hutchinsons patrol car while Hutchinson stopped to help with a traffic stop on McLoughlin Boulevard near West Arlington Street early Tuesday. Allen rear-ended Hutchinsons car as the officer was exiting the vehicle, according to the Oregon State Police. The momentum from the crash caused Hutchinsons car to hit another cruiser, which hit a third cruiser. Gladstone Police reminded drivers in a Facebook post to slow down and move over when approaching emergency lights. The post also reminds people not to drink and drive. Jim Ryan jryan@oregonian.com 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Going small is getting big in private equity. As big buyout deals have become expensive and harder to find more capital and investing activity is going into the middle and small end of the market. In 2019, funds are likely to continue with this trend. Investing in healthcare emerged as one of the key sectors for middle market investors. "We're very bullish on the middle and lower middle market next year," said Lee Gardella, Head of Risk Management and Head of Adveq U.S. at Schroder Adveq during a recent end of year outlook presentation. "We think the opportunity set at that end of the market is stronger then what you're seeing in big companies. There is better potential for multiple expansion." Schroder Adveq invests in private equity funds globally across strategies. In his outlook, Gardella sees potential in most sectors across the middle and lower middle markets. There is also a global play as countries like China continue to develop their economies and support a growing consumer class. Healthcare has emerged as a key sector of interest for middle-market private equity investors in the US and worldwide. According to data from Preqin, 2018 is on pace to be a record year for private equity healthcare investments. As at November 2018, 585 deals have been announced worth a total of $56bn. 2018 also saw the announcement of the largest healthcare-focused deal since the Global Financial Crisis - KKR ...................... To view our full article Click here Why Trumps promise of a wall may not come true International oi-Madhuri Adnal Washington, Jan 1: Three confidantes of President Donald Trump, including his departing chief of staff, are indicating that the president's signature campaign pledge to build a wall along the US-Mexico border would not be fulfilled as advertised. Trump sparked fervent chants of "Build that wall!" at rallies before and after his election and more recently cited a lack of funding for a border wall as the reason for partially shutting down the government. At times the president has also waved off the idea that the wall could be any kind of barrier. However, White House chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of "a solid concrete wall early on in the administration." Russia reveals detention of US 'spy' a day after Putin sends goodwill message to Trump "To be honest, it's not a wall," Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and "steel slat" barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Along the same lines, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called discussion of the apparent contradiction "a silly semantic argument." "There may be a wall in some places, there may be steel slats, there may be technological enhancements," Conway told "Fox News Sunday." 'But only saying 'wall or no wall' is being very disingenuous and turning a complete blind eye to what is a crisis at the border." Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who is close to the president, emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that "the wall has become a metaphor for border security" and referred to "a physical barrier along the border." Graham said Trump was "open-minded" about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of "Dreamers" young immigrants brought to the US as children broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham said he hoped to end the shutdown by offering Democrats incentives to get them to vote for wall funding and told CNN before his lunch with Trump that "there will never be a deal without wall funding." Graham proposed to help two groups of immigrants get approval to continue living in the US: about 700,000 young "Dreamers" brought into the US illegally as children and about 400,000 people receiving temporary protected status because they are from countries struggling with natural disasters or armed conflicts. He also said the compromise should include changes in federal law to discourage people from trying to enter the US illegally. "Democrats have a chance here to work with me and others, including the president, to bring legal status to people who have very uncertain lives," Graham said. The partial government shutdown began December 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking the president's priority, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. In August 2015 during his presidential campaign, Trump made his expectations for the border explicitly clear, as he parried criticism from rival Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor. "Jeb Bush just talked about my border proposal to build a 'fence,'" he tweeted. "It's not a fence, Jeb, it's a WALL, and there's a BIG difference!" Trump suggested as much again in a tweet on Sunday: "President and Mrs Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their DC mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The US needs the same thing, slightly larger version!" Aside from what constitutes a wall, neither side appeared ready to budge off its negotiating position. The two sides have had little direct contact during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington until Thursday, to keep Congress in session. Talks have been at a stalemate for more than a week, after Democrats said the White House offered to accept USD 2.5 billion for border security. 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. Chinese op-ed welcomes Trump-Xi talks but also suspects US's actual intention Conway claimed Sunday that "the president has already compromised" by dropping his request for the wall from USD 25 billion, and she called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table. "It is with them," she said, explaining why Trump was not reaching out to Democrats. Democrats maintain that they have already presented the White House with three options to end the shutdown, none of which fund the wall, and insist that it's Trump's move. "At this point, it's clear the White House doesn't know what they want when it comes to border security," said Justin Goodman, Schumer's spokesman. "While one White House official says they're willing to compromise, another says the president is holding firm at no less than USD 5 billion for the wall. Meanwhile, the president tweets blaming everyone but himself for a shutdown he called for more than 25 times." After cancelling a vacation to his private Florida club, Trump spent the weekend at the White House. He has remained out of the public eye since returning early Thursday from a 29-hour trip to visit US 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. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 8:41 [IST] Can men get arrested for sporting long hair: Apparently in Pakistan YES! Pakistan shares with India list of nuclear installations International pti-PTI Islamabad, Jan 1: Pakistan Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. The list was handed over in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. "The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1000 hrs (local time)," it said. Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi handed over the list of Indian Nuclear Installations and Facilities to a representative of the High Commission of Pakistan at 1030 hrs (local time), the FO said. After tweeting about dropping bombs on New Year's Eve, US military says 'sorry' The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. "This has been done consecutively since January 1, 1992," the FO said. The practice of exchanging lists of nuclear installation has endured despite many low in bilateral ties. PTI US military will stand with India strongly says official China planning on making PLA on par with US military by 2027 Mistrust between India-China at all time high: US official After tweeting about dropping bombs on New Years Eve, US military says sorry International oi-Madhuri Adnal Washington, Jan 1: The US Strategic Command apologised on Monday for a joke in "bad taste" after tweeting it was ready to drop something "much bigger" than the traditional Times Square crystal ball at New Year. In a message posted, and later deleted, on Twitter, the military force that controls the US nuclear arsenal released a video in which B-2 bombers drop bombs, with the message: "If ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger." Amid the jaw-dropping and eye-raising on social media that followed, STRATCOM -- whose slogan is "peace is our profession" -- then tweeted an apology. Race for post-US Syria begins? Russia asks Turkey to stay out even as Ankara plans attack "Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies," it said. A STRATCOM spokesman told NBC News the images on the video showed non-nuclear bombs. About a million people are expected Monday in New York's Times Square, where revelers since 1907 ring in the New Year watching a giant ball slide slowly down a pole. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 11:08 [IST] Veteran actor Kader Khan passes away at 81 India oi-Deepika S Kader Khan passes away at the age of 81, Funeral held in Canada | Oneindia News New Delhi, Jan 1: Veteran actor Kader Khan, who is well known for his comic roles in films like Hum,Coolie and Haseena Maan Jayegi passed away on Monday at the age of 81 due to prolonged illness. The actor had been admitted after complaining of breathlessness and was put on a BiPAP ventilator. He was unable to talk and also showed signs of pneumonia. Kader, 81, is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. "The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it," Khan's son Sarfaraz told PTI. "We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers," he added. Earlier, the rumours of his death started doing rounds on the social media, which were dismissed by his son, Sarfaraz who was by his ailing father's side in Canada. Kader Khan was being taken care of by his son and daughter-in-law. Actor Amitabh Bachchan had shared wishes for his good health on Twitter."KADER KHAN .. actor writer of immense talent .. lies ill in Hospital .. PRAYERS and DUAS for his well being and recovery .. saw him perform on stage, welcomed him and his prolific writing for my films .. great company, a Libran .. and many not know , taught Mathematics," he wrote in his tweet. Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag" and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor, he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's "Jawani Diwani". As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include "Dharam Veer", "Ganga Jamuna Saraswati", "Coolie", "Desh Premee", "Suhaag", "Parvarish" and "Amar Akbar Anthony" and films with Mehra include "Jwalamukhi", "Sharaabi", "Lawaaris", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar". The tiger population in Odisha has dwindled really low! India oi-Deepika S Bhubaneswar, Jan 1: The sight of the big cat in the Odisha Tiger Reserve is becoming rare due to the fast decline in the tiger population resulting from unabated poaching. This is raising doubts about the survival prospects of this majestic animal. Although the latest tiger census report of NTCA has asserted a steady rise in India's tiger population. There is one place where the number of big cats has gone down considerably in the past few years, the Similipal tiger reserve in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. Shoddy translocation of tiger proves fatal for big cats in India Famous for its Black tigers and also the only place in the world that houses the source population of the melanistic tigers, Mayurbhanj district is home to a major population of tigers in Odisha. According to the Odisha government, last census of tigers conducted by the use of both pugmark and camera trap techniques in the year 2016 showed presence of 28 tigers in Mayurbhanj's Similipal tiger reserve. Tiger population across Asia to triple: Study The Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO) claimed that Similipal had 101 tigers in 2006 but now the population has gone down to 28 due to a spike in poaching cases. "The reserve has lost 75 tigers. This is not a good sign because, in the past decade, crores of public money has been spent alone in Similipal for protection of tiger conservation," Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary of WSO told ANI. "The reserve has lost 75 tigers. This is not a good sign because, in the past decade, crores of public money has been spent alone in Similipal for protection of tiger conservation," Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary of WSO told ANI. 95 tiger deaths recorded in 2018; 41 outside reserves Indiscriminate poaching of tigers is mainly responsible for the decline in tiger population. Over the past few years, tigers have been falling victim to mindless human cruelty. Since the hides and skins and other organs of tiger have great demand in the local and the international markets, a section of greedy people are engaged in killing tigers. Some dishonest forest department officials are abetting the crime in exchange for hefty bribes. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 12:27 [IST] Fake: PM Modi did not change attire four times in a day to meet four different leaders Takeaways from PM Modi's first interview in 2019 India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on a range of issues in his first interview of 2019. From Sabarimala row to Ram Temple issue, the Prime Minister spoke at length on almost every major issue in a 95-minute interview to news agency ANI. On the contentious Rafale deal issue, PM Modi asked why almost every defence deal gets into controversies. Modi said when needless allegations are made and questions are raised on defence deals, it weakens the armed forces. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had earlier accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambani's Reliance group in the Rafale deal. [Ram Temple ordinance only after legal process gets over, says PM Modi] "This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom," he said in the interview to ANI's Smita Prakash. Here are other important things that Modi said in the first interview of 2019: Modi said that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he added. Modi refused to compare the triple talaq bill to the Sabarimala issue saying that while one was a matter of gender equality, the other was a matter of tradition. PM Modi rejected the claim that the demonetisation move by the government in 2016 had come as a shock. Modi said that former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel wanted to resign much earlier because of personal reasons and there was no question of any political pressure on him. " It would be naive to think that Pakistan would mend its way after the surgical strike. Pakistan would take time to mend their ways," he said. The Prime Minister said the so-called alliance of opposition parties just want to bring Modi government down, but have no plans as to what they would for the country. He said that the elections were going to be "janta" versus "gathbandhan". Modi said that when he speaks about Congress mukt it means that the nation should be freed from a certain ideology. I say that Congress too needs to be mukt of this Congress culture," he said. He said the Congress is misleading the farmers over loan waivers. He said the policies should be such that farmers would not need to depend on loans. He called for empowerment of farmers. Asserting that the government was committed to bringing those who have cheated the country of crores to justice, Modi said that the accused will have to compensate for each and every paisa. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 20:30 [IST] True or false: Were surgical strikes carried out under the UPA The politicisation of the Army explained by architect of surgical strikes Four years on: Remembering the surgical strike that dealt a lethal blow to Pakistan Surgical strikes decision was a 'big risk', Was concerned about our soldiers: PM Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Indian Army Special Forces' commandos, who conducted the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), were told to come back before sunrise, irrespective of the mission's success. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don't think about that but come back before sunrise. Don't fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," said PM Modi in an interview to news agency ANI. Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after legal process ends: Modi Knowing that the operation was a big risk, PM Modi said his major concern was the safety of the soldiers who were crossing the LoC. "I knew it [surgical strikes] was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," he said. Hooda, who had overseen the surgical strikes conducted across the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of September 28-29, 2016, has triggered a major controversy by saying that constant maintenance of hype around the military operations was unwarranted. DS Hooda's comment on surgical strikes as an opportunity to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Spoken like a true soldier General [DS Hooda]. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 [Modi] has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset. He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambani's real capital by Rs 30,000 crore (sic)," Rahul tweeted. The surgical strikes were followed by a pre-dawn attack on September 18, 2016 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistan-based terrorists in Uri. As public outrage in India grew, the cross-border strike was cleared by Prime Minister Modi. The then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, NSA Ajit Doval, then Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag and Northern Army Commander DS Hooda in consultation with other security agencies had planned out this covert strike. India had planned for about 10 days before launching commandos across the border. On September 29, 2016, a crack team of the Indian Army crossed the border and struck at least 4 terror launchpads some of which were collocated with the Pakistan Army facilities. Videos of the strike across the LoC were made public this year in September, a couple of days before the second anniversary of the strike. North-East got its respect only after advent of PM Modi's government in 2014: Smriti Irani Sohrabuddin encounter case: UPA govt misused CBI to frame Amit Shah, says Smriti Irani India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 1: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case, Union minister Smriti accused the UPA government of "misusing the CBI to frame Amit Shah". "The CBI created evidence for a manufactured probe. But the courts have cleared BJP chief Amit Shah of all charges levelled against him. It was a conspiracy by Congress," Union minister said at a media briefing. Claiming that the Sohrabuddin case was politically motivated, Irani said, "The entire investigation was carried out according to a set script to achieve certain goals. Truth has finally won in a case that was nothing but a conspiracy by Congress". 'Who killed the probe': Arun Jaitley's comeback to Rahul on Sohrabuddin verdict Quoting the recent CBI court judgement, which was delivered a week ago by the special CBI court, Irani said: "The judgment clearly said that the CBI was more concerned about establishing a particular pre-conceived and pre-meditated theory, rather than finding out the truth to to implicate political leaders." All 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted last month by a special CBI court because of insufficient evidence, even as it expressed sorrow over the loss of "three lives." The 350-page judgment said: "Having examined the entire investigation and conducted the trial, I have no hesitation in recording that during the investigation of these offences, the CBI was doing something other than reaching the truth of these offences. No one killed Sohrabuddin, Justice Loya, they just died: Rahul takes a dig at court's ruling All the accused, who were mostly police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were out on bail during the year-long trial. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 16:46 [IST] 'Sajjan Kumar at unease in jail, not eating properly' India pti-PTI New Delhi, Jan 1: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who surrendered before a city court on Monday and was moved to the Mandoli jail in the national capital, had not been eating properly and seemed to be at "unease", sources said on Tuesday. Kumar surrendered before a city court on Monday, the last day of the deadline set by the Delhi High Court, and was sent to jail to serve his life sentence in a case relating to the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Sources on Tuesday claimed that Kumar, who was housed in ward number 1 of jail number 14 of the prison complex, was not talking much and had mostly remained silent since his arrival to the jail. "He slept on the floor last night and did not have a good night's sleep. Even in the morning, he did not eat much and has been keeping to himself," a source said. Kumar did not have any visitors Tuesday and seemed depressed, the sources said, adding that he was suffering from several ailments and was on medicines. They said the 73-year-old former Congress leader was undergoing regular medical check-ups. Kumar is the first big politician to be convicted in cases related to the anti-Sikh riots. [Sajjan Kumar surrenders, sent to Mandoli jail for security reasons] In its judgment on December 17, 2018, the high court had noted that over 2,700 Sikhs were killed in the national capital in the aftermath of then prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by her two Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984, holding that the riots were indeed a "carnage of unbelievable proportions". After Kumar was brought to the prison complex on Monday, jail sources had said Sikh inmates would be kept away from him as a precautionary measure. On Tuesday, Kumar's medical examination was carried out by a jail doctor. He underwent a detailed medical examination owing to his age on Monday and had told the doctor that he was asthmatic and was suffering from body pain. Kumar has brought several medicines to the jail with him. Security was strengthened in jail number 14 and the personnel were asked to ensure that the two-three Sikh inmates of the prison were kept away from Kumar, sources had said yesterday. On his first day in jail on Monday, Kumar went without food. The high court had convicted Kumar and sentenced him to life imprisonment for the "remainder of his natural life". It had also set a December 31 deadline for him to surrender. On December 21, the court had refused to extend the deadline by a month, as pleaded by the former Congress leader. After his conviction, Kumar had resigned from the Congress party. The case in which Kumar was convicted relates to the killing of five Sikhs in the Raj Nagar Part-I area of the Delhi Cantonment in the southwest parts of the national capital on November 1-2, 1984 and the burning down of a gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. PTI Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 1) Chinese nationals top the list of barred foreign visitors in the first 10 months of 2018, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina disclosed that a total of 3,528 aliens of varying nationalities were denied entry in the different international airport nationwide. There were 1,508 Chinese nationals barred from entry, followed by 262 Indians, 151 Americans, and 138 Koreans. "These aliens were turned back after conduct of secondary inspection by our immigration officers. They were properly assessed and thereafter were found to be unfit for admission into our country," Medina added. The BI said some of the foreign nationals who attempted to enter the country were registered sex offenders, wanted fugitives, suspected international terrorists, blacklisted foreigners, and previously deported aliens. Three-fourths of the excluded aliens were seen as public charges or persons without visible means of support and whose purpose in coming here are suspect. Foreign passengers rude to immigration personnel were also denied entry. Most of the aliens entered the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while the rest were stopped the airports of Mactan, Clark, Kalibo, Aklan and Davao, Medina said. In November 2018, the Labor Department in a Senate inquirty noted the huge influx of Chinese nationals who became illegal workers in the Philippines. Senators have warned that Chinese nationals employed in the Philippines might be taking away jobs from interested of competent Filipinos. Ram Gopal Yadav says, Akhilesh to take a call if Congress will be part of alliance in UP or not India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: The way Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders are talking about their alliance in Uttar Pradesh, it seems to be a matter of few days when it will be announced and its road map will be prepared very soon by both the parties. Samajwadi Party general secretary Prof Ram Gopal Yadav said that both the parties are going to join hands in Uttar Pradresh for Lok Sabha elections. However, he left the matter on the party president Akhilesh if the Congress will be its part or not. The SP and the BSP alliance for the Lok Sabha elections is almost final. Everyone knows that a big alliance is going to be formed in the state. This is sure to happen. Final decision will be taken by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP president Mayawati that who all will be part of the alliance. Ram Gopal Yadav said that he is not authorised to speak on the issue of the Congress if it will be part of the alliance or not. Akhilesh Yadav earlier said that alliance will be a confluence of people and ideologies. [How a jail meeting is giving shape to the Grand Alliance in Bihar] It is expected that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) may also join the alliance. Sources said that a compromise has been reached upon on seats but leaders are keeping silent on this issue. There is also confusion over the Congress however it appears that the Congress will be out of the alliance. Both the Congress and the BSP expressed their anger over the Congress. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 20:36 [IST] Prakash Raj campaigns in Bengaluru, says 'I'm fighting for the people, not against any party or lead 'It's a solid slap on my face', says Prakash Raj after electoral drubbing Prakash Raj takes political plunge, to contest Lok Sabha polls India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Jan 1: Actor Prakash Raj will be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. "HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too..," he tweeted at the stroke of midnight. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too.. Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) December 31, 2018 Soon after Raj announced his entry to politics, several netizens replied positively congratulating the actor and wishing him luck in the new phase. Raj has been a vocal critic of divisive politics and Modi government. In fact, the gruesome murder of his friend Gauri Lankesh made him a more outspoken critic against the current ruling dispensation. Kamal Haasan to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections Recently, he was quoted as saying that PM Modi is an NRI when elections are not taking place. "He turns resident Indian during elections. When elections are over, he [Mr. Modi] goes back to foreign locations," Prakash Raj had said. The actor has also extended his support to several politicians including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his plans for a 'Federal Front', which would include a consortium of regional parties. In April this year, Prakash Raj was part of a meeting that included KCR and former PM Deve Gowda at the latter's home. The National award winning actor had previously claimed that Bollywood stopped offering roles after he started criticising the prime minister Prakash Raj had also actively campaigned during the Karnataka elections of 2018 and started trending questions under the hashtag 'just asking' (#justasking). Raj's foray into politics comes close on heels to that of other prominent south Indian actors such as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. With Prakash Raj taking the political plunge it remains to be seen how the Congress and the JD(S) will reach out to the actor. Fake: PM Modi did not change attire four times in a day to meet four different leaders Pakistan would take time to mend its ways: PM Modi India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan would take time to mend its ways towards India even after surgical strike across the border. In an exclusive interview to ANI's Smita Prakash PM Modi was talking about cross-border attacks by Pakistan after the surgical strike. Ram Temple ordinance only after legal process gets over, says PM Modi Talking about cross-border attacks from Pakistan, PM Modi, said," It would be naive to think that Pakistan would mend its way after the surgical strike. Pakistan would take time to mend their ways". (Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochna bohot badi ghalti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an inter talked about a host of issues including demonetisation, the surgical strikes in 2016, the upcoming general elections, the Ram temple and former RBI chief Urijit Patel's resignation. He said the general elections next year will be a fight between the people and the Mahagathbandhan, the proposed anti-BJP alliance. He also made it clear that any decision on the Ram temple issue cannot be taken unless the judicial process is over. Fake: PM Modi did not change attire four times in a day to meet four different leaders Ram Temple ordinance only after legal process gets over, says PM Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. In an exclusive interview to ANI, the prime minister also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," the Prime Minister said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP." Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," Modi said. The Prime Minister was asked why an Ordinance cannot be promulgated to facilitate Ram temple construction when a similar step was taken to ban instant Triple Talaq. In response, Modi said, "the Triple Talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict, in the light of Supreme Court verdict." He was referring to the Supreme Court's ruling in 2017, banning the practice of Triple Talaq among the Muslims. Subsequently, the government issued an Ordinance and brought a bill in Parliament. The bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is before the Rajya Sabha. "Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this (Ayodhya) issue," Modi said. PM Modi also reiterated that it was the Congress which was slowing down the judicial process. "In the court, Congress lawyers, who are creating obstacles, should stop. Let the judicial process take its own course," he said. "Don't weigh it in political terms... I beseech the Congress, for the sake of national peace and amity, they should stop its lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in the court," he added. There has been a renewed pitch within the party as well as by its sister organisations in the Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of construction of the temple. The Sangh Parivar organisations have expressed unhappiness over the delay in resolving the matter and there are demands for promulgating an Ordinance, similar to the one issued on Triple Talaq, to facilitate construction of a temple. The demand for Ordinance has been articulated even by BJP's ally the Shiv Sena. NRC: 30 lakh people left out of final draft re-apply in Assam India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 1: In Assam, around 30 lakh people who were left out of the final draft of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) have applied again for the inclusion during the claims and objections round that ended on Monday. The window for 40.07 lakh out of the 3.29 crore applicants excluded from the complete draft was opened on September 25. The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the entire exercise extended the last date from December 15 to December 31. The extension was granted after the Assam government said that the panchayat elections had robbed people and the officials of their time. Centre extends deadline to update NRC by six months As of Sunday, 30 lakh out of the 40.07 lakh people left out of the final draft re-applied. More people applied on Monday, officials said. The deadline to complete the entire process after processing the claims and objections is June 2019. The service centres would be open from January 2 to 31 for correction of names that would be published in the complete draft. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 6:57 [IST] Fake: PM Modi did not change attire four times in a day to meet four different leaders Demonetisation wasn't a jhatka, had warned people a year earlier: PM Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the decision to ban old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes was not a 'Jhatka' (shock or sudden blow), adding that he had warned people a year earlier. Surgical strikes decision was a 'big risk', Was concerned about our soldiers: PM Modi "This wasn't a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily," he said. "We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily," PM Modi said. Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after legal process ends: Modi Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second anniversary of demonetisation, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that it was a "carefully planned criminal, financial scam" and described it as a "self-inflicted tragedy and a suicide attack that destroyed millions of lives" "India will discover, no matter how the government tries to hide it, that demonetisation wasn't just an ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policy with 'innocent intent' but a carefully planned, criminal financial scam," he said in a statement. The people would not rest until they found the "full truth." In a surprise announcement on November 8, 2016, the Prime Minister banned Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes overnight, leaving 80 per cent of the cash in circulation worthless. The move was aimed at curbing black money and bringing back money into the banking system. New Year 2019: Bengaluru City Police win hearts at midnight India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Jan 1: Bengaluru City Police celebrated the new year in a unique way which was heartwarming and brought a smile on the faces of the people. Not only the city police returned the stolen property at midnight but also went to doorsteps of people to deliver their valuables. The valuable things ranged from gold jewellery to expensive camera. The Bengaluru Police shared the happy moment on its Twitter handle. Happy New Year: From Ayodhya to Budget to elections, a hectic year ahead City Commissioner T Sunil Kumar, Ravi Chennannavar, DCP (West Division), Annamalai Kuppuswamy, DCP (South Division) went to return the valuable things. There is no greater joy when a victim gets back their stolen property. That too when the police visit your doorsteps to deliver your hard earned property at the stroke of midnight!!! New year 2019 rings in style for them. Wishing you the best of 2019. @CPBlr @BlrCityPolice pic.twitter.com/WUtVGYwtY9 Deputy Commissioner of Police--South (@DCPSouthBCP) 31 December 2018 "There is no greater joy when a victim gets back their stolen property. That too when the police visit your doorsteps to deliver your hard earned property at the stroke of midnight!!! New year 2019 rings in style for them. Wishing you the best of 2019, " tweeted the police. Besides this heartwarming gesture, the cops ensured peaceful new year celebrations in the city. Bomb detection squads accompanied by sniffer dogs made repeated rounds of MG Road, Church Street and Brigade Road and neighbourhood through the day. According to reports, women cops visited paying guest (PG) accommodations to distribute handbills on safety measures and contact numbers of nearest police stations. What is AFSPA and why this act became necessary Nagaland declared disturbed area for six more months India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 1: The entire state of Nagaland has been declared "disturbed area" for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice. In a notification, the Home Ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civilian power is necessary. "Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of 1958), the central government hereby declares that whole of the said state to be a 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 30th December 2018, for the purpose of that Act," the notification said. 2018: The year of 'Operation All Out' A home ministry official said the decision to continue the declaration of Nagaland as "disturbed area" has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various parts of the state which necessitated the action for the convenience of the security forces operating there. There have been demands from various organisations in the Northeast as well as in Jammu and Kashmir for repealing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which, they say, gives "sweeping powers" to security forces. The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades. It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R N Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. J&K 2018: 240 terrorists killed, 130 recruited, sniper squad busted 86 security personnel martyred The framework agreement came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years with the first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 6:48 [IST] Meghalaya mine tragedy: Navy divers to resume rescue ops today India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Shillong, Jan 1: It has been 20 days 15 men are trapped in the 370-feet deep coal mine in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. Navy divers have managed to dive as deep as 90 foot. Rescue personnel hope that some trapped miners might have found an air pocket and are still alive. According to NDTV report, a team of about 100 experts from the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF have been camping at the site, but their operations have been hampered by lack of sophisticated equipment. The miners started working inside the illegal mine on December 11. Two days later, water from Lytein river and an abandoned mine gushed in and flooded the coal mine trapping the 15 miners. The mine was filled with water till 70 feet. Firefighters Firefighting personnel conduct rescue task at the site of the coal mine collapse at Ksan, in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (PTI Photo) Navy divers A team of 11 Navy divers with their equipments deployed to conduct rescue task at the site of a coal mine collapse at Ksan, in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. Indian Navy divers on Monday again entered the flooded mine where 15 miners are trapped, and said the search would be feasible only after the water level inside the shaft is reduced to a safe diving limit of 30 metres. PTI photo Hi-tech gadget On the 18th day of the operation, the Navy divers stayed inside the shaft for three hours with a hi-tech gadget, Under Water Remotely Operated Vehicle (UWROV), and found visibility to be very poor only one foot, operation spokesperson R Susngi said. PTI photo Navy rescue ops "The Indian Navy suggested that the administration using pumps to reduce the water level inside the mine shaft till about 30 metres (98 feet) or within safe diving limit before they commence diving," Susngi said. According to the Navy, all precautions are being taken to ensure that divers do not suffer from decompression sickness, which is usually experienced in a compressed environment as that of the mine in Lumthari village. PTI photo For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 9:36 [IST] First time in four months, ailing Parrikar attends meeting at secretariat on first day of 2019 India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Panaji, Jan 1: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, arrived at the state secretariat on the first working day of the year. Parrikar was welcomed by party workers and leaders. Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence near here since October 14 and this is the first time he has moved out of the house on December 16 to inspect an under-construction bridge on Mandovi River. The opposition Congress has been alleging that Parrikar's ailment and his absence from office had brought the coastal state's administration to a standstill. Goa: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar held meeting with his cabinet colleagues and officials at the state secretariat in Porvorim. pic.twitter.com/bwPBdpkq4V ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 New Year 2019: Bengaluru City Police win hearts at midnight A day before Goa Governor Mridula Sinhasummoned a three-day session of the state Assembly from January 29 to 31. The session is crucial in view of the prolonged illness of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has not stepped into his office at the state Secretariat for several months, after he was diagnosed for advanced pancreatic cancer in February 2018. Can a monkey be booked for murder? Cops in a fix When you see a monkey, 'avoid eye contact, don't tease them': Advice to MPs Have you seen the Schwarzenegger among monkeys? She resides in Finland Hilarious! Gorillas human-like reaction to rain is winning hearts on the Internet Man kills, eats protected monkey species in Meghalaya, arrested India oi-PTI Guwahati/Shillong, Jan 1: A man who had boasted of killing and eating a rhesus macaque monkey, a protected species, on social media, was arrested in Meghalaya, police said on Monday. The man was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Rhesus macaques, protected under the same Act, are familiar brown primates with red faces and rears. They have close-cropped hair on their heads and their natural range includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China. When you see a monkey, 'avoid eye contact, don't tease them': Advice to MPs The accused was arrested from West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya after the state forest department lodged an FIR, Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar told PTI. After the man allegedly killed, burnt, and cooked the monkey, he posted photographs of it on social media from where PETA India came to know about it and urged the authorities to arrest him. A PETA India statement released in Guwahati said following its request, the deputy commissioner ordered the SP and the divisional forest officer of West Garo Hills to form a joint team to investigate the matter and arrest the accused, Sengkud Sangma. Can a monkey be booked for murder? Cops in a fix In the statement, the animal rights body said, "We commend the Superintendent of Police, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Divisional Forest Officer of West Garo Hills District for sending out a strong message that such cruelty will not be tolerated." PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 13:46 [IST] Will enact law to protect Sabarimala Ayyappa temple's customs if voted to power: UDF Sabarimala issue pending in Supreme Court, nothing to be debated now: CM Pinarayi Vijayan Kerala welcomes New Year with 620 km long 'Women's Wall' India oi-Deepika S Kochi, Jan 1: Lakhs of women across Kerala lined up from one end of the state to the other to form a women wall on Tuesday and took a pledge not to push the state to the era of darkness again and uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The "Women's wall" was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. The Wall would be formed between 4 and 4.15 PM, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. Women's wall in Kerala tomorrow: All you need to know While Health minister K K Shylaja would lead the chain at Kasargod, senior CPM leader Brinda Karat would be the last person at the end of the chain in Thiruvananthapuram. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran told reporters Tuesday that government employees would also be participating in the women's wall. Government employees will also be taking part in the initiative. All arrangements are in place in order to avoid traffic snarls in the state," Surendran said. Preparations are almost over as state ministers and district collectors are in charge to make the initiative a big success and all efforts are being made to streamline any hiccups. Schools in some districts have declared holiday in the afternoon while Universities have postponed examinations which were to be held Tuesday amid allegations of misuse of official machinery, which the LDF has denied. The participants would gather at the designated centers on Tuesday at 3.30 PM, when a rehearsal would be held. The Wall would be formed between 4 and 4.15 PM, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The Women's wall was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government following the massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. "The protests by communal forces against women's entry in Sabarimala had prompted the government and other progressive organisations to conceive the idea of a Women's Wall in the state," Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan said. Women, cutting across caste and religion, would join the wall "to save Kerala from the being dragged back into the era of darkness, he said. The event is being organised by the ruling LDF along with over 176 other socio-political organisations, including the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS). Over 1.25 lakh volunters of the Kudambashree Mission, would also be participating. Many prominent personalities, including film actors, from all spheres of life are expected to take part in the event. Induction of Congress MLAs into BJP is death of Parrikar's legacy, says outgoing Goa deputy CM Karnataka Govt to re-look into steel bridge project India oi-Chennabasaveshwar P Bengaluru, Jan 1: Karnataka Government is reconsidering controversial steel bridge project which was stalled following massive opposition by NGOs and activists. Speaking on steel bridge row, Karnataka Deputy CM G Parameshwara, said, "It's not the question of the steel bridge, we need an elevated road from Esteem mall to Chalukya circle. There is a lot of congestion, it was a very good plan, I don't know why it was stalled." Parameshwara We want to relook at it, I'd like to discuss it with CM, Cabinet will take decision, people are facing traffic issues. We're talking about easing traffic in Bengaluru. I will leave it in public domain for suggestions, I'm open for it. New Year 2019: Bengaluru City Police win hearts at midnight It may be recalled that the 6.7 km steel bridge, estimated to cost Rs. 1,800 crore, was scrapped amid firm opposition by many citizens. It would have required the chopping of 812 trees and Bengaluru residents had managed to get the National Green Tribunal to stop its construction pending an audit. Then Bengaluru city development minister K George had scrapped the plan, saying as a "decision taken with pain." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 15:58 [IST] Pakistan train accident: Death toll rises to 65 as two passenger trains collide in Sindh's Ghotki district Pakistan passes Bill to give right of appeal to Kulbhushan Jadhav Can men get arrested for sporting long hair: Apparently in Pakistan YES! J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch India oi-Deepika S Srinagar, Jan 1: Pakistan violated ceasefire in Khari Karmara area of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday. However, no casualities have been reported so far. The latest ceasefire violation comes just days after Pakistani rangers violated ceasefire in the Karnmara area of Pooch. On Tuesday, India summoned a Pakistan High Commission envoy to lodge a protest against the "cross-border infiltration attempt" in Jammu and Kashmir that led to Indian security force casualties. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a demarche notice expressing concern over the "continued infiltration attempts from Pakistan". Army foils infiltration attempt, kills 2 Pak BAT men On October 21, two suspected militants and three Indian security force personnel were killed in a gunfight that followed an infiltration attempt from the Pakistani side in the Sunderbani sector. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 10:36 [IST] Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind to provide legal aid to people arrested by the NIA for having ISIS link India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 10 terror suspects by raiding simultaneously at 17 places in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi with the help of local anti-terror squads. They recovered a huge quantity of explosives and weapons. But not only Rihai Manch but the biggest organisation of Sunni Muslims - Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind - has decided to to provide legal help to them. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani said that despite all big claims made by the police and intelligence agencies, when these arrested youths go to court, they are released after five, seven and 10 years of court battle in want of proof. They are released sometimes by the lower court and sometimes by the high court and even by the Supreme Court. So it clearly tells that their lives have been deliberately destroyed. They were innocent as intelligence agencies and the police don't have any proof against them. Proofs are mostly fabricated by forceful and by illegal means. Stone pelting to radicalisation: The external influence that is threatening Uttar Pradesh Madani said that mountain hill is made out of a mole but in reality there is nothing against these youths. This is where the role of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind comes in picture to fight cases of such innocent people. "What I feel that these children will also be released if legal aid is given to them. It doesn't matter whether from the lower court, the high court or the Supreme Court. We are fighting around 60 such cases and we are getting relief from courts." But the way these cases are presented that had these arrests not been made and intelligence agencies had not done this excellent job by their excellent skills, the country would have been destroyed. Sometimes it is being claimed that a chief minister was in the radar of these terrorists, sometimes it is said that republic Day (26 January) was on target or Independence day (15 August) was in the target but police fail to provide proof against them. Madani was of the view that people having the intention of harming the country by making bomb or scheming to make bombs or sharing secrets of the country with other countries of the world must not be spared. Sending such things which are important for military purposes, we consider it as the most heinous crime and these people must not be given any legal assistance. But the issue becomes delicate for Muslims where the attitude of the police, media and intelligence have always been like that when Muslims are arrested throughout the year. ISIS in India is just the ISI minus the 'S' The NIA claimed that it had seized 134 mobile phone SIM cards, as well as 112 alarm clocks and over 25 kg of chemicals that were to be used to make scores of remote-controlled bombs and many other explosives. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 7:40 [IST] J&K: Police officer shot dead in Rajpora village India oi-Vikas SV Srinagar, Jan 1: The terrorists on Tuesday shot dead a police officer in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The terrorists had fired upon an SPO of the Jammu and Kashmir at Hajin Payeen area of Rajpora village, said reports. The police officer was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to injuries. In October 2018, a sub-inspector of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who was on his way home, was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district of South Kashmir. The body of sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, who was posted with the CID in Srinagar's Sheergadi, was recovered from the Chewa Kalan area of the district. Posted in the CID department, Mir had been warned against venturing into his village as there was a possibility of attack by militant groups, who have been targeting policemen in the state recently. [Jammu and Kashmir: 6 militants killed in Pulwama encounter] In August 2018, three police officials were shot dead on Eid by the terrorists in Kashmir. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 21:43 [IST] India-Japan to develop a port in Bangladesh for alternative to the Siliguri route India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: Ties between India and Bangladesh will be further strengthened with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League's landslid victory in the general elections of the country. With prime minister Sheikh Hasina continuing to be at the helm for next five years, not only the volume of the financial aid given to Bangladesh by India will increase but Bangladesh will also be benefited with the infrastructure development that India is doing with the help of Japan in Indian Ocean. Sources said that talks among India, Japan and Bangladesh to built a huge port in the deep sea near Payra in South Bangladesh have reached to advance stage and this could be announced anytime this year. India is focusing to develop a port in Bangladesh after helping the country in many industrial projects. The Sheikh Hasina government continuing in the power will help the government in India. The biggest reason for developing this port is that India does not want to rely only on the Siliguri route for supply of good from the northeastern regions of the country. The most important reason being for such decision is India's recent dispute with China over Doklam as China will be able to keep a watch on Siliguri route from there. Second reason is that China is also constantly putting pressure on the Sheikh Hasina government to give contract to it to built a port in Bangladesh. But the most important aspect of Payra port is that it is very close to Indian sea territory and it is is the best possible route to link with the rest of the northeastern region. If everything goes the right way, Payra port will be built by India and Japan under Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) scheme, which was announced around two years ago by the two countries. AAGC is considered to be the answer to the ambitious One Road, One Belt (OROB) plan of China. India is also planning to built a big road project in Bangladesh with the help of China. India is also planning to built a big power plant. India supplies 1160 megawatt power to Bangladesh which is over 10 per cent to the total consumption of power of the country. Laying pipeline for diesel from India to Bangladesh is in progress which will be completed in 2020. This pipeline will help supplying other products. There are three railway network in Bangladesh on which India is working. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 12:22 [IST] Heavy snowfall likely in most parts of Himachal Pradesh between Jan 4-6 India oi-Vikas SV Shimla, Jan 1: With cold wave sweeping Northern India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of Himachal Pradesh on Friday and Saturday. "Due to western disturbance, rainfall is expected at most places and heavy snowfall in Chamba, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Shimla districts between 4th to 6th January. The daytime temperature is also expected to dip," ANI quoted IMD Himachal Pradesh's Director as saying. Heavy rain and snowfall are likely to occur in most places of high, middle, low hills and plains on Friday and Saturday due to western disturbances, said Manmohan Singh, director, Meteorological Centre, Shimla. Issuing an 'orange warning' of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of the state on Friday and Saturday, the Met director asked the authorities concerned to be prepared as heavy rain and snowfall may lead to blockage of roads and landslides, especially in regions of high and mid hills. [Weather forecast for Jan 2: Rains, snow in Jammu and Kashmir likely] The Kangra administration has asked its officials to take all possible precautionary measures following the advisory, a district official said. The lowest temperature was recorded in Keylong, the administrative centre Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre at minus 6.8 degrees Celsius. OneIndia News with PTI inputs For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, January 2, 2019, 0:08 [IST] Election of Assembly Speaker in Madhya Pradesh may prove to be a tough call for Congress India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: The Congress has been able to form the government in Madhya Pradesh with the support of independent, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs. But now electing Assembly speaker in the state is a big challenge for the party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state is not in a mood to give a walkover to the Congress. It is considering to field its own candidate. The BJP is not interested in toppling the government in the state but wants to take benefits of the cracks appearing in the government. The BJP feels that even if the party does not get support of the people angry with the Congress but it will definitely be able to tell the weakness of the Congress to people. However, the Congress is saying that if the BJP starts a new tradition for Assembly Speaker then the Congress will not give post of deputy Speaker to the Opposition. The Congress is the largest party in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly. There are 114 members of the Congress in the Assembly and the ruling party is supported by the one SP MLA, two BSP MLAs and four independent MLAs. Kamal Nath 'Spiritual Department' replaces Shivraj Chouhan's Happiness Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has made an independent MLA Pradeep Jaiswal a minister in his government so there is no threat to the government in the crisis situation. The BJP with 109 MLAs is in the opposition. In such a situation if voting for Assembly Speaker takes place, the Congress may be in a difficult situation. Because BSP chief Mayawati has already started threatening the Congress. The decision of contesting election of Assembly will be decided by the high command but the party is divide on the issue. One faction wants Speaker election to be contested and the Congress government to be toppled while the other faction wants to sideline such leader who had been responsible for the BJP's debacle in the state. They are talking about such leaders who were in the government. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 10:40 [IST] Dalit votes in mind, BJP plans 100 feet statue of Uda Devi in UP India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 1: The BJP in a bid to bag the Dalit votes has planned to install a 100 feet statue of freedom fighter, Uda Devi. The party also plans on developing a park and memorial in the name of the Pasi icon, who fought the British East India Company Army at Lucknow in 1857. The BJP was able to win over the Pasi community in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Out of the 71 BJP Lok Sabha MPs, six belong to the Pasi community. Out of the 310 MLAs in the assembly, 23 are from the Pasi community. Stone pelting to radicalisation: The external influence that is threatening Uttar Pradesh Addressing a meeting of the social representatives of the BJP Schedule Caste Morcha, member of Parliament from Mohanlalganj, Kaushal Kishore called upon the members of the Pasi community to donate iron for the construction of Uda Devi's statue. The statue would be installed in Lucknow. This would be in addition to the already existing small statue of Uda Devi that is present in Lucknow, which was installed in the 1990s during the Kalyan Singh regime. Uda Devi had become a symbol of Dalit resistance against the colonial rule. Kishore said that Uda Devi had killed around three dozen British soldiers in a battle near Sikandar Bagh in Lucknow, before laying down her life. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 9:01 [IST] Congress to pay Manvendra for taking on Vadundhara; BJP to do the same with Yunus India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: If the Congress is planning to give some important responsibility to Manvendra Singh then the Bharatiya Janata Party may also give some important assignment to Yunus Khan in the organisation. Manvendra Singh contested Assembly elections against former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and lost. So has been the case with Yunus Khan who was defeated by deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. Son of senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh was fielded against the former chief minister from Jhalrapatan in the name of pride of his father. Yunus Khan was fielded against Sachin Pilot as there is a sizable number of Muslim population in Tonk. However, both the candidates knew it very well that their respective parties were making their political use. Mayawati threatens to withdraw outside support to Congress govts in MP, Rajasthan In such a situation both the leaders have been proved to be loyal to their parties. This is the reason that despite loosing elections, they will be honoured with some responsibility. Manvendra lost the Assembly still the Congress has come to power. Sources said that he is likely to be given some important responsibility in the organisation at the national level. A senior leader of the Congress said that he is likely to be appointed as the national secretary of the party. It was decided from the very beginning that he would contest Lok Sabha election from Barmer-Jaisalmer. Before joining the Congress, Manvendra Singh got elected MLA as a BJP candidate from Sheo constituency. But this time round he joined the Congress just before the Assembly elections. He expressed his wish not to contest Assembly elections still the Congress fielded him from Jhalarapatan against Vasundhara Raje which is 700 kilometres away from Sheo. Raje out, Gehlot in: 2018 has been an eventful year in Rajasthan Yunus Khan, one of the very close associates of Vasundhara Raje and former transport minister, is the only Muslim face in the party in Rajasthan. Now just before the Lok Sabha elections Yunush Khan is likely to be given some important responsibility in the state organisation. Sources said that Vasundhara Raje is trying hard to get him accommodated in the organisation. Khan, who has always been contesting from Didwana Assembly constituency, has been sent to 260-kilometres away to Tonk seat. Yunus Khan got 54 thousand and lost the election with similar number of votes. But he has always been a great help to Vasundhara Raje. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 9:58 [IST] Caste first, everyone else later: Rajasthan Minister kicks off row India oi-Deepika S Alwar, Jan 1: Mamta Bhupesh, Rajasthan Women and Child Development Minister on Monday stirred up a controversial by saying that her first priority is to serve her caste and then comes the society. Addressing a gathering in Alwar on the last day of the year, Bhupesh said, "Pratham karya hamara hamari jaati ke liye, uske baad hamare samaj ke liye, uske baad sarv samaj ke liye, sab ke liye. Hamari mansha yeh rahegi ki hum sabke liye kaam kar paayein. (My first duty will be to work towards development of people of my caste and then towards the larger society. I intend to work for everyone) Bhupesh, with an MBA degree, is the only woman minister in chief minister Ashok Gehlot's cabinet who was sworn in on December 23 along with other ministers. She is from Berwa caste. Mayawati threatens to withdraw outside support to Congress govts in MP, Rajasthan Later, she issued a clarification saying that she will work for the benefit of all. The Berwa (Bairwa) are a scheduled caste from Indian state Rajasthan. "Berwa" means brave. They are associated with animal husbandry and agriculture and are the third largest schedule caste group in Rajasthan. With this statement, it looks that the minster in the newly formed Ashok Gehlot-led state government joined the BJP leaders in the list of 'controversy makers'. Congress won the Assembly elections in December 2018 by ending the Vasundhara Raje rule. It secured 99 seats in the elections, and Ashok Gehlot became the CM of state. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 14:09 [IST] BJP getting ready to organise Prime Minister's rally in West Bengal India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Jan 1: Despite several attempts made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to organise 'Save Democracy Rally' in West Bengal, the party has started preparing to organise rallies of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state. The BJP plans more than one rally in the state. Actually, the PM wants to give encouragement and boost to the party workers before Assembly elections in the state. The party leadership is working on the strategy and places where to organise rallies of the PM in the state. The BJP has started preparing for rallies at the organisation level. Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary and in-charge of West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "We are working on organising rallies of the PM in West Bengal as it is the priority state for the Bharatiya Janata Party. As per proposed programme, the BJP is working to organise several rallies in West Bengal in different parts of state." [Rath Yatra row: West Bengal BJP files caveat in Supreme Court] The BJP has fixed the target for itself to win at least 22 seats in the Lok Sabha in West Bengla and has started working on the same direction. They also want to contest Assembly election with full strength. Recently the BJP has challenged a decision of the Calcutta High Court in the Supreme Court which will be heard on January 4. The matter of BJP organising Save Democracy Rally is in court. The BJP had proposed a Rath Yatra in three phases that would pass from all the 42 constituencies of West Bengal. This has been names as Save Democracy Yatra. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 19:57 [IST] Bhima-Koregaon: Year after caste violence, peace appeals from all quarters India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Jan 1: Bishop of Pune diocese, Thomas Dabre has appealed to churches and institutions in the west Maharashtra city to hold prayers for "peace and harmony" during the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle that falls on January 1. Against the backdrop of caste clashes around Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 2018, heavy police bandobast is put in place around villages near "jay stambh" or the victory pillar which is visited by lakhs of people, mainly Dalits, to commemorate the 1818 battle between the British and the Peshwas. Security tightened in Bhima Koregaon One person was killed and several others injured in the violence on January 1 which had broken out a day after the Elgaar Parishad conclave was held in historic Shaniwarwada in Pune. "As the Bishop of the Diocese of Ponna (Pune), I have issued a circular to around 60 churches and 20 institutions in the city to hold prayers for peace and harmony to be prevailed in Koregaon Bhima and in the Pune district during the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle," said Dabre. Despite whatever differences we have have, be it social, political and religious, we are Indians first and we should go beyond all these differences and considered ourselves fellow citizens, he said. "All should strive to live in complete harmony, unity, peace. As fellow citizens, one should not indulge in violence and rioting activities," he said. In the Koregaon Bhima battle, the British Army, comprising mainly of dalit Mahar soldiers, had defeated the Peshwas. Bhima Koregaon case: Chargesheet filed against 5 accused Bhim Army chief and dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad is slated to visit Koregaon Bhima on January 1. He had said he would visit the place even if the state government uses force to stop him. Meanwhile, the bishop said there are over 80 churches and institutions under Diocese of Ponna and the circular was issued to all of them on Sunday. Besides, the diocese also appealed the churches to hold prayers for the victims of recent tsunami in Indonesia. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 11:15 [IST] Bhima-Koregaon: IB watches underground urban naxals closely India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Jan 1: Security is at an all time high and the sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau are keeping a close watch on elements who would incite violence during the Bhima-Koregaon anniversary. While the locals are according a warm welcome to several thousand visitors who are arriving to pay their tribute at 'jay stambh,' they also have on their back of their minds the violence that erupted last year during the 200th commemoration. Bhima-Koregaon: The battle of 1818 explained IB officials tell OneIndia that the radar on several elements is very high. We are keeping a close tab on both naxals, their city friends and those associated with them. While the security mechanism is better prepared this year, there would be some elements would look to incite violence like how they did last year. We will ensure that nothing untoward takes place, the officer also said. The officer also added that while several activists sympathetic of the naxalites had been arrested, there are still many who are underground. They would attempt to disrupt peace, the officer also added. The Pune police in its chargesheet filed said that some of the naxal leaders were conspiring to incite violence. They also said that the naxals were trying to mobilise and incite Dalits and the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune last December was part of this strategy. Further the police also said that it was the naxal backed conclave that aggravated the violence at the Koregaon-Bhima last year on January 1. The over 5,000-page charge sheet named 10 persons, including activists Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, all arrested on June 6. Bhima-Koregaon: Year after caste violence, peace appeals from all quarters Besides, it named five Maoist leaders believed to be underground: Dipak alias Milind Teltumbade, Kishan Da alias Prashant Bose, Prakash alias Rituparn Goswami, Deepu and Manglu. The larger conspiracy of CPI (Maoists) was to overthrow the democratic system in the country, and the accused were working in that direction, the charge sheet claimed. The Elgar Parishad had been organised with "inspiration, money and directions" of Maoists, it alleged. "It is the policy of the CPI (Maoists)... to mobilise Dalit community's sentiments and mislead them and provoke them to take violent path against the system," it said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 11:47 [IST] Bengaluru: Woman alleges molestation on New Year's eve, Husband assaulted India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Jan 1: In a horrific incident, a woman from Bengaluru has alleged she was molested by miscreants at the city's Richmond Circle around 1 am on New Year's Eve. According to a tweet by ANI, the incident took place at around 1 am at Richmond Circle area on December 31. Reports inform that when the woman's husband intervened, he was also reportedly assaulted. One person has been arrested by the Bengaluru police in connection with the assault. A case has been registered at the Ashok Nagar police station regarding the incident and a police investigation is underway. Happy New Year: World welcomes 2019 with pomp and fireworks Bengaluru Police was on high alert last night as the city prepared to bid 2018 adieu.Close to 12,000 police personnel along with 80 platoons of the reserve police force and 250 women police squads were deployed across the city on New Year's eve to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. In addition, as many as 1,200 Cheetah patrolling bikes and 270 Hoysalas were also stationed at key areas in the city. The year 2017 saw horror reports of girls being pawed, groped and abused coming out of Bengaluru. The alleged molestation took place on MG Road and Brigade Road, and cops had to resort to lathi-charge to control the crowds. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 14:46 [IST] Ahead of 2019 LS polls, BJP revives Mission 123 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 1: Stung by the electoral defeats in the Hindi heartland, the BJP is gearing up to face the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The campaign would be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will tour at least 20 states. The prime focus would be the BJP's Mission 123. These are the 123 seats that the BJP contested but did not win in 2014, despite a Modi wave. Happy New Year: From Ayodhya to Budget to elections, a hectic year ahead Modi would visit these states which comprise the 123 seats and interact with the public. There would also be government programmes that he would attend in these states. West Bengal, Assam and Odisha are among these states, which account for 77 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP hold 10 seats in these states. The BJP's youth wing led by Poonam Mahajan has been given a 14 point programme, which would be aimed at winning over the new or first time voters. In this regard a programme called Nation with NaMo would be launched from January 12 onwards. This is aimed at forming a volunteer network in a bid to tap into the new voters. This programme would also use the slogan called Pehla vote Modi (first vote to Modi) and the same would also begin from January 12 onwards. The big farm push ahead of the mega 2019 LS polls The revival of Mission 123 was visible last week when Modi was in Odisha to inaugurate a new Indian Institute of Technology campus. This was followed by a speech at a rally in Khurda. From there he headed to Assam on December 25 to inaugurate India's longest rail cum road bridge over the Brahmaputra river. He would be back in Assam on January 4. The BJP has set itself a target to win 11 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats here. On January 5, Modi would return to Odisha and address a rally in Mayurbhanj. He is also expected to make another visit on January 15. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 10:32 [IST] Man held after threatening to hijack planes from MP and take them to Pakistan After Mayawati's 'warning', Congress govt to recommend withdrawal of Bharat bandh cases India oi-Deepika S Bhopal, Jan 1: A day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati threatened to "reconsider" her outside support to the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments if cases against "innocents" framed in Bharat Bandh were not withdrawn, the Kamal Nath government said it would recommend the same. Sharma said that this would mean MP government will be withdrawing cases not only against workers belonging to its political fairweather friends but several farmers and government employees. BSP chief Mayawati - who bailed out the Congress after it fell a whisker short of majority in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on Monday set a condition to keep the party in line. Mayawati threatens to withdraw outside support to Congress govts in MP, Rajasthan Mayawati said she would "reconsider" her support if the cases filed in the two states against the "innocent" during April's all-India strike by Scheduled Castes are not withdrawn. The Congress, she said, should not work like the BJP, which did not keep its promises. "The warning to the Congress is necessary, as now merely making announcements is not enough. People are of the view that in making promises on papers, the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Now, it depends on the Congress whether it is able to change this perception," she said. Mayawati had said the cases against the innocent people were framed out of political and caste considerations in Uttar Pradesh and other states including MP and Rajasthan, which were previously under the BJP. She said now that MP and Rajasthan are ruled by the Congress, the new governments should immediately withdraw such cases, failing which her party would have to reconsider its decision of extending outside support. The Congress had supported the April protests - against the changes to the law meant protect Scheduled Castes and Tribes - that saw widespread violence in parts of north India. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 16:20 [IST] After busting ISIS inspired module, NIA digs deeper India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 1: The National Investigation Agency has conducted more raids after busting an Islamic State inspired module in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Raids were conducted at Saidapur village of Amroha from where it had last week arrested four persons. In all ten persons were arrested of which four were from Amroha. NIA officials tell OneIndia that there are several more persons under the scanner. The interrogation of the ten accused persons has led to more names who could also be part of this module, the officer also informed. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind to provide legal aid to people arrested by the NIA for having ISIS link The scanner of the agencies has been high on Amroha following the arrest of Mufti Sohail, alias Hazrath a native of this area. He according to the NIA was the mastermind of the module. On Sunday, the NIA had carried out another batch of searches at Delhi's Jafrabad, Seelampur and Amroha. Five persons were questioned following the raids, but none were arrested. The NIA had seized arms and ammunition following the raid that took place last week. ISIS in India is just the ISI minus the 'S' The agency had said that the module which called itself Harkat-ul-Harb had planned on carrying major attacks in and around Delhi. On its target were politicians and other top leaders, the NIA had also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 15:45 [IST] Gardai in Dublin are investigating a shooting incident which occurred at a food take away premises at the Edenmore Shopping Centre, Coolock, Dublin 5 shortly after midnight this morning, Tuesday January 1. A lone male entered the premises armed with what is described as a handgun. He demanded cash and then discharged a number of shots. Two male staff members received gunshot wounds. They were both removed to Beaumont Hospital where they are receiving treatment for their injuries which are not believed to life threatening. In a follow up operation two men, one aged 44 and one aged 18, have been arrested in connection with this investigation. They are detained at Coolock and Raheny Garda Stations under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939. Investigating Gardai are appealing for witnesses or any person with information to contact the incident room at Coolock Garda Station on 01- 666 4200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. On St Stephen's Day, the entire community of Rhode came together to raise a substantial amount of money for the Rotunda Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Organised by Rod Og Minor Club, the Green & Gold Mile St Stephen's Day Charity Walk was organised to honour baby Donnacha Darby's life and raise much needed funds for a great cause. Refreshments were served throughout the morning with many enjoying the lovely mild morning. The Darby family would like to thank all for the wonderful support they have received, most especially with support for the walk and online fundraising. A final tally of monies raised to be known next week. A special thank you was extended to Tracey Murphy, Regina Swaine and Robert Kellaghan for their work. Also to John and Orla Kilmurray of Eden Decor for sponsoring the advertisement signs for the walk. On Saturday night, Minor Club Secretary Tracey Murphy made a presentation of monies raised to Brian Darby to be given to the Rotunda. One lucky person in Offaly has kicked of their New Year in style with a big win in the National Lottery Christmas Millionaire Raffle. The person has won a top tier prize of 250,000 on their ticket which was bought in Dolans on Clara Road in Tullamore. The winning ticket number is 417104. Somebody in Wexford scooped the top prize of an incredible one million euro. Players in Kilkenny, Kerry and Roscommon are also celebrating the first day of 2019 in style having landed top tier prizes of 250,000 and 100,000 in the Raffle. With a total of 5,567 players winning prizes of between 500 and 1 million in last nights draw the National Lottery today urged people to check their raffle numbers to see if they have scooped a windfall. As well as top tier prizes there were ten prizes of 10,000, 28 prizes of 5,000, 125 prizes of 1,000 and 5,400 prizes of 500. Christmas Millionaire Raffle ticket number 191401 won the top prize of 1 million. The ticket was sold at Kavanaghs Village Forecourt, in Clonroche, Co. Wexford, a shop with the midas touch as it sold a 2.7 million Lotto Jackpot ticket in November 2010. The winning ticket numbers for the top five Christmas Millionaire Raffle prizes are:. Top prize of 1 million: Ticket no 191401 sold in Kavanaghs Village Forecourt, Clonroche, Co Wexford Prize of 250,000: Ticket no 417104 sold in Dolans, Clara Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Three prizes of 100,000: Tickets nos: 238272 sold in Dunnes Stores, Roscommon town; 52944 sold in Garveys Supervalu, Listowel, Co. Kerry; 164,096 sold in Supervalu in Main Street, Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny National Lottery CEO, Dermot Griffin, said today: "We are absolutely thrilled for our player from Wexford with this big win. The Christmas Millionaire Raffle is hugely popular every year and the prize payout this year is bigger than ever. We look forward to welcoming the first National Lottery millioniare of 2019 into the Winners Room!" All Christmas Millionaire Raffle ticket holders have 90 days from the day of the draw to collect their prizes. The top five prizes can only be collected in National Lottery offices in Dublin. All prizes up to 15,000 can be collected at any Prize Claim Centres nationwide. Full draw results detailing all prize winning numbers is now available be available on the National Lotterys website www.lottery.ie and on the National Lottery App. The American man who was arrested last week in Russia on a spying charge is a Marine Corps veteran who was in Moscow to attend a wedding, his family said on Tuesday. Russias Federal Security Service, known as the F.S.B., said on Monday that the American, Paul N. Whelan, had been detained on Friday during an act of espionage, and that a criminal case had been opened against him. Conviction on a spying charge in Russia carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. We noticed that he was not in communication, his parents and siblings said in a statement, which was very much out of character for him even when he was traveling. They said they had not learned of his arrest until it was reported by the news media on Monday. Since then, they have contacted an array of United States government offices. MOSCOW Rescue workers pulled a 10-month-old baby boy alive from a partly collapsed apartment building in central Russia on Tuesday, calling him a New Year miracle after he survived in the rubble for more than 35 hours in freezing temperatures. An explosion believed to have been caused by a gas leak destroyed at least 25 apartments in the 10-story building in the city of Magnitogorsk early on Monday, killing at least nine people, and dozens of other residents remained missing. The rescue operation, which continued through the night, has been slowed by concerns that other parts of the building might come tumbling down, and the instability delayed the retrieval of one victim until Tuesday evening. The governors office said that the overhanging parts of a wall that threatened rescuers have been removed. The temperature in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city at the southern end of the Urals more than 1,000 miles east of Moscow, hovers just over 1 degree Fahrenheit (minus 17 degrees Celsius) in the daytime and minus 20 Fahrenheit or lower overnight. BERLIN Targeting foreigners, a man repeatedly drove his car at pedestrians celebrating New Years Eve in western Germany, injuring four people before being arrested, the police and prosecutors said Tuesday. The suspect made comments disparaging of foreigners when the police detained and questioned him, Herbert Reul, interior minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the attacks took place, told reporters on Tuesday. This is a case of a German deliberately driving into groups of people, people who for the most part were foreigners, Mr. Reul said. That means this man clearly intended to kill foreigners. At least three adults and one child, among them a Syrian and an Afghan, were struck and severely injured, officials said. President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan urged China on Tuesday to seek a peaceful solution to its differences with Taiwan and stressed that the islands people want to maintain self-rule. Speaking a day before Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, was expected to make a major speech about Taiwan, Ms. Tsai said that China must respect the freedom and democracy of Taiwans 23 million people. Her remarks came amid a shift in the islands political landscape, with Ms. Tsais Democratic Progressive Party having suffered major losses in local elections in November. Candidates who favor closer ties with China won mayoral contests in Taiwans four largest cities. I must emphasize, the results of the past election absolutely do not represent that the will of the people at the grass-roots level seeks to give up our sovereignty, she said in a New Years Day address. Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory that must be united with the mainland, by force if necessary. The Chinese government, Ms. Tsai said, must handle our differences peacefully and as equals. That set of differences amounts to one of Asias biggest potential flash points. Since Ms. Tsai came to power in 2016, China has ramped up pressure on her government. It has increased patrols by military aircraft, sent bombers to circle the island and sailed an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait. HONG KONG The photographer Li Zhensheng is on a mission to make his fellow Chinese remember one of the most turbulent chapters in modern Chinese history that the ruling Communist Party is increasingly determined to whitewash. The whole world knows what happened during the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Li said. Only China doesnt know. So many people have no idea. Clad in a dark blue photographers vest, Mr. Li, 78, spoke in a recent interview in Hong Kong, where the first Chinese-language edition of his book Red-Color News Soldier was published in July by the Chinese University Press of Hong Kong. Blending history and memoir, the photo book compiles images taken by Mr. Li in the 1960s when he was working at a local newspaper in northeastern China. Since 2003, the photos have been exhibited in more than 60 countries, bearing witness around the world to the Cultural Revolution the decade-long turmoil that unfolded from 1966 and turned students against teachers, sons against fathers, and friends against friends. You are here: World Flash Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League, which clinched a landslide victory in Sunday's violence-hit general election, will form its new cabinet before Jan. 10, the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader said Tuesday. Quader, also the country's road transport and bridges minister, told journalists that preparations were underway to form the new government with Hasina as the prime minister. Her second straight five-year term of the longest serving Bangladeshi prime minister will end this month. Hasina is set to serve a record fourth term in office with her party gaining a stunning majority on its own in the parliament. Meanwhile, Newly elected members of the Bangladeshi parliament will take oath on Jan. 3, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said. Hasina's ruling party has won 259 out 298 parliament seats followed by its key ally the former President HM Ershad's Jatiya Party with 20 seats in Sunday's election marred by violence. At least 17 people were killed in election-related violence. MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan At least 27 members of security forces in northern Afghanistan were killed by the Taliban in a series of coordinated attacks on Tuesday, officials said, and dozens of others were wounded. The deadliest violence took place in Sar-i-Pul Province, where the Taliban attacked Afghan security forces in three areas, killing a total of 21 people, officials said. The officials did not provide a breakdown of casualties. Zabihullah Amani, the spokesman for the governor of Sar-i-Pul, said the Taliban had simultaneously attacked the center of Sayad District, security outposts along the highway linking Sar-i-Pul with Jowzjan, and a village with oil wells. It was a very strong attack, Mr. Amani said. Two security outposts were captured by the Taliban; 25 members of security forces were also wounded during the clashes. The dismissal came just weeks before Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant, was set to reveal critical evidence against powerful former Peruvian officials. Executives at the company have acknowledged that it distributed millions in bribes across Latin America, including $29 million in Peru, to obtain lucrative government contracts. The prosecutors office is investigating all of the Peruvian presidents who governed from 2001 to 2018 over accusations of corruption and money laundering. Mr. Chavarrys action set off demonstrations by hundreds of people in four cities, including Lima, the capital. Protesters shouted phrases like Out with Chavarry as they waved Peruvian flags. The attorney general called a news conference to announce his decision, but he then took no questions. He said the dismissal was necessary to nullify the appointment of the prosecutor heading the team of investigators. RIO DE JANEIRO Brazilians signaled a desire for a radical shift in the countrys course when they elected the far-right lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro as their next president in October. It didnt take long for profound changes to start taking hold. In the weeks leading up to Mr. Bolsonaros swearing-in on Tuesday, his embrace of a conservative movement that rejects discussion of gender or sexual orientation in schools thrust classrooms to the front lines of culture wars. Under his direction, Brazil pulled out of hosting the 2019 United Nations summit meeting on climate change and began backtracking from its role as a global exemplar of environmentally sustainable development. And on the foreign policy front, Mr. Bolsonaro courted the United States and picked a fight with Cuba, which responded by rescinding a program that had sent Cuban doctors to remote corners of Brazil since 2013. KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of Congos government cut internet connections and SMS services across the country for a second straight day on Tuesday as the country nervously awaited results from the weekends chaotic presidential election. Both the opposition and ruling coalition said on Monday they were on track to win after a turbulent Election Day on Sunday, in which many Congolese were unable to vote because of an Ebola outbreak, conflict and logistical problems. Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi, a senior adviser to President Joseph Kabila, said internet and SMS services were cut to preserve public order after fictitious results began circulating on social media. That could lead us straight toward chaos, Mr. Karubi said, adding the connections would remain cut until the publication of complete results on Jan. 6. Mr. Lighthizer whose top deputy will meet with Chinese officials this week ahead of more high-level talks in February has played down any differences with Mr. Trump and views his role as ultimately executing the directive of his boss. But the trade representative, who declined to be interviewed, has told friends and associates that he is intent on preventing the president from being talked into accepting empty promises like temporary increases in soybean or beef purchases. Mr. Lighthizer, 71, is pushing for substantive changes, such as forcing China to end its practice of requiring American companies to hand over valuable technology as a condition of doing business there. But after 40 years of dealing with China and watching it dangle promises that do not materialize, Mr. Lighthizer remains deeply skeptical of Beijing and has warned Mr. Trump that the United States may need to exert more pressure through additional tariffs in order to win true concessions. When Mr. Lighthizer senses that anyone even Mr. Trump might be going a little soft on China, he opens a paper-clipped manila folder he totes around and brandishes a single-page, easy-reading chart that lists decades of failed trade negotiations with Beijing, according to administration officials. Bobs attitude toward China is very simple. He wants them to surrender, said William A. Reinsch, a former federal trade official who met him three decades ago when Mr. Lighthizer was a young aide for former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. His negotiating strategy is simple too. He basically gives them a list of things he wants them to do and says, Fix it now. Mr. Trumps selection of Mr. Lighthizer last month to lead the talks initially spooked markets, which viewed the China skeptics appointment as an ominous sign. It also annoyed Chinese officials, who had been talking with the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, a more moderate voice on trade and the primary point of contact for Liu He, Chinas top trade negotiator. Mr. Mnuchin has urged the president to avoid a protracted trade war, even if that entails reaching an interim agreement that leaves some issues unresolved. Mr. Mnuchin, who attended the G-20 dinner, helped Mr. Trump craft an upbeat assessment declaring the Buenos Aires meeting highly successful in the presidential limousine back to the airport, according to a senior administration official. That said, some top staff members will undoubtedly decamp for a campaign if there is one, several advisers said. Whether all the groups could sustain operations is unclear, given that Mr. Biden could face pressure to suspend fund-raising to avoid improper influence. During the 2018 cycle, Mr. Biden maintained visibility with campaign visits to 24 states and at least 135 other speaking engagements, giving him a platform whenever he wanted. At a book-related talk in Missoula, Mont., in early December, he fueled coast-to-coast speculation about his plans by declaring himself the most qualified person in the country to be president. Sources of Wealth Mr. Biden has long been self-deprecating about his relative lack of wealth, compared with some politicians. He and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, left office with assets worth between $277,000 and $955,000 (not including their house near Wilmington, Del.), as well as a mortgage of $500,000 to $1 million and other smaller loans, according to a 2015 federal disclosure. The report gives values in ranges. But they have very likely earned more in the two years since leaving office than in the prior two decades, thanks largely to a three-book deal with Flatiron Books reported to be worth $8 million (a figure unconfirmed by the publisher). Two months after the contract was announced, they bought a six-bedroom vacation house in Rehoboth Beach, Del. off the water for $2.7 million. No mortgage was recorded. [Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.] Mr. Bidens only salaried work, according to Mr. Russo, is a Penn professorship that occupies about one day a week. Dr. Biden who is writing one of the three books earns $99,398 as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, state records show. Mr. Biden, who earned $230,700 a year as vice president, receives a hefty federal pension after 44 years of public service. The couple also receive about $66,000 a year in Social Security benefits and in other pension benefits paid to Dr. Biden, according to their last public tax return, from 2015. Mr. Russo said Mr. Biden would be transparent about his finances if he ran. He will make available his tax returns, financial interests and other information that used to be and should once again become commonplace, he said, referring to Mr. Trumps defiance of a four-decade tradition of voluntary disclosure by presidents and many candidates. Because the federal government contributes to the salaries of many members of the Navajo Nation, Mr. Begaye said the lack of pay would hurt families on the reservation, where a single salary can support a family of six, 10 or even 12 people. Mr. Begaye said loan sharks have started circling, leaving fliers on cars and doorsteps. It just kind of snowballs into our people doing things that they know they shouldnt do and further financially obligating themselves, Mr. Begaye said. They have to keep their heater going. They have to keep their water on. On the Bois Forte Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, tribal officials have instituted a hiring freeze and are planning to meet later this week to discuss budget cuts. Cathy Chavers, the tribes chairwoman, said tribal functions were continuing for now, but it will probably come down to minimal, minimal basic services if the shutdown lasts another month. Already, police officers on her reservation, who are employees of the federal government and not the tribe, were being forced to work without pay. These officers are putting their lives on the line, Ms. Chavers said, and they dont know if theyre going to get a paycheck or not. Tribes are making plans for how much longer they can operate, while not knowing whether they will be reimbursed for shutdown-related expenses. Officials with the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin said that they had made contingency plans but that they could manage at least another month without any cuts. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho posted on Facebook that they had enough money to operate at full strength through Saturday, but would then have to re-evaluate. A 7-year-old who was riding in a car with her mother and three sisters was killed in Texas over the weekend, the authorities said, when a gunman in a pickup truck suddenly pulled up alongside them and opened fire. The authorities, who said the shooting appeared random and unprovoked, were searching Monday for her killer. The 7-year-old, Jazmine Barnes, was a second grader at a Houston-area elementary school, and her death in the familys car, early one morning over the holidays unnerved and perplexed her community. Its New Years Eve, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County said in an interview on Monday. It should be a time of fellowship and celebration for many but not for this family. They have to bury a child. SAN JOSE, Calif. Silicon Valley ended 2018 somewhere it had never been: embattled. Lawmakers across the political spectrum say Big Tech, for so long the exalted embodiment of American genius, has too much power. Once seen as a force for making our lives better and our brains smarter, tech is now accused of inflaming, radicalizing, dumbing down and squeezing the masses. Tech company stocks have been pummeled from their highs. Regulation looms. Even tech executives are calling for it. In the face of such a sustained assault, this might be a good moment for Big Tech to lie low. It could devote some of its mountains of cash Apple alone has $237 billion in the bank to genuine good works, and allay widespread fears it wants to control your data and your destiny. That is not the path the companies are taking. The tech companies are not flinching, said Bob Staedler, a Silicon Valley consultant. Nothing has hit them on the nose hard enough to tell them to cut back. Instead, they are expanding. Theyre going around the country acquiring the best human capital so they can create the next whiz-bang thing. There is so much of life that remains undisrupted. The companies are competing to own the cloud to become, in essence, the internets landlord. They have designs on cities: Google made a deal in 2017 to reimagine a chunk of waterfront Toronto from the ground up. Amazon is reworking the definition of community from the inside, as warehouses in rural areas provide the urban middle class with everything they want to stay home all weekend. SAN FRANCISCO A common belief among tech industry insiders is that Silicon Valley has dominated the internet because much of the worldwide network was designed and built by Americans. Now a growing number of those insiders are worried that proposed export restrictions could short-circuit the pre-eminence of American companies in the next big thing to hit their industry, artificial intelligence. In November, the Commerce Department released a list of technologies, including artificial intelligence, that are under consideration for new export rules because of their importance to national security. Technology experts worry that blocking the export of A.I. to other countries, or tying it up in red tape, will help A.I. industries flourish in those nations China, in particular and compete with American companies. You are here: World Flash Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren announced on Monday that she has formed an exploratory committee, a major move toward a 2020 presidential run. In a four-and-a-half minute video, Warren of the U.S. state of Massachusetts touched upon topics likely to define her upcoming campaign, such as economic equality, government accountability and reining in big corporations. "Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, and take care of themselves and the people they love," Warren said in the video. "That's the America I'm fighting for. And that's why today I'm launching an exploratory committee for president," she added. Warren, 69, has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 2013. In November, the Democrat won re-election to the upper chamber for a second term. She is believed to be the most prominent Democrat yet to take formal action toward a presidential bid. In an email to supporters, Warren said she would more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently mocked Warren's claim that she has Native American heritage. And yet, offered the chance recently to recast a tarnished legacy, Dr. Watson has chosen to reaffirm it, this time on camera. In a new documentary, American Masters: Decoding Watson," to be broadcast on PBS on Wednesday night, he is asked whether his views about the relationship between race and intelligence have changed. No, Dr. Watson said. Not at all. I would like for them to have changed, that there be new knowledge that says that your nurture is much more important than nature. But I havent seen any knowledge. And theres a difference on the average between blacks and whites on I.Q. tests. I would say the difference is, its genetic. Dr. Watson adds that he takes no pleasure in the difference between blacks and whites and wishes it didnt exist. Its awful, just like its awful for schizophrenics, he says. (His son Rufus was diagnosed in his teens with schizophrenia.) Dr. Watson continues: If the difference exists, we have to ask ourselves, how can we try and make it better? Dr. Watsons remarks may well ignite another firestorm of criticism. At the very least, they will pose a challenge for historians when they take the measure of the man: How should such fundamentally unsound views be weighed against his extraordinary scientific contributions? In response to questions from The Times, Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, said that most experts on intelligence consider any black-white differences in I.Q. testing to arise primarily from environmental, not genetic, differences. Dr. Collins said he was unaware of any credible research on which Dr. Watsons profoundly unfortunate" statement would be based. The year is set to start with a moon landing by Chinas Change-4 mission. The spacecraft launched in December and reached lunar orbit four and a half days later. If its lander and rover succeed, Change-4 will be the first spacecraft to make a soft, or intact, landing on the moons far side the side that always faces away from Earth. The Chinese spacecraft may be the first of a series of lunar landings. An Israeli company, SpaceIL, is scheduled to send a lander to the moon in February. Originally, SpaceIL was one of four finalists in Googles Lunar X Prize. But the prize went unclaimed when none of the companies were able to meet a launch deadline of March 31, 2018. If the Israeli mission succeeds, it would make that country only the fourth to complete a soft landing on the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union and China . But Israel could get beaten to that distinction by India, which may launch Chandrayaan-2, the nations first moon lander and rover, as soon as late January. (Chandrayaan-1, an orbiter, launched in 2008.) The mission was expected to launch last year, but met with delays. [How to follow the Chandrayaan-2 moon landing.] This lunar activity may serve as a setup for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, when humans first walked on the moon. And China has the opportunity to bookend 2019 with a second moon mission, Change-5, which could land on the moon late in the year, collect samples and later return them to Earth for study. The number of bicyclist deaths dropped last year to 10, from 24 in 2017, according to the city. The number of people who died in vehicles also fell to 37, from 58 in 2017. But the number of motorcyclist deaths increased to 39, from 33 in 2017. Nationally, more than 37,000 people died in traffic crashes in 2017, according to federal transportation data that is not available yet for 2018. The number of traffic fatalities in the United States fell by about 2 percent in 2017, but that followed increases in deaths in 2016 and 2015. In New York, safety advocates have pressed Mr. de Blasio to move faster to improve streets. Marco Conner, deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group, said there were still too many deaths and injuries. Its an achievement, and it should be celebrated, Mr. Conner said of the drop last year. But I think the big question is: Why arent we doing more against the enormity of the epidemic? Were only really taking baby steps. The people who lost their lives represent a cross section of New Yorkers: A 5-year-old girl, Abigail Blumenstein, and a 1-year-old boy, Joshua Lew, were killed by a driver in Brooklyn while crossing the street with their mothers; an 89-year-old woman, Beatrice Kahn, was hit by a car in the Bronx; and a 9-year-old boy, Giovanni Ampuero, was struck by a driver who fled the scene in Queens. In August, a 23-year-old Australian woman died after she was hit by a garbage truck while riding a bicycle near Central Park. She was cut off by a livery cab that entered a bike lane. Her death led to calls for better bike infrastructure, such as protected lanes with a physical barrier. The citys transportation commissioner, Polly Trottenberg, said that her agency completed 138 street improvement projects last year and added more than 20 miles of protected bike lanes. She called the 2018 figures encouraging results unparalleled among American cities. Mrs. Fernandez, who grew up with seven shirts, one for every day of the week, is often compelled to give her husbands clothes away to Goodwill. He usually learns she has done so when he searches for a certain one. Despite their hardships, the familys faith has never wavered. The essence of the flame is the same if it is burning a forest or used to light a lamp, Mr. Fernandez said. The family hopes they will soon be able to leave the shelter system and be placed in public housing. Things are imperfect, Mr. Fernandez said, but they now have some peace that eluded them in their home country. When we were in India, we thought that any time, we will be attacked, Mr. Fernandez said. Here, we can sleep without the fear. The other films of 2019 deserve a chance, but so far, Genesis 2.0 is the best movie of the year to ask the question: What does mammoth meat that has been frozen for tens of thousands of years taste like? This globe-trotting documentary, directed by Christian Frei (War Photographer), first takes viewers to the New Siberian Islands. There, north across the seas from the Russian mainland, men break through the hardened soil looking for mammoth tusks, the subject of a lucrative trade. From the outset, the movie tells two stories in parallel one about the mammoth hunters, the other about scientific advances that, with some imagination, raise the prospect of bringing mammoths back. Tagging along with the tusk hunters, Maxim Arbugaev, who is credited as the co-director and cinematographer for the New Siberian Islands footage, effectively becomes part of their team as they search for intact tusks. The hunters, despite risking their lives, barely share in the down-market proceeds. They are part of an unsustainable supply chain that will itself eventually go the way of the mammoth. New bridal boutiques and ateliers in Brooklyn, specifically Gowanus, Greenpoint, Boerum Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant, sell wedding dresses and accessories by young women designers who understand the needs of a bride seeking elegant, contemporary design with handmade embellishments, and, often a one-of-a-kind dress made just for her. Most of the gowns and accessories are made in small workrooms in Brooklyn, rather than large factories in China and elsewhere. Some shops are so small and custom there is only one person sewing, often the designer. Service is by appointment and the boutiques take pride in the sustainability of their fabrics. Image The Camellia, a lace and silk dress from VeKa Bridal in Brooklyn, designed by Tomomi Okubo; $3,850. VeKa Bridal Atlantic Avenue used to be reserved for antique shops, but other retailers have moved in like VeKa Bridal, a small store in Boerum Hill owned by two women, Jana Vendeland and Ksenia Kaliaguina. It sells bridal dresses by one Brooklyn designer, Tomomi Okubo, and four others in Chicago, Belgium, Italy and Spain, all of whom have very small production companies and make every dress to measure, by hand. All alterations are done in-house at VeKa. The usual time for a garment to be made is four to five months. (Rush orders are $100 to $250 extra.) All sizes are available; dresses are $2,000 to $4,000. In fact, there is so much exposed and unpainted wood, in columns, beams and ceilings, it gives the condos the appearance of a construction zone. Half the condos, which range from $800,000 to $1.3 million, have sold since the building opened last spring, said Ben Kaiser, the developer. Mr. Kaiser faced challenges getting Carbon12 built. The permitting process took almost two years to wind through city and state agencies, largely because wood buildings in Oregon could top out at no more than six stories, he said. In the end, officials concluded that wooden high-rises could help revive Oregons stagnant timber industry, Mr. Kaiser said. In August, the state increased the height limit to 18 stories. Carbon12s timber, however, did not come cheap, according to Mr. Kaiser, whose offices were also built with timber. Indeed, at $11 million, Carbon12 was about 20 percent more expensive to construct than a concrete version would have been, which in some ways dictated that it be a luxury condo. Its like anything the first iPhone, the first flat-screen TV, Mr. Kaiser said. Costs are high because not enough people are doing it. Nevertheless, he plans to use wood from now on. In addition to their green benefits, he said, wood buildings perform well in earthquakes because of their lighter weight and flexibility. Netflix has blocked an episode of its show Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj from streaming in Saudi Arabia after the Saudi government complained that the episode which is critical of the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman violated its cybercrime laws. In the episode, first shown in October, Mr. Minhaj critiques the United States longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia after the murder of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia, Mr. Minhaj said, and I mean that as a Muslim and an American. After receiving a takedown request last month from the Saudi governments Communications and Information Technology Commission, Netflix removed the episode from viewing in Saudi Arabia last week. The news was first reported by The Financial Times. New this week: A VELOCITY OF BEING Edited by Maria Popova and Claudia Zoe Bedrick. (Enchanted Lion, $34.95.) This collection of letters from famous writers addressing their love of books (along with illustrations by the likes of Maira Kalman, Chris Ware, Roz Chast and many, many others) is an embarrassment of riches. HOW TO DATE MEN WHEN YOU HATE MEN By Blythe Roberson. (Flatiron, $19.99.) How do you reconcile your anger with the patriarchy when youre also attracted to men? With biting wit, Roberson explores the dynamics of heterosexual dating in the age of #MeToo. ON THOMAS MERTON By Mary Gordon. (Shambala, $24.95.) Thomas Merton was one of the most important Catholic thinkers of the 20th century, a writer and a monk who found a way to balance these two identities. Gordon, an acclaimed novelist, unpacks his legacy. THE BANISHED IMMORTAL By Ha Jin. (Pantheon, $28.) The National Book Award-winning author of Waiting turns to biography to tell the story of Li Bai, the eighth-century Chinese poet, shaped by Taoist thought, who continues to be read in China today. SERIOUSLY CURIOUS Edited by Tom Standage. (The Economist/PublicAffairs, paper, $17.99.) Standage, the deputy editor of The Economist, has culled some quirky questions from two of the magazines explainer blogs. If you want to know why wolves are coming back to France or how wine glasses have gotten bigger over the years, this is the place. & Noteworthy In which we ask colleagues at The Times what theyre reading now. My constellation of life experiences isnt all that common. I was born in India, grew up in Hong Kong and have learned to call both London and New York home. So it is difficult for me to find books in which I can share experiences and giggle with the characters. Then I found Zadie Smiths WHITE TEETH. The book revolves around two families in London the Iqbals, an immigrant couple from Bangladesh who have twin sons; and the Joneses, an Englishman married to a Jamaican woman, who have a daughter together. Through these characters, Smith takes a granular look at the first- and second-generation immigrant experience; the duality of wanting to both preserve ones roots and cut them off to fit in, the feeling of belonging nowhere that comes to people who belong everywhere, and the crushing burden of stereotypes thrust upon us. Her book, published almost two decades ago, finds renewed relevance in a world of heightened nationalism. It makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, she writes, presciently. Scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts, compared to what the immigrant fears dissolution, disappearance. Alisha Haridasani Gupta, morning briefing writer The new collection is impressive, but it lacks the finish of Fever Dream. It contains three perfect stories (Headlights, Mouthful of Birds, Toward Happy Civilization), three stinkers and a handful of exploratory sketches. Theres a feeling of peeking into Schweblins notebook, of watching her early experiments with technique (this book was originally published before the novel). She can be oblique, as in Slowing Down, a story about aging (I think?), then blunt, as in Heads Against Concrete, with its opening line: If you pound a persons head against concrete even if youre doing it only so theyll come to their senses you will very likely end up hurting them. Image Samanta Schweblin Credit... Alejandra Lopez These stories spiral into their own circles of madness, but they all belong to the same universe. Odd plot points repeat: mysterious holes in the ground, violence to animals, violence to children, violence to children disguised as animals. They begin in barren landscapes, on empty plains and steppes, on interrupted journeys. There are grotesque parodies of family life (a pair of kidnappers treat their prisoners with the loving pride of parents), parodies of work (a womans job requires her to lie facedown on a table and have her leg hair ritually plucked away by six beauticians). The desperate desire to bear children recurs but so too does ambivalence, even revulsion. One woman decides she does not want to be pregnant and wills her belly to shrink and shrink until she finally spits out the baby the size of an almond into a jar, to wait for the future. Maybe. The clearest line of continuity is in the dialogue, in how the characters communicate or dont, rather. There are strains of Beckett and Pinter in the way Schweblins people use so many words to say so little. They have a fondness for digging holes in the ground, to hide in, and they use language to the same effect. This is to say nothing of the perverse ways people speak to themselves. In the title story, a man discovers that his teenage daughter has taken to eating live pet birds. He is repulsed when he catches her at it for the first time, when he hears the bird scream and sees her bloodstained mouth smiling in shy apology. But he quickly begins explaining it away to himself: I thought about how, considering there are people who eat people, eating live birds wasnt so bad. Also, from a natural point of view it was healthier than drugs, and from a social one, it was easier to hide than a pregnancy at 13. Schweblins characters constantly talk themselves out of their perceptions, out of reality. You are here: World Flash The U.S. State Department said on Monday that it has been notified of the detention of an American citizen by Russia, whom Moscow had accused of spying. "We are aware of the detention of a U.S. citizen by Russian authorities," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement, adding that it has been "formally notified of the detention" by Russian Foreign Ministry. The spokesperson also noted that the United States has requested consular access and expected "Russian authorities to provide it." The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that it detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan for spying three days ago. The suspect was caught when he was "conducting a spy action" on Friday in the Russian capital, the FSB said in a statement, without giving more details. The agency has initiated a criminal case against Whelan. The detention came after Russian citizen Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a Washington court on Dec. 13 to one conspiracy charge, admitting that she acted as an unregistered foreign agent to advance Moscow's interests. MEDFORD, Mass. The comedian Pete Davidson returned to the stage Monday night, two weeks after an Instagram post raised concerns that he was having suicidal thoughts, and showed that his preferred coping mechanism was still intact: laughter. Delivering a rough and raucous stand-up set, Mr. Davidson, 25, a Saturday Night Live cast member, also sought to move past his ill-fated engagement to the pop star Ariana Grande. He staged two sold-out shows, one in Boston and one in the neighboring suburb of Medford, in what were his first public performances since the Instagram post two weeks ago in which he stated that he really didnt want to be on this earth anymore. The post prompted the New York Police Department to dispatch an officer to the Manhattan studios of S.N.L. for a wellness check, and Mr. Davidson did not appear in any sketches on that weeks show, the last of the year. (Mr. Davidson is expected to return to S.N.L. in January, according to a person familiar with the shows plans who declined to be identified because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.) While the tone may be somber at times, there is also much to celebrate. SJ Norman, an Australian artist of Wiradjuri and Wonnaruah heritage, said in an email that the opportunity to gather in New York feels like an honoring of the continued existence of our peoples in the big city, as well as the dynamism and globalism of our peoples, which is absolutely vast. Join Times theater reporter Michael Paulson in conversation with Lin-Manuel Miranda, catch a performance from Shakespeare in the Park and more as we explore signs of hope in a changed city. For a year, the Offstage series has followed theater through a shutdown. Now were looking at its rebound. Far from merely checking boxes, the Dialogues grew out of a wariness similar to Ms. Miguels about diversity, or a related hope: to build lasting institutional support for Indigenous performing arts worldwide. This is about a deep cultural shift, deep cultural change, Ms. Johnson said. We are very adamant that this is not about just putting your name on something, not about doing the least amount of work. A Native Alaskan artist of Yupik ancestry, Ms. Johnson has been working tirelessly to counter what she calls the perceived invisibility of Indigenous performing artists, particularly in the United States. Funding for Indigenous performance is more robust in Australia and Canada, and said Ms. Johnson said that in her home country she has often found herself wondering: Where are the Indigenous works? How do we bring this work forward? Mr. Gantner, who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and lives in New York, has observed similar disparities. Here its kind of stuck into a corner of folk or community practice, or traditional or ritualistic, he said. In Australia and elsewhere in the world, its not; its understood as a dynamic contemporary expression of a culture. One approach to bringing the United States up to speed is an ambitious pilot program, the Global First Nations Performance Network, which will be in development during this years Dialogues. (Planning sessions are closed to the public.) The envisioned network will include 15 institutions from Canada, Australia and the United States with the potential to expand to other countries all dedicated to commissioning and presenting works by Indigenous artists. Aldo Parisot, a renowned cellist who toured the world as a soloist and settled into a career as an eminent teacher that included a 60-year tenure at the Yale School of Music, died on Saturday at his home in Guilford, Conn. He was 100. His death was announced by his son, Dean Parisot, a film director and producer in Los Angeles. The cellist had retired from Yale only last June. During the busiest stage of his solo career Mr. Parisot performed with the major orchestras of Berlin, London, Paris and Munich, and with conductors including Leopold Stokowski, Pierre Monteux and Leonard Bernstein, winning plaudits for his warm, focused sound; prodigious technique; and a temperament that balanced passion and elegance. For a 1955 New York Philharmonic appearance under the conductor Walter Hendl, he gave the premiere of Heitor Villa-Loboss Cello Concerto No. 2, one of many works Mr. Parisot would commission during his career to expand the cello repertory. The president offered an unsparing, if broad, assessment of the protest movement, saying that some take as a pretext that they are speaking in the name of the people when in fact they are merely speaking for a hateful mob that takes after elected officials, the police, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals. This is quite simply the negation of France, Mr. Macron said. He was referring to some extremist rhetoric that has emerged most recently on the fringes of the Yellow Vest movement, which began as a citizen revolt over a rise in gasoline taxes, then spread quickly all over France as it encompassed general anger over economic inequality and a heavy fiscal burden. In its latest stages, the protests have veered on the fringes into hate-filled rhetoric. Mr. Macrons tone on Monday was true to form he has been accused of being didactic and it was uncertain if his words would be enough to calm a country that is seeing some of the greatest expressions of popular anger in 50 years. Mr. Macron said the anger had come from far back, suggesting that it had started well before the beginning of his presidency in 2017. Yet while a big tax burden has been a feature of French life for several decades, Mr. Macron himself has become a symbol of economic inequality for many of the protesters. Early in his presidency, he enacted measures (mostly symbolic) to lighten the tax load on the wealthy and employers, while ratcheting up the burden (again symbolically) on the less well-to-do, including retirees on state pensions. TOKYO Kim Jong-un, North Koreas leader, said Tuesday that he was willing to have a second summit meeting with President Trump, but he paired the offer with a threat that if international sanctions against his country were not lifted, the North would have no choice but to return to nuclear confrontation. I am willing to meet the United States president at any time for the betterment of our international community, Mr. Kim said in his New Years Day speech, broadcast on North Koreas state-run television. However, if the United States does not keep its promise in our international community and misinterprets our patience and intention and continues with the sanctions, then we have no choice for the sake of our national interest and peace of the Korean Peninsula but to come up with new initiatives and new measures. Wearing a suit and tie and sitting in an overstuffed leather armchair in a book-lined room, Mr. Kim offered a largely motivational speech about the need to strengthen the North Korean economy. But he took the opportunity to reiterate a demand that South Korea cease all military drills with other foreign sources. Those should be completely stopped, Mr. Kim said. That is our stance. There were sparse direct references in the speech to denuclearization. But Mr. Kim said the country would not be willing to take further steps toward removing its nuclear weapons unless the United States reciprocated. Dale Pollekoff, 71, moved to Los Angeles after a long career in graphic design in Washington D.C. As a single woman with no children, she felt drawn to the citys weather and the less conservative ideas of varied lifestyles. I feel more like I can be me here, she said. But soon after her move in 2000, she ran into the challenge of meeting people to explore her new home with. When youre middle-aged, you make friends in your job, Ms. Pollekoff said. After that, its very, very hard. Los Angeles also doesnt make relationships easy. The city is vast, and the traffic is unforgiving and constant. People often talk about the perils of dating and meeting people in major cities as young adults, but it can be just as hard for an older demographic, who according to many of the women in the group, feel largely ignored. In 2015, after failed attempts to find a group focused on female friendships, Ms. Pollekoff decided to start her own group, called Finding Female Friends Past Fifty on Meetup, a site where people can make online groups to meet up in real life. After just a couple of weeks, the group amassed around 200 members. And it just kept growing. Today, the group has more than 800 members. The identification of the 45th president with an ancient Middle Eastern potentate isnt a fringe thing. The Trump Prophecy was produced with the help of professors and students at Liberty University, whose president, Jerry Falwell Jr., has been instrumental in rallying evangelical support for Mr. Trump. Jeanine Pirro of Fox News has picked up on the meme, as has Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, among many others. As the Trump presidency falls under siege on multiple fronts, it has become increasingly clear that the so-called values voters will be among the last to leave the citadel. A lot of attention has been paid to the supposed paradox of evangelicals backing such an imperfect man, but the real problem is that our idea of Christian nationalism hasnt caught up with the reality. We still buy the line that the hard core of the Christian right i s just an interest group working to protect its values. But what we dont get is that Mr. Trumps supposedly anti-Christian attributes and anti-democratic attributes are a vital part of his attraction. Todays Christian nationalists talk a good game about respecting the Constitution and Americas founders, but at bottom they sound as if they prefer autocrats to democrats. In fact, what they really want is a king. It is God that raises up a king, according to Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher who has advised Mr. Trump. Ralph Drollinger, who has led weekly Bible study groups in the White House attended by Vice President Mike Pence and many other cabinet members, likes the word king so much that he frequently turns it into a verb. Get ready to king in our future lives, he tells his followers. Christian believers will soon, I hope become the consummate, perfect governing authorities! The great thing about kings like Cyrus, as far as todays Christian nationalists are concerned, is that they dont have to follow rules. They are the law. This makes them ideal leaders in paranoid times. Now flip that around: If you gave up your device for a year, you would have time to make love about 16,000 times (assuming youre like most Americans and your lovemaking sessions last an average of 5.4 minutes, not counting foreplay). If all that sex doesnt bring you and your partner closer, you could pay for about four hours of couples therapy. Not enough time? The renowned couples therapist Esther Perel has managed to fix some couples problems in three. Motivate Currently the American political system undercounts the votes of the majority of Americans, either through gerrymandering or the unfair distribution of Senate seats and electoral votes. But this system can be changed particularly if we push for a program for voter reform at a grassroots level. As David Gold, an attorney with the organization Democratism, noted, Quitting devices would give citizens enough time and money to visit their local and state representatives three times a week for a year and cover the cost of the trip in gas or mass transit to lobby for reform. I think I saw it first shortly after it was put in, and it took me a little bit to connect it, to think, Well, what is that and what holiday is this? I really had no idea what it meant. I didnt feel it was very attractive. Later, I got a phone call from someone who said, Did you notice theres a blue line in Warwick? And is that a statement about Black Lives Matter? So it made me wonder. There were lines that were painted in other communities. And we started getting phone calls, of course. The village board felt that it was an important thing, because our police force does a great job. And it was very simple. Its going to eventually fade. It was just a tip of the hat. I first saw the blue line showing of support on the internet, and I was touched when I saw it. I didnt expect it. That blue line has been interpreted in different ways by different people. There are many people, good thinking people, that were outraged. And there are a lot of good thinking people who felt, well, this is a way that we can say thanks to our active police force. Warwick is this town that wants to be adorable, wants to be this beautiful place that people want to come to. And all of a sudden, weve got this ugly line down the middle of the road. The reason that I say that its clearly Blue Lives Matter is because of the political context in this country, the fact that the Black Lives Matter movement has been gaining some traction. Why do we need to suddenly stand up and say, We support our police? What was the intent of the blue line? To show appreciation for law enforcement, local law enforcement, without any of the other things being dragged in. I dont think they were looking beyond Warwick when they did that. And why? Why did they have to? [woman playing guitar] (SINGING) Things I never told you haunt and choke me every day. Want to give it up and let it go. Warwick is mostly white. Theres not many times when I see any minorities really around. I personally have had good and bad experiences with the police. More so when I was a little younger, I experienced a lot more run-ins with the police. Getting taken out of the car for no reason. It only has to go badly once. Thats what comes to mind when I saw the line, is that I just felt like it was dismissive. This is a problem. Even my friends dont generally talk about issues of race, what theyve noticed, whats going on in the country, whats going on around them. I think people are still very uncomfortable about addressing race. This is only a manifestation of something deeper in our psyche around race. And its there whether the blue line surfaced or not. There is a national discussion currently being had about this. And from where were standing, the blue line takes a side in that argument. I decided to write a petition. Not all of them, but there are police officers doing terrible things. And we cant just stand behind any act committed by any police officer simply because they wear the uniform. And thats what I was trying to draw attention to. One of the comments on my petition actually sprung another petition. It was racially charged. That was hard to see. I dont know what will come of that. I think most police officers, the vast majority of them, are trying to do a good job. And we should stand by them and honor them. No. Who put this out? It says, Black people are killing each other, so the police have to do it, too. That makes no sense to me. See, the thing is, I could not support the letter that is for the blue line. There are almost 600 supporters. That horrifies me. I didnt think there were that number of people in Warwick who would support a letter like this. Oh, boy. [laughing] [church bell ringing] [dinging] [interposing voices] Get the blue line back. Thats it. [interposing voices] This afternoon, we made a determination to take away the blue line and to repaint it the colors of our nation. To change it was to be more inclusive. Excuse me. If you cant hold your mouth, you can leave. Mr. Mayor, I am ashamed of what you did today. Yeah! [CHEERING, APPLAUSE] You disrespected the Warwick P.D. and all of the police officers living here. That wasnt the intent. That wasnt Excuse me. Dont put words in my mouth. If you dont like it, you can walk out those doors. It can be corrected! I wrote a letter in opposition to the blue line. All my cousins and uncles are New York City policemen. I am just like you. [interposing voices] Please, please. Hey! Im kind of done with that! Im done with the rudeness! Let the man speak! Were not against the police! We have a context, a national context, where the Blue Lives Matter is in opposition to Black Lives Matter. [interposing voices] You perceive it your way! We perceive it our way! We dont agree! Lets have a quick dose of truth here. Lets talk truth. Police are being assassinated in this country at unprecedented rates. This is due to a lie that would have us think that police are hunting down young minority males for sport. Black Lives Matter is built on this lie. And the radicals objection to the blue line was because it challenges the Black Lives Matter lie. Since January 1, there have been almost 750 black-on-black assassinations in Chicago. But these deceitful radicals want to focus on the less than 1% of instances where a police officer engages and kills one such often armed and dangerous thug. Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, was a vicious thug engaged in a violent assault. This shows how these radicals sit nice and comfortably in Warwick and make lazy, ill-informed condemnations of our police. You dont get off scot-free here. Its time to confront you and shut you down. You have incited a war against our police. This kind of liberal. This kind of radical. What is that? Youre talking to your neighbors. And so are black people! in Warwick, please. Have any of you ever felt threatened by a cop? You said you felt that that line was offensive and that you felt threatened by that line. Were coming together. [interposing voices] (NEWSCASTER) The Warwick community now a village divided. Tonights board meeting erupted into shouting and anger. Warwick is 91% white, home to many in law enforcement. For now, the line stays. The controversy continues. When youre talking about an issue like Black Lives Matter, its unfortunate that people can look at the name of it and somehow think that its offensive when youre literally just saying that black lives matter. It seems like such a basic thing that, unless youre awful, theres no reason for you to feel like it isnt true. People were saying at the meeting that, you know, Black-on-black crime! Its crime. And when the particular people theyre talking about do kill other black people, or whatever, they go to jail for it. Im not a supporter of Black Lives Matter. Im a supporter of All Lives Matter. My son is a New York City police officer. I never know, when he leaves, am I ever going to see him again. We were taught that if you were told to stop by a police officer you stopped. In some of the instances, where unfortunately people were killed, they were given a chance to comply. They didnt comply. What did you think the police were going to do? A snippet of a cell phone video of which you probably dont see the whole thing from start to finish, just the snippet, should not be the end of a police officers career. You werent there. Youve had no training. You dont know what the police officers are up against. Dont be an armchair cop. Sometimes it just feels like people are being willfully obtuse. Theres still this group that doesnt necessarily get a fair shake, because people were willing to forego the entire picture in order to support this idea of what the police are. Its just been a generally pretty difficult time for a lot of people, so I think perceptions have changed. And not just me, but I feel like people see each other differently. My mom is very tied to the police station. Theyve known me since before I could probably speak. We have blue painters tape across our car supporting police. After leaving the meeting and seeing just reflecting on how the meeting went and how it kept running in circles and running in circles, I was like, Thats not We cant approach it that way. The next day, thats when we decided to go about it the complete opposite way. We wanted to present a proper, more mature way of going about things, as opposed to what some of the other people were doing. More civilized. Right. The mayor, hes trying really hard to sit down with people on both sides of this issue and figure out a way to resolve things. Unfortunately, theres a really loud and small group, but very hostile. There are people who support the same things they support in a very different way, and I think that they will get what they want. We have been through quite a week. Definitely not the Warwick community that were so famous for. There were a series of meetings where people disagreed, but then also saw the common ground. There was an understanding that its O.K. to reinstate the blue line. But the question is, if there is people in our community that do have fears, that should be part of that discussion. I grew up in the city of Newburgh, which isnt far from Warwick. Growing up, seeing that with the black community treated themselves definitely made me have a huge bias. When all the Black Lives Matter stuff was coming out, Im like, Oh, wow, I got no sympathy for you, you guys are treating yourself like animals. Look at you. Until this came about. She was actually responsible for really opening my eyes to it. Shes like, I have a black family, I was raised by a black family. And the Black Lives Matter was started by three people who are saying that they werent being heard. And they felt there was injustices in the criminal justice system. Am I in the same camp as Don and Nicole? No. But I dont have to feel as strongly about the thing theyre passionate about in order to work with them on it. As we move forward, were going to continue to disagree. But we have to realize that we are all different, and that conversation has to continue. [applause] There are going to be people who say that the line is coming back, and that still sends a terrible message. And I hope that they see that the problems that they have with the police that make them have a problem with the line were trying to address those. What we get out of it is so much more than stripping paint off the road. We kind of wanted to make community outreach not the people like me and him who love the police, but the people who are a little bit afraid or unsure. Apprehensive. This is a program that was developed to help police and residents build relationships. Its meant to take place in small groups of 10 to 12 people. We have the dialogue started. We have the ear of the people who are in charge of making those sorts of changes possible. And we have the attention of people who didnt even really believe it was necessary. We didnt have that before. We just had a line. As a point of information, just to be updated, so the line will be allowed to fade away. Then we transition to the statue? Its basically going to be a three-tier thing, where etched on one side is going to be the oath. Then in the middle is an etching, the blue line [inaudible]. So youre going to bring the blue line to the statute? Yeah. Thats our plan, yeah. To me, the blue line is a controversial issue, and it will always remain so, especially in Warwick. The blue line literally honors every fallen officer, and its out of respect that I want that blue line there. If you choose not to visit, you dont have to see the blue line. Then the people who choose to visit and actually support our police Don, keep in mind that when that whole crisis happened, we couldve dug in and said, No return to the blue line. We got controversy around that from people I know. We got some negative stuff from that. But we didnt, and it was an act of trust. And Im asking you to remember that. I think its still far from being resolved. The deeper conversations havent really continued in a way that they need to continue. That concerns me. There has to be more people in our community a part of that conversation, because none of us speak for the whole community. I used to think that Warwick as a whole was generally more forward thinking, but I had my suspicions. At least it feels like, somewhat, concerns are being heard. I think were at a crossroads right now. Were at a point where we can accelerate our forward movement, but we also could very likely slide back. To be able to grow, you have to be realistic. You have to look at whats still lacking in the community, what work still needs to be done. I think that the line will fade, and I dont think theyll paint another. And thats fine. But hopefully with that and after this whole election thats been very divisive to our country, hopefully there will be healing. And then lines wont matter. [music] BUENOS AIRES Hector Timerman, a former Argentine foreign minister who was charged with treason in 2013 for his role in negotiating an agreement with Iran relating to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, died on Sunday at his home here. He was 65. His lawyer, Graciana Penafort, said the cause was respiratory failure. Mr. Timerman had been under treatment for liver cancer, she said. He was very deteriorated physically, and his heart simply did not tolerate any more, Ms. Penafort said. Mr. Timerman was foreign minister under President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from 2010 until 2015, the year she left office. His tenure was marked by increasing tension between Argentina and the United States. He had served as Argentinas ambassador in Washington from 2007 to 2010. Flash A NASA spaceship is zooming toward the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever photographed by humankind, a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule about 6.4 billion kilometers away. The US space agency will ring in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark historic flyby of the mysterious object in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt at 05:33 GMT on Tuesday. A guitar anthem recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May-who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics-will be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation of the flyby, as NASA commentators describe the close pass on www.nasa.gov/nasalive. Real-time video of the actual flyby is impossible, since it takes more six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, named New Horizons, and another six hours for the response to arrive. But if all goes well, the first images should be in hand by the end of New Year's Day. And judging by the latest tweet from Alan Stern, the lead scientist on the New Horizons mission, the excitement among team members is palpable. "IT'S HAPPENING!! Flyby is upon us! @NewHorizons2015 is healthy and on course! The farthest exploration of worlds in history!" he wrote on Saturday. Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule looks like-whether it is round or oblong or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 20-30 kilometers in size. Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship, which launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. "At closest approach we are going to try to image Ultima at three times the resolution we had for Pluto," said Stern. "If we can accomplish that it will be spectacular." Hurtling through space at a speed of 51,500 kilometers per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 3,500 kilometers of the surface of Ultima Thule. The flyby will be fast, at a speed of 14 kilometers per second. Seven instruments on board will record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition. Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to NASA. "Ultima Thule means 'beyond Thule'-beyond the borders of the known world-symbolizing the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement. 'Outskirts of solar system' According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, mankind didn't even know the Kuiper Belt-a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system-existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver. "We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed-we think. We will find out." Despite the partial US government shutdown, sparked by a feud over funding for a border wall with Mexico between President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine vowed that the US space agency would broadcast the flyby. Normally, NASA TV and NASA's website would go dark during a government shutdown. NASA will also provide updates about another spacecraft, called OSIRIS-REx, that will enter orbit around the asteroid Bennu on New Year's Eve, Bridenstine said. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo took aim at President Trumps immigration policies on Monday, issuing pardons to 22 immigrants who were at risk of deportation or blocked from citizenship because of criminal convictions. The governor also commuted the sentences of seven people currently incarcerated. While President Trump shuts down the federal government over his obsession with keeping immigrants out, New York stands strong in our support for immigrant communities, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. These actions will help keep immigrant families together and take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York. Immigration has become a key theme in Mr. Cuomos annual clemency grants, responding to what he has called a war on our immigrant communities by the Trump administration. Mondays announcement comes a day before Mr. Cuomo is scheduled to be sworn in for a third term as governor of New York in a symbolic ceremony on Ellis Island, the historic point of entry for immigrants to the United States. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that his country is "slowly" withdrawing troops from Syria, seemingly reversing a previously planned rapid exit. "ISIS (the Islamic State) is mostly gone, we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants," said Trump in a Monday tweet detailing his troop withdrawal prospect. Trump's words came one day after U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham indicated that the White House host has agreed to slow down the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the war-torn country. "I think we're slowing things down in a smart way," Graham told reporters on Sunday after a lunch with Trump. "I think the president is committed to making sure when we leave Syria that IS (the Islamic State) is completely defeated," he said when asked if Trump has agreed to slow down the withdrawal. The Trump administration announced on Dec. 19 that it has started returning U.S. troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the IS. U.S. media cited anonymous officials as saying that the United States was planning a "rapid" and "full" withdrawal of troops from Syria. The departing U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has reportedly signed the execute order last week detailing the U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria. Currently, there are more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Syria. (CNN) By the time Lynn D. turned 2, he had already undergone seven surgeries. His childhood memories in the German states of Bavaria and Hesse were shaped by monthly visits to the doctor, where he says up to 50 researchers would observe examinations of his naked body. When he reached puberty, Lynn was given growth blockers and high doses of hormones; as a teenager, he started self-harming, developed post-traumatic stress disorder and became suicidal. Lynn, 34 who has asked CNN to identify him by his preferred name was born with both male and female sex organs. His doctors and parents decided shortly after he was born that his sex would be female, so his penis and testicles were surgically removed. His ovaries were also removed. Doctors had told Lynn's parents the surgeries were preventative, citing concerns that he could develop cancer, but Lynn says there was no medical reason for him to be operated on and that the surgeries were carried out with a "dubious motivation." "The doctors advised my parents not to tell me about my sex and simply raise me as a girl," Lynn told CNN. "And of course, it didn't work because I'm not a girl." Lynn is intersex, an umbrella term used to describe a variety of conditions in which a person is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit into binary definitions of female or male. "I was labeled a girl; I wanted to be a girl and fit in but it did not work. I got along better with boys so I thought, 'I'm a boy'. But then I realized that I'm not a boy either ... boys also started to marginalize me. I did not have a good connection with my body and nobody helped me to establish a good connection with my body," Lynn said. Lynn only learned that he was intersex during a therapy session at the age of 20. It was a revelation for Lynn, who had struggled to fit in with his peers for so many years. While it helped him to move forward with his relationship with his own body, Lynn says it damaged his relationship with his parents. "My body was changed so much to fit in whether it happened consciously or unconsciously. The whole experience broke my relationship with my parents. We still have not gotten over this yet," Lynn said. When he first learned he was intersex, Lynn said, "it felt like as if someone said I am an alien, you are from someplace else. You are a mutant." "It took me a while to come to terms with my diagnosis and for me to (come to) grips with it. But then I understood everything made sense to me. I no longer felt restless. Suddenly I understood who I was." More than a decade later, Lynn said he has evolved into an "enormously happy" person, someone who is in a loving relationship with a woman, and who is fulfilled by a career in engineering and gigging in a punk band. While Lynn said he accepts being called "him" for now, he wishes that there was a specific German pronoun to describe intersex people, and hopes that society will one day understand what it means to live outside of binary definitions of sex and gender and to accept intersex people for who they are. A change to the German constitution could be the first step toward that recognition. On January 1, Germany will become the first country in the European Union to offer a "third gender" option on birth certificates. Intersex people and parents of intersex babies will be able to register as "divers," or miscellaneous, on birth certificates, instead of having to choose between male or female. The law, passed in Germany's Bundestag earlier this month, was hailed as a "small revolution" by some intersex activists. It came after the 2017 constitutional court ruling in favor of an intersex person's right to change their birth certificate from female to "divers." The court ruled that Vanja an intersex person who goes by a one-name pseudonym and uses the gender-neutral pronouns "they" and "them" had their "right to positive gender recognition" violated and found that the current law was unconstitutional. Vanja, whose case was supported by advocacy group, "Dritte Option" or, the Third Option, told CNN that having to decide between being a woman or a man on official documents left them feeling "left out and overlooked." While Vanja's official identification documents said they were female, this led to "a lot of irritations with people" because they presented or physically appeared in society as male. Vanja initially considered changing their documents to male, but eventually decided that decision would devalue their identity, which is intersex. "I thought to myself, if I am going at lengths to change something within the red tape system in Germany, I want to have something that suits me," they said. Vanja plans to celebrate the new law by changing their birth certificate category to "divers" in the new year, calling it both a personal and a practical step. "I asked myself so many times what it means to be intersex; I often was upset when I had to decide which box to tick male or female. I felt (like I was) being pushed into the corner, that I had to adjust non-voluntarily. I think it will give me a new feeling of peace," Vanja said, adding that they hope other countries in Europe will follow suit. But, like many in the intersex community, Vanja believes the law is just a stepping stone. "Societal acceptance cannot be mandated by a court ruling, but it is a step in the right direction," Vanja said. Lynn agrees. While he also plans to register as intersex and to officially change his name to Lynn he said there are still many steps that need to be taken for intersex people to be "fully integrated into society." Still, he is hopeful the new law will help to bring attention to the medical treatment of intersex people and open conversations for change. 'Ritualized, sexualized violence' Infants born with visible variations in their sexual characteristics, like Lynn, often undergo painful and irreversible surgery to give them the appearance of a conventional male or female gender, according to an Amnesty International report published last year. The surgeries stem from a theory popularized in the United States in the 1960s by the psychologist John Money, who believed that an intersex person's make-up was a product of abnormal processes. Money believed that intersex people ought to become either male or female and as a result, were in need of medical treatment. Although that theory is no longer widely accepted in the medical community, its "echoes can still be found within the medical establishment today," according to the Amnesty report, citing interviews with medical professionals across Denmark, Germany and the UK. Those surgeries stripped Lynn of his bodily autonomy and left him with painful scars. "When they (doctors and parents) talked about my body, I had to go out and leave the room. In hindsight, it was a practice I would now compare with a ritualized, sexualized violence. It was massively traumatizing," Lynn says of his childhood visits to the doctor. READ: Shame, taboo, ignorance: Growing up intersex A group of United Nations and international human rights experts called for "an urgent end to human rights violations against intersex children and adults" in 2016, calling on governments to ban harmful medical practices and protect intersex people from discrimination. Between 0.5% and 1.7% of the global population are born with intersex traits, and are at risk of human rights violations that include surgery, discrimination and torture, according to the UN. In July, a group of European medical experts published a set of new guidelines that urge doctors to defer medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children until they are old enough to consent. The European consensus said: "For sensitive and/or irreversible procedures, such as genital surgery, we advise that the intervention be postponed until the individual is old enough to be actively involved in the decision whenever possible." Grietje Baars, a senior lecturer at The City Law School in London, told CNN that while the new law demonstrates a "greater recognition of life beyond the binary," the "third gender" option doesn't go far enough to fully recognize gender diversity. Under the new law, people wanting to change their birth certificate to read "divers" will only be able to do so with a medical certificate to prove it. Baars who also goes by the gender-neutral pronouns, "they" and "them" says that requirement could subject intersex people, who often have a history of "traumatic medical interference with their genitalia" to additional trauma. Plus, Baars says, the medical requirement reinforces an antiquated definition of gender based solely on biology. "You can not simply decide gender by looking at people's genitalia," they said, adding that it might be time to remove gender from official documents altogether. While Baars understands that this might sound radical, they argue that "abolishing gender registration does not mean abolishing gender as such." "It's like abolishing registering your religion or race on your ID or documents it does not mean you can no longer be Catholic or black ... those things are not the same. I am just saying that it is no business of the state to register and categorize people in that manner," they said. Challenging social norms Although German law has allowed parents to leave the gender box blank on birth certificates since 2013 and this will still be an option under the new legislation some experts say parents will still be inclined to choose a more traditional approach, noting that in the two years after the blank box option came into effect, only 12 children were registered without a sex marker in the birth registry. Anike Kramer, a Ph.D. candidate in gender studies at Germany's Ruhr-University Bochum, told CNN that she believes that parents of intersex children will have "difficulties" with the choices presented with the new law. "The structure we have right now simply does not allow for parents to embrace this new law. The medical advice is still very conservative and advises to go with the binary system," Kramer said. Under German law, parents can not generally consent to "feminizing," "masculinizing" or "disambiguation" surgeries, unless it is deemed medically necessary or life threatening, according to the German Inter-ministerial Working Group, IMAG. However, the law currently does not ban these surgeries for children too young to consent, and leaves the often ambiguous question of what is deemed surgically necessary up to medical professionals who might continue to characterize intersex people's bodily traits as disorders. Kramer says that parents are more concerned with the every day questions their children will face in society: "How do I call my child; which pronoun should I use, what do I tell my neighbor, how do I educate my intersex child? "Sociologically speaking, parents lack options for action. Apart from medical consultations they often lack alternatives. If there are true alternatives in place to address the parents' questions, fears, difficulties and options, to speak with other intersex individuals or other parents of intersex individuals then that would make it easier for parents to perhaps choose the third option at the registry entry." "But Germany is not that far yet," Kramer said, adding that the law's medical requirements "misses a chance to create a wider law for more people," and sidelines other individuals who are not intersex but do not identify as only male or female, such as members of the trans community. And she is not alone. Markus Ulrich, spokesman for the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany, told CNN that the law "does not go far enough to protect people of non-binary identities." Ulrich said that while the law was "a huge step forward in acknowledging more rights and ... visibility for people beyond 'man and woman,'" the government effectively ignored an alternative option proposed by the constitutional court last year to abolish gender registration all together -- a more inclusive option for people whose birth sex doesn't fit their gender identity. A handful of German politicians, including members of the Green Party and the Social Democratic Party, have also criticized the law's medical certificate stipulation, pointing to other countries that allow people who don't identify in binary terms to change their official documents to match their gender identity. In 2014, the Australian High Court ruled that the government should legally recognize a third gender. And in 2017, California became the second US state (after New York) to allow residents who don't identify as male or female to change their birth certificates to match their gender identity. Several other countries have provided gender-neutral options on passports and official documents such as the census or ID cards, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, India, Malta, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. While intersex, trans and other human rights advocates continue to call for Germany's new law to be made more inclusive, Lynn hopes that at least this first step will help society to understand intersex people better -- and to not be afraid. "We are all normal people and want to live our lives like others,'' he said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Germany's third gender law is celebrated as a revolution. But some say it's just the first step." Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High 73F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 52F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year greetings on Monday. In his congratulatory message to Putin, Xi said that the year 2018 has a special significance in China-Russia relations, and both countries have smoothly completed their respective important domestic political agendas and opened a new era for China-Russia ties. During the year, China and Russia witnessed more frequent high-level exchanges, deepened mutual political trust and a series of achievements from bilateral pragmatic cooperation in various fields, Xi said. The Year of China-Russia Local Cooperation and Exchange program proceeded smoothly in 2018, and the popular support for friendship from generation to generation between the two peoples has been further consolidated, the Chinese president said. The two countries collaborated actively in international and regional affairs and played important constructive roles in safeguarding international fairness and justice as well as world peace and stability, he said. The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said, noting that he is willing to work with Putin to prompt bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to make new progress and bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples. In his congratulatory message, Putin extended warm New Year greetings to Xi, and wished Chinese people happiness and good health. In 2018, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination reached an unprecedented level with substantiated political dialogues and rapidly expanding two-way trade, Putin said. The Year of China-Russia Local Cooperation and Exchange got off to a good start, and the two countries conducted fruitful cooperation to solve major global and regional issues, he said. Russia and China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2019, the Russian president said, voicing his belief that both sides will take the opportunity to continue effective cooperation in bilateral and multilateral affairs. Also on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev exchanged New Year greetings. In his congratulatory message, Li said China would like to promote cooperation with Russia in trade, energy, finance, technology, agriculture, humanities and other areas to facilitate common development of both nations. For his part, Medvedev said that Russia highly valued the achievements of the 23rd regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of governments, and is willing to work actively with China to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields. Apple retained a majority in the premium smartphone market in the third quarter of 2018, as iPhones made up 47% of all phones sold in it. Samsung achieved second place in this arena, with 22% of the market share. On the other hand, the growth of this market was driven by increased brand diversity; for example, Huawei captured a share of over 10% for the first time this year. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 5G , Accessory , 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 , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , 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 , 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 On the face of it, Apple's smartphone business is in at least slight decline. Recently, Citigroup cut its estimates for the production of the company's flagship iPhones. In addition, other analysts, Ming-Chi Kuo included, now believe that future iPhone revenues and sales may fall compared to former years. Nevertheless, it appears that the Cupertino giant remains a leader in the premium smartphone market. According to a new report based on data from the third quarter of 2018 (3Q2018), it cornered 47% of this space. This report, compiled by Counterpoint Research, indicates that Apple is still the biggest brand in the premium segment of the smartphone market (defined as phones costing US$400 or more). Samsung is the second biggest brand, with a total share of 22%. On the other hand, this company is also the leader in the $400-600 sub-segment; it sold 25% of those phones, whereas Apple, Huawei, Vivo and OPPO sold 21%, 17%, 10% and 7% of these units respectively. Apple was also found to lead the $600-800 sub-segment (with a 61% share), as well as that for $800+ devices (79%). OnePlus was found to be the fastest-growing brand in the market as a whole, however, and remains the market leader in India. It was also among the top 5 premium phone-makers in Europe for this quarter. The Counterpoint report also indicated that the premium segment benefited from increased competition from a greater number of brands in 3Q2018. This enabled it to grow by 19%, whereas the overall market fell by 5%. In addition, Huawei achieved a total premium smartphone market share of 12% in the quarter, making it the first time this company had done better than 9% in this category. On the other hand, this picture may change with data from 4Q2018. However, Counterpoint expects this market to continue to grow in this quarter, as it will be driven by holiday sales of devices such as iPhones. You are here: World Flash A police officer and two revellers were stabbed by a man wielding a knife at Victoria Railway Station in Manchester on New Year's Eve. The incident took place on a train platform at the station to the north of the city center just before 2100 GMT. One police officer was stabbed in the shoulder. A man and a woman in their 50s had injuries to the gut and stomach respectively and were taken to hospital, British Transport Police said. The victims' injuries were serious, but not life-threatening, the police added. Terrified passengers said they heard a "blood curdling scream" down the platform before running down the tram tracks and seeing a man wielding a long kitchen knife. The knifeman was arrested at the scene following the attack. British counter terror cops said they are probing the incident and are keeping an open mind on the motive. A bulletin posted on the National Rail website said there would be no arrival or departure of trains at the station until 0030 GMT on Tuesday. The New Year's Eve firework display in Manchester's Albert Square went ahead with security boosted after the incident. "The fireworks in Albert Square are going ahead despite the incident at Victoria station. There will be increased security. Have a safe and happy New Year," tweeted Manchester city council. I love the New Year. It's a time of renewal, of hope. It feels like the chance for a fresh start. This is the year I'm going to get my act together. I'll start exercising. I'll finally get organized. I'll write that novel I've been kicking around for years. A new calendar brings with it infinite possibilities, endless opportunity! Unless you're the governor of New Jersey, then you're pretty much hosed. Phil Murphy ran a campaign that promised the moon and stars. He had a progressive agenda that included things like massive increases in public school funding, a public transportation overhaul and flashy policy initiatives like free community college for all. Then he took office. While the governor has had a reasonably successful first year in office, year two is where he'll be expected to start making good on some of those promises. But as you probably know -- and he has since learned -- the cupboard is bare. The crushing weight of our debt obligations, the vast majority through the under funded pension system, makes the type of progressive agenda focused spending Gov. Murphy promised seem like a fever dream. There is barely enough money for basic services much less complementary college courses. The governor's predecessors, aided and abetted by the Democratic Legislature, have been cooking the books for so long they now have the consistency of porridge. The can has been kicked down the road so far it's now part of the great Pacific garbage patch. Maybe that's why Murphy wanted to legalize weed. Who cares about the implosion of the pension system when you're high? Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. By Alan J. Steinberg The major issue for political pundits regarding 2019 is whether Donald Trumps presidency will survive the year leading into the 2020 elections. Their focus is on the likelihood as to whether Trump will be impeached by the House of Representatives and then removed by the U.S. Senate. Trump will not be removed from office by the Constitutional impeachment and removal process. Instead, the self-professed supreme dealmaker will use his presidency as a bargaining chip with federal and state authorities in 2019, agreeing to leave office in exchange for the relevant authorities not pursuing criminal charges against him, his children or the Trump Organization. Trump will be impeached by the House of Representatives for high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically his involvement in directing his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen to commit a felony by making illegal in-kind contributions to the Trump campaign and concealing them. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York has already obtained Cohens guilty plea to this conduct. Democrats now control the House of Representatives, and the votes will be there for the needed impeachment majority. In order for the Senate to remove Trump from office, however, there must be a vote of at least two thirds of the senators affirming the House-passed Articles of Impeachment. That would require a defection against Trump of at least 20 Republican senators. That is highly unlikely, regardless of how compelling the impeachment case may be. All but five of the 53 GOP senators represent solid Republican Red states. Their incumbency will not be threatened by their vote against removal of the president. Each such senator runs a serious risk, however, of a pro-Trump primary election challenge if he or she supports the removal of Trump from office. The legal danger to Trump is developing more in the office of the attorney general of New York State, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In response to a lawsuit from the attorney general of New York State, Donald Trump agreed to shut down the Trump Foundation. The lawsuit alleged a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation - including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more." The lawsuit implicates all three Trump children as well, seeking to bar them, as well as their father, from serving on the boards of other New York nonprofits. It is now clear that the investigations of Donald Trump are now focused on possible criminal conduct of the Trump children, as well. Donald Trump Jr. has reportedly told confidants that he expects to be indicted by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III for actions taken by him during the campaign as well. Having succeeded in obtaining Cohens guilty plea, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York can now investigate whether there is any evidence of other involvement of the Trump Organization in criminal activity, including money laundering crimes, tax evasion or bribes from foreign officials or governments, which are illegal under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Such evidence could lead to indictment of the Trump Organization itself and seizure of assets derived from such criminal activity. Aside from all the legal nightmares facing Trump and his presidency, it appears virtually impossible for Trump to be reelected in 2020. The economy appears headed for a severe recession, as evidenced by the recent plunge in the stock market, which appears on pace for its worst December since the Great Depression. There are only two years left in Trumps presidential term. With his approval ratings in an abysmal state, and the forthcoming recession making it near impossible for Trump to stage a political recovery, it appears most likely that he will use the continuation of his presidency as a bargaining chip. Accordingly, before the end of 2019, Donald Trump will resign from the office of the presidency: He will do this pursuant to a deal with the U.S. Justice Department, the incoming President Mike Pence, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York Attorney Generals Office, and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office. Heres my prediction for a possible Trump departure: Trump resigns, to then be pardoned by Pence. In turn, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Attorney General will refrain from filing any charges against Trump and his family members and agree that there will be no forfeiture of Trump Organization assets. We will know by this time in 2020 how accurate this scenario turns out to be. Alan J. Steinberg served as regional administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush and as executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission under former Gov. Christie Whitman. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. A Somerville man was charged with arson and attempted murder after he allegedly set fire to a Hillsborough house while eight people slept inside, law enforcement officials said. Patrick Hammond, 34, of Somerville, started the fire outside his ex-girlfriends Starview Drive home around 12:40 a.m. Sunday, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. All of the residents, who ranged in age from 4 to 64 years old, were able to escape. Hammond texted a photo of the burning home to a friend minutes after the fire was reported and ran away, police said. Within an hour of responding to the scene, officers said they found Hammond less than a mile away. He started acting erratically when they took him to the Hillsborough Township Police Department, so they brought him to a nearby hospital for evaluation, Robertson said. Hammond had previously threatened to set his ex-girlfriends truck on fire, Robertson said. An online fundraiser for the family said two pet cats and fish died in the fire. Half the house and multiple cars have fire damage, according to Amy Chess, who said she is a friend of the family. A photo on the page shows a severely burned house with a back wall and portion of the roof destroyed. The Red Cross responded with emergency assistance, the prosecutor said. The preliminary investigation showed the fire was intentionally started near the back of the home, Robertson said. Police asked those with information about the incident contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100, or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at (908) 369-4323 or via the STOPit app. 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 Free information sessions have been scheduled for Gloucester County residents interested in starting a career in the energy and utilities industry. The Gloucester County Freeholders, county Workforce Development Board and Rowan College at Gloucester County have teamed with Atlantic City Electric on a Quick Path to Energy program designed to address the energy and utilities industrys "immediate need for skilled workers, introducing and preparing residents to transition directly into the industry, according to Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger. Freeholder Heather Simmons, liaison to the Department of Economic Development, said the county received a grant to implement free workforce training programs for Atlantic City Electric "designed to help students in the programs gain the skills and requirements necessary to enter the energy and utilities industries. Successful participants may even have the opportunity to complete the pre-employment process, including an interview with ACE or another industry-leading company. Applicants for the program must be New Jersey residents age 18 and older with a valid drivers license and high school diploma or equivalent. Participants will be assessed to determine if their current math and reading levels meet the class requirement. Classes that will be offered at Rowan College at Gloucester County are the Get into Energy math program focused on preparation to take the Construction and Skilled Trades exam; and the Women in Sustainable Energy program designed to introduce women to career paths in sustainable energy. Information sessions will be held at Rowan College of Gloucester County on 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, and 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23. Classes at RCGC will start in mid-February. Additional training classes will be offered by local colleges at training sites in Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland and Salem counties. For more information, call the Workforce Development Board office at 856-384-6930. A New Jersey man was shot and wounded in separate incidents that occurred on consecutive days in the same city, but he wasnt seriously injured in either shooting, authorities said. Pleasantville police say the first shooting occurred early Sunday afternoon, when the 19-year-old Atlantic City resident was hit once in the back with what authorities described as a projectile of some type. The man was treated at a hospital and released later that day. He was wounded again on Monday, when he was shot in the buttocks. He was again treated at a hospital and released later that day. Some arrests have been made in connection with the shootings. But possible motives for either incident have not been disclosed. Flash Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said Tuesday that he would push forward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and was ready to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at any time. "I am always ready to sit down again with the U.S. president at any time and will make efforts to produce an outcome that the international community would welcome," Kim said. In his New Year speech broadcast on the state-run television, he stressed his determination to work to build new relations with the United States, establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and seek "complete denuclearization," on the condition that the United States takes corresponding measures. "We could be left with no choice but to seek a new way if the U.S. does not make good on its promises, misjudges our patience, while seeking to force things unilaterally and clinging to sanctions and pressure," Kim warned. The DPRK leader said he was willing to reopen the inter-Korean industrial park in the border city of Kaesong and resume a suspended tour program to Mount Kumgang on the east coast "without any preconditions." Both the Industrial park and Mount Kumgang tourist zone have been closed for a few years. NEW HAVEN Following a report in November that black children, especially black boys, are disproportionately punished in New Havens public school system, alders will have a hearing this month to address the school-to-prison pipeline in the Elm City. Alder Darryl Brackeen, D-26, called for the hearing to be held by the aldermanic Education Committee at 6 p.m. Jan. 16 to figure out what the root causes are for suspensions being handed out disproportionately to black students in the system and what stakeholders can do about it. The school to prison pipeline is measured on school discipline rates and suspensions. There is a disturbing national trend that shows children who are eventually pushed out of public schools end up in the criminal justice system, Brackeen said in an email. Many times there are deeper issues at stake that need addressing, including but not exclusively, poverty, abuse, learning disabilities, etc. According to data provided at a November Board of Education meeting, black boys received 43.3 percent of all suspensions and expulsions in the first marking period, and black girls comprised another 19 percent of all suspensions and expulsions. Although black students received more than 62 percent of all suspensions and expulsions in the first marking period, 38.1 percent of students in the district in the 2017-18 school year are black, according to state data. The percentage of students receiving suspensions in the first marking period remained consistent in 2018-19 from the year prior: 1.9 percent of the districts students received one or more suspension in the first marking period, or a total of 408 students this year. As of the November meeting, there had been one expulsion. District data supervisor Michele Sherban said one crucial difference in the past year had been the decision to keep students in school during their suspensions. According to data, there were 35 more in-school suspensions in the first marking period of 2018 than in 2017, but there were also 53 fewer out-of-school suspensions in 2018 than in 2017. When district officials presented the data to members of the school board, some reacted with disappointment and bewilderment. I just wonder what were doing with that population to try to make school a little bit better to that population, said Mayor Toni Harp, adding that she believes there should be an evaluation of how black boys are engaged in school and why there is such a failure to adjust to school by this population. Brackeen said he is surprised that this issue still persists considering the number of programs created by the city and Board of Education to help at-risk students, including Youth Stat. Board member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, the mother of twins a boy and a girl said she sees a difference in how discipline is meted more harshly to boys than girls for the same behavior. It spirals until you have a middle school male who is seen as a threat, she said. We have to start looking at how black males are viewed from pre-k. Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks said she has asked her data team to to drill down on these data and find out who these children are, their grades and such, and find out whats happening. She said there would be a need to do more professional learning around implicit bias and discipline. Harp requested more in-depth information on what students of different genders and races are being suspended for, so the school board could see if the reasoning for the suspensions was similar across racial and gender lines. Although the district has moved in recent years to include a disciplinary model called restorative practices, which emphasize the well-being of victims instead of jumping to punish perpetrators, Harp said she wants to know what more can be done. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com It appears Connecticuts first baby entered the world just 22 seconds after midnight in Danbury Hospital. Thats when Richard Eugene Ramirez was born to Gerardo and Maria Ramirez, formerly of Bethel and who recently moved to Oakville. We are so happy to have a son, Maria said last night from her bed at the hospital. Up until now my husband was the only man in our house. I tell him hes no longer going to be the king. Richard now joins his sisters Bridgette Nicole, 9 and Ellianne Marie, 2 and half-sister, Hania, 11, as family members. And how are the girls taking to the new man in their house? They love him, Maria said. They cant stay away from him. They are always asking: Baby are you OK. ... I know they will be helping me change him and feed him the bottle. Despite living in Oakville, Maria said she chose to deliver the baby at Danbury Hospital because of the wonderful staff and good treatment and care she received while delivering her two daughters there. The doctor calling the pregnancy was almost right on giving Maria a Dec. 31 birthdate. He only missed it by 22 seconds. As a result, Richard wont be a deduction on the familys 2018 federal income tax return. But thats not a concern for either parent. Im just grateful everyones doing well, said Gerardo, who owns Vickos Landscaping, LLC and serves clients in the Greater Danbury area. The parents say they chose the first name to honor two longtime friends who helped mentor GerardoRichard Margulies, a lawyer who now lives in Georgia and Richard Colonel of Newtown. The middle name Eugene was chosen to honor Gerardos late uncle, Eugene Sanchez. He raised me, said Gerardo, who hopes to receive his pesticide management license soon. And their plans for Richard Eugene? My priority as a parent is to raise my children to be respectful human beings, Gerardo said. I try to teach them everything I can about the business. I want them to do well in school. All my children are involved in the martial arts which teaches them not only how to defend themselves but discipline. Richard Eugene Ramirez wasnt the only baby to arrive in Connecticut New Years Day. Sharleene Russell of Hamden gave birth to a baby boy at 12:54 a.m. The baby weighed 3 lbs., 10 ounces nd is Russells fourth child. Mother and baby are doing well, a hospital spokesperson said. At 1:20 a.m., Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington had its first baby of the new year when Anne Endicott and Joshua Mocaby of Goshen welcomed Corina Scott Mocaby, the couples fourth baby and first daughter. Endicott said her due date for Corina, who weighed 7 lbs., 13 ounces, was Dec. 23, so giving birth to the first baby of 2019 in Torrington was not something she considered. Were just really happy shes finally here, Endicott said. The first baby born this year at Greenwich Hospital came at 4:54 a.m. New parents Melissa and Patrick Lawrence from New Rochelle, NY welcomed baby Nathaniel Jesus Lawrence, weighing 7 lbs., 7 ounces. The hospital said Melissa and Patrick met on Match.com. At Sharon Hospital, Lana Dyani Dean was born to first time parents Jessica and Chad Dean of Canaan at 1:02 a.m. Lana weighed 7 lbs., 7 ounces. According to the hospital, Lanas expected birth date was Dec. 26. Mother Jessica was born at the same hospital. We are so thankful for a happy and healthy baby, and I am looking forward to Jessica being the mom that she has always wanted to be, Chad Dean said in a statement from the hospital. As of 7:45 p.m. Bridgeport Hospital had yet to report its first birth of the year. This is the latest I can remember of us not having a New Years baby, said John Cappiello, a hospital spokesperson. According to Hartford Hospital, its first baby of the year was a boy named Kevin, born at 1:03 a.m. The United States Census Bureau projected in 2017 about 4.08 million births in the country during 2018 and projects 4.1 million births in 2019. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the American general fertility rate reached an all-time low in 2017 60.3 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, a 3 percent decrease from 2016 and the number of reported births was the lowest since 1987. Pew Research Center researchers said a survey conducted in the summer of 2018 concluded 71 percent of U.S. parents younger than 50 say it is unlikely they will have more children, and 37 percent of childless adults under 50 say they dont expect to ever become parents. Four in 10 parents who cited at least one reason they did not expect to have more children said medical reasons play a role, whereas a quarter said their age was a factor. Pew researchers said the fertility rate experienced dramatic declines during the Great Recession, and fertility rates had not rebounded with the gradually recovering economy over the last decade. China has built a giant radio antenna that uses five times the area of New York City. It will be used to communicate with submarines. The Wireless Electromagnetic Method (WEM) project took 13 years and will emit extremely low-frequency radio waves (ELF waves). Those waves have been linked to cancer by the World Health Organisation. Its transmissions could be picked up by a submarine lurking hundreds of meters under the sea, thus reducing the vessels risk of having to resurface to receive transmissions. China built its first military-grade Super Low-Frequency transmission station in 2009. The United States and Russia already have submarine communication systems. Project WEMs main surface structure is a pair of high voltage power supply lines stretching from north to south, east to west on steel lattice towers, which form a cross that is 60km (37 miles) wide and 80km to 100km (50 to 62 miles) long. At the end of each power line, thick copper wire goes underground through a deep borehole. Two power stations generate strong currents and electrify the ground in slow, repeating pulses, turning the earth underfoot into an active source of electromagnetic radiation. The radio pulses not only pass through the atmosphere, but travel through the Earths crust as well, with a range of up to 3,500km (almost 2,200 miles). In 2007, the WHO documented a large number of studies linking ELF radiation to a range of illnesses including delusions, sleep deprivation, stress, depression, breast and brain tumors, miscarriages and suicide. The US Navy built a smaller transmitter, the Wisconsin Test Facility, with two 45km power lines in the Clam Lake area, a place with a low population density. The station emitted ELF waves at 76 hertz and was decommissioned over a decade ago. In the 1980s the Soviet Union constructed Zevs, a considerably more powerful facility on the Kola Peninsula inside the Arctic Circle. The Zevs antenna was powered by two 60km electric lines and had a main frequency turned at 82 hertz. The radio waves it produced were believed powerful enough to reach Russian nuclear submarines hidden deep under the Arctic ice cap. Russia has since provided technical support to China as it started building its own systems, which may include other ELF stations in coastal areas. The US Navy shut down its Wisconsin transmitter in 2004, saying it no longer needed to rely on ELF radio. The US nuclear submarine fleets use very low frequency or VLF radio waves, with a frequency ranging from 3 to 30 kilohertz, for long-distance communication. The VLF radio waves can carry more information than ELF signals because of this higher frequency, and can penetrate seawater to a depth of up to 40 meters (130 feet). New Delhi: President Emmanuel Macron in his New Year's Eve address said that the French government "can do better" at improving citizens' lives as "yellow vest" protesters again took to the streets across the country. "We can do better and must do better," Macron said in a 16-minute televised speech from the Elysee palace while urging the French to "accept the reality" that increased public spending was not the answer to their problems. Macron's speech had been keenly awaited, coming at the end of a torrid six weeks for the centrist, whose leadership has been severely rattled by six weeks of demonstrations that have repeatedly turned violent. ALSO READ | Mexico Border Row: Trump's pick for AG once questioned the wall value On Monday, he attempted to turn the page on the crisis and start 2019 on an upbeat note. "I believe in us," he said. Macron took aim at the radical fringe of the yellow vests and their supporters on the far right and hard left, saying "some who claim to speak in the name of the people" merely acted as the "megaphones of a hate-filled crowd". "Republican order will be ensured with no leniency," he vowed, listing "lawmakers, the security forces, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals" as being the objects of physical and verbal attacks. "Let's stop running ourselves down and making believe that France is a country where solidarity doesn't exist." "We live in one of the biggest economies in the world, with some of the best infrastructure in the world, we pay little or nothing for our children's schooling and we are treated by excellent doctors at some of the lowest costs in the developed world," he said. Earlier, In a bid to end the standoff, a visibly contrite Macron announced a package of measures on Monday in a televised address, estimated by economists to cost up to 15 billion euros (USD 17 billion). The 40-year-old former investment banker acknowledged widespread animosity towards him and came close to apologising for a series of verbal gaffes seen as dismissive of the poor or jobless. ALSO READ | TV airs CCTV footage showing men transporting Khashoggi' body parts He cancelled planned fuel tax hikes for 2019, offered a rise in the minimum wage of 100 euros a month next year, as well as tax relief for many pensioners and tax-free overtime. Some senior figures in the "yellow vest" movement, which has no official leaders and dozens of separate demands, had urged protesters to continue to press home their advantage. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, William Barr, once questioned the value of a wall along the Mexican border similar to the one the president has advocated, describing the idea as "overkill." Barr was attorney general under President George H W Bush when he was asked in a February 24, 1992, interview whether he supported a proposal from Republican presidential challenger Pat Buchanan to erect a barrier of ditches and fences along the border to stop illegal immigration. "I don't think it's necessary. I think that's overkill to put a barrier from one side of the border to the other," Barr replied on "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour" on PBS. ALSO READ | What will be Kim Jong Uns 2019 plan? Answer lies in New Year speech "In fact, the problem with illegal immigration across the border is really confined to major metropolitan areas. Illegal immigrants do not cross in the middle of the desert and walk hundreds of miles," instead choosing more "certain specified routes." Those routes through more populated areas have since largely been closed off, pushing migrants to riskier desert routes. Earlier, Donald Trump 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. "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. ALSO READ | China inducts new-gen lightweight battle tanks for hilly terrain' "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. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Chinese space probe is all set to land on the dark side of the moon for the first time, the official Xinhua news agency reported. This mission is seen significant as China pushes forward its space programme. The probe, Chang'e-4, entered a planned orbit on Sunday "to prepare for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon", the news agency said, citing the China National Space Administration. It didn't say when the landing would occur. China launched the Chang'e-4 probe earlier this month, carried by a Long March-3B rocket. It includes a lander and a rover to explore the surface of the moon. ALSO READ | NASA spaceship zooms toward farthest world ever photographed China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year. Xinhua said that the probe had entered an elliptical lunar orbit at 08.55 Beijing time, which brought it at its closest point just 15 kilometres away from the surface of the moon. The Chang'e-4 first entered a lunar orbit on December 12. The space control centre will select a "proper time" to land the probe on the far side of the moon, Xinhua reported. Its descent is being aided by a relay satellite, the Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge. Earlier, China planned to establish a robot station on the moon to conduct bigger and more complicated experimental research on lunar geography. The station could slash the costs of returning rock samples to Earth, Jiao Weixin, a Peking University space science professor had said. ALSO READ | NASA to continue ride Russian spacecraft Soyuz China's ambitious space programme included several manned missions, building a permanent space station and reaching to Mars. In support of the lunar landing programme, China will launch a carrier rocket with a 100-ton-plus payload for the first time by about 2030, the report quoted a report of the symposium published on the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the central cabinet. China's first Mars probe is scheduled to be launched on a Long March 5 by 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, South China's Hainan Province. The probe will hopefully orbit, land and deploy a rover on the Red Planet, the report said. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Kader Khan, a veteran Bollywood actor-writer, died at the age of 81 on December 31 due to prolonged illness, his son Sarfaraz said. Kader Khan, who is known for acting in several hits with most of the leading superstars, was admitted to a hospital in Canada. The last rites of the actor will be conducted in Canada, his son said. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into a coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it, PTI quoted Kader Khan's son Sarfaraz as saying. The 81-year-old Canadian had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. He was reportedly suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. Also Read | Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen, who directed 'Bhuvan Shome', 'Mrigaya', passes away at 95 Reacting to the "depressing" news of Khan's demise, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who had worked with him in several films such as Coolie, took to Twitter to express his condolences. "Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician!!" Amitabh Bachchan tweeted. The news of Kader Khan's death came days after his son dismissed rumours of his demise. "It is all a lie. It (is) just a rumour. My father is in the hospital," he had said. Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's Daag and has featured in over 300 films. Also, he has written dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor, he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's Jawani Diwani. As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include Dharam Veer, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Coolie, Desh Premee, Suhaag, Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony and films with Mehra include Jwalamukhi, Sharaabi, Lawaaris, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Though the prosecution "tried", it failed to prove any "politician-police" nexus in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati, a special CBI court had said while acquitting all the 22 accused on December 21. Special CBI Judge S J Sharma had acquitted all the accused due to insufficient evidence while expressing sorrow over the loss of three lives. "I have no hesitation to conclude that the evidence which has been laid and adduced and discussed and appreciated vividly, though the prosecution has tried, it failed to prove any politician-police nexus," he said. ALSO READ | 'Ready for debate on Rafale deal': Mallikarjun Kharge to Arun Jaitley The remarks were part of the 358-page judgement. Copy of the full judgement was only made available on Monday. The court stated that the CBI probed the alleged fake encounter killings with a 'pre-conceived and premeditated' theory to implicate political leaders. Of the 22 accused who were acquitted, 21 were junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan police. The court has noted in its judgement that it was incumbent on part of the prosecution to procure sanction from appropriate authority to prosecute the 21 accused as they were all government servants. "The 21 accused were certainly acting in discharge of their official duties. The 21 accused were doubtlessly public servants when the alleged offence is alleged to have been committed," the judgement said. "In such circumstances, it was necessary for the investigation agency to obtain sanction of competent authority before filing charge sheet. In absence of the sanction, the accused are entitled for acquittal," the court said. According to the CBI, the police officials were part of teams which abducted and killed Shaikh, his wife and Prajapati in staged encounters. The court said there was nothing to show that 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 intervening night of November 22-23, 2005. The couple was taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. The CBI had said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in Udaipur Central Jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006, the investigation agency had alleged. The court also noted that the prosecution had failed to prove that Prajapati was killed in a fake and staged encounter. "No doubt that Tulsiram Prajapati suffered a homicidal death," the court said. It added that statements of witnesses on Prajapati escaping from the custody of Rajasthan police in December 2006 appeared "cogent and convincing". ALSO READ | Bengal govt to pay family Rs 2 lakh in case of farmer's death: Mamata The court noted the evidence showed that there was an incident of cross firing between Prajapati and a police team. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including BJP chief Amit Shah, who was the then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande in the case. The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. Shah was arrested in the case in July 2010, but released on bail by the Gujarat High Court in October that year. He was discharged by the CBI court in December 2014. The December 21 verdict was Judge Sharma's last judgement of his career. He is set to retire on December 31. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at length about several important issues like demonetisation, Rafale deal, triple talaq and other talked about issues in his first interview of the year 2019. In a candid interview to ANI, PM Modi also slammed the Opposition parties for raising question on surgical strike. Let's have a look at his top 10 important quotes. 1. If a Congress worker turns up to be Christian Michel's lawyer, then it is worrying. 2. On Rafale I have spoken in Parliament and in various public meetings. The Indian Supreme Court has given their views and the French President has also spoken. 3. The people of India are seeing how leaders who want to loot are closing ranks and forming alliances. 2019 is going to be about the people of India versus an Opposition alliance. 4. For Opposition leaders, Modi is the issue. On different days, they take turns to abuse Modi. You will hear nothing from them about their vision for India. 5. Every Temple has their own beliefs. There are temples where men are not allowed. We should read minutely what the respected lady judge said on the Sabarimala case. 6. On the surgical strikes, there are some political parties who began to speak the same language as Pakistan. These parties were demeaning our armed forces. They politicised such an issue. As the PM, I will always appreciate the armed forces. 7. I want to appeal to the Congress not to use their lawyers to delay the judicial process on the Ram Temple. 8. We are committed to hearing all issues being faced by people and placing them in front of the GST council. GST has to be simple and consumer friendly. Work is constantly going on in this direction. 9. It is a reality that the so called First Family of the nation is out on bail. Their loyalists may try to hide that fact but they won't succeed. 10. Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochna bohot badi ghalti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. (It would be a mistake to think Pakistan can mend its ways after a fight, it will take more time.) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In his first interview of 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke on several issues, including demonetisation, Ram Temple, triple talaq bill, Rafale and AgustaWestland deals, and turned emotional while speaking on the Uri army Cantt attack that prompted India to conduct surgical strikes across the LoC. Speaking to news agency ANI, Modi revealed that the dates of Indian Armys surgical strikes across LoC after the Uri terrorist attack were changed twice due to safety concerns. The prime minister said he was more concerned about the safety of soldiers than the outcome of the mission. I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, dont think about that but come back before sunrise. Dont fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation), Modi said. On September 28, 2016, Indian Army soldiers carried out a cross-border surgical strike to destroy terrorist hide-outs in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). The strike was Indias response to the deadly terrorist attack on an Army camp in Uri, killing 20 soldiers. Modi turned emotional while talking about the mission. The prime minister revealed he was getting live information about the mission and was keeping a close tab on the risky operation throughout the night. #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi recounts the series of events during surgical strike after Uri attack. #PMtoANI pic.twitter.com/M79iBF8ZzO ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 "I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," Modi said adding that he didnt want any harm to the commandos who were "willing to sacrifice their lives on our word." Also Read | Surgical strike dates changed twice, was concerned about safety of soldiers: Modi Speaking about the cross-border attacks from Pakistan even after the surgical strike, the prime minister hinted at similar action saying Islamabad would take more time to understand. "It would be a big mistake to think that just a single strike would amend Pakistan. The country will take more time to change," Modi said. Modi also launched a scathing attack on the Congress and said those who ruled the country for decades are out on bail for financial irregularities. "It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail, that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing," Modi said. He added that the Congress's loyalists have been trying to mislead the nation and hiding such information. "A set of people, who are at their service, are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives," he said. On asked about his slogan 'Congress-Mukt Bharat', Modi said not only him but the Congress itself needs to be 'mukt' of this Congress culture. "Even Congress people say Congress is a thought, a culture. When I say Congress-mukt, I want to rid the country from this culture and this sort of thinking. And I say that Congress too needs to be 'mukt' of this Congress culture, he said. Also Read | 'First family' is out on bail for financial irregularities, says PM Narendra Modi "The former finance minister is forced to appear before the court and this in itself is big deal and people are watching it," Modi said. However, he clarified that it should not be seen as a political vendetta. On farmers loan waiver, the PM said: When we talk about loan waivers, it invariably gets linked with the polls. He emphasised that we should also be thinking about structural issues- how can we empower the farmers, ensure more water, greater credit, better markets. "There is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. A majority of them take loans from money lenders. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes" said Modi. He said Congress government is lying about waiving all farm loan when the truth is available on party's circulars. Speaking on demonetisation, the Prime Minister said that he had warned people of the note-ban a year before implementing it, adding that at that time people took him lightly. "This wasn't a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily," Modi said in the interview. Modi had announced on November 8, 2016 that old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes will not remain a legal tender from midnight. "There was a parallel economy running in the country and it was evident by the fact that several cases were being reported of note seizure. After the note ban, the money has come to mainstream economy," Modi said. He added that the younger generation has welcomed the move and they are happy that the countrys economy is progressing. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi on demonetisation: This wasn't a jhatka, we had warned people a year before Talking about triple talaq, Modi said an ordinance on it was brought after the Supreme Court verdict. He was referring to the Supreme Court's ruling in 2017, banning the practice of triple talaq among the Muslims. Subsequently, the government issued an Ordinance and brought a Bill in Parliament. Defying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) demand, Modi denied to bring a special Ordinance for the construction of a Ram Temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. The prime minister made it clear that the Ordinance on Ram Temple will be considered only after legal process gets over. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts, the prime minister said when asked whether his government would consider the demand of an Ordinance on Ram Temple by his partys ideological patriarch RSS. Also Read |Ram Temple ordinance can be considered only after legal process: PM Narendra Modi As 2019 Lok Sabha elections are approaching the nation, the demand for the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya gained momentum with Hindu hard-line groups the RSS, the VHP and their other allies making strongest push. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat himself had demanded the government to bring a low for the construction of Ram Temple. When asked if the Temple issue was relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP, the prime minister said: We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution. The issue of Ayodhya dispute is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 4. Several petitions filed before the top court have sought a day-to-day hearing in the case. Modi also spoke of former RBI governor Urjit Patel and said the former RBI governor had wanted to resign for months because of his "personal reasons". "The governor himself requested (to resign) because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past six-seven months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Modi said. Patel resigned after months of a perceived tussle between the government and the central bank over issues ranging from liquidity and credit flow to tackling weak banks, which raised concerns about the RBI's independence ahead of general elections this year. When asked about the BJPs defeats in five elections last year, Modi said in his opinion 2018 was a successful year. Elections are just one facet of a number of facets in this country. If in this country poor are given insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh, through Ayushman Bharat Yojna. Within 100 of its implementation, 6-7 lakh have benefited. In such big numbers people were suffering and today they have got treatment. How can I consider this a failure? It is my biggest achievement. The world today talks about climate change and India was considered as one of the countries that caused pollution. In 2018, the UN awarded the champion of earth, a protector of the environment, to a leader. It is a source of pride. Modi also targeted the Opposition parties, saying for them, Modi is the issue. On different days, they take turns to abuse Modi. You will hear nothing from them about their vision for India. In 2019, the people of India will set the agenda. They know who is with their aspirations and who is not, he said. "The first test of the alliance was in Telangana and we have seen what has happened to the alliance. What happened to the alliance in Tripura and Assam. Everybody can see. Their top leaders can close ranks but the people will never connect with this," Modi said on being asked about the Oppositions grand alliance. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Defying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) demand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday refused to bring a special Ordinance for the construction of Ram Temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. In an interview with news agency ANI, the prime minister made it clear that Ordinance on Ram Temple will be considered only after legal process gets over. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts, the prime minister said when asked whether his government would consider the demand of an Ordinance on Ram Temple by his partys ideological patriarch RSS. As 2019 Lok Sabha elections are approaching the nation, the demand for the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya gained momentum with Hindu hard-line groups the RSS, the VHP and their other allies making strongest push. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat himself had demanded the government to bring a low for the construction of Ram Temple. Also Read | PM Modi's interview Live Updates: PM warns Pakistan, speaks on Ram Temple, Urjit Patel When asked if the Temple issue was relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP, the prime minister said, We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution. The issue of Ayodhya dispute is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 4. Several petitions filed before the top court have sought a day-to-day hearing in the case. When asked if the government can bring Ordinance on triple talaq, why the same step was not being considered for the Ram Temple issue, Modi said, The Triple Talaq Ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Senior Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader Danish Ali on Tuesday said the larger share should go to the Congress on a 2:1 seat-sharing formula in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's party leader suggested that of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress should get 18 seats, while the JD(S) 10 seats. Interestingly, there is no seat for Mayawati, who is Kumaraswamy's ally in the state, reported NDTV. Ali was one of the interlocutors who helped the two parties forge a post-poll alliance in Karnataka in May to keep the BJP out of power. "Friendly fight on any seat should be the last option... The Congress and the JD(S) should steer clear of it," Ali said. His comments came as reports suggest there is a friction between the local leaders of the two parties. According to reports, many JD(S) leaders had asked the party leadership to contest all 28 seats. But it was party patriarch HD Deve Gowda who had stepped in and assured that the seat0sharing process will be smooth. "Let there be no unnecessary confusion regarding sharing of Lok Sabha seats...Kumaraswamy has expressed his opinion about JD(S) contesting from 12 seats, we (the Congress and the JD(S)) will sit and decide, we will do the seat sharing smoothly," news agency PTI quoted Deve Gowda as saying. The formal discussions, he indicated, would be finalised by January 15, as Parliament session will continue till January 8, Deve Gowda had 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." 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. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : If there is one thing India is ahead of every country in the world it is the growth of population. The United Nations had predicted the country will surpass China to become the worlds most populous country in the 21st century. And we are moving forward as predicted as the data compiled by the UN claims that the country is likely to produce the highest number of babies on New Years Day. According to a UN estimate, as many as 69,944 babies will be born in India on the New Years Day. This number is 18 per cent of the total baby births taking place globally. With 44,940 and 25,685 babies, China and Nigeria will be the second and third country with the highest number of baby births after India. With 15,112 babies, Pakistan has been placed fourth in the list followed by Indonesia (13,256 babies), The United States of America (1,086 babies), The Democratic Republic of Congo (10,053 babies) and Bangladesh (8,428 babies). Also Read | World Population Day 2018: How many people can the earth sustain "This New Year Day, let's all make a resolution to fulfil every right of every girl and boy, starting with the right to survive," Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India Representative said. She added that to ensure that every newborn is born in safe hands, the country needs to invest in training and equipping local health workers. At present, with nearly 1.3 billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world, after China. However, as per a UN estimate, India's population will surpass China by 2024. Researchers believe that India's relatively young median age 27 years as compared to China's 38 also contributes to its rapid population growth. "The median age in India is 27 years, compared to 38 years for China. Children under age 18 account for one-third of India's population as compared with one-fifth of China's," the University stated in its report titled "India's Population: Becoming Number One". Also Read | People having more than two kids should not be allowed to vote: Ramdev on India's growing population However, India still lags behind in China in life expectancy and mortality rate despite notable progress. "Life expectancy at birth increased from 44 years in the mid-1960s to 68 years today. India's child mortality rate at 38 per 1,000 births still lags behind China's rate of 11," the report further added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and said that those who ruled the country for decades are out on bail for financial irregularities. "It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail, that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing," PM Modi said in his interview to ANI. He added that Congress's loyalists have been trying to mislead the nation and hiding such information. #PMtoANI: It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail,that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing.A set of people,who are at their service,are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives pic.twitter.com/gXpPdHWmso ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 "A set of people, who are at their service, are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives," he said. On asked about his slogan 'Congress Mukt Bharat', PM Modi said not only me but the Congress itself needs to be 'Mukt' of this Congress culture. "Even Congress people say Congress is a thought, a culture. When I say Congress-mukt, I want to rid the country from this culture and this sort of thinking. And I say that Congress too needs to be 'mukt' of this Congress culture, he said. #PMtoANI: Even Congress people say Congress is a thought, a culture. When I say Congress-mukt, I want to rid the country from this culture and this sort of thinking. And I say that Congress too needs to be mukt of this Congress culture. pic.twitter.com/BXoELcK36H ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 "The former Finance Minister is forced to appear before the court and this in itself is big deal and people are watching it," PM Modi said. However, he clarified that it should not be seeen as political vandetta. On farmers loan waiver, PM said that when we talk about loan waivers, it invariably gets linked with the polls. He emphasized that we should also be thinking about structural issues- how can we empower the farmers, ensure more water, greater credit, better markets. We are talking about farm loan waivers and this invariably gets linked with the polls. We should also be thinking about structural issues- how can we empower the farmers, ensure more water, greater credit, better markets: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 1, 2019 "There is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. A majority of them take loans from money lenders. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes" said PM Modi. He said Congress government is lying about waiving all farm loan when the truth is available on party's circulars. #PMtoANI on loan waivers by Congress state Govts: To say a lie and mislead, that is what I called lollipop. Like saying 'we have waived all farm loans'. The truth is that nothing like that has happened. Please see their own circulars, they should not mislead. pic.twitter.com/BOISilifuf ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Learning lessons from last year's violence, Maharashtra government has made massive security arrangements around the Jaystambh war memorial at Bhima Koregaon where a mega rally will be held to mark the anniversary of the 1818 battle that saw lower caste soldiers fighting with the British and defeating the army of the upper caste Peshwas. As many as 5,000 police personnel, over 1,000 Home Guards and 12 companies of the Rapid Action Force and the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) have been deployed near the war memorial. The enhanced security measures were taken to avoid the repeat of last years clashes between people of scheduled caste, tribes and the right-wingers. To avoid a repeat of that incident, the police have taken "preventive action" against over 1,200 people. The action includes barring some of them from entering the area, and forcing others to leave the district temporarily, news agency PTI reported quoting a senior police officer. Taking precautions, right-wing leader Milind Ekbote and members of the left-leaning cultural group Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), have been banned from visiting the place. However, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who was denied permission to address a gathering in Pune on December 30, had said that he will visit the war memorial Tuesday on the 201st anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle. Pune: Security tightened in Bhima Koregaon on the 201st anniversary of the #BhimaKoregaon battle. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/39DSbimTUY ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 Thousands of people are expected to reach the Jaystambh war memorial on Tuesday and it was expected that the number of visitors could go higher than the last year. Earlier on the eve of the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle, thousands of visitors on Monday paid tribute at the jayastambh near Perne village in Maharashtras Pune district amidst heavy security while locals accorded them a warm welcome and arranged for their food. Around 18,000 to 20,000 visitors who have come from various parts of Maharashtra visited the victory pillar, police said. Contrary to the scene of January 1 this year when caste clashes had broken out around Koregaon Bhima village, the villagers were Monday seen welcoming the visitors with roses and water bottles, they said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has been recuperating at his private residence since October 14, attended office on the New Year day. This is the first time the ailing CM has visited his office in the last four months. He had last attended the office in August 2018, before being shifted to hospital for treatment. Parrikar is suffering from a pancreatic ailment and had undergone treatment at private hospitals in Mumbai and the USA last year. Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar arrives at the state secretariat, is welcomed by party workers and leaders. Parrikar is being treated since February last year for a pancreatic ailment pic.twitter.com/mKus97RJ3F ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers had gathered outside CM's office at the secretariat to welcome him. Parrikar with a medical appendage, got down from his car at the main gate of the secretariat at around 10:45 AM, smiled at people, and walked inside, sources said. Goa: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar held meeting with his cabinet colleagues and officials at the state secretariat in Porvorim. pic.twitter.com/bwPBdpkq4V ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 Parrikar was formally welcomed by party lawmakers, Legislative Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant and ministers of the state. He later held meeting with his cabinet colleagues and officials at the state secretariat in Porvorim. According to sources, he held meeting with officials of the Personnel department to review existing vacancies and other issues like promotions and transfers that needed urgent attention. The Chief Minister was last seen while in December when he went to inspect the the construction of Zuari Bridge in Panjim and a half-constructed bridge on Mandovi River near Panaji. He had a tube inserted in his nose when he went for inspection and soon his pictures went viral with many hailing his 'patriotism' and 'commitment towards Goas growth'. Parrikar had also met Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu last week to discuss various developmental works. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Bollywood actors, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, on Tuesday paid tributes to veteran actor-writer Kader Khan, who passed away due to prolonged illness. Khan, 81 was admitted to a hospital in Canada. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into a coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it, PTI quoted Kader Khan's son Sarfaraz as saying. Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to express his condolences on the depressing news of the Khans death. Bachchan also highlighted the lesser known facts about the deceased actor that he was a mathematician. Kadar Khan passes away.. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences.. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film.. a writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company.. and a mathematician!! Bachchan said. Also Read | Kader Khan, veteran Bollywood actor-writer dies at 81, last rites to be performed in Canada Another veteran actor and co-star of Kader Khan in 1993 comedy drama Hum Hain Kamaal Ke expressed his grief in a video message posted on Twitter along with a text describing his phenomenal skills and eternal humour. Kader Khan Saab was one of the finest actors of our country. It was a joy and a learning experience to be on the sets with him. His improvisational skills were phenomenal. His humour was eternal and original. He was a wonderful writer. We will miss him & his brilliance, Anupam Kher wrote on Twitter. Film critic and business analyst, Taran Adarsh termed Khans demise end of an era and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family. Its the end of an era... RIP Kader Khan sahab... An exceptional writer and a truly versatile actor... Heartfelt condolences to the family... #KaderKhan #Legend, he said The 81-year-old Canadian-Indian was reportedly suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's Daag and has featured in over 300 films. Also, he has written dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor, he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's Jawani Diwani. Also Read | Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen, who directed 'Bhuvan Shome', 'Mrigaya', passes away at 95 More reactions of Bollywood actors and other famous personalities on Kader Khan's death RIP #KaderKhan saab. One of my inspirations and a truly iconic actor, writer and stage artists. His contribution to my fathers cinema was limitless just like his talent. You will truly be missed by everyone. Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) January 1, 2019 The cinematic legend #KaderKhan dedicated his life to cinema and made millions smile through acting. With his passing, an era of brilliance in Indian cinema has come to a close. My condolences are with his family and loved ones. RIP! Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) January 1, 2019 We are deeply saddened by the demise of prominent actor-screenwriter #KaderKhan. Renowned for his effortless comic performances, he also wrote the striking dialogues for some of the most popular Hindi films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie and Agneepath.#RIP pic.twitter.com/AzpePUxLEF NFAI (@NFAIOfficial) January 1, 2019 Sad to hear of the demise of veteran actor and screenwriter #KaderKhan saab. My condolences to his family, friends and millions of fans worldwide and prayers for the departed soul pic.twitter.com/GafNqkbfhV Naveen Jindal (@MPNaveenJindal) January 1, 2019 For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian rupee kicked off 2019 on a resounding note, building up on gains of the previous two sessions and adding another 34 paise on Tuesday to close at 69.43 against the US dollar on increased selling of the greenback by exporters and smart gains in domestic equities. The domestic unit has rallied by a hefty 92 paise in the last three trading sessions. Traders said sustained selling of the American currency by exporters and banks propped up the rupee. At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex), the rupee opened on a firm note at 69.63. It gained further to hit a high of 69.43 following dollar selling by exporters, before finally closing at 69.43, up 34 paise. On Monday, the rupee signed off the last trading session of 2018 with 18 paise gains at 69.77 per dollar. However, the domestic currency clocked a 9.23 per cent fall in 2018. Also Read | Petrol, diesel prices marginally hiked, check January 1 rates here On year-over-year basis, the rupee depreciated by a whopping 509 paise, or 9.23 per cent, as compared to 2017-end level of 63.87. Domestic brokerage firm Kotak Institutional Equities in a research report said that the year 2019 seems to be a better starting point in terms of valuation, currency. The INR seems to be fairly valued; we see mild depreciation in 2019 compared to the sharp correction that it saw in 2018, the report said. Traders said, a positive trend in the domestic equities also supported the local unit. Indian equity market started the New Year on a positive note, with BSE benchmark Sensex rising over 186 points Tuesday. The 30-share BSE Sensex closed at 36,254.57, rising 186.24 points or 0.52 per cent. Similarly, the NSE Nifty ended at 10,910.10, gaining 47.55 points or 0.44 per cent. Meanwhile, foreign funds pulled out Rs 326.87 crore from the capital markets on a net basis, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 321.98 crore Monday, provisional data showed. Also Read | Star Screen Awards 2018: Full list of winners The dollar index was trading down by 0.31 per cent at 95.87 against a basket of six currencies in the late afternoon trade. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 69.7131 and for rupee/euro at 79.9330. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 88.9748 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 63.57. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Hyundai India on Friday announced that its one of the most popular hatchback i20 has crossed 1.3 million sales mark, with 8.5 lakh units sold in the Indian market alone. Hyundai i20 has achieved this mega millstone in just 12 years. The company took to Twitter to share the news and wrote, We are proud to achieve yet another exciting milestone. Hyundai's Super Performer and Best Seller i20 crosses the 1.3 Million mark in 10 years. Thank you India for all the love and support.. The first generation of Hyundai i20 was brought down in the year 2008, second generation was introduced in 2013, An update this was unveiled in the year 2018 for the Indian market at the 2018 Auto Expo. The main rival of Hyundai i20 is Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz and Toyota Etios. Also Read | 2019 Suzuki Hayabusa launched in India at Rs 13.74 lakh, know more On specs front, Hyundai i20 comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine which can produce a power of 82 hp and 112 Nm of torque while the diesel engine churns out a maximum of 90 bhp of power and 220 Nm of torque. The petrol engine is mated with a 5-speed manual transmission and CVT option as well while diesel engine is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission. Vikas Jain, AVP National Sales, Hyundai Motor India said, The i20 established the Premium Compact Segment and has been a stellar brand that personifies Hyundais Modern Premium positioning. It has set new benchmarks in the Premium Compact segment and continues to dominate with its world class appeal, performance and looks. The company claims the mileage of Hyundai i20 petrol variant is 19.8 kmpl and 22.5 kmpl on the diesel models. The hatchback also has smart key and engine start/stop option, Steering Adaptive Parking Guidelines, rear parcel tray, USB charger, door armrest, iblue remote app, reverse cark parking sensors and six airbags system. The price range of Hyundai i20 starts from 5.43 lakh to Rs 9.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Event Highlights Ambedkar's Grandson at Jay Stambh Who All Will Visit Today Thousands Visit 'Jay Stambh' History of Bhima-Koregaon Security Stepped Up The British later erected a victory obelisk (memorial) and the Dalit castes regard it as their symbolic victory over the higher castes, which is celebrated annually on New Year Day, January 1 since the past 200 years. Read More Bhima-Koregaon Anniversary LIVE: A series of precautionary and security measures are in place in Maharashtra on the 201st anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon war on Tuesday. Massive police deployment has been made in Bhima-Koregaon village and surroundings as lakhs of people from all over the state are expected to arrive at the spot. They will commemorate the anniversary of the historic Third Anglo-Maratha battle between the 834-strong British force comprising mostly of soldiers from the Dalit Mahar community and the 28,000-strong army of Peshwa Bajirao II, which was vanquished.The British later erected a victory obelisk (memorial) and the Dalit castes regard it as their symbolic victory over the higher castes, which is celebrated annually on New Year Day, January 1 since the past 200 years. Jan 01, 2019 12:22 (IST) Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader and B R Ambedkar's Grandson Prakash said the number of visitors is likely to swell this year. "The reason behind the surge is because the likes of retired SC judge P B Sawant, retired HC judge B G Kolse Patil and some students (Kabir Kala Manch) took the history of the Koregaon Bhima battle to rural Maharashtra," he said. Unfortunately, the same students who "bridged the gap between the Marathas and the OBCs using the Elgaar Parishad platform were labelled as Naxals by the government, he said. "These students took real history of Koregon Bhima to the masses, but the government labelled them Naxals," he said, adding the government should find real perpetrators of last year's violence and bring them to justice. Jan 01, 2019 12:16 (IST) Ambedkar's Grandson at Jay Stambh | Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, was among the first politicians to offer his tribute at the Jay Stambh this morning. After laying a wreath at the memorial, Ambedkar hoped the commemoration event will pass off peacefully. "Unlike last year, local people of surrounding villages have extended all help during the commemoration. Locals are lending a helping hand. I hope peaceful completion. However, the police should not act in haste," he told reporters. Jan 01, 2019 12:14 (IST) At least 5,000 police personnel, 1200 Home Guard jawans, 12 companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and 2,000 Dalit volunteers are deployed in and around Perne village where people are paying tributes at the war memorial, police said. The 'jay stambh' was erected by the British as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. Besides large-scale police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras are monitoring the area, a senior police officer said this morning. Jan 01, 2019 12:13 (IST) Thousands of people, mainly Dalits, Tuesday flocked the 'Jay Stambh' memorial in Maharashtra's Pune district to pay tributes on the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle amidst heavy police presence. One person was killed and several others were injured in caste clashes that broke out on January 1 last year on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1818 battle, which has attained legendary stature in Dalit history. Jan 01, 2019 11:46 (IST) "People were scared to visit the victory pillar after what happened last year. We are trying to give a positive message to them by welcoming them with flowers," said Rupesh Thorat, Perne village head. Caste clashes had broken out around Koregaon Bhima village on January 1 last year, killing one person and injuring several others. Jan 01, 2019 11:35 (IST) Perne Village residents welcome visitors with flowers and water at Jay Stambh on Koregaon Bhima's 201st anniversary. The 'jay stambh' had been erected by the British as a memorial for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. In the Dalit narrative, the battle is the victory over casteism as the British army comprising a large contingent of dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom. Jan 01, 2019 11:14 (IST) Special IG, Vishwas 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. Pune: Security tightened in Bhima Koregaon on the 201st anniversary of the #BhimaKoregaon battle. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/39DSbimTUY ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 Jan 01, 2019 11:05 (IST) Bishop of Pune diocese, Thomas Dabre has appealed to churches and institutions in the west Maharashtra city to hold prayers for "peace and harmony" during the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle that falls on January 1. One person was killed and several others injured in the violence on January 1 which had broken out a day after the Elgaar Parishad conclave was held in historic Shaniwarwada in Pune. "As the Bishop of the Diocese of Ponna (Pune), I have issued a circular to around 60 churches and 20 institutions in the city to hold prayers for peace and harmony to be prevailed in Koregaon Bhima and in the Pune district during the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle," said Dabre. Jan 01, 2019 11:03 (IST) Chandrashekhar Azad to Visit Jay Stambh Today | Dalit leader and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Monday reiterated his plan to visit the victory pillar even if the government uses force to deter him. Azad could not hold a public rally in Pune, after the Bombay High Court Monday refused to pass any orders to the Pune Police to permit the Bhim Army to conduct public meetings in the city. Azad visited historic places such as Phule Wada, Lal Mahal and held meetings with members of his outfit in the day. Jan 01, 2019 10:55 (IST) Koregaon Bhima Eve | Arrangements were also made for food, water and providing other logistical support. "Majority of the visitors, mainly youths, reached here today from the Vidarbha and the Marathawada regions of the state and paid tribute at the memorial," said a police officer. The 'jay stambh' had been erected by the British as a memorial for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. Jan 01, 2019 10:53 (IST) Koregaon Bhima 'Jay Stambh' | On the eve of the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle, thousands of visitors Monday paid tribute at the 'jay stambh' near Perne village in Maharashtra's Pune district amidst heavy security while locals accorded them a "warm" welcome and arranged for their food. Around 18,000 to 20,000 visitors who have come from various parts of Maharashtra visited the victory pillar, police said. Contrary to the scene of January 1 last year when caste clashes had broken out around Koregaon Bhima village, the villagers were Monday seen welcoming the visitors with roses and water bottles, they said. Jan 01, 2019 10:49 (IST) Samasta Hindu Aghadi leader Milind Ekbote Barred | A senior police officer said 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, provocative speeches at the Parishad (conclave), funded by Maoists, on December 31, 2017 triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima the next day. 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. Jan 01, 2019 10:47 (IST) 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. 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. Jan 01, 2019 10:39 (IST) History of Bhima-Koregaon | 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. Jan 01, 2019 10:37 (IST) Security Stepped Up Ahead of Bhima-Koregaon Anniversary | 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). Representative image. Last year, however, the celebrations, attended by around 3,00,000 people had turned violent, killing one and effecting a Maharashtra shutdown on January 3, leading to a major churning in caste and ideological politics. Later, police swooped in on human rights, rights and civil society activists all over India to check 'Urban Maoist' activities in the wake of a conference held in Pune on December 31, 2017, on the eve of the Bhima-Koregaon battles 200th anniversary. In a series of pre-emptive measures, the Mumbai Police last week detained Bhim Army president Chandrashekhar Azad, seven other leaders and around 350 activists from Malad, Ghatkopar, Kandivali, Dadar, Worli and other areas. Azad, who was kept under detention in the suburban Hotel Manali since Friday, will visit the Jay Stambh' (Victory Pillar) at around 12.30pm. RPI chief and Union minister Ramdas Athawale will also address a public meeting at 1pm and meet the press at 4pm. The state government has also barred Right-wing leaders like Sambhaji Bhide alias Guruji and Milind Ekbote, besides activists of the Left-leaning NGO, Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), which had organised the December 31, 2017 Elgaar Parishad in Pune, from Bhima-Koregaon from Sunday till Wednesday. Following a recent plea by the government, the Bombay High Court has given control of the Bhima-Koregaon area to the state government for ensuring security during the 201st anniversary celebrations. Accordingly, the police have deployed a massive force in and around the village, severe restrictions on movement of pedestrians or vehicular traffic, parking at 11 designated locations, multiple security check-posts, road barricades and a CCTV network in an eight km radius from the memorial complex. "We are fully prepared to ensure peaceful and orderly celebrations at Koregaon-Bhima and ensure that no untoward incidents take place," Inspector-General of Police (Kolhapur Range) Vishwas Nangare-Patil told media persons on Saturday. (With agency inputs) SHELTON-Rosa DeLauros loss is Susan Bysiewiczs gain. Jimmy Tickey, DeLauros longtime campaign manager, will oversee business community outreach and economic development initiatives on behalf of Bysiewicz, the incoming lieutenant governor. Monday. He was one of five appointment announced by Bysiewicz Monday. The others are Juliemar Ortiz, a former New Haven Register reporter as her press secretary; Adam Joseph as her chief of staff; Cherie Phoenix-Sharpe as her general counsel and Samuel Carmody as senior advisor for legislative affairs. Tickey,31, is a lifelong city resident and an elected member of the citys Planning and Zoning Commission where he has been a vocal opponent of large scale developments bordering residential areas like the massive Towne Center at Shelter Ridge and a proposed apartment complex on Long Hill Cross Road. . Serving as Congresswoman Rosa DeLauros campaign manager for eight years was an experience of a lifetime, Tickey said Monday. I feel like I learned from the best not just about politics, but how you can make government work for people and get results for working families. Tickey said he has known Bysiewicz, the former Secretary of the State, for several years. Weve discussed ideas in pursuing an economic agenda that helps small businesses and fosters good economic development across Connecticut, he said. I am very excited about this opportunity to serve Connecticut with a focus on economic development under the leadership of Governor-elect (Ned) Lamont and Lt. Governor-elect Bysiewicz. Despite the new job and additional hours it will require, Tickey said he will remain on the Planning and Zoning commission and continue to live in Shelton Thats great news, said Greg Tetro, a Shelton activist and one of the leaders in Save Our Shelton which has challenged and defeated several massive development projects in the city. Jimmys been a responsible voice for responsible development on the commission. Tetro hopes Tickey can use his experience to bring good development and paying jobs not just to the Valley but across the state. Hes a young guy full of ambition whos very smart with a lot of energy, Tetro said. Hes a good choice. As a 17-year-old student at Shelton High, Tickey created an online web design and marketing business he named Jimmys World. He took that experience to Fordham University where he graduated with a degree in business management. Over the years Tickey has been very active in Valley politics and community service. Hes served as the Valley United Ways community campaign chairman as well as vice chairman of their board of directors. He is a co-founder of Celebrate Shelton which hosts summer concerts, a board member of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys and Girls Club, a corporator for Derbys Griffin Hospital and a vice chairman of True Colors board of directors. Serving in local office has given me a first-hand experience in seeing the revitalization that is happening across so many regions like the Naugatuck Valley, he said noting that several old, vacant factory buildings in Ansonia, Derby and Shelton are being transformed into unique businesses like breweries, apartments and restaurants. In announcing her team Bysiewicz said they bring both diverse perspectives as well as strong experience in local, state and federal government. Joseph will oversee strategic planning, communications, policy, legislative matters and operations. He has served as communications director for State Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney and the senate Democratic caucus since 2011. Prior to that he was the communications director and legislative director for John DeStefano Jr. during the latters stint as New Havens mayor and also Bysiewiczs deputy communications director when she served as Secretary of the State. He and his wife, Adriana, live in New Haven. Phoenix-Sharpe leaves her post as New Havens deputy corporation counsel to join Bysiewicz as her chief legal advisor. She and her husband, Shadeed live in Hamden. Carmody served as campaign manager during Bysiewiczs successful 2018 primary and general election campaigns. Previously he was a member of both DeLauros and outgoing Attorney General George Jepsens staffs. He is a member of Wallingfords Zoning Board of Appeals. Ortiz is a former staff reporter for the New Haven Register where she covered public safety, politics and education. Since 2017, shes been the press aide to the Senate Democratic Caucus. . Ortiz was born in Bridgeport and now lives in New Haven. DANBURY State police and local officials would not release any more details Monday about a police shooting that left one man dead and a woman injured over the weekend. A Danbury officer shot and killed a man who charged at the officer with a knife during an incident Saturday night at the Glen Apartments, a senior housing complex near Rogers Park, according to an initial state police report. A woman living in the apartment, who is related to the man, also was injured during the incident. Officials would not comment on her health Monday. The shooting is the first involving a Danbury police officer in at least 20 years. Several shooting incidents involving police around the state over the past two years, and repeated high profile controversies across the country, have cast a national spotlight on how often and who officers shoot. Both state and local police remained tight-lipped about the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting Monday, citing an ongoing investigation into the officers use of force. State police routinely wait several days or more than a week to identify the victims or officers involved in a police shooting. Police officers responded to the apartments on Memorial Drive in Danbury around 9:30 p.m. for a report of suspicious man. More for you News 1 dead, 1 injured after police-involved shooting in Danbury After a brief confrontation, the officer tried to use a Taser but it was ineffective. When the man charged while holding a knife, the officer fired multiple rounds and hit the man at least once, according to the initial police report. The woman was injured when the shots were fired, but Mayor Mark Boughton said earlier she was expected to be OK. Boughton and hospital officials declined to comment on the womans medical condition Monday. Out of respect to her family and next of kin, I just cant release any more about that, Boughton said. Boughton and police would not confirm the identity of either the woman or the man, although law enforcement sources suggested the man was known to officers and has an extensive record with the law. Attempts to reach the woman and mans family members were unsuccessful Monday. Officials also would not identify the officer involved. The Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad is investigating at the request of the states attorneys office, which will determine whether the shooting was justified. Boughton and law enforcement sources argued prosecutors will confirm the officer fired in self defense. Danbury Police policies require a minimum 72 administrative leave for an officer involved in a shooting to evaluate the incident and the officers physical and mental health after the incident, Chief Patrick Ridenhour said. After that period ends, administrators and the officer decide together whether the officer should turn to duty or stay on leave. Depending on the results of the state attorneys review, the department could conduct an internal investigation to determine whether any department policies were broken, Ridenhour said. Local training officers also will examine the circumstances of the incident to decide if there are any lessons to incorporate into officer training. You always want to take a look at any type of force, whether its a taser or physical force or, unfortunately in this case, lethal force to see if there are any training issues we need to address, Ridenhour said. The state attorneys office investigations typically take months to complete and details about police shooting incidents are often withheld until the conclusion of that report. The state attorneys office took more than a year to conclude in a report, released two weeks ago, that a New Milford police officer was justified when he fatally shot a man during a brief standoff in August 2017. In that case, state police waited a week to identify the victim and officer involved in that shooting. Prosecutors also took more than nine months to conclude in January 2018 that a Bridgeport police officer was justified when he shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron in early May 2017. That incident led to emotional protests throughout 2017, with activists decrying the investigation, its duration and ultimately its conclusions. Danbury police are expected to compose their report on Saturday nights incident after the holiday this week. State police would not give a time frame on when investigators would release more information. zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year speech Monday evening, calling on the whole nation to strive for "an unprecedented and great cause" in the year 2019, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese people, who are self-reliant, hardworking and enterprising, have created a China miracle recognized by the world, he said, vowing to rely on the people and push forward the cause step by step. FULFILLING 2018 "In 2018, we had a fulfilling and focused year," Xi said in the speech, summarizing the progress made in 2018, which saw the country's economy stay "within a reasonable range." The campaign to prevent and control pollution of air, water and soil went smoothly while the people's wellbeing and their living standards improved, he said. National strategies including the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of Yangtze Economic Belt, and the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were steadily implemented. Xi also mentioned the achievements he witnessed during his inspection trips: the improved ecology along the Yangtze River, the agricultural harvest in northeast provinces, the reform and vitality in Shenzhen and Shanghai, as well as the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. China launched Chang'e-4 lunar probe, conducted sea trials of its second aircraft carrier, completed first water takeoff of its independently-developed large amphibious aircraft, and took solid steps in BeiDou Navigation Satellite System's global service, Xi noted in the speech. Around 10 million people in the country's rural areas were lifted out of poverty in 2018, said the president, recollecting his visits to villages in Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning and Guangdong provinces. In the year marking the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up, China unveiled a systematic, comprehensive and restructuring reform of both Party and State institutions. More than 100 important reform measures were rolled out, he said. "China's reforms will never stop and its door will only open even wider." Zhang Ruimin, chief executive officer of China's Haier Group, said the company is determined to make its own contributions to making China a manufacturing power. "Just like President Xi said in his speech, we are all 'running at full speed toward the realization of our dreams,'" Zhang said. HOPEFUL, CHALLENGING 2019 Joint efforts are needed as China faces both opportunities and challenges in 2019, Xi noted. In the new year, Xi said, the policies to cut taxes and fees should be well implemented to ease the burden on enterprises. Sincere appreciation should be given to professionals in all areas while efforts be made to motivate responsible and competent grass-roots officials, he said. The goal of lifting 10 million rural residents above the poverty line should be fulfilled as planned, he said, adding that veterans should receive proper attention and care. Xi also extended gratitude to millions of hardworking people, such as deliverymen, sanitation workers and taxi drivers. "President Xi's New Year speech is very touching and inspiring," said Soinam Yangjen, a 35-year-old village official in Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China. With over 16 years of experience in poverty alleviation work, she said that through the speech she and her fellow villagers can see a brighter future, "a future that is created by us together." BETTER WORLD In 2018, China hosted diplomatic events including the annual Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao summit, and the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China put forward its proposals and made its voice heard, and enlarged its circle of friends in 2018, Xi said. In a world that is undergoing changes unseen in a century, China will remain confident and resolute in safeguarding its sovereignty and security, and maintain its sincerity and goodwill for safeguarding world peace and promoting common prosperity, he said. China will actively promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road, continue to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and work relentlessly for an even more prosperous and beautiful world, he said. "I think China is demonstrating a greater capacity to perform global leadership roles in an increasingly broad range of fields," said Lucio Blanco Pitlo, a lecturer from the Chinese Studies Program of Philippine Ateneo de Manila University. "I expect this trend to continue in the coming year." China's experience in the past 70 years also proves that every country, especially the developing ones, can carve their own development path based on their unique conditions, Pitlo said. Fitchburg police say a suspect wanted in connection for a reported domestic assault turned himself into authorities Tuesday morning. Fitchburg Police began their search for 22-year-old Sanderson Cuevas on Monday. Officers responded shortly before 1 p.m. to Summit Street for a report of a disturbance in which a gun was used. State and local police initially searched for Cuevas at locations in Fitchburg and Lunenburg, but were unable to find him. A Fitchburg police news release at 10 a.m. this morning said Cuevas turned himself in without incident. While details of the incident are limited, Cuevas is wanted on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, use of a firearm in a felony, threat to commit a crime and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Police Monday said Cuevas was allegedly armed and potentially dangerous. 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. The television, quoting an unnamed military official, identified the warplanes as Israeli. Lebanon's the state-run National News Agency earlier reported that Israeli warplanes were flying at low altitude over parts of southern Lebanon. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said Israeli airstrikes targeted three positions south of Damascus that are arms depots for Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group and Iranian forces. The reported attack near Damascus is the first since U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week that the U.S. will withdraw all of its 2,000 forces in Syria, a move that will leave control of the oil-rich eastern third of Syria up for grabs. Following Trump's announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel would "continue to act against Iran's attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria, and to the extent necessary, we will even expand our actions there." Nearly an hour after the attacks began, Damascus residents could still hear the air defense units firing toward targets in the air. "The aggression is still ongoing," said a presenter on state TV, which interrupted its programs to air patriotic songs. Later the TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Syrian air defenses "shot down most of the missiles before reaching their targets and the aggression damaged an arms depot and wounded three soldiers." It added that the Israeli warplanes fired the missiles from Lebanese airspace. Israel's military spokesman's unit did not confirm the raids, but said in a statement that "an aerial defense system was activated against an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria." No damage or injuries were reported by the Israeli military. Israel is widely believed to have been behind a series of airstrikes in the past that mainly targeted Iranian and Hezbollah forces fighting alongside the government in Syria. Tuesday's attack is the first since a missile assault on the southern outskirts of Damascus on Nov. 29. Russia announced it had delivered the S-300 air defense system to Syria in October. That followed the Sept. 17 downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli airstrike, a friendly fire incident that stoked regional tensions. Ilan Ben Zion contributed. You are here: Business The sizzling beef steaks imported from France have been greatly welcomed by customers in a Carrefour supermarket in Shanghai. Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, April 24, 2018. [Photo/Agencies] The supermarket has placed a second order for the French steaks after the product sold out in just a few weeks. "This is a good start," said Fanye Meng, chief representative of Inaporc& Interbev China, an association aimed at helping more French meat companies develop business in China. China has stepped up its opening-up for imports since the first China International Import Expo in early November. Deals for intended purchases of goods and services worth a total of $57.8 billion ($8.4 billion) were reached at the first CIIE. Currently, about 100 companies have signed up for the second expo, according to the CIIE Bureau. In the next 15 years, China expects to import goods worth $30 trillion and services worth $10 trillion. Attracted by Shanghai's investment policies, open business environment and abundant talent, US engineering firm AECOM set up its Chinese management headquarters in Shanghai just one month after the CIIE. "China's business environment in terms of finance, logistics, communication, shipping, and technological innovation is becoming more and more promising," said Ian Chung, chief executive for China of AECOM. Chinese lawmakers have also called for swift adoption of a unified foreign investment law to further open the country. During the weeklong bimonthly session, which closed on Saturday, the National People's Congress Standing Committee deliberated on a number of newly submitted drafts, including a draft foreign investment law. Investigators in Houston said Monday that they have a surveillance video image of a pickup truck from which a driver fired several shots into a car carrying a family, killing a 7-year-old girl and wounding the child's mother. The image of the red, four-door pickup was captured shortly before the shooting occurred Sunday morning, Harris County sheriff's Lt. Christopher Sandoval told reporters. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez declined to speculate on what prompted the driver of the pickup to pull alongside and fire into the car carrying Jazmine Barnes, three of her sisters and her mother. Jazmine died at the scene, her mother suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and her 6-year-old sister was injured by shattered glass. The mother, 30-year-old LaPorsha Washington, remained in a hospital Monday. Gonzalez described the shooting as "totally unprovoked." "The family should be celebrating and spending time together anticipating the new year and instead they're making plans to bury this innocent, precious child," Gonzalez said. A distraught Washington told KTRK-TV from her hospital bed that the gunman sped up after firing into her car, only to pull in front and slow down before firing again. "He intentionally killed my child for no reason," she said. "He didn't even know her, he didn't know who she was." Authorities initially said the shooting occurred as Washington was leaving a Walmart parking lot, but Gonzalez on Monday said it occurred on a nearby service road as the family was heading to a store. The gunman was described as a bearded man in his 40s wearing a red hoodie. "I hope with each passing moment his conscience is eating away at him," Gonzalez said, later adding, "Do the right thing and turn yourself in. There's no need for anyone else to be harmed." Jazmine's father, Christopher Cevilla, who appeared with Gonzalez at Monday's news briefing, pleaded with the public to provide relevant tips to authorities so that an arrest can be made. "My daughter was 7 years old, loving, caring, very passionate with people, very sweet, just an innocent young girl," Cevilla said. "Very smart in school. There's just a lot of things that's being robbed of me and my family at this moment that we will never be able to get back." White flowers and flickering candles sat atop a low table inside the simple wooden home in remote, rural Guatemala. Nearby was a small pair of rubber boots, sized to fit an 8-year-old. Taped to the wall were three photos, alternately smiling and serious, bearing a simple epitaph for the boy whose memory the makeshift altar honored: "Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Died Dec. 24 2018 in New Mexico, United States." On Christmas Eve, Felipe became the second Guatemalan child this month to die while in U.S. custody near the Mexican border. The deaths prompted widespread criticism of President Donald Trump, who has sought to deflect responsibility toward Democrats even as his Homeland Security secretary vowed additional health screenings for detained migrant children. In the boy's village of Yalambojoch, in western Guatemala, the political fallout in the United States seemed a world away and there was only deep sadness over his death. Relatives said they had no idea that such a tragedy could occur. Nor had they heard about U.S. policies that led to thousands of migrant children being separated from their parents earlier this year. "We don't have a television. We don't have a radio," Catarina Gomez, Felipe's sister, said Saturday. "We didn't know what had happened before." The hamlet, set on a plain and surrounded by spectacular, pine-covered mountains, is a place of crushing poverty and lack of opportunity, home to a single small school, dirt roads that become impassible during the rainy season and rudimentary homes without insulation, proper flooring, water or electricity. The community is populated by families who fled to Mexico during the bloodiest years of Guatemala's 1960-1996 civil war but returned after the signing of peace accords. There are no jobs, and people live off meager subsistence farming and local commerce. Residents say the Guatemalan government has turned a blind eye to their plight, a complaint that can be heard in other impoverished villages in the country. Felipe's sister, Catarina, said that in recent years "everyone started heading for the United States," so much so that a local project to boost education financed with Swedish help was abandoned because there were practically no more young people to take the classes. It was extreme poverty and lack of opportunity that drove Felipe's father, Agustin Gomez, to decide that he and the boy would set off for the United States. Others from the community had been able to cross the U.S. border with children, and he figured they would have the same luck. Felipe was chosen because he was the oldest son. It didn't occur to anyone that the journey could be dangerous. "I didn't think of that, because several families had already left and they made it," the boy's mother, Catarina Alonzo said, speaking in the indigenous Chuj language as her stepdaughter translated into Spanish. Felipe was healthy when they left, according to the family. The last time he spoke with his mother was a day before they were taken into detention by border agents. Felipe told her he was well, that he had eaten chicken, that the next time they talked would be by phone from the United States. Instead, the call that came Christmas Day was from her husband, who said Felipe had died the day before. The two had been apprehended a week earlier, on Dec. 18, near the Paso del Norte bridge connecting El Paso, Texas, to Juarez, Mexico, according to border officials. Father and son were held at the bridge's processing center and then the Border Patrol station in El Paso before being transferred on Dec. 23 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 found to have a 103-degree fever (39.4 degrees Celsius), officials have said. Felipe was held for observation for 90 minutes, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, before being released with prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen. But the boy fell sick hours later and was admitted to the hospital on Christmas Eve. 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. The other Guatemalan child, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, died Dec. 8 in El Paso. She showed signs of sepsis, a potentially fatal condition brought on by infection, according to officials. On Saturday, Trump claimed that Felipe and Jakelin were "very sick" before they reached the border, though both young migrants passed initial health screenings by Border Patrol. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said last week that prior to this month, no child had died in the agency's custody in more than a decade. On Sunday he called for a "multifaceted solution" on immigration, including not only better border security and new immigration laws but more aid to the Central American countries the migrants are fleeing from. Referring to the U.S. pledge earlier this month of $5.8 billion in development aid for Central America, McAleenan called it "a tremendous step forward." "There are green shoots of progress both on security and the economic front in Central America. We need to foster that and help improve the opportunities to stay at home," he said on ABC's "This Week." Outside the Gomez family home in Yalambojoch, women gathered wearing lavender skirts in the intricate patterns typical of indigenous garb in Guatemala. Colorful tapestries hung on a clothesline above the muddy yard. Taped to the door were a pair of Felipe's artworks. One was a rendering of a blue balloon with a green string; in the other, a white horse jumped over a fence against a yellow sun and tangerine sky. Among the villagers grieving Felipe's death was his 7-year-old best friend, Kevin. Two days before Felipe and his dad left, the two boys quarreled. "They were crying because they had fought," said Felipe's sister, Catarina. By the time Kevin came back to look for his friend, he had left for the United States. Kevin now knows that Felipe has died, the family said. Trying to fight back tears, Catarina Alonzo said her son promised before leaving that when he was grown, he would work to send money home. Felipe also wanted to buy her a cellphone so she could see pictures of him from afar. Now she hopes for only two things: That Felipe's body is returned as soon as possible for burial, and that her husband can remain in the United States to work off debt and support their other kids. The Guatemalan Consulate in Phoenix has said that Agustin Gomez was released on a humanitarian license allowing him to remain in the United States for now. Felipe's body is expected to be sent back to Guatemala around mid-January. Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant, Zeke Miller and Colleen Long contributed to this report. A 21-year-old man charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his mother outside a Rockville, Maryland, Catholic church had a history of domestic violence, court documents reveal. Jaclyn McGuigan, of Marwood Court in Rockville, was seen leaving her home with her son, Kevin Justin McGuigan, 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. When police knocked on the door to notify Jaclyn's family, court documents say that Kevin's brother immediately asked if he had killed their mother. The brother also told police that two years ago, Kevin tried to strangle him. He never reported the attack to police. In February 2016, Jaclyn was granted a no-contact order against Kevin, State's Attorney spokesperson Ramon Korionoff said. Court documents show Kevin was ordered to surrender weapons and move out. Under Montgomery County law, protective orders remain in effect for up to one year and can be extended for up to six months. Kevin moved out of his mother's home on Marwood Court and was living in the Grosvenor area of Rockville at the time of the killing, police documents show. The suspect's sister told police that Kevin called Jaclyn early on Friday and asked to meet. She saw them driving off in a Honda Accord about 5:30 p.m., but didn't know where they were going. Shortly before 6 p.m., two witnesses heard screaming in front of St. Raphael's Catholic Church on Dunster Road in Rockville. They went toward the noise and saw someone matching Kevin's description standing over his mother. Jaclyn was bleeding from a cutting-type wound on her neck, court documents say. One witness attempted CPR until first responders arrived. Jaclyn died outside the church, police say. Police didn't detail a motive in the killing and it's unclear why the two went to the church. Jaclyn appeared to be killed with a cutting instrument, according to police. Kevin's sister told police that he often carried a folding knife. Police said Kevin fled the scene in the Honda sedan, which is registered to his mother. Police found the abandoned Honda at Fallsgrove Park less than an hour later. Police say called Kevin's phone number and a device in the car started ringing. The phone appeared to be covered in blood, court documents say. 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. Jaclyn was a breast cancer survivor remembered fondly by loved ones. Kevin appeared in court on Monday and was ordered held for a psychiatric review. A teen boy killed in a hit-and-run crash in Northern Virginia is being remembered in the final days of 2018, and the search for the driver who hit him is underway. Marvin Daniel Cruz Serrano died after he was hit by a car while crossing the street in Reston on Saturday evening. He was 16 and attended South Lakes High School. "He really was so kind and selfless," friend Lindsay Byrd said. She was one of several friends who met in the rain at a roadside memorial for Serrano on New Year's Eve. Serrano, known as Daniel, was hit after he left work at the restaurant Cafesano and then took the bus home, a coworker said. Fairfax County police responded to South Lakes Drive and Castle Rock Square at about 5:40 p.m. Serrano was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials are investigating whether he had been using a crosswalk at the intersection. The driver fled the scene in a sedan, according to witnesses. The car is believed to have heavy damage to the front end. Friend Autumn Wright spoke bitterly about the driver. "Why would you do that, like you didnt have any thought in your head to stop? You didnt care," she said. Anyone with information for police is asked to call 703-280-0543. A reward of as much as $1,000 is available. A former mayoral candidate is accused of punching a woman repeatedly in the face on Christmas Eve, after a night of drinking. The Capital reports the Baltimore woman filed an application for charges against Nevin Young, and a judge issued criminal summons Thursday. Young is charged with second-degree assault, a misdemeanor. According to a police report, Young joined two women for drinks at restaurant Harry Browne's. Police wrote that Young got into a disagreement with one of the women as they were leaving and struck her. Young declined to comment to the newspaper. The Annapolis attorney unsuccessfully challenged then-incumbent Mike Pantelides in the 2017 Republican primary for mayor. He received 150 of more than 1,200 votes. He also unsuccessfully sought a judicial appointment to the Circuit Court earlier this year. Against the advice of many in his own administration, President Donald Trump is pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Could a withdrawal from Afghanistan be far behind? Trump has said his instinct is to quit Afghanistan as a lost cause, but more recently he's suggested a willingness to stay in search of peace with the Taliban. However, the abruptness with which he turned the page on Syria raises questions about whether combat partners like Iraq and Afghanistan should feel confident that he will not pull the plug on them, too. "If he's willing to walk away from Syria, I think we should be concerned about whether Afghanistan is next," Jennifer Cafarella, the director of intelligence planning at the Institute for the Study of War, said in an interview Wednesday. The U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan for 17 years and still has about 15,000 troops there helping government troops combat the Taliban. The approximately 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are training and advising Iraqi security forces as they continue to fight Islamic State militants, a battle the U.S. entered in 2014 after IS swept into Iraq from Syria. Before other officials confirmed the withdrawal decision, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." The aspect of this that he did not address is whether the extremists or others will fill the security vacuum created by the U.S. withdrawal to regroup and pose a new threat. The administration said it intends to continue combatting Islamic State extremists globally and could return to Syria if necessary. Still, critics launched a barrage of questions about the implications of Trump's decision, including whether it opens the door for Turkish forces to attack the Syrian Kurds who had partnered with the U.S. Kori Schake, deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote on the Atlantic.com website Wednesday that the Syria decision ought to unsettle every ally that relies on U.S. security assurances. "The governments of Iraq and Afghanistan ought to be very, very worried," she wrote. "For if Syria can be so lightly written off, the fight arbitrarily declared won, what is the argument for continuing to assist Iraq where ISIS is even more defeated? And if Trump has so little interest in stabilizing security and assisting governance in Syria, how can Afghanistan have confidence that he won't make the same decision about them, when the fight there is costlier and progress less evident?" These and other questions about the Trump decision and its broader implications were on the minds of many in Congress. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, denounced what he called a betrayal of the Syrian Kurds. "Now the President seems content to forsake their trust and abandon them to a potentially bloody conflict with Turkey," Reed said. "This decision also significantly increases the security risks to our key regional partners in Israel, Iraq and Jordan." Trump has argued for a Syria withdrawal since he was a presidential candidate in 2016, and he has repeated his view several times since taking office. Still, the decision appeared to catch many in his administration by surprise; Pentagon officials offered no details on the timing or pace of the withdrawal, nor could they square it with numerous statements by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis about the importance of remaining in Syria to assure stability. Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican and typically a Trump supporter, said he was "blindsided" by the decision and called it "a disaster in the making." He said, "The biggest winners in this are ISIS and Iran." Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said the withdrawal would be a "grave error with broader implications" beyond the fight against IS. He called it "one more example of how the United States is not a reliable partner." Just last week, the U.S. special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, said U.S. troops would remain in Syria even after the Islamic State militants were driven from their strongholds. "I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," McGurk told reporters on Dec. 11. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign." And two weeks ago, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. still has a long way to go in training local Syrian forces to prevent a resurgence of IS and stabilize the country. He said it will take 35,000 to 40,000 local troops in northeastern Syria to maintain security over the long term, but only about 20 percent of them have been trained. Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. Once an outsider mocked by fellow lawmakers for his far-right positions, constant use of expletives and even casual dressing, former army captain Jair Bolsonaro is taking office as Brazil's president Tuesday. A fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, the 63-year-old longtime congressman rose to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda that has energized Brazilian conservatives and hard-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers' Party. Bolsonaro is the latest of several far-right leaders around the world who have come to power by riding waves of anger at the establishment and promises to ditch the status quo. "I will cry" upon seeing Bolsonaro inaugurated, said Paulo de Sousa, a teacher from Rio de Janeiro who traveled to the capital of Brasilia for the ceremony. "It will be a wonderful year. We have to help our president to achieve that. There will be jobs, health and peace." Brasilia will be under tight security, with 3,000 police patrolling the event. Military tanks, fighter jets and even anti-aircraft missiles will also be deployed. The increased security came at Bolsonaro's request. His intestine was pierced when a knife-wielding man stabbed him at a campaign rally in September, and he has to wear a colostomy bag. His sons, politicians themselves, insist their father could be targeted by radicals, but security officials have not spoken of threats. Bolsonaro has done little moderating since being elected in October, with progressives and liberals decrying stances that they say are anti-homosexual, sexist and racist. The incoming president, who spent nearly three decades in Congress, has also drawn international criticism for his plans to roll back regulations in the Amazon and his disinterest in social programs in a country that is one of the world's most unequal in terms of income. On the economic front, where Bolsonaro will ultimately lead Latin America's largest economy is unknown, as during the campaign he reversed course from previous statist stances with pledges to lead market-friendly reforms. He also promised to overhaul Brazil's pension system and privatize several state-owned companies, which has given him wide support among financial players. Bolsonaro says he will prioritize the fight against crime in a nation that has long led the world in annual homicides. More than 63,000 people were killed last year. Human rights groups fear his defense of police violence could shield officers from investigations of misconduct and lead to more extrajudicial killings. The most notable foreign leaders planning to attend the inauguration are also associated with far-right movements: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Leftist Presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, deemed dictators by Bolsonaro, were uninvited by Bolsonaro's team after the foreign ministry sent them invitations. The United States will be represented by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Seven of Bolsonaro's 22 Cabinet ministers are former military personnel, more than in any administration during Brazil's 1964-1985 dictatorship. That has sparked fears among his adversaries of a return to autocratic rule, but Bolsonaro insists he will respect the country's constitution. Bolsonaro's vice president is a retired general, Hamilton Mourao. Bolsonaro's Liberal and Social Party will have 52 seats in Brazil's 513-member lower house, the second largest bloc behind the Workers' Party. Michael Shifter, president of the think tank Inter-American Dialogue, believes the president will have trouble achieving major changes. "The obstacles are formidable, including in the business community. In some cases, necessary reform will clash with the business interests and incomes of large numbers of lawmakers," Shifter said. Associated Press writer Stan Lehman and video journalist Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report. A 23-year-old Lancaster woman was murdered in the Philippines allegedly by her boyfriend, a noted Bitcoin trader and his friend who were being held on a murder charge by police in the Philippines. The body of Tomi Michelle Masters was recovered from a Philippines river after being strangled and dumped naked, bound with duct tape and with a plastic bag over her head into the water allegedly by Bitcoin dealer 21-year-old Troy Woody Jr. and his friend 24-year-old Mir Islam, according to multiple media reports. According to news reports Woody and Islam admitted to police they disposed of Masters' body, but each is blaming each other for her death. Masters worked at a medical marijuana facility in California and her last reported address was 9020 West Avenue J in Lancaster, according to a search of public records. Masters' father, Shawn, told reporters that his daughter and Woody were scheduled to fly home on Dec. 17 but never made it. Six days later he was told his daughter was dead by a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Manila. What to Know Lawmakers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware enacted hundreds of new laws for 2019. Some of the best-known crack down on DUIs, gun possession by people convicted of domestic violence and beach smoking. But other laws will make it easier to catch speeders around school buses and for low-income people to pay for prescriptions. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware passed hundreds of new laws for 2019, affecting everything from the minimum wage in the First State to speeding around school buses in Pennsylvania. Here are some of the highlights. (Jump to: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware) Pennsylvania Repeat DUI charges: Legal consequences for repeatedly driving under the influence in Pennsylvania have become much more severe under a new law. Legislation passed in October by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf established the state's first felony for DUI. The new law went into effect Dec. 23. It applies when someone has been charged with a third offense in a decade with at least twice the legal limit for alcohol, or any fourth-time offender. Pennsylvania law sets the legal limit for driving at 0.08 percent. Previously, all DUI offenses in Pennsylvania had been treated as misdemeanors, which carry lighter penalties and fewer other consequences. "What we think will happen is that people are going to have another reason not to drive impaired against after the first time," Chris Demko of Pennsylvania Parents Against Impaired Driving told Pennlive.com. Demko's 18-year-old daughter was killed by a repeat DUI offender four years ago. The new law also mandates longer jail time for those who unintentionally cause someone's death because of a repeat DUI violation. Clean Slate law: Also in 2019, people in Pennsylvania who have misdemeanors on their records from long ago are getting a new opportunity to have those records sealed. That means potential employers, landlords and others wont be able to see the charges. Until June, people will have to file a petition to have their records cleared. But the hope is that the process would be automatic after that. Domestic anti-violence: People convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence or subject to protective orders are now required to give up their guns within 24 hours of the conviction. And the guns cant go to a friend they must go to police, a gun dealer or lawyer. Anti-hazing law: Following the death of Timothy Piazza in a Penn State fraternity house in February 2017, lawmakers increased criminal penalties for hazing. Courts can even to confiscate fraternity houses where hazing has occurred, The Morning Call reported. Hazing incidents that result in severe injury or death are now classified as felonies. Speeding around school buses: Another new law in Pennsylvania would help schools fund cameras on the outside of school buses, so they can catch anyone speeding by a stopped bus. New Jersey No more smoking on beaches: Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill banning smoking at the state's public beaches and parks in July, though local communities can opt out and designate small smoking sections. The law takes effect Jan. 16. The law doesn't specify who will be responsible for enforcing it. Murphy said it shouldn't be lifeguards, but he left it up to towns to decide. Senate President Steve Sweeney, who sponsored the bill, said lifeguards or local police could be called on to enforce the ban. The ban also bars vaping but allows towns to set up smoking areas on 15 percent of any given beach or park. Smokers will also be allowed to light up in parking lots. Health insurance mandate: Murphy and the Democrat-led Legislature enacted a state law requiring health care coverage. The legislation was in response to a 2017 federal tax overhaul that wiped out the Affordable Care Act's mandate to carry insurance. The New Jersey law takes effect New Year's Day. The law's sponsors said the requirement will keep health insurance markets afloat. Residents face a penalty of 2.5 percent of income or $695 per taxpayer, whichever is greater. A family's maximum penalty is $2,085. Roughly 800,000 have insurance through the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid. Transgender birth certificates: Under a new law that takes effect Feb. 1, it will now be easier for New Jersey transgender residents to change their genders on their birth certificates. Murphy signed the bill in July. Previous law allowed birth certificate changes only if a doctor certified that a person's sex was surgically changed. The new law allows the registrar to amend certificates based on how people identify themselves, as male, female or undesignated. Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie had twice vetoed the legislation, saying he wanted tighter safeguards for birth certificate alterations. Delaware Higher minimum wage: Delaware's minimum wage is increasing again, going from $8.25 to $8.75. A training minimum wage and a youth wage that is not more than 50 cents less than the minimum wage rate will also take effect. Sexual harassment training: A new law requires the Delaware Department of Labor to create an information sheet pertaining to sexual harassment that employers must distribute to employees. Employers having 50 or more employees also will be required to provide sexual harassment training to all employees and supervisory employees every two years. Training for new employees must be held within one year of hiring, and every two years afterward. Training for existing employees must be held within one year of the new law taking effect, and every two years afterward. Carbon monoxide detectors: A law requires lodging establishments with appliances that emit carbon monoxide or which have an attached garage to have working carbon monoxide detection devices in each dwelling or sleeping unit. Prescription drug assistance: A law restores the Delaware Prescription Drug Payment Assistance Program, which had been eliminated in the fiscal 2018 budget. Participants must be 65 or older or otherwise eligible for Social Security benefits, be ineligible for Medicaid prescription benefits, and have income below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, or prescription drug expenses exceeding 40 percent of annual income. Payment assistance may not exceed $3,000 in any benefit year. The flag was discovered in 2015 by a maintenance worker in a basement of a building that was about to be demolished as part of an overhaul of the schools Winnetka campus, along with a frayed newspaper clipping that displayed a photo of four soldiers. Twenty-two-year-old Alexandra Black, a college intern who had been employed at a North Carolina zoo for approximately two weeks, was killed Sunday after a lion escaped a locked space. The Conservators Center in Burlington between Greensboro and Durham announced that the intern was killed during a routine cleaning of an animal enclosure at about 11:30 a.m. ET. "While a husbandry team led by a professionally trained animal keeper was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning, one of the lions somehow left a locked space and entered the space the humans were in and quickly killed one person," the zoo said in a statement. Police are working to piece together what happened to a woman who was apparently stabbed to death in an Upper Manhattan apartment and a man who was found dead nearby. The discoveries were made around 8 a.m. Tuesday. Police were called about a man in his 40s lying atop a second-floor landing by a building on Wadsworth Avenue, in the Washington Heights neighborhood. Officers soon noticed what seemed to be blood on a sixth-floor railing. They found the roughly 50-year-old woman in a bedroom in a nearby apartment. Police say she had what appeared to be stab wounds. Both people were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names haven't been released by police, but a friend of the woman identified her as Yuberkis Paulino. "She was my best friend in my work," said a tearful Joana Fernandez, who worked with Paulino at a day care in the same building. Paulino was a new grandmother who had just finished celebrating a festive holiday season, and her two adult daughters lived in the apartment building. The man found dead was her ex-boyfriend, Pablo Castro, according to family members. "He was very, very jealous, she told me. Very jealous," said Domingo De Los Santos, Paulino's former brother-in-law, adding that Castro had recently moved out of apartment. Police are exploring whether the deaths might have stemmed from domestic violence. What to Know Hospitals across the tri-state area welcomed the first babies of the year not long after the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve One baby was born a mere 7 seconds after midnight at Long Island Jewish Medical Center Another baby was born at Staten Island University Hospital just 30 seconds after midnight Hospitals across the tri-state area welcomed the first babies of the year not long after the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. One baby was born a mere 7 seconds after midnight at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, a spokesperson for the hospital said. The babys parents live in Queens. A baby boy named Dion Karpuzi, meanwhile, was born to mom Mia Balanca at Staten Island University Hospital just 30 seconds after midnight, a hospital spokesperson said. Fatima Kelley At Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, baby boy Kairo Lewis was born at 12:08 a.m. to Rochelle Monroe and Josean Lewis of Amityville, the center said. Kairo weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, according to the center. Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center At Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey, a baby girl named Lucia Santina Cardillo was born to parents Alex and Josephine Cardillo, of Paramus, at 12:32 a.m. Englewood Hospital and Medical Center At Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, a yet-to-be-named baby girl was born at 12:55 a.m., the hospital said. Jamaica Hospital A minute later, a baby girl named Genesis Elisa Noriega was born to Maria Contreras and Gabino Noriega, of Harlem, at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem in Manhattan, the hospital said. Genesis is the couples third child, according to the hospital. Another baby girl was born to Ketan and Hetal Patel, of Farmingville, at Stony Brook University Hospital at 1:26 a.m., the hospital said. Disneyland Resort The baby is the couple's first child, the hospital said. What to Know A law barring New York City food-service businesses and stores from using most Styrofoam products has gone into effect The styrofoam ban is among more than a dozen new laws that went into effect on New Years Day The ban includes some exceptions, but prohibits the use of single service Expanded Polystyrene foam food service articles A law barring New York City food-service businesses and stores from using most Styrofoam products has gone into effect. The Styrofoam ban is among more than a dozen new laws that went into effect on New Years Day. The prohibition includes food containers and loose packing fill made from what's known as expanded polystyrene. Exceptions include butcher-counter containers for raw meat. The 60 million pounds of styrofoam New Yorkers throw away each year clog our landfills and fuel the petroleum economy destroying our planet, de Blasio said in a statement. Were ending this dirty practice so we can ensure a cleaner, fairer future for our children, he added. City lawmakers approved the ban in 2013, but a lawsuit from the restaurant industry held it off for years. A judge ruled this past June that it could go forward. The city is giving businesses a six-month grace period to adjust to the ban before it starts imposing fines for violations. Small businesses that may be adversely affected by the ban can apply for "hardship exemptions" from the Department of Small Business Services, the mayor's office noted. Dozens of communities around the country have enacted some form of plastic foam ban in recent years. What to Know A pair of experienced fishermen were found dead in a Westchester reservoir less than a day after they went out on the water Another fisherman discovered their bodies and capsized boat in the water around 7 a.m. Tuesday State police said the men could have accidentally drowned or died of hypothermia A pair of experienced fishermen were found dead in a Westchester reservoir less than a day after they went out on the water in a rowboat, officials said. Ngan Kong, 48, of Brooklyn, and Ma Weitau, 47, of Staten Island, went out on the Muscoot Reservoir in Goldens Bridge in a rowboat Monday afternoon, Captain David Atkins of the New York State Police said. The two called family members around 5 p.m. to say they were planning to keep fishing, according to Atkins. That was the last time family members heard from the two men. Another fisherman discovered their bodies and capsized boat in the water around 7 a.m. Tuesday, Atkins said. The two men were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Atkins said the two men had permits to fish on the reservoir and were both wearing life jackets when they were found. They may have accidentally drowned, or died of hypothermia, as the water was around 38 degrees, he said. It wasn't immediately clear why their boat capsized, but rain and wind could have been factors, according to Atkins. What to Know The first recorded birth in Miami-Dade took place at Jackson Memorial Hospital just five minutes into the year. Not long after the clock struck midnight and 2019 had arrived, hospitals in Miami-Dade and Broward greeted some of the newest residents in the area with the arrival of several New Years babies. The first recorded birth in Miami-Dade took place at Jackson Memorial Hospital just five minutes into the year, though officials have not released information, including the babys gender. Mount Sinai Medical Center welcomed the first 2019 baby to Miami Beach when Luna was born at 1:36 a.m. Tuesday, weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. while Hialeah Hospital greeted a baby girl named Nathaly at 9:15 a.m., as the daughter of Javier Gonzalez and Enelida Vargas weighed in at five pounds. In Broward, baby boy Matthew was born just before 2 a.m. at the childrens hospital at Broward Health Medical Center. The son of Jennifer Zuluaga weighed in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. With the New Year came a new law Tuesday that would set increases to the California minimum wage. Senate Bill No. 3 grants salary workers in companies with 25 or fewer employees an increase of $10.50 to $11. The increase goes from $11 to $12 for companies with more than 25 employees. The controversial law was originally approved in 2016 and will continue until the minimum wage reaches $15 in the state. "This is an old idea," said Gov. Jerry Brown when he signed the bill into law in 2016. At the time, Tom Scott, executive director of the state branch of the National Federation of Independent Business, said in a statement that a $15 wage will have "devastating impacts on small businesses in California." Specifically in the city of Los Angeles, minimum wage moved up to $13.25 from $12 in July 2018 at businesses with more than 26 employees. For businesses with less than 26, wages were required to bump from $10.50 to $12. Mayor Eric Garcetti signed the measure in 2015, ensuring wages will increase to $15 by 2020. The statewide schedule is as follows: Jan. 1, 2019 Minimum Wage for Employers with 25 Employees or Less $11.00/hour Minimum Wage for Employers with 26 Employees or More $12.00/hour Jan. 1, 2020 Minimum Wage for Employers with 25 Employees or Less $12.00/hour Minimum Wage for Employers with 26 Employees or More $13.00/hour Jan. 1, 2021 Minimum Wage for Employers with 25 Employees or Less $13.00/hour Minimum Wage for Employers with 26 Employees or More $14.00/hour Jan. 1, 2022 Minimum Wage for Employers with 25 Employees or Less $14.00/hour Minimum Wage for Employers with 26 Employees or More $15.00/hour Jan. 1, 2023 Minimum Wage for Employers with 25 Employees or Less $15.00/hour See a list of all the new laws going into effect Tuesday here, and new DMV laws here. UPDATE: The man suspected of gunning down a Newman police officer during a traffic stop Wednesday has been taken into police custody, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said Friday. Click to see the story. Authorities are still searching for the man suspected of shooting and killing a Newman, California, police officer during a traffic stop early Wednesday, and they believe the suspect is still at large in Stanislaus County, according to sheriff's officials. Officer Ronil Singh, 33, made a traffic stop early Wednesday in Newman, a small town around 100 miles southeast of San Francisco, NBC affiliate KCRA first reported, and he was later heard calling out "shots fired" over the radio. Responding officers found Singh with a gunshot wound, and he later died at the hospital, according to police. Officials said the suspect, whose name was not released during a Thursday afternoon press briefing, is considered to be armed and dangerous. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said the suspect is an undocumented immigrant. The Stanislaus Sheriff late Thursday afternoon conducted a search warrant in connection to the suspect at a property in El Nido in Merced County. The suspect was not located at the property, sheriff's officials said. On Thursday evening, officials released new photos of the suspect in hopes of confirming his name and his whereabouts. In surveillance photos released by the sheriff's office, the heavyset suspect with short dark hair is wearing jeans, a navy blue hoodie and a navy T-shirt with a thick chain necklace. The suspect's vehicle, a silver Dodge Ram 1500 with Dealer Plates AR Auto, was located Wednesday afternoon. Officer Singh was a native of Fiji and had been employed by Newman Police Department since July 2011, the department said. "Our Newman Police family is devastated by the loss of Ronil, Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said in a statement. During a news conference Thursday, Richardson choked up as he spoke about his colleague. "This is the man that I relieved on Christmas Day so he could spend time with his family and his newborn child," Richardson said with tears rolling down his face. "What needs to be known is that he was truly just a human being and an American patriot. Ron was not born in America. He was born in Fiji. He came to this country with just one purpose, and that was to serve this country." On his Facebook page, Singh had 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. [[503509861, C]] Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and a 5-month-old son, authorities said. Stanislaus County Sworn Deputies Association has set up a memorial fund for Singh and his family. Those who want to help can donate online or checks can be made payable to "Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Fund" at Stanislaus Sworn Deputies Association PO Box 2314 Ceres, CA 95307. 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. In a tweet late Thursday President Donald Trump said the suspect's alleged undocumented status shows the need for a border crackdown. Trump said 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!" Trump's tweet comes during a partial government shutdown over an impasse on funding his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials have set up a tip line at 209-525-7202. 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 went 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. 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. 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." With the fresh snow in San Diego's mountains, the California Highway Patrol is reminding drivers and residents of its potential dangers. Before you pack up your family to go and see the snow, you may want to keep this advice in mind. CHP said there are limited public locations for San Diegans to enjoy the snowfall. The agency reminded residents that trespassing onto private property is not allowed and could lead to a citation or arrest. The cold weather can create hazardous driving conditions, CHP said. Please use caution when driving on slippery or icy roadways. The agency also said to park only in legal spaces. Blocking roadway access for emergency vehicles could cause problems in these conditions. Plan ahead because there are no restroom facilities where there is snow and locals ask that you remove any trash you bring into the area. Be a kind neighbor and don't leave any trash behind. Although she is now its director, Fink still has childrens cases close to her heart. On the day I visited her office, she returned from a visit to a Gary school to check on a young boy whos in the states foster care system. At the schools playground, she overheard another young child say, My mom and dad are fighting, and my mom has scratches on her face. It seems a little unfair to mommy to stop the New Year's Eve party, but these Southern California babies just couldn't wait to be born. Northridge Hospital Medical Center welcomed its first baby boy of the year just a mere 40 minutes past midnight on New Year's. Grayson Ahmadpour was born weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 20 inches to proud mom and pop. They dressed him up in Patriots gear for the first family photo of 2019. Meanwhile over in the Inland Empire, the baby boom continued with the birth of little Nicole Ma. She beat Grayson by 31 minutes, gracing the world with her presence at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital at 12:09 a.m. "She wanted to be a 2019 baby," her mother Claudine said. This is the couple's second child. At first, things weren't so quickly progressing. "I wasn't that ready yet, so they made me walk around," she said. It was down to the wire, but Nicole made it official 9 minutes after midnight. And going forward, New Year's Eve will never be the same for the family. "All her birthdays, everyone will be celebrating with her. Holiday baby," Claudine said. "We were just ready. Just to be the first baby, that made it extra special." At Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Baby Beau beat Nicole by two minutes, joining the world at 12:07 a.m. to parents Colleen and Dave Trejo. "It's always special welcoming the first baby of the year and being the delivering nurse really is something I have always cherished in my 20 years working here in labor and delivery at Torrance Memorial," said Amalia Gonzalez, resident nurse at Labor and Delivery at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. A local man began a cross-country bike trip to honor his friend and colleague, Cory Iverson, a Cal Fire firefighter who died battling the Thomas Fire in 2017. Thomas Pitman will bike from the Imperial Beach Pier to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, covering nearly 2,500 miles and raising money for his friend along the way. Iverson, an Escondido resident, died in Ventura County, fighting the blaze that spread to more than 242,500 acres. He had worked with Cal Fire since 2009. Pitman hopes to raise money to benefit a foundation created in Iversons name. Im doing this to raise funds for his wifes foundation that she pretty much set up in his memory and honor, Pitman said. The Iverson Foundation for Active Awareness (IFAA) aims to provide programs to help reduce the rates of suicide, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other stressors in the lives of first responders. The job impacts them whether you want to admit it or think it or not, Iversons wife, Ashley, told NBC 7. What they see and do on a daily basis is something that the human brain can only compartmentalize for so long." A fallen firefighter's wife is leading the charge to help first responders battling mental health issues. Pitmans goal is $2,426, one dollar for every mile ridden, according to IFAAs website. When Pitman began the trek, he had already raised $760. The money raised will set up some peer support groups and some programs to get them to be proactive rather than reactive in [first responders] dealings with their mental health issues, he said. When asked about what will be going through his mind during his trip, Pitman joked, How cold its going to be. Pitman went on to say the people in his life motivated him to take on this journey, including friends, family, and his fellow colleagues suffering from PTSD. Im aiming to suffer with them on a daily basis, put myself through the hardships, metaphorically speaking, Pitman said. As to what Pitman will take with him on the trip, he said hes bringing a tent, a sleeping bag, extra clothing, food, and a lot of water. The trip is a self-supported tour, Pitman said. This means there wont be additional crews helping him along the way or designated resupply points for the bicyclist. "I'm just so proud," Ashley said. "There's so many things to honor my sweet husband but this may top them." Pitmans final stop is outside Surfer the Bar, a restaurant just off the states coast. He is expected to complete the journey on Jan. 31. Donations are accepted on IFAAs website. The latest plunge in oil prices has dealt a heavy blow to Iraq's stagnating economy, threatening the new government's ability to rebuild after the war with the Islamic State group and provide basic services to areas roiled by recent protests. Brent crude oil, used to price international purchases, briefly rose above $85 a barrel in October but has since plummeted to less than $55 a nightmare for a country like Iraq that derives 95 percent of its revenue from oil exports. A $111.9 billion draft budget sent to parliament in October projects crude exports of 3.8 million barrels per day to be sold at $56 per barrel. The bill, which includes a 23 percent increase in spending, would leave a deficit of $22.8 billion. But that won't even begin to address the colossal challenge of reconstruction after years of war. Some 1.8 million people have yet to return to their homes, according to the United Nations. Mosul, the country's second largest city, lies partly in ruins, as do many other cities, towns and villages once held by IS militants. Iraq's Planning Ministry estimates the country needs approximately $88 billion for reconstruction. In February, donors at a Kuwait summit pledged $30 billion in loans and investments to finance a portion of the bill, but little progress has been made to fulfill the pledges. In Iraq's oil-rich south, meanwhile, which was spared from the war's devastation, protests have erupted in recent months over unemployment and poor public services. Rolling power outages have been a nationwide problem going back to the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, and in the south the tap water is undrinkable. "We were surprised by the plunging oil prices and we have fallen into a big problem," said lawmaker Haneen al-Qado, who chairs parliament's Economy Committee. "The government is not in an enviable position." Iraqis elected a new government earlier in 2018, but it is dominated by the same bickering political factions that have governed the country for the last 15 years. Lawmakers have rejected the draft budget, calling for a new one that would estimate an even lower oil price and allocate even more funds for public investments. Qado says they may not be able to approve a budget until sometime in the first quarter of next year. Until then, the government can only spend one-twelfth of the previous year's allocation each month. While international attention has been focused on the devastation in northern and western Iraq, and the protests in the south, the budget crisis has also taken a heavy toll on Iraqis living in more stable areas. Construction projects across Baghdad have been stalled for years, with half-finished buildings turned into neighborhood garbage dumps. Kadhim Nima Khudair's construction company signed contracts in 2014 to build four schools at a cost of $5 million. By the following year, three of them were 80 percent complete, but then public funds dried up as the government launched the costly war against IS. When oil prices started to recover in 2017, the government began paying installments again, but only for the projects that were mostly completed. Now the payments have stopped again pending the budget negotiations. None of the schools have been completed, and Khudair has fallen deeply into debt, forcing him to lay off some 500 workers and sell family homes and cars. "I don't want any profit now, I only want my capital back," Khudair said. "We have been struggling all these years. People are still knocking on my door, asking for their money." Sami al-Araji, the head of the National Investment Commission, told an economic conference in December that hundreds of projects worth an estimated $54 billion are delayed. He called for a major overhaul of the economy that would promote investment and lessen the country's reliance on oil. "We have to think of all alternatives," he said. "The country has promising opportunities." That's easier said than done. Efforts to diversify the economy have been stymied by political infighting and corruption going all the way back to 2003, fueling cycles of war and instability. "Our fate is attached to oil," Khudair said. "When it's down, our blood pressure rises." The body of a 7-year-old girl who died while in custody of the U.S. Border Patrol arrived in her native Guatemala on Sunday and was being driven hours into the countryside to be handed over to family members for a last goodbye. A white coffin containing Jakelin Caal was received in the afternoon at Guatemala City's international airport by representatives of the country's Foreign Ministry and then loaded into the back of a black hearse by workers in orange vests. No family members were on hand. Domingo Caal, the girl's grandfather, told The Associated Press that the family didn't have money to travel from their poor hamlet to Guatemala's capital. At Domingo Caal's home in the village of San Antonio Secortez, in the department of Alta Verapaz, relatives set up a small wooden altar flanked by vases overflowing with flowers, with photographs of Jakelin and the hand-lettered message, "We miss you." Behind the house, dozens of women prepared tamales and beans to feed mourners. Relatives expected the body to arrive in the pre-dawn hours Monday in the hamlet of about 420 people who mostly live off growing of corn and beans. The village has no paved streets, running water or electricity, and residents say declining crop yields and a lack of work have pushed many in the community to emigrate in recent years. Caal and her father, Nery Caal, were traveling with a group of 163 migrants who arrived at the New Mexico border earlier this month. After they were taken into custody Dec. 6, the father told a U.S. agent that the girl was sick and vomiting. The father signed a paper stating that Jakelin was in good health, but it is not clear how much he understood what it said. The form was in English, and agents read it to him in Spanish. A bus carrying the two left the Antelope Wells port of entry for the Lordsburg station, roughly 90 minutes away. By then, according to a Customs and Border Protection statement, Jakelin's temperature had reached 105.7 degrees Fahrenheit (40.9 degrees Celsius). Emergency medical technicians had to revive her. She was then flown to a hospital in El Paso, Texas, where she died the next day. Guatemalan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marta Larra said the ministry had sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. State Department asking for it to monitor the case and determine the cause of death. Domingo Caal said his son has a Jan. 3 court date in the United States to determine his migratory status. Associated Press writer Sonia Perez D. contributed to this report. Child's death highlights communication barriers on border By JULIE WATSON, Associated Press Shortly before a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died in U.S. custody, her father signed a form stating that his daughter was in good health. But it's unclear how much the man understood on the form, which was written in English and read to him in Spanish by Border Patrol agents. The death of Jakelin Caal highlights the communication challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border as agents come in contact with an increasing number of migrants who speak neither English nor Spanish. Her father's native language is the Mayan tongue known as Q'eqchi'. His second language is Spanish. It's unclear whether something was lost in translation or whether it would have made a difference in saving Jakelin after the two were detained and underwent a health screening along a remote stretch of U.S.-Mexico border. But the case raises questions about the Border Patrol's use of English-only forms. All agents are required to speak Spanish, and they receive formal Spanish training. Reading forms in Spanish is often enough to pose basic questions. But some other Spanish-speaking migrants reported signing paperwork that they later said they did not understand. Scores of immigrant parents who were separated from their children after crossing the border in the spring said they signed forms agreeing to be deported with the understanding that their kids would be returning with them, only to find themselves deported without them. Many had to wait months before being reunited with them in their homelands. Jakelin and her father, Nery Gilberto Caal Cuz, were part of a group of 163 migrants arrested Dec. 6 near a border crossing in New Mexico. Hours later, they were placed on a bus to the nearest Border Patrol station, but Jakelin began vomiting and eventually stopped breathing. She later died at a Texas hospital. Border Patrol officials on Friday said agents did everything they could to save the girl but that she had not had food or water for days. An initial screening showed no evidence of health problems, they said, and her father spoke to them in Spanish and signed a form indicating she was in good health. Attorneys in Texas representing Caal criticized U.S. officials for asking him to sign Form I-779, which asks a series of questions with check boxes of "yes" or "no." In the additional comments section on the form was written "claims good health." "It is unacceptable for any government agency to have persons in custody sign documents in a language that they clearly do not understand," the attorneys said in a statement. The family also disputed the accounts offered by U.S. officials that the girl walked for days in the desert without food or water before crossing. The father's lawyers said Caal took care of his daughter, giving her sufficient water and food, and she appeared to be in good health. Jakelin's family is asking for an "objective and thorough" investigation to determine whether officials met standards for taking children into custody. Border Patrol officials did not immediately respond to the family lawyers' statement. The father, who is staying at a shelter in El Paso, Texas, has asked for privacy. Authorities are conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Results are expected in about a week, said Tekandi Paniagua, the Guatemalan consul in Del Rio, Texas. Paniagua, who spoke with Jakelin's father, said the two had walked with the other migrants for about 90 minutes before crossing and Caal told him he had no complaints about how agents treated him and his daughter. Caal speaks broken Spanish. In his impoverished village in Guatemala, Spanish is needed only occasionally, such as when the community deals with schools and health care or for work, Paniagua said. More than two dozen languages are spoken in Guatemala, and the consulate tries to send interpreters as soon as possible to help detained migrants, Paniagua said. But sometimes by the time they get there, the migrants have already signed forms. "We'll ask, 'Do you speak Spanish?' And they'll say yes," he said. "Then we'll ask, 'But do you understand Spanish?' And often they'll say, 'No, I need an interpreter.'" Caal asked the Guatemalan consulate in Texas, which had reached out to him, if he could see his daughter one last time before her body was sent back to her homeland. That request prompted special arrangements at a private funeral home on Friday, when he said goodbye to Jakelin. The consulate asked him if he wanted an interpreter who could explain everything, including the repatriation of her body, in Q'eqchi.' He said he did. After listening to the interpreter, Paniagua said, Caal thanked the consulate and said "he felt more comfortable in his own language. Marian Brown, who had been serving as interim Dallas County Sheriff since Jan. 1, 2018, was sworn-in for her first full term Tuesday. Brown, who was elected to the position in November and is the county's first black sheriff, had been filling-in for former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez who resigned last year and mounted an unsuccessful bid to unseat Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Brown was sworn-in Tuesday by longtime Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price who talked about the struggles and transitions facing the department as well as the challenge the county sheriff faces of managing not only the 2,100 employees in the department but the state's second largest jail as well. "She's the right person at the right time. I'm extremely impressed with her. I knew her when she was in Duncanville. Like I said, at the right time, for a time such as this, boy I'm glad she's here," Price said. During her campaign, Brown said community engagement was a top priority and reiterated that message Tuesday morning. "I think that what we're going to do is just make sure that we let the community know that we are here for them. That this is not just somthing that is here and it's separate and apart from the community, it's indeed a part of the community and we want to make sure that they know that." In the year she served as interim sheriff, Brown implemented what she calls the department's core values, defined as integrity, professionalism and accountability, and said the expectations of adhering to those values have trickled down to all staff. "We said the values were not just things that we put on the wall or a cliched phrase that we use from day-to-day, but we wanted it to be something that we lived, something that we believed and something that we implemented and participated in every day," Brown said. "That is one of the main things I'm excited about because that philosophy has trickled down to our people and they know now that this is what the expectation is and they enjoy making sure taht the community as a whole sees those characteristics in their every day work." In her role as sheriff, Brown, who grew up in Dallas County and attended Dallas public schools, brings with her over 30 years of law enforcement knowledge and experience "I have a personal interest in Dallas County and the things that affect our community. I am grateful to have the chance to serve in a leadership role in the place where I grew up and I am excited as we move the Sheriff's Department forward to hail the values that we have charged ourselves with," Brown said in a prepared statement Tuesday. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department is responsible for all law enforcement activity in the unincorporated area of Dallas County, as well as the Town of Sunnyvale. The sheriff supervises about 2,100 employees and 5,000 inmates at the Dallas County Jail, the second largest jail in the state and ninth largest in the country. A Canadian court granted bail Tuesday to a top Chinese executive arrested at the United States' request in a case that has set off a diplomatic furor among the three countries and complicated high-stakes U.S.-China trade talks. Hours before the bail hearing in Vancouver, China detained a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing in apparent retaliation for the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and daughter of the company's founder. After three days of hearings, a British Columbia justice granted bail of $10 million Canadian (US$7.5 million) to Meng, but required her to wear an ankle bracelet, surrender her passports, stay in Vancouver and its suburbs and confine herself to one of her two Vancouver homes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The decision was met with applause in the packed courtroom, where members of Vancouver's Chinese community had turned out to show support for Meng. She left the courthouse late Tuesday surrounded by a security detail and was driven away in a black SUV without responding to questions from reporters. Amid rising tension between China and Canada, Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed earlier that a former Canadian diplomat had been detained in Beijing. The detention came after China warned Canada of consequences for Meng's arrest. "We're deeply concerned," Goodale said. "A Canadian is obviously in difficulty in China. ... We are sparing no effort to do everything we possibly can to look after his safety." Michael Kovrig, who previously worked as a diplomat in China and elsewhere, was taken into custody by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security on Monday night during one of his regular visits to Beijing, said the International Crisis Group, for which Kovrig works as North East Asia adviser. Rob Malley, head of the Brussels-based non-governmental group, said Canadian consular officers had not been given access to Kovrig. He thinks Kovrig was in Beijing on personal matters and was definitely not there for any reason that would undermine Chinese national security. Canada had been bracing for retaliation for Meng' arrest. The Canadian province of British Columbia canceled a trade mission to China amid fears China could detain Canadians to put pressure on Ottawa over Meng's detention. "In China there is no coincidence," Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said of Kovrig's detention. "Unfortunately Canada is caught in the middle of this dispute between the U.S and China. Because China cannot kick the U.S. they turn to the next target." Earlier in the day, China vowed to "spare no effort" to protect against "any bullying that infringes the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi didn't mention Meng by name. But ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wang was referring to cases of all Chinese abroad, including Meng's. Washington accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It says Meng and Huawei misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran. On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters in Washington "the charges against Meng pertain to alleged lies to United States financial institutions" about Huawei's business dealings in Iran. "It is clear from the filings that were unsealed in Canada, Meng and others are alleged to have put financial institutions at risk of criminal and civil liability in the United States by deceiving those institutions as to the nature and extent of Huawei's business in Iran," Palladino said. Meng has denied the U.S. allegations through her lawyer in court, promising to fight them if she is extradited to face charges in the United States. "We have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach a just conclusion in the following proceedings," Huawei said in a statement. "As we have stressed all along, Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we operate, including export control and sanction laws of the UN, US, and EU. We look forward to a timely resolution to this matter." Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies, is the target of U.S. security concerns. Washington has pressured other countries to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. The U.S. and China have tried to keep Meng's case separate from their wider trade dispute and suggested Tuesday that talks to resolve their differences may resume. But President Donald Trump undercut efforts to distinguish between trade talks and the Huawei case. In an interview with Reuters, he said Tuesday that he would consider intervening in the Justice Department's case against Meng if it would be in the interest of U.S. national security or help forge a trade deal with Beijing. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, called Trump's comments troubling. "Canada is acting in good faith, according to the law, in response to a U.S. extradition request," Paris tweeted. The Chinese government said its economy czar had discussed plans with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer for talks aimed at settling the two countries' differences. Lighthizer's office confirmed he had spoken by phone with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. The news that trade negotiations may resume lifted stock markets around the world. The United States has slapped tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports in response to complaints Beijing steals American technology and forces U.S. companies to turn over trade secrets. Tariffs on $200 billion of those imports were scheduled to rise from 10 percent to 25 percent on Jan. 1. But Trump agreed to postpone those by 90 days while the two sides negotiate. AP writers Matthew Lee and Joe McDonald contributed to this report. The man who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend at least 30 times in Hartford and kidnapping her 6-year-old son on New Years Day has been arrested in New York. Police said they obtained a warrant for the arrest of 23-year-old Edgar Manuel Maldonado and he was arrested at 5:30 a.m. by the members of the New York Police Department, 18th district. Police said they obtained information this morning about his whereabouts in New York and police found Maldonado at a McDonald's in midtown Manhattan. Maldonado is accused of stabbing his 43-year-old girlfriend in a vehicle early on New Year's Day before driving off with her 6-year-old son. The boy was found safe in Worcester, Massachusetts several hours later. Police said Maldonado has previously been arrested for domestic violence allegations over several years and his relationship with the victim was recent. Hartford police dispatchers received a 911 call at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday about a woman who was covered in blood, banging on doors on Natick Street and screaming for help, according to police. "Someone rang my doorbell around 1:30, quarter to 2, this morning, frantic ringing my doorbell," Kathy Cooper told NBC Connecticut. Cooper called the police for help. "I hope that she survives. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help her out, but it's really sad to start 2019 off, you know, begging for your life," Cooper said. Patrol officers, as well as Hartford firefighters and EMS responded, began treating the woman and learned that the victim and her 6-year-old son were in a vehicle with Maldonado and the woman was stabbed several times. The victim was able to get out of the car and Maldonado fled, taking the victims son from a prior relationship with him, according to police. The woman had been stabbed more than 30 times and was transported to Hartford Hospital, where she went through emergency surgery, police said. "When I finally turned on the light in my living room, there was blood inside my screen door and on my front door, right outside my door there was blood and on the there was a pool of blood on my porch so my house was part of a crime scene for two hours this morning," Cooper said Tuesday. Police said a nationwide alert was placed on the vehicle registration, surrounding towns were briefed about the incident and the boy was entered into a nationwide database as missing-endangered. Around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, police in Worcester, Massachusetts contacted Hartford police and said they found the boy and the car after receiving a call about a child wandering on Providence Street, according to Hartford police. Police said they had been in the process of entering an Amber Alert for the missing child Tuesday when he was located. The little boy did not appear to be harmed but he was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families took temporary custody of the child and have been working with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the childs family. The mother is listed in critical, but stable condition, police said. Maldonado's last known address is on Nilan Street in Hartford. Police said a cooperating witness who knows Maldonado contacted police about his whereabouts and New York police contacted Hartford police around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday after Maldonado was located the New York McDonalds. Maldonado will be held as a fugitive until proceedings are held, then he will be turned over to members of the Hartford Police Department. A judge of the Superior Court granted a warrant for Maldonado for the charges of attempted murder, assault, kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor, according to police. Two men were shot in the parking lot of the Residence Inn on Main Street in Hartford this New Years Eve. Police said the hotel threw a rowdy group out, and a short time later gunfire broke out in the parking lot on Market Street. Two victims were found on Columbus Boulevard with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. They were both taken to Hartford Hospital for treatment. This had nothing to do with First Night. This looks like a targeted attack on the other side of downtown. So this had nothing to do with festivities downtown with First Night in Bushnell Park," said Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert. Boisvert said hotel staff and some witnesses are cooperating with the investigation. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. A driver is dead after a serious crash on Daly Road in Coventry, according to police. Police said officers responded to the single-car accident on Daly Road near Bellevue Drive around 6 p.m. The male driver, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead on scene. The road is closed while the METRO Traffic Accident Reconstruction team investigates. Police said the road will likely be open by midnight. No other details were immediately available. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact the Coventry Police Department at 860-742-7331. President Donald Trump insisted Monday that parts of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would be all concrete, seeming to contradict his outgoing chief of staff who was quoted as saying the president had abandoned that kind of barrier. "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media," Trump tweeted. "Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through. (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published Sunday, White House chief of staff John Kelly said that Trump had given up the notion of "a solid concrete wall early on in the administration." The president still says wall oftentimes frankly hell say barrier or fencing, now hes tended toward steel slats, Kelly said. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it. "To be honest, it's not a wall," Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and "steel slat" barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Other of Trumps confidants also indicated that the president's signature campaign pledge to build a border wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. Trump sparked fervent chants of "Build that wall!" at rallies before and after his election and more recently cited a lack of funding for a border wall as the reason for partially shutting down the government. At times the president has also waved off the idea that the wall could be any kind of barrier. In a second tweet Monday morning, Trump added, "I campaigned on Border Security, which you cannot have without a strong and powerful Wall. Our Southern Border has long been an Open Wound, where drugs, criminals (including human traffickers) and illegals would pour into our Country. Dems should get back here an fix now!" White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called discussion of the apparent contradiction "a silly semantic argument." "There may be a wall in some places, there may be steel slats, there may be technological enhancements," Conway told "Fox News Sunday." ''But only saying 'wall or no wall' is being very disingenuous and turning a complete blind eye to what is a crisis at the border." Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who is close to the president, emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that "the wall has become a metaphor for border security" and referred to "a physical barrier along the border." Graham said Trump was "open-minded" about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of "Dreamers" young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham said he hoped to end the shutdown by offering Democrats incentives to get them to vote for wall funding and told CNN before his lunch with Trump that "there will never be a deal without wall funding." Graham proposed to help two groups of immigrants get approval to continue living in the U.S: about 700,000 young "Dreamers" brought into the U.S. illegally as children and about 400,000 people receiving temporary protected status because they are from countries struggling with natural disasters or armed conflicts. He also said the compromise should include changes in federal law to discourage people from trying to enter the U.S. illegally. "Democrats have a chance here to work with me and others, including the president, to bring legal status to people who have very uncertain lives," Graham said. The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking the president's priority, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. In August 2015 during his presidential campaign, Trump made his expectations for the border explicitly clear, as he parried criticism from rival Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor. "Jeb Bush just talked about my border proposal to build a 'fence,'" he tweeted. "It's not a fence, Jeb, it's a WALL, and there's a BIG difference!" Trump suggested as much again in a tweet on Sunday: "President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version!" Aside from what constitutes a wall, neither side appeared ready to budge off its negotiating position. The two sides have had little direct contact during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington until Thursday, to keep Congress in session. 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. 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. Conway claimed Sunday that "the president has already compromised" by dropping his request for the wall from $25 billion, and she called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table. "It is with them," she said, explaining why Trump was not reaching out to Democrats. Democrats maintain that they have already presented the White House with three options to end the shutdown, none of which fund the wall, and insist that it's Trump's move. "At this point, it's clear the White House doesn't know what they want when it comes to border security," said Justin Goodman, Schumer's spokesman. "While one White House official says they're willing to compromise, another says the president is holding firm at no less than $5 billion for the wall. Meanwhile, the president tweets blaming everyone but himself for a shutdown he called for more than 25 times." After canceling a vacation to his private Florida club, Trump spent the weekend at the White House. He has remained out of the public eye since returning early Thursday from a 29-hour trip to visit 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." Democrats have 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. The shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. There are many people who try to do good deeds, and we are seeing this today, said visitor Mary Tucker of Gary, as she prepared to make the rounds of the displays. We want to recognize this and show our appreciation. As 2018 comes to an end, we take a look at the Top 5 most-viewed stories of the year: Former Stanford Swimmer Brock Turner Loses Appeal of Sexual Assault Conviction An appeals court in August rejected a former Stanford University swimmer's bid for a new trial and upheld his sexual assault and attempted rape convictions. The three-judge panel of the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose ruled that there was "substantial evidence" that Brock Turner received a fair trial. In 2016, a jury convicted Turner of sexually assaulting an intoxicated and unconscious woman outside an on-campus fraternity party. The case got national attention after the victim's powerful statement, which she read in court before Turner was sentenced, was shared widely online. Northern California Air Quality Currently the Worst in the World Smoke from the Camp Fire continued to smother the Bay Area in November and dropped the air quality in Northern California to the worst in the world for a bit, according to PurpleAir, an air quality monitoring app. Photos of Raw Meat in Shopping Carts at San Jose's 99 Ranch Market Go Viral Local San Jose grocery store, 99 Ranch Market, came under investigation in January after a customer witnessed raw meat being transported in shopping carts. Survey of Downtown San Francisco Reveals Trash on Every Block, 303 Piles of Feces and 100 Drug Needles The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit surveyed 153 blocks of downtown San Francisco in search of trash, needles, and feces. The investigation revealed trash littered across every block. The survey also found 41 blocks dotted with needles and 96 blocks sullied with piles of feces. Suspect in YouTube Shooting Posted Rants About the Company Online The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit confirmed the identity of the shooter who opened fire on YouTubes campus in San Bruno in April. Nasim Aghdam, 38, lived in Southern California and appears to have had a robust presence on YouTube. Roughly 150 migrants attempted to climb over or crawl under the U.S.-Mexico border fence into California in a clash with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents involving rocks and tear gas, the agency said. Agents first discovered a group of 45 migrants in San Diego Monday night due to CBPs increased presence at the border, following the ongoing migrant caravan. The few dozen migrants were then turned back toward Mexico, CBP said. Shortly after, migrants began throwing rocks over the fence at CBP agents and officers, said authorities. NBC 7's Bridget Naso reports from San Ysidro with the latest details. Agents said several teenagers were put over the fences barbed wire in heavy jackets and blankets. CBP said small children were also being put over the fence, but the migrants were having difficulty accomplishing the task in a safe manner. The agency said it couldnt assist the children attempting to cross the border because of the rocks being thrown at its officers. Agents deployed smoke, pepper spray, and tear gas to stop the rock throwers, according to CBP. These deployments were directed at the rock throwers and not at the migrants trying to cross the border in a separate area, the agency said. No agents witnessed any of the migrants at the fence line, including children, experiencing effects of the chemical agents, which were targeted at the rock throwers further away, CBP said. An Associated Press photographer witnessed at least three volleys of gas launched onto the Mexican side of the border near Tijuanas beach early Tuesday. It affected the migrants, including women and children, as well as members of the press, according to AP. The gases eventually stopped the people from throwing rocks, and they fled. CBP said most of the migrants attempting to enter the U.S. returned to Mexico. The agency apprehended 25 migrants, including two teenagers, CBP said. Under CBP use of force policy, the incident will be reviewed by its Office of Professional Responsibility. Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available. Its going to be a cold start to the new year for people sleeping on Bay Area streets, but one city in the East Bay is trying to be resourceful by turning its old city hall into an emergency shelter. As the region enters its coldest months of the year, the city of Berkeley is getting creative. Its old City Hall building sits vacant by day because the city hasnt been able to find tens of millions of dollars to retrofit and renovate it. On a rainy or cold night, the first floor becomes an emergency shelter for 29 people. There is one potential problem: If an earthquake hits, the 100-year-old building could come crashing down. City officials worry that the concrete roof will collapse. Homeless people, however, are more concerned about a warm place to sleep than seismic safety. "Ive been homeless for around two years," Liz Polanco said. Polanco said she has spent many a night under the stars, but last week, she suffered a stroke and spent Christmas in the hospital. At 68, she doesnt know if she can take another bone-chilling night on Berkeleys streets. "Theyre doing their best, theyre doing something, yes," Polanco said, referring to the city of Berkeley's effort. The old City Hall's accommodations are bare-bones; just a heated room and access to restrooms. If an earthquake does strike, there's only one plan, according to Bob Whalen, program manager for Dorothy Day House. "Its a pretty simple exit; right here through the front doors," he said. Polanco said: "As long as its safe and sound, thats all that matters to me." The emergency shelter will be open until Wednesday evening because of this weeks chilly temperatures, and there are plans to expand the shelter and add more beds to other parts of the building. (Natural News) Mainstream news is fake news, through and through. Nearly every story is twisted or straight up made up and fabricated out of thin air, all to support diabolical narratives that keep their clones highly emotional, frustrated, and distracted from anything and everything that really matters in this world. Even when the major networks, newspapers and websites get caught red-handed fabricating stories, embellishing, and horribly exaggerating, they never admit it, apologize, or outright walk-it-back. All they do is publish some tiny blurb in some obscure spot about a misprint, or they simply just claim their source may have misinterpreted something somehow somewhere (imagine that). The total tell-tale sign of fake news rears its ugly head anytime they claim that the source or sources are anonymous. Luckily, for us, the folks who seek the truth daily, know the truth, and live the truth, are watching the mass media collapse in an epic, avalanche-style fail, as the best propaganda they can purport falls apart at the seams, and the soothsayers of the biggest lies are getting drained from the swamp, one by one. MSM has become one huge conspiracy theory, and the fifty million voters who voted for more torture in 2016, but lost, are still doped up and dumbed down (like Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters) on GMOs, flu shots, prescription medications, tap water, and multi-vitamins they bought at Walmart. Without further adieu, heres the countdown, starting at #10, its the top 10 FAKE NEWS Left-wing media stories bungled in 2018: #10. Time Magazine cover shows illegally-cropped photo of Trump facing off with little seven-year-old migrant girl at the border Time Magazine, the vaccine-pushing, global-warming-loving propagandists, photo-shopped a picture of President Trump indifferently staring down at a seven-year-old Honduran migrant girl, who supposedly got separated from her parents due to Trumps border policy. Turns out the kid was NEVER separated from her parents, the family was NOT fleeing violence, and the mother was previously deported from the U.S. Plus, the moronic mother left her three other children in Honduras and, like an ever more complete idiot (if thats even possible), paid a coyote child smuggler to help her cross the U.S. border illegally. The father of the girl uncovered the big lie himself, but mainstream media (MSM) kept that part out of the news, as usual. Fifty million media-drunk Americans are still raging with anger over the fake news narrative. #9. MSM claims no illegal aliens are ever infected with diseases NBC, the fake news network, claimed illegal aliens are great for the health of all Americans. Yes, they did. The pro-vaccine cult of America has joined with mainstream media in their massive declaration that all illegal immigrants are 100 percent healthy at all times, completely immune to all diseases, and can never spread anything contagious to Americans once they flood into America to get their free health coverage. Meanwhile, these same mercury-drugged zombies swear that every disease outbreak in America is caused by unvaccinated American kids. Meanwhile, illegal immigrants are sure enough carrying deadly diseases with them, including strains of tuberculosis (strain XDR-TB that has no remedy), malaria, Hepatitis, pathogens, parasites, lice, HIV and AIDS. #8. National Geographic sounds the alarms that everywhere on Earth ice is melting and soon the oceans will swallow us all whole The ultimate Ponzi scheme is in full effect and getting shoved down our throats by MSM, National Geographic, and even NASA, with their fake charts, skewed statistics, and fabricated graphs. This year, the entire global warming hoax imploded and was revealed by independent media, including Natural News, so theyve had to change the theme to climate change, so now they can point to any and all extreme weather and say See! Told you so! #7. The fake news rag WaPo claims U.S. border patrol responsible for death of migrant boy Ooh, what a whopper for MSM. A little boy, who was vomiting relentlessly because he had influenza B (and likely other viruses), was taken from care near the U.S. border by his father who claimed he was fine and felt much better. Doctors had given the boy antibiotics and medications to reduce his fever, but mainstream fake news media blamed the President for killing the little Guatemalan boy, because any illegal alien that dies from diseases they brought with them from their third world country is always Trumps fault. Nice one. #6. Democrat Elizabeth Warren gets DNA test to prove shes an American Indian, only to find out shes lied for years and illegally defrauded institutions Turns out Senator Pocahontas is about as much a Cherokee as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. After challenging President Trump on the matter and taking a DNA test, turns out there is no such test to prove youre Native American, and the real Native Americans ousted Warrens decades-old lie and made her look like a complete idiot, not to mention a criminal who used the lie to acquire cushy jobs at Ivy League colleges. #5. CNN and MSNBC blame Republicans for the Steele Dossier that the Deep State illegally created and used to spy on Trump and propagate the entire Trump-Russia collusion hoax The worst liars will always accuse the innocent of that which they themselves are guilty. The Demoncrats are so dumb that they literally accused the Republicans of funding the fake news story that Trump urinated with prostitutes in Russia on a bed Obama once slept on. You cant make this stuff up, unless youre a bumbling idiot and a desperate Democrat. #4. NBCs Fake News Queen Andrea Mitchell claims disgraced Florida election official is a Republican For desperate Democrats and their journo-terrorist stooges, its a say anything world of fake news and false accusations all meant to cover up their own corruption and election fraud. After a Democratic election official and supervisor, Brenda Snipes of Broward County, (allegedly) illegally hid ballots and tried to sneak them back into her office later, fake news NBC lied and claimed on air that Snipes was a Republican. #3. MSM claims Trump called the FBI a cancer The treasonous FBI heads, who are now fired and disgraced, really were a cancer on our country, but Trump was only referring to Comey and his cronies, calling out those crooks and liars, not the FBI in general. Draining the swamp really is a huge chore, and the swamp creatures are scrambling and clawing themselves to pieces like crabs in a barrel. #2. CNN claims the real news media doctored then spread an edited version of the video of Jim Acosta accosting a female White House intern The most obnoxious reporter in the history of the world works for CNN, not surprisingly, and knocked down the arm of a White House intern who was trying to appropriately pass the microphone after Acosta wouldnt. Still, the ultimate Fake News Network had to twist the story to try to save face, but as usual, they got ousted. #1. CNN, New York Times, and WashPo relentlessly spread false accusations propaganda about Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh before his confirmation In a massive Deep State coup to keep a Liberal majority on the Supreme Court, operatives dug up old female acquaintances of Brett Kavanaugh to lie, under oath, and claim they were sexually assaulted and even gang raped by him and his buddies 30 years ago in college. All the fake news got deconstructed on live television, all the false accusers got exposed, and justice was served (pun intended). Watch CNNs fake, cheap, lazy, lying news in action right here: Be sure to tune into Natural News for more coverage of Obamas continued Deep State lying and Spygate treason. Also check out Trump.news for the best real news coverage of whats really happening in America, but only if you have a brain and respect the Constitution please. Sources for this article include: Townhall.com ZeroHedge.com DailyCaller.com Trump.news NaturalNews.com TheGuardian.com USAtoday.com NaturalNews.com NationalGeographic.com TheVerge.com (Natural News) The plummeting birth rate and aging workforce in Japan has forced its populace to resort to using robots for its increasing labor needs. An article on Geek.com reported that researchers have come up with a humanoid robot that will replace human workers in the construction industry. Created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the HRP-5P construction robot cuts a rather imposing figure. It is six feet tall and vaguely resembles one of those clunky monstrosities from old sci-fi movies, the ones that always rebel and try to murder their human masters. As the name implies, it is the fifth model of an increasingly long line of androids. The harbinger of the future robot economy of Japan was HRP-1, which first debuted in 1998. While HRP-5P is the latest and most advanced unit, the earlier incarnations are still being used. The older HRP-2 Reinforcement was upgraded before serving as the AIST representative at the 2015 DARPA Robotics challenge, an international competition where autonomous robots sought to accomplish various tasks such as driving cars. (Related: Tomorrows homes to be built by robots that will be maintained by human workers.) New Japanese robot gains the movement range of human construction workers AIST has spent the last 20 years working on giving their robots sufficient capabilities to accomplish all kinds of jobs with minimal human control. Some of the HRP series most significant achievements involve crossing rough terrain and turning valves with precision. However, while the humanoid robots could pull off delicate tasks with ease, they did not possess the physical capability of human workers when it came to heavy duty work. The earlier models were unable to replicate truly human movement in complex environments such as construction sites. In one particular example, the HRP unit was practically helpless when it came to building a wall out of gypsum board. AIST determined to remedy this by creating HRP-5P, a specialized construction robot that possessed sufficient physical capabilities to perform the same job as human construction workers. At first glance, the new robot does not seem that impressive. It moves and works quite slowly, especially when compared to a human. However, its artificial intelligence is analytical and rigorous. This electronic brain allows it to take full advantage of its extremely flexible joints, which can match or exceed the movement range of a human. It is also immune to the physical exhaustion and emotional problems that plague human workers. So it will be able to work all day and all night, long after the humans have headed home to sleep. Trading Japans uncertain future economy for a robot-driven one AIST is trying to head off the uncertain future economy that will be caused by a combination of plunging birthrate and graying population in Japan. In that scenario, the construction industry will be one of the very first to fall victim to a grave lack of human workers. Furthermore, the researchers want to reduce the chances of crippling or deadly accidents for humans who are operating in dangerous environments. These workers often use heavy equipment and bulky materials that can cause serious physical injuries and long-lasting effects on human health. The research institute decided that the best solution to those dilemmas is to built humanoid robots using the latest technologies. These machines can replace humans in construction areas and other dangerous environments. Humanoid robots have the right body shape to use the same workplaces as the organics they are replacing. So they can just slot into the work environment without disrupting anyone except the person whose job it is stealing. Find out if robots are gunning for your job at Robots.news. Sources include: Geek.com AIST.GO.jp People need to get to know each other again. And I think people need to care more about people with mental illness because gone untreated or ignored, it just wreaks havoc on families and communities. Then when something happens, we hear Why wasn't this caught sooner? We shouldn't be afraid to send our kids to school. When my 13-year-old says she needs her phone because what if something happens, there's a huge problem. We really need to fix it. Lambert here: Andrews dead-pan voice and genre-bending technique seem to perplexed some readers. Journey into a Libertarian Future is not a genuine interview, although it is cast in the form of an interview. The interviewee, Code Name Cain, is fictional, but also a proxy for the libertarian thought leader, Hans Hoppe, whose words Andrew puts into Cains mouth in the form of direct quotations (formatted in red). Andrews work is satire in the sense that it holds human folly and vice up to scorn, derision, or ridicule, but Im not aware of a satire that has these formal characteristics. Perhaps its best to think of the piece as Andrew gently giving Cain (and Hoppe) enough rope to hang themselves with their own words; a self-own on an enormous scale; self-owning being ironic for a libertarian, if you think about it. By Andrew Dittmer, who recently finished his PhD in mathematics at Harvard and is currently continuing work on his thesis topic. He also taught mathematics at a local elementary school. Andrew enjoys explaining the recent history of the financial sector to a popular audience. Simulposted at The Distributist Review This is the third installment of a six-part interview. For the previous parts, see Part 1 and Part 2. Red indicates exact quotes from Hans-Hermann Hoppes 2001 book Democracy: The God That Failed. ANDREW: Lets imagine that a future libertarian society has been established, and security and justice are provided by competing insurance companies. What will happen if two different people, covered by two different security GLOs, disagree about what their rights are? CODE NAME CAIN: The two people would find an independent arbitrator that would be the unanimous choice of both parties [251]. ANDREW: Suppose that one of the two parties is stronger, and so will likely outlast the other in a direct conflict. Wouldnt that party prefer to refuse all arbitration and, during the delay, squeeze the other party into submission? CNC: No. ANDREW: Suppose someone annoys you, and you pay their GLO a sum of money that is significantly more than the present value of that persons future insurance payments. Would the GLO kill the person for you? CNC: No. ANDREW: Suppose that one security GLO is much stronger than a competing GLO, and it wishes to expand its market share. Will it strategically assassinate clients of the weaker GLO in order to advertise its superior security capabilities? CNC: No. ANDREW: These scenarios all appear plausible to me. Why are you sure they wont happen? CNC: Security GLOs will understand that the sort of aggressive behavior you describe is economically irrational. In fact, insurers will [not engage] in any form of external aggression because any aggression is costly implying the loss of clients to other, nonaggressive competitors. Insurers will engage exclusively in defensive violence [287] ANDREW: Suppose the CEO of a security GLO understands his own self-interest differently than you do, and starts killing people. What would happen then? CNC: A security GLO that started assassinating people would represent a threat to stable order not just for the insurer of the murdered individuals, but for all security GLOs. Therefore, the security GLOs would cooperate and defend weaker GLOs from aggression. ANDREW: How can we be sure about whether youre right? What if the security GLOs fail to cooperate in the way you say? CNC: There is nothing that would stop the GLOs from cooperating in order to establish stability. Already today, all insurance companies are connected through a network of contractual agreements as well as a system of reinsurance agencies, representing a combined economic power which dwarfs that of most existing governments. [248] Under pressure to settle questions about intergroup conflict, competition would promote the development and refinement of a body of law that incorporated the widest consensus and agreement [250-251] ANDREW: So the insurance companies, taken together, will constitute a sort of global, non-coercive, non-government GLO, established in a consensual and rights-protecting manner. CNC: Exactly. ANDREW: Although it can be very difficult, ordinary people in America can sometimes influence what their government does. I get that the global GLO will be different in that ordinary people will have no voice in what happens but in what other ways will the global GLO not be a government? CNC: First, youre wrong not only will consumers have a voice in the global GLO, they will be sovereign. They will completely control the GLO through their decisions about where to purchase insurance. Anyway, to answer your question, a government is an organization that exercises a compulsory territorial monopoly of protection and the power to tax [256]. The global GLO will be very different. ANDREW: The global GLO will protect people through the security GLOs that are part of it. Those organizations will be paid money by people who desire protection: noncoercive Tax-Like Payments. Aside from everything being completely voluntary, what is the difference here? CNC: The fact that everything will be completely voluntary is, of course, a very important difference. But there will be another difference. Governments not only monopolize the business of protecting people, but they also monopolize control over territory. In the libertarian society, security GLOs will protect people, but they will not hold final authority over a specific piece of real estate. ANDREW: Oh, I see, private homeowners will rule over territory instead. CNC: Not exactly. Most of the time, houses will be part of proprietary communities, like modern-day gated residential communities owned by a single entity, either an individual or a private corporation The proprietor [will be] an entrepreneur seeking profits from developing and managing communities [215]. The residents will not have full title to their homes, since the proprietor will retain the right to enforce covenants i.e. rules about who can live there under what conditions. ANDREW: Since these real estate corporations will have authority over specific territorial areas, could we call them territory GLOs? CNC: We can call them whatever we want, as long as we use our terms precisely. ANDREW: So I guess the idea is that even though the global GLO and the security GLOs will impose a few basic rules on everyone, there will be a lot of room for each territory GLO to create its own individual culture. CNC: Youre finally starting to understand. Catholics will be able to live by their principles, Muslims by Islamic principles, and Non-believers by Secular principles. ANDREW: So these local communities will increasingly separate from each other That might not bother some people, but given that Dr. Hoppe is an economist, isnt he worried that the world will divide up into small, economically isolated units? CNC: That wont happen just because one does not want to associate with or live in the neighborhood of Blacks, Turks, Catholics or Hindus, etc., it does not follow that one does not want to trade with them from a distance [140]. ANDREW: Uh will a lot of people not want to live with blacks or Catholics? CNC: Each territory GLO will have entrance requirements (for example, no beggars, bums, or homeless, but also no homosexuals, drug users, Jews, Moslems, Germans, or Zulus) and those who [do] not meet those entrance requirements [will] be kicked out as trespassers. [211] ANDREW: If youre only allowed to live in certain areas depending on your race, behavior, and religion, that might sound to some people like a less free society. CNC: Those people are clearly uncomfortable with free individuals making decisions that they think are mutually beneficial. Maybe they would prefer living in the United States of today, where [d]iscrimination is outlawed [t]eachers cannot get rid of lousy or ill-behaved students, employers are stuck with poor or destructive employees banks and insurance companies are not allowed to avoid bad risks and private clubs and covenants are compelled to accept members in violation of their very own rules and restrictions. [210] ANDREW: Presumably, some people will not mind living with people of other races. CNC: Of course, every territory GLO would be free to discriminate in whatever way it wishes. But we need to be realistic. Notwithstanding the variety of discriminatory policies pursued by different proprietary communities no proprietary community can be as tolerant and non-discriminatory as left-libertarians wish every place to be. [212] ANDREW: What do you mean by left-libertarians? CNC: Murray Rothbard likes to call them modal-libertarians (MLs). As Rothbard says, the ML is an adolescent rebel against everyone around him, who only hates government because it is something else to disrespect. MLs think that profanity, drug use homosexuality pedophilia or any other conceivable perversity or abnormality are perfectly normal and legitimate activities and lifestyles [206]. What these countercultural libertarians fail to realize is that the restoration of private property rights and laissez-faire economics implies a sharp and drastic rise in social discrimination and will swiftly eliminate most if not all of the life style experiments so close to the heart of left libertarians. [208] Left-libertarians and multi- or countercultural lifestyle experimentalists, even if they were not engaged in any crime, would once again have to pay a price for their behavior. If they continued with their behavior or lifestyle [in public], they would be barred from civilized society and live physically separate from it, in ghettos or on the fringes of society, and many positions or professions would be unattainable to them. [212] ANDREW: I can tell youre excited about this But maybe youre getting your hopes up. After all, youve said that every territory GLO will be free to develop its own culture. What if some territory GLOs make it so people are rewarded for smoking weed? CNC: Every territory GLO is free to develop its own culture, but only subject to the constraints of inexorable economic laws. First of all, the proprietor and largest investors in the territory GLO would, in order to protect and possibly enhance the value of their property and investments, [216] be very careful about whom to welcome to their territory, and these leaders would set clear standards on what kind of behavior is acceptable for local residents. Second, the security GLOs would also have a say on who immigrates into the territory GLOs, and even more than any one of their clients, insurers would be interested in excluding those whose presence leads to a higher risk and lower property values. That is, rather than eliminating discrimination, insurers would rationalize and perfect its practice. [262] ANDREW: So the security GLOs would regulate the territory GLOs Lets see if I understand. Suppose that the security GLOs decide, based on their research, that watching television makes people more docile. Do you think maybe they would require every family to watch television for a certain number of hours per day? CNC: No, you dont understand. If one security GLO tried to do this, they would lose business to competing security GLOs that allowed people not to watch television. ANDREW: Suppose that the security GLOs decide, based on their research, that kids who are home-schooled are more likely to oppose a libertarian society. Would they refuse to insure territory GLOs where kids are home-schooled? CNC: Once again, you fail to reckon with the power of market competition. Security GLOs will only cooperate when doing so leads to positive consequences. For example insurers would be particularly interested in gathering information on potential crimes and aggressors [A]lways under competitive pressure, they would develop and continually refine an elaborate system of demographic and sociological crime indicators. That is, every neighborhood would be described, and its risk assessed, in terms of a multitude of crime indicators, such as its inhabitants sexes, age groups, races, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, languages, professions, and incomes. [260-261] ANDREW: Do you think that the security GLOs might offer people they consider to be potential criminals the opportunity to wear a device keeping them under surveillance as a condition for granting them insurance? CNC: Now youre coming up with more practical ideas. But the insurance companies are good at thinking outside the box theyve probably already thought of that. ANDREW: Lets see so security GLOs will set up precise financial incentives to segregate residential communities by race, etc., following detailed mathematical models. Many people will be effectively forced, in a rights-respecting manner, to be under 24-hour surveillance. Im curious what kind of society do you think this will produce? CNC: I think most people would agree that under such conditions, all regional, racial, national religious, and linguistic wealth redistribution would disappear, and [so] a constant source of social conflict would be removed permanently [262]. ANDREW: I know that you think this is very unlikely, but suppose people living in the free society of the future decide that they dont like it very much, and would like to go back to living in a democracy. Could they do it? CNC: That will not be possible. ANDREW: You mean, you are sure that no one will want to go back to democracy? CNC: No, I mean they wont be allowed to discuss that possibility. In a covenant among proprietor and community tenants for the purpose of protecting their private property, no such thing as a right to free (unlimited) speech exists, not even to unlimited speech on ones own tenant-property. One may say innumerable things and promote almost any idea under the sun, but naturally no one is permitted to advocate ideas contrary to the very covenant of preserving and protecting private property, such as democracy and communism. There can be no tolerance toward democrats and communists in a libertarian social order. They will have to be physically separated and removed from society. [218] ANDREW: But all of these outlaws, excluded from the libertarian society how do you know they wont try to rebel against the civilization youve created? CNC: You mean, what if the rejects continue to nurture ideas of democracy, and they make plans to take away the rights of rich people? Keep in mind that in the society of the future, a lot of jobs will be done by robots. As pacifist libertarian Bryan Caplan says, rich people rarely take the transition to socialism lying down. [If you were a rich person in this scenario], you might want to reprogram your robots for civil war. True, all of the soldiers of the future may be robots But [j]ust because robots do all of the killing doesnt mean humans wont do their share of the dying. In part 4 of this interview series, Code Name Cain will explain why an attentive survey of history shows that all of the rights of governments are illegitimate, and that all of the rights of modern corporations and property-holders are legitimate. Notes: Karl Widerquist envisions a fully sovereign state growing from landholdings like this (A Dilemma for Libertarianism, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics 8.1 (2009): 43-72). Now that I think of it, they already have: Insurance 2020: Innovating beyond old models IBM p. 2: The rising tide of technology empowers insurance underwriters to bring their products closer to realtime interaction via sensor networks and enlightened privacy regulations. See also p. 6, second paragraph from the top. Bryan Caplan, however, points out that since the libertarian society will be incredibly wealthy, it will be childs play for the numerous billionaires to support everyone else through voluntary charity. He therefore considers a revolution extremely unlikely. Reader Rev Kev provided his forecast for 2019, which I hope you enjoy. If you know of any other 2019 headlines, please pipe up! * * * I do not own a crystal ball to predict the future with so in considering what is to come in the New Year for 2019, I have had to resort to staring into my coffee mug instead. As a public service then, here is what I foresee happening in the coming year, both the tragedies and the triumphs in the main story for each coming month- JANUARY Tragedy struck when the annual World Economic Forum at Davos was caught in a massive snow avalanche. Most would have survived except that under an austerity recommendation by the WEF, the Swiss Mountain Rescue was recently disbanded and replaced with volunteers. Unfortunately when it came time for the rescue party nobody volunteered. FEBRUARY The US Federal Reserve Board steps down confessing they have no idea how the economy works anymore. Says that they are not a part of the government anyway. They are replaced with a reforming Government Board who includes people such as Michael Hudson, Stephanie Kelton, Mark Blyth, Bill Black and Steve Keen. MARCH A terrible mishap occurred at the center where all Federal student loans records were stored when an employee entered the command rm -r on his computer to format it not realizing that he was actually logged into the mainframe. Managers called in the FBI when it was remembered that the employee was living in a van in the centers car park as he could not afford anything else due to his student loans. A team of FBI special investigators quickly find that the whole thing was an accident with no charges needed. It was only found out later that these FBI agents too were still loaded up with student debts. APRIL In a surprise announcement, the Republican and Democrat parties say that they are going to amalgamate into one super party called the Progressives party. One operative stated We have the same policies anyway. In a move to combine the dirt files that they hold on each others candidates into one repository, these files are released to the public by Wikileaks and what is in them makes nearly all former Democrat and Republican candidates ineligible to run for office. A Sanders/Gabbard ticket now seems the only one viable for 2020. The new Progressives party blames the Russians. MAY Donald Trump, finally realizing now the awesome responsibility that he has undertaken as President, apologizes for his past behaviour, shuts down his Twitter account and spends his time pushing for any policy that attracts 80% of the electorates support such as medicare for all, student loan forgiveness and winding back overseas commitments. A visibly shocked Hillary Clinton retires from public life, goes into a convent and undertakes a vow of silence. JUNE In a move that outraged Californians, by majority vote the CalPERS Board voted themselves salaries for life even after they leave CalPERS since even the ones who have CalPERS pensions recognize they may be chipped away at due to CalPERS underfunding. This decision is rescinded twenty minutes later when CalPERS staff pointed out a rapidly growing trend on Amazon in the purchase of pitch-forks, fire brands, rolls of carpet, shovels and bags of lime. JULY Old KGB files surface showing that Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek and Milton Freeman were actually committed communist agents pushing their ideas as part of a plot to destroy the west. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan now seen to be as useful idiots for pushing these ideas further. AUGUST In a move to shore up falling ratings, the last six mega-media companies combine into one vast mega-media company. This move is announced with fanfare on all TV stations and major newspapers but as very few get their news from those sources anymore, hardly anybody notices. As ratings continue to plunge off a cliff, small newspapers, radio stations and TV stations arise to fill the void. SEPTEMBER The Pentagon, finding that due to rising costs that by 2022 they will only be able to afford one plane, one tank and one ship, announces that they will buy Russian weapons from now on saying they are cheaper and actually work. They further announce that this will continue until the industrial complex wakes up to itself. OCTOBER Elon Musk and many of the worlds top billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Peter Thiel and the Koch brothers undertake the long awaited mission to Mars aboard the spaceship Galts Gulch in order to stake the planet out for themselves. Due to a tragic miscalculation involving cost-cutting, only enough fuel is loaded for the trip there. Transmitted demands for rescue by them are met with replies like Say again? Youre breaking up, Did you say that you want a pizza? Over. and We do not copy. Must be space static. Call us when you are back in perihelion. NOVEMBER Scientists discover a new number. They have named it Yot and it is between the numbers Six and Seven. Using the revised mathematics, they quickly resolve the unified field theory which gives the principles for fusion power, replicators, transporters and warp drive. People realize that within a generation that famine, war, poverty and disease will all be gone. News then arrives that Wall Street has convinced the US Patent Office to collectively give them a patent on the number Yot with the implication that all the discoveries found as well also belong to them. DECEMBER Mark Blyths observation axiom that the Hamptons are not a defensible position found to be true after all. Zambian President Edgar Lungu has sacked the army commander and his deputy, a rare firing of the top military brass in the country. He did not give reasons for removing Lieutenant-General Paul Mihova but cautioned his successor, William Sikazwe, not to abuse the authority of the office and to respect the hierarchy. Speaking to Zambian state radio President Lungu said the Zambia army is renowned in Africa and beyond to have very disciplined officers and hence he expects the new army commander to continue maintaining that discipline. Lungu reiterated that he does not expect anybody to abuse that power of responsibility. Mihova was appointed head of the army in 2011 by the late President Michael Sata. His deputy, Major-General Jackson Miti was only recently appointed to the second most powerful position in the army. President Lungu has been accused of cracking down on dissent since winning a contested election in 2016. News24/Lusaka Times Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Department of Immigration and other border agencies have arrested a 30-year-old man believed to be part of a syndicate using fake immigration and customs stamps to clear travellers and goods between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Trust Dhliwayo of Dulivhadzimo suburb in Beitbridge is the second suspect to be arrested in as many weeks. He was arrested in an early morning raid at his house after he had endorsed the immigrations and customs stamps for seven Zimbabweans travelling from South Africa on Saturday evening. Sources close to the investigations said Dhliwayo was found with six fake immigration stamps (South Africa Immigration), one fake (South African Customs), four fake Zimbabwe Immigration stamps, two Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) stamps, four fake South African Permits, one fake Zimbabwe Defensive Drivers Licence, three ink pads and two ink bottles. He has since been handed over to the police, said the source. Dhliwayo becomes the second suspect to be arrested after opening an illegal immigration office at the border, following the arrest of one Munyaradzi Shope last week while clearing travellers using a fake immigration stamp from his Toyota Fun Cargo. The Department of Immigration has deployed a Regional Compliance and Enforcement Unit to deal with issues of child smuggling, rent-seeking activities and irregular migration at the countrys and Sadcs busiest inland port. The Assistant Regional Immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge Mr Nqobile Ncube said; We are not backing down, let all those involved in this racket be warned. Their days are numbered. We are working with other border agencies to put an end to this vice. These abet criminal activities and cause loss of revenue to the State. They help wanted criminals to move undetected, said Mr Ncube. He said they had adequately deployed to all key points to reduce incidents of irregular migration (border jumping) especially where children are invloved. He said they had come up with a number of strategies to deal with the rackets clearing people using fake immigration and customs stamps. Dhliwayo was arrested after we intercepted some of his clients. The matter is now under police investigations, he said. The Chronicle is reliably informed that citizens of the two countries most of whom are Zimbabweans illegally living in South Africa occasionally give cross-border bus drivers or wheeler dealers their passports for endorsement at the border. It would then appear as if they would have returned to Zimbabwe at some point and this legalises their stay in that country and in most cases they use fake immigration stamps. The use of fake immigration stamps has become an eternal headache for the two governments border authorities. Over 20 people have been arrested while over 60 fake immigration stamps were recovered by security agencies at Beitbridge over the last 12 months. Under South Africas immigration laws, Zimbabweans are allowed a stay of not more than 90 days in that country per year. However, immigration officers at the border are reluctant to give Zimbabweans more days in that country. This has seen some syndicates exploiting an opportunity to award people 90 days per single entry, for a fee. They charge anything between R1 500 and R2 500 depending on the period one has overstayed in either Zimbabwe or South Africa. Chronicle Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Re: Still true: no good reason for shutdown, Editorial, Thursday: The Express-News Editorial Board says walls are a bad idea, a wall will in all likelihood be ineffective, and the need for a wall is a piece of fiction. Facts are hard to refute and the fact is, walls work! Ask the Israelis or the Vatican or the residences of the Dominion. How about that fire wall on your computer? Rep. Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama have walls around their homes. Why? because they work! Have you asked and reported on what the Border Patrol agents want? President Donald Trump and a majority of U.S. citizens want border security, which I believe should be a combination of an effective physical barrier and high-tech surveillance. A border wall is a necessity, not a luxury. Come on, Editorial Board, and just once stop your Trump-hating and think about U.S. citizens, our state and the sovereignty of the United States. Lets have an unbiased report on how walls around the world are effective in maintaining border integrity. Steve Taylor Climate bottom line Re: Not a denier, Your Turn, Friday: I ask: Do we really have to find blame before we do anything? Are 97 percent of climatologists saying that bad industry or evil lifestyles are creating the current situation? Arent they just saying that the heated stratosphere is going to cause other natural problems that depend on certain limits? Ninety-seven percent of climatologists agree: 1. Its provable science that emissions such as CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. 2. Its provable science that the stockpile of greenhouse gases has increased by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution. Whether human civilization is at fault is irrelevant beyond explaining how we got here in the first place. We know how to fix it. Time is running out. Sure, you can argue the most cost-effective way. That alone should be the debate. Obviously, our lives are much better as a result of burning fossil fuels. No one is at fault. Period. A mature mindset would accept that not much is all bad or all good. Unfortunately, theres a mindset that we have to have a bad guy before we recognize any problem exists. Whats so hard about this? Bill Hurley, Citizens Climate Lobby of San Antonio In affluent neighborhoods around Washington, New York and Los Angeles and, for that matter, Paris, London and Berlin its common to denounce nationalism, to disdain supposedly mindless, angry populists, and to praise those with an open-minded, cosmopolitan outlook. Note that those involved are praising themselves. Lord knows, there is much to fear about nationalism. Extreme nationalism has led to fascism, war, the persecution and slaughter of minorities, and the undermining of democracy in the name of national unity. In regularly denouncing the give-and-take of party politics as a force dividing and corrupting the people, nationalists can open the path to rule by ruthless, cynical autocrats. But those who would save liberal democracy need to be honest with themselves and less arrogant toward those who currently find nationalism attractive. Across the democratic world, an enormous divide has opened between affluent metropolitan areas and the smaller cities, towns and rural regions far removed from tech booms and knowledge industries. Globalization married to rapid technological change has been very good to the well-educated folks in metro areas and a disaster for many outside them. This is now a truism, but it took far too long for economic and policy elites to recognize what was happening. It should not have taken the Brexit referendum victory, the election of Donald Trump, and the nationalist surges in Hungary, Poland, France, Germany and Scandinavia to bring home the cost of these regional inequalities. This is a central theme of political writer John Judis excellent and compact book, The Nationalist Revival, published this fall. A person of the left, Judis specializes in speaking truth to liberals, something he also did in his earlier The Populist Explosion. Judis sees the rise of nationalism as a reaction to the illusions and excesses of globalization. By unleashing footloose capital and undercutting national and even international efforts to regulate the economy in the public interest, globalization is incompatible with social democracy in Europe or with New Deal liberalism in the United States. He proposes a useful distinction between globalism and internationalism. Hes against the first but for the second. Globalism, Judis argues, subordinates nations and national governments to market forces or to the priorities of multinational corporations. Internationalism, on the other hand, accepts that nations may sometimes have to cede part of their sovereignty to international or regional bodies to address problems they could not adequately address on their own. Trumpism is mistaken because it refuses to acknowledge that pooling sovereignty with other countries can actually make a nation stronger. But critics of Trumpism need to recognize the ways in which globalism undercuts the rights and fortunes of large numbers of democratic citizens. The dispossessed often turn to nationalism for relief against their own sense of powerlessness. Thinking about powerlessness is also important for understanding the backlash against immigration. There is good reason to be horrified at the xenophobia and racism underlying Trumps cruel policies toward immigrants and refugees. Opposing what Trump is doing is a moral imperative. But there is nothing new (or necessarily indecent) about citizens saying that nations have a right to control their borders and to decide what levels of immigration they want to accept at any given time. In truth, almost all of Trumps critics believe this, and proposals for immigration reform that have advanced in Congress have always provided for border security and set limits of some kind on immigration flows. The challenge for the left and for all advocates of humane immigration policies is to move the debate from angry abstractions about open borders and toward a practical engagement with basic questions: What level of immigration is optimal at this moment for the nation as a whole? What will it take to reach a consensus for creating a path toward citizenship for immigrants who are here illegally? And how do we build a stronger civic culture that acknowledges the rights but also the duties of the native born and immigrants alike? For a variety of reasons I prefer to defend patriotism rather than nationalism. But words aside, friends of liberal democracy need to accept that worrying about the decay of national sovereignty does not automatically make someone a reactionary. And they should insist at the same time that American patriotism and the defense of constitutional democracy are one and the same. @EJDionne A love triangle led a man to light a San Antonio-area home on fire Saturday, according to Bexar County investigators. Adrian Salazar, 29, was arrested Sunday on two counts of arson, according to jail records. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox On Saturday, firefighters responded to a call in the 4200 block of Smokey Ridge Trail in Van Ormy. Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set after they discovered accelerant near the crime scene, according to his affidavit. Salazar allegedly went to torch the home after he discovered his common-law wife was in a relationship with another man, who is currently incarcerated, according to the affidavit. The Van Ormy home belonged to the incarcerated man's mother. Salazar's common-law wife told investigators that she stayed in a hotel room after the argument occurred because she feared for her life. Salazar told her he was going to burn down the home and also threatened to beat her when he found her, according to his affidavit. The woman notified the mother, who stayed with her boyfriend that night in Poteet, according to the affidavit. Salazar's bail was set at $100,000, according to court records. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA The American Legion Hall on the Southeast Side is available to rent for family or class reunions, baby showers and other celebrations. American Legion Post 375 is at 9608 S. Presa St. and offers air and heat, a kitchen, and ample parking in back of building. For information, contact Richard Holloway, post commander, 210-260-7317. Mixed martial arts classes 6-8 p.m. Mondays, St. Michael Catholic Church hall, 418 Indiana St. Taught by Mike Ortiz, a mixed martial arts champion. Contact: 210-264-5291. Masonic Anchor Lodge 424 meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 700 Hot Wells Blvd. Bilingual Baby Time/La Hora del bebe bilingue 10:15-10:45 a.m. Wednesdays, Cortez Branch Library, 2803 Hunter Blvd. Rhythm, rhyme, and repetition of songs and stories. El ritmo, la rima y la repeticion de las canciones y los cuentos. For babies up to 18 months with their caregivers. Para bebes recien nacido hasta 18 meses con sus cuidadores. 12-step recovery group for compulsive overeaters Noon-1 p.m. Thursdays, Cresholme Presbyterian Church, 1602 Goliad Road (inside small building behind church). Free. Contact: 210-977-8379. City Base Cancer Support Group 7 p.m. Thursdays, Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Contact: Brenda Fox, 210-415-2830. Cortez Chess Club 3:30-5:30 p.m. Fridays, Cortez Branch Library, 2803 Hunter Blvd. For beginners and experts. Chess sets provided or bring your own. Free. Contact: 210-207-9130. 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. Monthly Adult Computer Classes 6-7 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of month, Cortez Branch Library, 2803 Hunter Blvd. Classes cover computer and internet basics. Contact: 210-207-9130. Wednesday, Jan. 2 Senior Technology Session 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Carver Library, 3350 E. Commerce St. Learn how to operate your smartphone, tablet, laptop or IPad or just ask a technology question. Contact: 210-207-9180. Thursday, Jan. 3 Winter Break Crafts Memorial Library, 3222 Culebra. Drop in all day for creative, self-directed activities. All ages welcome; young children may need adult assistance. Contact: 210-207-9140. Saturday, Jan. 5 Free clothes closet 9 a.m.-noon, Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Free clothing distributed. Contact: 210-333-4947. Trunk of Treasures 9 a.m.-2 p.m. St. Benedict Catholic Church, 4535 Lord Road. Cars will open trunks to sell garage-sale-type items in parking lot. $10 for parking slot to sell items; free admission to shop. Sunday, 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 Epiphany with its annual Three Kings Day. The childrens event features a visit by Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar. Free. Monday, Jan. 7 Friends of McCreless Library will meet at 6 p.m. at the library, 1023 Ada St., just north of the H-E-B Plus. The meeting is free and open to the public. Plans for 2019, including fundraising, will be discussed. The all-volunteer group was organized in 1993 by 16 community members to support the librarys programs. The group has raised over $22,000 in 25 years. Volunteers and new members are welcome; membership forms are available at the library. For more information, call 210-207-9170. Upcoming Highland Park Neighborhood Association will have a presentation on major improvements to Pine and Greer streets at its Jan. 9 meeting. A representative from San Antonios Transportation & Capital Improvements Department will explain the timeline and scope of the project, which is intended to solve neighborhood drainage problems. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Bode Community Center, 901 Rigsby Ave. Send an email to SA.hpna@gmail.com for more information. Harlandale High School Class of 1969 plans its 50th reunion on Oct. 19 at Embassy Suites, Brooks City Base. Organizers are updating their address books. Contact: Frank Garza, figarza@satx.rr.com, or Ann Franz (Fisher), cdcfranz@yahoo.com, with your information. Burbank High School Class of 1969 is planning its 50th class reunion for Oct. 19. Contact: Pearl (Reyes) Montez, 210-422-0761 (cell), or Helen (Martinez) Aguirre, 210-885-7302 (cell). Harlandale High School class of 1970 plans its 50th class reunion for October 2020. Organizers seek classmates. Contact: Robert Ramirez, 210-496-7687, or Jesus C. Vega or Yolanda Vasquez-Vega, 210-383-0613. Compiled by Melissa Renteria Send details and a phone number to mrenteria@express-news.net. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday before publication. A thick fog left some parts of the Houston area with zero visibility in the first hours of the new year, causing at least one crash and forcing some drivers to pull over and wait it out. Local meteorologists say firework smoke and a temperature change overnight likely exacerbated the issue. RELATED: Dense fog advisory in effect for Houston, Galveston areas "[New Years Day fog] is usually not quite as pronounced as this was," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Kent Prochazka. Four hours into 2019, the weather service reported less than a half mile of visibility near The Woodlands, and a half mile in some areas of Fort Bend County. Some drivers shared photos and videos on social media that showed only faint headlights about 10 to 20 yards away. Other areas were simply too covered with fog to drive, and one man pulled over near a church in southeast Houston to get some sleep, according to a tweet from ABC13 reporter Courtney Fisher. Around 4:45 a.m., the fog caused the driver of a small SUV to slam into the back of an 18 wheeler driving southbound on the 59 Eastex Freeway, Metro Video reported. The woman was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition. ABC13 Meteorologist Travis Herzog described the level of firework smoke early this morning as hazardous, but by 9 a.m. the fog had mostly cleared. Prochazka said Houston area residents should expect a mostly sunny New Years Day before rain likely drenches the area from early Wednesday morning to Thursday. 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 At least 12 of Glassdoor's 31 companies 'hiring like crazy' this year have openings in Texas. Two companies Rackspace and Smile Brands are looking for employees in San Antonio specifically, according to Glassdoor. Rackspace is a leading provider of IT services looking primarily for engineers. Smile Brands, one of the largest dental organizations in the country, has openings for patient care coordinators, dental assistants, field recruiters, office managers, orthodontists and more. We came here as Africans; we didnt come here as African Americans, Malik said. The problem is were far too American than we are African. Everything that we have experienced, on this side of the shore, we have had to struggle for even our own identity. When you embrace Kwanza and the seven principles, you embrace the best that Africa has to offer us. This is the second year that weve come here, and its just something fun for them to do, said Dee Dee OLeary of Norridge, who came with neighbors. Its not late at night, and they can play with their friends. DANVILLE (AP) The Western Union telegram arrived at Martha Taylors house five days before Christmas 1941. The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your son, Charles Edward Nix, signalman, third class, U.S. Navy, is missing following action in the performance of his duty and service of his country, it read. Two months later, the Navy informed Taylor that her 26-year-old son was killed in action during Japans surprise military attack on Pearl Harbor. In the years following the attack, the Danville woman tried to find out what happened to her sons remains. And even though he was declared non-recoverable, she never gave up hope that one day his remains would be identified and given a proper burial. Nearly 76 years after his death, Nixs remains were finally identified thanks to advances in DNA technology. And next summer, his great-niece and great-nephew will be on hand when theyre buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Even though shes not here, shes finally getting her closure, Ron Payne, of Fairmount, said of his great-grandmother. Nix was born in Danville on Jan. 19, 1915, to Taylor (then Martha Nix) and Charles Nix, who died in 1920. His mother later married Buford Taylor. According to a newspaper story that reported him missing in action, he attended Danville schools, then worked as a plumbers apprentice prior to enlisting in the Navy. He also served with the Danville National Guard for about eight years. Nix enlisted at the Navy Recruiting Station in St. Louis on Jan. 23, 1940, then trained at Naval Training Station in Great Lakes. He was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was part of the Pacific Fleet. Payne, who grew up in Westville, recalled that Taylor always kept a picture of her son, whom she called Charlie, in his Navy uniform in her study. She would talk about how proud she was that he was on the Oklahoma, said Payne, a program manager at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois. When Pearl Harbor happened, she waited to hear what happened (to her son). Was he alive or not? She would never accept that he was gone because there was never a positive identification, said Payne, who regrets that his great-grandmother; grandmother, Mary (Payne) Paxton; and father, Ronald Payne, a former Westville police chief, all passed away before it finally came. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Washington, D.C., recently announced that Nix was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2017. This past spring, the agency called Ron Paynes older half sister, Lori Cummings, at her home in Houston to give her the news along with a 100-page document that included Nixs service records, information on the horrific attack that led the U.S. into war, what happened to the remains of the fallen who couldnt be identified and when and how forensic scientists were able to identify his remains. It also included copies of the telegrams and other correspondence between the Navy and Nixs cousin, seeking answers on Taylors behalf. Immediately, Cummings called her brother and sent him a copy of the inch-thick file. We were shocked, Payne said. We didnt even know they were doing this testing the DNA. Payne said he and his 18-year-old son, Kody both of whom are history buffs and proud of their familys long military history pored over the document for hours, learning things they never knew about Nix and the efforts made to find his remains. Its just amazing the things they sent, Payne said. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Oklahoma was among the ships in Battleship Row, moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the fleet was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The ship sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize and sink. Nix was one of the 429 on board who died. He received a Purple Heart posthumously. Taylors first telegram from Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, chief of the Bureau of Navigation was followed by a second one about two months later. After exhaustive search, it has been found impossible to locate your son, Charles Edward Nix, Jacobs wrote, and he has therefore been officially declared to have lost his life in the service of his country as of Dec. 7, 1941. The Department expresses to you its sincerest sympathy. On Jan. 22, 1948, Rear Admiral C.A. Swanson, the Navys surgeon general, wrote Taylor, though it didnt provide the answers she wanted. Mr. Sterling B. Ford Jr., of your city has written in your interest requesting that you be advised as to whether or not the remains of your son, the late Charles Edward Nix, (have) been recovered and that you be furnished confirmation of your sons death. You are advised that the records of this Bureau show that your sons body has not been recovered to date. As confirmation of your sons death there is enclosed a Report of Death. In October 1949, the Department of the Army Office of the Quartermaster General said in a memo that Nixs remains had been declared non-recoverable by a special military board convened in the field, as well as by its office. Subject forms have been compared by the Identification Branch with unidentified remains from the USS Oklahoma and cross-checked against all 7 December 1941 unknowns with negative results, the report said. Its not clear if Taylor was sent a copy. The DPAA said that from December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were interred in the Halawa and Nuuanu cemeteries. In September 1947, members of the American Graves Registration Service, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, disinterred the remains and transferred them to the Central Identification Lab at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identification of 35 men from the Oklahoma at that time. The unidentified remains were buried in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, known as the Punchbowl, and the military board classified them as non-recoverable. Then in April 2015, the deputy secretary of defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the Oklahoma. That June, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains for analysis. Payne was fascinated when he read how with a DNA swab from Jody-Ann McDaniel, a cousin on Nixs mothers side, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence, to identify Nixs remains, including his cranium, mandible, right humerus, left and right femur, left hip and a tooth. The last page of Nixs file: A new death certificate, issued Sept. 25, 2017, declaring his death a homicide. Payne visited the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument over the USS Arizona about 15 years ago. He hopes to return to Hawaii one day to see it again and visit the Wall of the Missing at the Punchbowl, where Nixs name is recorded. Now, a rosette will be placed by his name, indicating hes been accounted for. In the meantime, Payne is looking forward to returning to Arlington with his sister and son to see Nix buried with military honors something his great-grandmother never got to do. Itll have a completely different meaning this time, said Payne, who has walked among the 400,000 white headstones of servicemen and women several times on school field trips with his son and daughter. I have to show him or her that I forgive them. But I have to know what happened, she said. I dont want to believe they deliberately ran into him. I dont think a human being could deliberately kill another human being like that. An inmate was found dead inside a southeast Houston lockup late Sunday, police said. Thomas Edward Loyd, 55, was in the Houston Police Department Southeast Patrol Station jail in in the 8300 block of Mykawa Road on a felony theft charge from Dec. 21, according to court records. A jailer conducting night-shift checks on prisoners in the male housing area found Loyd unresponsive around 10:40 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. The jail's medical personnel and paramedics with the Houston Fire Department responded but pronounced the man dead. GANG SHOOTOUT: 1 dead, 1 injured in Cloverleaf shooting Police said Loyd had a history of medical conditions, although his cause of death will be determined by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. HPD's Homicide Division Special Investigations Unit and the department's Internal Affairs Division are investigating. Loyd's rap sheet shows that he has been in and out of jail since 1980 for several theft, DWI and assault charges, according to court records. 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 7-year-old girl was shot to death and her mother wounded early Sunday by a gunman who opened fire on the family as they drove out of a Walmart parking lot in eastern Harris County. The unknown shooter fled and was still at large by early evening, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. LaPorsha Washington and her four children - ages 6 to 15 - were leaving the lot in the 15400 block of Wallisville when a man in a red pickup pulled up before 7 a.m. and opened fire into the family's car. FATAL COLLISION: Toddler killed in north Harris County wreck Afterward, the 30-year-old mother - who'd been shot in the arm - drove away with her children and fled along Beltway 8, making a u-turn before she pulled over to call 911 when she realized 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes wasn't breathing. Two teens in the car were unharmed, but the 6-year-old was wounded and the 7-year-old died before paramedics could get her to a hospital. "Please keep this family in your prayers," Gonzalez tweeted Sunday evening. "A total of 5 occupants in the car witnessed this innocent child, their loved one, shot and killed before their eyes. So senseless. It's never easy, and extra hard during the holiday season." It's not clear why the shooter opened fire, and at first the only description investigators could offer was that he wore a red hoodie. Later, authorities fleshed out the description, adding that the shooter is believed to be a white, bearded man in his 40s. APARTMENT FATALITY: Police responding to woman found shot dead at southwest Houston apartments "We're going to use all resources available to bring this killer to justice," Major Jesse Razo told reporters at the scene. "And I urge you, whoever did this, you know who you are. Please turn yourself in now - because we will be looking for you, we will locate you, we will find you." The suspect should be considered "armed and dangerous," Razo said. Anyone with information relating to the case is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-TIPS. Camron T. Stotts, Michael D. Mestas and Dr. Brandey Ackerman. The three Midland bicyclists lost their lives in 2018 after being hit by motorists. They werent the only ones. As of Monday, 41 others also died on roads inside Midland County. 2018 tied 2014 as the most dangerous year going back to 2013 when the Reporter-Telegram started to keep track of the high number of fatalities. Stotts, 42, and Mestas, 47, died April 25, when they and Thomas J. Haislip, 38, also of Midland, were riding northbound on the shoulder of State Highway 158 ahead of a pickup. Driver Ricardo Madera of Eagle Pass drove onto the roads shoulder and hit the cyclists, according local law enforcement. Madera fled the scene but arrested shortly afterward at a man camp. Ackerman, a pediatrician at Midland Pediatric Associates, was traveling westbound on the north service road of State Highway 191 in the outside lane of travel on June 7. A Toyota Camry, driven by a 31-year-old man, ran into the rear of the bicycle, and Ackerman was thrown from the bike and over the car, according to the law enforcement. The driver, Joshua Stephen Sam of Odessa, failed to control his speed, according to Midland police. Madera pleaded guilty in October to two counts of intoxicated manslaughter, one count of intoxication assault and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident. He agreed to sentences of 18 years in prison for each intoxication manslaughter charge with findings of a deadly weapon, along with sentences of 10 years for each hit-and-run charge, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. Those sentences will run concurrently. A Midland County grand jury indicated Sam in September on a state jail felony charge of criminal negligent homicide. If convicted of the state jail felony charge, he could face up to two years imprisonment. Those three deaths brought considerable attention to the danger facing bicyclists on roads in and around the city of Midland. Since then, transportation officials have been studying the possibility of a bike path between Midland and Odessa. Partly because of a report that there were 42 vehicle wrecks with cyclists and 133 with pedestrians, the Midland City Council in November passed a vulnerable road user ordinance that city leaders hope will make Midland more bike-friendly. The ordinance, which takes effect on Tuesday, states that someone operating a motor vehicle has the duty to move to an adjacent lane to pass a vulnerable road user, if available. If there is no available lane, the operator must provide a safe distance of 3 feet when passing or 6 feet if operating a commercial motor vehicle. While criminal acts didnt lead to all deaths on roads inside Midland County in 2018, most were because of driver error. For the fourth time in six years, more than 40 people died. Since the beginning of 2013, 220 people have died in vehicle incidents. The Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance reported this year there were almost 9,800 crashes, which resulted in 173 deaths in the Permian Basin in 2017. Thats about a 63 percent increase in the number of people who died in 2016. The report also stated that Midland County had the most commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities in 2017 (18). Organizations such as MOTRAN provide accurate traffic counts that will help bring more transportation dollars to Midland County and the Permian Basin. Still, if the news of 2018 taught Midlanders anything, it is that drivers have a responsibility when they get behind the wheel. On two occasions, drivers failed our community and were criminally charged for their actions. There were dozens of others who also failed themselves, their families and the community. We pray for the families impacted, for Stotts, Mestas and Ackerman. We pray for them all. 2. MDC invests in child psychiatry facility The Midland Development Corp. in June made an unprecedented investment in health care that established a child and adolescent psychiatric fellowship program in Midland. The $8.4 million investment over eight years calls for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to provide two fellows the first year and four each year thereafter, one assistant professor, a minimum of three essential personnel and a minimum of four or maximum of 16 residents (medical school graduates engaged in specialized practice and research under the supervision of TTUHSC.) Those involved in the deal expect the program will support 9,720 patients per year, or about 40 patients per day. Officials believe the deal will make Midland a hub for those looking for child and adolescent psychiatric mental health care. As an example of the need in the community, a Midland ISD Student Health Advisory Committee report in June recommended adding 12 crisis counselors to support students mental health needs. The Scharbauer Foundation also offered $600,000 to fund the clinics renovations, according to previous reports. Also in August, the Midland County Commissioners Court announced $2.5 million for Midland Memorial Hospital to help advance the cause of bringing greater mental health to all the people of Midland County. 3. Mega-deals, oil price roller coaster dominate 2018 Mega-deals in the upstream oil and gas industry brought renewed attention to the Permian Basin and its thriving oil and gas industry. In March, Concho Resources generated headlines when it announced plans to acquire RSP Permian in a $9.5 billion deal that was completed in July. Fellow Midland-based operator Diamondback Energy generated a new set of headlines in August when the company announced a $9.2 billion deal to acquire Energen Resources, a deal that was completed in late November. Analysts following the upstream oil and gas market predict similar deals will be announced in 2019 as operators seek to bulk up and create economies of scale as the Permians unconventional shale plays mature and enter a more-costly, technology-driven manufacturing mode. Mega-deals were not the only events drawing attention to the Permian Basin in 2018 as crude price volatility re-entered the picture. Oil prices, which had begun 2018 well above $50 a barrel, became significantly impacted by pipeline constraints as the year progressed, sending prices for crude sold in Midland as much as $20 below that for crude sold at Cushing, Oklahoma. Still, operators said prices were well above break-even levels, a contention that was tested by the end of the year. Prices, which had reached a four-year high above $76 a barrel in early October, then began a plunge that saw them drop by 20 percent in November alone. The rout continued in December as prices were undercut by rising worries about a possible crude oversupply and a weakening global economy, which could impact oil demand. 4. Cost-of-living crunch The high cost of living could be seen in Midland in 2018 with the cost of homes and apartment rents going up. Midland drivers also were not immune to paying much higher prices at the pump than the state average. For much of the year, housing costs rose according to the law of supply and demand. There really wasnt much available supply and there was demand with an estimated 40 new workers joining Midlands labor force each day from January and through October, according to the Midland Development Corp. The Texas A&M Real Estate Center reported the average home sold in Midland County cost $320,258 in November, up from $276,555 in November 2016. In May, the average home sold for $349,989. The reason for the high costs was supply, which dwindled to 0.9 of a month of supply (or 214 homes) in March. Realtors have told the Reporter-Telegram previously that a balanced market is between six and 11 months of supply. Those residing in apartments in Midland-Odessa faced a price increase unlike anywhere in the country. The rent of an average apartment rose by more than 30 percent (year-over-year) during some months in 2018. That was head and shoulders above other markets, which rarely hit double digits. Midlands average rent for an apartment also was the highest in the state topping Austin and Frisco by around $200 a month. If paying higher rent or mortgage wasnt bad enough, Midland drivers felt the pain at the pump as the average price of gas was around 40 to 50 cents a gallon more than the state average. Midland and Odessa were the only larger metropolitan cities in the state to hit $3 a gallon this summer, and as the year comes to an end, the state average dipped below $2, while the Midland average was 50 cents higher. 5. Terry Johnson wins county race One of the more formidable fields for any local office was in the Republican primary for county judge. But when the votes were counted and run-off was held, Terry Johnson defeated James Beauchamp and Stephen Robertson for the nomination. Johnson overwhelmed Democrat Steven Schafersman, collecting nearly 80 percent of the vote inside Midland County. Johnsons election was seen as a referendum on current county leadership. Johnson and Beauchamp, who also reached the May run-off, were both seen as candidates who provided a choice to the status quo on the Commissioners Court. Surprises were not limited to the county judges seat. Jeff Robnett used a superior social media campaign to win a four-person race in the Republican primary (without a run-off) for the 441st Judicial District Court seat. He dominated Sara Ruth Spector, earning 78.76 percent of the vote. The grassroots pushed Heidi Kirk to receive the most votes in the general election for District 5 on the Midland ISD school board. However, John Trischitti III, director of the Midland County Public Library, won the run-off to ultimately claim the seat. On the city front, Michael Trost earned a return ticket to the Midland City Council after placing second in the at-large race. Spencer Robnett was the top-vote getter, but the city allows the top two to earn seats on the council, and Trost knocked off Chase Gardaphe. Voters didnt mind Trosts struggles with tax issues over the years or his comment to see changes on the Midland Development Corp. board. Trost previously represented District 4 (west Midland). 6. Midland ISD grows, transforms Transformation was a big part of 2018 for Midland ISD. Superintendent Orlando Riddick and his staff worked toward the district goal of evolving toward a System of Great Schools. The ultimate goal is more control at the campus level and less from central office. Community residents saw the districts transformation continue from its work with the Texas Education Agency to work with other districts, such as Denver and Indianapolis. MISDs turnaround plan also has created more opportunities for school choice. The Sam Houston Collegiate Preparatory Academy opened at the beginning of the fall semester. The academy, according to the district, is expected to propel education opportunities and outcomes and create an environment with high student and adult expectations. During the year, the district greenlighted a young womens academy expected to open as early as 2019 -- and the first in-district charter which could open as early as 2020. These campuses would increase the number of choice schools inside the district to eight. Academically, Midland ISD equaled the number of failing campuses (four) compared to 2017. On the facilities front, student population growth factored into a facilities plan from the Midland ISD Facility Master Planning Committee that proposes $545.8 million bond election in as early as May and more than $910 million in total projects over the next decade. The non-binding proposal calls for two new high schools, a middle school and two other new facilities to be part of a first bond. Student enrollment for the 2017-18 school year was listed as 25,670, according to the committees report. Midland ISD forecasts that membership will increase to 35,855 by 2027-28. That takes into account a 2.5 percent growth rate calculated on grade progression, adjustments for current and predicted high school drop-out rates, growth in early education services and steady birth rates (compared to the average of the last six years). 7. Police chiefs come, go and come again The year opened and closed the book on an attempt by an Arizona lawman to lead the Midland Police Department. Actually, Steve Henrys tenure at the top of the department lasted less than four months. In late March, less than three months after Henry started, the city put him on administrative leave because of allegations that he violated two policies or standards of city of Midland Personnel Policies. An investigation by the law firm of Cotton Bledsoe Tighe & Dawson showed Henry violated personnel policies, specifically those dealing with harassment. Details into harassment allegations that led to an investigation and the ultimate termination included at least 36 incidents over a more than two-month period. The allegations describe inappropriate actions and comments that took place in the office and out in the community. The allegations also detail conversations that describe interactions Henry had with other employees, which again ranged from potentially sexual in nature to sexist. The Henry saga resulted in a change to the contract language to make it tougher for future employees to walk away with severance packages. The city finally found its next police chief earlier this month. Former Deputy Chief Seth Herman was named the 11th chief since 1941. He had served as the interim chief since late March. 8. Permian Strategic Partnership Pioneers Susan Spratlen told Midland in January about an effort by oil companies to develop a plan that addresses a variety of issues in the nations most-active basin. These issues include educating the workforce of the future, improving health care and constructing roads more suited to the heavy demands of the oil and gas industry. She called it the Permian Strategic Partnership. More of the details were revealed last month in a letter in the Reporter-Telegram that stated that 17 companies were committed to providing more than $100 million over the next several years as seed money to spur additional private-sector investment. A once-in-a-generation opportunity has brought us together for a common purpose to strengthen the communities where we live and work, the letter stated. The Permian is poised to provide energy the world needs, create tens of thousands of local jobs and generate billions in state and local tax revenues. But this potential can only be fully realized if we simultaneously address significant infrastructure challenges and preserve the quality of life that makes so many want to live and work here. With this goal in mind, our companies have formed the Permian Strategic Partnership, an industry resource that will partner with local leaders and stakeholders to strengthen communities across West Texas and southeast New Mexico for decades to come. Companies involved include Pioneer, Concho, Chevron, Anadarko, Apache, Cimarex, Devon, Diamondback, Encana, Endeavor, EOG Resources, Halliburton, Occidental, Parsley, Schlumberger, XTO Energy and Shell. The Permian Strategic Partnership is expected to have an office and staff. A series of community meetings will take place for citizen input and harness the volunteer spirit that is so much a part of this region. 9. $15 million downtown park The Scharbauer Foundation, Concho Resources, the city of Midland and the Downtown Midland Management District announced in August that they are partnering on a $15 million city center park that will include all of the features of downtown parks in more metropolitan cities. It is expected that Centennial Park will check two boxes the first being a complementary piece to the $43 million Midland Convention Center and the second being a catalyst project for downtown. The Scharbauer Foundation has pledged $8 million, while the city of Midland and Concho will spend $2 million each for a downtown area that when completed expected in April 2020 -- will include greenspace, a splash pad/water feature, a performance stage, a pavilion, a dog park and natural-style playground. The city later in the fall committed to more than $27.5 million (including park development costs, a minimum of $500,000 annually for operating costs and a $1 million videoboard approved for the Midland Convention Center.) Once completed, the city and DMMD will fund the operations and maintenance, although a nonprofit the Midland Downtown Park Conservancy -- will be created to construct, promote, schedule and manage the park, which will be nearly 4 acres. 10. Good county, bad county 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. Later that month, commissioners reverted back to their old ways by approving a contract for management of the Horseshoe complex through September 2024. The operator, Dooley Management Co., was being sold to Joe Kelley, executive director of the complex. This action was done despite Midland County voters overwhelming preference for Terry Johnson, who made the Horseshoe and its operations a main topic of his candidacy for county judge. Johnson had hoped the management contract at the Horseshoe could go out for bid. Commissioners in October then put millions more toward the next round of expansion at the county multi-purpose complex. The spending included $856,725 for bleacher seating at Horseshoe Arena; $670,326 for RV parking; $389,349 for a crew room, where performers can get dressed or prepare for their events; $1.437 million for a new concession building; and $1.858 million for a new hospitality building. Commissioners spending on capital projects at the Horseshoe has topped $50 million. For us, its a way for us to work with the community in a positive way, said Robert Tornabene, public information officer for the Niles Police Department. A lot of officers volunteer their own personal time to come out there. January 01, 2019 World Food Program, Bribed By Saudis, Threatens Yemenis With More Famine The United Nation's World Food Program is supposed to relief populations in urgent need of food supplies. It is not supposed to be a partisan organization. But in the war on Yemen it has now taken one side of the conflict and is threatening the other side with starvation. The slow famine in Yemen continues unabated. Not only the people in north Yemen, under control of the Houthi and besieged by the Saudi coalition, are starving. Those living in the government controlled areas in the south have similar problems. There are many conflicting parties which makes aid distribution difficult. There is food in the markets but the people have no money to pay for it. Many poor local men, even children, get recruited to fight on either side. The coalition of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the United States have few of their own soldiers on the ground. The hire others to wage their war. The U.S. is essentially running the Saudi air war against Yemen: When a Saudi F-15 warplane takes off from King Khalid air base in southern Saudi Arabia for a bombing run over Yemen, it is not just the plane and the bombs that are American. American mechanics service the jet and carry out repairs on the ground. American technicians upgrade the targeting software and other classified technology, which Saudis are not allowed to touch. The pilot has likely been trained by the United States Air Force. And at a flight operations room in the capital, Riyadh, Saudi commanders sit near American military officials who provide intelligence and tactical advice, ... While the U.S. military claims that it intends to prevent attacks on civilian targets the results show no such influence. The war against the Houthi and their allies in Yemen has been a siege war from its very beginning. It was designed to use famine as a weapon against the population of the Houthi controlled areas. The Saudis do not only bomb water wells and food production facilities on land but the also kill Yemeni fishermen who dare to take to the sea. The Saudi coalition also hired mercenaries from Sudan and elsewhere to bleed as its foot soldiers. Some of them are as young as 12 years old. The Houthi are likewise recruiting youth. The UAE, which is profiting most from the war, hired al-Qaeda leaders and fighters to do its bidding. A prominent one is Abu al-Abbas who commands some 3,000 local fighters. Last year the Trump administration put sanction on al-Abbas for financing al-Qaeda. But its ally UAE is paying him millions per month to fight on its side. bigger On December 9 the warring parties held first direct talks in a U.N.-led peace efforts in Sweden. While the UN claimed that several agreements were found, none was published and both sides seemed to disagree over the outcome. The most important issue is the control over the port of Hodeidah through which most of the food aid to Yemen is shipped. The Saudis and the United Arab Emirates have for month tried to take the port while the Houthis defend it by all means because their lifeline depends on it. The new agreement allegedly gave the UN control over the port. The Houthi as well as the Saudi/UAE controlled forces would retreat from the port and the city and let an unarmed UN force run the harbor. But the Houthi say that the UN would only monitor the harbor while their forces would stay. On December 29 Associated Press first reported that the Houthi handed control over the port to the government controlled coast guard. After some laughter from Yemenis, it revised the record: Yemens 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. ... 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. Indeed, one published picture showed a "brigade general" in coast guard uniform "taking control of the port". Yemen's coast guard does not have any generals. Up to a day before the "general" was Houthi commander. The UN very much disliked the ploy and now tries to penalize the Houthi just like the Saudis do, by threatening to starve more of them. Just yesterday AP and the Pulitzer Center published an investigative report on how food supplies delivered by aid agencies gets pilfered during its distribution in Yemen: Documents reviewed by The Associated Press and interviews with al-Hakimi and other officials and aid workers show that thousands of families in Taiz are not getting international food aid intended for them often because it has been seized by armed units that are allied with the Saudi-led, American-backed military coalition fighting in Yemen. The army that should protect the aid is looting the aid, al-Hakimi told the AP. The investigation founds similar theft and pilfering of aid that is delivered to the Houthi side. Instead of being handed to people in need, much of the food aid is sold in local markets. This is not really astonishing. Any larger aid program in a conflict area has similar problems. Some share of the supplies always falls off the truck. But the UN ignored the AP report that both sides are looting food aid. Just hours after it was published the UN's World Food Program exclusively accused the Houthi side of diverting aid: [WFP Executive Director David] Beasley warned the Houthi authorities in Sanaa that unless they took immediate action to end the diversion of aid the WFP would "have no option but to cease working with those who have been conspiring to deprive large numbers of vulnerable people of the food on which they depend". Just like the Saudis, the UN's WFP threatens to starve the people who live in Houthi controlled area: "If you don't act within 10 days, WFP will have no choice but to suspend the assistance ... that goes to nearly three million people," the letter said. The Houthi protest against such a partisan ultimatum: Yemen's Houthi rebels on Tuesday said they were "surprised" by accusations from the United Nations food agency that they are stealing humanitarian aid and accused it of taking sides in the nearly four-year-old war. The World Food Program on Monday threatened to suspend some aid shipments to Yemen if the rebels did not investigate and stop theft and fraud in food distribution, warning that the suspension would affect some 3 million people. The threat from the WFP is outrageous. "We will let 3 million people die unless you do this or that" is not the way the UN should talk to the weaker side of a conflict. (Curiously the @WFP_Yemen twitter account has now been shut down.) The Saudis and the UAE use their purse string to influence the WFP. Two month ago they pledge another $500 million: What Yemen needs most is peace because that would make the greatest amount of difference in every Yemeni life, said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. In the meantime, this important donation will help us save children on the brink of death. I thank the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a contribution that will truly save lives. I find it inconceivable the that UN or its sub-organizations take large amounts of Saudi money to prevent a famine that the Saudis willingly cause in the first place. The UN should reject such bribery. To then threaten the starving side of the conflict to withhold aid over distribution problems is reckless. WFP Director David Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina nominated for the WFP job by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, should be suspended from his job. His partisan behavior is exactly the reason why the Houthi can not and will not give the UN or any of its organizations full control over Hodeidah. It is the only port through which they can receive food supplies for the people living in their area. If UN organizations that are obviously influenced by Saudi money and issues partisan threats get control over the port, the siege on the Houthi areas would be complete. Sooner or later they would have to concede their defeat. By then millions more would have died. Posted by b on January 1, 2019 at 18:53 UTC | Permalink Comments Donald Trump US President Donald Trump signed into law a legislation on Monday aimed at enhancing America's leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening multifaced ties with India and calling out Chinese actions that "undermine" the rules-based international system. Recognising the vital role of the strategic partnership between the United States and India in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, Section 204 of the Act calls for strengthening and broadening of diplomatic, economic, and security ties between the two countries. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. In a statement, Trump shared the objective of the Congress with respect to maintaining the strength and security of the United States, but did not guarantee to abide by the effort of the Congress to dictate the policy of the US in external, military, and foreign affairs, or to require the executive branch to undertake certain diplomatic initiatives with international partners. The Act reaffirms its commitment to the New Framework for the 2005 US-India Defence Relationship, Defence Technology and Trade Initiative launched in 2012; the 2015 Joint Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, and 2017 Joint Statement on Prosperity Through Partnership. Describing India as a major defence partner, the Act says this designation institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing between the two countries, elevates defence trade and technology cooperation to a level commensurate with the closest allies and partners of the US. It also facilitates technology sharing including license-free access to a wide range of dual-use technologies, after taking into account national security concerns; and joint exercises, coordination on defence strategy and policy, military exchanges, and port calls in support of defence cooperation between the two countries, the Act says. The Act, which was introduced in April by Senators Cory Gardner and Ed Markey, who are chairman and member of Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, along with Senators Marco Rubio and Ben Cardin, endorses quadrilateral dialogue between the United States, Australia, India and Japan. Such a quadrilateral dialogue, it said, is vital to addressing pressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region in order to promote a rules-based order; respect for international law; and a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Act says. According to the Act, it is the policy of the US to develop and commit to a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region that secures its vital national security interests and its allies and partners; and promotes American prosperity and economic interests by advancing economic growth and development of a rules-based Indo-Pacific economic community. Imran Khan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the new year will be the beginning of Pakistan's golden era as he vowed to address the perennial issues of poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption in 2019. Khan took to microblogging site Twitter to greet people and share his New Year resolution with the countrymen. "Our New Year resolution is to wage jihad against the 4 ills of our country: poverty, illiteracy, injustice and corruption," he said. Khan further said that "InshaAllah (God willing) 2019 is the beginning of Pakistan's golden era." His government also slashed petroleum prices billed a New Year gift. Petrol was reduced by Rs4.86 per litre, setting the price at Rs90.97 per litre, while price of high speed diesel was slashed by Rs4.26 per litre to fix it at Rs196.68 per litre. The two variants of fuel are most commonly used in Pakistan. Khan's government came to power in August riding on the pledge of create Naya (new) Pakistan but so far struggled to give any major relief to the public. Its focus on accountability has already been receding into witch-hunt and the government was criticised by the Chief Justice on Monday for putting 172 people, including chief minister of Sindh province on a no-fly list after a probe into fake accounts. Similarly, a pledge to start constructing 5 million houses for low income groups in the first 100 days is no where in sight. Khan's promise of a "golden era" followed a similar message by army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor who termed 2019 as year of progress. "In our national pursuit for a peaceful, prosperous and vibrant Pakistan, 2019 is year of progress," said Ghafoor. History shows that cooperation is the best choice for both China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump in a congratulatory message on Tuesday to mark 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The two countries are currently engaged in a truce in their bitter trade war, holding talks to try and end a dispute that has seen them level increasingly severe tariffs on each others' imports. In his message to Trump, Xi said China-US relations have experienced ups and downs and made historic progress over the past four decades, state news agency Xinhua said. This has brought huge benefits to the two peoples and has contributed greatly to world peace, stability and prosperity, Xi added. "History has proved that cooperation is the best choice for both sides," Xi said. Sino-US relations are in an important stage, he added. "I attach great importance to the development of China-US relations and am willing to work with President Trump to summarise the experience of the development of China-US relations and implement the consensus we have reached in a joint effort to advance China-US relations featuring coordination, cooperation and stability so as to better benefit the two peoples as well as the people of the rest of the world," he said. This year marks a series of sensitive anniversaries for China, including, in June, 30 years since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday, Xi will make his first public appearance at an anniversary-related event, giving a speech about self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its sacred territory, on the 40th anniversary of a key policy statement that led to a thaw in relations with the island. According to Niles police, a man dressed in black clothing entered the 7-Eleven, 7450 W. Oakton St., shortly before 6 a.m. on Dec. 25, and, after two other customers left the business, approached the employee at the counter while holding an object described as possibly a spoon or a knife. But there are no guarantees the agreement will get the support it needs. Nonetheless, before parliament's Christmas recess Corbyn didn't join MPs such as Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable and Conservative Justine Greening calling for recess to be cancelled or curtailed in order to allow the vote to go ahead. Having given the public the right to decide on European Union membership in a referendum, "Parliament can not now, with any honour, renege on that result", said Dr Fox. "It's actually 56-44". Asked whether he though ministers and the prime minister understand what is at stake by tying the United Kingdom to the European Union through the Withdrawal Agreement and prioritising a trade deal with the bloc, the American diplomat said, "I think they do understand, but there is a trade-off and... they are going to have to measure the impact of all the other trade deals and in terms of how important these kinds of new, important trade agreements would benefit the people and the country". Mr Fox said that if Brexit does not happen then politicians will have "betrayed" everyone who voted in the referendum. "What you can be sure of is that if we vote for the prime minister's deal then its 100 percent certain that we will leave on March 29". His comments follow Trump saying in November May's agreement with Brussels "sounds like a great deal for the EU" as he cast doubt on whether a future trade deal with the United States would be possible. While travelling the country, the diplomat observed that "the mood is very much more pro-American than is reported - frequently - which doesn't surprise me". "As far as I'm concerned, as an elected member of parliament, I've been given an instruction by the British people and it's my democratic duty to do it". "We have got to make it clear that that is a policy that has been ripped up and Britain is once again a global nation", Williamson said. The leading Brexiteer backs Mays deal and told the Sunday Times newspaper that rejection "would shatter the bond of trust between the electorate and Parliament". Mr Fox said it is a "tragedy" remainers have "not come to terms with the referendum result" and claimed there were people who would rather Britain fail than Brexit succeed. "Let's put an end to this farce and let the public have the final say over what's best for them, including the option to stay and strengthen ourselves within Europe". Representative Image The Taliban discussed Afghanistan's "post-occupation situation" with Iran in their latest meeting, the group said on January 1, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown. The remarks come after Iran confirmed on December 31 that the Taliban had visited Tehran for a second round of talks in just a few days that are aimed at ending the 17-year conflict. The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran "the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region", the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists. It signals a growing confidence among the Taliban for US troops to pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground. There have been reports in the past of talks between Iran and the Taliban, but they have typically been denied by Tehran. Tehran's peace push will be viewed with concern by hawks in Washington, who fear that Trump's planned withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan will cede regional influence to Iran. The Taliban also met with the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the United Arab Emirates earlier in December as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the war. But the Taliban refused to meet a delegation from Afghanistan. The group said Saturday its representatives would not meet "with those of the Kabul administration" at the next meeting expected to be held in Saudi Arabia later this month. Iran's deputy foreign ministry Abbas Araghchi will travel to Afghanistan in the next two weeks, the foreign ministry said, without giving further details. Iran and Afghanistan share a nearly 600-mile (960-kilometre) border, and have had a complex relationship in recent years. Tehran has long supported its co-religionists in Afghanistan, the Shia Hazara minority, who were violently persecuted by the Taliban during its rule in the 1990s. Iran worked alongside the United States and Western powers to help drive out the Taliban after the US-led invasion in 2001. But there have been allegations, from Western and Afghan sources, that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have in recent years established ties with the Taliban aimed at driving out US forces from Afghanistan. Moneycontrol News Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 1 said the ordinance for Ram Mandir will come in only after the Supreme Court pronounces its judgment on the issue. Speaking to news agency ANI, Modi said the solution to Ram Mandir will be "under the ambit of the Constitution". "Those sitting in the government have tried to stall the Ram Mandir issue for the past 70 years," Modi said. Read More: Ordinance on Ram Mandir only after Supreme Court pronounces verdict, says PM Modi The title suit of the disputed site in Ayodhya is pending in the Supreme Court. The top court is expected to announce a date this week on when it would begin to hear the case. On GST Asked to comment on Congress President Rahul Gandhi calling GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax', the PM said, "The way someone thinks is the way someone talks. Have GST processes not been done taking a consensus with all political parties in the country? Since Pranab Mukherjee was FM, the GST process has been going on." "Earlier, there were so many hidden taxes. The tax rates were also high. GST has made things simpler. It has also brought down the taxes on so many commodities," Modi added. On demonetisation and Urjit Patel The PM, speaking on demonetisation, said the move was not a 'jhatka.' "We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out," Modi said. "However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily," the PM added. Stating that former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel did a "good job", Modi said no political pressure was applied on him. "He himself requested (to resign) on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing," Modi told ANI. Read More: No political pressure, Urjit Patel wanted to quit 6-7 months ago, says PM Modi Patel had resigned on December 10 amidst reports of differences between the central bank and the government. 2019 polls a 'battle between janata and gathbandhan' Responding to the Opposition's efforts to stitch together a grand alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Modi said the elections will be a battle between the 'janata' and 'gathbandhan'. "Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings," he told ANI. Modi also said the surgical strike was a big decision for the troops. "The Uri terror attack on the Army enraged me," Modi said. On losing recently-held assembly polls in five states When asked about the loss in the recently concluded state assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told ANI, "In Telangana and Mizoram, nobody gave BJP any chance. In Chhattisgarh a clear mandate was given, BJP lost. But in 2 states there was a hung assembly. Secondly,15 years of anti-incumbency was being fought by our people. We are discussing what was lacking." On loan waivers Asked about his "lollipop" comment on the farm loan waivers granted by the three new Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, PM Modi said, "To say a lie and mislead, that is what I called lollipop. Like saying 'we have waived all farm loans'. The truth is that nothing like that has happened. Please see their own circulars, they should not mislead." "Farm loan waiver is a political tool, but how many are actually benefited from this? If you see, only a handful are able to take loans from banks. For me, farmer welfare is not about politics. I want to do everything possible to improve the lives of our farmers," the PM added. Firefighters extinguish a burning car during New Year celebrations in Douai, northern France. (Image: Reuters) Pro-independence supporters take part in an annual New Year's Day march in Hong Kong, China. (Image: Reuters) Performers take part in a dragon dance during sunrise at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China in Huairou district of Beijing, China. (Image: Reuters) A migrant from Honduras, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the United States, jumps a border fence to cross illegally from Mexico into the US, in Tijuana, Mexico. (Image: Reuters) Newly sworn-in Chief Information Commissioner Sudhir Bhargava (L) with President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after taking oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. (Image: PTI) People celebrate the New Year 2019 outside a church in Ahmedabad. (Image: PTI) Kader Khan, best known for penning some of the most powerful dialogues and comic timing as an actor, passed away on December 31 due to prolonged illness. He was 81. (File image: PTI) Police personnel look at the footwear of the devotees left after a stampede on the first day of the new year 2019 at historical Sankat Mochan temple (Mahavir Mandir) in Patna. (Image: PTI) Rescuers search for victims at a village hit by a landslide in Sirnaresmi, West Java, Indonesia. The landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed a number of people and left dozens of others missing on Indonesia's main island of Java. (Image: AP/PTI) Prime Minister_Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Indian Army Special Forces' commandos, who conducted the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), were told to come back before sunrise, irrespective of the mission's success. Speaking to news agency ANI, Modi said the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don't think about that but come back before sunrise. Don't fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," he said. The surgical strikes were carried out days after a terrorist attack on an Army camp in Kashmir's Uri had killed 20 soldiers. Modi said the surgical strikes were carried out because "rage" was building inside him and within the Army after the attack. Responding to whether the objective of the strikes was achieved, Modi said he will not like to discuss the topic in public domain. "Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving)," Modi said. "I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. the biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," Modi told ANI, adding that he was "anxious" the entire night, while he was keeping a tab on the operations, and things became "extremely difficult" when live information stopped flowing for about one hour in the morning. Modi said the politicisation of the surgical strikes was done by the Opposition and not the government. "An Army officer apprised the nation (India) of the operation... But it is unfortunate for the country that the same day, leaders of some parties raised doubts over the strikes," Modi told ANI. "It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (to deny), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing the Pakistani version. Politicisation started from that point," he added. Pranav Hegde While premium category phones like the iPhone Xs and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 crossed the Rs 1-lakh price point, companies like Oneplus and Nokia provided similar specifications for about half the price. But the real game changers were Chinese manufacturers who brought premium specifications in the budget segment. In 2019, the trend is likely to continue and you will be spoiled for choice for power-packed phones under Rs 10,000. We take a look at 5 great budget buys for 2019 that will give you greater bang for your buck. Xiaomi is already gearing up for the launch of the next instalment of its popular budget phone series Redmi 7 and the 7A in January 2019. In India, the Redmi 6A is one of the most popular smartphones now available at a permanent discounted price for Rs 5,999 while the Redmi 6 is priced at Rs 7,499. Not much is available on the specifications of the Redmi 7 and 7A. Chinese regulator TENAA has only posted that the next generation phones will feature a 10W charger and will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 or 636. Considering how good the specifications on the current generation Redmi 6 and 6A are, the 7A will be an upgraded version with better display, camera and battery. RealMe, an offshoot of the Chinese manufacturer Oppo, has been launching smartphones in the budget categories since its entry into the Indian market. The company recently launched the Realme 2 Pro and RealMe C1 for Rs. 13,990 and Rs. 7,499 respectively. Now, there is talk that the company may launch an entry-level option priced at around Rs 6,000. According to DroidShout, a site that tracks Android phones, not much is known about the phone, but it may get a MediaTek P60 or a Snapdragon 600 series chipset. The phone might have a dual camera setup at the rear and an AI-powered front shooter. The new entry-level phone will run on an Android 8.1 Oreo based ColorOS 5.2. The company already offers a budget phone Realme C1 priced at Rs 7,499. Several reports on the internet have hinted about Samsung's new series of budget smartphones M10, M20 and M30 which are expected to replace the Galaxy J and Galaxy A series. According to reports, the M30 and M20 could feature an Exynos 7885 whereas the M10 may be powered by the Exynos 7870 chipset. Leaks also showed that the M30 will have 4GB RAM and up to 128GB storage, a 5,000 mAh battery and Infinity U display. Looking at the rumoured specs, the M10 will be the cheapest option starting at Rs 10,000. An unannounced phone was spotted on Vivos China website called the Vivo Y73. According to the website, it will be a budget phone priced at RMB 899 (roughly Rs 9,500). The Vivo Y73 will be a successor of the Y71 which was launched earlier this year. It will be a 5.99-inch HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone will be powered by an Octa core 1.4GHz Snapdragon 465 chipset. The handset maker is expected to ship the device with three RAM and storage configurations: 3GB + 32GB, 3GB + 64GB storage and 4GB + 64GB, which are expandable up to 256GB with a dedicated slot to add a microSD card. The phone will sport a rear camera with a 13-megapixel sensor with LED flash and 5-megapixel selfie camera. The phones Face unlock and fingerprint sensor, available on the front and back respectively, provides an additional layer of security. The phone is expected to come in three shades -- Matte Black, Champagne Gold and Red. 5.Nokia 4 Nokia, since its comeback into the Indian market, has released many phones in different budget categories. The next rumoured launch for the brand will be called Nokia 4. According to reports, Nokia 4 will have a 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1440p. The smartphone will be powered by a Quad Core 1.4 GHz Snapdragon 425 chipset. It will house 3GB RAM and have storage starting from 32GB which can be expanded to 128GB using microSD. Which phone are you waiting for in 2019? The need for innovation and technological advancement has pushed car manufacturers to come up with better, faster and more efficient cars. Diversifying from that, some car brands decided to take the plunge into the erstwhile unventured segments in the car world. Be it Mercedes-Benz, the grand Rolls Royce or our very own Mahindra, car manufacturers are not afraid of dropping new entries in as many segments as possible. Here is a list of popular car brands who ventured in new segments in 2018. 1. Mercedes-Benz The luxury car manufacturer has come up with the all-new V-class, a mansion-like MPV, built for carrying around the extra-large luxuries of life. Though the G-Wagon and GLE series are the big boys in Mercedes garage, the V-Class is set to become the real MPV, in early 2019. 2. Rolls Royce The car which will be available for customers later this year costs around $325,000 (approx. Rs 2.185 crore) roughly 1/100th of the estimated value of the diamond. Being a luxury car manufacturer gives you certain perks; one of them being the ability to enter new segments without having to worry about your legacy. Having set numerous benchmarks and standards of luxury sedans, Rolls Royce is coming up with their next monstrosity, the Rolls Royce Cullinan. IN PICS | Rolls-Royce Cullinan: When a luxury car maker makes an SUV - it leads to a Rs 2.2 crore off-road marvel Named after a mythical creature, which will definitely justify it rare, exclusive public appearance, Cullinan is Rolls Royces first SUV. 3. Honda Honda cars have always been a symbol of reliability, comfort and general satisfaction for the masses of India. With a wide range of models to cater to almost every type of driver, Honda has established a strong foothold in the Indian car market. Now Honda is set to launch their all-new Civic in 2019, and it has created a great buzz among the community. Not because it is a new car in the segment, but because it is the much-awaited, much-anticipated return of one of the most iconic cars of its era, the Honda Civic. What had begun as a JDM exclusive, tuner hatchback soon evolved into a worldwide-loved sport sedan. In 2019, the Honda Civic is finally returning to the Indian market and poses a serious competition in the sedan segment. 4. Mahindra Mahindra went two steps ahead of its time when it launched the Reva-I, Indias first fully electric vehicle. However, the stunt flopped as not many people were aware of the benefits and functioning of an EV. But now with the onset of electric vehicles taking over ICE cars (ICE stands for internal combustion engine), Mahindra is not afraid to venture the EV segment again. Mahindra launched the KUV NXT in the mini SUV segment. The KUV went for a facelift faster than any of Mahindra's other models This time Mahindra took its youngest car, the KUV 100, and gave it the prestigious e upgrade. Now, the eKUV 100 is set to become one of the first EVs to be available to the public. 5. Bajaj A complete unexpected name in this list, Bajaj decided to up their public transport game, and evolve their iconic rickshaw. Shedding the classic three-wheeled, rear-engine vehicles, Bajaj entered the four-wheeler market with the appropriately named Qute. An electric hybrid vehicle in essence, Qute is currently available in certain states, albeit restricted to commercial use only. It is expected, however, that Bajaj might launch the Qute for the public soon. BJP Congress Jharkhand election results 2019 2019 is all set to witness key events in the political sphere, including the all-important general elections, legislative assembly elections in multiple states and forging of alliances that are likely to have a bearing on India for years to come. Politics in 2019 will continue to revolve around the elections. Here are the key events lined up over the next 12 months: Lok Sabha polls The general election, pegged as the largest election exercise in history, is expected to happen in April-May. The Election Commission (EC) is likely to declare the dates for the same in early March, thus imposing the Model Code of Conduct. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming to retain power along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners. However, the Indian National Congress, being led by Rahul Gandhi, has shown resurgence since defeating the BJP in one-on-one contests in three Hindi heartland states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Other parties and regional forces such as K Chandrashekar Raos Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) are hoping to play kingmakers in an event where the two major alliances fall short of the majority mark. Multiple opinion polls released in the second half of 2018 have predicted a contest much closer that what was expected. Hinting at a return to the coalition era, some surveys have also predicted strong possibility of a hung Parliament. Alliances and negotiations Several opposition parties have agreed in principle to put up a united front against the BJP. Their plan is to put up a single candidate against those of the NDA, across the country. This would require parties many of whom have been long-time rivals to come together. Arch rivals Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Akhilesh Yadav, and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have already announced they would contest Lok Sabha polls together, to consolidate the anti-BJP votes. Alliance talks are underway in most states and seat-sharing negotiations are in advanced stages in a few others. As the Lok Sabha polls near, these negotiations are expected to gather steam. These alliances are also expected to have an impact on the next round of assembly elections held in the country over the next five years, irrespective of the Lok Sabha polls result. Meanwhile, Telangana CM KCR is trying to build a non-BJP, non-Congress alliance. Assembly polls: First leg At least four states Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim are scheduled to head for assembly polls in April-May, simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is hoping to retain power in Andhra Pradesh amid resurgence of YS Jaganmohan Reddys Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). YSRCP is the principle opposition party in the state. In Odisha, Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is battling anti-incumbency after being in power for 18 years. BJD is not only facing challenge from principle opposition party Congress, but also from the BJP. Despite anti-incumbency against the government, opinion polls suggest Patnaik himself remains popular. Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling is hoping to retain power for the sixth consecutive term. Having occupied the states top office for over 24 years (since 1994), Chamling is the longest-serving chief minister in the country. His Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) would compete against the states main opposition party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM). Another Northeastern state, Arunachal Pradesh, will head for assembly polls in April-May. In 2014, Congress had formed the government having won 42 out of the 60 seats in the Assembly. However, several Members of Legislative (MLAs) later moved to the BJP to help it form the government. Chief Minister Pema Khandu-led BJP government is expected to be challenged by the Congress and other regional parties. States heading for assembly elections in 2019 The assembly in Jammu and Kashmir stands dissolved and is currently under Presidents Rule. The EC is expected to hold fresh assembly polls in the state. This too could possibly be held along with the Lok Sabha polls. Assembly polls: Second leg Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana are expected to head for assembly polls in the second half of 2019. Some reports suggest that the assemblies in these three BJP-ruled states could be dissolved early so that the state elections could be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha. As things stand, the three states are expected to vote in September-October. In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP is hoping to retain control of one of Indias major financial and industrial hubs. However, it is unclear if its alliance partner Shiv Sena would continue the alliance. In early 2018, the Sena had announced it would contest the Lok Sabha and assembly polls separately. BJP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fighting separately could boost chances of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance. Opinion polls have shown fall in the popularity of Chief Minister Raghubar Das-led BJP government in Jharkhand. Congress, which is reportedly in talks with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) for an alliance, is hoping to capitalise on the anti-incumbency sentiment. In Haryana too, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government is facing anti-incumbency. However, a fractured opposition that consists of the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) could benefit the BJP. There is also a possibility of a snap assembly election being held in Tamil Nadu. Speaking to Moneycontrol in 2018, TTV Dhinakaran camps spokesperson CR Saraswathi said there was a likelihood of the state elections happening early along with the general elections in 2019. The All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is governing the state with a wafer-thin majority. Opinion polls suggest that Edappadi Palaniswami governments popularity is plummeting. If the opposition parties are able to win a large number of the total 20 assembly seats in the impending bypolls, the AIADMK could lose majority in the House. This could either result in horse trading, hectic negotiations for external support or could even trigger snap polls in the state. In an interview to news agency ANI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said bringing in an ordinance on the Ram Mandir issue will be considered only after the Supreme Court has pronounced a decision on the matter. PM Modi was asked as to why an ordinance cannot be brought for the Ram Mandir issue in the same fashion as one was brought for the Triple Talaq Bill. To this, he said, "The triple talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict, in the light of the Supreme Court verdict..." "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution will be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," Modi told ANI. The incumbent prime minister also blamed the Congress for slowing down the process of finding a solution to the issue which is subjudice before the Supreme Court. He told the news agency, "Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this [Ayodhya Ram Mandir/Babri Masjid] issue." He even attacked the Congress for creating obstacles in the top court, saying, "I beseech the Congress, for the sake of national peace and amity, they should stop their lawyers from stalling this issue in the court." Modi's jibe was a reference to Congress veteran Kapil Sibal, who is representing the various Muslim bodies in the top court in his personal capacity as an advocate. In December 2017, Sibal had appealed to the top court to defer the hearing on the matter until after May 2019, which is when the Lok Sabha elections will be held. He had argued that there are "serious repercussions" outside court every time the Ayodhya matter is heard. The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court denied the request. The Sangh Parivar has lately been vocal about its displeasure with the ruling BJP at the Centre for not doing enough to expedite bringing in a law on the Ram Mandir issue. Estranged ally Shiv Sena and its supremo Uddhav Thackeray has openly criticised the BJP government for relegating the matter as merely an emotive issue for the saffron party. The process for correcting names and other particulars that appeared in the final draft of the National Register of Citizens will begin from January 2, said a notice issued by the office of NRC Assam. According to the notice issued by NRC state coordinator, Government of Assam, "Name, etc Correction - Services for online correction of names and other particulars appearing in Draft NRC will be started from 10 am of 2/1/19. "This facility can be availed by visiting NRC Assam's website www.nrcassam.nic.in. Facility for name correction will also be available by submission of correction forms at NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs). These facilities will be available till 31/1/19," the notice stated. The process has no connection with the submission of claims and objections which got over on December 31, 2018, it said. The filing of claims and objections to decide the fate of 40 lakh people whose names were excluded from the draft list (released on July 30 last) had begun on September 25, 2018 and ended on December 15 that year. The Supreme Court had pushed the date to December 31, 2018 after the Assam government sought extension of the last date following demands for it by various local organisations. Reports appearing in a section of media claimed around 30 lakh people had filed claims for inclusion by Monday evening, when the deadline for the Claims and Objections' round ended. The claims and objections were earlier scheduled to be filed in August, but the Supreme Court reprimanded the NRC Coordinator and Registrar General of India for announcing the dates without the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) being approved and directed them to refrain from talking to the media. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being updated under the direct monitoring of Supreme Court. The second and complete draft of NRC was released on July 30, 2018 that included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total applications of 3.29 crore. The first draft was published during the intervening nights of December 31, 2017 and January 1, 2018 containing 1.9 crore names. "It's the beginning of a new start and we want our children to embrace that. They don't quite get that concept but they do get all of the festivities so we want to build on that tradition," the mother said. Madhya Pradesh Law Minister PC Sharma has announced that cases filed on April 2, 2018 Bharat Bandh, which was held to protest against the Supreme Courts decision to read down the SC/ST Act, will be withdrawn. Sharma added that similar cases in the last 15 years filed by the BJP will also be withdrawn. The move comes in response to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawatis ultimatum to the Congress to withdraw the cases. Otherwise, the party will reconsider its decision to give outside support to the newly formed governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Congress, which recently wrested the Hindi heartlands from the BJP, had fallen two seats short of majority in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats. In that case, the BSP, which had won two seats, offered to provide outside support to the Grand Old Party to form the government in the state. It is to save this political alliance that the party seems to be bowing down to the BSP's demands. On April 2, 2018, Dalit groups had called for a nationwide bandh to protest against the reading down of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Nine people were reportedly killed six were from Madhya Pradesh, two from Uttar Pradesh and one from Rajasthan after Dalit outfits turned violent during the protests, and thousands were arrested for rioting. The outrage by Dalit outfits was due to the March 20, 2018 ruling of the Supreme Court which laid that a government official cannot be persecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the act without the sanction of the appointing authority. Citing prevention of frivolous allegations and false implication of innocents, the top court said preliminary inquiry into the case will be done by a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The Centre had promptly filed a review petition challenging the top court's decision, but it wasn't admitted. Following vehement protests, the Union government passed a legislation in August 2018 revoking the Supreme Court ruling. The Delhi Metro was shut down in late March when the nationwide lockdown was announced. A fresh tussle between the Centre and Delhi government appears to be brewing after the AAP dispensation imposed a condition of 50-50 percent operational loss sharing while giving approval to the Phase-IV of Delhi Metro. Though Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry officials said it is examining the condition that the Centre equally share any operational loss with the AAP government, they asserted that it was a state subject and that other states may raise similar demands. Earlier this month, the Arvind Kejriwal Government had approved the much-awaited Phase-IV of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). An official of the ministry said Delhi government has also put a condition in its approval that it will not have any liability on loan provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to fund the project. "We are examining both conditions imposed by Delhi government in approving the Metro Phase-IV. Why should the central government bear operational loss? It is a state-subject. "State government has the responsibility of operations of Metro. If we agree on these conditions, other state governments will also raise same demands. However, we are currently examining Delhi government's conditions," an official said. The finance department of Delhi government had in a recent report said that some routes of Phase-IV are not financially viable. A Delhi government official confirmed that the two conditions were part of the approval to Phase IV. "Delhi government has never borne any liability in the past also.... This condition was put in just to make things clear," official said. "In the past one year, the ridership has gone down due to various reasons. So, if Delhi has to pay 100 per cent of the operational loss, it will not be financially viable for it," the official said. Also, there are certain corridors that may not be profitable in future or even do not reach the break even level, the official added. A fortnight ahead of the 'Kumbh Mela', the Centre has approved the renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj as sought by the Uttar Pradesh government, officials said on Tuesday. The decision came more than two months after the state government, headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took the decision to rename the historic city as Prayagraj. The central government has given its consent for renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj about 10 days ago, a home ministry official said. The 'Kumbh Mela' in Prayagraj will start on January 15 on 'Makar Sankranti' and will conclude on March 4 on 'Maha Shivaratri'. The central government has given consent to the renaming of at least 25 towns and villages across the country in the past one year. The renaming proposal of UP's Faizabad district as Ayodhya is yet to be received from the state government. A proposal to rename West Bengal as 'Bangla' is pending as the Ministry of External Affairs is understood to have expressed its reservation over the new name, as it sounds similar to Bangladesh. A decision in this regard is expected soon as the general election in the neighbouring country concluded on Sunday. The Union Home Ministry considers the proposals of name change according to the existing guidelines in consultations with agencies concerned. It gives its approval to the change of name of any place after taking no-objections from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India. These organisations have to confirm that there is no such city, town or village in their records with a name similar to the proposed one. For changing the name of a village or town or a city, an executive order is needed. The renaming of a state requires amendment of the Constitution with a simple majority in Parliament. India Pakistan Pakistan on Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. The list was handed over in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India, signed on December 31, 1988, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. "The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1000 hrs (local time)," it said. Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi handed over the list of Indian Nuclear Installations and Facilities to a representative of the High Commission of Pakistan at 1030 hrs (local time), the FO said. The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. "This has been done consecutively since January 1, 1992," the FO said. The literacy rate of Telangana recorded was 72.8 percent. (Image: Moneycontrol) Students of Gujarat schools will answer roll calls with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the current 'yes sir' and 'present sir' from January 1 in order to foster patriotism, a notification issued on Monday stated. The notification, issued by the Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), lays down that students of Class 1-12 in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with "Jai Hind" or "Jai Bharat," starting January 1. The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood," it said. As per the notification, the decision was taken by the state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a review meeting held on Monday. Copies of the notification were sent to the district education officials with instructions to implement it from January 1. Minister Chudasama could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts. India Pakistan Pakistan on January 1 shared with India a list of 537 Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. They include 54 civilians and 483 fishermen, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. "The Government of Pakistan today (Tuesday) handed over a list of 537 Indian prisoners (54 civilians and 483 fishermen) in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad," it said. The step was taken under the Consular Access Agreement of May 21, 2008 between Pakistan and India, the FO said. According to the agreement, both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year, on January 1 and and July 1. India will also share the list of Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails with the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi, the FO said. The two countries have adhered to the practice of exchanging the list of prisoners despite recurring tensions. It is one of the enduring Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) agreed upon when the two sides were trying to disentangle the complex relationship with the help of the composite dialogue process. In the new year, WhatsApp will discontinue its services on devices operating on Nokia Series 40 (S40), and the app will be discontinued on iOS 7 or older versions and Android 2.3.7 on February 1, 2020. This means that users with this phone will not be able to create new WhatsApp accounts. The old accounts will be functional but some of their features will stop working soon. WhatsApp had announced a few years ago that it would stop services for these systems along with Nokia Symbian S60, Windows Phone 8.0, BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10. The Facebook-owned messaging platform announced that it would stop investing to develop the app for these phones, in a blog post on December 30. "When we started WhatsApp in 2009, people's use of mobile devices looked very different from today. The Apple App Store was only a few months old. About 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia. "Mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft which account for 99.5 percent of sales today were on less than 25 percent of mobile devices sold at the time," it read. Nokia Series 40 had included Nokia 206, Nokia 208 and Nokia Asha devices including Nokia Asha 201, Nokia Asha 205, Nokia Asha 210, Nokia Asha 230, Nokia 301, Nokia 515, Nokia Asha 502, Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 500 and Nokia Asha 501. It was one of the most popular OS a few years ago. It was discontinued after Bill Gates' Microsoft took over the company. WhatsApp is currently available on phone running on Android OS 4.0 and higher, iPhone OS 8 or higher, Windows Phone 8.1 or higher, JioPhone and JioPhone 2. The government may impose anti-dumping duty for 18 months on a Chinese synthetic rubber used in automobile and other industries. The recommended duty ranges between USD 0.078 - 7.31 per kg. Commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said imposition of the duty on imports of 'fluoroelastomers' from China would help minimise impact of dumped imports. "The authority considers it necessary to recommend imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty on imports...for 18 months," DGTR said in a notification. The finance ministry would take the final decision to impose these duties. DGTR initiated the probe in January 2018 following a complaint from Gujarat Fluorochemicals which alleged dumping of the product. The directorate said the product has been exported to India from China at below its normal value, which has resulted in dumping. "The domestic industry has suffered material injury and material retardation due to dumping of the product under consideration from the subject country. The injury has been caused by the dumped imports," it added. There are various applications of fluoroelastomers such as in hydraulic seals, check valve balls, electrical connectors, automotive use in shaft seals, fuel injector, and aerospace use and fuel tank bladders. Countries carry out anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports. As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of WTO. The duty is also aimed at ensuring fair trading practises and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters. India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to check cheap imports from countries including China, with which India has a major concern of widening trade deficit. The relation between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government is akin to that of 'husband and wife', former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once famously said but that bond turned sour in 2018, leading to unprecedented episodes that culminated in the abrupt resignation of Urjit Patel as the governor. Differences between the Centre and the RBI over easing of lending restrictions for certain sectors and the appropriate size of reserves to be maintained by the central bank, among other issues, spilled out. It was further aggravated when deputy governor Viral Acharya spoke of maintaining autonomy and independence of the central bank. It soon unravelled that the government had cited a never-used-before provision of the RBI Act to get the central bank to discuss issues it considered of public importance. This seemed to have been the culmination of a series of events that began with the government getting persons considered close to its ideology being appointed as directors on the RBI's central board. Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy vigorously pushed the government's cause especially with regard to taking a more liberal view on issues such as reserves the central bank must maintain. Soon enough there was speculation that the then Governor Patel would resign but he chose to stay on to see if there was a resolution and quit when there wasn't a common ground found even over names of an expert committee the RBI and government had agreed to constitute to look into appropriate size of reserves the central bank must maintain. The government quickly moved in and appointed a former bureaucrat who from day one showed a willingness to consider all issues on the table and take a more consultative approach rather than being a confrontationalist. Winds of changes are already visible at Mint Street as Shaktikanta Das has held at least three consultations with bankers over different issues, a trend which was a rarity during Patel's tenure. Many blamed the pressure brought by the government on the central bank to ease lending restrictions and release more of its capital to bolster the economy for Patel's resignation. Patel became the first since post economic liberalisation in 1991 to resign as the RBI governor. In independent India, the first governor to resign was Benegal Rama Rau in 1955 during the tenure of the Jawaharlal Nehru government. Indira Gandhi got S Jagannathan to resign after he refused to give an enhanced loan to Maruti in 1975. During Chandra Shekhar government (1990), R N Malhotra had to resign due to differences with the government. Patel was hand-picked by the BJP-led government after his predecessor Raghuram Rajan was denied a second-term. A Kenyan national who acquired Indian citizenship prior to being appointed as Deputy Governor of the RBI in January 2013, Oxford-trained Patel was initially seen as toeing government line after he backed the November 2016 shock decision to overnight junk 86 per cent of the currency in circulation. Since then, he was seen waging a war to get the struggling banking system in order and punish defaulting borrowers. The genesis of differences between the RBI and the government was one-day default norms announced by the central bank on February 12, 2018. The RBI aligned the revised norms with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) as it also recognised the one-day default norms. According to the RBI, the revised framework tried to reduce the arbitrage the borrowers are currently enjoying while raising funds through borrowing from banks vis-a-vis from the capital markets. Besides, there were some disagreements on weak bank norms, Prompt Corrective Action (PCA). Of 21 public sector banks, 11 are under PCA framework due to declining profit and rising bad loans. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). The government wanted the RBI to align its PCA framework with global norms, which recognises only slippage on capital to risk weighted assets ratio. The differences came out in the open when Deputy Governor Acharya, in a hard-hitting speech in October, talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. Subsequently, Economic Affairs Seceretary Subhash Chandra Garg and government nominee on the Board took an apparent dig at Acharya's 'wrath of financial markets' comment in a tweet saying vital indicators of the economy were showing improvement. "The autonomy for the central bank, within the framework of the RBI Act, is an essential and accepted governance requirement. Government of India has nurtured and respected this," the finance ministry said in a statement. However, there was truce on two issues, including with regard to reserves. It was agreed that an expert panel to examine the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) of RBI in its central board meeting on November 19. The RBI, while deciding to retain the CRAR at 9 per cent, agreed to extend the transition period for implementing the last tranche of 0.625 per cent under the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), by one year, up to March 31, 2020. Despite reaching some common ground on contentious issues, Patel in a surprise move resigned on December 10 leaving government perplexed. Acting swiftly, the government very next day, appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das as the 25th Governor of the RBI. This time government preferred a bureaucrat over an economist after tryst with two economists as head of the central bank. Considered an efficient implementer and a team player, Das may be the right man in the RBI amid tensions with the finance ministry over governance and autonomy issues. Edelweiss Equity Savings Fund completed four years in October 2018. Whats so special about it? This was the first equity savings fund launched in India that promised to give a mutual fund monthly income scheme (MIP) type of returns to investors, but with equity taxation. Today, there are 16 schemes in this category with a collective size of Rs 21,350 crore. Last year when the capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with a circular that re-classified MF categories where it told all MFs to classify all their schemes into, equity savings was one of the categories. These are schemes that invest in a mix of equities and fixed income instruments and about a third of their portfolios in arbitrage opportunities. Put the arbitrage and equity components together and the funds overall equity exposure hits 65 percent, which qualifies it to earn equity taxation. For years, fund houses have sold MIP to investors with an aim to give them some sort of a regular income in form of dividends. In reality, MIPs have been a misnomer. They do not and cannot assure monthly income. But that wasnt the only problem with MIPs, now known as conservative hybrid fund after SEBI re-classified mutual fund schemes. They are taxed like debt funds. Withdrawals within three years attract short-term capital gains tax as per your income tax brackets and 20 percent long-term capital gains tax with indexation benefits if you hold on to your units for more than three years. Equity savings funds were a sort of innovation that aimed to give MIP-type of returns, but with an equity taxation twist. The question is, have equity savings funds worked? And, do they make sense or are they too complex? Performance on par Although many equity savings funds records show that they were launched many years ago, they were actually different funds before. And they later turned into equity savings funds. Therefore, if you wish to see their track record, check out their performance since 2014. Thats not much of a history to begin with, but lets see how theyve done so far. Apart from comparing them against conservative hybrid fund, we also compared their performances against short-term debt funds. Between 2014 and now, we checked out a series of 1-year returns with a gap of a month, November 2017 to November 2018, October 2017 to October 2018 and so on. Equity savings funds outperformed short-term bond funds 25 out of 40 times. When compared with conservative hybrid funds, equity savings funds outperformed just 12 of 40 times, as per Value Researchs data. We avoided all those funds that changed their character after SEBI's re-classification exercise because such schemes past performances are irrelevant as they had different mandates back then. On a post-tax basis, because of its equity status, equity savings funds would be bit lucrative, but not much, especially given the fact that from this year, equity funds (and by virtue, equity savings funds) also now attract 10 percent long-term capital gains tax, says Kaustubh Belapurkar, director, fund research, Morningstar India, a US-headquartered MF tracking and research firm. A complex portfolio But a better taxation status is no guarantee to winning returns. Since equity savings funds typically hold 30 percent in equities, they are prone to market volatility. Also within their equity holdings, how much large-cap stocks and how much mid-cap stocks they hold also make a difference to their performance. Many of these funds used to hold equities between 25-40 percent in equities. The downside was that most of these funds didnt really have a coded methodology to decide their equity allocation. It depended on fund managers analysis. Some funds, though, had criteria such as price-to-book ratio to determine how much equity they should hold, says Nithin Sasikumar, co-founder and head-research, Investography Ltd, a Bengaluru-based wealth management firm. Between July 2017 and April 2018, DHFL Pramerica Equity Savings Funds had 13 percent in mid-cap stocks on an average. Since then and until now, its midcap exposure has been 8 percent on an average. It returned 4.23 percent over the 1-year period ending November 2018. Aditya Birla Sun Life Equity Savings Fund held 17 percent in midcaps on an average throughout 2018. Its 1-year return ending November 2018 was -1.22 percent. In other words, it lost money. High expense ratios a spoiler The big dampener for equity savings funds is the expense they charge to investors. The costs that a mutual fund scheme charges- along with how well its underlying portfolio- plays a key role in how much money an investor makes. When Swarup Mohanty, chief executive officer, Mirae Asset Global Investments (India) and his team went to distributors around five to six months ago, to test his firms upcoming fund, Mirae Asset Equity Savings Fund, he knew that the fund had just got SEBI's approval and Mohanty wanted to make the scheme lucrative to investors. Charge less expenses that could translate into better returns. Equity savings funds have been used to charging expense ratios of 2.1 percent on an average, as per Value Research data. But equity savings funds are designed to return around 8-10 percent returns. Mohanty believes that for such returns, a 2 percent plus expense ratio is way too high. Mirae ultimately launched the fund with an expense ratio of 1.6 percent; anything lower, he said, would not be lucrative for distribution. Thats the tight balance equity savings. As per Value Research, Principal Equity Savings Fund charges an expense ratio of 2.9 percent. Mahindra Dhan Sanchay Equity Savings Yojana, launched in January 2017, charges an expense ratio of 2.56 percent. On the other end are schemes like DHFL Pramerica Equity Savings Fund that charges 1.29 percent and Mirae Equity Savings Fund that, Mohanty claims, will reduce its own expense ratio from 1.6 percent currently to something far lower, now that its open for subscription. Most equity savings funds have unjustifiably high expense ratios. For schemes that are designed to give you just about 8 percent returns and has only around 30 percent of its portfolio in equities, a high expense ratio is not justified, says the product head of a large fund house, requesting anonymity. What should you do? Due to a large number of differences in terms of underlying holdings and expense ratios they charge, its not easy pickings. These funds are aimed at conservative investors but unless the equity portion is managed deftly and conservatively and expense are kept in check, equity savings funds can face challenges in volatile markets. Annual returns of these funds can vary widely. Some of these funds have lost money in the last one year because equity markets have delivered poor returns. This is not acceptable to conservative investors; typically those that equity savings funds are aimed at. Conservative investors want consistency, says Srikanth Bhagavat, managing director, Hexagon Capital Advisors. Equity savings also lack a long-term track record. Most havent been there for a long time, and others have changed course only in 2018 after the big re-classification exercise. Further, unless you can zero in on a fund that is conservative and comes with a low expense ratio and at the same time, comes with a good track record, equity savings funds are not the effort. Stick to short-term bond or banking and PSU funds. But obligation after obligation kept us from seeing the Kalightoscope in Southwest Territory or sampling the Candy Cane Crush funnel cakes. Finally, with the exhaustion of seasonal demands out of the way, plans were made to attend Holiday in the Parks abbreviated closing night on Monday. The posted schedule called for the gates to close at 8 p.m., giving everyone a chance to head out to New Years Eve revelry or an early bedtime, depending on your stage in life. Online sellers' representative body AIOVA on Monday alleged that Flipkart's delivery unit Ekart has fired about 300 seasonal workers, but the Walmart-backed e-tailer said such workers were hired through local third-party vendors for limited duration especially during festive time. In a tweet, the All India Online Vendors Association said: "Employment practices of Ekart, owned by Flipkart and Walmart $wmt under scrutiny. 300 seasonal workers fired in Kheda. Lot of sellers blacked out. 100 years ago MK Gandhi started first Satyagraha from Kheda". Flipkart in a statement said it continues to work with many reputed local third-party vendors who support in temporary staffing solutions to cater to festive demands. "In cases where we have to reduce our contractual employee strength (contracted by the vendor), we do offer pre-agreed-upon severance packages, which has been the case here as well. We are working closely with our third-party vendors to ensure that they fulfil their obligations, statutory or otherwise, with full fairness," the statement added. Flipkart said it remains committed to be a partner with Gujarat to foster inclusive growth in the state. Willem Buiter, special economic adviser at Citigroup, shared his outlook on the emerging markets (EMs), the US Fed, the US-China trade war and other geopolitical risks. The US Feds balance sheet has never been an auto-pilot. The schedules that they produced just reflects their expected or their planned balance sheet contraction. If there are objective economic circumstances such as sudden tightening of financial conditions that warrant an interruption of the balance sheet contraction, it will happen, they are not set in stone, Buiter told CNBC-TV18 on January 1. Talking about the ongoing trade war between the US and China, Buiter said, The US and China both are slowing down for a few of the domestic reasons. On top of that, we have the trade conflict, on top of that we have the partial shutdown of government in the US, we have uncertainty in Europe both related to Brexit and to rising populism so there is more than enough to make for a steady global slowdown during 2019". The US can slowdown but still can grow faster than potential output in the US. They are growing currently at a rate of just under 3 percent. Potential output growth is no more than 2 percent in the US in our view. so that means that even if they slowdown by 4 percent point over 2019 - which would be top of the range estimate then they would still be growing roughly at potential output. So the Fed can continue to hike slowly and gradually during 2019, said Buiter. With regards to the US dollar and oil prices, he said, Global slowdown is likely to occur during a period of still rising US policy rates and still quite high US longer-term yields and I dont see any immediate weakening of the US dollar. So this doesnt sound like an external environment within which emerging markets thrive. Of course, oil prices are weak and that helps a number of emerging markets including India". Source: CNBC-TV18 Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are stocks that are in the news today: HDFC: Company increased its retail prime lending rate by 10 basis points. IL&FS Transportation Networks: Interest due and payable on December 31, 2018 on the NCDs was not paid to the debenture holders due to insufficient funds. Jindal Steel & Power: Naushad Akhter Ansari, CEO of the company has been designated as the Joint Managing Director. Aavas Financiers: Members of the company approved the re-appointment of Sushil Kumar Agarwal as Whole Time Director and Chief Executive Officer for five years. Dynamatic Technologies: Company executed a Business Transfer Agreement with Hi-Tech Arai Private Limited (Purchaser) for divestment of auto division and company will receive Rs 40 crore. Tirupati Sarjan: Dilipbhai Ganeshbhai Patel resigned as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Kolte-Patil Developers: CRISIL reaffirmed long term rating to A+ and revised outlook to positive from stable for bank loan facilities. Kalpataru Power Transmission and JMC Projects: JMC Projects (India) has secured new orders of Rs 596 crore. Bank of Maharashtra: Bank received the equity capital of Rs 4,498 crore from government. Central Bank of India: Bank has received Rs 1,678 crore by making preferential allotment of shares to government. UCO Bank: The bank has received Rs 3,076 crore by making preferential allotment of shares to government. Allahabad Bank revised Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate (MCLR) with effect from 01.01.2019 Vijaya Bank extends term of Executive Director Nageswara Rao Y Centrum Capital: Company's subsidiary, Centrum Financial Services Limited, has successfully acquired the supply chain finance business of L&T Finance Limited (Business), consisting of an asset book of about Rs 650 crore. Piramal Enterprises: ICRA has assigned credit rating for long term principal protected market linked debentures. Aarey Drugs & Pharmaceuticals: Board approved the reappointment of Mihir Rajesh Ghatalia as the Managing Director of the company. : Company and KEC International mutually agreed to extend the completion date (Long Stop Date) to January 31, 2019 for acquisition of KEC Bikaner Sikar Transmission Private Limited. Premier: Company has, with the consent of its secured lenders, entered into a term sheet for the sale of its property at Chinchwad, Pune, with Runwal Realty Pvt.Ltd. Balrampur Chini Mills: Board has reconstituted the audit committee of the board effective January 1. Alfa Transformer: Company received a letter of award valuing Rs 3.82 crore from one of reputed customer Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited. HPL Electric & Power: Company issued commercial paper of Rs 80 crore. Adani Ports: Adani Petroleum Terminal Private Limited, Adani Dhamra LPG Terminal Private Limited and Mundra LPG Terminal Private Limited have ceased to be subsidiaries and Dhamra LNG Terminal Private Ltd has ceased to be step down subsidiary of the company. Lupin: Company receives FDA approval for Clobazam Oral Suspension, 2.5 mg/mL. Action Construction Equipment: ICRA assigned a long-term rating of AA- with a stable outlook and a short-term rating of A1+ to the Rs 295 crore bank facilities of the company. IOC: Company to cut non-subsidised LPG price by Rs 120.5 per cylinder. Fortis Healthcare: Company appoints BSR & Co as auditor. Bulk Deals on December 31 Agro Phos India: D K Investments sold 1,02,000 shares of the company at Rs 50.82 per share on the NSE. Hindustan Construction Company: Arya Capital Management Pvt Ltd bought 1,45,73,602 shares of the company at Rs 11.87 per share on the NSE. Jayashree Tea: Manav Investment and Trading Company sold 1,80,000 shares of the company at Rs 87.78 per share on the NSE. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings Tata Consultancy Services: Board meeting will be held on January 10 to take on record the audited financial results under Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) for the quarter and nine months ending December 2018 (Q3). Nintec Systems: Board meeting is scheduled on January 10. Banswara Syntex: Company's officials will be meeting investors/analyst on January 2 and 4. Godrej Consumer Products: Board meeting is scheduled to be held on January 29 to take on record the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 (Q3); and to consider declaration of interim dividend. Timex Group India: Board meeting is scheduled on February 7 to consider the un-audited financial results of the company for the quarter ending on December 2018. HDFC Asset Management Company: Board meeting is scheduled on January 21 to consider the unaudited financial results of the company for the third quarter ending December 2018. GIC Housing Finance: Board meeting is scheduled on February 1 to consider the un-audited (provisional) financial results for the third quarter/nine month ended on December 2018. Bajaj Corp: Board meeting is scheduled to be held on January 9 to consider the un-audited financial results of the company (Standalone) for the third quarter ending December 2018 (Q3). Shree Digvijay Cement: Board meeting is scheduled on January 23 to consider the un-audited financial results for the quarter / nine months year ending December 2018. Rane (Madras): Board meeting has been scheduled to be held on January 22 to consider the unaudited financial results (standalone & consolidated) for the quarter and nine months ending December 2018 and declare dividend, if any. Cigniti Technologies: Board meeting is scheduled on January 31 to consider the quarter and nine month ended 31.12.2018 results on consolidated and standalone basis. HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company: Board meeting is scheduled on January 22 to consider the audited standalone financial results of the company for the quarter and nine months ended December 2018. Rane Holdings: Board meeting is scheduled to be held on February 7 to consider the unaudited financial results (standalone and consolidated) for the quarter and nine months ending December 2018 and declare dividend, if any. Shriram Transport Finance: The company is considering raising of funds through various options of borrowings including by way of issue of securities in onshore/offshore market by public issue and private placement basis. Based on the market conditions the meeting(s) of Banking and Finance Committee/Debt Issuance Committee - Public NCDs / Bond Issuance Committee will be held during the next month ending January 2019 to consider and approve the terms and conditions of issue of securities. : Board meeting is scheduled on January 31 to consider the unaudited financial results for the quarter/nine months ended on December 2018. FILE PHOTO: Indonesian worker Abdul Rahim Gani, 32, carries oil palm fruits at Felda Bukit Cerakah in district of Klang outside Kuala Lumpur April 16, 2014. REUTERS/Samsul Said/File Photo - RC12E23F6A40 India slashed import tax on crude and refined palm oil sourced from Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries after request from suppliers, a government notification said late on Monday. The duty on crude palm oil was lowered to 40 percent from 44 percent, while a tax on the refined variety was cut to 50 percent from 54 percent, the notification said. The cuts took effect on Tuesday. In March 2018, India had raised import tax on crude palm oil to 44 percent from 30 percent and lifted the tax on refined palm oil to 54 percent from 40 percent. India relies on imports for 70 percent of its edible oil consumption, up from 44 percent in 2001/02. Nirmal Jain, founder and chairman of IIFL Group, shared his views and outlook on what's in store for markets this year. If you see historically, whenever we had bad year in terms of market performance, compared to economic growth or a year where we have seen foreign investors have withdrawn the money, the next subsequent year people have made more money. When expectations are very low, investors end up doing much better at the end of the year and when expectations are very high reverse happens. This is something that we have seen for so many years." "Having said that, the outlook for the year 2019 can be divided in two parts. The first half and the second half. So in the first half because this is an election year and the elections will be over in the first half of the year and the government will be in power, I think you will see a rangebound market with not much happening because people will wait for the direction from the new government that comes to power, whether it is a clear majority or a coalition, whether it is the same government or there is a new government, who is the prime minister and what are the initial announcements about policies. So those are important things, Jain told CNBC-TV18. Talking about this year's general elections and how markets will behave prior to that, Jain said, I am very optimistic about the outcome of the elections and then I think the second half therefore will be very good because as people see clarity then from macro-fundamentals, India is a great country, it is the fastest growing economy, oil at USD 50-60 per barrel augurs very well for our macros and given all those things, second half will be very good and first half will be range bound. In the first half, investors will be cautious and they should be cautious for good reasons and second half is something when we will have clear trends emerging." I would like to say that non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have a great role to play and a great future. When a sector is riding very high in terms of valuations, in terms of investor expectations and on a high altitude, that is the time when it needs a reality check and a correction. If you look at the next three-five years, I think NBFCs have a tremendous future to grow along with the economy and not only grow along with the economy but also help the economy grow. I am very optimistic on the sector with a medium-term to long-term perspective, said Jain. Source: CNBC TV 18 The government has exempted rupee payments made to Iran's national oil company NIOC towards the purchase of crude oil from payment of any tax, according to a Gazette notification. The finance ministry in a December 28, 2018 Gazette notification said the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) will not have to pay any withholding tax on payments it gets from Indian refiners. India had on November 2, 2018, signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees. Any income a foreign company receives in an Indian bank account is subject to a withholding tax of 40 per cent, which together with sundry cesses totals to 42.5 per cent. Exempting payments received by NIOC for crude oil it sells to Indian refiners, the notification said the Iranian firm "shall not engage in any activity in India, other than the receipt of income under the aforesaid arrangement". It said, "the notification shall be deemed to have come into force from the 5th day of November 2018". This will help clear close to USD 2 billion of payments Indian refiners are holding for oil they bought from Iran during November and October. The rupee pact was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on November 5, 2018. Sources said Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of NIOC. Iran can use these funds to pay for imports of foodgrains, medicines and medical devices from India, the cost of its missions in the country, direct investment in Indian projects, and financing of Iranian students in India. It can also invest the funds in Indian government debt securities. India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, India is allowed to import a maximum of 3,00,000 barrels a day of crude oil. This compares to an average daily import of about 5,60,000 barrels in 2018. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonnes or 15 million tonnes in a year (3,00,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonnes (4,52,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year, sources said. Two of its refiners -- Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) -- bought 1.25 million tonnes of oil from Iran in November and December. India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of total needs. US President Donald Trump in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, re-imposing economic sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Some sanctions took effect from August 6, 2018, while those affecting the oil and banking sectors started from November 5, 2018. Prior to this, India paid its third largest oil supplier in euros using European banking channels. These channels got blocked from November. During the first round of sanctions when EU joined the US in imposing financial restrictions, India initially used a Turkish bank to pay Iran for the oil it bought. Beginning February 2013, India paid 45 per cent of the oil import bill in rupees, while keeping the remainder pending till the opening of payment routes. It began clearing the dues in 2015 when the restrictions were eased. Sources said New Delhi may export goods, including wheat, soybean meal and consumer products, to Iran during the exemption period. Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but Western sanctions over the Persian Gulf nation's suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the seventh spot in the subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonnes and 10.95 million tonne crude, respectively from Iran. Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonnes in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, the Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonnes to catapult it to the third spot. Iranian oil is a lucrative buy for refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crudes -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria, and the US. 1995-96 || Manmohan Singhs last full budget announced a major financial sector reform plan, which set the stage for opening up a sector that was dominated by public sector companies. What reform is this? Ans: Singh proposed to establish an independent Regulatory Authority for the insurance industry that eventually led to the setting up of the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) of India. (Image source: Reuters) A high level search panel headed by former DoPT Secretary B P Sharma is scheduled to conduct interview for selection of the chairman and a managing director of insurance behemoth LIC on January 4, sources said. Vacancy of chairman post arised after retirement of V K Sharma on December 31, 2018, while position of MD fell vacant after superannuation of Usha Sangwan in September last year. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) executive board comprises of one chairman and four managing directors (MDs). According to sources, as many as eight candidates are in the fray for the two position, including M R Kumar, Zonal Manager, Delhi, HS Shashi Kumar, Zonal Manager, Bhopal, Raj Kumar, CEO of LIC Mutual Fund and TC Susheel Kumar, Zonal Manager, Hyderabad. All of them are on executive director rank. Since three remaining MDs are scheduled to retire this year itself, the chairman is likely to be appointed from the shortlisted executive directors. Incumbent MD Sunita Sharma is scheduled to retire on March 2019, B Venugopal in May this year and Hemant Bhargava in July. This is the first time an interview for the top position of LIC will be conducted by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) which so far used to select top management of public sector banks. Earlier, it was done by a panel constituted by the finance ministry. Last month, the government constituted a separate seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector insurance companies. The panel is headed by BBB chairman B P Sharma. The other members of the panel are Financial Services Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises Secretary and Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. Besides, three insurance sector experts -- G N Bajpai, Mathew Varghese and T Bhargava -- have been appointed on the selection panel. The selected name will be forwarded to Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister. Outside of Lake County, the first baby reported born in the New Year in the Chicago area appears to have been delivered at Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, where Yarehlie Nava was born at 12:05 a.m. to Maria Ramirez and Freddy Nava of Elgin, according to hospital spokesman Jim OConnell. The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Deep Pride Limited, Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., EPS Polidrox Industria e Comercio de Resinas Ltda, Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Guangdong Yuegang Dadi Paints Company Limited, Guardsman Australia Pty Limited, Guardsman Industries Limited, Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Jiangsu Pulanna Coating Co. Ltd., Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Resin Surfaces Limited, Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade, Sayerlack, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (South China) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Luxembourg Investment Management Company S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams Uruguay S.A., Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, TOB Becker Acroma Ukraine, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Germany) GmbH, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Inc., Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited, Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, Vantaco Oy, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. Wall Street analysts have given Botswana Diamonds a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Botswana Diamonds wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. The district compressed its academic calendar cutting winter break short, starting after Labor Day and ending by the end of May so it could get as much of the work done over the summer when school isnt in session, Marino said. The academic calendar will return to normal next fall. Fulmer began preparing and planning for the festival each year after New Years Day, his family said. He had a full sheet of contacts and a to-do list, said his son, Donald Jr., and often used a tiny red pencil to check off items and track his goals. Fulmers character was wrapped up in those nubs of red pencils, and we wound up burying him with it, his son said. During designated moments, Logan encouraged people to call out names of loved ones and deceased community influencers. The name of Lorraine Morton, Evanstons first black mayor, was one of those spoken aloud. Morton died last September and her portrait is included in a gallery in the auditorium and along the kitchen of the center. Amabile, who was a part-owner of a grocery store in Chicago, lasted on the show through mid-November. Despite his elimination, he earned praise from judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who said, you brought it to the dance floor. Your shoulders were open, your frame was good. There was one point, OK, youre not a professional ballroom dancer. But really, you have shown up and you have put it on the dance floor, and Im so proud of you. ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP, MI -- A man was shot and later died from his injuries late Monday night while on leave visiting family for the holidays, according to a press release from St. Joseph Township Police Department. Tyrone Hassel III, 23, was found gravely injured with multiple gunshot wounds" after police responded about 11 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, to 2086 Colfax Ave. in St. Joseph Township, the release said. Hassel, an active-duty member of the military, was later pronounced dead at the hospital, the release said. The incident is under investigation and no other information was released by police. St. Joseph Township Police Department was assisted by Berrien County Sheriffs Department, St. Joseph Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police, and the Berrien County Homicide Task Force. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the St. Joseph Township Police Department at 269-429-6890, or Berrien County Crimestoppers at 1-800-342-STOP. KALAMAZOO, MI -- The newest residents of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek were welcomed to the world early Tuesday morning. Daylen Albert Wilson and Eleanor Lynn Behymer were the first people born in the new year Tuesday, Jan. 1, according to a press release from Bronson Methodist Hospital. Wilson was born at 12:06 a.m. in Battle Creek, the release said. His parents, Mallorie Densmore of Hastings and David Turner of Battle Creek, Their sons arrival was a sign of a positive beginning to the new year and his sons life, the release said. Behymer was born at 12:10 a.m. in Kalamazoo, the release said. Her parents Joshua and Meghan Behymer of Kalamazoo had planned a quiet New Years Eve at home, but their daughter had other plans, the release said. They made a late-night dash to Bronson. Eleanor made her entrance less than a half an hour later. LANSING, MI -- On a cold Michigan day and among hundreds of supporters, Gretchen Whitmer was sworn in and officially inaugurated as the states 49th governor. She struck a tone of bipartisanship, acknowledging legislative leaders from both parties and saying, We owe it to the people we serve to cast partisanship aside, to roll up our sleeves, and to build bridges together. Her campaign logo incorporated the Mackinac Bridge, and she drew on that as an example of a time Michiganders worked together to build something that connected people and strengthened the states economy. There is no place in the world like our state, and no people in the world like Michiganders, she said. Whitmer ran a campaign based on clean water, bipartisan cooperation and a need to, as she put it, fix the damn roads. She broke out of the Democratic Primary decisively and, along with her runningmate for Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, bested Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette 53 to 44 percent in the general election. Since then she and a transition team have been preparing for her time in office. She met with Gov. Rick Snyder, went to the White House and has named a series of key cabinet members who will be by her side as she takes the states helm. Before her gubernatorial run Whitmer served as interim Ingham County Prosecutor, and before that as a state representative and state senator. She is the 49th governor of Michigan. Former governors Rick Snyder, Jennifer Granholm and Jim Blanchard attended the ceremony, which included a gun slaute and fly-over from two helicopters. Mary Schafer, of Bath, said she was just happy to see Gretchen Whitmer elected. As an educator, Schafer said she supported Whitmer because she was pro-education, and she hoped Whitmer would be more supportive of unions than Snyder was. Also sworn in at the inauguration ceremony were Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Supreme Court Justices Elizabeth Clement and Megan Kathleen Cavanagh, judges and university board members. Regions containing this locality Eurasian Plate Tectonic Plate Europe Continent Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Strunz Dana Chemical Elements Regional Geology No description has been added for this locality. Can you add one? This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found. Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org Archean gneiss Age: Archean (2500 - 4000 Ma) Description: undifferentiated metamorphic Lithology: Gneiss Reference: Asch, K. The 1:5M International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas: Development and Implementation of a GIS-enabled Concept. Geologisches Jahrbuch, SA 3. [147] Archean crystalline metamorphic rocks Age: Archean (2500 - 4000 Ma) Lithology: Crystalline metamorphic rocks Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154] Igneous: intrusive; Intrusive: tonalitic-granodioritic Age: Archean (2500 - 3200 Ma) Description: Northern Europe, Karelian Craton Comments: Craton and massif; Koistinen et al., 2001; Sigmond, 2002; Solli, unpublished compilation, 2007-08; Bergman et al., unpublished revisions, 2007-08 Lithology: Tonalite, granodiorite, granite gneiss, enderbite, migmatite Reference: J.C. Harrison, M.R. St-Onge, O.V. Petrov, S.I. Strelnikov, B.G. Lopatin, F.H. Wilson, S. Tella, D. Paul, T. Lynds, S.P. Shokalsky, C.K. Hults, S. Bergman, H.F. Jepsen, and A. Solli. Geological map of the Arctic. doi:10.4095/287868. Geological Survey of Canada Map 2159A. [2] Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License References Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A) Konnunaho, J., Hanski, E., Wing, B., Bekker, A., Lukkari, S., & Halkoaho, T. (2016). The Hietaharju PGE-enriched komatiite-hosted sulfide deposit in the Archean Suomussalmi greenstone belt, eastern Finland. Ore Geology Reviews, 72, 641-658. External Links Key Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Dana Chemical Elements Detailed Mineral List: Albite Formula: Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Albite var. Cleavelandite Formula: Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 'Albite-Anorthite Series' Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 'Almandine-Spessartine Series' Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Bavenite Formula: Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 Reference: Kristiansen, R. (2003): Mineralspalta. Bavenitt pa Scandium-symposiet. STEIN 30 (4), 24 Euxenite-(Y) Formula: (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Reference: Muller, A., Kearsley, A., Spratt, J. and Seltmann, R. (2012): Petrogenetic implications of magmatic garnet in granitic pegmatites from Southern Norway. Canadian Mineralogist. 50,1095-1115 Gadolinite-(Y) Formula: Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 Description: Found as inclusions in garnet. Reference: Muller, A., Kearsley, A., Spratt, J. and Seltmann, R. (2012): Petrogenetic implications of magmatic garnet in granitic pegmatites from Southern Norway. Canadian Mineralogist. 50,1095-1115 Microcline Formula: K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Microcline var. Amazonite Formula: K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Muscovite Formula: KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Quartz Formula: SiO 2 Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Siderophyllite Formula: KFe2+ 2 Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 Reference: Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Gallery: List of minerals for each chemical element H Hydrogen H Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 H Muscovite KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 H Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 Be Beryllium Be Gadolinite-(Y) Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 Be Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 O Oxygen O Microcline K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) O Quartz SiO 2 O Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 O Muscovite KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 O Albite var. Cleavelandite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) O Microcline var. Amazonite K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) O Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 O Albite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) O Gadolinite-(Y) Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 O Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 Na Sodium Na Albite var. Cleavelandite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Na Albite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Al Aluminium Al Microcline K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Al Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 Al Muscovite KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 Al Albite var. Cleavelandite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Al Microcline var. Amazonite K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Al Albite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Al Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 Si Silicon Si Microcline K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Si Quartz SiO 2 Si Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 Si Muscovite KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 Si Albite var. Cleavelandite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Si Microcline var. Amazonite K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Si Albite Na(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Si Gadolinite-(Y) Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 Si Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 K Potassium K Microcline K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) K Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 K Muscovite KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 K Microcline var. Amazonite K(AlSi 3 O 8 ) Ca Calcium Ca Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Ca Bavenite Ca 4 Be 2 Al 2 Si 9 O 26 (OH) 2 Ti Titanium Ti Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Fe Iron Fe Siderophyllite KFe 2 2+Al(Al 2 Si 2 O 10 )(OH) 2 Fe Gadolinite-(Y) Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 Y Yttrium Y Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Y Gadolinite-(Y) Y 2 Fe2+Be 2 Si 2 O 10 Nb Niobium Nb Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Ce Cerium Ce Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Ta Tantalum Ta Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 Th Thorium Th Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 U Uranium U Euxenite-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti) 2 O 6 References Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A) Lund, B. (1984): Diamantboring Li feltspatgruve, Vardeheia, Evje og Hornes. NGU Rapport 84.011 /Agderprogrammet 1983: Lid feltspatgruve. Bergvesenet Rapport BV 433. Kristiansen, R. (2003): Mineralspalta. Bavenitt pa Scandium-symposiet. STEIN 30 (4), 24 Muller, A., Kearsley, A., Spratt, J. and Seltmann, R. (2012): Petrogenetic implications of magmatic garnet in granitic pegmatites from Southern Norway. Canadian Mineralogist. 50,1095-1115 Muller A., Friis H., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen . (2017) Sveconorwegian pegmatites of the Evje-Iveland area, South Norway. In: Muller A., Husdal T., Sunde ., Friis H., Andersen T., Johansen T.S., Werner R., Thoresen ., Olerud S. (eds.) Norwegian Pegmatites I: Tysfjord-Hamary, Evje-Iveland, Langesundsfjord. Geological Society of Norway Geological Guides 2017-6, pp. 48-102, ISBN: 978-82-8347-020-8 Stensrud, S., (2009): De opptredende mineraler pa granittpegmatittganger i Iveland og Evje. Unpublished paper based on 4 previous papers written together with Johan Lchen. Andersen, O. (1931): Feltspat II. Forekomster i fylkene Buskerud og Telemark, i flere herreder i Aust-Agder og i Hidra i Vest-Agder. Norges Geologiske Underskelse Nr 128b, p.1-109 External Links Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary. This is the largest quarry in the Li pegmatite, which is the largest exposed pegmatite in the Evje-Iveland district (as far as known).Andersen (1931) designation of the quarry: "vre Lie II. (Liegruben)" (p. 105).Chemically it is a primitive (almost barren) rare-element pegmatite of the monazite and euxenite subtype with NYF affinity.Although the pegmatite only contains a few mineral species, the mine exposes some spectacular, large-scale layered structures (line rocks) and enormous sizes of feldspar and biotite crystals.Emplaced in metanorite of the Iveland-Gautestad mafic intrusion (1285 8 to 1271 12 Ma) and banded gneisses, the Li gruve pegmatite forms an approximately 1 km long, sheet-like body striking NW-SE (Fig. 2.37).The body varies in thickness from a few meters to 25 m, and dips at a shallow angle towards SW.At the upper contact, there is an up to 10 cm wide medium-grained granitic border facies, which grades into wall zone (up to 2 m wide) of coarse granitic texture with plagioclase, K-feldspar and biotite.Crystal sizes in the wall zone can reach 0.5 m. The sharp lower contact of the upper wall zone to the intermediate zone is marked by a line of megacrystic, fan-like biotite sheets (up to 1 m in length) pointing towards the pegmatite centres forming unidirectional solidification textures (USTs) (Figs. 2.38, 2.39).The larger biotite sheets are bent.The biotite-rich layer (0.5- 1 m in thickness) is followed by a layer of pinkish Kfeldspar megacrysts (0.3 to 1 m in length) with interstitial plagioclase.These biotite-rich and K-feldspar- rich UST-layers alternate several times forming a layered line rock, in this case the intermediate zone.The last line at the contact to the core zone is biotite-rich with fan-like biotite up to 4 m in length.The core zone comprises of up to 8 m long, whitish subhedral K-feldspar crystals embedded in massive quartz.The lower intermediate zone consists also of line rock but with several differences compared to the upper intermediate zone:(1) the layers are thinner (3 to 30cm) but higher in number;(2) within some layers the crystals grow in two opposite directions (not only in one direction as in the upper intermediate zone);(3) garnet,which is absent in the upper intermediate zone, is common and strongly enriched in some layers forming garnet-rich bands (Fig. 2.40).The lower contact is not exposed.The vertical structural zoning appears symmetrical; however, the mineralogical and chemical zoning is asymmetric in respect to biotite/garnet and K-feldspar/plagioclase ratios.Biotite and K-feldspar are enriched in the upper wall and intermediate zone, whereas garnet and plagioclase are enriched in the lower wall and intermediate zone.The asymmetrical zoning implies a relative low undercooling (if at all) and slow cooling rate.The quarry is still operative, and every year 10-50 ton of high purity microcline is extracted for dental applications.The microcline is in norwegian also called "tannspat", which translates into "tooth spar" or "dental spar".Coordinates Kartverket - https://www.kartverket.no A Massachusetts judge sided with three Afghanistan war veterans who filed a lawsuit against the state, after being denied "Welcome Home" bonuses because of their other-than-honorable military discharges. In a decision handed down Wednesday, Associate Justice Michael Ricciuti ordered the Massachusetts Veterans' Bonus Appeal Board to reconsider rejecting the veterans. Lawyers in the case estimate that beyond their three clients, the decision means that about 4,000 Massachusetts veterans are now eligible for the bonuses. "Veterans with bad paper discharges are among the most at-risk veterans and yet are often told that they are ineligible for traditional veteran services and programs," said Laurel Fresquez, an attorney who represented the three veterans. "Thanks to this decision and these three veterans, thousands of Massachusetts veterans will finally have a right to some recognition for their honorable service to our country." The Massachusetts legislature created the Welcome Home Bonus in 2005 for post-9/11 service members. Under the program, people who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan -- and lived in Massachusetts for a period of least six months before enlisting -- are eligible to apply for a one-time, tax-free $1,000 bonus. The program is run by the state treasury. Jeffrey Machado, Washington Santos and Herik Espinosa -- three Army veterans named in the lawsuit -- each completed enlistments and re-joined multiple times. They applied for the Welcome Home Bonus and were denied by the treasury and then the Veterans' Bonus Appeal Board, which argued their other-than-honorable discharges from their final enlistments made them ineligible. Machado, Santos and Espinosa, represented by student attorneys at Harvard Law School's Veterans Legal Clinic, filed a lawsuit in 2017 in Massachusetts Superior Court. In the complaint, they argued the board should take into consideration their prior enlistments, which they completed honorably. The judge agreed, calling the state's denial "erroneous as a matter of law, arbitrary and capricious." He said the board's decision to deny the benefit disincentivized service members from enlisting multiple times. "The Bonus Law was designed to reward service to the country," Ricciuti's order reads. "The board's reading would penalize such service for military members who voluntarily remain in combat, a result at odds with the legislature's intent." In a statement Sunday, Machado, the lead plaintiff, said the decision meant more than the $1,000 - it was a symbolic win for veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. Those discharges, known as "bad paper," can prevent veterans from receiving federal assistance, such as Department of Veterans Affairs health care, disability payments, education and housing. Some lawmakers and veteran advocates have long argued servicemembers with bad paper were, in many cases, unjustly released from the military because of mental health issues. The Government Accountability Office released findings in 2017 that the Defense Department separated approximately 92,000 service members for misconduct from 2011 through 2015, and 57,000 of them were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other conditions that can change service members' moods and behaviors and lead to disciplinary problems. Machado deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012-13 and immediately re-enlisted. According to the complaint, Machado's service ended in 2014 with an other-than-honorable discharge that was "given out after the wounds of war and the stress of service became too great." Machado was later diagnosed with PTSD and applied for the Welcome Home Bonus during a particularly tough time, when facing the possibility of homelessness, his lawyers said. "What really matters to me is that other Massachusetts veterans will be recognized for their honorable service to our country," Machado said in a statement. "It's less about the bonus itself -- it's about what it represents." Veterans who believe they're now eligible for the bonus can apply for it through the state government website. Dana Montalto, a clinical instructor at the Veterans Legal Clinic, said she hoped the state would reach out to veterans who might be eligible. "For now, the burden is on these veterans to find out about this decision and apply," Montalto said in a statement. The Massachusetts decision follows other recent wins for veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. Congress approved a measure in March that requires the VA to provide veterans with mental health screenings and care, even if they received bad paper. Veterans who served in combat zones or areas of hostilities, worked as drone operators in combat zones or experienced sexual abuse or assault are eligible. In addition, Connecticut opened its state VA resources in October to veterans who can show their other-than-honorable discharges are linked to PTSD, traumatic brain injury or sexual trauma. It's estimated 800 veterans could benefit from the change. This article by Jeff Schogol originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. A Marine has died from a gunshot wound while on duty at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., Corps officials announced on Tuesday. The incident happened about 5 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a news release from the base. The Marine's name has not yet been released pending next of kin notification. Police from Washington, D.C., responded to the scene and the shooting is currently under investigation, the news release says. "The command's priorities are to take care of the Marine's family and friends," Col. Don Tomich, commanding officer of Marine Barracks, said in the news release. "We want to ensure these personnel are being provided for during this challenging time." Capt. Colleen McFadden, a spokeswoman for Marine Barracks Washington, declined to say whether or not foul play is suspected in connection with the Marine's death. Nor would she say if the shooting may have been a negligent discharge, or if any other Marines were wounded in the incident. "The command and the Marines here are cooperating with the investigation team, which is the Metropolitan Police Department, at the time," McFadden told Task & Purpose. Tuesday marked the second time in six months that a Marine has been shot at Marine Barracks Washington. On June 15, a Marine suffered non-life-threatening injuries from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" while standing post near the House of the Commandants. More articles from Task & Purpose: Trump Says He's 'In No Rush' To Pick A New Defense Secretary First Look At One Of The Army's Potential Black Hawk Replacements Dunford Dismisses Reports Of An Imminent Afghanistan Drawdown Pritzker bad for Illinois: You people are going to be really sorry that you got Pritzker in office. Taxes are going to go through the roof. He probably does smoke marijuana and gets the munchies because hes big and fat. He has the best of everything. He has lobster and steak while we eat dog food on crackers. In contrast to now former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, new Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan pledged Tuesday that he would work with the military leadership to carry out President Donald Trump's policy agenda on national security issues without pushback. In a three-paragraph statement for release early Tuesday, Shanahan twice stressed that there would be no daylight between him and Trump on the Syrian withdrawal or other issues that led to Mattis' resignation. Shanahan said that he was looking forward to "working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense." Shanahan said again that "Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation." But he also paid tribute to Mattis who resigned on Dec. 20, a day after Trump made the surprise announcement that the estimated 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would be withdrawn. "We have deep respect for Secretary Mattis' lifetime of service, and it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary," said Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who did not serve in the military and has little experience in foreign affairs or dealing with allies. Shanahan said he would be relying on the troops to carry out his new responsibilities by remaining vigilant and steadfast in their sworn duties to service. "The Department of Defense continues to be one of our nation's bedrock institutions," Shanahan said, and "our foundational strength lies in the remarkable men and women who volunteer to serve our country and protect our freedoms, while making immense personal sacrifice." In his farewell message to the troops Monday, Mattis urged them to persevere in their duties, and appeared to hint at the turmoil caused by his resignation. "Our Department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult," Mattis said in the three-paragraph statement in which he stressed that cooperation with allies and partnered local forces was vital to protecting the nation. "So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes," the 68-year-old Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, said in taking leave after more than 40 years in uniform and nearly two years as Defense Secretary. Shanahan, 56, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Masters in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined Boeing in 1986 and had management positions in Boeing Missile Defense Systems and in the 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787 commercial airline programs. President Donald Trump nominated him to become Deputy Defense Secretary in March 2017 and he was confirmed by the Senate in April. Via Twitter, Trump has suggested that Shanahan's service as Acting Secretary could be lengthy but he has also said there is no lack of candidates for the job. It was not immediately clear whether the president would consider retaining Shanahan for the permanent post. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com TORRINGTON For the Blondin-Shea Eye Care office in Torrington, the post-holiday period has long been a busy, even hectic time of year. For the last 19 years, Dr. Matthew Blondin and a team of eye doctors and optometry students have spent a week in mid-January in the coastal town of San Juan del Sur, where they provide eye exams, glasses and one-day surgeries to hundreds of residents, many of whom travel many miles for treatment. But this year, which would have marked the 20th anniversary of the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity-Connecticuts mission in the Central American country, the trip is off. Nicaragua has been caught in a civil conflict between its president, Daniel Ortega, since April, and travel advisories have warned of increased violence there with more than 400 people dead and hundreds detained or arrested, according to a story published Dec. 29 by the Associated Press. Reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to crime, civil unrest, limited healthcare availability, and arbitrary enforcement of laws, the U.S. Department of State website says. The Blondins founded VOSH-CT in 2001. Since then, Blondin and his team, along with his wife, attorney Audrey Blondin, family members and friends have made the trip each year, bringing with them not only the much-needed eye care but clothes, school supplies and anything else they could provide . Usually by this time of year, weve already sent bags and bags of supplies to everyone whos going with VOSH and we arrive together, Audrey Blondin said. We realized that we werent going to be able to do that. Its so sad, whats happening over there. It makes us all feel very helpless. Matthew Blondins first clue that the trip was in trouble was when students who traditionally participated started pulling out. We didnt have anyone to go with us, he said. The travel warnings got worse and worse. Eventually we realized it probably wasnt going to happen. After visiting there annually for so many years, theyve made many friends in San Juan del Sur. Some even became family members. Orlando Sevilla, who met the Blondins during one of their early visits, eventually moved to the familys home in Litchfield and has been in Connecticut ever since, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2017. Sevillas family still lives in San Juan del Sur, and he has traveled back and forth to visit. with his wife and children. But not lately. I havent been there since last January (2018) Sevilla said. Since things went down over there in April, its been a mess. Ortegas a dictator. Hes treating people just like Samoza (the former family regime that controlled the country, before an earthquake in 1972 led to a revolution led by the rebel Sandinistas) did. Hes a dictator. How it started According to Sevilla, the unrest began on April 19, when Ortega announced he would take pension funds originally intended for elderly residents and those in need, and give the money to workers to stimulate the economy and government. Its like our social security system, Sevilla said. In Managua, the capitol, older people started going into the streets to protest this, because there are no jobs there. People are really struggling. When the national police went out and attacked the protesters, Ortega told them to, and then students started supporting the people by protesting. And it just got worse from there. There are probably about 600 political prisoners now, and more every day, Sevilla said. If you do anything thats thought to be attacking Ortega, youre done. Youre arrested. You cant fly the countrys flag, you cant wear those colors. And you cant talk about it. If you do, youre against the government. The national police supports Ortega, so theyre arresting everyone and people are getting killed. In December, the Nicaraguan government shut down prominent non-governmental organizations and news outlets and expelled international monitors documenting alleged rights abuses, according to AP. In November, the Trump administration placed new sanctions against the vice president of Nicaragua and a top national security adviser to President Daniel Ortega, according to thehill.com. We miss our friends The unrest and tyranny equals no safe travel for a group like VOSH-CT. Since the mission began, the Blondin team spent a week not only providing eye care and supplies to the citizenry, but making many friends. For example, Matthew Blondin is friends with local businesspeople and families who look forward to their visit each year. Theres a guy I go to for a haircut, he said. I dont know if Ill see him again. I dont know how theyre doing. Its sad and scary to think that people are in danger like that. Blondin often provides enough medicine to a patient he treats so that they can continue until he returns. I give people medicine for their eyes, for cataracts, for example, or for a surgery they had, and theyre going to run out, he said. Whats going to happen to them? I cant do anything. We cant send anything over there either. Its very sad. Audrey Blondin has also made many friends during her visits, and has watched the country slowly recover economically during the last 19 years. The growth there, even during the past 10 years, was unbelievable, and so good for the country, she said. There were new hotels, people were starting new businesses the schools were being improved. There has been so much positive change. The only people this is going to hurt is the people of Nicaragua, Sevilla said. All thats been done is gone. There are no jobs. VOSH-CT must receive a letter of approval from the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health before booking their flight to Managua. We thought of going, no matter what, but the ministry is part of the government, and no ones getting a letter from them now, Audrey Blondin said. No ones going over at all. There are no mission trips to any part of the country. VOSH-CT is traveling to Virginia in June for a weeklong clinic, similar to the ones they have held in Nicaragua, and there will be plenty of people to help, the Blondins said. More information is available at www.drblondin.com/voshct. But the couples thoughts turn to Nicaragua every day, as news reports continue to portray a bleak picture for the country. A lot of people are so disappointed that were not coming, Sevilla said. I dont want to be responsible for putting people in danger, so we cant take the risk and travel there, Matthew Blondin said. But these are my friends. Im so sad. Theres a hole in my heart. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo plans to shine a light on the pricing of prescription medications dispensed to the states 200,000 employees and their dependents, and he hopes it will become a model that will bring down drug prices in private industry as well. Lembo has issued a request for proposal for a new pharmacy benefits agreement that increases transparency in the way insurers, known as pharmacy benefits managers, profit from their role as middle man between the drug manufacturers and the employers and workers who pay for their insurance plans. Historically, the PBMs have kept their revenue streams as a closely guarded secret, Lembo said. They buy a drug for X, they sell it for Y, I reimburse them for part of that, and they keep the difference. Pharmacy benefit managers include insurers such as CVS Caremark, a subsidiary of CVS Health, which is the states current pharmacy benefit management company. CVS Health recently completed its purchase of Hartford-based Aetna. Express Scripts, owned by Cigna, is another example of a pharmacy benefit manager. Theyre an insurance company, not unlike your health insurance provider that stands between your doctor and you, Lembo said. They negotiate pricing with the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drug and they negotiate pricing with the pharmacy that dispenses the drug. Theyre in the middle of all that. Lembos concern is that the pharmacy benefit managers receive rebates from the manufacturers and negotiate price lists with the pharmacies, without passing on the lowest prices to consumers. The RFP that we put out really brings really true transparency, he said. Part of my hope in all of this is that other public and private employers will follow Connecticuts example, Lembo said. Its the first of its kind in the nation. We are pushing this in a very serious way. This is a big moment for health care nerds. According to the new contract, which will be awarded early next year, every bit of the rebate and the administrative fees are passed on to us, Lembo said. The insurer also will be required to be open to deeper and more frequent audits than theyve ever had before, he said. The RFP requires that 100 percent of all dollars that pass between the PBM and the manufacturers has to be passed on to us. They keep none of it, Lembo said. Also, theyre going to be forced to process claims at the lowest negotiated price list. There will be no more of this bait and switch based on which rebates are higher. Lembo criticized the practice of spread pricing charging the state more than what the PBM paid for the drug. The pharmacy benefit managers will only make their money on an administrative bump on the prescription that is sold to the consumer, Lembo said. Lembo said the pharmacy benefit managers create their formularies the list of drugs that the insurer will cover the cost of, minus a co-pay based on maximizing profit. Theres multiple drugs in a drug class and some of them will be more advantageous to the PBMs, he said. The reality is, when you go to see your doctor and they prescribe something for you, in most cases they have no idea what it costs, Lembo said. Now, when the pharmacy benefit manager receives a rebate on a drug, were requiring the PBM to pass the rebate on to the patient at the counter, he said. Also, pharmaceutical manufacturers typically sell drugs to the PBMs at a discount, but for patients in high-deductible health care plans who have yet to reach their annual deductible, there is no requirement that the discount be passed on to you at that point, Lembo said. The RFP will require drug costs to be based on a per-patient basis rather than a discount from the average wholesale price, which tends to yield a higher profit to the pharmacy benefit manager. Also, first-time prescriptions will be limited to 30 days rather than allowing 90-day orders. Lembo said 30 percent of 90-day first-time prescriptions were never refilled, indicating that the 90-day prescription may have been unnecessary and that medication was wasted. Pharmacy benefit managers also will be required to include the actual cost of the drugs prescribers are ordering as well as therapeutically equivalent choices in patients electronic medical records, so doctors can choose the lower-priced medication. The PBM also is going to be held responsible for patients improved health, such as making sure a patient with high cholesterol is taking his medication. If they dont, Im going to pull money back from them, Lembo said. Now were not only going to look to the provider community but to the PBM as well, Lembo said. Theyre going to have to become partners in keeping our patients healthy because its the insurer that knows whether or not patients are filling their prescriptions. Christine Cramer, spokeswoman for CVS Health, which is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, issued a statement saying, CVS Caremark has been pleased to partner with the State of Connecticut over the past several years to support the prescription needs of the states employees. In our role as the PBM for the States employees, CVS Caremark continuously monitors the States prescription drug costs for emerging trends and clinical opportunities and have been able to help the State manage rising drug costs while providing members with access to the medications they need to stay healthy and optimize treatment outcomes, Cramer wrote. She said CVS Caremark would be participating in the RFP and will also be sharing information about our new PBM pricing model, the Guaranteed Net Cost model, for their consideration. That new pricing structure, announced earlier this month, offers a simpler economic model that leverages proven PBM cost management strategies such as formulary, utilization management and performance pharmacy networks to provide predictable drug costs, Cramer wrote. Under this new model, as with the current contract with Connecticut, CVS Caremark passes through 100 percent of the rebates negotiated with pharmaceutical manufactures to the plan sponsors. Jennifer Luddy, spokeswoman for Express Scripts, wrote in an email that the insurer supports the states desire for a new approach to prescription benefits with an emphasis on transparency, quality and cost-effectiveness, all of which aligns with our goal of improving the affordability and access of prescription drugs. Lembo said Other big plans are watching what were doing. Its really an opportunity to shift this back in the favor of the patient and their plan sponsor. He said at least six pharmacy benefit managers had submitted letters of intent to him by the deadline. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382. Fun fact: Chicago was built on swamp land. So it should be no surprise that as we enter the height of summer, the days become long and humid. Of course, Chicago is a playground in summertime, even as sweaty, muggy heat waves punctuate the more temperate weeks. Thankfully, this city is full of ice cream and frozen treat spots that will help fight the heat. Looking for nostalgic flavors of bygone eras? Check out mainstay Margie's Candies for humongous sundaes, or more contemporary Spinning J's for a hit of throwback charm . Want something more adventurous? Don't miss frozen cookie dough from Cookie Dough Creations, paletas made from fresh tropical fruit at any number of vendors, or even trendy Thai rolled ice cream, which is popping up around town. There's no better time to be an ice cream lover, and we've got the scoop. NEW HAVEN Children and teenagers are dying from opioid drugs at triple the rates of two decades ago, with almost 9,000 deaths recorded, according to a Yale School of Medicine study published in JAMA Network Open. The new findings greatly increase the annual estimates of how many young people die from overdoses of the drugs, from 30 in a study focusing only on hospitalizations, to nearly 500, according to a news release. The new study was based on mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1999 and 2016. The opioid crisis , including overdoses from prescription drugs such as oxycontin, illegal street drugs, including heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, was responsible for 47,600 deaths in 2017, 67.8 percent of all deaths from drug overdoses, which totaled 70,237, according to the CDC. The rate of opioid deaths overall has increased by six times since 1999, the CDC reported. Most of the deaths of those younger than 20, 88 percent, were of older teenagers, the release said. While there was a decline in the death rates in 2008 and 2009 that corresponded with a decrease in prescribing trends, the rates are going up again, said Julie Gaither, an instructor at the Yale School of Medicine and lead author of the study, in a release. Its due to a rise in heroin and synthetic opioid use among teens. But there also were children under 5 who died from opioids. About a quarter of those were considered homicides, which may be the result of an adult giving the child medication with the intention to harm them, Gaither said in the release. In many cases, it may be that parents are administering opioids to the kids possibly to sedate them, but that is only anecdotal information, Gaither said in an interview. She added that it would be up to the states chief medical examiner to determine how to classify those deaths. Others likely are the result of a young child finding a pill and swallowing it. Gaither said more research is needed to determine the role of neglect, abuse and substance abuse by parents. She said her next research project will focus on 1,000 children who have died from opioids, using data from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention. That study will give some indication of how young children are dying from opioids, she said. Further research is need to determine the role of abuse, neglect and substance abuse by parents in young childrens deaths, the release said. Methadone, an opioid used by drug addicts to reduce addiction to more dangerous drugs, is responsible for a large number of childhood deaths, the release said. According to the study, the opioid crisis is spreading beyond white males, the largest group affected. This is still a problem that affects whites and males mostly, but that is changing. Death rates among females, blacks, and Hispanics are rising rapidly, Gaither said in the release. Gaither said that to avoid accidental poisoning and prevent access by older children and teens, some of its common sense solutions. Adults should keep opioids stored safely, remove them from the house when no longer needed and use devices such as lockboxes. For physicians who are prescribing opioids to adults, take into consideration who else is in the house, she said. As the United States is working more aggressively to treat opioid addiction, we need to consider how children and adolescents are affected by that, Gaither said in the release. We need to start looking at communities and families as a whole and how everything is interrelated. NEW BRITAIN The New Britain Industrial Museum is celebrating the start of the new year with a merge of artistry and industry. Artist Rachel Lussier will be on-site at the museum during open hours starting Wednesday, Jan. 9, and ending Wednesday, Jan. 23. Lussier will create a new work of art based on a piece from the museums collection, and invites the public to participate in her artistic process. Rachel Lussier is used to working in public settings to create works of art related to industry and productivity. I am interested in the way we use our hands and our eyes, Lussier says. The work produced in recent years reveals this curiosity through [industrial] subject matter and through my unique work practices. Formerly Senior Art Director at Sothebys, Lussier sought a new creative path in 2000. She prefers to work in spaces that challenge her traditional fine arts education, avoiding studio spaces and stepping into others workspaces. She opts to capture images without the aid of photography or other digital devices. Working in this method often thrusts me into public settings, Lussier said. These circumstances offer a unique opportunity to examine the societal divides between artist and the public. I am fascinated that most people appear to be just as curious about how the art is created as by the final product itself. With this understanding I now incorporate and share the art making journey with those who host or witness my projects. She has offered for her work of art created at the New Britain Industrial Museum to be sold in a raffle to benefit the museum. All are welcome to join in this creative process at the start of the new year by visiting the New BritainIndustrial Museum during open hours between Jan. 9-23. The New Britain Industrial Museum is open Wednesdays 12-4 p.m., Thursdays 2-4 p.m., Fridays 2-4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For more information on Rachel Lussier and to see more examples of her work, visit www.rachellussierart.com. The New Britain Industrial Museum uses New Britains innovative past to inspire makers and thinkers. The museum collects, preserves, and exhibits industrial collections that represent the ingenuity and creativity of generations of Hardware City people. Through exhibitions and special programs, the museum cultivates awareness of past generations productivity and supports future innovation. A division of the New Britain Institute, the New Britain Industrial Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3. The museum is open Wednesdays 12-4 p.m., Thursdays 2-4 p.m., Fridays 2-4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, please visit www.nbindustrial.org or call (860) 832-8654. The latest idea by Sen. Lindsey Graham to solve the federal government shutdown standoff with an immigration compromise, floated on Sunday, created a bit of chatter between Lucas Codognolla and some of his fellow DACA participants. One New York friend texted Codognolla, an undocumented resident of Bridgeport. He was like, Is this going to be a thing? Well, no, its not. Or maybe it will. Either way, the fact that the incoming chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hatched a scheme and claimed the president of the United States likes the idea should ring alarms along with New Years chimes. The plan by the South Carolina Republican would give President Donald Trump the $5.2 billion he wants for a Mexico border wall, slotted fence, or whatever metaphor we want to concoct for this needless waste. In exchange, the nearly 800,000 young undocumented people caught in limbo under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would receive the right to apply for a three-year extension. It makes me feel like a bargaining chip, Codognolla said. Hes executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream, an advocacy group for the so-called Dreamers who came to the United States before 2007 as children of undocumented immigrants. And having come from Brazil at age 9 and grown up in Connecticut, hes the only member of his immediate family, three siblings and his parents, who isnt either a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. It makes me angry about the whole situation that were in around this whole metaphor for the wall, and it makes me sad that were not able to reform our whole immigration system, Codognolla said Monday. Graham floated a similar idea previously and it didnt go over well in part because everyone realized Trump cant be trusted from one day to the next. Now hes trying to execute an immigration fix as part of talks to end the partial government shutdown that seems headed well into the new year. Thats a bit like trying to reach a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians as part of a plea bargain on a criminal case. Immigration reform on its own is almost impossible to achieve, although Congress came close in 2015. As part of talks to end a partial shutdown? Ridiculous on every level. It would have raised blood pressures in the immigrant services community if they hadnt seen this movie before. Instead, it was just a reminder that Graham, well-meaning as he may be, is part of a cabal of Republicans thats allowing an ignorant president to manage the nation into the gutter. To kind of say, Lets hurry up and come to some kind of compromise quickly on these really intractable issues doesnt make sense and its really unfair to the people whose lives and opportunities are at stake, said Claudia Connor, president and CEO of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, based in Bridgeport. Thoughtful and sustainable solutions cant be done in a rushed way, Connor said. And with the Trump administration, she added, The issue is trust. The issue encompasses just about every aspect of American culture, not least, the economy. Were talking about more than 11 million undocumented immigrants, most of whom are working at a time when the workforce is short staffed nowhere more than in Connecticut. The whole reason we ran into this crisis to begin with is that the legal immigration system is broken and doesnt allow enough people into the country. But advocates and people caught in the crossfire have pretty much given up hope of a solution under Trump. I really dont think we can pass any policies with this administration that wont be detrimental to immigrants, Codognolla said, explaining why his group focuses on state laws such as an act last spring giving all immigrants the right to financial aid from state colleges and universities. Thats too bad, but for now, the pressing need is to reopen the government by the end of this week. Were not against border enforcement, said Catalina Horak, executive director of Building One Community on Stamford, an immigrant services group. But she said, This concrete wall at the border with absolutely no other way of making a comprehensive package for immigration reform is not going to work.Its a very complex issue and we need to deal with it in a multifaceted way. On its own, the tradeoff money for a wall in exchange for expanded rights for dreamers and other undocumented immigrants would be a very divisive issue within the immigrant community, Codognolla said. Its a farce as part of talks to end the shutdown because its a quick fix of a temporary solution of a patchwork of outdated la ws. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander who is focused on getting things done that will make a difference in peoples lives. Shes an attorney, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative, and Senator. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, shes devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for all and governed through unprecedented, colliding crises. As Governor Whitmer has led Michigan through this extraordinary time, shes remained focused on doing the right things: acting decisively, following the science, and listening to the experts. Her leadership helped get the once in a century pandemic under control and laid the groundwork to rebuild Michigans economy back stronger than ever. The Governor ran on fixing the damn roads, cleaning up drinking water, and expanding opportunity for all. In two years, the Whitmers administration has created 11,000 new auto jobs while working to diversify the economy, made the largest investment in K-12 schools in state history without raising taxes, established the Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners programs to create a more dynamic, educated workforce, and is fixing crumbling roads and water infrastructure while creating 7,500 jobs in the process. She remains dedicated to investing in small businesses, the lifeblood of our communities, making sure they have the support they need to stay afloat and help rebuild our economy. The Governor is also taking bold steps to improve schools, build a more skilled workforce, and create better jobs for Michiganders. Shes made historic investments in education and is offering free community college and job training to adults over 25 and essential workers, making education accessible to those who cant afford it. Governor Whitmer achieved this progress alongside the most diverse cabinet in state history and three dynamic elected leaders: Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The Whitmer administration will continue working to ensure that every Michigander has a great public education and a path to a good-paying job, every community has clean, safe drinking water, and everyone can drive to work or drop their kids at school safely, without blowing a tire or cracking a windshield. She will keep fighting for Michiganders every day and tackling the big challenges Michigan faces with bold solutions and decisive leadership. Governor Whitmer and her husband Marc Mallory live in Lansing with Kevin and Doug, the First Dogs of Michigan. Her older daughter, Sherry, is a student at the University of Michigan, and her younger daughter, Sydney, will be joining her sister in the fall. Her three stepsons, Alex, Mason, and Winston all live in Michigan as well. Governor Whitmer earned a bachelors degree and law degree from Michigan State University. A lifelong Michigander, Gretchen Whitmer is honored to serve as Governor of Michigan. 2017 Retirement & Pension Information Pension information for Other Years: 2020 |2019 | 2018 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2017 Retirement & Pension Benefits Guidance Note: For joint filers, the age of the oldest spouse determines the age category Pension Deduction Estimator Dividends/Interest/Capital Gain Deduction Estimator What are retirement and pension benefits? Under Michigan law, retirement and pension benefits include most payments that are reported on a 1099-R for federal tax purposes. This includes defined benefit pensions, IRA distributions and most payments from defined contribution plans. Retirement and pension benefits are taxable based on date of birth (see age groups below). Regardless of date of birth, the following are not taxed: US Military pensions Michigan National Guard pensions Social Security Railroad benefits Rollovers not included in the Federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) What are Qualified Distributions? A subtraction is allowed on the Michigan return for qualifying distributions from retirement plans. Retirement plans include private and public employer plans, and individual plans such as IRA's. To be considered a qualified distribution for the subtraction, several requirements must be met. For employer plans, an employee must have retired under the provisions of the plan, the pension benefits must be paid from a retirement trust fund, and the payment must be made to either the employee or a surviving spouse. (Payments made to a surviving spouse are only deductible if the employee qualified for the subtraction at the time of death.) For qualifying distributions, there may be a limitation on the amount of the exemption that can be claimed. What Distributions Do Not Qualify for a Subtraction? Certain distributions reported on form 1099-R are not retirement or pension benefits. Under Michigan law, deferred compensation is taxable. These distributions include: All distributions from 457 plans Distributions from 401(k) or 403(b) plans sourced to employee contributions and the earnings from those contributions if they were not matched by the employer. Early distributions under the terms of the retirement plan are always taxable regardless of the date of birth of the taxpayer. (See retirement code chart for 1099-R below.) NOTE: When considering your pension subtraction, 'surviving spouse' means the deceased spouse died prior to the current tax year (e.g., when filing a 2017 return the spouse died in 2016). Deceased spouse benefits do not include benefits from a spouse who died in 2017. If you or your spouse received pension benefits from a deceased spouse, see Form 4884, Michigan Pension Schedule instructions. Form 1099-R Distribution Codes Qualification for a subtraction is a two-step process. Use the distribution chart (step one) to determine whether your retirement and/or pension benefits qualify as a subtraction. Then use the appropriate age category (step two). You must meet both qualification requirements in order to be eligible for a retirement and/or pension benefits subtraction. If you do not qualify based on the distribution chart (step one), then you do not have a qualified subtraction and step two is not applicable. Form 1099-R reports the total retirement and pension benefits you received during the year. Please refer to box 7 on Form(s) 1099-R for the distribution code(s) that describes the condition under which the retirement or pension benefit was paid. This chart lists distribution codes and describes eligibility of benefits for subtraction based on each code. Some exceptions exist. If your distribution code is not included in the list below or if you have questions on eligibility of your benefits, please consult your tax professional. Form 1099-R Distribution Codes Form 1099-R Distribution Codes Does the code indicate the distribution is eligible for a Michigan retirement and pension subtraction? (Limited based on age and year of birth) 1 - Early distribution, no known exception. No. 2 - Early distribution, exception applies. No, unless: Part of a series of mainly equal periodic payments made for the life of the employee or the joint lives of the employee and their beneficiary; Early retirement under the terms of the plan. 3 - Disability. Yes. 4 - Death. Yes, for surviving spouse only and only if the decedent would have also qualified for a normal distribution under Distribution Code 7 at the time of death. No, for all other beneficiaries. No , if paid as a death benefit payment made by an employer but not made as part of a pension, profit sharing, or retirement plan. 5 - Prohibited transaction. No. 6 - Section 1035 exchange. The exchange of life insurance No. 7 - Normal distribution. normal distribution from a plan, distribution from a traditional IRA, if the participant is at least 59, Roth conversion if the participant is at least age 59, distribution from a life insurance, annuity, or endowment contract must be 65 and part of a series of mainly equal periodic payments made for the life of the employee or the joint lives of the employee and their beneficiary. Yes. Exception: You may not subtract distributions from a plan that: allows the employee to set the amount of compensation to be deferred does not prescribe the retirement age or years of service 8 - Excess contribution plus earnings/excess deferrals (and/or earnings) taxable in 2017. No. 9 - Cost of current life insurance protection. No. For joint filers, the age of the oldest spouse determines the age category. Recipients born before 1946: For 2017 you may subtract all qualifying retirement and pension benefits received from public sources, and may subtract private retirement and pension benefits up to $50,509 if single or married filing separately or up to $101,019 if married filing jointly. Private subtraction limits must be reduced by public benefits subtracted. Withholding will only be necessary on taxable pension payments (private pension payments) that exceed the pension limits stated above for recipient born before 1946. Complete Form 4884, Michigan Pension Schedule. Military pensions, Michigan National Guard pensions and Railroad Retirement benefits are entered on Schedule 1, line 11. These continue to be exempt from tax. They must be reported on Schedule W Table 2, even if no Michigan tax was withheld. Social Security benefits included in your adjusted gross income are entered on Schedule 1, line 14 and are exempt from tax. Public pensions can include benefits received from the federal civil service, State of Michigan public retirement systems and political subdivisions of Michigan. Rollovers not included in the Federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) will not be taxed in Michigan. Subtraction for dividends, interest, and capital gains is limited to $11,259 for single filers and $22,518 for joint filers, less any deductions for retirement benefits including US military, Michigan National Guard, and railroad retirement benefits. Note: If you were born prior to January 1, 1946 and you receive a public pension(s) from a state other than Michigan , you should treat the public pensions received from the following states as totally exempt: Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming because they do not tax Michigan public pensions. Michigan residents who receive public pensions from states not listed should treat the pension as a private pension. Recipients born during the period January 1, 1946 through January 1, 1951: If the older of you or your spouse (if married filing jointly) was born during the period January 1, 1946 through January 1, 1951, and reached the age of 67 on or before December 31, 2017, you are eligible for a deduction against all income and will no longer deduct retirement and pension benefits. Complete Schedule 1, line 24 instead of Michigan Pension Schedule, Form 4884. The deduction is $20,000 for a return filed as single or married, filing separately, or $40,000 for a return filed as married, filing jointly. If you checked either SSA Exempt box 23C or 23F from Schedule 1, your deduction is increased by $15,000. If you checked both boxes 23C and 23F your deduction is increased by $30,000. The standard deduction is reduced by military pay (included on Schedule 1, line 14), military and/or railroad retirement benefits (both reported on Schedule 1, line 11) Recipients born after January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952: You may subtract the first $20,000 for single or married filing separately, or $40,000 for married filing jointly, of all private and public pension and annuity benefits. If you checked either SSA Exempt box 23C or 23F from Schedule 1, your deduction is increased by $15,000. If you checked both boxes 23C and 23F your deduction is increased by $30,000. Benefits in excess of these limits are taxable to Michigan. Complete Form 4884, Michigan Pension Schedule. Military pensions, Michigan National Guard pensions and Railroad Retirement benefits are entered on Schedule 1, line 11. These continue to be exempt from tax. They must be reported on Schedule W Table 2, even if no Michigan tax was withheld. Social Security benefits included in your adjusted gross income are entered on Schedule 1, line 14 and are exempt from tax. Rollovers not included in the Federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) will not be taxed in Michigan. Recipients born after 1952: All retirement (private and public) and pension benefits are taxable to Michigan, unless one of following applies: The older of you or your spouse (if married filing jointly) was born on or after January 1, 1953 but before January 2, 1956, have reached age 62 and receive Social Security exempt retirement benefits due to employment with a governmental agency. You may be eligible for a retirement and pension deduction. For more information see Michigan Pension Schedule. If you checked either SSA Exempt box 23C or 23F on Schedule 1, your eligible deduction is $15,000. If you checked both boxes 23C and 23F your eligible deduction is $30,000. You are receiving retirement and pension benefits from a deceased spouse who was born prior to January 1, 1953. (Payments made to a surviving spouse are only deductible if the employee qualified for the subtraction at the time of death) When completing Form 4884, Michigan Pension Schedule, only include the deceased spouse's benefits. Nontaxable benefits: Military pensions, Michigan National Guard pensions and Railroad Retirement benefits are entered on Schedule 1, line 11. These continue to be exempt from tax. They must be reported on Schedule W Table 2, even if no Michigan tax was withheld. Social Security benefits included in your adjusted gross income are entered on Schedule 1, line 14 and are exempt from tax. Rollovers not included in the Federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) will not be taxed in Michigan. 2017 Pension Deduction Estimator 2017 Pension Deduction Estimator DISCLAIMER: This estimator provides an unofficial estimate and has no legal bearing on any future tax liability. Interactive estimators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use. NOTE: The information you provide is anonymous and will only be used for purposes of this estimation. It will not be shared, stored or used in any other way, nor can it be used to identify the individual who enters it. It will be discarded when you exit this program. Dividends/Interest/Capital Gain Deduction Senior Citizens born before 1946 (or the unremarried surviving spouse for someone born before 1946 who was at least age 65 at the time of death) may subtract dividends, interest, and capital gains. The subtraction is limited to $11,259 for single filers and to $22,518 for joint filers for 2017. These limits must be reduced by any pension subtraction taken. Dividends / Interest Examples Senior Citizen filing a single return with $5,000 pension subtraction is only allowed an interest subtraction of $6,259 ($11,259 - $5,000 = $6,259). Mary is 70 years old and has pension of $5,000 and interest income of $7,000. Maximum interest subtraction Less pension subtraction Allowable interest subtraction $11,259 - 5,000 $6,259 1. Example: An individual filing a joint return with $90,240 pension subtraction is not allowed an interest subtraction because the pension amount is more than the allowable subtraction of interest ($22,518). Larry & Lucy Smiles are 70 years old and have pension of $90,240 and interest income of $15,229. Maximum interest subtraction Less pension subtraction Allowable interest subtraction $22,518 - 90,240 $0 2. Example: Dividends/Interest/Capital Gain Deduction Estimator Note: If you are the unremarried surviving spouse of someone born before 1946 who was at least age 65 at the time of death, enter your deceased spouse's year of birth. Filing Status: Single / Filing Separate Joint Return Filer Year of Birth: Select a year prior to 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Spouse Year of Birth: Select a year prior to 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Pension Subtracted: Dividends/Interest/Capital Gains included on MI-1040 line 10 Dividends/Interest/Capital Gain Deduction Estimator Your Results: Eligible Dividends/Interest/Capital Gains Deduction on line 26 of Schedule 1: Please remember to a copy of this screen once your estimation is complete. Keep this copy with your tax records/documentation for the appropriate year. DISCLAIMER: This estimator provides an unofficial estimate and has no legal bearing on any future tax liability. Interactive estimators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use. NOTE: The information you provide is anonymous and will only be used for purposes of this estimation. It will not be shared, stored or used in any other way, nor can it be used to identify the individual who enters it. It will be discarded when you exit this program. One of the reasons that so many people are leaving the state of Illinois is because of high property taxes. The reason for that is because public-sector union officials often negotiate salaries and benefits with people who arent equipped to negotiate. A private company has a hard-nosed chief executive officer negotiating on behalf of the company and making sure it has a healthy bottom line. These public-sector unions dont often negotiate with politicians . . . There is no incentive to insure a healthy bottom line. Negotiate as hard as you would if you were negotiating for your daughter or niece, she said. I try to help women think about real women and girls in their lives, and I say how much harder would you negotiate for her because I firmly recognize that women will really stand up and fight for one another and advocate for others. Im trying to instill that willingness to aim high and negotiate hard for themselves. The first baby reported born in the New Year in the Chicago area appears to have been delivered at Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, where Yarehlie Nava was born at 12:05 a.m. to Maria Ramirez and Freddy Nava of Elgin, according to hospital spokesman Jim OConnell. 2019 has begun and nerds are even more excited to see what the future holds. We've already compiled a list of top smartphone moments of 2018 and now, we'll talk about the trends that shall take-off soon in the coming year. Technology has been advancing at a rapid pace, and there's no stopping it. Not only are features getting more complicated and intense, but also cheaper. A flagship feature trickles down to the midrange as well as the budget segment in no time. And with the plethora of options available, brands are working harder every day to differentiate themselves. These are the top features we expect to see in 2019 smartphones: 1. Foldable Phones: YouTube This is by far the most interesting concept, it's something we've been waiting for years. Samsung has periodically teased that they're working on the technology and shall be ready for scaled consumer manufacturing soon. In November of 2018, they finally showed off a concept phone for just a few seconds. Flexible OLED technology will allow the actual screen itself to bend and fold without the use of hinges or the extra bulk associated with implementing two separate screens, meaning a foldable thinner smartphone. Samsung did not detail whether the smartphone will go on sale anytime soon or how much it will cost, but it's expected to come out soon, and cost a bomb. Even though it'll take some more time to make it cheaper, multiple companies like Huawei and LG are researching too. 2. Punch-Hole Camera: Samsung Samsung Galaxy A8s, the Nova 4 as well as the Honor View 20 are among the few to already sport a punch-hole camera. Samsung completely skipped the notch and went ahead with this design addition. On the A8s, a little camera hole in the display houses a 24-megapixel front-facing selfie camera. That is a major step up from some of the smaller notches we've seen in other devices that have opted to go for teardrop display cutout rather than this hole-punch method. The implementation is still at a very nascent stage though. A black ring around the camera is the result of the camera protruding through every layer of the display except for the very surface level. Thanks to multiple layers, light has a greater chance of leaking through and affects image quality as well as display durability. While punch-hole displays are expected to be limited to the higher-midrange or flagships, the notch isn't going anywhere soon. The water-drop notch has been a hit and more and more companies are expected to house it. 3. Time Of Flight Camera: Vivo Time of Flight (ToF) is an optical radar system and is able to identify faces even from comparatively long distances. It's said to function perfectly even in different lighting conditions. The recently launched OPPO R17 Pro is the first phone to feature this sensor. ToF 3D Sensing Technology offers an advanced experience by enabling 3D mapping at up to three metres from the phone while having a smaller baseline than traditional technology that is called "structured light". It has exponentially more sensors points than iPhone's current 3D array setup and has even more applications. Apart from authentication, it can also be used to identify hand gestures and upgrade the existing AR sticker experience. 4. In-Display Fingerprint Scanner: BCCL This is no longer a "new" feature, but we expect it to get better and cheaper in the coming months. After the launch of the iPhone 5S, every brand was trying to incorporate a fingerprint scanner on their phone. In a couple of years, an external scanner has become a bare minimum necessity. In the same way, an in-display fingerprint scanner is slightly slower than the external one, but companies are constantly improving the mechanism. Synaptics has already released multiple improved variants in one year itself, hence you'll notice a lot of difference between the Vivo X21 and OnePlus 6T's unlocking speed. 5. Faster Charging And Bigger Batteries: OPPO There are several such technologies available, including Qualcomm Quick Charge, OnePlus Dash Charge, among others. Brands are now involved in a race, who has the fastest solution? The Huawei Mate 20 Pro houses a 4200mAh battery with 40W SuperCharge and also supports 15W wireless charging support. According to PhoneArena, you can charge 1.5 per cent of the battery in just a minute while 22W charging on the P20 Pro restores 1.1 per cent every minute. In comparison, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 takes 30 minutes or less to charge 50 per cent and OnePlus' Dash Charging can get to 60 per cent charge in just 30 minutes. Battery sizes too have shot up and it's not just for the flagships. Even a budget phone like the Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with a 4000mAh battery. Companies are also working on improving the life cycle of batteries, and this is something Apple really needs to start considering. Mark your calendars as the last and final season of 'Games of Thrones' is coming in 2019. The eighth season of the epic fantasy will premiere in April 2019, bringing an end to the decade-old saga. The most popular show in the history of the world television will feature the last six episodes in the coming year; an early trailer of the show was recently released. As the saga is nearing its end, fans are filling their social media feeds with all sorts of predictions and theories. Little has been revealed about the fate of each character by the makers of the show and George R. R. Martin himself. If you have watched all seasons of 'Game of Thrones' and you know about each of the characters, here is a definitive list of everyone who is going to die or come out alive by the end of season eight: 1. Daenerys Targaryen Status: Dead Reason: Daenerys has always claimed herself to be the rightful queen of the seven kingdoms. Since Season one, she has been fighting for the Iron Throne with her three dragons (now two). What would 'Game of Thrones' be without its strongest character alive? But, hold your horses, as most of the fan theories claim Khaleesi's death near the end of Season 8. Now when Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow are each other's new love interests, their alliance will further lead to the birth of the Targaryen baby and it is during her childbirth when Daenerys might die. Another theory which supports her death is her vision of Khal Drogo holding the baby, as she walks away from the Iron Throne. This also indicates that Daenerys might not become the ultimate queen of the seven kingdoms but save the seven kingdoms by devoting her life for the baby. In any way, Dany's death is the most heartbreaking but probable outcome fans are expecting. 2. Jon Snow Status: Alive Reason: The last time Jon Snow died, fans completely lost their minds and troubled the show makers with one single question: When is Jon Snow going to be alive again? And now it looks like the makers of the show have got some other plans for Snow. All we have to do is to wait for their (Daenerys-Jon's) baby. Maybe, he becomes the ultimate ruler. Jon has to remain alive anyway. Also, as per an interesting theory, Jon Snow didn't do what his cousin Rob Stark did. Rob was killed for his loyalty to Walder Frey. This is what Snow avoided when Cersei asked him to bend the knee. Maybe, Jon is destined to live long! 3. Sansa Stark Status: Alive Reason: Sansa is another lead character in the series. She is not going to die, not until she takes the ultimate revenge for her parent's death. It would also be interesting to see how Sansa would save herself from the army of the White Walkers. We wonder how nothing could kill Sansa till now, neither the harsh life in King's Landing, nor Ramsay Bolton's atrocities. She made it alive to Winterfell. It simply indicates that the lady of Winterfell will survive. 4. Bran Stark Status: Dead-Alive Reason: Bran's story has remained different from the others. Though Bran has already united with his sisters, he has somehow always been destined to become the Three-Eyed Raven. He may become immortal soon so metaphorically he will be dead but not really! 5. Arya Stark Status: Dead Reason: We are afraid that Arya won't be able to survive the attack by the army of the dead. In other words, the girl might indeed become 'No One'. It is a bit hard to accept her fate since Arya has been the ultimate survivor, living solely to avenge the death of her father, and to see her die for nothing would be heart-breaking. 6. Cersei Lannister Status: Dead Reason: But before Arya is killed, she has to kill Cersei anyway. Remember, Cersei is still on Arya's list of people to kill. However, there could be another reason for Cersei's death. We believe her own lover cum twin, Jaime Lannister is going to kill her. 7. Jaime Lannister Status: Alive Reason: Though Jaime Lannister is the Kingslayer, there is no way his brother Tyrion is going to let him die at the hands of Jon Snow or Daenerys. Jaime saved Tyrion's life and the same could happen to him! He is the only person Tyrion trusts after all. 8. Tyrion Lannister Status: Alive Reason: He can't be dead. He is now Khaleesi's advisor and Jon loves Khaleesi, moreover, Jamie is his brother, so evidently, nobody is going to kill him or at least succeed in their attempts to do so. Tyrion's ultimate purpose is going to be for a greater good. Even suggesting his name for the list of dead people would be so much injustice. 9. Theon Greyjoy Status: Dead Reason: In his pursuit of saving his sister Yara from the hands of Euron, it may be possible that Theon might kill himself. Moreover, Ramsay Bolton has caused him so much physical and psychological damage that one can't possibly imagine what must be going through his mind right now. We are sure, Reek would keep coming back to him and that may be the ultimate reason for his death. 10. Yara Greyjoy Status: Dead Reason: Euron Greyjoy would kill her! Yara might not be able to see herself being saved by Theon. It was easy for Euron to capture Yara and make Theon run away. 11. Brienne of Tarth Status: Dead Reason: She is one character of utter importance in 'Game of Thrones' in all aspects. Brienne has pledged her life to Sansa and Arya, and there is no wayshe is going to leave them alone when the army of the dead reaches Winterfell. She would ultimately die fighting the war in the North. 12. Podrick Payne Status: Dead Reason: Who really cares if he is alive or dead? Podrick is a man without a purpose! 13. Samwell Tarly Status: Alive Reason: Sam has already faced the White Walkers and even killed one. He would go to any extent to serve his real purpose and save Gilly and the baby. Also, he is the cutest character in the series and Jon Snow's best friend. We aren't expecting his death. There is also a theory which states that the entire time, it was Samwell Tarly who was narrating 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. 14. Gilly Status: Alive (Maybe) Reason: It would be harsh to kill Gilly and let Sam be alone taking care of the baby. This is the only reason she might be able to come out of 'Game of Thrones' alive, however, things could take a different turn too. We have seen many unexpected deaths so far. 15. Little Sam Status: Obviously Alive Reason: Babies are harmless! 16. Lyanna Mormont Status: Alive Reason: She is fierce, unstoppable and a true lady. Not all queens are going to be killed, and she might be the one remaining untouched by death. 17. Jorah Mormont Status: Alive Reason: With Jorah Mormont finding a cure for his grayscale and back to helping Khaleesi and the team, we can't find any major reason for him being killed. As he would dedicate his life in fighting for the good, he might be the last amongst those surviving the war in the North. 18. Davos Seaworth Status: Alive Reason: The makers of the show have kept Davos alive till now and we believe he is going to survive further as well. Stannis could be killed but not Davos, people have got a different kind of admiration for him. 19. The Hound Status: Dead Reason: Cleganebowl, in an ultimate face-off! 20. Tormund Giantsbane Status: Dead Reason: He might die fighting the White Walkers. Though he has proved to be a medium between the Wildlings and the Crows, we are afraid he won't be able to last the fight. 21. Gendry Status: Alive Cause: What if we say that that Melisandre's magic is going to save him? 22. Bronn Status: Alive Reason: Since Jaime is going to survive, so does his best friend. 23. Varys Status: Alive Reason: Varys knows how to survive the worst. He has saved himself before from the wrath of Cersei, we believe he is going to stay alive to see his friend Tyrion's ultimate fate. 24. Ellaria Sand Status: Alive (For All We Know) Reason: Cersei is not going to kill her. Maybe, she stays alive, even if she has to watch her daughter die in front of her. 25. Edmure Tully Status: Dead (For All We Know) Reason: He may die in his cell! 26. Grey Worm Status: Dead Reason: He may die in a fight with the Golden Company only. Undoubtedly, he is a dedicated character. 27. Missandei Status: Alive Reason: We believe that Missandei is ultimately going to be the ruler of Meereen and Khaleesi would set her free from her role as Advisor to the Queen. 28. Daario Naharis Status: Dead (unclear) Reason: In season six, Daario and the Second Sons were left behind in Meereen and now when Daenerys has found her new love in Jon Snow, Daario's fate remains unclear. He would most probably be dead unknowingly. 29. Jaqen H'ghar Status: Alive Reason: Since he is 'No One', maybe he was already dead all this time! 30. Meera Reed Status: Alive Reason: She is the one who brought back Bran safely to Winterfell. Meera won't be seen in Season Eight, we are hoping that she will still be alive somewhere 31. Hot Pie Status: Dead Reason: Since the White Walkers would be taking over the North, Hot Pie might die without doing anything. 32. Grandmaester Ebrose Status: Alive Reason: No particular reason for him to be dead. 33. Beric Dondarrion Status: Dead Reason: Though his friend has saved him many times by bringing him back to life, he may be dead in the final season. 34. Melisandre Status: Dead Reason: The red woman is actually old anyway! Remember when she took off her red hood and necklace? She has given a second life to Jon Snow but we aren't sure if she has much left to her role. 35. Euron Greyjoy Status: Dead Reason: A complete villain, he is destined to die. 36. The Mountain Status: Dead Reason: Do we need to say Cleganebowl again? 37. Qyburn Status: Dead Reason: Being one of those on Cersei's team, he has to meet his ultimate fate and that is death. 38. Robin Arryn Status: Dead Reason: Why is he alive till now, especially when his parents are dead? He should have died when he humiliated Sansa! 39. Night King Status: Dead Reason: Season Seven was the first time we saw the Night King in full action. He effortlessly killed one of Khaleesi's mightiest dragons with his big icicle, convincing everyone that he is untouchable. However, one popular fan theory suggests that the Night King would ultimately win the war. He would later shatter himself to pieces as he sits on the Iron Throne (which is made up of a thousand valerian steel swords). If that has to happen, it would be one of the most bizarre endings to the show. 40. White Walkers Status: Alive Reason: The army of the White Walkers is so huge, that it is just impossible to kill them. Even if a major chunk of them die from the wrath of Khaleesi's dragons, there isn't a probability that all of them are going to be killed. As per the predictions, a major war is going to be fought between the living and the dead inside Winterfell and not all living will be able to kill the dead. Kader Khan, the comedy legend who has been an omnipresent part of our childhood, lost his battle to prolonged illness and succumbed to it. The entire Bollywood fraternity and fans across the globe are mourning his loss. Bollywood means kadar khan nd Govinda for me in my childhood.. such a brilliant actor, director nd writter.. RIP pic.twitter.com/4MHcBlT8ED SATYA RELOADED (@satyasanket) January 1, 2019 T 3045 - Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence ; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician !! pic.twitter.com/l7pdv0Wdu1 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 1, 2019 Today part of my childhood is gone RIP Kadar khan Fact is Amitabh never gave him d due respect which he deserved so PLS don't remember him as friend of Amitabh #KaderKhan pic.twitter.com/4xWfdAhI5m Nabeel Chaudhry (@chaudhry_nabeel) January 1, 2019 His movies with Govinda and the dream pairing was what comedy meant for all Bollywood fans. The Man Who take Comedy to the Next Level who Tech us what is Real Comedy Who give us a Master Pease ' Mukaddar ka Sikandar' as Screenplay Writer & Take Big B's Carrier to the Next Level. Dialogue Writer Screenplay Writer Character Actor KADAR KHAN Sir A Legend. SWARAJ SONAWANE (@SWARAJSONAWANE5) January 1, 2019 RIP. The evergreen comedy films like Main Khiladi Tu Anaari and Mr and Mrs Khiladi.The perfect combination of comedy in between the great Kadar khan and you Sir. We always miss the awesome dialogues "Ye Baniyan Andar Karlo" and "Saari Picture me mujhe maarte hi rahoge kya. " Siddheshwar S Birajdar (@SiddheshwarSBi1) January 1, 2019 The brilliant actor was not just about acting but was also known for his scriptwriting and screenplay writing. He acted in over 300 films in his career. #KaderKhan Saab was one of the finest actors of our country. It was a joy and a learning experience to be on the sets with him. His improvisational skills were phenomenal. His humour was eternal and original. He was a wonderful writer. We will miss him & his brilliance. pic.twitter.com/m9z1yix9HB Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 1, 2019 Thank you kadar khan for giving such a beautiful dialouges which makes legendary heros of indian cinema....! Without that they are nothing...lord buddha bless you. Bodhisattavas may help you in finding the peace. RIP RAMESH NEGI (@Rameshlippa) January 1, 2019 The actor and his family have been living in Canada for years now, so the last rites will be performed there only, as per his family. 2019 has truly begun on a very sad note for Bollywood as one of our finest legends has taken a journey to heaven. We sincerely hope his beautiful soul rests in peace. A Massachusetts man accused of causing accidents in New Hampshire and then hiding in a swamp to avoid police was held on bail after his arraignment Monday. Peter Dubey, 49, of Sterling was held on $3,500 cash bail after his arraignment on driving under the influence and conduct after an accident charges in a New Hampshire court, according to the Union Leader. New Hampshire State Police troopers were called to Route 12 in Troy around 2 p.m. for a report of a multi-vehicle crash Friday. Authorities learned the driver who allegedly caused the crash sped away from the scene. A trooper found the suspects vehicle, a 2003 GMC Yukon, in Troy, according to a news release from New Hampshire State Police. The SUV broke down after it was damaged in the crash. Troopers first found 56-year-old Adam Saldana of Fitchburg, a passenger in the SUV, and arrested him on a receiving stolen property charge. The Union Leader reports Saldana had an undisclosed amount of foreign money on him that appears to have been stolen from a collection. Authorities then began their search for Dubey. He was found in a nearby swamp. He had submerged himself to avoid detection and due to the length of time in the water, was hypothermic, New Hampshire State Police said. Dubey was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. At the hospital, Dubey was aggressive and combative, according to authorities. The Union Leader reports Dubey has several convictions for breaking and entering and larceny on his criminal record dating back to 1987. St. Julie Billiart: 7399 159th St. The church will host One Border, One Body at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 in the Devine Center. The film is part of the Archdiocese of Chicagos 2019 Immigration Film Festival. A bus will leave St. Julie Billiart William J. Devine Center for the March for Life Chicago at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 13. Keynote speakers include Cardinal Blaise Cupich, Jeanne Mancini of the National March for Life, Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation and Pat McCaskey of the Chicago Bears. Families are encouraged to attend the march. There is no cost for the bus. Sign up in the Northex or at the office. Information: email sheila@stjulie.org or call 708-429-6767, Ext. 232. The 6-year-old son of a woman who was stabbed more than 30 times Tuesday in Connecticut was located in Worcester near the suspects car, according to Worcester Police. The boys mother was stabbed around 2 a.m. in Hartford, Connecticut. Police in Hartford said the womans boyfriend assaulted her then left the area in a car with the womans 6-year-old son, according to a Hartford Police news release. A few hours later, at 5:30 a.m., the boy was found by Worcester Police on Providence Street. Worcester Police said the child was found near the suspects car. The boy was taken to an area hospital where he was checked out and is fine, Worcester Police said. Hartford Police said they received a 911 call around 2 a.m. from a person stating a woman was covered in blood and screaming for help in the area of 77 Natick St. Patrol officers, as well as Hartford Fire and EMS responded to the scene and immediately began life-saving measures on the victim, police said. A preliminary investigation revealed the woman and her 6-year-old son were in a vehicle with the suspect, at which time she was repeatedly stabbed, police said. The woman escaped, but the suspect fled and took her son with him. The woman was rushed to Hartford Hospital and underwent emergency surgery. She had more than 30 stab wounds. She is listed in critical, but stable condition. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered what vehicle the suspect was driving, police said. A nationwide alert was placed on the vehicles registration, and all surrounding towns were briefed on the incident. The 6-year-old juvenile was also entered into a nationwide database as missing-endangered. Police have identified the suspect and are working on filing charges. The suspect, who was not publicly identified by police as of Tuesday afternoon, is still being sought by investigators. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families took temporary custody of the child and have been working with Connecticut authorities and the boys family. Hartford Police updated the age of the boy to show he is 6. This story has been changed to reflect the boys correct age. Two Central Massachusetts breweries are teaming up to create a beer called Worcesters Bravest, of which 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the family of fallen Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy. Roy, a 36-year-old who had been a firefighter for two and a half years, was battling a blaze at 7 Lowell St. on Dec. 9 when he became trapped on the second floor. Although his fellow firefighters pulled him out of the building, Roy succumbed to his injuries. He leaves his 9-year-old daughter Ava. In the days after his death, the Worcester Firefighters Local 1009 started the Ava Roy Fund to offer Roys daughter some financial assistance. With the Worcesters Bravest brew, Worcesters Wormtown Brewery and Westminsters Wachusett Brewing Company will offer a new beer while contributing to the Ava Roy Fund. Wachusett Brewing Company has had a long relationship with the Worcester Firefighter Community dating back to our original support of the Leary Firefighter Foundation said Christian McMahan, the president of Wachusett Brewing Company wrote in a statement. David [Fields] and I have been speaking for over a year about doing something, up until now we never had the right reason to come together, we are both honored to be a part of something that has such a profound impact on our community. Worcesters Bravest will be a Belgian Wit, which is a light-bodied and unfiltered wheat beer. It has sweet and zesty citrus notes with some complex pepper spice and herbal hops said Ben Roesch, the brewmaster of Wormtown Brewery, with Dave Howard, the brewmaster at Wachusett Brewing Company, adding that the beer will still be "refreshing and easy drinking. Worcesters Bravest will be released on draft in January at both brewery tap rooms and a limited amount of cans will be for sale. We are super excited to team up with Wachusett on the project, said David Fields, Managing Partner of Wormtown Brewery. I cannot think of a better way to honor Firefighter Roys memory and his family. As of last week, the Ava Roy Fund has collected more than $362,000 in donations. New benefits continue to pop up across the community. Anyone who wants to donate to the fund can do so online or mail checks payable to the AVA ROY FUND directly to the Worcester Fire Department Credit Union at 34 Glennie St., Worcester, Mass., 01605. SPRINGFIELD A public celebration in late January will mark the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the federal courthouse designed by award-winning architect Moshe Safdie. The free event, called a celebration of the vision, design, and construction of the United States Courthouse in Springfield, will be held Jan. 24 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the atrium of the building at 300 State St. Event organizers are asking people who plan to attend to respond to email rsvp@mad.uscourts.gov; attendees will need to show a valid photo ID. The $63 million courthouse was completed in the summer of 2008 after nearly a decade of planning, according to U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, who won funding for the project and, along with U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor, shepherded it along over four years of construction. It was designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie and features a winding glass staircase. Workers broke ground in 2004. The building opened in August 2008 and the grand opening ceremony was held in October that year. The building was included in a 2016 Architectural Digest story titled Explore 11 of Moshe Safdies Iconic Buildings." The story said, Safdie devised the Federal Courthouse in Springfield, Massachusetts, to curve around three 200-to-500-year-old heritage trees. The 2008 buildings design puts a modern spin on traditional architectural elements, such as the entrys colonnade, and conceals the necessary security features. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday that while she has formed a committee to explore a likely 2020 presidential campaign, she remains committed to fighting for issues and policies important to Massachusetts families, as well as all Americans. The Massachusetts Democrat, who unofficially entered the 2020 fray Monday morning, told reporters outside her Cambridge home that the things that drove her to enter politics in 2012 are fueling her focus on a possible White House bid. I never thought I would run for anything ever in my life, but Americas middle class is getting hollowed out and opportunity for too many of our young people is shrinking. So, Im in this fight all the way, she said during a brief news conference with her husband, Bruce Mann, and dog, Bailey. "Right now, Washington works great for the wealthy and well-connected, its just not working for anyone else. But, I am optimistic. I believe in what we can do together." Pointing to her own upbringing in a paycheck-to-paycheck family," the senator stressed that shes in this fight to help working class Americans. I ran for office because Im grateful down to my toes for the opportunities that were given to me, and I am determined that we will give those same opportunities not just to some of our kids, but to all of our kids, she said. The Democrat acknowledged that her campaign may make a lot of people unhappy, but rejected the argument that her politics are too progressive or polarizing to win a national election. She contended that income inequality, student debt and other economic issues are felt by Americans of all different backgrounds and are a platform many voters can rally around. Our government should be working for the people and thats the movement Im going to lead, she said, adding that its important for her and other Democrats to get out and talk to people about what (theyre) fighting for. Despite drawing criticism for her claims of Native American ancestry and her decision to publicly release the results of a DNA test, the senator said she doesnt believe questions surrounding her heritage should be a focus in 2020. I have put it all out there, its there for anyone to see. But at the end of the day, what this is going to be about -- this election going forward -- is the tens of millions of families across the country who work hard, who play by the rules and who just time after time take one body blow after another," she said. Warren further shot down the suggestion that by announcing an exploratory committee she is turning her back on the Massachusetts voters who recently decided to send her back to the U.S. Senate. Im in the fight for all of our families. Its the same fight that drew me into elected politics to begin with, she said. I want to see an America that works not just for some people, but an America that works for all of us. Warren, who said she intends to build a grassroots campaign, further argued that if Democrats are going to win in 2020, they must build up a network of small dollar donors, volunteers and real people" -- not rely on Political Action Committees and wealthy donors. The Democrat noted that since announcing her exploratory committee just hours earlier, she had already received donations from people in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Thats how you build a grassroots campaign, she said. Warren urged supporters across the country to help her build the movement that will change America." When someone has a well-known tendency to heed the advice of the last person to offer him counsel, its important to watch closely who hes in contact with. Especially when the person in question just happens to be president of the United States of America. President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria came two weeks back, after the former reality TV star had a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump's decision was broadly decried, with a great many in the know believing that our sudden departure would allow ISIS fighters to reestablish a more permanent foothold in Syria, would benefit both Russia and Iran, and would likely cause longterm security problems for Israel. Nonetheless, Trump went ahead, without even consulting some top military officials before making the move to quit Syria. Fortunately, Trump recently had a chat over lunch with Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican whose views on military matters are always informed. Though Graham is, in the minds of many, often too quickly interventionist and generally too hawkish, his opinions are serious, well-considered. And what he had to say after his confab with Trump seemed a clear signal that the president had listened, and had heard his plea. "I think we're slowing things down in a smart way," Graham said on Sunday. "But the goal has always been the same: To be able to leave Syria, to make sure ISIS never comes back, our partners are taken care of, and Iran's contained." Though one never knows what Trump will be thinking from one day, or from one moment, to the next, he was singing a somewhat revised tune after his meeting with Graham, and after having been so soundly criticized for his rash decision to get all U.S. troops out of Syria within 30 days. Now, he's still talking about quitting Syria, but doing so a bit more slowly, perhaps over the next few months. Call that better than nothing. Though Trump did appear to backtrack on his plans for a speedy withdrawal, he nonetheless defended his decision. "I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places," he wrote on Twitter on Monday, adding, "Just doing what I said I was going to do!" Well, that may be true, at least to a degree, but there are plenty of candidates who make pledges out along the campaign trail only to find, once elected, that things are not quite as simple as they'd seemed. Trump, it appears, is being taught that very lesson on Syria. Now, if only he can be kept from gassing with Erdogan again, we may really be getting somewhere. I would hope that before voting again on the proposal to make Springfield a Welcoming City that the members of the city council will take the time to read the story of officer Ronil Singh who was shot and killed in Newman California. Officer Singh was murdered by Gustavo Perez Arriaga who was in this country illegally. Mr. Arriaga had twice been arrested but because of the sanctuary law similar to the one the city council is proposing he was not checked to see what his citizen status was. Had this happened no doubt he would have been held or deported. Instead he was set free and took the life of a man who came to this country legally and became a police officer. Don't think it can't happen here or that this was an isolated incident because you are only fooling yourselves. If you vote for this change I can only hope that you will be able to do so with a clear conscience. As the parent of a police officer I pray that he and all the others who do this difficult job return home to their loved ones after every shift. Don't make their job harder by passing this vote. I have supported members of this council with my vote and have displayed signs on my lawn for all to see. Should you decide to pass this without a city wide referendum then the only sign I will be displaying will have a realtors name attached to it. Jerome T. Weldon, Springfield A Nantucket judge has told actor Kevin Spacey hes not excused from appearing in court to face charges he groped a young man in 2016. Its a more significant ruling than seems at first glance. Its the latest evidence that in the new cultural climate of treating sexual harassment and abuse charges in unflinching terms, stars and celebrities will be treated with the same stern hand as ordinary people - at least more often than before. Spacey is pleading not guilty to charges of felony indecent assault and battery. In the hysteria that normally surrounds such a case, that must not be forgotten - not by the judge and jury, and if they mean to be fair, not by the public, either. His attempt to avoid appearing in Nantucket District Court on Jan. 7 was based on his attorneys contention that it would heighten prejudicial media interest in the case and risk contaminating the jury pool. It would amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case. Yes, it probably would. Sexual assault cases do generate negative publicity. Especially now. By denying Spaceys request to be represented in absentia, Judge Thomas Barrett was ruling that the House of Cards star would not receive different treatment based on his fame. This seems to follow a trend by which accused celebrities are no longer accorded treatment as celebrities, even when theyre accused. Spaceys point is not without some substance; the media and general public cant take its eyes off a court case when the star is before them, as opposed to a legal brief accompanied by lawyers in the court and a defendants vacant chair. Preferential treatment for famous people has frustrated ordinary citizens who hear justice is blind, only to see exceptions made in high-profile cases with wealthy or famous defendants. A turning point may have been the case of Bill Cosby, which began with a skeptical public openly asking if his money and fame would make his path through the legal process safer and easier - a skepticism which, as it turned out, was unwarranted. Judge Barrett has presented himself with the daunting challenge of administering the Spacey trial without allowing media and curiosity seekers to turn it into the circus Spaceys attorney predicts. Selecting an unbiased jury pool presents an added challenge whenever the defendant is famous, and this will be no exception. But the days of making exceptions for star defendants may be ending, certainly in sex-related cases where the demand for justice, regardless of power and influence, is high. That does not mean Spacey is guilty. Thats what the trial will be for. It does mean hell be treated as an ordinary defendant would be treated. Children are taught in school that this is what blind justice means, and that American justice is based on it. Judge Barretts decision is a significant statement that in Nantucket, thats what he has in mind. Elizabeth Warren is running for president. On a 1-to-10 scale of surprising political developments, with 1 as no surprise, this one ranked at about point-5. Warrens ambitions were clear even during her successful senatorial run, when opponent Geoff Diehl described her re-election campaign as a mere rest stop en route to the 2020 national election, Diehl lost convincingly, but he wasnt wrong. President Trump has already begun treating the Warren campaign as a political pinata, questioning Warrens mental fitness (youd have to ask her psychiatrist, he said when asked if he thought she could beat him). Get ready for a full dose of Pocahontas references. Warrens chances are not as solid as liberal Democrats in Massachusetts and elsewhere would like to think. To that vast swath of the electoral map thats sandwiches between the coasts, she is exactly the type of hard-left liberal they rejected when they turned the Republican Party from conservative to hard right and went with Trump. In modern times, liberal Democrats have made the crucial mistake of listening only to themselves. They like what they hear and become oblivious to how - and why - so many Americans dont buy their pitch. If Warren is to have a true chance, she must be a better listener than that. She has to convey her ability to understand people who dont agree with her, if indeed she has that ability. Above all, she must focus on issues and not try to match Trump in a barb-for-barb verbal sword fight, although Warren is admittedly better at that tactic than most. If the Massachusetts senator follows through with her campaign, as all indications are she will, it could mean the end of lingering questions about Hillary Clintons designs for a rematch. Nothing would serve the Democratic Party worse than Warren and Clinton engaging in a high-profile scrap for the same type of voter, leaving both tarnished an vulnerable - though until Clinton definitively says shes not running, that prospect remains. Warren will be 70 in 2019. Shes only two years younger than Clinton, yet the former First Lady seems to represent the Democratic Partys past. Warren appears futuristic by comparison, but an even newer and much younger breed of party liberals is emerging. Whether they accept her as the answer to Trump, and if not, whether they have the influence within the party to stop her, remains to be seen. Whoever wins the nomination, though, will have to attract the type of voter that has come to look at the Democrats as a cadre of elitists and socialists. Of the voters who abandoned the Dems, some who will stand with Trump no matter what, but others felt they had no choice in a 2016 of bad choices. Its to this second group of Trump voters that Democrats must make their appeal, if they expect to finish Election Night 2020 with at least 270 electoral votes. They could become liberal martyrs, or they could win. Warrens tactics will have a lot to say about which road they take. At an editorial board meeting with The Republican and MassLive.com in 2018, Warren was asked if the Democrats could entice former party supporters who abandoned a party they felt had lost touch with them. That question pointedly included churchgoers and members of the pro-life community. Warren did not dodge the question. She said yes, as long as the party could offer common ground on the many other issues that would convince voters of enough substance to support the partys overall, comprehensive platform. Did she mean it? Can she do it? Can this dogmatic liberal senator from Massachusetts convey an ability to listen and not lecture, to connect and not divide, and to woo voters who chose Trump as the lesser of two bad choices in 2016 - without committing a lifelong allegiance to the man or his party? The Democratic Party is torn between trying to appeal to centrist voters who went with Trump, and by going all-in on a left-wing agenda as the only strong medicine to counter Trumps hard-right base. Being moderate is not everybodys idea of an acceptable game plan in times that some find not just alarming, but frightening. Warren must decide which of these candidates she can be, or if its at all possible to be an amalgam of both. These are the questions facing Elizabeth Warrens bid. Trump is delighted shes running. How well she does against him, assuming she can get past her own partys nomination, will be determined by how well she throws him off his game by refusing the temptation to play it. SOUTH HADLEY - Selectboard Chairman Ira Brezinsky will not seek a third full term. Instead, Brezinsky will focus his efforts as town administrator for Goshen, a community of over 1,000 residents. The town of Goshen appointed Brezinsky in October as its first-ever town administrator. Brezinsky said the Massachusetts Municipal Managers Association forbids members to serve separate communities, which the organization considers a conflict. His current Select Board term expires in April 2018. "Although I could have run again, I decided it was best not to and move onto this new and exciting stage of my career," Brezinsky said. He and his wife, Shelly, will remain in South Hadley during the term of his three-year contract with Goshen. In all, Brezinsky served two and a half terms on the South Hadley Selectboard. He became chairman in April 2018. In recent months, Brezinsky closed his business, BRW Electronics, formerly a Radio Shack franchise, after 33 years. He has resided in South Hadley since shortly after marrying his wife in 1977, and has served on several town boards and committees over the years. He served a decade on the South Hadley School Committee, followed by stints on the Appropriation Committee, Charter Commission and, finally, the Select Board. "I tried to make a difference here and there, offer my opinions," he said. "It's interesting to work with other people and being part of a group, a committee or a board, to try to move things forward, whether it's to improve services, keep a check on taxes or fees." Over the years, Brezinsky remained steadfast in his opposition to changing South Hadley's form of government. While on the Charter Commission, Brezinsky sided with members who opposed changes that called for a mayor and city council. He favored a stronger town administrator and streamlining town government. "After that, we made some significant progress in terms of adjusting our form of government," he said. The town eliminated several elected positions such as treasurer and tax collector and reduced the number of Town Meeting members. He said Michael J. Sullivan, hired in 2012, is the embodiment of a strong town administrator. Sullivan served a decade as Holyoke's mayor followed by three years as town administrator for Maynard in the Boston area. "In my opinion, he (Sullivan) has done a tremendous job of making that transition," Brezinsky said. "He was the first Town Administrator who came in once those changes had been made in 2012. Over the past six years, he's been instrumental in helping the town move into these new roles and responsibilities." Brezinsky considers Sullivan a mentor in helping him prepare as Goshen's town administrator. He added that taxes stabilized in the last few years in South Hadley with only minor increases. "The overall spending for the town decreased by a small amount, which is almost unheard of," he said. "We've done a lot to improve the level of services." Improvements in technology let South Hadley "do more with less," Brezinsky said, and set the town on "sound financial footing." An armed and possibly dangerous man wanted by Fitchburg police turned himself in Tuesday morning, police said. Sanderson Cuevas, 22, who was wanted for assault with a dangerous weapon, firearm charges, and threatening to commit a crime turned himself in early Tuesday without incident, police said. Fitchburg police said they responded to an address on Summit Street at about 12:56 p.m. Monday. When they arrived to the scene of an alleged crime of domestic violence, officers learned that a firearm was involved. An armed man, Cuevas, was unaccounted for, police said. Fitchburg police, along with Massachusetts State Police checked two possible addresses for Cuevas one in Fitchburg and one in Lunenburg. Thank you to everyone for your assistance, police wrote in a statement. In a last-minute legislative session on New Years Eve, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill banning sex discrimination in disability insurance. Womens rights advocates have been pushing for years to ban insurance companies from charging women more than men for policies. But insurers say there are legitimate reasons for considering sex in deciding how likely someone is to make a claim. Gov. Charlie Baker has 10 days from Monday to decide whether to sign or veto the bill. Bakers spokesman said the governor is carefully reviewing several pieces of legislation passed by the Legislature on Monday. Dierdre Cummings, legislative director for the consumer group MASSPIRG, called the passage of the bill good news for Massachusetts families. For far too long, women have been paying more money for the same product, Cummings said. The bill, H.482, sponsored by Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, would prohibit a company that issues disability insurance from discriminating against someone based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation or marital status. The insurer would not be allowed to reject an applicant, cancel a policy or demand higher premiums based on those categories. The bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Today, disability insurance purchased through an employer is gender neutral. But individual disability insurance policies, which are regulated by the state, can be adjusted based on sex. According to a fact sheet provided by the bills supporters, 11 percent of disability policies in Massachusetts, covering 182,000 people, are rated based on gender. Insurance rates for six companies that were filed with the state Division of Insurance between 2012 and 2015 show that women paid on average 23.5 percent more than men for disability insurance. For a 50-year-old non-smoker, for example, annual premiums for a man would be $1,278 and for a woman would be $1,866, according to statistics provided by supporters of the bill, based on Division of Insurance filings. Advocates for the bill say if a woman has the same job and same health history as a man, it is unfair and discriminatory to charge her more money for a disability policy. But insurers cite statistics showing that women are more likely than men to make disability claims, so they say charging women more is justified by the additional risk. At a 2015 hearing, representatives of the insurance industry said women nationwide buy 60 percent of policies for long-term care but account for 70 to 80 percent of claims. They said the probability of a working person becoming disabled for at least 90 days between ages 35 and 65 is 15 percent for men and 23 percent for women. Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurers cannot charge a woman more for a health insurance policy solely because she is a woman. Massachusetts already has laws requiring car insurance and homeowners' insurance to be gender neutral. They have organized a womens march and run social service agencies and businesses. They include a single mother and a lesbian mother. They have expertise in HIV/AIDS care, foreign language translation, federal budget policy and economic development. Four progressive women from Western Massachusetts are set to join the state Legislature on Wednesday, bringing with them a diverse set of experiences and perspectives. They are all new to elected office, and they chose to run amid the #metoo movement, as women around the country are developing an increasingly powerful voice in politics. Senator-elect Jo Comerford, of Northampton, attributes the wave of Democratic women to the era of President Donald Trump, a Republican whose words and policies have produced a strong backlash among liberal women. Its a real referendum on the state of our nation, and people stepping up, people who have been affected by the egregious, insidious Trump era policies stepping up and saying no more, Comerford said. I want a seat at the table, I want to be able to push back and bend our nation to work in the best interest of everybody. Comerford will become the first woman to hold the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester Senate seat, replacing former Senate President Stan Rosenberg, who resigned amid a scandal related to his husbands sexual misconduct. Lindsay Sabadosa will be the first woman to represent the 1st Hampshire District in the House, while Natalie Blais will be the first woman to represent the 1st Franklin District. Also joining the House delegation is Mindy Domb in the 3rd Hampshire District, a seat that was held for many years by former Rep. Ellen Story. We made history, Blais said. I think that certainly right now across the nation were seeing more and more women step up and step out to say Im ready to do this, and I want to do this, and Im not going to wait because Im ready now. Blais said she always felt well-represented by Rep. Steve Kulik. But when Kulik decided to retire after 25 years in the Legislature, Blais, who spent a decade working in politics as a congressional staffer, decided to run. As a staffer, your job is to not be seen. For me to step out from behind the scenes, it was scary, Blais said. But I felt like this was the time. Certainly, the national dialogue right now and whats happening did help to empower me to make that decision, Blais said. When Sabadosa was a teenager, the campaigns she worked on were generally for men, because that was who was running for municipal office. As an adult, she decided to focus on volunteering for womens campaigns, and some male candidates of color. Representation matters, Sabadosa said. You need women in office, you need people of color in office because no one else can share those lived experiences. Those voices and those perspectives are essential in shaping legislation that really serves everyone. Sabadosa said she particularly looks for and wants to be a woman who supports progressive, structural change. We all talk about the old boys club, and I think the dirty secret is its filled with a lot of women too, Sabadosa said. The women that I have chosen to support in life are all women who understand that belonging to the old boys club and getting into a position of power is not the goal. The goal is getting into office so you can create change that benefits society. All four women plan to join the Legislatures progressive caucus. Many of their priorities are in line with progressive Democratic values. Sabadosas top priority is moving toward Medicare for all, a single payer health care system. Comerford wants to establish free public college and universal pre-kindergarten. Domb considers addressing income inequality a top priority. Blais says combating climate change is vital to her rural district. Domb said the election illustrates the progressive tendencies of the region. I campaigned as a progressive Democrat, told people in my campaign that Im progressive, and what that means to me is that social justice and human rights are important, Domb said. Sabadosa said she hopes the progressives in the delegation will help move the House to the left. My hope is that the progressives will unite behind very bold pieces of legislation that really move the needle around climate, around health care, around immigration, around education, Sabadosa said. They will also bring unique personal experiences. Blais grew up in Vermont, near the Canadian border, the daughter of a truck driver and a homemaker. She attended college and graduate school on scholarship. Sabadosa is a single mother (after her partner died) who has lived in China and Italy. Domb built a career in HIV/AIDS education after working for a New York congressman in Greenwich Village during the AIDS epidemic. Comerford, a former actress, and her wife adopted their two children, who are both biracial, from the Department of Children and Families. Comerford said she did not campaign on her identity, but her biography helps her relate to issues involving the LGBTQ community and the Department of Children and Families. It will make me tune in with the full measure of who I am to the issues that affect the people of the district, Comerford said. Asked about the significance of the influx of progressive women, Domb recalled a coffee mug she once saw for sale touting Northampton as a city where the coffees strong and so are the women. The reality is a lot of strong women live in the (Pioneer) Valley, and a lot of men who respect strong women and will vote for strong women, Domb said. BOSTON Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law on Monday that will require greater engineering oversight of natural gas work. The bill was the result of recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board in the wake of the Sept. 13 gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley, which were caused by an over pressurized gas line at a site where Columbia Gas was doing work. This bill will make Massachusetts natural gas infrastructure safer by requiring all utilities to follow the NTSBs additional oversight measures developed in the aftermath of the Merrimack Valley explosions, Baker said in a statement. The Department of Public Utilities will work closely with natural gas companies to ensure all work is held to the highest industry and public safety standards for the protection of our communities. The bill, which goes into effect immediately, will require a certified professional engineer to approve plans for any engineering work done by a public utility that could pose a material risk to public safety. Baker initially filed the bill in November. At a legislative hearing in December, executives from all of the states public utilities indicated that they would support the bill. The Legislature passed the bill Monday, and Baker signed it into law immediately. Police in Boston are investigating the first fatal shooting of 2019 after a man died from gunshot wounds Tuesday. Authorities said police responded to the area of 19 Johnston Road in Dorchester around 3 a.m. for a report of a shooting. They found a male victim in his early 30s with a gunshot wound to the chest area. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he died, police said. No suspects were under arrest as of Tuesday morning. Detectives continue to investigate the shooting. A 72-year-old woman is dead and another person is injured after the woman allegedly drove into an apartment building in Fall River igniting a blaze, authorities said. Fall River police received 911 calls around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday reporting a vehicle that crashed into the Four Winds Apartments at 5500 North Main Street, according to the Bristol District Attorneys office. The crash appears to have set off a fire in the apartment complex, according to the district attorneys office. When police arrived they found the 72-year-old woman, of Fall River, dead inside the vehicle. Her passenger was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and remains in critical condition, authorities said. UPDATE: Flames still visible on second and third floors of apartment building at Four Winds. @FallRiverPD confirm elderly woman has died. Car crashed into first floor. Im leaving the scene now, but follow @wpri12 for updates pic.twitter.com/iiDPrJlvG6 Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) January 1, 2019 Fall River firefighters battled the blaze for hours and with the help of neighboring fire departments extinguished the fire at the apartment complex by about 1 p.m. The building sustained significant damage. No injuries have been reported. The crash and fire remain under active investigation at this time, and no further information is available for public dissemination, Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol District Attorney said in a news release. Foul play is not suspected at this time, Miliote said. The editorial extolling the U.S. free market and the American ingenuity that has led to energy independence should be required reading in every high school in the country. Too many of our kids these days do not understand fully that they are blessed to live in this great nation. Too many are taught to think negatively about our power and our prosperity strength that maintains a semblance of world order and wealth that allows for extraordinary generosity to people here and abroad. His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Leo OReilly as Bishop of Kilmore on health grounds. Bishop OReilly tendered his resignation following the advice of his doctor and in advance of his 75th birthday on April 10, 2019. A bishop is obliged by canon law to submit his resignation to the Pope by the time the bishop reaches 75 years of age. Archbishop Eamon Martin extended his best wishes to Bishop Leo OReilly whose resignation has been accepted by Pope Francis today. Archbishop Martin said, "Bishop Leo has remained completely committed to the demands of his episcopal office and he has been unflinching in his service, not only to the Diocese of Kilmore, but also to his many national roles and responsibilities. "As President of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, I thank Bishop Leo for his insightful contributions to our discussions at the conference table, and also for his warmth and fraternal encouragement to me and to the other bishops. "Bishop Leos ministry has been characterised by a compassionate and pastoral instinct together with a real empathy for those who are struggling with life and faith. He has been unafraid to speak from the heart, with courage and conviction, on a wide range of issues of concern to Church and society: on behalf of unborn and vulnerable human life, on child safeguarding, social inequality and justice and peace. His presence and wisdom will be greatly missed at the quarterly meetings of the Irish Bishops Conference. "Over the past twenty years as bishop he has undertaken a variety of national responsibilities, including service on the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the Episcopal Council for Research & Development. However it is his huge contribution to Catholic education that will be his enduring legacy. This springs from his vision of a family of Catholic schools across the country which are devoted to the education of the whole person and committed to tolerance, justice and the common good. Bishop Leo has remained steadfast in his determination to support the right of parents to have their children educated in accordance with their religious convictions. "As Bishop Leo now retires I trust that he will be supported by the continued prayers and affection of the people, priests and religious of the Diocese of Kilmore. I offer my prayers for Bishop Leo and wish him every happiness and improved health, away from the demands and worries of administration. Most of all I look forward to our continued friendship in the years ahead." In the days before Christmas, while desperately flipping channels to find Its a Wonderful Life or that Santa Claus movie where he fights the devil with the help of Pulgarcito, I found Roma. Roma was released recently, and, as is the case with really, really good movies, its what people are talking about at parties, work, or wherever people come together. Its a Netflix original movie about a woman who works as a maid for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City and the family that surrounds her. It has been described as a love letter from director Alfonso Cuaron to his Mexico. Its a black-and-white film, and, at a little longer than two hours y cachito, it can be overwhelming. Thats OK, because its really, really good. At times, it was familiar. In the first half-hour of the movie, I heard Mas bonita que ninguna, No tengo dinero and La nave del olvido coming over the radio in the house on the screen, the same way it came over the radio in the kitchen of our house. And I watched Cleo, the main character of the movie, wash the floor with a broom and a bucket, the same way we washed the driveway at our house when I was a kid. I remember eavesdropping on adult conversations and the seriousness of the 6 oclock news. But it was also very unfamiliar, and a peek into another world. Social strata are different in America. I grew up in San Antonio, not Mexico City. I didnt have a ninera. My mother was the one that got me out of bed and yelled at me to clean up after our dog. Most middle-class families in San Antonio dont have live-in help. Things are different here. And the film was beautiful. The way the scenes were shot made even a simple kitchen sink look beautiful. And the actress who plays the lead, Yalitza Aparicio, has the beautiful face of a Mexican often seen in the course of a day but not often seen in novelas. Roma is a story set with the backdrop of a Mexico that no longer exists, one that has worsened with time. Its a nostalgic look at an era when El Loco Valdez was still on TV, long before narcocorridos. Its also a timely look at how the life experiences of people in other countries are a world away from those growing up a few hundred miles north. And its really, really good. mariaanglinwrites@gmail.com The photographers of San Antonio Express-News each chose their most memorable image from 2018 and wrote a paragraph explaining what made it memorable. Each photographers most memorable photo is followed by their best photos of 2018. Tens of thousands of San Antonians milled about Hemisfair Park Monday night, enjoying the live music and inhaling the delicious aromas of turkey legs and gorditas, while collectively closing the page on another year. I love to see all the people happy and ready to get rid of the old year and open a new one, said Rachel Rodriguez, 60, owner of the 35-year-old Rachels Gorditas stand. Theres so much good energy here. Rodriguez joined between 40 and 50 food vendors who set up shop at the park for this years New Years Eve celebration, which typically attracts up to 75,000 people. San Antonios downtown was alive Monday night with the festivities, which were hosted by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and Tricentennial Commission. At street corners and sidewalks, vendors with makeshift carts sold sparkling balloons, Happy New Years hats and glasses shaped in the numbers 2019 with flashing lights. Meanwhile, dozens of electric scooters were clustered at the various entrance points to the park, where signs that read No scooters beyond this point hung from the trees. The scene was festive: families and couples, old and young, played carnival games, swayed to the music, and gazed up at the strings of lights twinkling in the trees. I think we all just hope that everybody leaves feeling thankful and proud to be a part of San Antonio and the community here, said Adam Fleming, director of marketing for the San Antonio Parks Foundation. Adults over 21 years old danced to a DJ at Maverick Plaza, while families played games at La Villita. Hundreds huddled around the music stages, which saw performances from The Satisfactions, a Rolling Stones tribute band, Eddie and the Valiants, and The Texases. Former Spur Matt Bonner also performed as DJ Red Mamba. Looping on a large projector screen were four videos made by the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission, reviewing its year of events celebrating San Antonios 300 years of history. One video showcased Serve 300, a community service initiative that Laura Mayes, spokeswoman for the commission, said involved 6,000 volunteers and 19,000 hours of community service this year. All year long we tried to find ways to showcase our initiative in a way that was educational and even reverent, Mayes said. We want people to know that San Antonio comes together. Wearing a headband with two silver stars reading Happy New Years bouncing on either side of her head, and with a selfie stick slung across one shoulder, Connie Sanchez, 51, was experiencing a homecoming of sorts. Visiting from Kansas City, Missouri, Sanchez was born in San Antonio by happenstance, and her trip here for New Years Eve was the first time shes returned since she was a child. She said her mother was visiting San Antonio from Mexico and realized, too late, that she would not have time to return home to give birth. A nice couple took her mother in, Sanchez said, and she was born to a midwife on San Felipe Ave. Ever since, the city has held a special place in her heart, she said. The Tex-Mex style, its not the same anywhere else. The culture, the feeling, its just special, she said. I truly love it here. Its beautiful. At her food stand, Rodriguez hummed to the oldies songs blasting from a nearby stage as she prepared the steaming gorditas, her nails gleaming with red and silver polish. Making sure she has enough money always weighs heavily on her mind, she said, and this coming year, she hopes the weight will be a little lighter. She faces 2019 with optimism. New Years is a special date. You start regenerating yourself, you try to start doing everything the right way again, Rodriguez said. Every year, I try to do the best I can, and some things stick and some things dont. But if at least one thing sticks, Im happy. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF Whats easy to forget in the focus on those who are disciplined is the effect of their conduct on everyone else. In schools that are mostly black, the victims of students who engage in violent or disruptive behavior also are mostly black. When disruptive students of any ethnicity are removed from the classroom, teachers are better able to help kids who want to learn. Washington Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday took the first major step toward launching a campaign for the presidency, hoping her reputation as a populist fighter can help her navigate a Democratic field that could include nearly two dozen candidates. "No matter what our differences, most of us want the same thing," the 69-year-old Massachusetts Democrat said in a video that highlights her family's history in Oklahoma. "To be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules and take care of the people we love. That's what I'm fighting for and that's why today I'm launching an exploratory committee for president." Warren burst onto the national scene a decade ago during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protections. She became one of the party's more prominent liberals even as she sometimes fought with Obama officials over their response to the market turmoil. Now, as a likely presidential contender, she is making an appeal to the party's base. Her video notes the economic challenges facing people of color along with images of a women's march and Warren's participation at an LGBT event. In an email to supporters, Warren said she'd more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019. Warren is the most prominent Democrat yet to make a move toward a presidential bid and has long been a favorite target of President Donald Trump. In mid-December, former Obama housing chief Julian Castro also announced a presidential exploratory committee, which allows potential candidates to begin raising money. Outgoing Maryland Rep. John Delaney is the only Democrat to have formally announced a presidential campaign. But that's likely to change quickly in the new year as other leading Democrats take steps toward White House runs. Warren enters a Democratic field that's shaping up as the most crowded in decades, with many of her Senate colleagues weighing their own campaigns, as well as governors, mayors and other prominent citizens. One of her most significant competitors could be Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who is eyeing another presidential run harnessing the same populist rhetoric. She must also move past a widely panned October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage. The move was intended to rebut Trump's taunts of Warren as "Pocahontas." Instead, her use of a genetic test to prove ethnicity spurred controversy that seemed to blunt any argument she sought to make. There was no direct mention of it in the video released Monday. Washington Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West's iconic national parks on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty. "It's a free-for-all," Dakota Snider, 24, who lives and works in Yosemite Valley, said by telephone Monday, as Yosemite National Park officials announced closings of some minimally supervised campgrounds and public areas within the park that are overwhelmed. "It's so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I've seen in my four years living here," Snider said. The 10th day of the partial federal government shutdown, which has forced furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal government employees, has left many parks without most of the rangers and others who staff campgrounds and otherwise keep parks running. Unlike shutdowns in some previous administrations, the Trump administration was leaving parks open to visitors despite the staff furloughs, said John Garder, senior budget director of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. "We're afraid that we're going to start seeing significant damage to the natural resources in parks and potentially to historic and other cultural artifacts," Garder said. "We're concerned there'll be impacts to visitors' safety." "It's really a nightmare scenario," Garder said. Spokesmen with the Interior Department did not immediately return emails seeking comment on Monday. National Park Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum had said as the shutdown took hold that "national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures." In practice, that meant on Monday that many park toilets were closed or filled to overflowing, despite holiday crowds. Campers at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California's deserts were reporting squabbles as different families laid claims to sites, with no rangers on hand to adjudicate, said Ethan Feltges, who operates the Coyote Corner gift shop outside Joshua Tree. Feltges and other business owners around Joshua Tree had stepped into the gap as much as possible, hauling trailers into the park to empty overflowing trash bins and sweeping and stocking restrooms that were still open, Feltges said. Washington House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would reopen the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico. The House is preparing to vote as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday, as one of the first acts after Democrats take control, according to an aide who was not authorized to discuss the plan. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week. What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will consider either measure or if Trump would sign them. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The package does not include the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall on the southern border. The president told Fox News Channel in an interview Monday that he was "ready, willing and able" to negotiate. He added: "No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security." McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart made it clear Senate Republicans will not take action without Trump's backing. WASHINGTON - Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said that Democratic leaders in Congress have "American blood" on their hands by not providing funding for a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. President Donald Trump has requested $5 billion in funding for the wall - which he has called integral for border security - prompting a partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22. The president has continued to push for the wall, tweeting Monday morning that the border has long been an "'Open Wound' where drugs, criminals (including human traffickers) and illegals" could enter the United States. In an interview with WAAY Tv, Brooks, a representative for Alabama's 5th Congressional District, took Trump's sentiment a step further. He specifically blamed incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for the deaths of "thousands" of Americans each year because of illegal aliens. He did not offer facts or statistics to support his claim. "It's a very tough position that the Democrats have put us in. One the one hand, you've got thousands of Americans who are dead each year because the Democrats' refusal to secure our borders. Those Americans are dying either because they've been murdered by illegal aliens, vehicular homicides by illegal aliens, or the illegal narcotics that are shipped into our country by illegal aliens and their drug cartels with the drug overdoses that are in the tens of thousands of lost American lives per year." "The question's going to be, how much American blood do you have to have on the hands of Democrat leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer before they will help us with border security? Or is their craving for power such that they're willing to accept the loss of American life." A call to Brooks's office was not returned Monday afternoon, and a recording indicated its voice mail box was full. An email sent to his spokesman requesting more information on Brooks's claims was not immediately returned. In June, The Washington Post's Philip Bump reported that data shows immigrants - including those who enter the country illegally - commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans. Trump has rejected that idea. The full context of the question that sparked Brooks's response wasn't immediately clear. In December, Schumer and Pelosi met with Trump in a now-famous Oval Office meeting, where Trump said a wall "totally solves the problem" of border security. "Yes, we need border security. The wall is a part of border security. You can't have very border security without the wall," Trump said during the meeting. Last week, California authorities announced the arrest of a suspect and seven others in connection with the shooting death of a California police officer, Ronil Singh. The man charged with shooting Singh, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, had entered the United States illegally, police say, adding new fuel to debates about sanctuary laws and immigration. Trump tweeted about the case amid authorities' full-scale manhunt for Perez Arriaga, writing: "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!" It looks like 2019 may be a blazing year for cannabis. We asked a bunch of successful entrepreneurs what to expect. "Thought leaders, CEOs, government officials and local community leaders will continue to drive the new and emerging narrative in mainstream media: Cannabis is here to stay and the people buying the products are our neighbors, physicians, stay-at-home parents, young adults, seniors and more," says Nick Kovacevich, CEO of KushCo Holdings. 2. Latin America will make a big play. "Colombia and Mexico are poised to establish their global dominance in short order, which leads to my prediction that cannabis will soon become a very valuable, sizeable addition to Colombias legal agricultural exports and local economy," says Jessica Billingsley, co-founder and CEO of MJFreeway. 3. Big Pharma will join the CBD party. "While beverage and alcohol companies are joining the CBD bandwagon, it makes sense that big pharma will step in, too," says Dr. Jonathan Rothbard, senior research scientist at Katexco Pharmaceuticals "Many pharmaceutical companies have identified small molecular weight and orally bioavailable agonists of cannabis. Of course, there will be a plethora of start-ups, but relatively few serious companies designing cannabis-derived drugs will make it far for the obvious reason that unlike "natural products", new pharmaceuticals will take an average of 10 years to develop. 4. New Jersey will be next state to legalize recreational marijuana. "New Jersey is most likely going to legalize adult-use cannabis, becoming the second state after Vermont to do so through legislative means, and the first state through legislative means to create a retail market for it," predicts Joe Lusardi, President & CEO of Curaleaf. Indeed the New Jersey legislature is closer to passing marijuana legalization bill, S-2703, which would make it legal to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and consume it at home or in specifically designated areas. Related: New Jersey Takes a Big, and Long Awaited, Step Toward Full Legalization 5. More demand for transparency. "Millions of Americans and Canadians will try cannabis for the first time or returning after a decades-long hiatus. In both cases, they don't know what to expect, and frankly, the well-intended information provided on websites and in dispensaries doesn't go far enough," says PAX CEO Bharat Vasan. "The next big hurdle for the industry is to provide our consumers with quality, transparency and predictability in their sessions. Technology can help." 6. Expect lots more consolidation. "As the industry matures, larger businesses are buying up smaller ones in order to increase operational efficiency and profitability," says Neil Yorio, EVP Agricultural Lighting at BIOS Lighting. "The evolution of the grower from the clandestine operations during prohibition to a legalized market today garners the influx of science and technology experienced growers from more traditional horticultural or farming backgrounds." 7. Look for CBD to pop up in mainstream stores. "We will begin to see CBD-infused drinks become the norm at big box stores, and a rush of CBD infused topicals make their way onto the shelves of our familiar pharmacies and big brand name beauty counters, " says Cynthia Salarizadeh, Managing Partner of KCSA Strategic Communications. Related: Hemp Hemp Hooray! U.S. Legalizes Hemp 8. Vapes, terpines and edibles on the rise. According to Kevin Ahaesy, CEO of EcoCannabis, "Vape pens and edible products will continue to rise in popularity, as flower sales decline. Terpenes will become increasingly important to those seeking specific effects from the plant. We will also see a sharp increase in senior consumers, with CBD products being the main driver for this increase." 9. California will get its act together. "This is going to be the year of the legacy California cannabis brands/companies, as many have weathered the storm and tumult of adapting to regulations in 2018 and now with a more clear path forward will be able to refocus on continued growth and expansion into new markets," says Bryce Berryessa, President of La Vida Verde. 10. More much-needed research. "As a result of a more open regulatory environment, we will also see increased research, which will drive innovation. The passage of the Farm Bill, which will open up the CBD market in 2019, will help accelerate research that will support cannabis overall. As we start to uncover the power of each specific cannabinoid, we will see more targeted treatment through very specific combinations of these cannabinoids, says Nancy Whiteman, Founder and CEO of Wana Brands. 11. Banks will finally get on board. I predict in 2019 that we will see some sort of banking reform at the federal level for cannabis companies allowing licensed companies to acquire a bank account," says Taylor Blake, co-producer of The Emerald Cup. Related: 10 Cannabis Executives Predict How AG Jeff Sessions' Retirement Will Affect the Marijuana Industry Related: 11 Cannabis Predictions for 2019 4 Reasons to Not Set Your 2019 Resolutions This Coming Jan. 1 5 New Year's Resolutions Your Company Should Make for 2019 Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved A new hoard of 1,400 tablets from a lost city in Iraq, new clues to a massive void in the Great Pyramid and the discovery of an ornately decorated Easter egg that belonged to the Russian royal family are just some of the cool archaeological discoveries that we might see in 2019. Great Pyramid void Researchers who analyzed the density of particles called muons found an empty space (shown in this illustration) more than 98 feet (30 meters) long right above the grand gallery of the Great Pyramid a passageway that leads to what may be the chamber of the pharaoh Khufu. (Image credit: ScanPyramids mission) In 2019, we can expect to get more information on a large void, discovered above the so-called grand gallery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza a hallway that leads to the sarcophagus of pharaoh Khufu, for whom the pyramid was constructed. The void is more than 98 feet (30 meters) long. Archaeologists spotted the empty space in 2017, publishing details on their study in November 2017 in the journal Nature. But it's unclear whether that space is a closed-off ancient construction corridor, a hidden burial chamber or a series of small chambers. They found the void using cosmic particles known as muons. These particles, which form when cosmic rays interact with Earth's upper atmosphere, can travel through stone, but they lose energy and decay when doing so. By measuring the number of muons flowing through an object from a particular direction, the researchers could find out the density of that object (or void). Additional muon tests that are taking place right now may reveal more information about what exactly the void is. Preliminary results from the new series of tests will likely be released sometime in 2019. A New Cave near Qumran Qumran caves at the archaeological site in the Judean desert of the West Bank, Israel (Image credit: EcoPrint / Shutterstock.com) In 2019, we may see the discovery of a new cave, possibly containing scrolls, near Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were buried in nearby caves. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of the fragments of 900 texts discovered in 12 caves. Scholars widely believe that a sect called the Essenes wrote many of the scrolls at Qumran. Both 2017 and 2018 saw the discovery of looted caves that have evidence that they held Dead Sea Scrolls in the past, and another cave will most likely be discovered in 2019. Archaeologists have been working in the area for several years as part of a project that aims to discover and excavate any caves in the Judean Desert that may contain artifacts. The program launched after a surge in looting that saw some scrolls appear on the antiquities market. Aside from excavation, archaeologists are using a variety of remote-sensing techniques to peer beneath the surface before deciding where to excavate. Immense hoard of tablets from lost city in Iraq A cuneiform tablet seized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from Hobby Lobby. The new hoard, if it appears, will be from a different owner. (Image credit: U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York) In 2019, an immense hoard of 1,400 tablets from the lost city of Irisagrig, in Iraq, may be revealed in the United States. They will be found in a private collection held by an owner who will want to maintain anonymity. In 2018, news broke that the looted artifacts seized from the retail chain Hobby Lobby (whose owners also founded the new Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.) included about 200 cuneiform tablets that are from the lost city of Irisagrig in Iraq. This new hoard will not be owned by Hobby Lobby but rather will have a different owner. Tablets from Irisagrig have been appearing on the antiquities market over the past two decades. While looters know the city's location, archaeologists don't. The tablets that have appeared on the antiquities market tell of a city that flourished 4,000 years ago, containing palaces with well-fed dogs. It's possible that some of the new tablets will contain clues that may allow archaeologists to find this lost city. Lost Easter eggs of the czars A Faberge egg, in memory of Alexander III, disappeared after Russian Revolution. (Image credit: Public domain) Between 1885 and 1916, the jewelry company Faberge crafted about 50 ornately decorated Easter eggs for the Russian royal family. In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution, some of these eggs went missing. In 2017, Live Science revealed the existence of documents that show that two massive hoards of art and antiques were sent to New Orleans from the Soviet Union and Turkey in 1991 and 1992. The combined value of the two shipments was $164 million, which amounts to $285 million today. While the documents don't state precisely what was in those shipments, it's possible that one of the missing Easter eggs was among the treasures sent to the United States. There have been rumors over the years that some of the eggs made their way to private collections in the United States, and, in 2019, we may see one of the missing eggs come out of hiding. Khufu Papyri The Great Pyramid at Giza is the world's largest pyramid. (Image credit: Vladimir Korostyshevskiy/Shutterstock) In 2013, archaeologists working at the site of Wadi al-Jarf, by the Red Sea, announced the discovery of papyri dating back about 4,500 years, to the reign of Khufu, the pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid. A study of the papyri has revealed that it contains a logbook of an inspector named Merer, who led a team that performed tasks that aided in the construction of the Great Pyramid and other building projects in Egypt. So far, only part of this logbook has been deciphered and analyzed, with the results yielding information on an ancient harbor located near the Great Pyramid and on the movement of limestone from the site of Tura to the Great Pyramid. In 2019, we may learn more about other sections of the logbook that are currently being deciphered and analyzed. Originally published on Live Science. Thats solid advice, advice that I use whenever life feels like its about to crash for example, when the federal government unexpectedly shuts down. This is my fourth government shutdown in my federal career. The first three we could see coming, and we had a clear idea of how long they would last. The 2013 shutdown was so obviously broadcast that my federal credit union sent out emails the week before, advertising great rates on short-term loans. Back then, I worked for the government only part-time, and I nudged old editors and clients for writing gigs to fill out my lost income. When I finally landed my dream of working full time at the National Park Service, I knew I should always stash a paycheck or two in savings should a shutdown ever occur again. 2018 was a big year for dark matter. As usual, astronomers didn't actually find any of the stuff, which is invisible to all our telescopes but appears to make up at least 80 percent of the universe by mass. There were reports of a dark matter hurricane, but we can't actually see it. A galaxy was discovered that seemed not to have any dark matter, which oddly would have proved dark matter existed. But then it turned out that the galaxy may have dark matter after all leaving the existence of dark matter in doubt for some physicists. Multiple experiments that were supposed to directly detect dark matter here on Earth turned up nothing. So, where does that leave scientists hunting for dark matter as we head into 2019? Pretty optimistic, all things considered. The hunt for dark matter presses forward on all fronts. From massive underground detectors to huge sky surveys, here are the four major steps in the hunt for dark matter to look forward to in 2019. LIGO comes back online The LIGO project operates two detector sites: one near Hanford in eastern Washington, and another near Livingston, Louisiana (shown here). (Image credit: IGO Collaboration) The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the American detector that directly observed the first gravitational waves in 2015, will begin its third observation run in early 2019, collecting more data than ever before after a series of upgrades to its equipment. So what's a gravitational-wave detector doing in an article about dark matter? It turns out that there are a lot of tantalizing possibilities for uncovering hints of dark matter using gravitational-wave data though none of them have yet been realized. Researchers in 2018 proposed that if a "dark photon" with a very slight mass lurks somewhere in the universe, its signal might turn up in LIGO data, causing very specific irregularities in the signatures of gravitational waves. We show that both ground-based and future space-based gravitational wave detectors have the capability to make a [conclusive dark matter] discovery, the researchers wrote. With LIGO back online, turning up evidence for dark matter in gravitational-wave data is very much a live possibility. Physicists will try to figure out whether MiniBooNE gave up the ghost of a neutrino A photo reveals the inside of the MiniBOONE detector. (Image credit: Fred Ullrich/Fermilab) Throughout 2018, scientists chattered excitedly about intriguing results from an experiment at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, called MiniBooNE, suggesting the presence of particles that shouldn't exist. The best explanation so far is that there's a fourth, as-yet-undiscovered neutrino out there, called the sterile neutrino, that interacts with the rest of the universe even less than its other neutrino cousins. Some researchers believe that the sterile neutrino could be a candidate particle for dark matter, and as 2018 comes to a close, physicists are firming up their perspectives on this anomaly. Look for scientists thinking in new ways about that data and sterile neutrinos in general in 2019. First light at the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) A photo from Nov. 2018 shows ongoing construction at Cerro Pachon summit, where the LSST is coming together. (Image credit: LSST) There's a telescope being built in Chile that will make detailed images of vast regions of the sky every 15 seconds, completing a full scan of the sky every three days. Over the course of 10 years, it will compare those images to one another again and again to track how the sky shifts and changes, providing the most in-depth-ever resource for understanding how dark matter pushes and pulls on the cosmos. Scientists know, broadly, that dark matter shapes the way galaxies and their stars move and interact with one another. LSST's goal is to fill out that picture, offering an unprecedented level of detail on how the cosmos functions. That should offer astrophysicists a wealth of data on the nature of dark matter and the role it plays in the universe. And in 2019, for the first time, researchers will open the 6,200-lb.(2,800 kilograms) eye of that telescope and take in light. Science operations begin in 2022. The race to build a next-generation detector will heat up Researchers are hard at work a mile underground putting LUX-ZEPLIN together. (Image credit: LBL) Particle physicists have speculated for a long time that the first direct sign of dark matter might be a sparkle. Here's how it might work: As dark matter collides with inert substances in very dark rooms, those substances would emit faint specks of light. For decades, scientists have built detectors according to this principle, but so far, none have produced a conclusive result. In 2019, scientists in China will be hard at work on the PandaX platform, which stares at xenon all day and night looking for a twinkle. Those scientists are rapidly upgrading the detector to accommodate a 4-ton (3.6 tonnes) xenon target, reporting that they expect to complete most of that work over the course of 2019 and 2020. The new detector will be called PandaX-xt. Not to be outdone, researchers in South Dakota will be completing the most important phases of construction on LUX-ZEPLIN, which will observe a full 10 tons (9 tonnes) of xenon nearly a mile under the town of Lead, South Dakota. Like PandaX-xt, the project will likely not wrap up until 2020. Italy will also move forward on upgrading its detector, appropriately named XENON, to an 8-ton (7.2 tonne) scale. The upgrade, called XENON-nt, should be wrapped up in 2019. The next phase It's always possible that some experiment somewhere will turn up incontrovertible, specific evidence that a particular kind of possible dark matter particle really exists. But in the short term, in almost every area, physicists are focused on using the lessons of the past to inform bigger, better dark matter hunts in the future. Will an incontrovertible dark matter finding turn up in 2019? That might be a bit optimistic. But the physicists chasing that goal are heading into the new year arming themselves to hunt with more precision and power than ever before. Originally published on Live Science. The videos first obtained by The Arizona Republic are blurry but show staffers dragging children on the ground and shoving a boy against a door. In one video, a staffer is seen sitting at a conference room table, fidgeting with her hair, while another staffer drags a child into the room. The treatment continued even after the child falls to the ground. His father was working about 1:20 p.m. Saturday on the roof of a nine-story parking garage at the northeast corner of Orleans and Hubbard streets when a fire broke out, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Firefighters found four workers running on the staircase as they tried to escape the fire. The elevators in the building werent working. A FILE is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the case of a young man who is accused of entering the bedroom of a house where two children were asleep, writes David Hurley. Shane Ryan-Casey, aged 24, who has an address at Clonlong halting site, Southill is charged with burglary relating to an incident which occurred in the early hours of December 21, last. At Limerick District Court, Garda Alan Behan said the defendant was arrested at a house at Bengal Terrace, Old Cork Road shortly before 6am after gardai were alerted to an intruder at the property. Mr Ryan-Casey was then taken to Roxboro Road garda station where he refused to comment when formally charged in relation to the incident a number of hours later. Opposing bail, Garda Behan said it will be alleged the defendant was found on the premises having been restrained by the occupant of the house with the help of a neighbour who had been alerted. He added it is the State case that Mr Ryan-Casey entered the house by climbing in a bedroom window where two young children were asleep at the time. Garda Behan told Sergeant Donal Cronin he had concerns the defendant would not comply with any bail conditions if released and he said he believed there was a high risk of him committing further serious offences. The witness agreed with Sgt Cronin who suggested Mr Ryan-Casey had a colourful background and suffers from certain addiction issues. While a file will be prepared for the DPP, Judge Marian OLeary was told gardai expect the matter to proceed on indictment before the circuit court. Having considered the garda objection under the Bail Act and OCallaghans Rules and noting submissions from solicitor Sarah Ryan, Judge OLeary said she was refusing bail in the circumstances. The defendant was remanded in custody pending further directions from the DPP. If Mr Ryan-Casey is convicted of burglary on indictment, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 14 years imprisonment. UNIVERSITY Maternity Hospital Limerick can now carry out abortion services as of this Tuesday morning, the HSE has announced. This comes after President Michael D Higgins signed the termination of pregnancies into law on December 20 last, following a landmark 66.4% Yes vote in the May 25 referendum. Limerick city voted 66.87% in favour of legalising abortion, while the county voted 58.08% in favour of the practice. The HSE was unable to provide a number of GPs that have signed up for abortion services, and it is understood that family planning clinics have yet to get the full green light for the service this week. Abortion care will be free of charge under HSE care, a spokesperson said. Dr Peter Boylan, consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, who is working with the HSE to support the rolling out of abortion services said the health is ready to provide abortion services for those who need it. Clinical guidance and training has been provided and circulated to healthcare teams nationwide to assist practitioners in the clinical decision making involved in providing abortion care. A lot of work has been done by people across our health service to prepare for this new service, with a sufficient number of GPs signed up and others continuing to do so. Services will be provided in GP practices and family planning services, and maternity units and hospitals across the country, he said. The HSE has launched its My Options website for those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy or are seeking abortion services. My Options offers non-directive, free counselling and information for people experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Information is available about all options, including continued pregnancy supports and abortion services. Helen Deely from the HSEs Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme outlined the supports offered by My Options, saying: Were here to help you, with professional counsellors, if you want to talk to someone, have a question about continued pregnancy supports, or want information about abortion services. The HSEs My Options service is free of charge and you can contact us at Freephone 1800 828 010. A spokesperson added: "People can access an abortion in Ireland from today, January 1, 2019. This means that GPs and family planning services who have signed up to provide the service will be able to begin caring for patients who want to have an abortion from this date. The following maternity units and hospitals will be providing abortion care, and it is expected that other hospitals will begin to provide abortion care in the near future. "A lot of work is ongoing to set up services to care for women, and the HSE will provide information to women and to healthcare professionals about where and how services are available as they come on stream." The Limerick Leader will be publishing useful information in relation to abortion services locally this Tuesday morning. A CHRONIC drug addict who furiously kicked another lady after knocking her to the ground during a violent incident in broad daylight, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment. Mary Anne Lindsay, aged 43, of Raheen Square, Ballinacurra Weston had pleaded guilty to charges of assault and robbery relating to the incident at Schoolhouse Lane, off Barrington Street on February 20, last. Detective Garda Paul Crowley told Limerick Circuit Court a 61-year-old woman was knocked to the ground and assaulted by the defendant who approached her from behind and attempted to steal her handbag. A number of people who were in the vicinity came to the assistance of the injured party when they were alerted to the incident which happened shortly after 3pm. Ms Lindsay, who has more than 60 previous convictions, had consumed sticks and alcohol on the day and could not remember the incident following her arrest after being identified as a suspect on CCTV. I was stoned and steamed, she told gardai during interview. Barrister Brian McInerney said his client is a chronic drug user who has had a hard life and who was under the influence of an intoxicant at the time. He said she has no trappings of wealth whatsoever and that she suffers from ill health. Judge Tom ODonnell was told Ms Lindsay is not a serious player in the criminal underworld and that she has been engaging with various services during her time in custody since the offence. Imposing sentence, the judge said such incidents are all to common in Limerick and that the public have a right to be able to safely walk to down the streets. He noted Ms Lindsays cooperation and guilty plea and her determined efforts to rehabilitate herself since she entered custody. He imposed a four year prison sentence, suspending the final twelve months. The sentence was back-dated to the date of the offence. If you are looking for a special way to ring in the New Year this weekend, look no further than county Laois. The skies above Ballyfin will light up at the stroke of Midnight on New Year's Eve. Ballyfin Demense will host the private fireworks display which is expected to last seven to 10 minutes. The organisers issued a warning to residents living local to keep an eye on their pets during the display as they may be affected by the noise of the fireworks. Excitement is already building for people all over Laois who will stay up to see if they can catch a glimpse of the fireworks with family and friends. A Bethlehem man is jailed after state police said he caused a disturbance at two Lehigh County businesses. Luke Austin Sheriff, 21, is charged with defiant trespass (two counts), disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Pennsylvania State Police in Bethlehem said he initially entered the Target store, 912 Airport Center Road in Hanover Township shortly before 4 p.m. Dec. 12 and began yelling. Sheriff would not leave the store until troopers had to escort him out, police said. Sheriff then entered Sams Club, 901 Airport Center Road, in Hanover Township, and also created a disturbance, refusing to leave when ordered by store management, police said. He was then arrested and arraigned on the charges by District Judge Karen C. Devine, who set bail at 10 percent of $10,000. In lieu of bail, police said he was taken to Lehigh County jail, where online records showed he remained Tuesday. Sheriff appeared to be under the influence of drugs during both incidents, police said. Court records indicate a preliminary hearing was held before Devine on Dec. 19 and the judge determined there was enough evidence to send the case onto county court. A formal arraignment is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 29 before Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Almost everyone is entering the New Year with resolutions and advise for people. Some Nigerian celebrities are thankful for the past year and looking forward to greater accomplishments in 2019, some others have important messages and rules for people to follow in the New Year. Just the way Tonto Dikeh advised that people live for themselves in 2019, Nollywood actor, Alexx Ekubo, has written an important open letter to Nigerian youths on social media. The young actor who described majority of Nigerian youths as vile and bitter advised that they try spreading love instead of hate in the New year. In his lengthy message, shared on his Instagram page, he buttressed that Nigerian youths should learn to mind their business and allow people live their lives the way they choose and stop being so judgmental. Many fans have seen the wisdom in his message and concurred that Nigerians, at least on social media, need to start learning to lift people up instead of tearing each other down. READ ALSO: New Year gift: Broda Shaggi buys Aunty Shaggi new car on in the first hour of January 1 Ekubo advised that if people choose to be gay, they should be allowed to do what makes them happy. He also stated that if a woman decided to surgically enhance her body, it is her business and should be allowed to do what she likes. Read his post below: Meanwhile, stunning actress, Genevieve is entering the New year in style as she marked 20 years of film making. She stated that she is grateful for the journey and the lessons that 2018 brought her and is looking forward to more in the New year. Did you know? NAIJ.com (naija.ng) is now-> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Homosexuals in Nollywood: Myth or Reality? on Legit TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Nigerian stunning actress, Genevieve Nnaji entered the New Year with gratitude - In a post shared on Instagram, the actress shared her thankfulness for 2019 as it marks two decades of her in film making - She also stated that she hopes the New Year the best year for everyone In the spirit of entering and celebrating a New Year, many Nigerian celebrities have been sharing their wishes for 2019 while being thankful for 2018. Legit.ng earlier shared how actress and philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh, shared advice as it struck a new day in 2019. Just recently, beautiful actress Genevieve Nnaji shared a post on her Instagram page showing gratitude for 2018 while wishing the best comes in 2019. The actress also revealed that the New Year marks 20 years of her in film making for which she is grateful. Nnaji started as one of the earliest pretty faces in Nollywood. The 39-year-old actress launched her career in 1987 and has appeared in over 100 movies since then. Recently, she wrote and directed a movie titled Lion Heart which is currently being shown at the cinemas. READ ALSO: Apostle Suleman releases 50 prophecies for 2019 Genevieve refelcted all of her journey and lessons in her 2019 note where she also wished fans and friends a Happy New Year. Read her post below: Meanwhile, Genevieve is gaining grounds internationally as she recently signed a deal with the United Talent Agency (UTA), based in California. This is a great step in the right direction and it would definitely boost her career seeing as Hollywood actors such as Johnny Depp, Seth Rogen, Amy Schumer, Angelina Jolie, to name a few are also clients represented by the agency. Did you know? NAIJ.com (naija.ng) is now-> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Homosexuals in Nollywood: Myth or Reality? on Legit TV: Source: Legit Police could not provide further information on any injuries or the number of people attacked. The suspects appear to have medium complexions and builds, police said. - Governor Godwin Obaseki has endorsed President Buhari's term bid ahead of 2019 general elections - Obaseki was optimistic that the president will continue his good work of developing the nation in 2019 - He also said a lot of achievements and progress are recorded under current administrations Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has called on Nigerians to sustain the achievements and progress recorded by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in the past four years with their votes in 2019 general elections. Obaseki made the call while worshipping at the Cathedral Church of St. John, Diocese of Sabongida-Ora Anglican Communion, Owan west local government area of the state on Tuesday, January 1. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor said when the people cast their votes for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the general elections, it would enable the President continue his good work of developing the nation. READ ALSO: Buhari will lead Nigeria beyond 2019 - Nigerian prophet According to him, We must understand that Nigeria faces major challenges, but we are on course as we have done quite a lot of work in the last four years. We need to sustain the work we are doing by voting enmasse for APC to ensure that the development continues. The governor said the demographic growth of the population of the nation was alarming with.the attendant challenges. He, however, said the President was equal to the task in creating opportunities and empowering people to make life meaningful for Nigerians Obaseki said his administration was investing in basic education, Primary Health Care and agriculture to attract industries to the state. He said: ''I want to assure the people of Edo that I will make life possible for the people. In his sermon, entitled Our year of divine expansion, Rev. Augustine Ohilebo, Diocesan Bishop, Diocese of Sabongida-Ora, said Christians would not enjoy Gods blessings without personal relationship with Him. If you are outside the camp of God you are prone to danger. Sin hinders your relationship with God and limits your expansion. For you to experience divine expansion, you need to get in contact with God, the Bishop admonished Christians.'' READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Reading from Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 18, he urged Christians to repent from their wicked ways and trust the Lord for His provisions in 2019. According to him, To experience divine expansion, you should enlarge your capacity in service to God; attendance to church, paying of tithes, prayers and giving to the work of God.'' He also said that the country would not divide saying that any one or group of persons who want Nigeria to divide will not succeed. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, urged Ndigbo to vote wisely by voting for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. The president of NUF, Augustine Chukwudum, made the call while speaking on Tuesday, January 1, in Enugu. Chukwudum also enjoined Ndigbo, all over the country, to come out en mass to vote for Buhari second term, so that 2023 will be Ndigbos turn to produce the next President of Nigeria. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. 2019 Presidency: Nigerians reveal why they prefer Atiku to President Buhari - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit As the new year begins, many Nigerians and celebrities alike, have taken to social media to celebrate in various ways. Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh also recently celebrated the New Year with a message of her own. As world ushers in the new year, social media has been flooded with a lot of testimonies, experiences and resolutions. Following this, Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh has taken to social media to advice others not to be depressed by what they see online but should rather be grateful for their own life. She wrote: "2019 message. Its that time of the year where we all show off what the lord has done for us in the previous 364 days. Its that time of the year where we share our testimonies to inspire the masses and stir up the multitudes.A new year is upon us so let me get to the point. The reason for this write up is to reach out to a certain group of people. Those who may react in an adverse manner to hearing these yearly testimonies. Those who may get induced into depression upon hearing these ever powerful testimonies. " READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com) "Now what most do not understand is that people are good story tellers and screen writers. In telling these testimonies, most people do not include the rigorous ups and downs and losses one experiences before the testimony. They do not include the vigorous phases they passed in which they themselves nearly gave up for good. I need you all to know that many live their life for the gram. It may come as a surprise to you but I assure you that you may be better of than most of these people uploading flashy enticing posts on social media. Anyone can take a photo shoot and smile. Anyone can distort an image online." READ ALSO: Im no longer surprised when those who earn next to nothing allegedly buy cars - Actor RMD "Im in no way trying to put anyone down. I also make these type of posts.What I am trying to tell you is to live your life! Be grateful for yourself. Be grateful for your own experiences that shaped and strengthened you. If we were to exchange shoes today neither of us may survive a day. My point is read and appreciate everyones testimony but do not be depressed by them. Be bold in your own journey. Understand that the same way it happened to them it could equally happen to you if you work hard and keep pushing. Instagram is a world on its own. Some never make it back to reality. IM GLAD I MADE IT BACK. Stay true to your real self and trust God in 2019. I love you all,SEE YOU IN 2019!! #KINGTONTO #LORD I INVITE YOU IN 2019." PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App Dikeh's post which focused on issues bothering on people living fake lives on social media, seems to be in line with that of veteran actor, Richard Mofe Damijo. In a New Year message which he shared on his Instagram page, he spoke about people who do next to nothing but live lavishly, stating that having a belief that living a fake life until you become successful is flawed and has no guarantee. Get the hottest gist on Africa Love Aid HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Primate Ayodele releases 2019 prophecies, says B/Haram will infiltrate the army| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng News - Engr Yabagi Yusuf Sani is optimistic that Nigeria can become a better country than it had been over the years - Sani praises Nigerians for their resilience but wants them to brace up for the challenges ahead of them - The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) lists some of the porblems facing the country under the current government The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Engr Yabagi Yusuf Sani, wants Nigerians to brace up for the challenges ahead if they truly want to see a nation that would meet their yearnings and aspirations. Sani also praised Nigerians for their doggedness in the face of challenging economic downturn witnessed since 2015. He urged them not to be discouraged as 2019 would bring hope that will satisfy their aspirations. In his new year message to all Nigerians and made available to Legit.ng, Sani urged citizens home and abroad to be ready to face a new direction because, only such thinking can salvage the country from those who have deliberately ensured that the country does not work for the benefit of common man. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda It is a moment of sober reflection for us as a country, where bandits and insurgents have taken over our land, those who could not manage and put an end to these wanton killings, destruction of lives and prosperities are out seeking to rule again, we must unite to resist them. "I want Nigerians to think anew, the daunting task before us is achievable, we can have a brand new Nigeria where we can give our children quality education, where youth unemployment and restiveness can be reduced to near non existence, we can also have quality and affordable private and public health system for our kids, adults and aged ones. Our economy can be transformed to become the largest in Africa and begin to compete with advanced nations of the world. As we enter a new year, it is my hope and aspiration that Nigerians, for once benefit from democracy, we now have a golden opportunity before all of us to change our destiny once and for all and for greater good. We must not fail to make the right choice at the next elections. I am saddened by the way and manner in which our country is being governed by the political hawks who won't ever change their ways. This has made my party to present me as the most credible alternative Presidential candidate, I urge Nigerians to take this opportunity so that we can collectively get our country on the right track. I want to assure Nigerians of my readiness to serve when elected as the next President, my party's campaign will start in January and be brought closer to citizens for them to see the reasons why ADP is the Right Choice for all, and to see why ADP should be voted for overwhelmingly at the next polls. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates Sani, while wishing Nigerians a prosperous and peaceful 2019, thanked all members and stakeholders of the ADP saying they have remained steadfast and committed to the project since its inception, ensuring that the party keeps growing at a fastest pace. It is time for a serious work to rescue our country and bring prosperity to all citizens, I urge all other candidates (Governor, Senate, House of Reps and Assembly) in our great party, Action Democratic Party (ADP) to brace up for the challenges ahead, our mission is to win, to enable us give citizens a new lease of life for a better direction, Sani said. Legit.ng earlier reported that A former governor and leader in the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, asked Nigerians to select the path of 'forward progress' in 2019 as opposed to going backwards to the past that has not helped the nation. In the New Year message he personally signed and made available to Legit.ng, the APC leader said Nigerians must enter 2019 and see it as a new day for the country. 2019: Whats your New Year resolution? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng A former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to join hands in bringing the country close to the dreams of her founding fathers. In a 2019 New Year's message to Nigerians, Jonathan said there is hope and a future for Nigeria as the new year presents a new opportunity to be better leaders and citizens across Nigeria. Jonathan said while 2019 will surely come with its own challenges, a collective national attitude to those challenges will help ensure Nigeria survives and thrives towards these dreams. READ ALSO: Apostle Suleman releases 50 prophecies for 2019 READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has felicitated with all Nigerians on the new year 2019, urging citizens to reflect on the progress the country has made under its leadership. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The party in a New Year message to Nigerians, canvassed for the continued support for the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in addressing the country's challenges. 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 Nigeria A year does not go by without Nigerian pastors revealing their prophesies for the New Year. 2019 has come and as usual, they have started alerting Nigerians on the possible events to place in the New Year. Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has finally revealed prophesies for 2019. This he says is what Nigerians should possibly expect. Bishop Oyedepo in his New Year message at the Churchs headquarters in Sango Ota, Ogun state said nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria in 2019. READ ALSO: Pastor Chris Okafor allegedly acquires private jet According to the man of God, he added that the country will be changing for the better and will not experience any more bloodshed. He said: The prince of peace will continue to Dominate in Nigeria and Africa, we shall not see set-back anymore. Because of the saints of God in this country, Nigeria shall remain safe. The year 2019 shall be a year of humbling testimonies. It was earlier reported on January 2, 2018, Bishop Oyedepo in his New Year message entitled, Heralding the New Dawn of the Church said there shall be waves of strange handing over across the nations of the earth. Oyedepo said: Strange things will be the order of the day in year 2018. There shall be massive wealth transfer." Legit.ng earlier reported that senior pastor and the general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International (OFM), Apostle Johnson Suleman, has released 50 prophecies for the year 2019. The prophecies were released during the church's crossover service on Monday, December 31, 2018, at their headquarters in Benin, the Edo state capital. PAY ATTENTION: Best love tips and relationship advice on Africa Love Aid group! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Primate Ayodele releases 2019 prophecies, says B/Haram will infiltrate the army| Legit TV. Source: Legit - The government of Congo has shut down internet across the Central African country - The government made the decision in order to prevent social media speculations about election results - The citizens of Congo went to the poll on Sunday, December 30, 2018, to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila In a bid to prevent social media speculations about presidential election results, the government of Congo has shut down internet across the Central African country. The decision was taken by the government following malfunction of machines and other problems during the election, which was held on Sunday, December 30, 2018, The Washington Post reports. Legit.ng gathers that Congolese went to the poll to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila in what could be Congo's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda According to report, official results of the election are to be announced on January 15, though preliminary results are expected within a week. Report has it that many voters could not find their names on the lists of registered voters. More than 500 of the electronic voting machines were said to have malfunctioned. Expressing his displeasure over the conduct of the election, Parole Kamizelo of Kinshasa, said: You cannot call this an election. This is an electoral comedy. Over 10,000 were said to have people lined up in Beni on Sunday, December 30, 2018, to stage their own election, vowing to deliver the results to the electoral commission. People cast paper ballots and sang in Swahili, Voting is our right and nobody can stop us. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that mobile operators in Bangladesh were ordered by the country's telecom regulators to shut down high-speed mobile internet services until midnight of Sunday, December 30, the day of a national election. A spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Commission, made the disclosure on Saturday, December 29, adding that the measure is effective immediately. Zakir Hussain Khan said: The decision has been taken to prevent rumors and propaganda surrounding the vote." In another previous report by Legit.ng, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said voting decisions of Nigerians in the 2019 general elections will determine the future of the country. The partys national chairman, Uche Secondus, stated this in his new year message issued in Abuja by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, on Tuesday, January 1. The national chairman of the opposition party advised Nigerians to see 2019 as the restoration year for the country. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Secondus said that 2019 is critical in the life of the nation as it would be a turning point in the emerging political evolution. He said: The general election in the country this year 2019 provides ample opportunity for the country to be rescued and restored as the biggest black nation in the world both economically and politically. This year provides us the ground to save our democracy and the country from the comatose state misrule has placed it. Secondus said that 2019 provides the way to correct the mistake Nigeria made in 2015, saying that good decisions by the voters in 2019 is needed to recover the country. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Nigeria News Today: INEC May Ban Electronic Devices At The Polling Booths | - on Legit TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Nigeria expected a daily production of 500 tonnes of rice in Kano by June 2019 - The Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Subhash Chand, said the rice production will take place in Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill - According to Chand, the investment was part of the overall efforts of the High Commission to help Nigeria attain self-sufficiency in rice production Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill says it is targeting to record 500 tonnes of daily production by June, just as it hit 250 tonnes to boost local self-sufficiency. Subhash Chand, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, January 1, in Abuja. NAN recalls that the multi-million naira state-of-the-art rice mill, owned by an Indian national, was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano in December. The diplomat assured that the production capacity of the mill was being expanded to hit 500 tonnes by June. He added that the investment was part of the overall efforts of the High Commission to help Nigeria attain self-sufficiency in rice production. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Chand said that India was supportive of Nigerias efforts to fully localise rice production, disclosing that many Indian companies were already among the leading millers in Nigeria. He disclosed that the mill was built with machineries fabricated in Nigeria with local contents by Indian and Nigerian technological experts. India has been maintaining good relationship with Nigeria and will continue to do so. Through Nigeria-Indias cordial relationship, Indian investors are already investing in Nigeria to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, he said. Chand noted that technical partnership was another area of mutual benefits to the two nations. NAN reports that in 2017, Nigerias rice consumption stood at 7.9 million tonnes while the production rate has increased to 5.8 tonnes per annum from previous 5.5 million tonnes due to Federal Governments local rice production policy. READ ALSO: PDP gave me the platform to achieve my policies for Benue - Ortom The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) attributed the increase to the CBNs Anchor Borrowers Programme with a total of 12 million rice producers and four million hectares of FADAMA rice land cultivated. NAN reports that Amarava Agro Processors Limited, a subsidiary of Fullmark Group was established at Amarawa Village, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, with an initial 288 metric tonnes daily capacity. NAN recalls that Buhari said at the inauguration that Nigerias continued dependence on rice importation had put a strain on the economy as well as the nations food flow. Buhari added that a substantial amount of the nations foreign exchange went into rice importation yearly, noting the mill will help Nigeria to progress towards food self-sufficiency. NAN reports that the bilateral trade between Nigeria and India between 2017 and 2018 was touching $12 billion (about N4.3 trillion), which can be expanded by both countries. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu, has said Nigeria is on the path of taking on the world in terms of rice production. The governor said this on Wednesday, December 19, at a Gala night organised by beneficiaries of the governments Anchor Borrowers Programme held at the State House Conference Center, Abuja. Bagudu who is the vice chairman of the national food security council, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown unprecedented commitments to agriculture development in Nigeria. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Nigeria Latest News: Father Mbaka On Buhari, Atiku In Nigeria Election 2019 | Legit TV Source: Legit The senior pastor and the general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Internation (OFM), Apostle Johnson Suleman, has released 50 prophecies for the year 2019. Legit.ng gathers that the prophecies were released during the church's crossover service on Monday, December 31, 2018, at the OFM headquarters in Benin, the Edo state capital. Below are Apostle Suleiman's 2019 prophecies: (1) Great agricultural boost for South Africa (2) I saw an eclipse (3) 2019 Nigeria election- 100% rigged (4) Northern response to election results to shock the incumbent government. They had strong response from the south. (5) Election - Nigeria vs military/police (6) China to openly confront America READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda (7) Great set back economically (8) Election funds controversy/scandal (9) Biafra struggle to gain massive support (10) A new activist to launch campaign against presidency (11) 2019, a shock for governors ( 12) Ghana economy to get foreign support (13) I saw another missile test in North Korea (14) Nollywood to merge internationally (15) I see a major breakthrough in the cure for HIV (16) Muhammadu Buhari needs prayer, please sir, go and rest (17) Abubakar Atiku should focus on North during campaign (18) I see an Igbo Presidency in 2023 but they must not have any deal with present government (19) Tinubu should forget 2023 (20) I see internet fraudsters, new ritualistic ways of making money( blood hunt) (21) A presidential aspirant to be arrested (22) I saw Boko Haram invade a police station (23) The Almighty God is unhappy at the continued detention of El-Zakzaky (24) APC wins Lagos election (25) Keystone banks needs prayers (26) ASUU to pray against losing a top member (27) I saw a major politician declared missing (28) WAEC to be re-modeled (29) I saw farmers package welfare from the government and it results to crisis between them and the state government (30) I saw most eastern states won by APC at the national level ( 31) Strange killings in Togo (32) Mali should pray against strange virus outbreak (33) The government should protect police station and military barracks because I see people break in searching for arms (34) I saw fire outbreak in a media house (35) I saw a Nigerian airline grounded totally (36) America should not relax, a deadlier terrorist group is emerging (37) I saw a probe group disgrace US government (38) Donald Trump to lose 2nd term (39) Brexit crises to implode UK (40) I saw a terrorist attack in America (41) Fire outbreak in Canada but quickly managed (42) Nigeria to win awards and relevance in cyber world ( 43) Lets declare a prayer day against massive bloodshed in Rivers state (Too ugly) (44) I saw a horse, written on it was 'pray against Americans being homeless'. I saw something happen that made them scampering for safety. Natural disaster (45) July and August in Nigeria, serious prayer. (46) Many weddings, 2019 is a year of multiple marriages (47) I saw people with children in multiples of triplets and twins (48) Pensioners to smile (49) I saw a lot of politicians in prison (50) A top legislator in USA and a known senator - peaceful passing away. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Catholic archbishop of Kaduna, Most Reverend Mathew Ndogoso, advised clerics to stop making predictions for politicians ahead of the 2019 general elections. Ndogoso also urged clerics to quit the pulpit for politics, if they would not resist turning themselves to slaves of politicians. The archbishop made the remarks during the send-forth of the first executive secretary of the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN), Reverend Father Evaristus Bassey, in Abuja on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. He said: I have a message for 2019; the prophets of doom in Nigeria should go and join the political parties of their choice." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better 2019: Whats your New Year resolution? | Legit TV Source: Legit The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has said that more than 25,000 babies will be born in Nigeria on Tuesday, January 1, 2019. The international organisation said today, the 25,000 Nigerian babies will make up the 6.5% of the estimated 395,072 babies born on New Years Day globally. In a statement released by Eva Hinds, UNICEF communication specialist said Nigerian babies will account for 40% of all those born in West and Central Africa and more than 23% of those born in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hinds said estimates for the number of babies born were draw based on the period indicators and the life tables of the UNs World Population Prospects (2017) with data gathered by World Data Labs (WDL) in collaboration with UNICEF. The report shows the number of births for each day by country and their corresponding life expectancy. READ ALSO: PDP gave me the platform to achieve my policies for Benue - Ortom According to the report, globally, over half of the worlds births are estimated to take place in just eight countries, including Nigeria. Top on the list of babies to be born globally is India with 69,944, followed by China with 44,940 and then third on the list is Nigeria with an estimated 25,685 babies. Others are: Pakistan, 15,112; Indonesia, 13,256; United States of America, 11,086; the Democratic Republic of Congo, 10,053 and Bangladesh, 8,428. Also, with the recent life expectancy rates, a child born in Nigeria today is likely to live only to the year 2074 - 55 years of age while another child born today in Denmark is likely to live until the 22nd century. The report also showed that only children born in three countries -Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone - today have a lower life expectancy than that of Nigerian children. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Globally in 2017, about 1 million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life. In Nigeria, each year, about 262,000 babies die at birth, the worlds second highest national total, while every day in Nigeria, 257 babies die within their first month of life. Among these children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survival. Reacting to the report, Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Nigerias acting representative said so much needs to be done to ensure the children born in Nigeria survive their first day of life and are able to live healthy for many months and years to come. According to her, only one out of three babies is delivered in a health centre in Nigeria. Ironside said: This is just one of the issues that need to be addressed in order to improve the chances of survival of those babies born today and every day. This New Year Day, lets all make a resolution to fulfill every right of every child, starting with the right to survive. We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every newborn is born into a safe pair of hands," she added. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a report by UNICEF had said that the total annual births in Nigeria have been put at seven million children. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app This was disclosed at the maiden commemoration of the Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day held in Abuja. Mohammed Fall, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria said the country has to improve civil registration and vital statistics such as births and deaths to adequately address the nations population challenges. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Woman with 9 Children, 48 Grandchildren, 51 Great Grandchildren Clocks 100 | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - Ahead of 2019 general election, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Jerry Gana, has urged Nigerians to vote wisely - Gana, in a new year message said Nigeria would be great again if the right presidential candidate is voted in 2019 - The SDP presidential candidate urged Nigerians to eschew all forms of violence The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Jerry Gana, has urged Nigerians to vote wisely in the 2019 general election. Gana, in a new year message issued on Monday, December 31, in Abuja by Alfa Mohammed, the partys national publicity secretary and director of media and publicity of his campaign team, said Nigeria would be great again if the right presidential candidate is voted in 2019. He said that the country could retrace its step back among the comity of nations if the citizens courageously vote in a credible candidate that would bring good governance for the transformation of the country. READ ALSO: Governors want to pay N30,000 minimum wage, but times are hard - NGF The presidential candidate urged Nigerians to eschew all forms of violence as the country prepares for the 2019 general election. The New Year will usher in a new dawn for Nigeria. Nigeria will be great again if Nigerians courageously take the destiny of the country into their hands by voting the right candidate that will engineer the desired change and transformation we all yearn for. I urge you all abide in peace , eschew all forms of violence throughout the year, especially before, during and after the elections, he said. Gana, however, appealed to electoral officers and security agencies to show high sense of responsibility in their conduct during and after the 2019 election. He said it was only through this that Nigeria could have free, fair and credible election. The Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies must maintain neutrality in their conduct before and throughout the election. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates This is fundamental for a free, fair and credible election which will bring credible leadership, he said. Legit.ng previously reported that the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Jerry Gana, has declared that the SDP will take Nigeria by storm in 2019. The presidential candidate disclosed while appearing as a guest on Channels Televisions Politics Today. According to him, 2019 will see the second coming of the SDP. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Who is a better Vice President, Osinbajo or Obi? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Among the final homicides of the year was a 37-year-old man who was shot in the chest minutes before 10 a.m. in the 300 block of East 53rd Street in the Washington Park neighborhood, police said. The man, identified as Cornelius C. Hart by the Cook County medical examiners office, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The United States of America have closed its embassies in Nigeria over the current government shutdown in the country. The US embassy Nigeria in a statement on its official Facebook page said all its centres located in the embassy in Abuja and consulate general in Lagos will remain closed. According to the statement, the embassies would only re-open when the US government shutdown is resolved. "Due to the current US government shutdown, the American Centers located in the Embassy, Abuja and Consulate General, Lagos are unfortunately closed. They will re-open once the U.S. government shutdown is resolved. Sorry for any inconvenience to our valued patrons," the US embassy said. For the past 10 days, a government shutdown have continued to take its toll on activities in the US. READ ALSO: PDP governor says Atiku may lose 2019 presidential election The shutdown followed a federal spending negotiations which has stalled activities between President Donald Trump and lawmakers. Voice of America reports that President Trump has continued to demand billions of dollars in federal spending for wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. However, while some democratic lawmakers back a modest increase in spending for an overall border security, these lawmakers oppose a wall after spending for the federal expired on December 22. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US embassy in Nigeria closed its offices. Legit.ng gathered that a temporary stoppage of consular services in the nations capital was on Tuesday, August 14, announced by the US embassy, meant a halt of visa operations and services for American citizens. The embassy however, cited reasons beyond our control but noted that consular functions at the US consulate in Lagos will not be affected. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Lets Talk About Salaries of Nigerian Senators | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit The story of the richest woman in Nigeria and her journey to success is beyond inspirational. Such stories inspires, showing that determination and devotion to what you do can help you take on the world and reach your desired aims. Photo: globalafricanbusinessawards.com Source: Depositphotos How did richest woman in Nigeria become a billionaire? So, who is the richest woman in Nigeria? The name of this outstanding woman is Folorunsho Alakija. She has risen through the ranks from a designer who dresses the first lady of Nigeria to an oil magnate who has challenged the government. For many years, Nigeria was a colony of Great Britain. Many young Nigerians were educated at British colleges even after the country gained independence in 1960. Folorunsho is no exception. However, her father having many children did not consider it necessary to invest in the education of his daughters. And instead of a university degree, Folorunsho received only the qualification of a corporate secretary. She first began as the executive secretary of Sijuade Enterprises, and a year later moved to the Trade Bank of Nigeria, where she rose to the position of treasurer. In the twelfth year of Folorunsho's banking career, she wondered how long she would have to wait to reach the CEO position and whether it would happen at all. This thought prompted her to write a letter of resignation and do something that really interested her. Folorunsho's family sold textiles, and she had been spinning alongside her mother in a store since childhood, inventing colored clothes for herself. Folorunsho graduated from the faculty of design at the American College and the Central School of Fashion in London and, having come back to Nigeria, founded the company Supreme Stitches, which later became the fashion house called Rose of Sharon. Folorunsho established the Nigerian haute couture style. Instead of becoming the next copy of Chanel, she took inspiration from national culture. One of the regular customers was the wife of Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida. At some point, high fashion bored Folorunsho. She wanted to do something new. The new line of business changed its name to Rose of Sharon Prints. The company took up printing and started producing materials for banners. READ ALSO: Folorunsho Alakija's biography: facts to know And when the government of Nigeria in the early 2000s restricted the placement of outdoor advertising, realizing that there was no longer a horizon behind billboards, Folorunsho switched to printing on clothes.Thanks to T-shirts with prints, there was a transition from high fashion to the mass market. However, by that time, the company itself already had another large business, namely the oil. In 1991, Folorunsho flew to London where she met her friend, who spoke about her foreign partners who were planning to export oil from Nigeria and asked Folorunsho for help. Back in Lagos, Folorunsho used all of her connections to meet with Nigeria's oil minister, Djibril Aminu. During the meeting, she learned that the state is not thrilled with the dominance of foreigners in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, who export fuel but do not invest in the country. Although the outcome of the meeting was difficult to call successful, Folorunsho became interested in oil production. Soon, she again came to a meeting with the minister and offered him her services in organizing catering services for oil companies. Aminu replied that were already many contractors working in this industry. The businesswoman began to bother him, so Folorunsho had to state the following idea in an official letter to the ministry. She wanted to do the transportation of oil in tanks. But there were no chances here either as the state planned to transfer the oil industry to the use of oil pipelines. However, the minister asked Folorunsho if she wanted to start oil exploration. Folorunsho first perceived these words as a mockery and an attempt to bring her to a heart attack. But after consulting with friends who were already engaged in the oil business, decided to take the risk. She found technology partners and applied for an oil exploration license. She had to wait until 1993. During this time, two oil ministers were replaced, and the whole government was overthrown in Nigeria. However, Folorunsho received the long-awaited license. And for some reason, she considered it was a disaster. Initially, the entrepreneur claimed several parcels, but the license was given only to the one that no one else needed. The OPL 216 plot of 617,000 acres was located far in the Gulf of Guinea, 112 kilometers off the coast of Nigeria. The depth of the bay was 1.5 km, and its development seemed cosmically expensive. Folorunsho had no technology, no experience, no money for this, but she did not intend to refuse the license and having spent almost all her savings on buying it, and also she began to look for partners. Cost and complexity frightened many of them. Luck smiled to Folorunsho only three years later. American company Texaco, which already worked in Nigeria, planned to expand the business. In September 1996, its subsidiary Star Deep Water Petroleum established a joint venture with Alakidji's Famfa Oil. Star Deep received 40% in OPL 216, and five years later, Alakiji had new partners. Texaco sold its sub-company to Chevron, which then sold 8% of its share in OPL 216 to Brazilian Petrobras in exchange for their deep-sea oil production technology. But Folorunsho met the difficulties not with transnational corporations, but with their own government. READ ALSO: Richest celebrity in Nigeria in 2018 - Top 10 The first oil in the field, called Agbami, was produced on July 15, 1998, on the birthday of Folorunsho. Preliminary work on OPL 216 showed that its reserves could be 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This impressed the government of Nigeria so much, which was led by General Olusegun Obasanjo, that it nationalized 40% of Famfa Oil in 2000 and another 10% in 2005. Folorunsho resorted to a move that everyone considered insane. And she began litigation with the state. The following years were challenging for the entrepreneur and her family: old friends disappeared somewhere, her usual contacts started misknowing her, it became harder even to call for someone. But she did not give up. And in the end, her share in the company was returned. In 2012 the Supreme Court of Nigeria took the side of Folorunsho. Folorunsho Alakija net worth 2018 Today, Folorunsho Alakija is one Nigeria's billionaires and one of the wealthiest people in the world. For the present day, Folorunsho Alakija gains her income being engaged in many industries and occupying high positions. She is vice-chair of her company Famfa Oil. Now, Famfa Oil produces 250,000 barrels of oil per day. Her business partners are Chevron and Petrobras. According to Forbes, Folorunsho Alakija net worth is estimated at the amount of 1.6 billion US dollars as of the 30th of December 2018, which makes her number 1561 in the Forbes ranking of 2018 billionaires. And also she is on the list of another Forbes ranking, The Black Billionaires 2018, taking the seventh position alongside Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Mohammed Ibrahim. READ ALSO: Tissue paper production business plan in Nigeria Source: forbes.com Source: Legit Do you know what the smallest city in Nigeria is? Is Lagos the smallest city in Nigeria? Did you know it? If not, read this article and to learn about the smallest city by land mass and population. Every Nigerian should be familiar with this information. What is the smallest city in Nigeria by population Asaba is the smallest city in Nigeria by population. Short information: Asaba is a city strategically located on a hill at the western edge of the Niger River, overlooking its sister city, Onitsha, across the Niger Bridge. It is the capital of Delta State Nigeria. A fast developing urban area, Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of over half a million people. Asaba is a city strategically located on a hill at the western edge of the Niger River, overlooking its sister city, Onitsha, across the Niger Bridge. It is the capital of Delta State Nigeria. A fast developing urban area, Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of over half a million people. Total area: 268 km2 268 km2 Total population (2006): 149,603 149,603 Time zone: UTC+1 (GMT) Picture from redconfidential.com READ ALSO: Cleanest city in Africa - Top 10 The smallest city in Nigeria by land mass Osogbo is the smallest city in Nigeria by land mass. Short information: It is the capital of Osun State. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area and Olorunda Local Government Area (situated at Igbonna Area of the city). Osogbo shares boundary with Ikirun, Ilesa, Ede, Egbedore, and Iragbiji and is easily accessible from any part of the state because of its central nature. It is about 48 km from Ife, 32 km from Ilesa, 46 km from Iwo, 48 km from Ikire, and 46 km from Ila-Orangun. The city had a population of about 156,694 people as of 2006 according to the census. The postal code of the area is 230. It is the capital of Osun State. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area and Olorunda Local Government Area (situated at Igbonna Area of the city). Osogbo shares boundary with Ikirun, Ilesa, Ede, Egbedore, and Iragbiji and is easily accessible from any part of the state because of its central nature. It is about 48 km from Ife, 32 km from Ilesa, 46 km from Iwo, 48 km from Ikire, and 46 km from Ila-Orangun. The city had a population of about 156,694 people as of 2006 according to the census. The postal code of the area is 230. Total area: 47 km2 47 km2 Total population (2006): 156,694 156,694 Time zone: UTC+1 (GMT) Photo from maphill.com Now you know what two cities can be called the smallest in Nigeria in terms of land mass and population. READ ALSO: Dirtiest city in Africa - Top 10 Source: Legit There is a real abundance of traditions in Nigeria culture, as well as in various customs and other aspects of culture. but today we will touch the very fundamental ones, though very interesting and astounding, as Nigerian culture is unique and fantastic in its original way. Photo: ends.ng Source: Depositphotos Top facts on Nigerian culture Established traditions and modern morals are in balance harmony with each other. This is not a fairy tale - this is the culture of Nigeria today. In addition, the country has a well-developed film industry, which, in parallel with American Hollywood, is called Nollywood. Everything that is comprised into the modern culture of the country originates from the Nok civilization. Many customs are conditioned by the facts of history, the geography of Nigeria, its people and religions. The culture of Nigeria persistently keeps the traditions of the ancestors but is also not reluctant to join the new, which does not go as usual. Now, let's get closer to some facts about Nigerian culture. Religion of Nigeria Photo: venturesafrica.com Source: Depositphotos The most widespread religions in Nigeria are Islam and Christianity, and only four per cent of the population have traditional local beliefs. Sharia law is valid in twelve states of the country. In addition to representatives of traditional religions in the centre of the country, Islam and Christian denominations, there are Buddhists, Bahais and Jews in Nigeria. Photo: dailypost.ng Source: Depositphotos In the system of traditional African beliefs of Yoruba, there are several cults distinguished, including ones associated with the god of thunder Shango and Ogun - the god of iron and war. Ogun belongs to the most powerful and revered deities of the Yoruba pantheon. The cult of militant Ogun in modern Nigeria was transformed into the cult of the god-patron of soldiers, blacksmiths, hunters. Art of Nigeria Photo: fivecontinentseditions.com Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: Ijaw culture and traditions The country is famous for its ancient works. The art of Nigeria gained worldwide recognition due to Ife's terracotta and bronze products dating back to 10th and 11th centuries, and also, bronze and ivory products of the 15th century from Benin craftsmen. Music and dance are based on traditional motifs, as in general, and the whole culture, which originated from the Nok civilization. In addition to the folklore in the country, English-language literature is developed, Nigeria is considered one of the literary centres of Africa. Nigerian food culture facts Photo: nairaland.com Source: Depositphotos A distinctive feature of the Nigerian cuisine is the predominance of agricultural products. addition, the cuisine of Nigeria is based on dishes from wheat and legumes. The geography of Nigeria is strongly influenced by all dishes that are prepared with a variety of spices, seasonings, onion and pepper, so they are very spicy. Festivals of Nigeria Photo: www.shikenan.com Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: Festivals in Nigeria in 2019 Nigerian culture cannot be Nigerian without an abundant number of festivals and celebrations held annually in the country. There is such a significant amount of them that it might occur impossible to count all of them. Most Nigerian festivals which belong to different ethnic groups and cultures, date back to the ancient times Today, the leading festivals are connected with Muslim and Christian religions. But traditional festivities are still held and loved by native population and foreign tourists from all over the world. Nigerian movie industry Photo: independent.ng Source: Depositphotos The cinema of Nigeria began to flourish in the 1990s and 2000s, eventually becoming the second largest film industry in the world in the number of annual premieres, overtaking the United States of America and second only to the Indian film industry. According to a CNN, Nigeria earns an income of 250 million dollars from film production, producing about 200 videos per month. Cinema Nigeria is the largest film industry in Africa concerning income and the number of films produced per year. Although films in Nigeria were made before 1960, the growth of affordable digital shooting and editing technology stimulated the growth of the industry. Nigerian film industry videos are often known as Nollywood, similar to Hollywood and Bollywood. So, these were our top five components of Nigerian cultures that identify it. These are only essential facts floating on the top of the deep, deep Nigerian cultural ocean. There are so many things to study and discover about this beautiful country, that one life apparently will not be enough to do it. But you can know for sure that every single fact you are going to find out will astonish you. READ ALSO: 10 facts about Nigerian people and culture Source: Legit.ng News Being a part of the huge and impressive Nigerian Armed Forces is extremely awesome. Learn how to join the Nigerian Navy and which requirements you have to meet if this is your major dream. Navy officers are respected, well paid and have an exciting and prestigious job. Photo: prnigeria.com Nigeria Navy job Every year the Nigerian Navy announces official recruitment. This happened in 2018 2019, and it will take place in 2019 2020. Thus, those of you who haven't applied in 2018 have all the chances to apply the next year. Those of you who dont know much about Nigeria Navy job and the organization itself should read some quick details. Firstly, the Nigerian Navy is a part of the countrys Armed Forces. Secondly, it is a huge organization accounting for several thousand people. Thirdly, this can be your dream job with multiple benefits. When you have plans to join Nigerian Navy, you have to make sure that you meet all the requirements before filling out the application form. This way you can save your time and get prepared beforehand. READ ALSO: Nigerian Naval ranks lowest to highest Photo: guardian.ng Joining the Nigerian Navy requirements There are two main methods of how to join the Nigerian Navy. You can either choose DSSC (Direct Short Service Commissions) method or follow the ordinary recruitment procedure. Any method can lead you to this organization and make you one of the Navy officers in Nigeria. Here are the requirements for getting Nigeria Navy job: Only young people who were born in Nigeria are eligible to apply. Make sure you are in a good physical form. Your age should be between 18 and 30 years old (sometimes between 18-26 years old). Applicants have to earn at least 5 credits in NECO, GCE, WASSCE or other tests with mathematics and English. Make sure you are medically fit (youll have to prove this with medical certificates from a hospital). You should not have any criminal records. Each applicant must be single (not married). Male applicants have to be at least 1.65-1.7 meter tall. Female applicants should be 1.6 meter high or taller. It is necessary to be literate, and a big plus to every candidate is possessing computer skills. An applicant cannot be a member of any Secret Society, any Cult organization, drug addict, and so on. DSSC applicants have to go through NYSC Youth Service (have a letter of exemption or discharge certificate) and have their higher education Diploma (HND, BSc or similar). Photo: emtv.com.pg How to apply for Nigerian Navy Remember that it is completely free to apply for Nigerian Navy. The application costs nothing, but only some of your time to fill it out and send to the organization. Do not pay anything if you are asked by some fishing websites, and follow the official free-of-charge process. Usually, the application portal becomes available for all eligible Nigerians in the fall. Beginning in early October (the date might change slightly year from the year), you can visit this website or follow the official Twitter account available here to receive the latest tweets about the start of the recruitment process in Nigeria. Here is a quick instruction on how to join the Navy in Nigeria: Download the recruitment form (either original or DSSC) if needed. Make sure the recruitment is open and not closed. It might be possible for you to register an online account and complete the application online. If you choose this method you are highly advised to print out your form after it has been submitted by you. Fill out the form. Send it back to the organization how it is noted in the application form if you are using a printed document. Wait for a while and check the joinnigeriannavy portal to make sure you have been selected as a shortlist candidate. Be prepared for passing the Nigerian Navy aptitude test and numerous interviews. Successful applicants will also have to go through medical screening at the last stages of the recruitment process. It will also be necessary to bring the original documents asked by the organization. Go through the military training to deserve your right to get the Nigeria Navy job of your dreams. In conclusion This was a short guide on how to apply for Nigeria Navy with all the main joining the Nigerian Navy requirements. Nigerians who wish to become a part of the big organization and take responsibility for the countrys safety and security in the waters are welcome to get this interesting job. READ ALSO: Benefits of joining the Nigerian Navy Source: Legit It is always fun to learn something new about our country. What are the duties of the Nigerian Navy? Have you ever thought about this part of our Armed Forces? We wish to talk about the work of the Navy, its main functions, and how you can join it. Photo: guardian.ng Nigerian Navy (NN) What is NN about? NN are two letters that stand for the Nigerian Navy. Its a part of the Nigerian Armed Forces that are responsible for the protection of Nigeria and the countrys borders. Eligible Nigerians can join Nigerian Navy since the 1900s. The military organization existed long before that year and was known as Nigerian Marine, but since the mid 20th century it was renamed and reformed into the national marine organization. NN name was given by the Parliament Act of 1964. READ ALSO: History of Nigerian Navy: top 8 facts Photo: emtv.com.pg Functions of the Nigerian Navy The organization created in the 1960s continued to perform the same functions as its predecessor and kept to administer harbours and ports, dredge the buoyage and channels, operate ferries, make sure the navigation is safe, etc. Nigerian Navy officers also have to train new personnel, develop the infrastructure for future Navy development, etc. There are basic training courses for those Nigerians who wish to join Nigerian Navy and find a good paying job, stay responsible for the countrys safety and future of the next generations. What is the work of Navy all about? What are the duties of the Nigerian Navy today? Well, just as we have mentioned above, the organization continues to perform all the duties with navigation, administration, and operation, and it also helps with enforcement of all the countrys Customs laws as well as with performing all the important hydrographic surveys. The tasks, duties, and functions of the Nigerian Navy are described in the official documents. We are talking about the 1964 Act. It explains everything the Navy has to do, including the training of new officers in naval duties. Here is a list of its most interesting peacetime and wartime duties: To maintain the countrys laws within territorial and internal waters as well as EEZ (this abbreviation stands for the Exclusive Economic Zone). To defend Nigerians from possible enemies in the waters. To perform the military role as noted in the Act of 1964. To negotiate from the position of strength when necessary. To play its diplomatic and policing roles when needed. To train a new generation who wishes to join the Nigerian Navy. To perform all the duties and functions defined by the Constitution. Photo: prnigeria.com How to join Nigerian Navy? Officers retire from the Navy every year, and thus it becomes possible for newbies to join this organization through regular recruitment and DSSC. If you wish to take the first option, youll need to make sure your OLevel exams are at a good level, you have the required certificate and passed the training courses. If you choose the DSSC option which stands for the Direct Short Service Commissions, youll have to be the holder of HND or have special Degree as set by the organization requirements. Just remember that everything is possible. If you have a dream of becoming a Navy officer one day in the future, chase it and make it come true. In conclusion Now you know what is the work of Navy officers like in our country. This is a prestigious organization that plays an essential role in the protection and development of Nigeria, that is why so many young people wish to join Navy and perform the important duties and functions meant to take care of millions of our countrymen. READ ALSO: Nigerian Navy secondary school: how to enter? Source: Legit All the people who always wanted to start farming can finally try to do it in the new year. Still, we need to know which farming business in Nigeria will be the most profitable and can potentially bring a lot of money. This article was created to analyze different farming businesses and tell you which of them can be the most lucrative in the coming year. Happy farming to you! Photo: farmsafely.ie Farming in Nigeria: which essential things will you need to know? If you want to farm in Nigeria, you will have to prepare all the necessary things for the start. Obviously, the kit that you will need for farming will differ, depending on the particular type of farming that you are planning to choose. Below, we have prepared the basic essential information for the various types of farming, which, in our opinion, can become the most lucrative for you and earn you a lot of profit. Nowadays, farming in Nigeria is an occupation with a lot of opportunities and perspectives. There are a lot of reasons why you should try farming on the vast Nigerian lands. At first, we will list these reasons for you, and, hopefully, convince you why this would be a good and profitable idea: There are a lot of people in Nigeria after all, the population of the country is more than 200 million people. This is twice more than combined populations of South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Nigerian population is very dependent on the foods which are produced by the farms, as it provides people with their daily meals. According to the searches, 80% of the Nigerians purchase the farm products on the market. Nigeria has a lot of farmlands which are very fertile. This makes our country potentially perfect for those who enjoy farming and would like to make money off this business. The whole 70% of Nigerias land is available for farming purposes. The government of Nigeria is attempting to turn the attention to the farming promotion and boosting the production of food. The reason for it is that so many products are imported into Nigeria from abroad, and the government wishes to reduce the food importation to concentrate on producing the own food. This is why the government has different programs of assisting farming entrepreneurs by providing the necessary support. Nigeria is the country with the biggest purchasing power on the African continent. A lot of people go to the stores and pay money for the products. Therefore, there is a large chance to sell your production if it is good enough. Nigerians also hold a lot of parties and festive events, and obviously, all of these need to be supplied with food. Farming could potentially earn a comfortable amount of foreign currency. This means that the local Nigerian farmers could earn money not only in Naira but also in the American dollars and other currencies. Now, that we have discussed the prospects of farming in Nigeria, we will move on to the pros and cons of this business, so you can have a look at them and evaluate them for yourself. Photo: www.istockphoto.com Pros of farming in Nigeria: You will be able to choose your own specific development strategy, which will depend on your personal preferences and plans. You will not have to depend on anyone. There are amazing opportunities for the foreign and Nigerian markets, and you will be able to sell your products in no time, given that your plan is effective and your product quality is high. You will not necessarily need to have a huge budget to start even with the small starting capital, you can achieve the great results eventually. Besides, there is a possibility to develop your business in a gradual manner and even combine it with the main job. You can purchase all the necessary supplies on the Internet, and you can also sell them when you do not need them anymore. If you invest your time, money and effort in your business, the expenses can be covered in about a few months, or even less. Farming can be your constant and reliable source of regular income. Cons of farming in Nigeria: The first half a year or maybe even a year might be difficult for the business, but it depends on your specialization. Before starting farming, you will need to do a huge amount of research, especially if you are not very experienced in this field. If you started your business from scratch, some time would have to go on the search of partners, and looking for the trustworthy sale channels. This occupation is extremely time-consuming, so you will need to drop other businesses for a while, and fully devote yourself to farming. Not everything will always be bright sometimes, farmers meet the challenges of bad weather, unpleasant environmental conditions, or virus epidemics. Hopefully, you have weighed these pros and cons for yourself and decided whether farming is a good choice for you. Photo: sisalto.es Lucrative farming business in Nigeria Our next topic will be some profitable business recommendations, which you could get inspiration from. We will tell you the basics about all of these types of farming, and you have a chance to choose what your heart desires. Fish farming business in Nigeria This is one of the most popular and profitable agricultural businesses in Nigeria. Nowadays, you can not only catch fish from the local pond or river but also grow it on the farm of your own. It is also very compatible with the poultry farm, as you can feed your fish with poultry drops. Here are some benefits of fish farming: Fish business is very popular the fish production in Nigeria is in very high demand in the market, and you will always find people who are interested in purchasing fish from you. the fish production in Nigeria is in very high demand in the market, and you will always find people who are interested in purchasing fish from you. Fish contains protein the fish is a container of many useful vitamins and substances, namely B2 and D, as well as phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. the fish is a container of many useful vitamins and substances, namely B2 and D, as well as phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. The fish will sell very quickly the experience shows that fish in the market sells quicker than the fellow animal production, and is cheaper than, for instance, the meat. This makes it affordable. the experience shows that fish in the market sells quicker than the fellow animal production, and is cheaper than, for instance, the meat. This makes it affordable. Fish quickly matures you, as a farmer, will not have to wait for long to grow your fish. If you give them some good feeds that boost growth, you can even speed up this process. you, as a farmer, will not have to wait for long to grow your fish. If you give them some good feeds that boost growth, you can even speed up this process. Fish has Omega-3 the Omega-3 acids are very useful for the human heart and brain. Our body does not produce these acids, so the only way we could receive it is by eating fish-related products. the Omega-3 acids are very useful for the human heart and brain. Our body does not produce these acids, so the only way we could receive it is by eating fish-related products. Fish farming brings a lot of profit all the farmers who planned their fish farm properly and managed it well have received a lot of profit within a few months. all the farmers who planned their fish farm properly and managed it well have received a lot of profit within a few months. There are no hazards to the environment the fish farm can be set up wherever you want, this includes the residential areas. It does not affect the environment in any way. If you are having trouble with choosing the type of fish you want to farm, there are some popular Nigerian species, which are mostly catfish, mackerel (or titus), and tilapia. Starting a fish farming business is not as difficult as it might seem to be. Here are the primary things that you will need to do for getting started. Secure a good land this could be in any location. Calculate your budget and search for a land accordingly to your finances. this could be in any location. Calculate your budget and search for a land accordingly to your finances. Construct the pond for this, you may need to find the professional engineer and use the expert services, or you could also see how it is built at another fish farm. for this, you may need to find the professional engineer and use the expert services, or you could also see how it is built at another fish farm. Dig a borehole your fishes will need enough water supply, and it has to be changed regularly. Usually, the borehole and river water are the most suitable choices. your fishes will need enough water supply, and it has to be changed regularly. Usually, the borehole and river water are the most suitable choices. Install the overhead tank which means the water reservoir. From there, the water will be supplied to the pond. It is supposed to be connected to the pond through the plumbing system. which means the water reservoir. From there, the water will be supplied to the pond. It is supposed to be connected to the pond through the plumbing system. Buy the juvenile fish you can get your fishes from some other farm, which specializes in them. Go for the high-yield catfish or tilapia species. Make sure that the farm you are purchasing from is healthy and reliable. you can get your fishes from some other farm, which specializes in them. Go for the high-yield catfish or tilapia species. Make sure that the farm you are purchasing from is healthy and reliable. Get the training by this, we mean the apprenticeship at another fish farm. You will need at least two months of professional training to start your own business. Now you have learned the necessary information about how to farm fish in Nigeria. Keep reading for more farming tutorials! READ ALSO: Agricultural grants in Nigeria 2018: how to get it and use wisely? Photo: toxtown.nlm.nih.gov Yam farming business in Nigeria The yam farming business is connected with cultivating the yam crop, to consume it and process it in the market locally and internationally. There are a lot of opportunities for those who would like to be involved in the yam farming business. The yams can serve as food it is possible to boil or fry them, and then eat them without any processing. As this is the primary purpose of it, yam is consumed and wanted in a lot of African homes, who eat this product on a regular basis. Yam is also used to make flour, which is, in turn, used for cooking different meals namely pounded yam and amala. People use flour to make these meals prepare quickly, and avoid the unnecessary stress. The yams were first known to be cultivated in Asia, in 8,000 B.C. Today, the worldwide production of yams annually is more than 30 million tons. The yams are considered to be a very rich source of vitamin C and are an excellent source of energy. Nigeria produces over 70% of the worlds yam, and the other producers of this product are Cote DIvoire and Ghana. The most of Nigerias yam production is concentrated in Benue State. Yam usually takes at least fourteen weeks to get mature. If you want to start a yam farming business in Nigeria, here are some things you need to do first. Jumping into things unprepared will not always give you a good outcome, so be ready for everything. Locate the farmland it should preferably be an upland, which has a well-drained field. The yams grow best in these terrains. Except that, pay attention to the type of soil the best yam crops grow in sandy and silt loam soils. However, the organic clay loam soils could also bring the desired effect. it should preferably be an upland, which has a well-drained field. The yams grow best in these terrains. Except that, pay attention to the type of soil the best yam crops grow in sandy and silt loam soils. However, the organic clay loam soils could also bring the desired effect. Prepare for planting the farmland that you have chosen should be prepared for farming and cleared before the rainy season. The best time for yam farming is February and April. You will have to do a lot of research on the farmland preparation. the farmland that you have chosen should be prepared for farming and cleared before the rainy season. The best time for yam farming is February and April. You will have to do a lot of research on the farmland preparation. Prepare the setts after you are done with the land, you should move to setts. These are the tubers of healthy plants, and they can be cut into small pieces, or planted as the whole tubers without size reduction. There are four categories of setts for head, middle, tail, and whole tubers. after you are done with the land, you should move to setts. These are the tubers of healthy plants, and they can be cut into small pieces, or planted as the whole tubers without size reduction. There are four categories of setts for head, middle, tail, and whole tubers. Planting control you will have to start the planting after preparing your land, somewhere within March and April, before the start of rainy seasons. You will have to plant around ten thousand setts for 0.5 land hectares. you will have to start the planting after preparing your land, somewhere within March and April, before the start of rainy seasons. You will have to plant around ten thousand setts for 0.5 land hectares. Harvesting yam crops when the foliage of your yams will dry up, or they will start turning yellow, the products can be harvested. Some of them can be replanted in the next season, and some will be sold on the commercial market. when the foliage of your yams will dry up, or they will start turning yellow, the products can be harvested. Some of them can be replanted in the next season, and some will be sold on the commercial market. Marketing yam crops after you have gathered your harvest, your next step will naturally be selling them on the market. There are a lot of ways to put your goods on the market, and if you promote them well and pay attention to the quality, there is a big chance that you will find your buyers. Of course, the yam business can be full of challenges, like various pest and diseases, the mistakes due to lack of experience, problems with finances and marketing. But eventually, you will gain your client base and all the necessary farming skills. Photo: www.von.gov.ng Plantain farming business in Nigeria What is plantain? It is one of the staple African foods, which mostly grows in tropical areas. Nigeria and Western Africa, in general, is the best place for the plantain to grow. In our country, people prepare plantain by boiling, frying, or steaming it, and it is considered to be an exceptional delicacy. Plantain chips are also a popular way to prepare this food. Except that, plantain is often processed and made into the flour, and it replaces the wheat flour because of its high nutritional value. The export of plantain flour is made into many other countries worldwide. Now, you will learn what to do if you would like to start plantain farming business and become successful in this sphere. We will give you a few necessary steps on starting a plantain farm and developing it. Getting a land this is obviously the first step for all the farming. You will need to get the farmland in the right place and pay attention to the usual weather conditions of this area, as they should be favorable for growing plantain. This plant grows the best in organic loamy soil which contains a moderate amount of moisture. In Nigeria, the best states for growing plantain would be Edo, Ekiti, Cross River, Delta, and Ogun, as well as the other tropical states. this is obviously the first step for all the farming. You will need to get the farmland in the right place and pay attention to the usual weather conditions of this area, as they should be favorable for growing plantain. This plant grows the best in organic loamy soil which contains a moderate amount of moisture. In Nigeria, the best states for growing plantain would be Edo, Ekiti, Cross River, Delta, and Ogun, as well as the other tropical states. Prepare the land carrying preparation activities is significant for the healthy growth of the plants. You will have to clear the bushes, stones, trees and other things that would prevent the plant farming. Except that, you will need to do several things for the improvement of land fertility. carrying preparation activities is significant for the healthy growth of the plants. You will have to clear the bushes, stones, trees and other things that would prevent the plant farming. Except that, you will need to do several things for the improvement of land fertility. Buy the healthy suckers of plantain these are the things which are used to grow the new plants. They could be acquired from the other farmers who can give you their reliable supplies. The suckers divide into water, maidenhead, and sword. For the best effectiveness, you should avoid the water ones, as they will produce the weak plants. these are the things which are used to grow the new plants. They could be acquired from the other farmers who can give you their reliable supplies. The suckers divide into water, maidenhead, and sword. For the best effectiveness, you should avoid the water ones, as they will produce the weak plants. Get labor it is up to you whether you would like to hire some additional people to help you. It mostly depends on the size and scale of your farm, and your financial possibilities. it is up to you whether you would like to hire some additional people to help you. It mostly depends on the size and scale of your farm, and your financial possibilities. Planting the suckers they should be from 4 to 5 feet long. Keep the distance between them, which should be close to 8-10 feet. Make sure that the moisture of the soil is moderate, as the plantain does not have a big chance to grow in the areas logged with water. they should be from 4 to 5 feet long. Keep the distance between them, which should be close to 8-10 feet. Make sure that the moisture of the soil is moderate, as the plantain does not have a big chance to grow in the areas logged with water. Fertilizing the soil you should regularly get rid of the unwanted plants which compete with your plantain for the soil nutrients. You also have to fertilize the soil on a regular basis and make sure it has enough useful nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The amount of fertilizer depends on whether your soil was already fertile. you should regularly get rid of the unwanted plants which compete with your plantain for the soil nutrients. You also have to fertilize the soil on a regular basis and make sure it has enough useful nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The amount of fertilizer depends on whether your soil was already fertile. Harvesting the plantain your plantain fruits will be completely ready for harvesting after 8-10 months. During the harvest season, the plant will produce more and more fruit, until it is over, and the plant ripens. your plantain fruits will be completely ready for harvesting after 8-10 months. During the harvest season, the plant will produce more and more fruit, until it is over, and the plant ripens. Marketing there is always a big demand for the plantain, and if you promote your product right, you are guaranteed to attract a lot of customers. It is possible to supply the plantain to the flour companies, sell them locally, and export the farming production. The plantain market in Western Africa always increases. That is why this can be a very lucrative business, and you should certainly consider it. READ ALSO: Farm tools and their uses with pictures Photo: nextnaijaentrepreneur.com Poultry farming business in Nigeria There are a lot of advantages for starting poultry business in Nigeria. It is very lucrative for entrepreneurs. The birds will provide eggs and meat, which are very nutritional and in high demand. A lot of people consume poultry meat and eggs, and this is why this business could be extremely profitable. There are three breeds of poultry: layers, broilers, and cockerels. Each one of them has its own benefits and drawbacks. Now, we will list what would it take to start this business. Finding a suitable farm location it is easier to buy the piece of land in the rural area, because the ones closer to big cities can be expensive, and the city pollution can influence the quality of your poultry. The fresh environment is what you need for a successful business. You should also keep in mind some factors, like good water sources, being far away from the animal predators, proximity to the market, good transportation, etc. it is easier to buy the piece of land in the rural area, because the ones closer to big cities can be expensive, and the city pollution can influence the quality of your poultry. The fresh environment is what you need for a successful business. You should also keep in mind some factors, like good water sources, being far away from the animal predators, proximity to the market, good transportation, etc. Choosing a breed you have to pick between layers, cockerels, and broilers. The layers are usually used for the eggs sales. You should choose this one if you want to earn money off commercially producing and selling eggs. The broilers grow very fast and are mostly used for meat. Finally, cockerels grow slower than the others, but they are more prone to survival, therefore more reliable and could withstand the environmental difficulties. They are also used for meat. you have to pick between layers, cockerels, and broilers. The layers are usually used for the eggs sales. You should choose this one if you want to earn money off commercially producing and selling eggs. The broilers grow very fast and are mostly used for meat. Finally, cockerels grow slower than the others, but they are more prone to survival, therefore more reliable and could withstand the environmental difficulties. They are also used for meat. Housing you will have to build the poultry house, or have it built by the professional engineers. The design of it will vary, depending on the type of your farming methods. But some things it needs to have are good ventilation which enhances the productivity of birds, enough fresh air, light, feeding, and watering for the birds. you will have to build the poultry house, or have it built by the professional engineers. The design of it will vary, depending on the type of your farming methods. But some things it needs to have are good ventilation which enhances the productivity of birds, enough fresh air, light, feeding, and watering for the birds. Feeding there are different sorts of food, which depends on the breed of your birds. Giving your birds food is very important for their everyday health and success. Except that, you will have to supply the birds with fresh and clean water, according to their demands. there are different sorts of food, which depends on the breed of your birds. Giving your birds food is very important for their everyday health and success. Except that, you will have to supply the birds with fresh and clean water, according to their demands. Caring and managing the birds the poultry birds are extremely sensitive. They are very likely to catch some disease and suffer from it. This is why you have to vaccinate your birds on time and visit the veterinarian every time you suspect something is wrong with your birds. the poultry birds are extremely sensitive. They are very likely to catch some disease and suffer from it. This is why you have to vaccinate your birds on time and visit the veterinarian every time you suspect something is wrong with your birds. Marketing the poultry products should be brought on the market and promoted enough, so you gain a decent amount of clients. Poultry is very lucrative in Nigeria because everyone wants to purchase the eggs and meat from birds, and these products are needed very often. In general, poultry farming will bring you generous income if you put good effort into maintaining your bird farm. READ ALSO: How to start a poultry farm in Nigeria? Photo: lbwhite.com Vegetable farming business in Nigeria Here is another business which could possibly bring the farmers some quick cash in the upcoming season. Instead of ignoring all the job opportunities and hoping for the miracle, you should try starting your productive vegetable farming business. Vegetable farming has a few types which you can choose between. We will now list all of them for your convenience. Ugu leaf farming the ugu leaf is a pumpkin vegetable, which is widely consumed by Nigerian people. It is very nutritional and can be used for a huge variety of dishes. People in Nigeria make ugu soup very often, and generally, most of the Nigerian soups are cooked with the help of ugu. The benefits of this product are obvious. the ugu leaf is a pumpkin vegetable, which is widely consumed by Nigerian people. It is very nutritional and can be used for a huge variety of dishes. People in Nigeria make ugu soup very often, and generally, most of the Nigerian soups are cooked with the help of ugu. The benefits of this product are obvious. Green okra farming the okra is a nutritious green pod vegetable, which also produces a slippery substance, making every soup delicious and smooth. It also serves for relieving constipation, as well as increasing the digestion. Okra soup is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria, and it is prepared with the help of smoked fish and ugu leaf. the okra is a nutritious green pod vegetable, which also produces a slippery substance, making every soup delicious and smooth. It also serves for relieving constipation, as well as increasing the digestion. Okra soup is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria, and it is prepared with the help of smoked fish and ugu leaf. Cabbage farming you must know that cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables worldwide. You will have no problem selling it. The unforgettable flavor of cabbage makes people use it in many dishes, and also consume it in a raw form. It is definitely in very high demand among the Nigerians. It will grow on a soil which is fertile enough. you must know that cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables worldwide. You will have no problem selling it. The unforgettable flavor of cabbage makes people use it in many dishes, and also consume it in a raw form. It is definitely in very high demand among the Nigerians. It will grow on a soil which is fertile enough. Cucumber farming the cucumber is not only useful for foods but is also one of the most effective cosmetic products. Cucumbers are also eaten raw very often and used for the salads, soups, and various other dishes. If you choose to cultivate cucumbers and will do it in a productive way, you will definitely profit from this business. the cucumber is not only useful for foods but is also one of the most effective cosmetic products. Cucumbers are also eaten raw very often and used for the salads, soups, and various other dishes. If you choose to cultivate cucumbers and will do it in a productive way, you will definitely profit from this business. Jute leaf farming jute leaf, or ewedu, is a very popular and loved vegetable in Western Nigeria, and very important in the everyday meals of Yoruba people. So, it will bring a lot of profit to cultivate it if you live in the Western part of the country. As you can see, vegetable farming in Nigeria has so many different kinds. You will just have to choose one which is resonating with you the most and could bring the most profit according to your calculations. Photo: agrihomegh.com Snail farming in Nigeria Believe it or not, snail farming is a huge source of profit in the agricultural world. Snails have worldwide popularity because they can be very nutritional and their meat has a very unique taste. Except that, they are also used for cosmetic purposes. The African people do not know much about this type of farming, but it is extremely popular and large in the United States and Australia. Snails have a lot of benefits they reproduce very quickly, lay eggs six times per year, and are rich in many useful substances like calcium, iron, protein, and phosphorus. What do you need to start your own snail farm? Here are some steps that you will need to complete to start the snail farming business. Finding a suitable environment you should keep in mind that the snails should always stay hydrated, as it is very likely for them to become dry. It is important to find a good location for your snail farm establishment. you should keep in mind that the snails should always stay hydrated, as it is very likely for them to become dry. It is important to find a good location for your snail farm establishment. Searching for suitable soil the soil is a natural habitat of snails, and to become a successful snail farmer, you will have to select the soil which contains the necessary components for snail survival. Usually, the perfect soil should be sandy-loamy and contain the low capacity of water holding. the soil is a natural habitat of snails, and to become a successful snail farmer, you will have to select the soil which contains the necessary components for snail survival. Usually, the perfect soil should be sandy-loamy and contain the low capacity of water holding. Buying the fresh snails when you are done with the environment and land, it is time to purchase some good quality snails from the other market or farm. Sometimes, you can get them from the forest directly the farmers say that this type of snails will adapt themselves to the environment easier. Getting snail eggs and raising them into baby snails is another way of getting some fresh ones. when you are done with the environment and land, it is time to purchase some good quality snails from the other market or farm. Sometimes, you can get them from the forest directly the farmers say that this type of snails will adapt themselves to the environment easier. Getting snail eggs and raising them into baby snails is another way of getting some fresh ones. Build a snailery of course, you will have to build a little snail house for your animals. This can be done by checking out the houses at the other farms and getting inspired for your own. Usually, they like staying in a dark cold place. You will also have to regulate the temperature, prevent the entrance of predators, and change leaves and cloth. of course, you will have to build a little snail house for your animals. This can be done by checking out the houses at the other farms and getting inspired for your own. Usually, they like staying in a dark cold place. You will also have to regulate the temperature, prevent the entrance of predators, and change leaves and cloth. Feed your snails the snails usually feed with the green leaves and some fruits or vegetables like bananas, cucumbers, mango, palm fruits, eggplants, tomatoes, and the others. The snails need healthy food for growing tissues and enough calcium for growing shells. the snails usually feed with the green leaves and some fruits or vegetables like bananas, cucumbers, mango, palm fruits, eggplants, tomatoes, and the others. The snails need healthy food for growing tissues and enough calcium for growing shells. Marketing your snails will grow very fast if you have done everything right. Usually, they reach a suitable size for marketing within a year. You can sell them in the local market, or export them internationally to make more money. This is a lucrative idea for all the farmers. And finally, here is some information on our last profitable farming type cash crops. Photo: agricexperts.com Cash crops in Nigeria The cash crops are commercially successful crops, which usually are used for exporting and industry, and bring a lot of money. These are the following types of crops: Root cash crops cassava, yams, taro (or cocoyams), and the sweet potatoes. They are usually found in the southern areas of Nigeria. cassava, yams, taro (or cocoyams), and the sweet potatoes. They are usually found in the southern areas of Nigeria. Tree crops rubber, oil palm, and cacao. They also grow in southern Nigeria, and if you have a farm in this region, you can consider cultivating the cash crops to make more income. Northern Nigeria is usually a dry area, but some people grow cowpeas, millet, and guinea corn in there. Except that, rice and corn are cultivated in the lowland territories. As for middle-belt Nigeria, it is a good place for cowpeas, cassava, yams, millet, and sesame (beniseed) one of the most significant cash crops in this region. Photo: ruralindiaonline.com Now you know everything necessary about the different farming types in Nigeria! Happy farming to you in the coming year! READ ALSO: 10 food crops in Nigeria you can grow Source: Legit I bought a house in Chicago, Illinois seven years ago. The payments were affordable when I bought the place. But since then, I lost my job and had to take a different one that pays less. Now, its a struggle every month to make the payment. Im thinking about letting the home go in a foreclosure. How does the process work? Will I have to move out of the property right away after I stop making payments? If you stop making your mortgage payments, you dont have to move out right away. Under federal law, most homeowners get at least 120 days after ceasing payments before the servicer can even start a foreclosure. Once a foreclosure officially begins, the process will likely take several monthsperhaps many, many monthsbefore you need to worry about vacating the property. In this article, youll learn about Illinois foreclosure procedures and when youll have to move out if you decide to let the property go through a foreclosure. What Happens After You Stop Making Payments During the first few months that you're behind in your payments, the servicer has to comply with specific requirements under federal law, including, in most cases, allowing 120 days to elapse before initiating a foreclosure. You can use this time to apply for a loss mitigation option, like a loan modification, which could make your payments more affordable. All Illinois foreclosures are judicial, which means the foreclosure starts when the lender files a lawsuit in court and serves a copy to you. Under federal law, if you send the servicer a complete loss mitigation application, the foreclosure cant begin until: the servicer determines you dont qualify for a loss mitigation option and the appeal period expired you turn down the servicers loss mitigation offer, or you fail to comply with a loss mitigation agreement, like by not making the payments on a trial modification. If you don't submit an application during the waiting period, you can still apply later on. Under federal law, so long as you turn in a complete application more than 37 days before a foreclosure sale, the servicer cant move for a foreclosure judgment or order of sale, or conduct a foreclosure sale, until it reviews the application and one of the three conditions mentioned above is satisfied. Illinois Foreclosure Procedures All Illinois foreclosures are judicial, which means the foreclosure starts when the lender files a lawsuit in court and serves a copy to you. If you dont respond to the suit, the court will enter a default judgment giving the foreclosing party permission to sell the home at a foreclosure sale. By contrast, you can raise one or more defenses by filing an answer. The lender might then ask the court to grant summary judgment. Basically, the lender asks the court to rule in its favor without a trial or any further legal proceedings because the crucial facts of the case arent in dispute, any defenses youve raised lack merit, or you didnt show wrongdoing on the part of the lender or servicer. But if the court denies summary judgment, the case will go to trial, and the court will examine the evidence. If the lender wins, the court will issue an order to sell the home at a foreclosure sale. If you fight the foreclosure in court, you'll slow the process down, though it's difficult to say just how much more time you'll get. To effectively challenge the foreclosure in court, you will likely need to consult with an attorney who's knowledgeable about Illinois foreclosure processes. An attorney can also advise you about approximately how long a foreclosure would take in your circumstances. At the sale, the foreclosing lender will make a bid on the property using a credit bid rather than bidding cash. The bank either bids the total amount of the debt or, in some cases, less than the full amount. In some states, including Illinois, when the lender is the high bidder at the sale, but bids less than the total debt, it can get a deficiency judgment against the borrower. But if a bidder offers more than you owe and the sale results in excess proceedsthat is, money over and above whats needed to pay off all the liens on your propertyyoure entitled to that surplus money. As part of the process, the court must confirm the sale. The order confirming the sale normally says that the lender, usually the winning bidder, is entitled to possession 30 days after the order is entered. So, in most cases, you can stay in the home for 30 days after the court confirms the sale. If you don't leave by the end of this time, the order confirming sale, which contains the language allowing an eviction, is placed with the sheriff to have you evicted. Once the order is with the sheriff, the time it takes to evict varies depending on the county. Consider Talking to a Lawyer While this article provides an overview of a typical Illinois foreclosure, keep in mind that federal and state laws are complicatedand lenders and servicers frequently make mistakes or skip steps in the foreclosure process. Most foreclosure errors go unchallenged, though. If you think your lender or servicer skipped a step, made an error, or violated state or federal foreclosure laws, consider talking to an experienced foreclosure attorney. You could potentially have a defense to the foreclosure, which could force the lender to start the process over or give you leverage to work out an alternative. Around 9:40 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Cortland Street, two male suspects with handguns got out of a silver Nissan and told the man they were robbing him, police said. The man, who is a concealed carry license and firearm owners identification card holder, shot both suspects, police said. They were taken to local hospitals and stabilized. The shooting was the first in the village of about 32,000 residents in two years, according to a news release from the suburbs Police Department. Read your June horoscope to reveal what's in store for you, from the astrologers at Tarot.com. With the Solar Eclipse in Gemini on June 10, there's definitely a sense of new ideas waiting to be born in our lives. Less fortunately, Mercury will be retrograde during this eclipse, forcing us to remain in an uncertain incubation period for a little while longer. On June 22, Mercury turns direct and we'll start to get some of the clarity we need to flesh out our plans and move forward with them. By Tarot.com Astrologers My own personal opinion is like, "Whatever it takes to get us in the door." I think it's OK, certainly for people that are aware that they have had blind spots [to acknowledge] that men, especially white men, have gotten the majority of jobs in film for so long, so it's OK to make a concerted effort to open the door to new types of filmmakers. I don't feel like it's gimmicky. I kind of feel like if I looked at it that way, it would be lose-lose. Because either they won't do it at all or if they do, they're doing it for the wrong reasons. Whatever the reasons are, I'm part of the conversation now and I feel really lucky because of that. In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! SAN JOSE DE BARLOVENTO, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela cocoa trader Freddy Galindo has battled highway robberies, kidnappings of family members and declining quality in his 19 years exporting the nations legendary beans. This years harvest brought a new worry: meddling by the socialist government. He said trucks filled with beans leaving his warehouse in central Venezuela were stopped by soldiers at checkpoints and held for days; drivers were forced to unload some cargos at government warehouses. Galindo claims that some 87 tonnes of his cocoa, worth about $130,000, were missing when the trucks were finally released. Other traders here in Miranda state, Venezuelas No. 2 producing region, have reported similar delays and confiscations in recent months. Government officials say the checkpoints are meant to nab cocoa thieves, and that some beans have been seized by the state to settle owners delinquent tax bills. But the confrontations have unnerved growers and traders who fear their industry is being targeted for a government takeover. Officials are putting pressure on private businesses to deliver them goods at no cost, said Galindo, owner of Comercializadora Freyra in the hamlet of San Jose de Barlovento, as workers around him packed dry, reddish brown cocoa beans into burlap sacks. He said he was given no explanation for the seizure of his cocoa. Nationalization has crippled Venezuelas oil and manufacturing sectors as well as agricultural industries including coffee and sugar. The private sector still controls most of the cocoa trade. But with crude output collapsing amid an economic crisis, the government has increased its emphasis on alternative export industries such as cocoa and gold. Miranda state this year established a government-run company where farmers can sell their beans for export. It has exported 500 tonnes of cocoa so far, according to Miranda Governor Hector Rodriguez, around 5 percent of the countrys annual exports. While state officials have not forced local cocoa growers to use its organization, many here fear the governments entry into their industry is a preview of things to come. It will be like sugar cane. They expropriated everything, and nowadays there is no sugar, said Freddy Padron, 50, who farms cocoa on an 11-hectare (27-acre) plot near San Jose. All of this is at risk now. VERY SCARED Venezuela has been producing cocoa since the Spanish colonial era. It is a tiny player, exporting between 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes per year, a fraction of big producers such as Ivory Coast and Ghana. Still, Venezuelas beans are prized by chocolate makers from Japan to Switzerland as some of the best in the world. Local artisans are confronting Venezuelas economic crisis by making gourmet chocolate bars that can sell for $10 each abroad. Despite that stellar reputation, some chocolate makers have cut back their purchases of Venezuelan cocoa in recent years. Delays in export permits have stalled shipments, forcing buyers to go elsewhere. Quality has suffered too. Venezuelas strict currency controls have prevented many farmers from getting imported chemicals they need to fight disease. Wary of thieves, many growers have abandoned the flavor-enhancing practice of laying harvested beans out to dry and ferment. That processing is as much an art as making the final product. It is a very sad situation, said Gary Guittard, president and chief executive of Guittard Chocolate Company in Burlingame, California. He said he has reduced purchases of Venezuelan cocoa because of the dearth of top-grade beans. The quality slide is reflected in prices. A decade ago, Venezuelan cocoa fetched 36 percent more than beans from top-producer Ivory Coast, U.S. trade data show. That premium was just 6 percent in the first eight months of 2018. Unwanted Venezuelan cocoa is piling up at warehouses, said a European trader who requested anonymity. Miranda states Rodriguez, an ally of President Nicolas Maduro, says he has devised a plan to revive the sector. Among his initiatives: establishment of the state-run Miranda Cocoa Corporation to generate export revenue. In an interview with Reuters at his office in the capital Caracas, Rodriguez said the plan aimed to improve security for growers and help them boost quality. He said revenue from cocoa sales is financing technical training for producers as well as patrol cars to help police deter thieves. He acknowledged the detention of cocoa in transit was cumbersome for traders, but said it was necessary to prevent gangs from trafficking in stolen cocoa. The state only took beans from traders who had tax debt, he said, adding that initial misunderstandings have been worked out. Rodriguez said much of the fear among traders and growers stems from a change in the governors mansion. His predecessor was prominent two-time opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. They were used to a different government that did not get involved, Rodriguez said. And then along comes a Chavista governor, and they all said, Theyre going to expropriate us, theyre going to get rid of us. They were very scared. With the heavy harvest months of February and March fast approaching, industry players say the government has not clarified its approach. Trader Galindo is playing it safe. Right now we are waiting, he said. We do not want to buy because we do not know what is coming next. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa - North Iowa authorities say alcohol may be a factor in a single vehicle rollover just after 4:15am on New Years Day. According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Department, Jessica Paulsen, 32 of Mason City, rolled the vehicle she was driving southbound on the 19000 block of Mallard Avenue. Deputies arrived on scene to find the 2004 Lincoln Navigator in a ditch on its top. Authorities say the vehicle rolled multiple times. Paulsen was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. The crash remains under investigation. ROCHESTER, Minn.- It's a problem on the other side of the world that has people in Rochester calling for change. Political turmoil in Sudan is reportedly killing people in the African country. Community members in Rochester protested Saturday. Some who have relatives in Sudan took to the streets to demand change. Monday night, they held a vigil to remember the loved ones they lost. It's really unfair the situation there, said on community member. The final day of 2018 men and women are raising awareness for what's happening in their home country. People are dying for basic needs, said Talal Dehab. Theyre hitting the streets in Rochester to let the Sudan government that they cant silence the Sudanese people. Our goal is to prosecute the criminals to the fullest extent of the law. we will not stop until the government goes down that's our purpose we're not asking for bread, said organizer Mohammed Gaafarelkhalifa We're not asking for medicine, we're not asking for gaswe ask for one thing government must go down. Theyre asking for people in the community to help bring change to Sudan. Gaafarelkhalifa tells KIMT theyre not asking for a handout. Theyre asking for justice from Sudanese leaders. We are trying to apply pressure from an international perspective on all these criminals. Theyre trying to escape with the peoples money. We want them all to be prosecuted. Were asking everyone to go speak to your congressman or woman. Mobilize your community to make sure you do not allow any of these criminals to escape from Sudan to America, said Gaafarelkhalifa. Some of the community organizers at the vigil plan to take their efforts to California next. ROCHESTER, Minn. A number of Minnesota laws go into effect on the first day of 2019. One of them aims to help first responders diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. The new late states that if a public safety employee like a firefighter, corrections officer, or paramedic is diagnosed with PTSD, it is going to be presumed to be from the job. Under the new law, the person will receive workers compensation if diagnosed. Rochester Fire Departments Captain Caleb Feine calls the effort a step in the right direction. It's extremely important to keep up with the times and we're giving support to people who need it now in the places we need it, he said. And new studies show it is a growing need. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA: Over 50% of firefighter deaths are from stress or exhaustion, not fires About 30% of firefighters report having depression or PTSD, above the general populations 20% About 47% of police officers reported having depression or anxiety in the post 9/11 era. We see some things sometime, they're not easy to handle. And everybody handles those things differently so, you know, it's important that we take care of our own in that aspect, Capt. Feine said. To learn more about this law and other state laws going into effort on January 1, 2019, click here. DECORAH, Iowa A trial is set for a man accused of driving through a crash scene and hitting a Winneshiek County deputy. Adam W. Strand, 34 of Cresco, is pleading not guilty to OWI-2nd offense, striking an unattended vehicle, reckless driving, failure to comply with the order of a peace officer, unsafe approach to a stationary vehicle causing injury, failure to maintain control, leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to use safety belts. Law enforcement says Strand drove through an accident scene on Pole Line Road on October 30. Hes accused of driving around a fully lit sheriffs vehicle parked in the road, hitting a deputy who was trying to stop him from entering the scene, then hitting a fully lit emergency management vehicle. The deputy who was hit suffered minor injuries. Strand is now scheduled to stand trial in Winneshiek County starting March 13, 2019. BAKER CITY, Ore. (AP) - Sheriff's deputies in Baker City arrested the parents of 2-year-old boy who fatally shot himself with a handgun in the family's home. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Peter Mankins and Diana Goodman were booked Saturday in the Baker County Jail, the sheriff's inmate roster shows. Records show they face charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Police didn't immediately release details about the circumstances of the shooting in Eastern Oregon. The Baker County District Attorney's Office said both were at home when their child, Liam Paul Lee Mankins, picked up an unsecured handgun pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head on November 4th. The boy was airlifted to a hospital in Boise, Idaho, but died hours later from his injuries. EUGENE, Ore. -- Marijuana could take the next step toward joining pinot noir and craft beer on Oregon's list of famous exports, under a proposal likely to go before state lawmakers in the new year. Travis Mackenzie, co-owner of T.J's in downtown Eugene, is in high spirits after hearing the news. "Places where it's really hot and dry to grow cannabis real well, definitely people would see an increase in quality if we were able to bring cannabis to those states," Mackenzie said. The effort is being led by the industry association Craft Cannabis Alliance who said there is a great demand for Oregon marijuana outside of the state. They said exports would end Oregon's oversupply problem and stabilize prices. "Why not, said marijuana user Dustin Ambrose. "You got something good you might as well show it to everyone. look at the micro- beers we have the best beer in the country, share it with other people, it's what we are known for." According to the Statesmen Journal, The Craft Cannabis Alliance is working with legislators to let Oregon start exporting pot to other legal-weed states by 2021. Among them is Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Democrat in Eugene, who said he also plans to reintroduce provisions from Senate Bill 1042, a similar proposal that died in the statehouse in 2017. According to draft language in his 2017 bill, wholesalers would be able to ship across state lines so long as the governor has made a pact with the receiving state to allow deliveries. On top that, they would only be able to ship it by ground, not air, to neighboring states to avoid federal regulations. That means Oregon marijuana could be shipped to California, Washington, and Nevada, but not to Colorado because you would have to go through states where the drug is not legal. "It would be a big deal to the industry here," Mackenzie said. "We are oversupplied and under demand and that solves a lot of problems and it gives patents access to really good quality Oregon cannabis." KEZI 9 News heard from Prozanski late in the day, he says his bill will be assigned to a committee on January 14th. He says he expects marijuana to be legal nationwide in the next five years. Toronto, ON / TheNewswire / December 31, 2018 - Savary Gold Corp. (TSX-V: SCA) has closed a $2 Million private placement financing pursuant to which it has issued 40,000,000 units at a price of $0.05 per unit ("Unit"). Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.05 per common share until December 31, 2021 (the "Offering") The proceeds from the financing will be used to fund an exploration program on the Karankasso project, Hounde belt, Burkina Faso and for general corporate purposes. The common shares and the common shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants are subject to statutory resale restrictions which will expire on May 1st, 2019. Closing of the Offering remains subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. As a result of the offering, SEMAFO Inc. will maintain its current 15.5% interest in the Company on a non-diluted basis. Q4, 2018 Exploration Program On December 17, 2018, Savary completed an exploration program consisting of 68 drill holes totaling 5,265.5 metres. In detail, 12 core holes totalling 1,707.5 metres, 15 reverse circulation holes totalling 1,553 metres and 40 air core holes totalling 2,005 metres, were completed. All of the samples have been sent to the lab for analysis. The goals of this short program were to expand resources, follow-up on new gold-bearing zones, test higher priority gold-in-auger anomalies and to continue to de-risk the project through the collection of a more complete suite of metallurgical samples of the principle zones. Assay results are expected in early 2019. About Savary Gold Savary is a Canadian exploration company focused on exploring and developing (its ~74.6% owned) Karankasso Gold Project in Burkina Faso. The Project is located within the Hounde Greenstone Belt, which hosts Semafo's Mana mine, Roxgold's Yaramoko Mine and Endeavor's Hounde Mine. The Project contains an Inferred mineral resource estimate* of 12.3 million tonnes (Mt) grading 2.03 g/t gold for 805,000 ounces. For additional information please visit our website at www.savarygold.com. Don Dudek, P.Geo., President and CEO of the Company and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. * Open pit constrained and underground Mineral resource estimate presented in Savary news release dated November 2, 2017 SAVARY GOLD CORP. On behalf of the Board "Don Dudek" President & Chief Executive Officer Cautionary Notes Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the proposed use of proceeds and the receipt of all required approvals. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OAKVILLE, Ontario, Dec. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:WDG, GR: A2DUU8) (Giyani or the Company) is pleased to announce the completion of the environmental management plan (EMP) for its K.Hill manganese prospect in Botswana. The EMP was submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on December 28 where it will be reviewed early in the new year. The Company further announces that Scott Breard has resigned from the Board of the Company effective December 31, 2018. Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani commented: The completion of this first EMP is a very significant development for Giyani as it represents an important step towards the rehabilitation of the areas around K.Hill. Once the EMP is reviewed and approved by the DEA, the Company will commence the rehabilitation work to clean up the surface stockpiles and mitigate the existing physical and environmental risks left by old mining operations at K.Hill as soon as practicably possible. Subsequently, we believe that we will be able to process the collected manganese containing material into a valuable product that we can sell and generate cashflow at this early stage of our Companys development. EMP summary The K.Hill EMP contains a baselining of the environmental conditions around the old mining area, identification and assessment of potential environmental impacts, and an overview of proposed risk mitigation and monitoring measures the Company plans to implement during the execution phase. Next Steps The Company will compile and submit two additional EMPs, one for each of the other two identified prospects, Otse and Lobatse in January 2019. The K.Hill EMP will undergo a review process by the DEA in Botswana which is estimated to take approximately two months to complete as indicated by the typical volume of work at the DEA. Director change The Company wishes to announce the resignation of Scott Breard as a director of the Company with effect from December 31, 2018. Mr. Breard will remain a consultant to the Company while he pursues other interests in his area of specialty in corporate communications. Jonathan Henry, Non-Executive Chairman of Giyani commented: I would like to thank Scott for his input as a member of the Board of the Company and wish him well as he builds his corporate communications business. About Giyani Giyani is a Canadian based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value by accelerating the development of its battery-grade manganese projects in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa. Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. website: http://giyanimetals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall, CEO Contact: Giyani Metals Corporation Robin Birchall CEO, Director +447711313019 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, the financial picture of the Company etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statement. GIYANI METALS CORP. 277 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST, OAKVILLE, Ontario L6J 1H9 T:289-837-0066 F: 289-837-1166 www.GIYANIMETALS.com TSX.V-WDG 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. Posted 12/31/18 Lt. Col. Eric T. Olson, acting superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, recently announced that 27 troopers graduated from the Highway Patrols Law Enforcement Academy on Dec. 21. The Dave Meyers/Republic RecordsTo paraphrase what Ariana Grande said in her Billboard Woman of the Year speech, 2018 marked the best year for her professionally and the worst year for her personally. Lets start with the good: Ariana released an ode to her ex-boyfriends, thank u, next, which became her first solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became a viral pop culture moment, thanks in part to its music video, in which Ariana recreated scenes from Mean Girls, 13 Going on 30, Legally Blonde and Bring It On. The video broke Vevos 24-hour view count record, with over 50 million views. Before thank u, next took the world by storm, Ariana had released the album Sweetener, featuring the singles No Tears Left to Cry and God Is Woman. The album, her first set of new music since the May 2017 bombing outside her concert in Manchester, U.K., debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. It also scored Ariana a 2019 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance, for God Is a Woman. The year was heartbreaking for Ariana, though, in terms of her love life. Back in May, Ariana ended her two-year relationship with rapper Mac Miller, citing the relationship as toxic. After a fan tried to blame Ariana for the break-up and Macs troubles, she shut him down. I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety and prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course), she wrote of Miller. But shaming/blaming women for a mans inability to keep his s*** together is a very major problem. Sadly, Mac -- birth name Malcolm McCormick -- died of an accidental overdose in September at age 26. Ariana posted a tribute to Mac on Instagram, writing in part, "you were my dearest friend. for so long. above anything else. im so sorry i couldnt fix or take your pain away. Following her split from Mac, Ariana began a whirlwind romance with SNLs Pete Davidson. The two were engaged in June after just a few weeks of dating, moved into a lavish NYC apartment together, got multiple tattoos dedicated to each other, and adopted a pet pig, Piggy Smallz. But it was all apparently too much, too soon. IN October, following Miller's death, Ariana called off her engagement to Davidson. Ariana poured all of her relationship feels into thank u, next, singing, Even almost got married/And for Pete Im so thankful/Wish I could say thank you to Malcolm/'Cause he was an angel. If all that didn't keep Ariana busy enough, she also sang Aretha Franklin's funeral, released a docu-series on YouTube titled Dangerous Woman Diaries, announced a 2019 world tour, and recorded a entire new album, which as of Christmas had not yet been released. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. Today Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. Very hot. High 112F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight A few clouds. Low 77F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. Very hot. High 118F. Winds light and variable. The two best bits of the just published State papers from the 1980s are, inevitably, sections carrying no great national importance. One record had a staff member from the Irish embassy in London getting verbally beaten up by a British MP during a train journey. The diplomat one Richard Ryan described the MP as getting rattier and rattier throughout the trip, ending up a fair burgundy colour about the neck. Which goes to prove that the expression of anger just makes you angrier and, if you are an MP, that your idiotic vitriol gets lovingly recorded and stored for recycling long after you got off your chest whatever you got off your chest. Its the other section that will ring a bell with any published author. Thats the one where poet Patrick Kavanagh him of the statue beside the canal is revealed as having gone bananas in October 1938 about the treatment of his memoir The Green Fool by some major bookshops. It wasnt being put on display in their windows, which is where any ambitious writer wants their book to be, with occasional exceptions, about which more later. Kavanagh went first to the Fred Hanna bookshop on Dublins Nassau St, where he promised to wreck the joint if window space wasnt found for his book, right there and then. The owner seems to have decided display was the better part of valour and shoved it into the window. Kavanaghs tempestuous progress through Dublins book emporia over the following 48 hours establishes one thing for certain: The owners were not in a cabal agin him. Each reacted in quite different ways to his incursions. None of them followed the Fred Hanna pilot. In Hodges Figgis, he threw books around the shop and told a staff member who tried to stop him that the staff member should be careful, because Kavanagh planned to break every bloody bookshop in the city up. Its not clear if Hodges Figgis caved in, but at the Grafton Bookshop, the manager, Anthony Dempsey, was taking none of it. He told the author that no law existed that would force him to stock a book he didnt want to stock, whereupon Kavanagh darkly suggested Dempsey take a trip down to Hodges Figgis and see the damage one enraged poet could do to a bookshop. According to the contemporary and delightful Garda report, Dempsey, unmoved, described The Green Fool as anti-Catholic and, as a result, likely to be offensive to priests and nuns who comprise the majority of his customers. (All together now: God be with the day) Patrick Kavanagh's book The Green Fool. The anti-Catholic issue was only one of the reasons Marcus Noone, who then managed Browne & Nolan, wouldnt buy copies of the book. He was also wary of being sued by Oliver St John Gogarty, a major figure in Dublin life at the time, immortalised as Buck Mulligan in James Joyces Ulysses. Gogarty sued Kavanagh because of two sentences in The Green Fool wherein the author claimed to have mistaken Gogartys maid for his wife or his mistress. Kavanagh explained away the mistake on the basis that he had expected every poet to have a spare wife. Gogarty won the case and 100 in damages, which would be a little under 7,000 today. Some of us have paid and been paid multiples of that figure when we have defamed or been defamed. Perhaps the awards were smaller in those days. Or perhaps the judge wasnt that moved by Gogartys plight. The records dont show if Kavanagh ever paid up, but knowing his financially chaotic life, one rather doubts it. However, the possibility of related action against booksellers, added to the books perceived anti-Catholicism, prompted two of them to stand up to Kavanagh, who retreated, shouting that he was living in a fascist state. Which probably prompted the Browne & Nolan manager to opine that Mr Kavanagh is suffering from delusions regarding the sale of his book. Sergeant Noel Reynolds was the garda who drew up a report on the terrorising of the bookshops, and so reasonable and sensible was his report that the whole thing died down. That was helped by the booksellers not taking legal action against the poet. They saw him as either obsessed with the idea that there was an organised attempt on the part of the booksellers generally to boycott the sale of the book giving it little or no prominence, or alternatively that he was seeking notoriety or publicity in endeavouring to create a scene. A priest consulted by Reynolds went with the latter view, advising that any prosecution would give Kavanagh only the publicity which he is obviously seeking. Why did a garda consult a priest about a literary matter? Who knows. The public relations business had not emerged in the late 1930s, so perhaps the clergy were assumed to have particular insight into communications. Which, in this particular case, seems to have been an accurate assumption. Nobody fed Kavanaghs feeding frenzy, and despite him bellowing that he was living in a fascist state, which was a fairly robust accusation in the late 1930s, the excitement passed and desultory sales of the book ensued. Although Kavanagh may have mounted the most raucous protest at not having a book prominently displayed, most published writers roil and boil less noticeably about the same issue. Whether they produce critically validated works of art or write frothy romances, no writer ever believes their publishers do enough to publicise their book or that bookshops give it sufficient prominence. Writers obsessively visit bookshops and re-position their volume, either on the shelves or on those tables where the three-for-two offers dominate. Friends of writers visit bookshops and then inflame the writer by messaging them: I couldnt find your book in X bookshop, and when I asked, theyd never heard of it. Every writer feels entitled to window display and when they dont get it, blame the shop, their agent and their publisher, although not many threaten, Kavanagh-fashion, to wreck the joint if the problem isnt rectified. The only window no writer wants to be seen in is the one in a remainder shop. No writer wants to see their own oeuvre at a bargain store where everything unsold at full market price is marked down to 3 or 5. Maeve Binchys sister was once so mortified to see a dozen of one of Maeves novels lined up in one such window that she counted them before going inside and saying she absolutely had to have 12 copies of the book. Satisfyingly, the bookseller went to the window, reaching for each of the copies displayed there, bagged them up, and took her money. Distracted by other books in the store, she dawdled for a minute or two, only to see the guy emerge from his storeroom at the back with twelve replacement copies of the same book, which he positioned just where the others had been. She had wasted her money and the shame went on. The US withdrawal from Syria is being ordered unilaterally by a president who clearly has no idea what he is doing, writes Christopher R Hill. No Middle East conflict is as complex as the one raging in Syria. The fight involves a government that is antithetical to Western values and a Sunni extremist insurgency that at one point captured the borderlands between Syria and Iraq and fought all the way to the gates of Baghdad. The stakes of the war are so high that a varied cast of foreign actors, including Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Hezbollah, have all been drawn in. But there are actually numerous wars being fought in Syria. One struggle, waged against the Islamic State (ISIS), is well known to the public. Less understood is the war to succeed the House of Assad, which has ruled the country as a secular dynasty for almost 50 years. A third conflict involves northern Syrias Kurds, who joined with the United States to fight ISIS but whose efforts have stoked fear among Turkish leaders that the aspirations of Syrias Kurdish population could embolden the Kurds in Turkey. Now add to this many-sided conflict a US president who is uncomfortable with nuance or detail. Donald Trump neither possesses an internationalist mindset nor grasps the message that American power conveys. But while Mr Trump could have been forgiven for arguing that Americas only interest in Syria was the defeat of ISIS, his recent decision to withdraw all US forces which he justified with an erroneous declaration of victory is inexcusable. Mr Trumps decision will embolden President Bashar al-Assad, whose rule has been catastrophic for Syria. Mr Assad has consistently shown an inability to navigate the complexities of the crisis, including the rapid urbanisation, and subsequent radicalisation, of rural Sunnis displaced by climate change; the incubation of radicalised Sunnis in neighbouring Iraq amid the consolidation of Shia political power in Baghdad; and the growth of Kurdish nationalist sentiment in the region. But Mr Assad did know whom to call to maintain his grip on power, and the infusion of Russian, Iranian, and regional Shia groups was enough to turn the tide in his favour. That has given his regime a new lease of life in a region not accustomed to giving leaders second chances. And yet, Mr Assad, like the French Bourbons, seems to have learned nothing and forgotten nothing during his 18 years in power, and is unlikely to consolidate his victory by introducing the federalised, decentralised structures needed to govern Syria effectively. US policy in Syria, the policy that Mr Trump campaigned against and has now officially abandoned, has long rested on two pillars: stability in Iraq and the defeat of ISIS. Under President Barack Obama, and then briefly under Mr Trump, US forces worked with local fighters to bring ISIS to heel. But, contrary to Mr Trumps claims, ISIS is neither defeated nor dead; absent viable institutions and stable political arrangements in Syria, the group is likely to return in some form. Rather than acting unilaterally, as he apparently did, Mr Trump should have been asking his foreign policy team for clarification on a number of thorny questions. What endgame should the US be seeking in Syria? Given Mr Assads support from Russia, Iran, and Turkey (whose interests in Syria are hardly trivial), how likely is his departure? What political solutions are possible? Is an election feasible or desirable in a context devoid of functioning institutions? But even posing these simple questions which admittedly have no easy answers seemed beyond Mr Trumps ability and range of experience. Instead of asking anything, Mr Trump chose to declare victory and leave. That decision, and the expected withdrawal from Afghanistan and perhaps elsewhere, fits a familiar pattern: Americas engagements with the world are too often guided by a premature belief that the objective has been achieved. But the withdrawal from Syria is more notable and may be more damaging than most, because it is being ordered by a US president who clearly has no idea what he is doing, and who is incapable of gauging his actions against the lessons of history. Facts are not knowledge, and knowledge is not wisdom, but in Mr Trumps worldview, there is simply no room for the idea that history can both inform and repeat, or for the connections among many of the worlds most pressing security challenges, whether Syria, Russia, or Iran. Typically, US foreign policy is viewed as a proxy not only for the presidents toughness, but also for his responsibility to use all resources at his disposal to grapple with matters of state and national security that the public may not see. But with Mr Trump, there is none of that. The bluster and blunders that have become visible to all are as thoughtful and strategic as it gets. Christopher R Hill, former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, is Chief Adviser to the Chancellor for Global Engagement and Professor of the Practice in Diplomacy at the University of Denver, and the author of Outpost. www.project-syndicate.org. With a Christmas festival blitz that provided a host of surprises now in the rearview mirror, the focus turns to what lies ahead in 2019,writes Darren Norris Here are 10 dates for the diary Irish Gold Cup, February 3 The inaugural Dublin Racing Festival on the first weekend of last February was a huge success with three Leopardstown victors - Footpad, Samcro, and Relegate going on to score at the Cheltenham Festival a month later. However, the Irish Gold Cup, the biggest of the seven Grade Ones up for grabs, provided a major shock as Joseph OBriens 33-1 outsider Edwulf, who so nearly lost his life in the 2016 Cheltenham Festival, ran out a fairytale winner in the hands of Derek OConnor. Having been well beaten in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last Friday, Edwulf will probably again be a big price to repeat the feat next month but, given hes already proved himself the equine equivalent of Lazarus, its dangerous to write him off. Impressive Savills Chase winner Kemboy looks likely to sidestep this engagement and go straight to Cheltenham but, with the likes of ante-post Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy, Monalee, Road To Respect, Bellshill and Anibale Fly all potentially on a collision course, a cracking Irish Gold Cup lies in store. Champion Hurdle, March 12 Christmas 2018 threw up a number of unwanted surprises for punters but no shock was quite a seismic as the sight of dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur DAir getting nailed on the line by stablemate Verdana Blue in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Nicky Hendersons charge had looked better than ever when hammering Samcro in the Fighting Fifth 25 days earlier but was far from imperious at Kempton, barely leaving the ground for the third last hurdle en route to a first defeat since the 2016 Supreme Novices Hurdle. Despite the lapse, Buveur DAir rightly remains a warm-order to emulate the mighty Istabraq by completing a Champion Hurdle hat-trick on day one of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. Buveur DAir, who like Istabraq is owned by JP McManus, has arguably yet to get the recognition he deserves but that will surely change if he makes it three. In truth, he should do just that as the Champion Hurdle division lacks both quality and quantity at the minute. The Willie Mullins-trained Laurina could be a potential threat but she hasnt been seen yet this season and needs to improve a hell of a lot to trouble the history-chasing favourite. Champion Chase, March 13 In a festive period where high-profile favourites brought very little joy to their supporters, one horse lived up to his superstar reputation. It was no surprise to anyone that Altior was that one horse, Nicky Hendersons charge stretching his unbeaten run to 16 with a 19-length demolition job in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. Those 16 successive triumphs include a seven-length victory over Min in last years Champion Chase and, come March, the gelding will be a long odds-on shot to become the first back-to-back winner of that race since Masterminded completed his double in 2009. Given his fearsome reputation, Altior will probably frighten off most of the opposition but, while he wont be a betting proposition for most, seeing this majestic chaser is full flight will still be a sight to savour. It would be nice to think Footpad might put it up to Altior but given he was beaten by Simply Ned, a horse who turns 12 today, at Leopardstown last week, that looks unlikely. A procession awaits. And that being the case... Ryanair Chase, March 14 With Altior a seemingly irresistible force in the two-mile division, alternative engagements are sure to be sought for a host of would-be Champion Chase contenders. The Ryanair Chase could be the chief beneficiary. Take Min for instance. Beaten seven lengths by Altior in the 2016 Supreme Novices Hurdle, he went down by the same margin in last years Champion Chase so theres no reason why he should make it third time lucky in 2019. That Min started this season by winning the John Durkan, over two and a half miles, suggests trainer Willie Mullins realises that reality too and the Ryanair Chase over just a furlong further will surely be his Cheltenham Festival target. There he could encounter a familiar face in stablemate Un De Sceaux. Winner of this race two years ago, Un De Sceaux was second to Balko Des Flos last March and will surely rock up again looking to regain his crown in what, aged 11, could prove his Cheltenham Festival swansong. Add Ruth Jeffersons Waiting Patiently to the mix and youve quite a race. Cheltenham Gold Cup, March 15 That Presenting Percy, a horse not seen since waltzing to victory in the RSA Chase last March, heads the market for the blue riband of jump racing says plenty about a pretty unclear Gold Cup picture. It was hoped Christmas might bring some order to proceedings but the festive period raised more questions than it answered. The King George saw last years Gold Cup winner Native River taken off his feet before rallying bravely to finish third; Might Bite bombed for a second successive race; Bristol De Mai fell and took out Waiting Patiently and a surprise winner in Clan De Obeaux, who beat Thistlecrack by a length and a half. At home, the Savills Chase saw Bellshill fail to land a blow, Road To Respect finish third after a luckless trip and another surprise winner in Willie Mullins Kemboy. It all means that the case for the Pat Kelly trained Presenting Percy was enhanced without him leaving the comfort of his own box. Right now, its hard to envisage the 2019 Gold Cup living up to last years titanic battle between Native River and Might Bite but itll still be enthralling viewing. It always is. Aintree Grand National, April 6 The Gold Cup may be the race for the National Hunt purist but the Grand National remains the greatest jumps spectacle of them all. Critics say the race isnt what it was but it remains a formidable test of man and beast. The fact only 12 of the 38 starters completed the race last year illustrates that reality. The first of those 12 was the diminutive Tiger Roll, Gordon Elliotts charge just holding off the fast-finishing Pleasant Company to give Davy Russell his first Grand National victory. Tiger Roll will be back again this April but weight and the weight of history will be against him. Hell have to carry more weight than he did last year and the fact no horse has won the Grand National more than once since Red Rum illustrates the scale of the task facing the three-time Cheltenham Festival winner. Tiger Roll, right, just repels the fast-finishing Pleasant Company to end Davy Russells wait for Aintree Grand National glory last April. The Sue Smith-trained Vintage Clouds just missed the cut for last years Grand National but should make it this time and the Trevor Hemmings-owned grey possesses the endless reserves of stamina this test demands. Newmarket 2000 Guineas, May 4 For the first time since 2014, the ante-post Newmarket 2000 Guineas favourite resides outside Ballydoyle. Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket is the home of the John Gosden-trained Too Darn Hot, a colt who proved just that as a two-year-old, winning all four of his starts, culminating with a brilliant victory in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. He looks a horse of exceptional promise, one who could light up the 2019 Flat season in a Frankel-esque manner. His first big test will come on the first Saturday of May in what could be a vintage 2000 Guineas. There he could meet another unbeaten colt with immense potential in Quorto; Coventry Stakes winner Calyx; Aidan OBriens progressive Ten Sovereigns; his stablemate Magna Grecia; Andre Fabres French raider Persian, and Martyn Meades Advertise. If Too Darn Hot can brush that lot aside, he could be something really special. But Epsom Derby, June 1 Given his stunning exploits as a two-year-old, its no surprise Too Darn Hot will begin 2019 as the Epsom Derby favourite. However, a question lingers: Will he stay a mile and a half? Given the pace he has shown to date, there has to be a doubt and John Gosden has publically admitted he has his doubts. He has won over a mile already, and a mile and a quarter should not be a problem, but beyond that I dont know, he said last October. Last season, Gosdens Roaring Lion finished a non-staying third at Epsom before winning three Group 1s over 10 furlongs. It would be no surprise if Too Darn Hot was to do something similar. That could open the door to Quorto, a Group 1-winning two-year-old who could provide Charlie Appleby and Godolphin with a second successive Derby triumph. Irish Derby, June 29 The 2019 Irish Derby will have to go some to top last years renewal when Latrobe, trained by Joseph OBrien and ridden by his brother Donnacha, got the better of Rostropovich and Saxon Warrior, both of whom were trained by their father, Aidan. However, whatever happens on the track, this years Irish Derby will be significant as by then the Curragh redevelopment will be complete. The decision to continue racing during the redevelopment was controversial with a 6,000 attendance limit imposed for 2017 Irish Derby. In the event, only 5,412 turned up to see Capri get the better of Cracksman and Epsom Derby winner Wings Of Eagles. To put that in context, over 25,000 turned up to see Jack Hobbs triumph in 2015. The hope has to be that this years Irish Derby will see an attendance figure closer to 2015 than 2017. Prix de lArc de Triomphe, October 6 Its rare a high-profile sporting occasion lives up to the hype. That is the reason why Muhammad Alis trilogy with Joe Frazier and the Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman endures nearly half a century later. However the 2018 Prix de lArc bucked the trend in that it delivered more than even the greediest could have demanded. Enable, the heroic reigning champion overcame a nightmare preparation to just thwart the young pretender, the fast-finishing Sea Of Class. Enable, left, digs deep to deny Sea Of Class in last years Prix de lArc de Triomphe. The brilliant filly could make Arc history in October. In doing so, Enable joined a select club, becoming only the eighth horse to have won the Arc twice. No horse has won the great race three times. The tantalising prospect of being the first was enough to persuade owner Khalid Abdullah to keep Enable in training while the sense of what might have been persuaded Christopher Tsui to go again with Sea Of Class. The prospect of a rematch is a mouth-watering one but, should she have an uninterrupted preparation, itll take something special to deny Enable her place in history. The Crawfords display of Harry Clarkes paintings includes Fiona Shaws reading of the Keats poem that inspired them, writes Ellie OByrne Medieval tradition had it that on the night of January 20, a special kind of magic could happen. Young women in England, Scotland and parts of Ireland believed they could dream of their future husband if they observed certain rituals and prayed to St Agnes, the martyred patron saint of the chaste. In 1923, Harold Jacob of Jacobs biscuits commissioned the stained-glass artist Harry Clarke to produce a window based on the 18th century English poet John Keats romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes for his fathers Dublin home. Clarke, renowned for his feverish work ethic and possibly already beset by the tuberculosis that would claim his life eight years later, completed the window within a year. Months after it was installed, he sold the astonishingly beautiful watercolour studies on which the windows panels were based to Corks Crawford Art Gallery. Art klaxon!! @CrawfordArtGall now has a whole floor dedicated to the inimitable #HarryClarke. From Friday, come see a full suite of his Eve of St Agnes watercolour studies, two rare illustrated booklets, his earliest stained glass panels, and a fascinating documentary! #Cork pic.twitter.com/nvZtwcMRYa Dr Michael Waldron (@michaeljwaldron) December 13, 2018 Clarkes distinctive otherworldly vision is visible in every pencil-stroke beneath the blue-hued watercolour scenes, decorated with tiny wintry sparks of white gouache that add to the sense of fairy-tale as Keats heroine, Madeleine, first dreams of, and is then awoken by, her lover Porphyro following her prayers to St Agnes. The result is magical, and not only because of the subject matter, says exhibition curator Dr Michael Waldron. The finished stained-glass window is displayed in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin, but the watercolours offer a rare glimpse at Clarkes process. Hes a much-loved artist and people are drawn to him and his sense of style, particularly in his stained glass of course, but also his book illustrations, Waldron says. This series of 18 watercolours are preparatory sketches and the detail in them is extraordinary, in that there are pencil-marks and little notes and figures coming out of the corners. Its those little touches that connect you to the artist and thats quite moving. The watercolours have been on display to the public down through the years, but this exhibition, entitled Dreaming In Blue: Harry Clarke Watercolours, aims to unlock the narrative in Clarkes work: its accompanied by an audio recording of celebrated Cork actor Fiona Shaw reading Keats 42-stanza poem. Shaw, whose own portrait is in the Crawfords collection, was a natural choice to bring The Eve of St Agnes alive for gallery visitors, Dr Waldron says: Fiona Shaw is not only a national treasure, but a local treasure as well. Her voice is wonderfully trained and she really understands how to tell the story. We asked her, and she said shed be delighted. She produced this really wonderful recording which is at once cold and warm: her voice has both the crisp coolness of the night the story is set on and the warmth of the love story. In the adjacent second floor screening room, the full-length documentary Harry Clarke: Darkness Into Light, which explores the life and work of a man once described by the writer George Russell as one of the strangest geniuses of his time, is on view. Clarke was a prolific stained-glass artist and book illustrator: his distinctive glass work can be seen in the Honan Chapel in UCC and his highly stylized illustrations of Edgar Allen Poe, Faust and Hans Christian Andersen for UK publishing house Harrap are much beloved. Dr Waldron, the gallerys new assistant curator of collections and special projects, was partly inspired by the National Galleries of Dublin, London and Scotlands annual January Turner Watercolours exhibition in his idea to reimagine and exhibit the Clarke watercolours, an event which will form a part of the gallerys annual calendar. We really want to reveal things about the collection that are much-loved but not always seen, he says. But we have the responsibility not to show them for too long, because they are watercolours and they will fade, so it is for conservation reasons too. On top of this, the exhibitions timing, running from Christmas to St Valentines Day and of course including St Agnes Eve itself, adds to the magic and romance of Clarkes unique vision and Shaws reading. For me, storytelling is essential, Dr Waldron, whose PhD was on the connection between English Literature and visual art, says. Curating an exhibition like this, there has to be a train of thought and you have to speak to a wide audience. I think people are drawn to Harry Clarke for his complexity. Theres this exquisite, ethereal beauty; he invites you to come back again and again. Dreaming In Blue: Harry Clarke Watercolours runs until Feb 14 at the Crawford Art Gallery Cork. For information on upcoming tours with Dr Waldron see www.crawfordartgallery.ie Campaigners opposing a large solar farm planned in West Cork have called on the Government and local authorities to introduce legislation and guidelines to control and regulate the development of such projects around the country. The Finnis-Mishells Solar Free Valley Group claims the absence of national guidelines has resulted in a free-for-all rush to obtain planning permission for solar-farm developments on prime agricultural land. This policy vacuum creates a situation whereby opportunistic developers are taking advantage of the situation and trying to push through poorly-thought out applications without consideration for the environment or rural communities, the groups chairman, Mike Walsh, said. Dozens of applications for solar farms have been lodged in the past two years with the vast majority securing planning permission, despite strong opposition in many cases from communities. The majority of projects have been located in rural areas of Munster and south Leinster. The group has lodged an appeal with Bord Pleanala against plans for the development of a 13.1MW solar farm at a large site around 4km northwest of Bandon which was sanctioned by Cork Co Council last year. BNRG Neoen Holdings, a Dublin-based renewable energy firm, is seeking to build a solar farm consisting of 40,000 solar panels on a 40- hectare site in the townlands of Finnis and Mishells. The cost of the project is estimated at over 13m and it will generate energy to power the equivalent of over 1,750 homes per annum. A ruling on the case is expected later this month. Although the Finnis- Mishells group is not opposed to the principle of renewable energy, Mr Walsh said there was an issue at a national level about solar farms being located in the appropriate environment with proper checks and balances. If they are not put in place will the people of Ireland look back and ask who and how was all of this allowed to happen to our environment, Mr Walsh said. He said there was still an opportunity to avoid mistakes that had riddled the wind farm industry over the past 20 years. In their own case, Mr Walsh said the industrial scale of the project was not in keeping with the character of the local area or good agricultural practice as it would result in the loss of 40 acres of highly fertile agricultural land in the Ballymahane River valley. Greenfield sites are used to decrease installation costs and increase profits for the developer at the cost of the local communities, environment and the country in general, said Mr Walsh. In the UK, guidelines recommend solar farms should ideally be located on low-grade farmland and brownfield sites. In addition, they should avoid affecting the visual aspect of landscapes and should predominantly be on flat terrain which is well screened by hedges and trees. Last month, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy said in the absence of national guidelines, he was satisfied that the planning code was sufficiently robust to facilitate the assessment of individual planning permission applications for solar farm development. A momentous day but not one for jubilation is how Health Minister Simon Harris has described the availability of abortion services from today. What we will see is not jubilation because abortion is never a happy occasion for any woman or her partner, he said. Some 165 GPs have signed up to provide an abortion service and over 100 have given their details to a 24/7 helpline that opened at midnight, the minister confirmed. He said there would be many locations across the country where women could access an abortion service. However Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said despite the legalising of abortion in Ireland it remained gravely morally wrong. Moreover, no-one should be forced to refer women to others for an abortion, against their conscience, he said. In his New Years message, the Archbishop said to co-operate in abortion by supporting it directly or indirectly, either as an individual act or as a social policy, shall always be gravely wrong. Any law which suggests otherwise has no moral force, he said, adding that it has to be resisted and we must continue to call and work diligently for its limitation, amendment and repeal. The Archbishop said no-one should be forced, against their conscience, to participate in abortion or to refer patients to others for abortion. He said he would encourage the development and ongoing formation of pro-life support teams in every pastoral area throughout the country. Meanwhile, Mr Harris said while it would take time for the abortion service to fully evolve and embed, the situation for women would be so much better than it had been. Mr Harris said about 80% of terminations would take place in the community and he was satisfied there were enough doctors to start providing the service. He expected that more hospitals would begin to provide an abortion service as the year progressed. Mr Harris also said that providing vending machines with free condoms was an option being considered by his department. He had provided funding to the HSE to increase the availability of condoms in 2019. My department and the HSE will now do some reasearch on how best to distribute them Mr Harris also said 1m was being provided in 2019 to begin subsidising the cost of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Meanwhile, the HSE reported a 34% decrease in the number of people on trolleys in acute hospitals yesterday. According to the health authority, there were 224 patients on trolleys in EDs waiting to be admitted, compared to 338 on the same day last year. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation had counted 357 admitted patients waiting for beds yesterday, with 228 waiting in the ED while 129 were in wards elsewhere in the hospital. Mr Harris, who attended the meeting of the HSEs Winter Oversight Group, said a lower rate of flu and the investment in home care packages had contributed to the reduction in numbers. Mr Harris rejected claims that Winter Ready Clinics were not operating. More than 10,000 people became naturalised Irish citizens last year, as new figures also revealed a rise in the number of people issued passports, particularly from the UK. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said 10,158 people, including 3,136 children, were granted Irish citizenship in 2018. It means more than 120,000 have been granted citizenship here since the introduction of citizenship ceremonies in 2011. The figures show 67% of naturalised citizens in 2018 were between the ages of 25 and 45. Naturalised citizens over the age of 55 made up just 11% of the new citizens last year. There has also been an increase in the number of applications on hand from UK nationals. In 2015, just 41 UK nationals obtained Irish citizenship, whereas the figure was 665 in 2018. UK nationals also tend to be among the oldest applying for Irish citizenship, at an average age of 56. There was also a rise of 22% in the number of applications for an Irish passport by British nationals last year, with the Department of Foreign Affairs expecting another busy year this year with Brexit due in March. More than 822,000 Irish passports were issued in the past year, up around 43,000 from 2017, and of those, 98,544 applications were received from Britain. Another 84,855 were from Northern Ireland, a rise of 3% compared with the 2017 figure. Anyone with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland can apply for an Irish passport. Of the passports issued, 529,673 were to adults and 292,908 were provided for children. The oldest recipient was aged 99 and the youngest was just two weeks old. As for citizenship, Mr Flanagan said: Each of our new citizens has an important contribution to make to all areas of our society. They have chosen to take this step in recognition of the new lives that they have built here in Ireland. Receiving their Irish citizenship does not lessen the diversity of their backgrounds or the importance of their heritage. We look forward to all that they can add to the richness of our culture as part of their continued integration into our communities right across the country. A lucky Lotto player in Co Wexford has had a dream start to the New Year scooping the top prize of an incredible one million euros in the last nights National Lottery Christmas Millionaire Raffle. Players from Offaly, Kilkenny, Roscommon and Kerry also won top-tier prizes of 250,000 and 100,000 in Christmas Millionaire Raffle. With a total of 5,567 players winning prizes of between 500 and 1m in last nights draw the National Lottery today urged people to check their raffle numbers to see if they have scooped a windfall. As well as top-tier prizes there were ten prizes of 10,000, 28 prizes of 5,000, 125 prizes of 1,000 and 5,400 prizes of 500. Christmas Millionaire Raffle ticket number 191401 won the top prize of 1m. The ticket was sold at Kavanaghs Village Forecourt, in Clonroche, Co Wexford which also sold a 2.7m Lotto Jackpot ticket in November 2010. Co-owner of the winning store, Rita Greene, said: We cant believe this! What a great way to start of 2019 for one of our customers. We were just told the good news this morning and we really hope its a local. The news is beginning to spread now. We are a very busy shop between New Ross and Enniscorthy so the winner could be a passerby. But its a dream start to the year for one of our lucky customers and I know it will bring a lot of excitement to the town as we extend our New Years celebrations. "This is bringing back memories of the excitement when we sold the winning Lotto jackpot ticket back in November 2010 during the big snow. We are delighted that another of our customers is to become a millionaire." The winning ticket numbers for the top five Christmas Millionaire Raffle prizes are: Top prize of 1m: Ticket no 191401 sold in Kavanaghs Village Forecourt, Clonroche, Co Wexford Prize of 250,000: Ticket no 417104 sold in Dolans, Clara Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Three prizes of 100,000: Tickets nos 238272 sold in Dunnes Stores, Roscommon town; 52944 sold in Garveys Supervalu, Listowel, Co. Kerry; and 164,096 sold in Supervalu in Main Street, Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny National Lottery CEO, Dermot Griffin, said today: "We are absolutely thrilled for our player from Wexford with this big win. The Christmas Millionaire Raffle is hugely popular every year and the prize payout this year is bigger than ever. We look forward to welcoming the first National Lottery millionaire of 2019 into the winners' room." Full draw results detailing all prize-winning numbers is now available be available on the National Lotterys website www.lottery.ieand on the National Lottery App. A new 2 coin is being launched this month, to mark the one hundred years since the sitting of the first Dail. One million of the coins go into circulation this year. The Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI are reminding the public to be safe if they are heading to the sea today. A joint safety message was issued today for anyone entering the water or anyone who is engaged in any activity along the water's edge. Update - 5.55pm: Calvin White has been found safe and well. Earlier - 4.45pm: Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in locating a 13-year-old boy who is missing in Dublin. Calvin White is missing from his home in Ballyfermot since last night, December 31. He is described as 5'5'' in height, of slim build with short brown hair and green eyes. When last seen he was wearing a black jacket and navy tracksuit. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballyfermot Garda Station on 01 666 7200. Meet Orla Farrell, the teacher who retired early to combat climate change. Orla has a plan to plant one million trees in a five-year period, with the help of every school child on the island. With the support of Crann Trees for Ireland, Orla has started the Easy Treesie project and she has already started planting. Easy Treesie is a five-year project with the aim of planting one million trees. Ireland has one million school children, when you include primary and secondary schools, both north and south. Orla Farrell, project leader, Easy Treesie, in Seagrange Park adjoining Bayside Dart station in Dublin, where local school children planted over 3,000 trees as part of Plant for the Planet, Trees for Climate Justice. The aim of Easy Treesie is to plant one million trees representing one million school children by 2023. Pictures: Moya Nolan That one million figure seemed convenient and something that was manageable. It was the logistics of how to do it that needed planning. I had a whole load of people who were interested, said Orla. It is being done in conjunction with Crann Trees for Ireland, an organisation that was set up to raise awareness of the environmental importance of trees, hedgerows, and woodland, she added. While Orla has been involved in tree planting with schools for almost two decades, Easy Treesie is about children planting trees on public lands. We went to Fingal County Council and they gave us space for 300 trees. So far we have planted 3,305 trees, thats one tree for every primary school in Ireland, and we will have another 1,000 planted by January 26. Im a volunteer, I retired seven years early to do this. We have got great backing to bring this nationwide and we have some pioneer councils that are in the process of designating land. In 2019, we will be heading to Kilkenny, Cork, Sligo, and Kerry, she said. Orlas ambitious project is inspired by two people: Kenyan scientist Wangari Maathai, Nobel laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement, and German schoolboy Felix Finkbeiner, who has planted 15 billion trees. However, she has had a lifelong interest in the role of trees in a healthy environment and Irelands relationship with them. As a six-year-old I remember, and Ireland had just celebrated 50 years of being a State, a teacher held up a wooden coat hanger and said, This was made in Sweden. Ireland used to be covered in trees. A squirrel could go from Malin Head to Mizen Head without ever having to touch the ground. Ireland used to have 80% tree coverage before, she said. I used to go on holidays to Cork and there would be trees all around. Then I remember, in the 80s, the effects of the elm disease. There was just skeletons of trees. It was very distressing, she added. Ultimately though, she is motivated by a need to address climate change, and rapidly. Trees are the simplest solution to capturing carbon. This is the second year in a row that Ireland has been the worst performer in the EU for tackling climate change. A simple way to address this is to plant trees. Its about the right tree in the right place, they dont have to be too big or too invasive. Ultimately, we need 150 trees per head globally. A tree consumes 10kg of carbon, she said. There is a great urgency. We have a short window to address climate change. This is a symbolic and practical action, she added. - www.easytreesie.com The organisation representing Defence Forces officers says it doesnt have confidence that the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) will deliver much-needed pay increases for lowly-paid soldiers, sailors, and aircrews. The warning from Raco (Representative Association for Commissioned Officers) comes after many hard-pressed Defence Forces families were forced to rely on charitable donations of food hampers to get them over the Christmas period. Raco general secretary, Commandant Conor King, said little had changed for the lowest paid public servants since Nasa (National Association of Army Spouses) took to the streets 30 years ago to highlight the deplorable pay and conditions endured by military personnel. Comdt King said Nasas actions gave birth to the founding of his own military representative association and that of sister organisation PDForra, which represents enlisted personnel. He said the recent Respect and Loyalty parade outside the Dail, organised by veterans, and the founding of the lobby group Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces (WPDF) showed that little had changed since 1998. Both veterans and WPDF helped organise food hampers before Christmas for needy Defence Forces families. A number of businesses in areas close to military installations also offered serving members of the Defence Forces and their families discounts, acknowledging their poor levels of pay. The Department of Defence has referred a pay increase for military personnel to the PSPC. Nasas campaign led to a root and branch review of the Defence Forces by the Gleeson Commission. And 30 years on it is sad to see that very little has changed. The Defence Forces are still the lowest paid public sector workers and we do not have confidence that the Public Service Pay Commission will deliver much-needed pay increases for our lowest paid soldiers, sailors, and aircrews, said Comdt King. Fears have again been raised that poor pay is one of the reasons why the Defence Forces is struggling to get recruits and to retain experienced personnel, who are exiting in droves for better pay and conditions in the private sector. The Defence Forces chief of staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, has just announced the launch of another recruitment campaign for the Naval Service. The Naval Service is suffering more than the Army or Air Corps from the recruitment crisis because personnel are normally separated from their families for longer periods due to sea patrols. The recruitment drive opened last Friday, but no cut-off date was given for the receipt of applications. In the past the Naval Service has experienced severe difficulties filling its recruit classes, which can be anything up to 48-strong. Last July, 65 recruits were called to the Naval Service headquarters in Haulbowline, Co Cork, to undertake medical and fitness tests. However, just six turned up. The manpower shortage has led to reservists being called up to plug gaps on off-shore patrols. - Those wishing to apply for recruit positions should see www.military.ie/careers/naval-service/ Burglary rates in Cork have increased by almost 10% in the year to the end of September, despite overall rates falling in most other parts of the country. Figures published by the Central Statistics Office show the number of reported burglaries in Cork City over the 12-month period rose by 14% an annual increase of 75 to 617. The trend was evident across four of the five divisions within the Garda southern region which covers Cork, Kerry and Limerick. At the same time the overall number of burglaries nationally fell by over 6% including an 8% reduction in Dublin and 16% drop in the Garda eastern region which covers the counties surrounding the capital. Gardai have attributed the general reduction in burglaries to the ongoing success of Operation Thor and Hybrid which have focused on tackling organised crime, particularly in the greater Dublin area. In the southern region, only the Cork West division experienced a reduction in burglaries of around 8% to 110. The division, which covers towns including Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty and Macroom still has proportionately one of the lowest crime rates in the country of the 28 Garda divisions. The most sizeable increase in burglary rates in the entire country over the period was in Limerick where there was an 18.5% rise in reported offences up 145 to 929. More moderate increases were recorded respectively in the Cork North and Kerry divisions of 9% and 3%. Although there was a 12% increase nationally in the number of sexual offences recorded over the period, there was a 1.5% reduction in the number of reported rapes and sexual assaults in Cork City. Over the same period, the number of sexual offences recorded in Kerry shot up by 57% up 33 to 91. On a positive note, Cork bucked the national trend in relation to assaults and robberies which were up 7% and 23% respectively across the country. All three divisions in the county recorded decreases in the number of violent incidents ranging between 3% and 6%. In contrast, the incidence of such crimes rose by 25% in Kerry up 122 to 619. There was also a 55% rise in the number of robberies in Kerry over the 12-month period when there was an 11% drop in such crimes in Cork City. At the same time, there was no change in the level of robberies in the other two Cork Garda divisions. There was a slight reduction in the number of drug offences across the southern region in contrast to the national situation where detections of illegal drug use were up 6%. Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said the success of Garda operations had resulted in increases in the number of recorded offences for certain crimes such as harassment and firearms. Mr Flanagan said addressing the rising incidence of sexual offences would remain a key focus for both the Government and gardai. He promised legislation which was going through the Dail would provide for stricter sentencing for repeat sexual offenders. An Irish woman who was a "formidable warrior" for transparency in hospital care after she was left with terminal cervical cancer arising out of medical negligence in Holland has passed away at the age of just 58. Adrienne Cullen, who grew up in Limerick, successfully took on the Dutch health system and campaigned for a no gagging clause policy in medical facilities right across Europe. She died at 10.15am yesterday at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Ms Cullen was conferred with an honorary doctorate in Laws at University College Cork earlier this month. Her husband Peter Cluskey issued a statement about her passing via Twitter. He said his lifelong partner was "appallingly treated" and it "made her a formidable warrior." He thanked all those who had been loyal and generous to Adrienne particularly the staff of her former Alma Mater, UCC, where she was so warmly received at an intimate ceremony on December 10th. He said his wife had a "special steel" and had made a huge difference. Professor Padraig G O'Se of UCC said Ms Cullen was "a beautiful resilient and compassionate person." An obituary appeared on Dutch media which simply stated that "Staying silent was not an option for Adrienne Cullen." The respected journalist settled a legal action with a Dutch hospital after it lost scans that showed she had cervical cancer. She first underwent tests in the Netherlands in 2011 after becoming ill. However, she was assured she was healthy. In 2013, a review of old pathology results found that a test for cancerous tissue which Ms Cullen's had conducted two years previously had, in fact, been positive. By 2015 tests showed her cancer had spread and, as a result of delays, was terminal. An independent medical consultant agreed on by both sides, concluded if the test result had not been lost, she would have had a 95% to 98% chance of being cured. Earlier this month in Cork she said that she empathised greatly with those impacted by the cervical check scandal in Ireland. She stated that women such as Emma Mhic Mathuna had had much of their lives stolen from them. They have been robbed of being able to see their children's birthdays. They have been robbed of Christmas photos, of having family holidays. Of seeing their children grow up. We have all lost so many things like that. Peter (her husband) beside me here is losing me. "The big difference between (Vicky Phelan and Emma Mhic Mathuna ) and me is that I don't have children. The horror of being a parent is the idea that you have to leave your children behind you and not know what is going to happen to them. Or what education they will get. Or what guidance in to the future. Money doesn't compensate them for losing their parents. University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU) has admitted liability in the case but Adrienne received compensation of just 545,000. However, this was a huge sum by Dutch standards and represented the biggest pay out for medical negligence in the history of the State. Prior to her death Adrienne insisted that gagging clauses must be banned because they are another injury inflicted on the patient following the traumatic news that their lives are set to end prematurely. She also spoke of her belief that gagging clauses continue to perpetuate a culture of silence which allows medical negligence cases to continue unchecked. "We are handed over to the legal departments of hospitals like we are being thrown to the wolves. I will resist against that happening so no other patients are damaged in the future. What I have achieved in Utrecht isn't nothing but it is only the first step on a very long journey. It has to be Europe wide. There has to be an absolute ban in the EU on using confidentiality clauses which are gagging clauses in contracts between patients and their hospitals because they do not belong there. That would be a very good first step." Cullen convinced the hospital that they had not abided by any of the international norms for what is known as Open Disclosure After Serious Harm.The Open Disclosure protocols that have since been put in place in UMCU are already being adopted by the countrys seven other teaching hospitals. Her book, "Deny, Dismiss, Dehumanize : What Happened When I went to Hospital" will be published in the coming months. Adrienne was a journalist, a best selling author and a highly experienced English language editor. She was a travel writer and lifestyle columnist and an editorial consultant to UNESCO. Her book "Thursday's Child : The Romanian Adoptions story" chronicled the orphanages of post Ceausescu Romania and was a best seller. On December 11th she wrote in the Irish Times about her experiences. She said people like her are always told that it is a "once off." "These are the lies behind medical error. In reality, across the EU each year, almost 100,000 people died as a result of an avoidable mistake made during medical treatment. "The unpalatable truth is that hundreds of thousands of patients who die each year, and the many more who are damaged, are not "one off's" -- and too often it seems as though lessons aren't being learned either." Photo: Contributed Are our rights being stripped away by the new police breath demand powers? Are we on a slippery slope to a police state? I wrote enthusiastically in favour of the new police powers last week. I promised to follow up addressing the many concerns raised about our rights. But first, what is my agenda? Some have suggested that Im biased. I am, but not in the ways suggested. I am not a former Crown counsel. My only experience with criminal law was early in my career, doing a smattering of criminal defence work. Is this political? I did credit Santa Trudeau for the road safety Christmas gift, but my opinions are not political. I hate politics. The whims of under-informed voters seem to get in the way of politicians doing whats right, while allowing them to get away (at times) with whats very wrong. And Im not poised to cash in on the legal work that will inevitably flow from more offenders facing consequences for driving over legal alcohol limits, and from Charter attacks against this new law. My bias is road safety. But not at any cost. Our individual rights, protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, are important to me. Like most things in life, its a matter of balance. We did not decide, as a society, to make our individual rights absolute. The Charter does not enshrine an absolute right to be free from search and seizure by the police. The wording of that section (section 8) specifically contemplates balance: Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure. It is not all police search or seizure that we are free from. It is unreasonable search or seizure. And all of our rights are subject to an overall reasonableness standard. The very first section of the Charter says this: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Putting it all together, the government can enact laws that infringe on our rights, including subjecting us to unreasonable search or seizure so long as the limits on our rights are justifiable in the context of a free and democratic society. Can we trust the government to strike that balance for us? Hell, no! We hope that they will, but we certainly cannot trust them to. As I alluded to earlier, the laws they pass so often compromise whats right, following the whims of under-informed voters. We rely on our legal system to ensure the right balance is struck. We rely on citizens, whose rights are impacted by laws, to challenge those laws in the courts. And on the government to put their best foot forward to defend the laws as having reasonable and justifiable limits on our rights. We rely on the courts to carefully consider both sides, review the incredible depth of legal precedent that has developed since the 1982 Charter enactment, and make decisions that strike the right balance pursuant to the rule of law. Does the system work? Are our rights protected? In the 36 years since the Charter enactment in 1982, I dont see us sliding down the slope into a police state. For an excellent example of the system working, read the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that I cited in my last column, where the courts struck down the first version of British Columbias legislation imposing immediate roadside prohibitions. British Columbia law makers were forced to make changes in the law to accommodate the courts findings. The result? New and improved IRP laws that strike the right balance between road safety and our Charter rights. Does the new law, allowing police to automatically screen drivers for blood alcohol content, run afoul of the Charter? Well see if the right balance has been struck. As a road safety advocate, I hope it has been. Bishop of Kilmore Leo OReilly has retired from his position on health grounds and has had his resignation accepted by Pope Francis. In a statement, the diocese of Kilmore said Bishop OReilly had written to the Pope some months ago requesting him to accept his early retirement as Bishop of Kilmore due to ill-health. It was confirmed yesterday morning in Rome that Pope Francis has accepted this request and that, as a result, the bishops retirement takes effect immediately. Bishop Leo was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Kilmore by Pope John Paul II in November 1996. He was ordained bishop in February 1997. He was installed as Bishop of Kilmore in succession to Bishop Francis MacKiernan in November 1998 in the Cathedral of Saint Patrick & Saint Felim, Cavan. The governance of the diocese is now assumed by the College of Consultors, a group of diocesan priests who act as advisers to the bishop. The consultors will meet today to elect a diocesan administrator who will be responsible for the leadership of the diocese until a new bishop is appointed by Pope Francis. President of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin described Bishop OReilly as a man who was unafraid to speak from the heart. Bishop Leos ministry has been characterised by a compassionate and pastoral instinct together with a real empathy for those who are struggling with life and faith. He has been unafraid to speak from the heart, with courage and conviction, on a wide range of issues of concern to Church and society: on behalf of unborn and vulnerable human life, on child safeguarding, social inequality and justice and peace. His presence and wisdom will be greatly missed at the quarterly meetings of the Irish Bishops Conference, he said. Archbishop Martin said Bishop OReillys huge contribution to Catholic education will be his enduring legacy. Bishop Leo has remained steadfast in his determination to support the right of parents to have their children educated in accordance with their religious convictions, he said. Baby Maeve has claimed the crown as Ireland's first baby of 2019 after arriving just three seconds after midnight at Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Maeve, born to mum Michelle Montague and dad Simon Cox from Kilmessan near Trim in Co Meath, weighed 7.4lbs and is the couple's first child. Michelle, 27, said she first began having pains around 4am on December 31 and went to hospital a few hours later, little knowing that it would be the following day - just - before Maeve arrived. "Everyone was saying 'it could be a new year's baby' and was thinking 'God, I hope it's not that long," Michelle said. "My family has a history of going quick." December 31 was the due date and Michelle has been on maternity leave from her job at Avoca in Dunboyne for the past fortnight. Amid the euphoria of Maeve's arrival it was only afterwards nursing staff remarked that the 00.00.03 arrival time might make her the country#s first of 2019. "I didn't think it would be such a big deal," Michelle said. "My phone hasn't stopped once - Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp..." Another baby who wasn't hanging around to start 2019 was Amelia OBrien from Clondalkin, entering the world at just four seconds past midnight - making her the country's second New Year's baby. Amelia, who weighed exactly 7lbs at birth, was born to parents Leanne Farrell and Alan OBrien in the Coombe Maternity Hospital in Dublin and is the new little sister to big brothers Alfie and Charlie. WATCH : Amelia Bell OBrien, from Clondalkin, was the first baby born in Dublin in 2019, born at four seconds past midnight. Her parents Leanne and Alan spoke to The Echo about how they rang in the New Year... For the full story, pick up a copy of The Echo on Thursday! pic.twitter.com/LrzugxX4Wv The Echo Newspaper (@TheEchoOnline) January 1, 2019 Following hot on the heels of Amelia was a baby girl born to mum Natasha Philpott from Dublin in the National Maternity Hospital Holles St, born at 27 seconds past midnight. Another baby followed in the hospital just 10 seconds later and then a third arrived at 12.30am, meaning a busy start to the year for staff. It's understood all three babies are first-time births. It was four seconds past midnight in the Coombe and it was four minutes past midnight at Cork University Maternity Hospital when a baby boy was born to proud parents Mairead and Niall O'Brien from Grange in Co Waterford. Marie and Niall O'Brien with newborn Joey Kieran O'Brien. The new arrival weighed in at 3.42kgs and according to CUMH assistant director of midwifery, Rosaline O'Donovan, he wasn't the only baby keen to start the new year early. At 00.16am a baby girl was born in the hospital to Mairead and Joe Flynn from Mitchelstown and according to Rosaline, all the new arrivals are doing well. In University Maternity Hospital Limerick the first baby was Mary McKenna who arrived at 2.20am weighing in at 3.2kgs (7lbs 1oz) to first time parents Conor and Aisling McKenna, from Miltown Malbay, Clare. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form In the wake of the Sabarimala controversy, Kerala witnessed a rather massive uprising of women in the state. Lakhs of women from various parts of the state gathered to form a 620-km-long Wall of equality symbolic of upholding renaissance values and demanding gender equality. Phenomenal! Never seen such a display of women power. Down Down Patriarchy and Communalism #WomensWall pic.twitter.com/FtY4o45Chc Sudeep Sudhakaran (@SudeepSudhakrn) January 1, 2019 What a way to start the new year. Joined about 5 million women across Kerala, India to be part of womens wall for equality for women #WomensWall #vanithamathil Wanting to see equality in true sense for women across the globe and inspired by so many today. pic.twitter.com/jiGuC98zEF Dr Fabida Noushad (@Fabida3) January 1, 2019 The organisers of the state-sponsored Vanitha Mathil estimate that about 30-50 lakh women participated in the building of the human wall that stretched from Kasargod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south of the state. At about 4 pm on January 1, 2019, women gathered in huge numbers to form the wall. They came like streams, joined to form rivers, merged in an ocean of humanity and progressive thinking. A day to remember #OurRenaissance values and to pledge that we will carry it in our hearts forever.#VanithaMathil #WomensWall pic.twitter.com/7E5D7ZisoA Arjun Ramakrishnan (@aju000) January 1, 2019 Womens wall in Kerala also saw overwhelming support from London and from Mumbai, where similar versions of the wall were formed. Here this evening at #ChaityaBhoomi to #ShivajiPark #WomensWallMumbai in solidarity with the amazing women of #Kerala and their huge #WomensWall across the state in favour of gender equality #vanithamathil What a start to #2019 ! pic.twitter.com/fuUzGykDqK Sameera Khan (@samjourno123) January 1, 2019 The Sabarimala controversy continues to keep Kerala on its toes. Despite Supreme Courts orders, women between the ages of 10-50 have been unsuccessful in entering the temple due to the large number of protests. A large number of worshippers continue to believe that women belonging to the aforementioned age bracket should not be allowed in the temple. An estimated 5 million women joined hands today across the length of Kerala, demanding gender equality. Incredibly powerful & moving. Here are some pics I took in Trivandrum of the last 1km of the 620km route. #WomensWall #VanithaMathil pic.twitter.com/ySAleGr1nV Edward Anderson (@edanderson101) January 1, 2019 Diametrically opposite to them, there are people who support the decision of the Supreme Court and believe that everyone irrespective of age and gender - should be able to worship the lord. The formation of the wall by women was symbolic of the struggle for equal rights. It received both praise and backlash for its agenda. Women in Kerala just built an EPIC 650 km long wall supporting freedom, equality and progress. With close to 5 million women attending this must be the largest/longest womens gathering in the world. #Womenswall #vanithamathil @nytimes @washingtonpost @guardian pic.twitter.com/8lCx55OsDZ Brahma Narayanan (@brahma_n) January 1, 2019 The Sabarimala issue is no longer an issue of the law, it is a debate between faith and equality. It looks like it will take its own time to actually settle down and for things to be sorted out. Despite the Supreme Court having scrapped section 377, decriminalising homosexuality, life is not exactly a cakewalk for people who identify as homosexual. Apart from social stigma, there are no clear laws to protect their rights. Two women from the Hamirpur area of UP divorced their husbands and got married to each other. Aged 24 and 26, the two fell in love in college. They were forced to drop out of college when their families came to know about their relationship. They were later married off against their wish. Representational image/Reuters We were married off six months after leaving college, but could not forget each other. We divorced our husbands and fought a legal battle to stay together again, they said. Now, the two women have divorced their husbands and are saying that they do not plan to lay any kind of claim to their husbands property. They tied the knot in a temple and took vows in front of their lawyer and friends. However, same-sex marriage or civil partnerships are not recognised by law in India. On the basis of this, the registrar has refused to register their marriage. Daya Shankar Tiwari, the lawyer of the two women, said: Registrar RK Pal has refused to register the marriage on the ground that there was no government order on same-sex marriage. Pal said: How could I have registered the marriage when there is no such provision? Same-sex marriage is not allowed. We dont even have an online proforma for it. The two women, however, are not yet ready to give up Our lawyer has told us that since the Supreme Court has done away with Section 377, we can stay together. No one can trouble us. We have been living together as a couple for some time now, one of them said. Their lawyer said he would challenge the registrars decision in the court. The women are within their legal rights to stay together, he said. 2019 is here and how! Countries all over the world welcomed the new year in their own style and needless to say, it all looked spectacular. Every country has a bunch of New Years Eve traditions that set it apart from the rest of the world. But what is common is the celebration that takes place to ring in the new year. Take a look at the sights from the world over. Also Read: 10 New Year Traditions From Around The World That Will Make You Go 'Say Whaaa?!' 1. Malaysia Fireworks explode near Petronas Twin Towers during New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin 2. Russia The numbers "2019" are written in the air with a sparkler near a tourist camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia, December 31, 2018. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin 3. Hong Kong Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year in Hong Kong, China January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 4. Thailand Fireworks explode over Chao Phraya River during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 5. Iraq A fireworks display lights up the skyline during New Year celebrations, one year after the defeat of Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq December 31, 2018. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily 6. Singapore A firework display lights up the skyline during New Year's Day celebrations in Singapore, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Feline Lim 7. Indonesia Fireworks explode around National Monument during New Year's Eve celebration in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 1, 2019. Antara Foto/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/ via REUTERS 8. India People release balloons as they celebrate the New Year's countdown event in a road in Ahmedabad, India, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Amit Dave 9. Russia A man dressed as Ded Moroz, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, helps a member of the Cryophile amateur winter swimmers' club, who walks into the icy waters of the Yenisei River during an event marking the New Year and Christmas season, with the air temperature at about minus 26 degrees Celsius (minus 14.8 degrees Fahrenheit), in Krasnoyarsk, Russia December 30, 2018. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin 10. Nicaragua A woman puts the finishing touches to a puppet depicting U.S. President Donald Trump ready to be burned at midnight on December 31. as a way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new in Managua, Nicaragua December 29, 2018. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas 11. Denmark People participate in the annual New Year's dip in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark December 31, 2018. Bax Lindhardt/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS 12. Paris Fireworks explode during the New Year's celebrations at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann 13. Germany Fireworks explode over the Quadriga sculpture atop the Brandenburg gate during New Year celebrations in Berlin, Germany, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt 14. Greece Fireworks explode over the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill during New Year's day celebrations in Athens, Greece, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis 15. London Fireworks light up the sky around the London Eye wheel to welcome the New Year in London, Britain, January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville 16. Egypt People take part in New Year celebrations at the Waterway in Cairo, Egypt December 31, 2018. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 17. New York Revellers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., December 31, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon Bulandshahr Police have arrested one more accused in the murder of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during the violence last month. The arrested man has been identified as Kalua, whom the cops say attacked Inspector Singh with an axe, chopping off his fingers and injuring his head, before he was shot at by another arrested accused Prashant Nat. ANI Kalua who went into hiding following the violence was arrested on Tuesday morning from a remote village in Bulandshahr. Police said the axe Kalua used to attack the officer has also been recovered from his possession. "During interrogation it was revealed that he was the person who attacked Inspector Subodh Kumar with an axe. The axe has been recovered from his possession; other accused persons will be arrested shortly," Atul Kumar Srivastava, Additional SP Bulandshahr said. BCCL According to the police version of the incidents, Kalua, Nat and Sumit, the youth who was also killed in the firing were part of the mob which turned against the cops after the violence broke out. Inspector Singh was trying to reason with the crowd which was increasingly becoming hostile. After his colleagues fled the scene, Singh was left alone to defend himself. The crowd then turned against the Singh, and Kalua attacked him with the axe. A profusely bleeding Singh tried to escape, but was overpowered by Nat and others and he later shot officer on his head. AP Even after killing him, the rabbid mob didn't relent and continued to beat him with sticks. They even set fire to a car in which the inspector was being taken to the hospital. An FIR against 27 named accused and 50-60 unidentified people was registered at the Siyana police station over the violence. One of the main suspects named in the FIR is local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, who is still at large. In February 2018, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje had announced that sanitary napkins will be provided to women in rural areas. The announcement was made as part of a new health scheme which will promote menstrual hygiene. PTI had reported that Rs 76 crore was also allotted for this initiative. As the world welcomes 2019, Rajasthans new scheme will soon become a reality. Sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed in all 189 government colleges, Times of India reported. The decision was made by the department of higher education and will be implemented from next academic session starting July 2019. Photo: Twitter/Free sanitary pads being distributed to girls in govt school in Rajasthan As per the scheme, sanitary napkins will be distributed to women aged between 15 and 45 in schools, colleges, anganwadi centres as well as sub-health centres. Bhanwar Singh Bhati of the higher education department told TOI that the proposal was being sent to the government. An allocation of Rs 2.5 crore is required. he further said. Health and education remain two important areas that need immediate attention in Rajasthan. The measure is a part of the newly elected government- Indian National Congress 60 day programme where government college education was also made free for girls. Photo: Twitter Menstruation still remains a taboo in many states of India, especially in rural areas. Not maintaining proper menstrual hygiene can result in serious infections and health issues among adolescent girls. Absence of or expensive cost of sanitary napkins makes them a luxury for many women residing in backward areas. Many awareness campaigns have also been organised in the state. Local level village representatives, women self help groups, and corporate organisations have been roped to break eerie silence around this topic among young girls and women. ALSO READ: Meet Wajib Ali, A Successful Young Educationist In Australia And Newly Elected MLA In Rajasthan During menstruation, women go through many emotional and physical changes in their mind and body. However, girls studying particularly in government schools remained clueless or ignorant about this social issue and refrained from discussing it among their peers. BCCL/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE Schoolkids won't be heard replying 'present sir' to their roll call. Instead, they will say 'Jai Hind or Jai Bharat' when their names will be called out. This is only to instill a sense of patriotism in their minds, yes, the Gujarat government definitely believes so. Read more Here's more top news of the day: 1) As Delhi Gasps For Fresh Air, People Were Busy Bursting Firecrackers For New Year Celebrations BCCL Even as Supreme Court ordered bursting of only green firecrackers, Delhites blew up the order in smokes. Several instances of firecracker bursting, before and after the time limit fixed by the top court, were observed in Delhi-NCR during New Year celebrations. Read more 2) 54 Civilians And 483 Indian Fishermen Are Languishing In Pakistani Jails Representational Image As many as 537 Indian prisoners are lodged in jails in Pakistan. The lodging is per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. The number of prisoners was shared by Pakistani authorities. Read more 3) With Nasal Tube Still On, Ailing Goa CM Parrikar Begins New Year With Work At His Office For the first time since his return to Goa in October 2018, after undergoing treatment in New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Chief Minister visited the state secretariat on the first day of the new year. Read more 4) INS Viraat Could Soon Become A Luxury Hotel As Govt Gets Nod For Renovation In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the Maharashtra government has put forth the said proposal before the defence ministry, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied in the affirmative. Read more 5) Rajasthan's New Year Gift To Girls Is Sanitary Pad Vending Machines In All Govt Colleges Photo: Twitter/Free sanitary pads being distributed to girls in govt school in Rajasthan The announcement was made as part of a new health scheme which will promote menstrual hygiene. PTI had reported that Rs 76 crore was also allotted for this initiative. As the world welcomes 2019, Rajasthans new scheme will soon become a reality. Read more Maharashtra government has received an in-principal approval from the Centre for converting decommissioned warship INS Viraat into a museum or hotel. In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the Maharashtra government has put forth the said proposal before the defence ministry, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied in the affirmative. "Proposal of Government of Maharashtra regarding conversion of INS Viraat, post decommissioning, as a museum/hotel has been approved in-principle," she said. After being in service for the last 30 years, INS Viraat was decommissioned in 2018. The aircraft carrier, in its earlier avatar, had won the Falklands War against Argentina in 1982 for the Royal British Navy. INCORE It weighs about 27,800 tonnes and served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes from November 1959 to April 1984. After refurbishment, it was commissioned into the Indian Navy, which purchased it at the cost of US $65 million. It was recommissioned on May 12, 1987. Legendary actor Kader Khan, who has made India laugh for years has passed away in Canada. According to reports, the actor was hospitalised after he complained of breathlessness. Pinterest The news of his critical condition got confirmed when Big B extended his prayers for the actor on Twitter. He wrote, T 3041 - KADER KHAN .. actor writer of immense talent .. lies ill in Hospital .. PRAYERS and DUAS for his well being and recovery .. saw him perform on stage, welcomed him and his prolific writing for my films .. great company, a Libran .. and many not know , taught Mathematics ! pic.twitter.com/yE9SSkcPUF Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) December 28, 2018 The actor was transferred from a regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. Kader Khan was living with his son Sarfaraz and daughter-in-law, who was with him during his last days. Pinterest He remained one of the most popular faces of Indian Cinema and is popularly known for his roles including Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, Jeena Sirf Mere Liye, Pyaar Ka Devta, Joru Ka Gulaam, Akhiyon Se Goli Maare, Anari No. 1, Benarsi Babu and Aa Ab Laut Chalein, among others. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it, Khans son Sarfaraz told PTI, adding, We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers, he added. It is a great loss for the film industry. Challenge: US Senator Elizabeth Warren is to launch an exploratory committee to assess her chances of the Democratic nomination. Photo: Getty Images US Senator Elizabeth Warren took the first step towards a 2020 presidential run yesterday, becoming the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to Republican President Donald Trump. Ms Warren, a liberal firebrand from Massachusetts who has frequently clashed with Mr Trump, said she had formed an exploratory committee, which will allow her to begin raising money as part of what is expected to be a crowded Democratic field before the 2020 election. Warren released a video outlining her vision of a path to opportunity for all Americans, not just the wealthy. "Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, and take care of themselves and the people they love," she said in a Twitter post. "That's what I'm fighting for, and that's why I'm launching an exploratory committee for president. I need you with me." Warren said in September she would take a "hard look" at running for the Democratic nomination. The former Harvard Law School professor campaigned with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and attacked Mr Trump as an "insecure money-grubber" driven by greed and hate. Mr Trump has cast aspersions on Ms Warren's claim to Native American ancestry, referring to her as 'Pocahontas'. In October, Warren released DNA analysis she said supported her assertion she had Native American lineage that goes back six to 10 generations. Trump, who had promised $1m to her favourite charity if she took a DNA test that showed she had Native American blood, greeted the results with a shrug, saying, "Who cares?" Mr Trump's use of the name Pocahontas refers to a 17th century Native American woman associated with the British colony in Jamestown, Virginia. His mocking reference has drawn criticism from some Native American groups while others criticised Ms Warren for trying to lay claim to a tribal nation. Ms Warren, an architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set up after the 2008 financial crisis, has been a strong voice in the US Senate on financial issues and a self-described defender of the ordinary American against powerful interests. Those themes were reflected on her website yesterday, which portrays Warren as a product of the American dream that has slipped out of reach for too many Americans. "Elizabeth grew up on the ragged edge of the middle- class in Oklahoma and became a teacher, law professor and US senator because America invested in kids like her," it says. Earlier this month Julian Castro (44), who served as mayor of San Antonio as well as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Democratic President Barack Obama, said he was forming an exploratory committee and would announce his intentions on January 12. In 2017, former Democratic congressman John Delaney of Maryland announced he would seek the party's nomination. Meanwhile, the first big battle between Mr Trump and Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader of the House, looms as Democrats come into control ready to reassert the power of the legislative branch and confront the White House. Trump is counting on public support as he holds out for funds to build the wall on the Mexican border. But Ms Pelosi believes the public will be on Democrats' side as they try to get government working again, and move on to health care and other priorities - including oversight of the White House. As the shutdown drags into a second week, shuttering popular Smithsonian museums and creating hardship among 800,000 federal workers, the stalemate is fast becoming a test of wills rarely seen when Republicans had monopoly control of government. "We're going to do our job," said Jim McGovern, incoming chairman of the Rules Committee, vowing to pass legislation to re-open government. "The president should take 'yes' for an answer and go back to tweeting." Wall demand: Donald Trump is adamant he will build a wall along the US border with Mexico. Photo: Reuters Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to vote on Thursday on a funding package to end the 10-day-old partial U.S. government shutdown, without providing the $5 billion President Donald Trump has demanded for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The planned vote sets up a Democratic showdown with Trump's fellow Republicans on an issue dear to the president on the first day of divided government in Washington since he took office in January 2017 with a Congress led by his own party. Democrats formally take control of the House from the Republicans after winning a majority of seats in November's congressional elections. The two-part Democratic package filed on Monday in the House includes a bill to keep funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 with no new wall funding, as well as a bundle of six measures worth nearly $265 billion combined that would fund the other shuttered agencies through the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year. The two parts will be voted on separately on the House floor on Thursday, said Democrats, who will hold a 36-seat majority. If approved in the House, the funding package would go to the Republican-led Senate. Its prospects there appear unpromising, although Trump's unpredictability makes it hard to gauge how the shutdown showdown will play out. "It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign," said a spokesman for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The Democratic legislation will mark the first major battle pitting the incoming Democratic House majority led by Nancy Pelosi against Trump and McConnell. "While President Trump drags the nation into Week Two of the Trump Shutdown and sits in the White House and tweets, without offering any plan that can pass both chambers of Congress, Democrats are taking action to lead our country out of this mess," Pelosi and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement. Democrats oppose Trump's demand for wall funding, with Pelosi calling the wall immoral, ineffective and expensive. Expand Close Contractors have completed eight prototypes of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico (AP Photo/Elliott Spagat) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Contractors have completed eight prototypes of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico (AP Photo/Elliott Spagat) Democrats hope their two-pronged funding approach will put Senate Republicans in a tough position. If they reject funding for departments unconnected to border security, Republicans could be seen as holding those agencies and their roughly 800,000 affected workers hostage to Trump's wall demand. "Then they are complicit with President Trump in continuing the Trump shutdown and in holding the health and safety of the American people and workers' paychecks hostage over the wall," Pelosi and Schumer said in their statement. Non-border-related agencies include the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Justice. The homeland security piece of the package includes $1.3 billion for border fencing and roughly $300 million more for other border security items including cameras and technology. Democrats said the entire package is based on legislation that has already been passed by either the Senate or Senate committees. The shutdown, which began on Dec. 22 and has idled roughly a quarter of the federal government, was precipitated by Trump's demand, under pressure from conservative commentators, that Congress approve $5 billion to help fund a wall that was a promise made in his 2016 election campaign, although he said at the time it would be paid for by Mexico. Trump has called the wall crucial to combating illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The Senate on Dec. 21 failed to muster the votes needed to pass Republican-backed House legislation that included Trump's wall funding. Passage in the Senate would need at least some Democratic support to reach the 60-vote threshold required. "Not a wall" A central issue in finding a resolution could be the definition of what constitutes a wall, including the idea of steel slats and other types of barriers versus a concrete structure. Trump on Twitter criticized Democratic opposition to the wall project, which carries a total estimated price tag of $23 billion. He also seemed to contradict comments made by outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. In a Los Angeles Times interview published on Sunday, Kelly said: "To be honest, it's not a wall." "The president still says 'wall' - oftentimes frankly he'll say 'barrier' or 'fencing,' now he's tended toward steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it," Kelly added. Trump wrote on Twitter that border security could not exist "without a strong and powerful Wall." "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media," Trump wrote. "Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" Trump, who canceled his vacation in Florida and has stayed at the White House during the holiday government shutdown while first lady Melania and their son Barron were at Trump's private estate Mar-a-Lago in Florida for New Year's Eve, said Democrats could have come over for talks anytime. "I'm in Washington. I'm ready, willing and able," Trump told Fox News. White House officials did not reply to an email asking whether the president had been in touch directly with Democratic leaders to set up a round of talks. Pelosi has not heard formally from the White House since Dec. 11, when she and Schumer had a contentious Oval Office meeting with the president, Democratic aides said. Schumer has not heard from the White House since he met with Vice President Mike Pence and incoming White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Dec. 22, Democratic aides said. Seeking safety: A Syrian boy looks through the glass window of a bus carrying him and others to the Abu Duhur checkpoint. Photo: Getty Images US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has ordered a slowdown to the withdrawal of US forces in Syria, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said. "I think we're in a pause situation," the South Carolina Republican said outside the White House after lunch with the president. Mr Trump announced earlier this month that he was ordering the withdrawal of all roughly 2,000 troops from war-torn Syria, with aides expecting it to take place swiftly. The president had declared victory over Isil in Syria, though pockets of fighting remain. Mr Graham had been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump's policy, which had drawn bipartisan criticism. The announcement also had shocked lawmakers and American allies, including Kurds who have fought alongside the US against Isil and face an expected assault by Turkey. "I think we're slowing things down in a smart way," Mr Graham said, adding that Mr Trump was very aware of the plight of the Kurds. Critics had contended that the US withdrawal would embolden Iran and Russia, which have supported the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. National security adviser John Bolton was expected to travel to Israel and Turkey next weekend to discuss the president's plans with the American allies. Meanwhile, Mr Trump's outgoing chief of staff has admitted the president's planned wall along the US and Mexico border would be more like a fence, as he gave his final interview before leaving office. General John Kelly, who leaves the administration tomorrow after a rocky 18-month tenure, broke with the president on key areas during an intriguing exit interview with 'The Los Angeles Times'. Responding to Mr Kelly last night, Mr Trump insisted he hasn't dropped his demand for a concrete wall. "An all concrete wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media," Mr Trump said on Twitter as a partial government shutdown precipitated by a dispute over border wall funding stretched into its 10th day. "Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" Several White House officials suggested the definition of Mr Trump's border wall could be flexible and might include broader security measures. In an interview on ABC's 'This Week', US Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the administration wants about 1,600km of a border wall system and "not just a dumb barrier". "We're talking about sensors, cameras, lighting, access roads for our agents - a system that helps us secure that area of the border," Mr McAleenan said. "It's a multifaceted approach." Mr Trump and Mr Kelly have had a strained relationship in recent months. In September, Mr Kelly denied claims made in Bob Woodward's bombshell book 'Fear' that he called the US leader an "idiot". It emerged he fundamentally disagreed with the president's characterisation of illegal immigrants as criminals who are invading America. "We do have an immigration problem," he said while describing his role spending 15-hour days alongside Mr Trump as "bone-crushing". But he added: "Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are not bad people," describing many migrants as victims of traffickers. "I have nothing but compassion for them, the young kids." Speaking of the wall, Mr Kelly said that after consultation with border patrol agents it became clear that a continuous, opaque structure would not be suitable for stemming the flow of illegal immigrants. For a start, agents need to be able to see through any barrier to allow them to view those approaching from Mexico. "To be honest, it's not a wall. "The president still says 'wall' - often times frankly he'll say 'barrier' or 'fencing', now he's tended toward steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it. They said, 'Well we need a physical barrier in certain places, we need technology across the board, and we need more people'." The US president's vision of what he called "a big beautiful wall" that "Mexico is going to pay for" became a rallying cry to his supporters during the 2016 election campaign. But halfway through his four-year term, he is still trying to secure most of the estimated $18bn (15.7bn) needed to fund it. The stalemate between Republicans and Democrats is at the heart of the current government shutdown. A TURKISH pro-government television channel has broadcast video showing men carrying suitcases purportedly containing the remains of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi into the residence of his country's consul general in Istanbul. The footage broadcast by A Haber shows men carrying what it said were five cases through the main entrance of the residence, a short distance from the consulate where Mr Khashoggi, a leading critic of Saudi policies, was killed in early October. A Turkish official said the media report, also carried by the pro-government Sabah newspaper on its website, appeared to be accurate, without giving further details. Mr Khashoggi was a royal insider who became a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and began writing for the Washington Post after moving to the United States last year. Saudi officials have rejected accusations that the crown prince ordered his death. The murder has sparked global outrage and damaged the international reputation of 33-year-old prince, the kingdom's de facto leader. Sabah said the cases had been brought to the residence in a black minibus. After offering numerous contradictory explanations regarding the fate of Mr Khashoggi, Riyadh later said he had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. Mr Khashoggi's remains have not been found and Turkey has repeatedly asked Saudi Arabia where they are. Last month, Turkish police searched a remote villa in a coastal area south-east of Istanbul as part of the investigation. Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor's office said last month it was seeking the death penalty for five individuals, and that 11 of 21 suspects had been indicted and would be referred to court in Saudi Arabia. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week that Ankara was working with other countries to take the investigation into Mr Khashoggi's killing to the United Nations. The arrest came with Moscow embroiled in a number of spy scandals with the west. Stock photo Russia said yesterday its security services had detained a US citizen in Moscow accused of spying, the latest in a series of espionage cases between Russia and the west. The FSB domestic security service said the American was arrested on Friday "while carrying out an act of espionage". It said a criminal case had been opened under an article of the Russian criminal code which allows for sentences of up to 20 years in prison. The statement identified the American in Russian, using a name that appeared to translate as Paul Whelan. The arrest came with Moscow embroiled in a number of spy scandals with the west and after President Vladimir Putin accused western nations of using espionage cases to try to undermine an increasingly powerful Russia. US intelligence services have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 presidential election and, earlier this month, convicted Russian Maria Butina of acting as an illegal foreign agent. She faces up to six months in prison, followed by likely deportation. Prosecutors said she launched a plan in March 2015 to develop ties with the Republican Party with the aim of influencing US foreign policy. Russian intelligence agents were also accused in the poisoning earlier this year of double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. Relations between Russia and the west have hit a new low following the incidents. Tough task: Emergency workers search for survivors after a suspected gas blast rocked an apartment building in Magnitogorsk. Photo: Getty Images AS many as 40 people could still be trapped in the rubble of a Russian apartment block that partially collapsed in an explosion yesterday, killing at least four people. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, occurred at 6am local time and damaged 48 apartments in a nine-storey building in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city some 1,700km east of Moscow, the emergencies ministry said. President Vladimir Putin flew into Magnitogorsk yesterday afternoon, visiting the injured in hospital and meeting local authorities. Mr Putin looked on as rescue workers toiled in temperatures of -22C to find people trapped in the debris. Emergencies minister Yevgeny Zinichev said there were "presumably between 36 and 40 people under the rubble", according to reports. Pro-independence supporters take part in an annual New Year's Day march in Hong Kong, China January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Thousands of demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday to demand full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China in the face of what many see as a marked clampdown by the Communist Party on local freedoms. Over the past year, countries such as the United States and Britain have expressed concerns about a number of incidents they say have undermined confidence in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule. These include the jailing of activists, a ban on a pro-independence political party, the de facto expulsion of a Western journalist and barring democracy activists from contesting local elections. The New Year's day march, which organisers said drew 5,800 people, included calls to restart stalled democratic reforms and to fight "political repression" from Beijing. "Looking back at the year that passed, it was a very bad year ... The rule of law in Hong Kong is falling backwards," said Jimmy Sham, one of the organisers. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula, with the promise of a high degree of autonomy and universal suffrage as an "ultimate aim". While authorities have clamped down hard on the city's fringe, pro-independence movement, that didn't deter around 100 independence activists from joining the march, holding up banners and chanting for the city to split from China. China considers Hong Kong to be an inalienable part of its territory, and denounces "separatists" as a threat to national sovereignty, even though the movement has not garnered much popular backing in the city. "There will be continuous suppression on the Hong Kong independence movement, but the movement will grow stronger and stronger," said Baggio Leung, an independence leader who said several of his members had been harassed by purported "triads" or gangsters, before the march. Last year, in an unprecedented move, Hong Kong authorities banned a political group, the Hong Kong National Party, for its pro-independence stance on national security grounds. A western journalist, Victor Mallet, was also effectively expelled from Hong Kong, soon after he hosted a talk at a press club by the head of the National Party. Mallet's visa denial, which the government has so far refused to explain, was criticised by some foreign governments and the American Chamber of Commerce. Some protesters also carried "wanted" posters of Hong Kong's top legal official, Theresa Cheng, criticising a decision to drop a corruption investigation into Hong Kong's former pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying, without a satisfactory explanation. "I'm afraid the pressure will continue," said Joseph Cheng, a veteran rights campaigner and retired professor who was raising money for a "justice" fund for activists facing hefty legal fees for several trials. "We're going to face a few difficult years, but we must stand firm ... Unlike in mainland China, at least we can still protest." Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick attend a screening of "To Dust" during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at SVA Theatre on April 22, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival) Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Tabitha Hodge Broderick attend New York City Ballet 2018 Spring Gala at Lincoln Center on May 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images) Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, andTabitha Hodge Broderick attend New York City Ballet 2018 Spring Gala at Lincoln Center on May 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images) Actress Sarah Jessica Parker rang in 2019 from her family's home in Donegal. The Sex and the City star (53) returned to their second home in Ireland to celebrate New Year's in what she described as a "remote but beautiful land far away". The home, on the outskirts of the village of Kilcar, was bought by Broderick family more than 40 years ago and the Ferris Bueller's Day Off actor (56) shares it with his siblings. The Parker-Brodericks visit at least once a year and spent much of the summer away there. "Happy new year from a remote but beautiful land far away where wifi often eludes us but 2019 will not," she wrote on Instagram. "Best to one and all in this coming year for good health, adventure, time with loved ones, patience, humor, perseverance, joy, good love and good loving." The couple, who have been married for 21 years, celebrated with their three children James (16) and twins Marion and Tabitha (nine). Expand Close Actress Sarah Jessica Parker stops for a Guinness in Foley's Pub in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by ShowBizIreland/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Sarah Jessica Parker stops for a Guinness in Foley's Pub in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by ShowBizIreland/Getty Images) It's likely they chose to mark the occasion here not only for their appreciation of the area, but also to check up on the extensive renovation work commissioned earlier this year. The traditional cottage is being extended and modernised to accommodate the growing family and their ever-increasing visits. Broderick has spoken fondly of his appreciation in the past, saying he spent a number of Christmases in the home as a child, a tradition he's carrying on with his own family. "Donegal, it's unbelievable. It gave me a whole new childhood in a way. Most of the people in Donegal knew me long before I was an actor," he said. "But even since then they don't talk that much about it, which is very nice. My wife still gets it, some people's eyes pop out of their head when she walks around, but not our neighbours." Meanwhile, the Divorce star said that if work commitments didn't require her family to live in New York, she'd move in a heartbeat. "It always feels like it's a place that is perhaps foolishly more private to us, and there's a simplicity to the time that we spend there, and the people are so lovely," she said. "At this point it feels a little bit like home, in some way. We would be delighted to decamp to Ireland. Move the children, put them in school there, have tea every day, a proper fry. It's just an exquisite, beautiful, relaxing, wonderful place for ourselves and for our children." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving to attend the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk File photo dated 19/05/18 of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle riding in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Meghan Markle's half sister Samantha is reportedly on a Scotland Yard "fixated persons list" because of her continued public comments about her sister's life. Since Meghan's relationship with Britain's Prince Harry was made public in 2016, Samantha (57) - who then changed her surname to Grant to her maiden name Markle - has given endless interviews about the former Suits star, none of which has been complimentary She has continuously urged her to reconnect with their father and referred to her as the "duchASS" and calling Harry a "wuss". It is now known how long it had been since the two had contact, but it's believed they are estranged for the last number of years and Samantha was not invited to Meghan's first wedding back in 2013. Samantha flew to the UK to deliver a letter to her sister at Kensington Palace, which is what is said to have spurred on the security investigation. According to the Sunday Times, these activities attracted the attention of Scotland Yard and she features on a "fixated persons list" due to her "reputational risk" to the royal family. It's reported that representatives from Meghan's team reached out to authority's Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) about Samantha and the consequences of what would happen should she try to pursue face to face contact again. Expand Close File photo dated 19/05/18 of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle riding in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp File photo dated 19/05/18 of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle riding in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle "You can't protect someone like the Duchess of Sussex without knowing the background of her family," the source told the newspaper. "But someone like Samantha presents a risk rather than a threat. She is not committing criminal offences, but she is causing concerns for the royal family." The Scotland Yard insider added, "There is big potential for some major embarrassment for the royals. Samantha could make a scene and create headlines with her actions and let's face it she's kind of already done that." Samantha responded to the Times, saying: "I would only say that is ludicrous. I'm not a reputational risk." She also tweeted E! News, calling the paper "losers", describing it as "fake news", "I have not been charged with anything." There was never a claim Ms Grant had been charged with anything. She is shopping a book entitled In The Shadows Of The Duchess, which she intends to release this spring and overshadow the birth of Meghan and Harry's first child. Tamara Ecclestone, Bernie Ecclestone and Petra Ecclestone arrive at the European premiere of "Batman Begins" at the Odeon Leicester Square on June 12, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images) Formula One owner Bernie Ecclestone's daugter Petra (R) leaves her hotel in central Rome, on August 26, 2011. Petra will marry James Stunt, at the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, on August 27. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) Petra Ecclestone and boyfriend James Stunt attend the presentation of the Petra Ecclestone menswear collection at The Corner on September 17, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images) Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt attend the presentation of the Petra Ecclestone menswear collection at The Corner on September 17, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images) Billionaire socialite Petra Eccelstone is engaged in bitter divorce proceedings with her husband of six years James Stunt. The 28-year-old, who is the daughter of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, appeared in court on Wednesday for the first divorce hearing where the family's 2.6bn fortune is at stake. Petra looked drawn as she joined her father at the Central Family Court yesterday, where it's reported her estranged husband, an art dealer, was warned by the judge to stop his "distracting" behaviour in court and called his former father-in-law a "c***" under his breath, according to the Daily Mail. In 2011, Stunt and Ecclestone exchanged vows in lavish fashion - in Odescalchi Castle in Rome in front of 350 guests, where Eric Clapton, David Guetta and the Black Eyed Peas performed in an incredible 12m celebration. Expand Close Petra Ecclestone and boyfriend James Stunt attend the presentation of the Petra Ecclestone menswear collection at The Corner on September 17, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Petra Ecclestone and boyfriend James Stunt attend the presentation of the Petra Ecclestone menswear collection at The Corner on September 17, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Florian Seefried/Getty Images) Together, they have an impressive property portfolio: a palatial home in Los Angeles worth $200m, the largest residence in a city built on large residences and a mansion in London's Chelsea worth 100m, where Petra is now residing with their children. They have three children together - Lavinia (four) and twins James Jr and Andres (two). Read More Before their wedding, Mr Stunt signed a pre-nuptial agreement agreeing to a settlement of 17m in the event they divorced. The proceedings will begin in the High Court next month. Petra's relationship has never been far from the spotlight since their first date in 2006 - the couple were often pictured together at glitzy events around the world and their wedding was one of the most talked about in decades. Even her father Bernie said he found the 12m excessive, admitting his ex-wife Slavica footed the bill for the bash. Expand Close Formula One owner Bernie Ecclestone's daugter Petra (R) leaves her hotel in central Rome, on August 26, 2011. Petra will marry James Stunt, at the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, on August 27. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Formula One owner Bernie Ecclestone's daugter Petra (R) leaves her hotel in central Rome, on August 26, 2011. Petra will marry James Stunt, at the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, on August 27. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) "My younger daughter got married and I thought, as father of the bride, I should pay for the wedding," he said in 2011. "But when it was suggested how much they would be spending on drinks, I thought it was absurd, and I managed to upset my daughter and my wife. "Then she spent in excess of 12million on my daughter's wedding, which I did not know about until afterwards." Slavica famously said after: "It was worth every penny because it made my daughter happy. Who cares about money?" Petra Ecclestone is seen in the paddock before the start of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco on May 27, 2012 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Every now and then, a celebrity divorce comes around that makes you sit up and take notice. The combination of a glamorous wife, a questionable husband, a celebrity father and a family fortune worth billions is a story that makes for tabloid gold. Socialite Petra Eccelstone (28) is engaged in bitter divorce proceedings with her husband of six years James Stunt and they began proceedings in court on Wednesday. But who is she and why is worth following? 1. She is worth billions Expand Close Tamara Ecclestone, Bernie Ecclestone and Petra Ecclestone arrive at the European premiere of "Batman Begins" at the Odeon Leicester Square on June 12, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tamara Ecclestone, Bernie Ecclestone and Petra Ecclestone arrive at the European premiere of "Batman Begins" at the Odeon Leicester Square on June 12, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images) Let's get the obvious out of the way - Petra comes from a lot money. Her father Bernie Ecclestone, the former Formula One boss, is worth more than 2bn. Despite the fact that Stunt signed a pre-nuptial agreement giving him 15m if they divorced, the Ecclestones still have a fight on their hands and if yesterday's appearance in court was anything to go by, it won't be pretty. In 1997, Bernie deposited 3bn in a trust for Petra and her older sister Tamara in the hope they would invest wisely and ensure financial security for the next generation - instead, they spent it all within 10 years. "The idea was that they'd buy super-quality property that would be long-term, for their children and everything else. It didn't happen. They haven't done that. So theyve had access to money which theyve spent," he told the Guardian. 2. Her wedding cost over 12m Expand Close Formula One owner Bernie Ecclestone's daugter Petra (R) leaves her hotel in central Rome, on August 26, 2011. Petra will marry James Stunt, at the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, on August 27. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Formula One owner Bernie Ecclestone's daugter Petra (R) leaves her hotel in central Rome, on August 26, 2011. Petra will marry James Stunt, at the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, on August 27. AFP PHOTO/ TIZIANA FABI (Photo credit should read TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images) Petra wed James, an art dealer, in 2011 in an incredibly lavish ceremony at Odescalchi Castle in Rome, which cost an incredible 12m. 350 guests flew in from around the world and sipped on Chateau Petrus wine (4,500 a bottle) and enjoyed two fireworks displays. Petra wore a custom Vera Wang gown costing nearly 100,000 and David Guetta, Eric Clapton and the Black Eyed Peas performed. Her mother Slavic had no qualms about dropping the money on the wedding, describing it as a "once in a lifetime occasion". "It was worth every penny because it made my daughter happy. Who cares about money?" Bernie wasn't so happy though as he later said, "My younger daughter got married and I thought, as father of the bride, I should pay for the wedding. But when it was suggested how much they would be spending on drinks, I thought it was absurd, and I managed to upset my daughter and my wife. "Then she spent in excess of 12million on my daughter's wedding, which I did not know about until afterwards." 3. She's a mother of three Petra has three children with James - Lavinia (four) and two-year-old twins James Jr and Andrew. 4. She met her estranged husband on a blind date Expand Close (From R) Bernie Ecclestone, his daughter Petra and her James Stunt attend the 49th Variety Club Race Day at Sandown race course on September 1, 2007 in London, England. The charity raises funds to improve the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK. (Photo by Claire Greenway/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (From R) Bernie Ecclestone, his daughter Petra and her James Stunt attend the 49th Variety Club Race Day at Sandown race course on September 1, 2007 in London, England. The charity raises funds to improve the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK. (Photo by Claire Greenway/Getty Images) They were an odd couple to begin with, but after they were first introduced on a blind date in 2006, Petra and James hit it off but still waited five years before walking up the aisle. 5. She owns the largest home in Los Angeles Expand Close The Manor in Los Angeles / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Manor in Los Angeles Petra and James purchased 'The Manor' for $85m in 2011 from late legendary tv producer Aaron Spelling's wife Candy. With cash. The 56,500 square foot space is the largest residence in Los Angeles, a city filled with impossibly large residences. It has more than 100 rooms and room to park more than 100 cars, as well as 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms. Oh and they're selling it for $200 million. 6. She's surprisingly low-key (in comparison to her sister) Expand Close (L-R) Tamara and Petra Ecclestone on the Red Bull Energy Station during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo Circuit on May 29, 2011 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (L-R) Tamara and Petra Ecclestone on the Red Bull Energy Station during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo Circuit on May 29, 2011 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) While Tamara (33) might have had her own Channel 4 reality show Billion $$ Girl, which showed her bathing in a crystal tub worth 1m and gave behind the scenes access to a life filled with riches most of us couldn't even imagine; Petra is much more private. While Tamara does magazine spreads with her family and is active on social media, Petra prefers life away from the limelight, in particular since becoming a mother - she famously didn't even reveal the names of her twins until months after they were born in 2015. She did, however, welcome W magazine to The Manor in 2012 for a feature. 7. She barely drinks Petra is "90%" tee-total, she told W, only occasionally indulging in a glass of champagne. "Ive been to clubs all around the world, and I kind of feel like Ive done it and Ive seen the majority of the clubs." 8. She's proud of her privilege Expand Close Petra Ecclestone is presented flowers for her clothes collection during the Amber Fashion Show and Auction held at the Meridien Beach Plaza on May 23, 2008 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Petra Ecclestone is presented flowers for her clothes collection during the Amber Fashion Show and Auction held at the Meridien Beach Plaza on May 23, 2008 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) In 2012, Petra said she wanted to be known "for my business", although it's unclear what exactly that business is. But she understands the public fascination with her, explaining that very few would spend their riches differently if they had the access. "Everyone always talks, because Im rich and Im privileged, and I understand that. At the end of the day, I dont need to work, and I think its good that I have the drive and willpower to get up and do something in the morning even though I dont need to. No one ever talks about the good in me, they just say that Im spoiled. "Yes, I have money, and I understand that, and I work. And I think anybody else in my position wouldnt say no if they had the opportunity to live the way that I live." At the end of 2019 around one in five public patients who needs to be seen by a specialist will still be waiting at least a year and in some cases much longer. The staggering number of patients on these outpatient lists - 511,000 - is one of the major scandals of this Government. By December next year, 59,000 patients will still be on a waiting list for surgery, many of them in severe pain and others in a state of worrying deterioration. All of those figures are contingent on very modest targets being met. The current waiting list for surgery is a massive 71,000. There is always much spinning when the monthly figures for waiting lists are published, but the reality is that any improvements are largely cosmetic and the underlying problems which consign so many public patients to gruelling queues show little sign of any meaningful change. There is too much reliance on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to buy treatments for public patients, largely benefiting private hospitals. There is also the dubious blitz to delete the names of patients from waiting lists as part of a validation exercise. Waiting lists need to be cleaned up for the benefit of everyone and those no longer in need of treatment should be removed, of course. But the manner in which it is being done needs to be reformed, particularly to cater for vulnerable people such as the elderly and people with low literacy who may not be able to respond to letters from the HSE. There is a battle on for beds between surgeons and A&E consultants in public hospitals. Surgeons need them to admit patients for operations and A&Es are desperate for beds to transfer patients from trolleys. For 2019 it appears the HSE is willing to show favouritism towards A&Es by reducing the amount of in-house surgery being carried out. It means patients cannot be admitted and surgeons will be denied theatre time. Some of these surgeons who cannot operate on a public patient during normal hours will end up doing so for a top-up fee from the NTPF. Ophthalmologist Dr Michael O'Keeffe described this system as "Santa Clause" for doctors who get a 700-per-patient fee for a cataract operation. It suits the Government not to endure the embarrassment of A&Es reaching ever new record levels of trolley gridlock, but it should not come down to such a contest for beds at this stage. Added to the problem is the shortage of consultants. Waiting lists for surgery will come to a virtual standstill in hospitals in January. Consultants point out that in St James's Hospital in Dublin, the largest cancer hospital in the country, four of the 13 operating theatres are closed because of bed and staff shortages. They say the drip feed of a few hundred beds promised will do little to solve the problem. The Vatican spokesman and his deputy have resigned over disagreements on strategy, ending a year of upheaval in the Holy See's communications structure. Spokesman Greg Burke, an American, tweeted that he and deputy Paloma Garcia Ovejero, from Spain, had quit to let Pope Francis appoint a new team in what was a "time of transition". A Vatican source said both Mr Burke and Ms Ovejero had wanted more autonomy from the Vatican department that oversees all communications, known as the Dicastery for Communications. They quit two weeks after Pope Francis appointed a personal friend, Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli, to become editorial director of all Vatican communications. The source said it was believed to be the first time both posts had changed hands simultaneously, underscoring the differences of opinion. Mr Burke (59), a former Rome-based reporter for Fox News, joined the Vatican in 2012 as an adviser in its Secretariat of State and became spokesman in 2016. He is a member of the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei. Ms Ovejero (43) a former reporter for the Spanish radio network Cope, was one of the few high-ranking women in the Vatican. During their tenure, the top two jobs in the Vatican press room were, unusually, held by non-Italians. The Vatican said Alessandro Gisotti, an Italian journalist who has handled the Vatican's social media, would be interim spokesman. Mr Tornielli is now the third-ranking person in the communications department but his closeness to the Pope, whom he has known since before the pontiff's election in 2013, will likely make him particularly influential. Yesterday's resignations capped a year of tensions in Vatican communications. Monsignor Dario Vigano resigned as overall head in March after a scandal over a doctored letter, a public relations fiasco two months after the Pope warned of the dangers of fake news. He was replaced in July by Paolo Ruffini, ex-head of a Catholic television station. Mr Ruffini said he had learned of the decision by Mr Burke and Ms Garcia and respected it. "The year ahead is full of important appointments that will require maximum communications efforts," Mr Ruffini said. It was perhaps a reference to Francis's high-stakes summit on preventing clergy sex abuse in February, as well as his multiple foreign trips planned for 2019: to Panama, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bulgaria and Macedonia in the first half of the year, and rumoured trips to Madagascar and Japan in the second half. Francis also has to deal with continued fallout from the clergy abuse scandal, in Chile, the US and beyond. The next year will likely see the outcome of a canonical investigation into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, accused of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians, as well as the results of a Vatican investigation into Mr McCarrick's rise through Church ranks. Sums allowed for public art are set to as much as treble under plans being developed by Culture Minister Josepha Madigan. A proposed overhaul of the Government's Per Cent for Art scheme would see art funding for State infrastructure and building projects to be increased to 2pc or 3pc. There are existing caps on projects over a certain cost limit, but these would also be increased from the current limits. Famous examples of artworks funded under the scheme include the 'Perpetual Motion' artwork on the N7 outside Naas. Ms Madigan said she believed art was "crucial to well-being, individually and collectively" and it had been one of her primary goals as minister to boost the scheme. She is to bring a memo to Cabinet with her proposals on increasing the funding allowed in the coming weeks. Under the current system - which has not been changed in two decades - limits are set at a maximum of 1pc of the overall capital budget of the building project, subject to the various caps. The board of directors of a new hospital, or school or public building project must ensure that the Per Cent for Art budget has been included in the overall capital budget estimate for the project. They have to secure confirmation from the relevant department that the funding will be made available as part of their overall capital estimate. It must be ring-fenced for artworks and not for any other purpose such as an architectural improvement or design feature or landscaping. Projects worth 2.55m can have a maximum art budget of 25,500, with increased sums for more expensive projects in different price bands subject to caps. The current limit for projects costing in excess of 12.7m is 64,000. Ms Madigan said she wanted to double the sums allowed in some categories and treble others, and that this would be necessary for the increases to have an impact. She said the precise changes to the price bands had yet to be finalised. Former Connacht/Ulster MEP Mark Killilea died yesterday. The native of Tuam, Co Galway, served as a Fiana Fail TD and senator as well as MEP during a distinguished 30-year career in politics. Mr Killilea began his Fianna Fail career in the Seanad, when he was elected as part of the labour panel in 1969 before being re-elected in 1973. He failed in his first bid at election to Dail Eireann when he stood in Galway North-East at the 1973 general election. But he won a seat in the new Galway East constituency at the 1977 general election. The election was a landslide for Fianna Fail and in particular showed the popularity of the party leader Jack Lynch. However, after just two years Lynch's fortunes had changed and, along with Jackie Fahey, Tom McEllistrim, Sean Doherty and Albert Reynolds, Mr Killilea was in the so-called "gang of five" that lobbied for Charles Haughey in the event of Lynch's retirement. Mr Haughey went on to win the leadership contest and became Taoiseach in December 1979. Mr Killilea was rewarded for his loyalty by being appointed Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs - a post he held until Fianna Fail's defeat at the 1981 general election. He was then elected to the Seanad where he served until 1987. After Ray MacSharry retired from the European Parliament in 1987, Mr Killilea was appointed as his replacement in the Connacht/Ulster constituency, holding the seat at the 1989 and 1994 European Parliament elections before retiring in 1999. He is survived by his wife, Ann, who he married in 1966. 515,000 patients are waiting for an outpatient appointment and nearly 71,000 still languish in the queue for surgery. Stock image There are 340 different plans on offer from VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health. Stock Image A growing number of desperate patients on public hospital waiting lists are paying for appointments in a bid to skip the queue, it has emerged. Faced with delays of up to two years to see a specialist at a public outpatient clinic, patients and their families are finding the money to secure a private consultation in the hope of being fast-tracked onto a surgery list and cutting their wait for treatment. It comes as 515,000 patients are waiting for an outpatient appointment and nearly 71,000 still languish in the queue for surgery. A consultation in a hospital consultant's private rooms costs between 150 and 200. If, after examining the public patient for the private fee, the specialist recommends surgery they may put the patient on their public surgical waiting list. It means they can jump the public outpatient list and slash the time they must endure before getting their operation. Dr Michael O'Keeffe, the retired Mater Hospital ophthalmologist who is now in private practice, said some patients are using this route to speed up their wait for surgery. "They can be taken off the public outpatient list and put on the public surgery list. They are still waiting but it's for a shorter time. "I can appreciate how desperate patients feel but they should not have to resort to this. Other patients are left waiting." ScolioNetwork, which represents children with scoliosis, the severe spinal condition, said some worried parents are having to resort to this method of getting a private outpatient appointment to get quicker treatment. The public outpatient lists are so long parents who are knowledgeable and have the ability to pay are going to a private clinic. If surgery is necessary they are placed on the public surgery list. Many children who have scoliosis are waiting more than a year for their first outpatient assessment and concerned patients are distressed at seeing their child deteriorate. Professor Paul Burke, a vascular surgeon who is chief clinical director of the University of Limerick Hospital Group, said: "Equity of access to the public hospital would be improved if private practice is removed from the public hospital." There would be "less incentive to ensure preferential access of the patient who joined the hospital queue from the private consultation". He makes his comments in a submission to the expert group looking at whether private practice should be removed from public hospitals. In response the HSE said: "If a consultant sees a patient privately in rooms or a private clinic and then determines that the patient requires surgery, the patient can choose to be seen privately or publicly in that public hospital." A spokeswoman said a common waiting list is the current policy. The HSE service plan for 2019 has signalled the number of in-house surgeries for public waiting list patients will reduce and more reliance will be placed on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which has 75m to buy treatments, many in private hospitals. However, at the end of 2019 some 59,000 people will still be on a waiting list for surgery. Meanwhile, a breakdown of who benefits from the NTPF and how it spends its money shows that the treatments it buys for public patients are heavily concentrated in a number of specialties such as cataracts and varicose veins. A spokesman for the NTPF said it identified seven procedures for which a large proportion of public patients are waiting - specifically cataracts, joint replacements, tonsils, cystoscopies, skin lesions, angiograms and varicose veins. The NTPF has targeted these procedures so that by the end of 2018 all patients who are clinically suitable for outsourcing and who are waiting for more than nine months for one of these procedures will have received an offer of treatment. In addition, the NTPF is arranging treatment for patients waiting for more than 50 other procedures. Within each procedure arranged, longest-waiting patients are authorised for treatment first. "Working with the HSE and the Department of Health, the NTPF has contributed to a 16pc reduction in the number of public patients waiting for an appointment for elective surgery since July 2017, the month NTPF commissioned treatment began to impact. There were 13,393 fewer patients on the active inpatient daycase waiting list at the end of September 2018 compared to July 2017. The number waiting more than nine months has reduced by 32pc over the same period. "In 2019, the NTPF will arrange treatment for 25,000 patients on the active inpatients and daycase waiting list, 5,000 gastrointestinal endoscopies and 40,000 first-time outpatient consultant appointments." Health Minister Simon Harris said he is satisfied that the 165 GPs who signed up to provide abortion services are enough to meet demand. Describing today as a "momentous day" for Irish women, Minister Harris believes 80pc of all terminations will take place in local communities. Mr Harris said that the HSE, GPs and hospitals will now take an active role in supporting women in crisis pregnancy situations. A new HSE freephone line will be staffed by trained professional counsellors from 9am today, along with a new information website, Myoptions.ie. "I think it's momentous that women and their partners who face situations like fatal foetal abnormalities will no longer have to travel abroad to access services," he said. "Up until today, their options have been to travel or to go onto the internet for information - all that changes from [today]." He added that the new helpline will be adequately staffed and that services will be "much better" than what was previously available to women. "I know that the health plan is adequately staffed, I'm satisfied in that regard. "About 165 GPs have so far signed up to provide the service and over 100 GPs have given their details to the helpline. "This means that from [today] when a woman picks up the phone there will be many locations across the country where you can access this service." He accepted it will take time for these services to fully evolve and embed. "We're now living in a country that's a little less judgmental, a little more compassionate and one that wants to mature as a nation," he said. Following last year's referendum and subsequent legislative change, people can now access an abortion in Ireland under specific circumstances. Abortion care will be free of charge to people who need it. Dr Peter Boylan, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said that from today the Irish health service is ready to provide abortion services to people who need it. "Clinical guidance and training has been provided and circulated to healthcare teams nationwide to assist practitioners in the clinical decision-making involved in providing abortion care. "A lot of work has been done by people across our health service to prepare for this new service, with a sufficient number of GPs signed up and others continuing to do so. "Services will be provided in GP practices and family planning services, and maternity units and hospitals across the country," he said. Speaking in Dublin yesterday at a briefing on the 2018/19 Winter Plan, Minister Harris welcomed the 34pc drop in the number of people waiting for beds on New Year's Eve (223), compared to the same day last year. He credited the decrease to a reduction in flu rates and investment in homecare packages. The New Years Festival light show illuminates the Custom House, Dublin, to ring in 2019. Photo: Arthur Carron The new year got off to the brightest of starts in Dublin as the skies around the city lit up with a spectacular display of fireworks and lasers. The city centre had a carnival-like atmosphere as more than 25,000 people flocked to the New Year's Festival events, which began at 6pm and didn't end until after the countdown at midnight signalling the start of 2019. Earlier yesterday, gardai had warned there were no tickets left for the events and they had appealed to people not to travel to Custom House Quay without one. A Garda ticket checkpoint and traffic management plan had been put in place to manage the live celebration events, and make sure everything ran smoothly on the night. The Custom House in Dublin was the iconic backdrop for the three events which were billed as part of the festival. Among those spotted enjoying the event was U2 frontman Bono, whose son Elijah is frontman with the band Inhaler, who were on the line-up for the 3Countdown concert last night. Expand Close Elijah Hewson, watched by his dad U2s Bono, entertains the crowds as part of his group Inhaler at the festival / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elijah Hewson, watched by his dad U2s Bono, entertains the crowds as part of his group Inhaler at the festival He was spotted watching his son at the side of the stage. Earlier in the evening children got to do their own new year countdown at 7pm as part of the 'Liffey Lights Midnight Moment' matinee show as the sky was lit up with a colourful display of pyrotechnics and laser beams. The crowd was entertained with a spectacular display of drumming. The drummers and DJs were positioned on a pontoon floating on the water in front of the Custom House, which was built over a number of floors so that spectators could get a good look at what was happening. The verdict on how it all went was "brilliant" from Joe Loughran, who travelled in to see the event from Churchtown in Dublin with his girls Aisling-Rose (7) and Saoirse (5). "It was very well done," he told the Irish Independent. Expand Close Elijah Hewson, watched by his dad U2s Bono, entertains the crowds as part of his group Inhaler at the festival / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elijah Hewson, watched by his dad U2s Bono, entertains the crowds as part of his group Inhaler at the festival "It was the first time that we came in to see it, and the light show was very good," he said. Mr Loughran added that "the weather was a big plus", as temperatures remained very pleasant in the city for the people attending the festival. The live-streamed broadcast coverage of the celebrations showcased Dublin city to an audience of millions around the globe, while home audiences were able to view the countdown live on RTE last night. And they came from near and far to attend the events in Dublin's city centre last night. Expand Close Aisling-Rose, Saoirse, and Joe Loughran from Churchtown. Photo: Justin Farrelly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aisling-Rose, Saoirse, and Joe Loughran from Churchtown. Photo: Justin Farrelly Camille Segond and Carmen Jansen Opdehaar from The Netherlands flew in especially to celebrate New Year's Eve in Dublin. "Last year we went to London, and this year we are here, and we arrived late on Friday," said Carmen. The combined draw of the second 'Liffey Lights' show at 11.30pm, and the 3Countdown concert - with a line up of Gavin James, Hudson Taylor, Wild Youth as well as Inhaler - was what the women had been looking forward to at the festival. Linda and Joseph Crane arrived into Dublin from Washington State on Sunday. "We are enjoying New Year's Eve in Dublin," they said as they brought their twins Keagan and Kenzie (5) and older daughter Kalia (7) to see the show. Expand Close Keagen Crane from Washington at the Dublin event. Photo: Justin Farrelly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Keagen Crane from Washington at the Dublin event. Photo: Justin Farrelly The lights shows involved 24,000 kilowatts of power, 80 search light beams, 60 lasers, over 6km of cable, over 500 lights in total, and over one tonne of pyrotechnics, but it all went off with a blast. In Dublin Port, captains of ships were asked to blow their horns at midnight to reignite an old tradition to see in the new year. "It was an old tradition that the captains of the ships would blow the horns on the ships at 12 midnight and it kind of died out as a tradition," according to Ciara Sugrue, the head of festivals and events with Failte Ireland. And the eyes of the world were on Dublin last night. Failte Ireland hosted 20 international media who arrived here to cover the event from as far afield as Canada and India. It's all part of their plans to cement the city as a go-to destination for New Year's Eve, with plans to transform it into a three-day event next year. Road deaths were down, but there was an increase in pedestrian deaths Stock picture There was a 4pc drop in road deaths on Irish roads in 2018 - the lowest number in 60 years - but there are still "drivers refusing to get the message". Statistics released by the Road Safety Authority of Ireland show 149 people lost their lives in 142 crashes, compared to 156 in 141 crashes in 2017. This is the lowest number of fatalities recorded since records began in 1959. However, Dave Sheehan, assistant commissioner with the Garda National Roads Policing Unit has warned that there is a lot of improvement needed. "I want to take this opportunity to thank the majority of law abiding road users who acted responsibly in 2018 and to the road users who supported garda initiatives," he said. "Your behaviour has saved lives and I want to acknowledge this. However, despite this there were drivers who refused to get the message and unfortunately learned the hard way. "Over 130,000 drivers were detected committing speeding offences; almost 30,000 detected using a mobile while driving; almost 9,000 driving under the influence of an intoxicant; and over 11,000 were detected for seatbelt offences." While there was less lives lost in motor collisions, there was a 32pc increase in pedestrian casualties (41) compared to 2017 (31). Moyagh Murdock, RSA chief, said 22 of those pedestrian deaths were among those aged 55 plus. "Whilst the behaviour of the majority of road users has changed positively there are still other areas that remain a concern," she said. These include the high failure rate for NCT, the large number of unaccompanied learner drivers taking to our roads, as well as distracted and impaired driving and in particular drug driving. We urge all road users to reflect on their behaviours and their responsibilities as road users." A look forward to the essential theatre and dance events of 2019. It's in the Blood Project Arts Centre Jan 3 - 5 As part of First Fortnight, the annual arts festival that focuses on mental health, Germany-based Ghanaian actress Gifty Wiafe brings her blend of music, dance, humour and storytelling to Dublin. She explores deeply personal life events and links them with the broader social issues of migration, culture and national identity. Wiafe touches on corporate greed and environmental challenges, imported food and visa problems. Being of African origin, it is sometimes supposed that music and rhythm are in her blood. Wiafe has a different view. East Belfast Boy & Every Day I Wake Up Hopeful Prime Cut Tour, Jan 29 - 30, The Mac, Belfast Prime Cut takes this pair of plays by Fintan Brady and John Patrick Higgins on a tour of Ireland that ends in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin. The company has been cutting a dash in Irish theatre of late, garnering major plaudits for Red by John Logan last year - a play about the artist Mark Rothko. Their recent tour of the controversial play Scorch by Stacey Gregg also made a strong impact, both here and the UK. The current offering takes us back to the world of Belfast for a close look at the mindscapes of complex men. Fat Blokes Project Arts Centre, Feb 14 - 16 Scottee is a performance artist from Kentish Town in North London. Billed as "fat rebellion", this show investigates the social dilemmas of fat men using humour and provocation, asking why fat men are always funny but never sexy. Created by Scottee in collaboration with choreographer Lea Anderson. The Country Girls Abbey & tour, February 23 - April 6 Edna O'Brien's debut from 1960 is one of the greatest novels of the modern Irish period and has been hugely influential. This is a new adaptation of the classic text by the author herself, and will be directed by Abbey Theatre co-director Graham McLaren. This coincides with the book's stint as Dublin: One City One Book for 2019. The novel has had a number of film adaptations and a stage adaptation, but its essential feminine spunk hasn't been successfully captured in performance. Yet. Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake Bord Gais, Feb 26 - Mar 2 This hit ballet production returns for another twirl at the Docklands venue. Bourne's version of Tchaikovsky's ballet features a troupe of all-male swans, thus altering the gender dynamic of the classic work. Originally produced in Sadler's Wells in 1995, this is that most unusual of shows: a breakout ballet that became a popular hit. It's a genuine crowd pleaser, so particularly suitable for anyone just dipping a toe into the dance water. Furniture Druid Tour, starts March 20 (Pavillion, Dun Laoghaire) Sonya Kelly's play was a big hit at the Galway International Arts Festival earlier this year, as Druid finally improved its proportional representation of female writers for its new writing season. This is a three-part show, about three pairs of people for whom furniture bears a larger-than-usual significance. Clever and wittily scripted, it offers a lot of laughs but builds to a satisfying emotional finish with the third part. Directed with style by Cathal Cleary. The tour winds up at the Everyman, Cork. Ulster American Abbey, April 9 - 20 David Ireland had a major success with Cyprus Avenue in 2016, featuring a unionist Belfast man suffering from the delusion that his grandchild is Gerry Adams. Ireland's new play is about an Oscar-winning actor, a director on the make, and a writer from Northern Ireland who is very clear about her particular vision. They clash over various versions of Irishness and the nature of power within creative relationships. This play garnered much buzz at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Directed by Gareth Nicholls from the Traverse theatre Edinburgh. Haughey/Gregory Fishamble Tour, starts April 23 (Siamsa Tire, Tralee, Co Kerry) Colin Murphy's docudrama is about the 1982 deal between Charles Haughey and Tony Gregory that saw Gregory's impoverished inner-city constituency get a sweet deal in exchange for his propping up the Haughey-led government. A smart and entertaining presentation directed by Conall Morrison, this sold out immediately for its short Peacock run last year, disappointing lots of would-be punters. It returns this year for a national tour that finishes up in Limerick. The Glass Menagerie The Gate, April 25 - June 1 This is traditional Gate programming: a meaty American classic with popular appeal. Co Down-born director/designer Tom Cairns makes his Irish debut with this 1944 work that established Tennessee Williams as a significant dramatist. Cairns has a lengthy CV in classic theatre and opera with the Royal Opera House, the British National Theatre and the Met Opera. A director with a big vision coupled with Tennessee Williams's large emotional range ensure this will be a significant show A Streetcar Named Desire Belfast's Lyric, May 4 - June 1 If you haven't had enough Tennessee Williams at the Gate, then the Lyric flagship production for the summer season gives you another bite at the American playwright's work. Emma Jordan, who has been to the forefront in directing much impressive and innovative work from Northern Ireland in recent times, takes on the challenge of creating a Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski for the post #MeToo era. Session Abbey Theatre, May 10 & 11 Leading traditional Irish dance artist Colin Dunne joins with Flemish-Moroccan choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to create a meeting of cultures and styles. Composer Michael Gallen and musician Soumik Datta join them on stage, bringing sean-nos and percussive sound to the arrangement in this specially commissioned show by the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Dance Festival (DDF) for the 15th edition of the festival. W.A.M. (We are Monchichi) O'Reilly Theatre, Dublin May 11 & 12 Presented by DDF in partnership with The Ark, this is a show for ages 7-plus and their families, which mixes storytelling and hip-hop, alongside classical and contemporary dance.Created by Company Wang Ramirez, it features two dancers who between them embody four different cultures in a playful search for harmony and common ground. Rosas danst Rosas Abbey Theatre May 18 & 19 Choreographed by Belgian-born Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and literally translated as Roses Dance Roses, this work for four female dancers from 1983 finally has its Irish premiere. Small everyday gestures loom large in this essentially feminine contemporary classic. Citysong Abbey, May 25 - June 8 This is the world premiere of a new play by Dylan Coburn Gray co-produced by the Abbey and London's Soho Theatre. Coburn Gray's play won Soho's highly competitive Verity Bargate Award in 2017. The play is about Dublin and Dubliners from the perspective of a cab driver. Last year the new writing programme consistently sold out the 120-seater Peacock, so the Abbey has decided to present two of its new plays on the main stage, but with a re-configured, more intimate auditorium, ie less seats. An interesting experiment. The play is to be directed by talented Abbey Theatre Associate Director Caitriona McLaughlin. Blood Wedding Young Vic, London, Sept 19 - Nov 2 Irish writer Marina Carr creates a new version of Federico Garcia Lorca's classic play for the London theatre. The destructive femininity and passionate engagement with rural energy of the Spanish writer will make an interesting fit with Carr's similar, but Irish, sensibility. It will be directed by Yael Farber, the South African superstar who did a splendid job with Hamlet starring Ruth Negga at the Gate. Ones to watch Erica Murray Murray's new play, All Mod Cons, about a transgender woman who returns home after eight years away, premieres at Belfast's Lyric Theatre in May. The Limerick playwright has an MFA in playwriting from The Lir Academy; participated in the Young Writers Lab at London's Soho Theatre; and won the Fishamble New Writing Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2018. This high-profile Lyric production may put her on the map. Karl Shiels Expand Close Karl Shiels / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karl Shiels As artistic director of Dublin's tiny Theatre Upstairs, the Fair City actor has been supporting emerging and established talent since 2010. January will see the company breaking out of its own venue and going round the corner to collaborate with the Abbey Theatre. They will present the Irish premiere of a double bill by Philip Ridley on the Peacock stage. Shiels will direct, and the plays feature Rex Ryan and Katie Honan. Whatever hes done since, or might yet do, the movie that Robert Zemeckis will always be best remembered for is Back to the Future. And rightly so, because it was an irresistibly funny and charming time travelling caper that has stood the test of time remarkably well. After it came Forrest Gump (oh God) and such solid mainstream fare as Cast Away, and What Lies Beneath. But in the early 2000s, Mr. Zemeckis disappeared down a technological rabbit hole from which hes rarely emerged. What he was chasing was motion capture, the technique he helped perfect in which actors faces and expressions are translated into animated screen characters. He seems to believe its the cinematic second coming, and is not alone: in an interview with me last year, Andy Serkis, another keen practitioner, said that motion capture would play a huge role in cinemas future because it allows any actor to play anything, no matter what your size, or shape. Which may very well be true, but thus far motion capture has tended to get in the way of performances, rather than enrich them. Zemeckiss Christmas Carol was a strange and unsatisfactory beast, neither fish nor fowl, and other early experiments like Beowulf and Polar Express werent very nice to look at. In fairness, however, the technology has since been refined, as this very strange new film proves. Welcome to Marwen is based on the experiences of artist and illustrator Mark Hogancamp, who in the Spring of 2000 was attacked outside a bar in upstate New York and savagely beaten by a group of men hed been drinking with. They set upon him after he casually mentioned that he liked to wear womens shoes: when he emerged from a coma, he could remember little of his former life, had crippling injuries and he could no longer draw. He retreated from the world, and began inventing his own, using dolls and scaled backdrops to create a minutely detailed alternative universe in which his traumas - and fantasies - could be safely replayed. These tableaux had a wartime theme, and one of the dolls was an avatar for himself, a dashing US Army captain surrounded by beautiful Amazonian women who always overcomes insuperable odds to defeat the Nazis. The exquisitely lit photos Hogencamp took of these creations formed an acclaimed series of exhibitions, and led to a 2010 documentary, Marwencol. This film is partly based on that, and Steve Carell plays Hogancamp, a man adrift and dependant on painkillers who, not surprisingly, has lost all trust in his fellow man. Mark has friends, and when not toiling away on his scenarios and chatting to his family of dolls, he walks to the nearest town to shoot the breeze. But hes unable to commit to anything, and only feels really safe when hes lost in his fantasy world. But Mark takes notice when a handsome woman moves in across the street. Nicol (Leslie Mann) is recovering from a messy break-up with a controlling man, and is intrigued by Marks gentle, shy manner. He then assumes romance is on the cards, and works himself into a right old tizzy. When Mark disappears into his doll world, the magic of motion capture allows us to follow, and the walking, talking, Nazi-whooping figurines are really brilliantly rendered: at first I didnt know how it was being done, until I noticed the lead doll bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Carell. So in an odd way, motion capture is actually this films greatest strength: its weaknesses are primarily dramatic. Mark suffers, but un-illuminatingly, and his inability to connect with others reduces the effectiveness of other characters. Ms. Mann is fine as the kindly Nicol, particularly in an excruciating scene where Mark attempts a clumsy proposal, but most of the time is condemned to watching passively from the sidelines. The doll scenes, while beautifully executed, are accompanied by comic-book style dialogue that is intended to be humorous but mainly isnt. The result can be admired but not invested in emotionally, which makes this a curiously uninvolving experience. Steve Carell is excellent, of course: hes a genuine character actor, and his versatility is underappreciated. But he works here in the service of a flawed and hollow film. Read More Read More Oscar-winner Gary Oldman has hinted that he may play Sir Winston Churchill again as he feels he has only scratched the surface. The British star, 60, won this years Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of the wartime leader in the film Darkest Hour. Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme he said: Ive only scratched the surface. I think that theres another chapter here. Expand Close Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill (Universal) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill (Universal) Asked what that chapter might be, the actor said: Maybe a movie, maybe something on television. He went on to say that he had been working with Churchills great-grandson Lord Randolph Churchill, and that he had adapted the late prime ministers own short story, which is called The Dream. Oldman suggested that the adaptation could be headed for the theatre. Ive been talking about maybe doing it as a sort of two-hander onstage, said the star. There's never a quiet day, let alone a quiet year, in the aviation industry and 2018 proved to be no exception. Takeovers, collapses, crashes and more all kept the sector in the headlines during the year. Expand Close The final frontier: A view from the edge of space is seen from Virgin Galactics manned space tourism rocket plane SpaceShipTwo. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The final frontier: A view from the edge of space is seen from Virgin Galactics manned space tourism rocket plane SpaceShipTwo. Both at home and abroad, Ryanair continued to make the headlines. It entered 2018 trying to thrash out a recognition agreement with Irish trade union Forsa. Those talks, which came after the airline decided to recognise unions in December 2017, dragged on for months. The airline faced strike action by pilots and cabin crew around Europe as it tried to seal collective labour agreements with unions. In early August, about a quarter of Ryanair's 350 or so pilots based in Ireland took part in industrial action, while some picketed the airline's head office. Veteran industrial relations negotiator Kieran Mulvey was hauled in to bash heads together, resulting in an agreement between the two sides being reached near the end of August. Expand Close Departure: Stephen Kavanagh announced that he is to step down as the CEO of Aer Lingus / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Departure: Stephen Kavanagh announced that he is to step down as the CEO of Aer Lingus Ryanair, meanwhile, initially barred media from its annual general meeting in September and took the unusual step of holding it at a hotel outside Drogheda. It has previously held it at its headquarters near Dublin Airport, or at a hotel at Dublin Airport. The Irish Independent, having anticipated that the airline might try to bar media, had secured a proxy vote in advance of the decision by the airline. Two other news outlets - the 'Financial Times' and RTE - also managed to legitimately gain access to the meeting, at which point Ryanair threw in the towel and permitted all journalists waiting outside the hotel to attend the meeting. During the meeting, Aberdeen Standard Investments, which at the time held Ryanair shares worth about 150m, told the airline's board that while it had voted for the re-election of billionaire chairman David Bonderman at the AGM, it wouldn't do so next year if no succession plan was in place. The UK's The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, whose members advise 230bn (255bn) of UK pensions, subsequently said it will seek the removal of Mr Bonderman, and the publication of succession plans for CEO Michael O'Leary at the airline's next AGM. After last September's AGM, Mr O'Leary held a wide-ranging discussion with the press. Expand Close Cathay Pacific commenced direct flights from Dublin to Hong Kong. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cathay Pacific commenced direct flights from Dublin to Hong Kong. "I have no idea when I'll have had enough," he said when asked when he'll leave the airline. "I like this company. I like working for this company. I don't do it for the pay I get. But as long as it remains interesting and fun and challenging, I see no reason not to continue to try to lead it and lead it forward positively." Meanwhile, Aer Lingus continued to expand its route network under IAG, its owner since 2015. It inaugurated new services to Seattle and Philadelphia during the year, and unveiled new transatlantic services for 2019 to St Paul-Minneapolis and Montreal. Aer Lingus CEO Stephen Kavanagh said that the airline had also considered new routes to Vancouver and cities such as Denver. Expand Close Asia matters: Japanese-owned lessor Orix completed its acquisition of a 30pc stake in Irish-based lessor Avolon, which is headed by Domhnal Slattery. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Asia matters: Japanese-owned lessor Orix completed its acquisition of a 30pc stake in Irish-based lessor Avolon, which is headed by Domhnal Slattery. The airline plans to expand its transatlantic fleet to 30 aircraft in the next five years from the current 17. That will include the arrival of 14 Airbus A321LR jets that it will use to serve new routes to the US. It will also boost its A330 fleet to 16 from 13 in 2017. Mr Kavanagh also announced that he's leaving the CEO role at Aer Lingus, but will remain as a non-executive director on the airline's board. His successor is British Airways executive Sean Doyle. Aer Lingus will also unveil a brand refresh early in 2019, as well as new uniforms for staff. The Irish Independent revealed in November that the airline paid a 200m dividend to its UK-based holding firm in 2017 as it generated record profits that year. It was the first time a dividend has been paid out by the airline since it was acquired by IAG in 2015. IAG also owns British Airways, Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling, and low-cost carrier Level. IAG directly received a 125m dividend from Aer Lingus's UK-based holding company in 2017, accounts for the entities showed. IAG also took a stake in troubled low-cost Scandinavian carrier Norwegian in 2018, which sent shares in the embattled carrier soaring. But IAG CEO Willie Walsh warned in August that if the airline group had not succeeded in acquiring Norwegian by August 2019, then it would be selling its stake. IAG's low-cost airline Level and Ryanair's Austria-based Laudamotion went head-to-head in Vienna, as competition continues to intensify across Europe. Ryanair has pledged to double the Laudamotion fleet to 18 Airbus jets for summer 2019. The year also saw continued fallout in the sector, with higher year-on-year fuel costs and fare wars playing their part in sinking some carriers. Among those that failed in 2018 were Primera Air, Cobalt Airlines, Small Planet Airlines and Next Jet. Struggling UK carrier Flybe put itself up for sale. Earlier in the year, talks that would have seen Stobart Group buy Flybe, were terminated. Stobart, whose Stobart Air unit operates the Aer Lingus Regional service, is again in the mix to buy Flybe, along with EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic. Some brands also vanished. Dublin-based CityJet inked a deal with Aer Lingus to operate a service between Dublin and London City Airport. That meant the end of the CityJet livery on scheduled services. Icelandic low-cost carrier Wow Air, whose founder is Skuli Mogensen, hit turbulence and announced that it had entered talks with Icelandair, which planned to buy the carrier that was established in 2011. But the deal collapsed and Indigo Partners, the US private-equity vehicle headed by aviation veteran Bill Franke and co-founded by Ryanair chairman David Bonderman, stepped into the breach. Indigo plans to invest in Wow, but the airline also announced that it was culling its fleet, reducing it from 20 jets to 11, and axing 111 jobs after what it said was a "challenging year". Further afield, Argentina-based low-cost carrier Flybondi made its inaugural flight. The fledgling airline is backed by aviation luminaries including former Ryanair chief operating officer Michael Cawley. Its CEO and co-founder Julian Cook is taking advantage of the newly-deregulated market in Argentina, and the airline has so far carried more than 600,000 passengers and has an 8pc market share. Another former senior Ryanair executive, ex-chief financial officer Howard Millar, set about co-founding Sirius Aircraft Leasing Fund. It intended to raise between $250m and $300m (220m and 264m) via a stock market flotation in London, which would have been matched with debt, giving the vehicle the ability to buy between 20 and 25 single-aisle, second-hand jets. Sirius hoped to have $1.5bn (1.3bn) in funds within the next three years. But after first postponing the flotation until early December, it was then put on the back-burner until early in 2019 after a tumultuous time for stock markets. Mr Millar, who is still a non-executive director with Ryanair, has established Sirius with aviation executives Ed Coughlan and Ed Hansom. The trio worked together at aviation management and finance firm Stellwagen until last year. That firm later took legal action against the executives in an effort to prevent them from allegedly planning to use "highly confidential material", to compete with Stellwagen. The three executives have denied Stellwagen's claims. Back at home, Dublin Airport's passenger numbers for 2018 exceeded 30 million - a new record for the gateway. It's been boosted by the airport's position as a hub for transatlantic travel, as well as and a continually improving economy at home. In 2018, it saw new routes to Hong Kong and Beijing launched - its first-ever services to Asia, while other new markets are also opening. Canadian carrier WestJet will fly direct from Calgary to Dublin next summer, while American Airlines will inaugurate a service between Dallas and the Irish capital. The DAA also progressed plans for its third runway at Dublin Airport, which is slated to be operational by 2021. Construction has already begun. Shannon Airport - which operates independently - expects to have handled 1.8 million passengers in 2018, which would represent a small increase on the 2017 figure. On the aircraft-leasing front, Japanese-owned lessor Orix completed its acquisition of a 30pc stake in Dublin-headquartered Avolon, which was co-founded and is headed by Domhnal Slattery, for $2.2bn. Avolon is controlled by Bohai Capital, a subsidiary of troubled Chinese conglomerate HNA. The remaining 70pc of Avolon is now also reportedly up for sale. And the final frontier of air travel came closer to opening up to the paying public, or at least the very wealthy paying public. In December, Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson, completed its first mission to the edge of space, with a "million-dollar view", according to one of the pilots of the VSS Unity vehicle. "This will open a whole new era of space travel," said Mr Branson. Barclays' German credit card business and its German corporate investment bank unit have been valued at a total of 200m, after it completed the transfer of the divisions to its Irish arm as part of its Brexit battle plan. Barclays, whose CEO is Jes Staley, told investors during the summer that it planned to move ownership of all its European branches to Dublin, where the institution has a long-established presence. Barclays is moving ownership of its German, French and Spanish branches to Ireland before the UK leaves the European Union in March. The move is likely to see Barclays shift a total of about 250bn in assets to its Irish unit, which will make the Dublin-based bank the largest by assets in Ireland. New filings at the Companies Registration Office in Ireland show that the transfer of the German business units was completed this month. The filings show that accounting firm EY valued the two businesses at a total of 200m, based on the market value of the units if they had been put up for sale. "We performed an independent assessment of the market value of the consideration, adopting an income approach, specifically a discounted cash flow to equity holders approach for the corporate investment bank business, and a dividend discount model for the credit card business," noted EY. The filings do not show how much each unit was valued at, only the aggregate. "We consider it appropriate to have valued the consideration as the aggregate of two separate operating business entities in order to estimate the market value," EY added in the filings. Walking 10,000 steps a day may not be enough exercise for farmers if they aren't increasing intensity or breaking a sweat. Researchers from Teagasc, UCD and WIT recruited 15 farmers to take part in a study to measure their physical activity using fitness trackers. The study found that farmers underestimated the amount of steps they took, with 14,000 being the daily average achieved by farmers in the study. UCD's Dr Caitriona Cunningham said that while achieving over 10,000 steps a day is good, farmers need to engage in high-level intensity exercise in order to stay in shape. "It's a small group of farmers so we have to be careful how we analyse the data," she said. "Farmers still need to break a sweat even if they are getting all the steps. If they are doing 150 minutes worth of steps around the farm they still need to do high-intensity exercise. "There needs to be some level of challenge in there, and strengthening exercises should also be completed." Carlow IT's Noel Richardson added that while there's "a benefit to being active, there are better gains and better return for the more cardio activity you do outside the farm". With many farmers set to receive the likes of Fitbits in their Christmas stockings, Dr Cunningham pointed out that while these devices are good for promoting exercise, she reminded them that it must be coupled with intense exercise. "Whatever prompts exercise is a good idea. Sometimes when people get a new gadget there is enthusiasm around it but this fades," she said. "If it's getting you to move that's great, but you still need moderate-intensity exercise - preferably away from the farm." Dr Cunningham added that farmers should ask themselves if there's an option to walk rather than using a quad. Activity Teagasc health and safety specialist Dr John McNamara said that this study only examined farmers' movement during the month of June and added that it would be worth doing a whole year's study to get the full picture of farmers' physical activity. "The steps farmers are taking in June may not be the same amount of steps taken in December," he said. "Forty three per cent of farmers are overweight compared to 36pc nationally, and 17pc of farmers are obese compared to 14pc, so farmers need to ensure that they are doing exercise outside of farming. If farmers are healthier there will be less accidents on farms, which is another major benefit." The head of the Ulster Farmers' Union has reiterated that a no deal Brexit outcome will be "unacceptable" for the future of farming in Northern Ireland. In a new year message, UFU president Ivor Ferguson called on politicians to deliver an agreement that will facilitate trade with the rest of the UK and with the 27 remaining EU member states. "The UFU has always made clear that what we want is free and frictionless trade," he said. "Farmers have consistently said a 'no deal' outcome would be unacceptable for the future of farming. We are uncomfortable when we are drawn into mainstream politics, but that is inescapable when the future of our farming industry is on the negotiating table. "Regardless of politics, we will continue to do our best to ensure a successful future for the industry." Mr Ferguson described "a once in a life time opportunity" to develop agriculture policy for Northern Ireland that delivers "a productive, profitable and progressive farming industry". "Northern Ireland's future agriculture policy must support active farm businesses to be productive, sustainable, while delivering public goods," he said. "The Government must allow as much time as possible for transition to the new policy. Farmers will need time to adapt their businesses. Also, flexibility for the different UK regions within a common policy framework is key. "Our local policy must suit our needs. We are also supportive of the ability to pilot new practical support measures during this period which could be subsequently rolled out more widely." Dairy giant Lakeland has said over 140 customers from the Middle East and Asia have visited its facilities in Northern Ireland in recent months. And in a new year message to its farmers, the Cavan-based company said that is confident of more success in the markets over the year. The business announced a merger with Monaghan-based Lacpatrick earlier this year, which will give it a total farmer base of around 1,300 in Northern Ireland. Lakeland facilities in Northern Ireland include a processing site in Newtownards. Chief executive Michael Hanley said: "Lakeland Dairies is continuing to work competitively and successfully to underpin the future of dairying throughout Northern Ireland. The investments made over the past decade have enhanced our capability and our efficiency where we are adding value to milk across the 240 different dairy products that we are exporting to over 80 countries worldwide." Despite the ongoing uncertainty posed by Brexit, Mr Hanley said that markets and dairying conditions tend to be volatile on a cyclical basis. He added that trading conditions remained broadly positive during the year with a softening of the markets apparent in recent months due to increased global dairy production. The chief executive said that the Lacpatrick merger will serve to strengthen its UK market access in the context of Brexit. "This has been a historic and momentous year," he said. "Lakeland Dairies is a farmer owned and farmer controlled co-operative where the business is designed and built to create economic advantage for milk producers and shareholders. "Our strategic priority will always be to achieve sustainable profitable dairy farming. We will therefore continue to drive competitiveness and overall growth as a constantly efficient and high performance business." Using his loaf: 'I am keen to feed the masses and there are already plans for expansion,' says Eoin Cluskey of Bread Nation There is greater awareness of food provenance right across Ireland, much of which is being fuelled by younger consumers interested in where and how the food and drink they consume is produced. While taste is subjective, it is attracting more attention as a distinct selling point. A good example of an industry that markets itself on taste is craft beer. According to a recent report by Bord Bia, there are approximately 125 brewing companies in the Republic of Ireland, 75 of which are independent production micro-breweries. Collectively they produced 157,000hl (hectolitres) of craft beer in 2017, an increase of 10.7pc on the previous year. This equates to 2.6pc of domestic beer consumption in Ireland. Most craft beers market themselves based on unique flavour and Irish consumers have been very receptive. Farmers are increasingly viewing themselves as food producers, and rightly seeing themselves in a unique position to supply raw materials to a more diverse market. Very few Irish farmers are growing crops, be it hops or barley for thriving micro-breweries. Expand Close Flour power: Wheat growing at Ballymore Organics in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Flour power: Wheat growing at Ballymore Organics in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare This may be the fault of the brewer as much as the farmer, and until consumers ask for Irish grown products in craft beers, this is unlikely to change. While innovation at farm level requires capital investment, it also offers additional revenue streams. As the organic market becomes more mainstream, it can still be challenging for speciality producers to find routes to market - but there are growing opportunities in many sectors. Ireland is a net importer of both organic and conventional grains. Organic wheat Organic farmers in cereal production primarily grow oats, and barley to a lesser extent. Very few organic farmers grow wheat as it tends to be a very hungry crop that can exhaust soil fertility. In addition, demand for organic wheat for human consumption remains relatively low. James Kelly from Ballymore Organics in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare has been growing organic cereals for a few years now. Last year James built a flour milling plant on his farm. The grain is stone-ground which is a slow process of grinding large stones together with the wheat in the middle. In stone-ground flour the endosperm, bran, and germ remain in their natural, original proportions and is more nutritious. In October of this year his stone-ground wholemeal flour was shortlisted for an award at the National Organic Food Awards. Growing cereals organically is a technical business and management is key. "This farm grew wheat traditionally but growing good milling wheat organically leaves no room for error, and it must suit your soils which should be balanced and biologically active," says James. "Although wheat works well as the first crop in the rotation, growing winter wheat can shorten your rotation in an organic system by one growing season as it is such a nutrient-demanding crop, so if you are going to grow it you need to get a premium price for it. "For me that is achieved by adding value to it through on-farm processing. At the moment I am selling 20kg sacks of flour direct to restaurants and cafes." There is a thriving cafe and bakery culture in Ireland, and flour grown at Ballymore farm is generally used for soda breads but also sourdough breads. This year James experimented with a heritage landrace wheat, sown at 190kg/ha, in ideal conditions straight out of ley. "It established really well, and the vigour was superb, but that doesn't necessarily translate into yield or quality," he says. "The biomass was enormous, plants grew 5ft tall whereas my modern wheat variety was knee-high, due to exceptional weather through the growing season. Obviously, lodging is a concern with crops this tall and this year the standing ability was not tested as it was such a dry year, we had no rain here for three months," said James. "In terms of yield, organic cereals are lower and if you grow heritage varieties organically you are looking at reducing your yield further, so while the idea of heritage grains sounds good, for me it does not stack up economically. "The disease resistance is low so that is also a risk in an organic system as you cannot use fungicides to deal with problems that arise. I still have an open mind on heritage varieties and experimentation is good, but at the end of the day margins have to add up." As James is farming and running the flour business on his own, there are a lot of things to keep on top of. "You have to get everything right; there are no shortcuts when selling to consumers," he says. "The wheat I grow averages from 9-14pc protein and people using the flour do not use additives to enhance their bread so the taste is not compromised. For me organic farming is the perfect option, it is great for the farmer and the environment, I really believe in it, and there is a lot of truth in the saying you are what you eat!" Passionate Another new business that is passionate about organic farming is Bread Nation, who opened their cafe on Pearse Street in Dublin just 11 weeks ago. The bakery is also on the premises and is certified organic with the Irish Organic Association. Bread is baked daily for wholesale deliveries and cafe owner and head baker Eoin Cluskey is keen to help people understand more about what is in the food they are eating. "We need to talk more about food," says Eoin. "As a baker we are accountable for what we sell to people, so for me using organic flour is vitally important. I can stand over it, knowing that it is produced sustainably and pesticides are not applied to grow the grains. Then when it comes to my part in the chain, I don't add processing aids or artificial additives - we simply use flour, water, salt and fermentation. It remains a natural product." Business has thrived since they opened and the feedback about their bread is hugely positive. "For me this is encouraging as I am keen to feed the masses and there are already plans for expansion," says Eoin. "One thing that surprises me is the lack of availability of organic raw materials here such as butter, grains and buttermilk. I need volume at the right price as I am selling it on to customers and I would love to source all of this locally, but there is no-one making organic butter or buttermilk in the country, bizarre in a country world famous for its butter! "I would love to see more farmers in Ireland going organic, and as producers and chefs we need to take on that challenge; we can all do more. I care about the process and what is in our food, that is what drives me and why I use organic ingredients in what we create at Bread Nation, and the market has responded showing that customers care too." Grace Maher is development officer with the Irish Organic Association, grace.maher@irishoa.ie Theresa May has a fight on her hands to get her deal approved. Photo: REUTERS The number of UK nationals securing Irish citizenship has jumped since the Brexit vote, new figures have revealed. A total of 665 people from the UK went through the naturalisation process in 2018. That is up from only 41 in 2015, the year before the 2016 referendum. The latest Department of Justice figures come as Brexit dominated the New Year messages of politicians in the UK. British Prime Minister Theresa May urged MPs to back her Brexit deal in the House of Commons. She said passing the Withdrawal Agreement into law will allow the UK to "turn a corner" and put political turmoil behind it. A Westminster vote on the deal is due later in the month. Mrs May is facing opposition from Labour, from within her own Conservative Party and from Northern Ireland's DUP, who she relies on to stay in power. DUP leader Arlene Foster last night warned Mrs May that she will need to get significant changes to the Brexit deal to secure her party's support. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Mrs May's government of making a "complete mess" of Brexit. He argued that Mrs May's efforts to get her deal through Westminster with a crunch vote were "letting people down all across the country, whether they voted leave or remain". Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said that people seeking a second referendum should "keep fighting". The new figures on UK nationals obtaining Irish citizenship have been released after it was revealed that more than one in five passport applications last year came from people living in Northern Ireland and Britain. There are continuing fears that Britain will crash out of the EU without a deal. Amid uncertainty over the future rights for British citizens in Europe, an Irish passport is seen as an insurance policy for all eventualities for those who can get one. While many UK nationals are entitled to Irish passports due to family connections to Ireland, those with none must go through the naturalisation process if they want to become a citizen. Applicants for naturalisation must be able to prove they have been resident here for at least five of the last nine years. In total, 10,158 people of different nationalities were granted Irish citizenship in 2018 according to figures released by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan. That brings to more than 120,000 the number of new Irish who have received their certificate of naturalisation since the introduction of Citizenship Ceremonies in 2011. Mr Flanagan said the ceremonies are a "powerfully symbolic event". 1/1/2019, Garda crime scene investigators at Mizzoni Pizzas in Edenmore shopping centre where a shooting took place. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM Garda and a crime scene investigator outside Mizzoni Pizzas in Edenmore shopping centre where a shooting took place. Photo: Damien Eagers A Garda outside Mizzoni Pizzas in Edenmore shopping centre where a shooting took place. Photo: Damien Eagers Two men have been hospitalised and another two men arrested following a shooting incident at a takeaway in north Dublin. A lone gunman entered Mizzoni's in Edenmore Shopping Centre, Coolock shortly after midnight, demanded cash and then fired a number of shots. Two staff members at the pizzeria, aged 38 and 28, were injured as a result. One received a gunshot wound to the chest and the other was shot in the abdomen. Expand Expand Previous Next Close A member of An Garda Siochana at the scene of the shooting this mornin Photo: Damien Eagers Garda Detectives and crime scene investigators at Mizzoni Pizzas in Edenmore shopping centre where a shooting took place. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / INM / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A member of An Garda Siochana at the scene of the shooting this mornin Photo: Damien Eagers They were later removed to Beaumont Hospital. It is understood they are in a stable condition and their injuries are not life-threatening. Gardai investigating the incident have since arrested two men, aged 44 and 18. They are being detained at Coolock and Raheny garda stations. One neighbor who lives in a nearby estate and who asked not to be named said she often tried to avoid the area but that she was shocked that this could happen especially if it was just for a couple of bob. Its really awful that someone would come in with guns like that. Another resident said armed robberies were occurring every week in the area with locals saying other businesses had fallen victim to robberies in the past year. Every single week you hear of somewhere being done, she said. Anyone with information - or who witnessed the incident - is urged to contact Coolock Garda Station on 01- 666 4200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Gardai are investigating a shooting incident in Dublin after a man presented himself at a hospital with a gunshot wound. The man attended Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown at around 7am this morning. He had received a gunshot wound to the leg. He has since been discharged and investigations are continuing. Ryanair passengers travelling to Spain in the first few weeks of the new year could be left stranded by another round of strikes, as unions called for walkouts. Spanish unions USO and Sitcpla, which represent Ryanair staff in the country, today called for walkouts on 8, 10 and 13 January after failing to reach an agreement with the budget carrier. The strike applies to Ryanair cabin crew across Spain, the unions said in a statement. The strike call will be formalised with both unions shortly, they added. Last week the unions said that they would strike for three days in January if demands for better working conditions for staff were not met. In an earlier statement, they accused Europes biggest airline of absurd and childish behaviour for not coming to an agreement. The row focuses on Ryanairs practice of not employing staff on local labour contracts. In a statement, Jairo Gonzalo of USO called Ryanairs refusal to accept Spanish law disgusting. Ryanair has already signed various labour agreements with unions across Europe. At the end of September, around 40,000 passengers were affected by a one-day strike by Ryanair staff across six European countries, including the Netherlands. The walkout by pilots and cabin crew grounded around 250 flights. Earlier this month, the Civil Aviation Authority said Ryanair would face enforcement actiom over its refusal to pay compensation to passengers disrupted by strike action. Ryanair has not responded to The Independents request for comment. Separately, staff are striking at Madrid International Airport. Workers for private security company Eulen have extended their strike until 21 January, which has been called by union Alternativa Sindical. Passengers should expect delays at Madrid airport security. During 2018, 534 passengers died in commercial aircraft accidents. The death toll was much worse than the previous year, with 13 fatalities in plane crashes, and represents a sharp increase on the recent average. But aviation remains extremely safe, especially when compared with road transport; the World Health Organisation says: 1.25 million people die each year on the world's roads. In its Civil Aviation Safety Review for 2018, the Dutch safety consultancy To70 records 160 accidents involving larger passenger aircraft commonly used by most travellers; military flights, private flights, cargo operations and helicopters are excluded. In 147 of the crashes 92 per cent of the total nobody died. Of the remaining 13, the biggest aviation tragedy was the loss on 29 October of an almost-new aircraft belonging to Lion Air of Indonesia. The Boeing 737 Max had just taken off from the capital, Jakarta, heading for Pangkai Pinang just north of the island of Sumatra. The pilots struggled to control the jet before it crashed into the Java Sea with the loss of all 189 on board. The accident investigation concluded the aircraft was not fit to fly because of a faulty airspeed indicator, which had been repeatedly reported but not properly fixed. A small Russian carrier, Saratov Airlines, was involved in the first major accident of the year, on 11 February. The flight from Moscow to Orsk crashed 50 miles south of the Russian capital with the loss of all 71 on board the Antonov An-148 jet. A week later, an ATR 72 propeller aircraft belonging to Iran Aseman Airlines crashed an hour into the daily flight south from Tehran to the city of Yasuj. Sixty passengers and six crew died when the plane went down in the Zagros Mountains. The ninth fatal accident in eight years in Nepal took place at Kathmandu Airport on 12 March. A Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 propeller aircraft belonging to US Bangla Airlines went off the runway after landing from Dhaka. It followed confusion between the captain and air-traffic controllers over the direction for landing. Fifty-two of the 71 people on board died. On 18 May, 112 people died when an elderly Boeing 737 crashed shortly after take off from Havana en route to Holguin in eastern Cuba. One passenger survived, though with severe injuries, The 39-year-old plane was operated by the Mexican carrier Global Air on behalf of the national airline, Cubana. Shortly after the accident, Global Air was grounded. Havana plane crash around 100 people dead after cuban airliner comes down shortly after takeoff The only fatal accident in Europe involved an 80-year-old aircraft: a vintage Junkers Ju-52 on a sightseeing flight in Switzerland on 4 August. The investigation into the loss of 17 passengers and three crew aboard the three-engined aircraft is continuing, but it is believed that the unusually hot weather may have been a factor. During 2018 there were three single-fatality air tragedies, all involving highly unusual circumstances. On 16 April, Southwest Airlines flight 1380 departed routinely from New York La Guardia for its home base at Dallas Love Field. Part of the port engine of the Boeing 737 disintegrated in mid-air, puncturing the skin of the fuselage. Jennifer Riordan, a mother-of-two who was sitting in seat 14A was partially sucked out of her window. Although other passengers held on to her, she died from her injuries when the aircraft made an emergency landing at Philadelphia. Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Jennifer Riordan died after being partially sucked out of a shattered plane window following an engine explosion. Reuters/AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Tammie Jo Shults, hero pilot of Southwest 1380, kept calm and saved her passengers. Kristopher Johnson via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Marty Martinez, left, appears with other passengers after a jet engine blew out on the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 plane. Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The window that was shattered after a jet engine of the Southwest Airlines airplane blew out at altitude Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine. NTSB via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old mother-of-two. Facebook/Jennifer Riordan via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The Southwest Airlines jet sits on the runway at Philadelphia International Airport after it was forced to land with an engine failure. AFP/Getty Images Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Pennsylvania Game Commission employees recover a piece of the Southwest Airline engine covering that landed in Penn Township, Berks County. AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Tammie Jo Shults was hailed a hero by passengers. Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The window that was shattered. Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures A National Transportation Safety Board investigator photographs a Southwest Airline engine covering that landed in Penn Township AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The exploded engine of Southwest Airlines flight 1380 during the flight from a passenger's window. Cassie Adams via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures US Navy Lieutenant Tammie Jo Shults in front of a Navy F/A-18A in 1992. US Navy/Handout via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Damage to the Southwest Airlines plane after Jennifer Riordan died when the jet blew an engine at 32,000ft. PA Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Emergency personnel monitor the damaged engine. Reuters Until that event, Southwest Airlines had flown 1.8 billion passengers with no fatal accidents in its 47-year history. On 10 August, the strangest loss of the year involved Richard Russell, a ground service agent for Horizon Air, based in Seattle. The 29-year-old stole a Bombardier Q400 from the airport and took off without permission. He flew some complicated stunts before dying when the aircraft crashed south of Tacoma. Seattle Plane Crash: Stolen Plane Performs Loop It was the only incident classified by To70 as unlawful interference during 2018. One person died on 28 September when an Air Niugini Boeing 737 from Pohnpei crashed in a lagoon on the Micronesian island of Chuuk. Micronesia plane crash: Boeing 737 passenger jet crash-lands in Pacific lagoon after missing runway Initially it was believed that all the passengers and crew aboard had survived. But when a second search of the half-submerged cabin was carried out by divers, the body of Eko Cahyanto Singgih was discovered. Cause for concern: flight accident rates from 2011 to 2018 show a recent upturn (To70) Adrian Young, senior aviation consultant for To70, said: Sadly, the historical lack of fatal civil aviation accidents involving large turbojet-powered passenger aircraft in 2017 was not to be continued in 2018. In fact, the number rose to slightly above the most recent five-year average. Whilst accidents in commercial air transport remain rare, the industry must remain alert. The UK and Ireland continue to have outstandingly good safety records. Since the Southwest Airlines tragedy in April, the two airlines which have carried the highest number of passengers without a fatal accident are Ryanair and easyJet. The 30th anniversary of the last fatal accident involving a UK airline, the Kegworth crash of a British Midland Boeing 737, is on 8 January 2019. A series of spectacular celebrations lit up the skies around the world on Monday evening as millions of spectators gathered to watch fireworks displays to welcome the start of the new year. More than 100,000 people gathered in London on Monday evening to watch Europes largest annual pyrotechnic display as the world welcomed 2019 with a series of breathtaking celebrations. Auckland was the first major city to welcome the new year with the spectacle centred around the New Zealand citys Sky Tower. Recommended London celebrates European ties with New Year fireworks display More than a million people turned out to watch Sydneys world-famous display, despite torrential rain and lightning earlier in the day. As the hours passed, millions of people across Asia, Africa and Europe braved the conditions to see the fireworks and celebrate the new year with Hong Kong, North Korea, and Dubai among the cities putting on impressive displays. Posted 12/31/18 Lt. Col. Eric T. Olson, acting superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, would like to remind the public there are resources available for those whose lives have been impacted by an The British government pursued arms deals with Saudi Arabia in the weeks after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, even as it publicly condemned the murder. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi officials inside the countrys consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, prompting global condemnation and calls for a re-evaluation of ties with the Kingdom. As the UK government called for answers over the dissidents death, British trade officials responsible for arms sales continued to hold high-level meetings with their Saudi counterparts. A delegation from the Defence and Security Organisation an office within the Department for International Trade that promotes arms exports for UK companies travelled to Riyadh on 14 and 22 October, according to a Freedom of Information request obtained by the Mirror newspaper. The latter of those meetings came on the same day as the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, condemned Khashoggis killing in the strongest possible terms in a speech to parliament. Whilst we will be thoughtful and considered in our response, I have also been clear that if the appalling stories we are reading turn out to be true, they are fundamentally incompatible with our values and we will act accordingly, Mr Hunt said on 22 October. The foreign secretary made a point of announcing the cancellation of a planned visit to Riyadh by the trade secretary, Liam Fox. However, he did not disclose that meetings over arms sales were still taking place. Recommended UK sought to boost trade with UAE while British academic was held Even before the murder of Khashoggi, the UK government had been under pressure to halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia over alleged war crimes and rising civilian casualties in Yemen. Riyadh intervened in Yemens civil war in 2015 to reinstate the internationally recognised government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was ousted by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The fighting has killed at least 10,000 civilians most of whom were victims of airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition and left nearly 16 million people on the brink of famine. The coalition has admitted causing civilian casualties, but attributes the deaths to unintentional mistakes, and says it is committed to upholding international law. The Houthis have also targeted civilians throughout the conflict, according to the UN. Since the war began, the UK has licensed 4.7bn worth of weapons to Saudi forces, making it by far the largest buyer of UK arms. Khashoggis killing brought new pressure on the British government to reassess its ties to Saudi Arabia, after Germany and Norway halted all future arms sales to Riyadh. Jeremy Hunt was quick to join the condemnations of the killing, but he has done nothing to stop the arms sales. How many more atrocities and abuses would it take for him to act? said Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade. The regime has used these weapons to devastating effect in Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition have inflicted the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The murder of Jamal Khashoggi was yet another appalling crime by the Saudi authorities. Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Show all 7 1 /7 Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post journalist who was critical of the Saudi regime and the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he was murdered on 2 October in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul AFP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Heir to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, with US officials claiming that he must have known of the plot AFP/Getty Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures 15 man hit squad Turkish police suspect these 15 men of being involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, issued 10 October, 8 days after the journalist disappeared EPA Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saud al-Qahtani Aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani is claimed to have ordered Khashoggi's murder Saud Al-Qahtani/Twitter Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb A former diplomat who often travelled with the Crown Prince, Mutreb was initially claimed to be the leader of the hit squad and is pictured here entering the Saudi consulate on the day of the murder AP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Mustafa al-Madani First implicated in the 15 CCTV photos released by the Turkish police, al-Madani was later found to have been used as a body double for Khashoggi, leaving the Saudi consulate dressed in his clothes on the day the journalist was killed CNN Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi (L) Son of the murdered journalist met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 23 October EPA Even as more evidence has emerged pointing to the culpability of the Saudi government in Khashoggis killing, the UK appears to have made no substantial change to its relationship. Prime minister Theresa May held face-to-face talks last month with Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabias de-facto leader whose close aides carried out the killing and subsequently attempted to cover it up. Ms May said she stressed the importance of a full, transparent and credible investigation into the terrible murder during her meeting with the crown prince at the G20 summit in Argentina. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused her of not following through with action. Rather than be robust, as she promised, we learned the prime minister told the dictator please dont use the weapons we are selling you in the war youre waging and asked him nicely to investigate the murder he allegedly ordered, Mr Corbyn said last month. Leaders should not just offer warm words against human rights atrocities but back up their words with action, he added. Mr Hunt has defended arms sales to Saudi Arabia, citing Britains important strategic partnership with the country which has saved lives on the streets of Britain. The Saudi meetings are not the first time that Britain has been criticised for putting trade before human rights concerns. British academic Matthew Hedges was detained for months in the United Arab Emirates and accused of spying on behalf of the UK. G20: Theresa May touches on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi During the five months Mr Hedges was held in solitary confinement, Mr Hunt called the arrest appalling and criticised the UAE publicly. Behind the scenes, however, high-level trade meetings continued apace. Liam Fox, the trade secretary, Baroness Rona Fairhead, the minister of state for trade and export promotion, and Alistair Burt, the minister for the Middle East, all met with UAE officials to drum up trade between the two countries. Polly Truscott, Amnesty International UKs foreign affairs expert, told The Independent in November that the UK has long given the impression that security and trade interests trump human rights concerns in the UAE. With Matthew Hedges case, it almost seems to have come as a surprise to the government that the UAE actually locks up people after deeply unfair trials, she said. The Freedom of Information request by the Mirror found that the 14 October talks focused on Riyadh Operations Centre requirements, which is likely a reference to the operations centre where Saudi strikes against Yemen are coordinated. Commenting on the meetings with Saudi officials, a government spokesperson told The Independent: The government takes its export responsibilities very seriously, operating one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. Risks around human rights abuses are a key part of any licensing assessment. Visits by officials from the UK will continue to play a role in maintaining our relationship with Saudi Arabia including in how we work together to tackle regional threats, and support mutual national security and prosperity interests. A 10-month-old has been pulled alive from rubble 35 hours after a Russian apartment block collapsed in a suspected gas explosion. The boy was discovered by rescuers during their search for the dozens of people still missing after the disaster on Monday. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk. The infant was diagnosed with a serious freezer burn and a closed-head injury. His mother also survived the blast. Officials were quoted as saying by Interfax: Hundreds of people were waiting for the appearance of the injured child from under the rubble like a miracle. And the miracle happened... Tears drew in the eyes of the weatherbeaten rescuers. Recommended At least four dead and dozens missing after Russian building collapse On New Years Day the death toll was revised up to nine, with more than 30 still missing. Five more are in hospital for their injuries, with one of those said to be in a critical condition. The latest fatality is thought to be an adult. Officials said their search for survivors was being hampered by concerns that moving rubble could cause additional sections of the building to collapse. A delay of up to 24 hours was expected in the rescue effort while emergency services shore up parts of the block. Hopes of finding survivors were further dimmed as overnight temperatures fell to -18C in Magnitogorsk, a city of 400,000 about 870 miles southeast of Moscow. The explosion damaged 48 apartments, housing around 110 people (EPA) Emergency officials have deployed powerful heaters to raise temperatures under the debris. We must work as quickly as we can as temperatures dont give us any time to linger, said Pavel Baryshev, Russias deputy emergency minister. Dozens were safely evacuated from the building after it was partially destroyed on New Years Eve. Vladimir Putin has ordered a special government commission to coordinate the Kremlins response to the incident. 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 Officials fear many of those unaccounted for have been buried beneath rubble after the doorway to the block collapsed. Local media reported cries for help coming from the scene and a smell of gas in the area. Recommended Russian tower block collapses in gas explosion Of more than 100 apartments in the building, 48 were damaged, the emergencies ministry said. Fires and explosions from gas leaks are not unusual in Russia, especially in smaller cities. Soviet housing stock and poor maintenance are often blamed, with dozens of people losing their lives each year. In 2017 a nine-storey residential block in Izhevsk, central Russia, partially collapsed following a gas explosion. Two migrants have been discovered hiding inside mattresses strapped to the top of a van attempting to cross from Africa to Spain, prompting renewed concerns about asylum rules in Europe. The men, reportedly of sub-Saharan origin, were arrested by border guards after they were discovered at a check-point between Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the north African coast, and Morocco, according to Spanish news site El Periodico. Footage shared on Twitter by Spanish senator Jon Inarritu showed the men emerge from the mattresses after men in Guardia Civil uniforms used a knife to cut through the fabric. It is thought to be the first documented attempt to smuggle people inside a mattress, according to local media. As long as there are no safe routes to request asylum, situations like this will continue to occur in the southern border of Europe, Mr Inarritu wrote alongside the video. The driver of the vehicle allegedly fled into Morocco before authorities could make an arrest. The two men were said to be in good health and did not require medical assistance. It comes after tech companies were accused of failing to crack down on people-smugglers using their platforms to lure migrants to their deaths with the promise of safe passage to Europe. The UN said companies such as Facebook and WhatsApp were enabling criminal activity by traffickers who entrap victims who are unaware of the dangers they face. Meanwhile there has been a surge in migrants attempting to reach the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats, with more than 100 people intercepted by both British and French authorities while attempting to reach the UK from France since Christmas Day. But lawyers and campaigners have cautioned that the recent rise has been blown out of proportion as the numbers arriving constitute a tiny proportion of people coming to Britain to seek asylum. More than 100,000 people have arrived in southern Europe via unauthorised routes from Africa and the Middle East, and an estimated 2,262 are dead or missing after attempting the journeys. Four people have been injured after a man intentionally drove into a crowd of people in Germany in what appeared to be a racist far-right attack, police said. Those hit by the car included Syrian and Afghan citizens and the driver made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest, according to officials. The man, who fled the scene, made racist comments when he was later stopped and arrested, according to a statement by local police and prosecutors. "Investigators suspect it was a deliberate attack that may be linked to the xenophobic views of the driver," the statement said. Police in the city of Bottrop, in western Germany, said a 50-year-old man drove at a pedestrian, who managed to get out of the way of the vehicle, shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. Recommended Finsbury Park mosque reveals vile threats one year after attack He then drove into the city centre, allegedly ramming a crowd with his Mercedes before fleeing towards the nearby city of Essen where he attempted to drive into a group of people waiting at a bus stop, German newspaper Die Zeit reported. Police said the attack was presumed to be premeditated. One of the four injured people remains in hospital, a police spokesperson said. Japanese officials at crime scene after van ploughs into New Year crowd in Tokyo Police said there were indications the suspect is mentally ill. Angela Luettmann, a spokeswoman for Muenster police, couldn't immediately confirm whether the driver was German but said he came from Essen. The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Show all 7 1 /7 The far-right politicians winning power across Europe The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Viktor Orban Hungary, Fidesz The Prime Minister of Hungary has threatened to shut down NGOs that help refugees; run a state backed hate campaign against George Soros and removed constitutional checks and balances. He said: 'We have replaced a shipwrecked liberal democracy with a 21st century Christian democracy' Reuters The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Matteo Salvini Italy, Lega The leader of Italys junior governing party has pledged to deport 500,000 irregular migrants; stated joining the euro was a mistake and wants to end sanctions against Russia. He said: 'The only antidote to racism is to control, regulate and limit immigration' AFP/Getty The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Heinz-Christian Strache Austria, FPO The deputy prime minister of Austria wants to drive Islam out of public life in Austria; has threatening mosque closures and wants to end sanctions against Russia. He said: 'Let us put an end to this policy of Islamisation as soon as possible' AFP/Getty The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Marine Le Pen France, Front National The runner-up in the French presidential election wants policies to favour native French; has stated she would hold an EU referendum and wants to deport irregular migrants. She said: 'Im not offended when I hear President Donald Trump say "America first". In fact, I want America first for the American people, I want Britain first for the British people and I want France first for the French people' AP The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Janez Jansa Slovenia, Slovenian Democratic Party The leader of Slovenias largest party says the country is run by a secretive former communist cabal; has appointed political allies to press agencies and was sent to prison for alleged corruption which was later overturned by the Constitutional Court. He said: 'Our party puts Slovenia, Slovenians first' Reuters The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Alexander Gauland Germany, AfD The leader of the first far-right party in the Bundestag in decades says Islam is not a part of Germany; wants a ban on public Islamic symbols and wants to leave the euro. He said: 'A German or English football team hasnt been German or English in the classical sense for a long time' Alamy The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Jarosaw Kaczynski Poland, Law and Justice The chairman of Polands governing party says migrants spread infectious diseases; wants to ban gay people from being teachers and has sought to implement constitutional changes to give government more power over courts. He said: 'It is absolutely clear a homosexual should not be a teacher' Kacper Pempel/Reuters In April, a German man drove a van into a crowd in Muenster, killing four people and injuring dozens. The driver, who had sought psychological help in the weeks preceding the attack, then killed himself. On 19 December 2016, a Tunisian man ploughed a truck into a busy Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people. The attack was claimed by Isis and the driver, who fled the scene, was later killed in a shoot-out with police in Italy. A van ploughed into pedestrians celebrating the New Year in central Tokyo, leaving nine people injured. The man driving the minivan has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the crash in the Harajuku fashion district of the city in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Footage showed a van with the front end smashed and paramedics rushing to the scene. The 21-year-old suspect, identified as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, has been arrested and is being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said. He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street, which local media said had been closed to vehicle traffic for holiday revellers, just after midnight. Recommended London celebrates European ties with New Year fireworks display Eight people were hit by the minivan, and one of the pedestrians is believed to be in a critical condition. A ninth person was assaulted by the driver after he got out of the vehicle, police said. A large tank of kerosene was found in the van and the suspect had allegedly planned to burn down the vehicle, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. 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 The crash occurred on Takeshita Dori in Shibuya ward, a street well-known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans. The street was said to be packed with people heading to the Meiji Shrine for New Years prayers. With additional reporting by AP Thai police are investigating the suspected murder of two political activists after a pair of bodies washed up stuffed with concrete on the banks of the Mekong river. The mens bodies were found handcuffed in sacks in the northeastern Nakhon Phanom province on Monday. Their ankles were tied together and their stomachs had been cut open and filed with chunks of concrete, police said. The victims have not yet been identified but it is believed they could be political activists who disappeared in Bangkok. Relatives of the missing men have asked to see the bodies in the hope of identifying them, reported the Bangkok Post. Police will also be conducting DNA tests. Nakhon Phanom police commander Thanachart Rodkhlongtan said the men were thought to have been murdered about a week ago. Handcuffs found on the bodies were often used in Laos and Vietnam, he added. Human Rights Watch has previously accused the Thai government of failing to protect campaigners. At least 60 environmental or land rights activists have been killed or have vanished in Thailand over the last 20 years, according to human rights group Protection International. A man murdered six members of his own family including his two young children before killing himself after a New Years party, police in Thailand said. Sucheep Sornsung, 41, returned home shortly after midnight heavily drunk to celebrate with his wifes family, authorities said. They began arguing before the man began shooting members of the group, including his six-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son. Two men and two women, aged between 47 and 71 also family members were killed and a seventh man was injured but survived the shooting. Sucheep then turned the gun on himself, police in the state of Chumphon, in central Thailand close to the border with Myanmar, said. Recommended British brothers arrested in Thailand for suspected drug trafficking Major general Saharat Saksilapachai, commander of the provincial police, said he believed the incident was triggered by an ongoing family dispute and that alcohol was not a factor. "The (suspect) went to a party with his friends then came home to see his wife's family and they started arguing before he used his gun to shoot them," he said. We suspect that his rage came from old problems with his wife's family. 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 Lieutenant Colonel Larp Kampapan told the AFP news agency the man was angry that as the son-in-law he was not being made welcome by his wife's family. Sucheep had a drug-related criminal record and had previously been jailed but there was no history of violence against his family, police said. Loading.... Thailand has a high rate of gun ownership and gun-related deaths, but mass shootings are rare in the US a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which a shooter kills at least four people. According to 2016 data from the University of Washington, Thailand had the highest reported rate of gun-related deaths out of 10 countries in Asia. It was about 50 per cent higher than the Philippines, which was second on the list. Thailand's Interior Ministry has reported that there are more than 6 million registered firearms in the country of 69 million people. But there are also many unregistered guns in circulation. Additional reporting by Reuters Soldiers, police and residents fanned out across a damaged Indonesian village Tuesday, searching in the mud for possible victims of a landslide caused by torrential rain that killed at least nine people and left 34 others missing. Tons of mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late Monday buried 30 houses in Sirnaresmi village of West Java's Sukabumi district. Sixty people who were displaced have fled to a temporary shelter, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman. He said more than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital. They are still searching for 34 villagers said to still be missing. Authorities struggled to get tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads as heavy rain was hampering search efforts, Mr Nugroho said. Television footage showed hundreds of police, soldiers and residents digging through debris with their hands, shovels and hoes. "Lack of equipment, bad weather and blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead," said Mr Nugroho. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. 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 The landslide occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations less than two weeks after a deadly volcano and tsunami disaster. On 22 December, the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait erupted and partially collapsed into the sea, causing a tsunami that killed 437 people on Java and Sumatra islands. At least 16 people still missing and more than 33,700 residents were displaced. AP Donald Trump told an interviewer he should consult Elizabeth Warrens psychiatrist, when asked if the Democratic senator believed she can win the presidency in 2020. In what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to get inside his potential challengers head on the day she announced she had formed an exploratory committee to consider a White House bid, the president repeated his claim that he would love to run against her. She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage, Mr Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast on New Years eve. That didnt work out too well. I think you have more than she does and maybe I do, too. And I have nothing. So, you know, well see how she does. I wish her well. I hope she does well. Id love to run against her. Asked directly if he thought she believed she could win, he replied: Well, that I dont know. Youd have to ask her psychiatrist. The president has repeatedly attacked the 69-year-old senator from Massachusetts, racistly referring to her as Pocahontas, after she claimed he had Native American ancestry. In a move that led many observers to question Ms Warrens political skills, she underwent a DNA test that showed it she had some Native American genes after the president challenged her to. The president claimed, incorrectly, the test showed she only had 1/1024 indigenous DNA, while some Native Americans were insulted and accused Ms Warren of misunderstanding what it meant to be a member of the Native American community. Speaking to reporters on Monday in Boston, Mr Warren avoided responding to questions about the DNA controversy, the Mailonline reported. Im in this fight because I understand whats happening to working families, she said. 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 Warren announced her formation of an exploratory committee in an email to supporters on Monday morning, becoming the first major Democrat to do so. Establishing such a committee is the first formal step towards any White House run. In a video message, Ms Warren said that having formed the committee, that allows her supporters to raise money, she would make a decision on whether to run, early in the new year. CNN said she would start the 2020 cycle with $12.5m left over from her 2018 Senate reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records. She can transfer that money into her presidential account. Americas middle class is getting hollowed out and opportunity for too many of our young people is shrinking, she said in the video So Im in this fight all the way. Right now Washington works great for the wealthy and the well connected. Its just not working for anyone else. Donald Trumps nominee for attorney general once scoffed at the concept of having a wall built on the Mexican border as overkill. During a February 1992 interview, William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, and is now slated to assume the role once against after acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, was asked about building a border wall on the US-Mexico border to halt illegal immigration. The border wall was a concept proposed by 1992 Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. I dont think its necessary, Barr said on PBS News Hour I think thats overkill to put a barrier from one side of the border to the other. In fact, the problem with illegal immigration across the border is really confined to major metropolitan areas. Illegal immigrants do not cross in the middle of the desert and walk hundreds of miles, instead choosing more certain specified routes. The routes Mr Barr refers to have been primarily closed off, thus prompting migrants to take more dangerous and riskier journeys. It seems as though that Mr Barrs views on immigration, specifically on border security, have evolved to become a bit more hard lined, similar to those of Mr Trump and his administration. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on Mr Barrs alleged change in perspective on immigration, but noted other statements on hes made throughout his tenure. One of these comments include Mr Barrs describing border fences as an effective measure to stop drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the Associated Press reported. 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 As Mr Bushs attorney general, he also announced the hiring of more Border Patrol agents, promoted upgraded fencing, and investments in sensors and other forms of technology for border security. Mr Barrs viewpoints on immigration are important considering the fact the Justice Department has the authority to defend and enforce the Trump administrations policies, which has made border security a top concern. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The prospective attorney generals past comments provide a stark contrast to Mr Trumps rhetoric of his proposed concrete and steel slatted wall, which he has called a big beautiful wall, and the presidents decision to partially shut down the government after losing a $5 billion request in funding for the wall. The US military unit that controls nuclear weapons has attracted widespread condemnation for a tweet boasting about its destructive capabilities sent as the country was celebrated New Years Eve. As New Yorkers gathered beneath the giant ball that traditionally descends a flagpole in Times Square to mark the approach of midnight on December 31, Strategic Command sent a message saying it was prepared to drop something much, much bigger. By way of illustration, it posted footage of a B-2 stealth bomber racing across the sky before firing two GPS-guided bombs that exploded into a giant ball of fire. Music pounded in the background as the words Stealth, Ready and Lethal flashed across the screen. #TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball...if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger, it said. It added the hashtags: #Deterrence #Assurance#CombatReadyForce #PeaceIsOurProfession. Recommended This is the reason the New Year is ushered in with a ball drop The tweet sparked disbelief on social media. Walter M Shaub Jr, who resigned in 2017 from his position as the head of the Office of Government Ethics, asked: What kind of maniacs are running this country? Perhaps after the units social media team saw some of the reaction it was generating, the message was swiftly deleted and an apology put out in its place. A spokesperson said the post was part of our recap of command priorities and had been intended to reassure people in the US the military is always prepared even on New Years Eve. But the units apology admitted the initial message had been in poor taste and insisted it was not reflective of their values. The video in the initial tweet had shown the dropping of a pair of conventional Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) at a test range, a spokesperson for the US Strategic Command unit explained to NBC News. 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 MOPs are 14,000kg bombs meant for hitting underground bunkers. Nasa scientists have expressed joy and relief after receiving a signal from the New Horizons probe, proving it survived a record-breaking exploratory mission four billion miles from Earth. The probe made contact to confirm its successful flyby of the icy Ultima Thule space rock, which is 19 miles wide and shaped like a giant peanut. This marks a record for the most distant object to be explored. New Horizon obtained gigabytes of photos and other observations which it will send home over the next few months. Controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland cheered and clapped as they received the signal. Recommended Nasa prepares to explore most distant world ever probed by humankind Mission operations manager Alice Bowman said: We have a healthy spacecraft. Weve just accomplished the most distant flyby. Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: In addition to being the first to explore Pluto, today New Horizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft and became the first to directly explore an object that holds remnants from the birth of our solar system. This is what leadership in space exploration is all about. Confirmed! @NASANewHorizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. Congratulations to the New Horizons team, @JHUAPL and the Southwest Research Institute for making history yet again! pic.twitter.com/t47BOmo7c1 Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) January 1, 2019 The radio message from the robotic craft was picked up in Madrid by one of Nasas big antennas. The data took six hours and eight minutes to traverse the massive breadth of space between Ultima and Earth. According to Nasa, scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched in 2006, meaning the mission was unique. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and selected it for New Horizons extended mission in 2015. Anythings possible out there in this very unknown region, said John Spencer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons. Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on a 4 billion mile journey towards the solar systems frigid edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. The spacecraft, which is the size of a baby grand piano, flew past Pluto in 2015, providing the first close-up views of the planet. During the flyby, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed that methane-rich dunes were on the icy dwarf planets surface. After trekking 1 billion miles beyond Pluto into the Kuiper belt, New Horizons will now seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets. There is a great deal scientists can learn from Ultima and the hundreds of thousands of similar bodies scientists deem to be in the solar system. Hal Weaver, project scientist on the mission, told the BBC the rock is probably the most primitive object ever encountered by a spacecraft, the best possible relic of the early solar system. The object is officially known as 2014 MU69, but was nicknamed Ultima Thule, a Latin phrase which means beyond the borders of the known world. Additional reporting by Reuters In one of his most recent arguments for a southern border wall, President Donald Trump on Sunday falsely claimed that Barack and Michelle Obama's home here is surrounded by a 10-foot wall. Mr Trump's tweet comes in the midst of a partial government shutdown, which was spurred 22 December by his demand for $5 billion in funding for a US-Mexico border wall. He alleged that the "wall" around the Obamas' mansion was necessary for the former first couple's "safety and security," adding that the United States needs a "slightly larger version!" Mr Trump's assertion came as a surprise to two of the Obamas' neighbours Monday, who told The Post that there is no such wall. The 8,200-square-foot structure, despite several security features, is completely visible from the street. A neighbour, a longtime resident of the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve their privacy, said the president "has a very active imagination." "There's a fence that goes along the front of the house, but it's the same as the other neighbours have," the neighbour said. "It's tastefully done." The former president and first lady purchased the nine-bedroom mansion for $8.1 million in 2017, The Post previously reported. It's located in the affluent DC neighbourhood of Kalorama, which is also home to Ivanka Trump and Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. Previous residents of the neighbourhood include Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. TMZ reported on construction to the residence in 2017 before the Obamas moved in, which the website also characterised as "a wall." As The Post's Fact Checker notes, the Obamas added security fencing to a retaining wall in front of the home (it is not a compound) for the needs of the Secret Service. A guard booth was built, and fencing was added to the back. Woody Johnson, Donald Trump: 'hoping that the environment will lead to the ability of the US to do a quick, very massive bilateral trade deal' "In trying to make the case for a high concrete border wall, Mr Trump exaggerates about the Obama house in Washington, DC It is an 8,200 square foot Tudor-style home in the Kalorama residential area, but it is not a 'compound.' "The Obamas added security fencing to an enlarged retaining wall in front for the needs of the Secret Service but there is not a 10-foot wall around the house; the front steps are open to the sidewalk. Chain link fencing, but no wall, was added to the back. While Mr Trump says the border wall would be a 'slightly larger version' of the alleged Obama wall, he has previously described his proposed wall as 1,000 miles long, made of precast concrete slabs, rising 35 to 40 feet in the air," the Fact Checker wrote. Some found the president's tweet irresponsible. Fred Guttenberg, the father of one of students killed in the Parkland school shooting, tweeted, "Are you seriously trying to put our former President at risk?" The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Trump's tweet and security risks Monday morning. A spokesperson for the Obamas declined to comment on Mr Trump's tweet, and the White House did not respond to an email requesting more context on his claim of a wall around the property. Another neighbour said the Obamas' home is "100 percent visible from the street." "There is no 10-foot wall in the front, back or sides of the house and no wall is going up," the person said. President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Show all 36 1 /36 President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Hannah McKay (Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk away after holding a joint news conference at Chequers) "This was the third and final time I was photographing Donald Trump during his working visit to the UK. I'd noticed he had a tendency to hold Theresa May by the hand when they used stairs, so I lay on the floor for fifteen minutes waiting for the pair to exit via some steps. As they did, Trump took May by the arm and shouted over his shoulder, "Yes" in response to the question "Mr. President, will you tell Putin to stay out of the U.S elections?" - from a reporter in the press conference." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump confers with White House Communications Director Hope Hicks as Press Secretary Sarah Sanders listens) "I stayed in the room after our reporters had left, and seemingly unnoticed like the cliched 'fly on the wall', I was witness to this unusual moment." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Chris Bergin (A supporter of Trump and Republican senate candidate Mike Braun at an election night party in Indianapolis) "I saw the colour-coordinated woman in the back of the ball room while covering mid-term elections. She stood out to me because she was lit by a single overhead light that created deep shadows." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Shannon Stapleton (Stormy Daniels, puts her shoe back on after passing through a security screening, as she arrives at federal court) "On the morning that I took this picture there was a mad scrum outside the courthouse to get a picture of Stormy Daniels. She didn't enter the regular entrance of a media gauntlet that was set up for her. I placed myself by a window where I saw her passing through the metal detector. Shooting through the window was difficult but I was able to make the frame." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump appears on the South Portico of the White House with the Easter Bunny during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll) "There are many holiday events at the White House, but one of the most light-hearted happens during Easter, when the President shows up at the balcony of the South Portico accompanied by someone in a big Easter bunny costume. I didn't have the best position, but towards the end, the bunny stood behind the President and I was able to take this shot." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (Melania Trump wearing a jacket with the phrase "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" on the back after a visit to the US-Mexico border in Texas) "I could not see the words on Melania's jacket when she boarded Air Force One. I only heard about it once airborne. But there was no way I was going to miss it again, and to my utter astonishment, she was wearing it once more upon her return to Washington." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions President Trump during a news conference following the midterm congressional elections) "Covering politics has always felt to me like photographing a live theatre production - the actors and stage are usually set in a familiar way. But even if you've seen a specific play many times, there is always the possibility that there will be something exciting or new. It became obvious during this exchange that the dialogue was going in a different direction than expected, and I took it as a cue to make sure I gave the scene extra attention." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Trump boards Air Force One for travel to Ohio) "We photograph departures and landings hundreds of times. Sometimes, as in this case, the clouds or the light can give you a little gift." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (Donald and Melania Trump stand beside French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife on a visit to the estate of the first US President George Washington) "I'm always happy for events that take us off the White House campus and provide new visual opportunities. This day, when the Trumps feted the Macrons at George Washington's historic estate, it provided just the right contrast for the stylish leader-couples as they took their spots for an otherwise posed moment." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump gestures after arriving in Pennsylvania to take part in the annual September 11 observance) "Celebratory fist pumps on a national day of mourning and reflection caught even the most seasoned of us off guard." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Peter Nicholls (Demonstrators fly a baby Trump blimp in London's Parliament Square, during his UK visit) "I took this picture of the Trump blimp from a wall at the back of Parliament Square, to get a clear view from above the crowd, as it was revealed for the first time, prior to a day of protests during his visit to the UK, mid-July." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un walk together before their working lunch during their summit in Singapore) "On a historic and difficult day, it was fun to look for the odd angle or expression. Here, Trump and Kim walk away after impromptu remarks to reporters - which clearly pleased the North Korean leader." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Ronen Zvulun (Ivanka Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stand next to the dedication plaque at the new US embassy in Jerusalem) "I shot this picture when I was standing on a platform really close to Ivanka Trump. I knew exactly where to stand and what lens to use because I did a tour the day before. I knew this was the key picture we had been waiting for since the story broke some weeks before." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (The imprint of French President Emmanuel Macron's thumb across the back of Trump's hand at a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit) "This is taken right after the first photo-op the two presidents had at the G7 summit after they had a tense back-and-forth on Twitter. They were smiling but Macron gripped Trump's hand quite hard and I noticed that it left a visible impression on Trump's hand." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki) "Body language can give an ordinary photo much more meaning, and here, Trump and Putin did not disappoint." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Joshua Roberts (A father of a Florida shooting victim tries to shake hands with Brett Kavanaugh during his US Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation) "This moment happened in a break in testimony. Kavanaugh seemed surprised as Guttenberg approached but as he turned away he looked anxious. Kavanaugh later said he did not understand who Guttenberg was at the time." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlo Allegri (First lady Melania Trump visits the Pyramids in Cairo) "The First Lady had taken a tour of African nations and could not depart the continent without a visit to the incredible pyramids of Egypt where I, as part of the traveling press pool, was able to make this photo of her looking out over Giza Pyramid Complex." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Brian Snyder (Trump and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint news conference in the White House) "The East Room felt tense even before President Trump and Chancellor Merkel entered for their joint news conference. With Merkel's podium behind the President's from my vantage point, she seemed to want to keep an eye on him. The East Room was very full for the joint news conference, with photographers on ladders all around the perimeter." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (White House counselor Kellyanne Conway gives an interview at the White House) "This is a fairly common scene at the White House, especially with Kellyanne Conway. Often the press will wait yards off while she or another member of the Trump administration gives a live interview. Conway will then walk past the rest of the press, and everyone hopes that she will give another interview to the group." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Francois Lenoir (President Trump attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council during a NATO summit in Brussels) "I like the contrast in the photograph. The presence of U.S. President Trump posing smiling and the lack of interest of the officials in the background." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Thomas Musolino wears a mask of President Trump while holding his daughter Gianna during a Trump campaign rally) "The President's rallies are well-known at this point, we attend a lot of them as members of the White House travel pool. This father-daughter situation really stood out from the crowd because of the juxtaposition of the mask and the tenderness between the two of them." REUTERS/Leah Millis SEARCH "TRUMP POY" FOR FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2018 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. LEAH MILLIS Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump observes a demonstration with US Army 10th Mountain Division troops as he visits Fort Drum) "President Trump often talks about how much he likes big planes and tanks, and the 'beautiful military.' This summer he had a up-close look during a visit to a military base in New York state, where he signed the National Defense Authorization Act." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jim Bourg (Christine Blasey Ford closes her eyes as she is sworn in before testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh) "The moment looks peaceful as if Christine Blasey Ford had closed her eyes in thought, but the image actually reflects the fact that in the nine seconds that she had her hand up to be sworn in to testify, she blinked several times. Blasey Ford began her testimony by saying: 'I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.'" REUTERS/Jim Bourg SEARCH "TRUMP POY" FOR FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2018 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. JIM BOURG Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (Supporters listen as President Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Montana) "As a White House photographer I'm always looking for a way to connect the President, Donald Trump, with a place. Before the mid-term elections Trump spent six days campaigning across the country, and at most of the rallies the visual elements were so similar that it was impossible to say whether we were in Florida or Alaska. In this case, though, the context was obvious. We arrived at a rally in Montana and I noticed a group of Native Americans wearing traditional headdresses behind the podium. For me this was the picture of the day." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (Trump meets with supporters from a group called "Bikers for Trump" at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey) "President Trump likes to be celebrated by supporters, and none better than a group known as "Bikers for Trump," who visited him at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this summer. Unfortunately, it poured down that day and plans for an outdoor event gave way to a short visit inside the clubhouse for a group photo." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (A protester is removed during acting CIA Director Gina Haspel's testimony at her Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing) "Just like sports, you have to follow the action. This time, I followed it out of the hearing room and into the hallway." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (President Trump speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Convention) "I took this photograph as the pool was being ushered out to leave right before Trump's speech was supposed to end. These are the images we take after we have taken the literal, newsy ones." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Kevin Lamarque (President Trump and Melania at the Flight 93 National Memorial) "A somber moment, this image came together because of the scale and symmetry of the wall panels and the people in the photo." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo awaits the start of a news conference) "I always say that as photojournalists we photograph through the lens of the lives we live, including the books we read, the music we listen to, the movies we watch. As I was waiting for President Trump to arrive at an event one day, I noticed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo standing right behind me in classic dark sunglasses. The image of John Belushi in the movie "The Blues Brothers" crossed my mind." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump speaks during the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in Paris) "During a recent visit to France and just days after a gunman opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue, President Trump visited a WWI cemetery to honor American soldiers. As he spoke, I noted a gravestone at a side angle A a single Star of David in the middle of rows and rows of crosses. I felt in this moment, the image carried more meaning than the words." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (Alex van der Zwaan goes through security at the US District Court after arriving for his sentencing) "Everyone has to go through security, no matter who you are. He seemed to embrace the inevitable as the woman with the wand asked him to turn around, facing him back towards the doors where many of the news media were still gathered." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Missouri) "In a last push before the mid-term elections, President Trump traveled for six consecutive days, attending two or three rallies a day, to boost Republican candidates. Most of the rallies were held in airport hangars for an easy flight in and out. Sometimes, the rallies were held in the middle of the night, like this one at Columbia Regional Airport in Columbia, Missouri." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Trump holds his prepared questions as he hosts a listening session with high school students and teachers to discuss school safety at the White House) "This event was loaded with raw emotion as school shooting victims from across the country described their experience as student-survivors or as friends and family who never stop mourning dead children. President Trump was given a hand-written card by one of his aides to help him navigate the emotional meeting, and pictures of the card helped tell the story of the day." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Carlos Barria (President Trump behind the reflection of a House chamber railing as Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress) "The State of the Union speech is one of the most important political events at the beginning of the year. We usually photograph it from several fixed positions, but this year I was assigned to be the 'rotating' photographer, meaning I could move around on the balcony and shoot from different angles, but only during short windows of time. During one of those windows, I found an interesting play of light reflected off a gold-colored railing, which, at a certain angle, could be seen to fall over the president." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst (President Trump arriving at Nashville International Airport) "One of my favorite photographers, Sam Abell, likes to quote his father: "Bad weather makes good pictures." In addition to the weather, the controlled chaos of White House press handlers and Secret Service agents help make pictures like this possible." Reuters President Trump: a year of high drama at home and abroad Reuters photographer Leah Millis (White House Communications Director Hope Hicks leaves after attending the House Intelligence Committee closed door meeting) "This is the product of about seven hours of waiting and lots of team work involving constant coordination to guess where to wait in order to capture Hope Hicks as she left the hill. Luckily, there were several cameramen along for the moment and their lighting captured her perfectly." Reuters An editor at The Post who went to the residence Monday morning noted that part of the street was blocked off neighbours say there are security checkpoints at either end of the street but confirmed that a wall was not visible from their vantage point, either. Mr Trump continued to tweet about his proposed wall Monday morning, criticising Democrats for rejecting the idea. The Senate approved a stopgap funding measure in late December that did not contain wall money but would have kept the government open until 8 February. "They say it's old technology but so is the wheel," Mr Trump wrote. "They now say it is immoral- but it is far more immoral for people to be dying!" The Washington Post The US citizen detained in Russia over spying accusation is a retired Marine who was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding, his family have said. In a statement the family of Paul Whelan said that the last contact they had had with him was on 28 December, the night before said wedding. He had flown to Moscow on 22 December. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), announced on Monday that Mr Whelan was caught during an espionage operation three days earlier and arrested. However, they gave no details of the allegations against Mr Whelan. His brother, David Whelan, said in a statement released on Tuesday via Twitter that his brother's innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected. David Whelan said his brother is a former Marine and the family is deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. The spying charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. In the Twitter message David Whelan said that not being in contact was very much out of character for [Paul] when he was travelling. Paul Whelan is said to have travelled to Russia on a number of occasions, including for work - but this trip was purely personal, according to his brother. Paul Whelan is currently working as director of global security for Michigan-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner, the company said on Tuesday. 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 The family said that they found out about the arrest via media reports and have been in contact with representatives in Congress, the US Embassy and the State Department. The State Department would not confirm Paul Whelans work as a Marine, citing privacy concerns. However the department did say that he had been notified of the detention by the Russian foreign ministry and were seeking access to the individual. Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional information to provide at this time, said the statement. It is unclear if any officials have yet been able to see Mr Whelan. The arrest comes shortly after Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty to acting on behalf of the Russian state to to infiltrate conservative US political groups as Donald Trump was seeking the presidency the aim being to try and influence policy towards Moscow. Butina pleaded guilty in December to a conspiracy charge as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the case is fabricated, and that Butina admitted guilt over fear of a long prison sentence. The spying allegations come against the larger backdrop of tense US-Russian relations over what US intelligence services and Congress have detailed as repeated attempts from the Kremlin to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. Moscow has denied the allegations. The far-right former Army captain Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazils president, promising to fulfil his campaign commitments to tackle rampant corruption and crime. His populist rhetoric may have driven him to the presidency, but Mr Bolsonaro is a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many in the country. Indeed, he has faced charges of inciting rape and for hate crimes in the past. A fan of US president Donald Trump, the 63-year-old longtime congressman rose from a ridiculed figure to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda. He has energised conservatives and far-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers Party. I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny, Mr Bolsonaro said. The US was represented by vice president Mike Pence, with Mr Bolsonaro making clear that he wants to work closely with Mr Trumps administration. He has already followed Mr Trump by pledging to move Brazils embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and Brazil has also withdrawn an offer to host UN climate talks later this year. Indeed, Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of a number of nationalist leaders, including Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, to attend the ceremony. As for Mr Trump, he tweeted his congratulations to Mr Bolsonaro and said the US stood with him. Like the US president, Mr Bolsonaro has left environmentalists concerned by plans to build hydroelectric dams in the Amazon and open up to mining the reservations of indigenous peoples. Leftist presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Miguel Diaz-Canel of Cuba, all deemed dictators by Mr Bolsonaro, were uninvited by his team after the foreign ministry sent them invitations. Mr Trumps national security adviser John Bolton has also called the three nations a troika of tyranny. Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Show all 20 1 /20 Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters wait in front of the Planalto Palace, where he will take office EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress before he is sworn AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves to the crowd, as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The National Congress before Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is sworn in AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration AFP/Getty Mr Bolsonaro is likely to block any moves to legalise abortion beyond the current limited exceptions and remove sex education from public schools. Backed by conservatives and evangelicals he is against what he calls cultural Marxism introduced by recent left-leaning governments. Many of Mr Bolsonaros critics fear the new administration will mean autocratic rule. Seven of Mr Bolsonaros 22 cabinet ministers are former military personnel, more than in any administration during Brazils 1964 to 1985 dictatorship. The day was full of the pomp you might expect, but security was tight with 3,000 police on duty. Mr Bolsonaro travelled from Brasilia Cathedral to Congress in an open-top Rolls Royce escorted by cavalry on white horses and jogging security guards, as the crowds cheered. The increased security came at Mr Bolsonaros request after he was stabbed at a campaign rally in September. I came here just for the inauguration, supporter Antonio Vendramin told Agence-France Presse. I made a lot of money and saved money to buy the ticket, to be able to buy the plane ticket because its a long way to come by car but we managed to make it all the way to be here on this day for President Bolsonaros inauguration. Were full of pride. Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office Mr Bolsonaro vowed to adhere to democratic norms. My vow is to strengthen Brazils democracy, he said. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events On the economic front, the new leader promised to create a new virtuous cycle to open markets and carry out important structural reforms to shore up a large public deficit. The key measure for reducing the deficit will be the overhaul of the countrys costly social security pension system. However, despite the supporters lining the streets draped in Brazilian flags for his inauguration, Mr Bolsonaro could find it difficult to force through changes given the major overhaul he wants to spearhead. As well as clashing with the political interests of many politicians, Mr Bolsonaros Liberal and Social Party will have 52 seats in Brazils 513-member lower house, only the second largest bloc behind the Workers Party. Hillary Clinton has described 2018 as a dark time for America in a new year Instagram post. The Democrat former presidential candidate said she was grateful to everyone who brought light into it including activists, journalists, election organisers, candidates and protesters. The former secretary of state called for more light in the coming year to make it as bright as possible. In many ways, 2018 was a dark time for our country, Ms Clinton wrote. As it ends, Im grateful to everyone who brought light into it: activists who protected kids at the border, journalists who stood up for truth. Organisers who mobilised voters for the 2018 elections, candidates who ran races with grit and inspiration, voters who made their voices heard, and absolutely everyone who marched, donated, called, and protested to fight for the values we share. Heres to more light in 2019, and to a shared commitment to make it as bright as possible. Happy New Year. The post was accompanied with a 1996 photo of herself, her husband and former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsea. The photo was taken as the family watched fireworks to celebrate Mr Clintons second presidential victory. Ms Clinton has not ruled out running against US president Donald Trump in 2020. Asked whether she would run again by journalist Kara Swisher in October, Ms Clinton initially said no. But when pressed on the issue, Ms Clinton said: Well Id like to be president. I think, hopefully, when we have a Democrat in the Oval Office in January of 2021, theres going to be so much work to be done. She continued: I mean we have confused everybody in the world, including ourselves. We have confused our friends and our enemies. They have no idea what the United States stands for, what were likely to do, what we think is important, so the work would be work that I feel very well prepared for, having been at the Senate for eight years, having been a diplomat in the state department, and its just going to be a lot of heavy lifting. 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 Asked if she personally would be doing any lifting, Ms Clinton said: I have no idea. Im not even going to even think about it till we get through this November 6 election about whats going to happen after that, she said. But Im going to do everything in my power to make sure we have a Democrat in the White House come January of 2021. A child has been injured after falling into a rhino exhibit in a zoo in Florida. The two-year-old had to be taken to hospital by helicopter from Brevard Zoo in Melbourne. Firefighters said the childs mother was also taken to hospital for treatment. In a statement, the zoo said the child stumbled and fell between two metal poles separating the family from the zoos white rhinoceroses during a hands-on experience. At this point, the snout of at least one of the rhinoceroses made contact with the child, the zoo said. The childs condition is unknown, the statement added. Where not to visit if you love animals Show all 9 1 /9 Where not to visit if you love animals Where not to visit if you love animals Monkey shows Chimpanzees are forced to perform demeaning tricks on leashes and are often subject to cruel training techniques. Animals who are confined to small, barren enclosures and forced to perform unsurprisingly show symptoms of stress and depression. Chimpanzees have been documented rocking back and forth, sucking their lips, salivating and swaying against enclosure perimeters in distress. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Marine parks Some parks confine orcas to concrete tanks and force them to perform meaningless tricks for food - many die in captivity. Orcas are highly intelligent and social mammals who may suffer immensely, both physically and mentally, when they're held in captivity. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Tiger shows Tigers are forced to live in an unnatural and barren environment and have to endure interactions with a constant stream of tourists. Since tigers never lose their wild instincts, across the world they are reportedly drugged, mutilated and restrained in order to make them safe for the public. However, every year, incidents of tiger maulings are reported at this type of tourist attraction. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Donkey rides Sunning on the beach is great for humans we can take a quick dip or catch a bite to eat when we get too hot or hungry. But it's pure hell for donkeys who are confined to the beach and forced to cart children around on the hot sand. Some donkey-ride operators at beach resorts in the UK even keep the animals chained together at all times. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Swimming with dolphins Some marine parks use bottlenose dolphins in performances and offer visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, people are often unaware that these animals are captured in the wild and torn from their families or traded between different parks around the world. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Canned hunting Lions are confined to fenced areas so that they can easily be cornered, with no chance of escape. Most of them will have been bred in captivity and then taken from their mothers to be hand-reared by the cub-petting industry. When they get too big, they may be drugged before they are released into a "hunting" enclosure. Because these animals are usually kept in fenced enclosures (ranging in size from just a few square yards to thousands of acres), they never stand a chance of surviving. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Running of the Bulls Every year, tourists travel to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls. The bulls who are forced to slip and slide down the town's narrow cobblestone streets are chased straight into the bullring. They are then taunted, stabbed repeatedly and finally killed by the matador in front of a jeering crowd. The majority of Spaniards reject bullfighting, but tourists are keeping the cruel industry on its last legs. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Horse-drawn carriages City streets are no place for horses. The animals toil in all weather extremes, suffering from respiratory distress from breathing in exhaust fumes as well as numerous hoof, leg and back problems from walking on pavement all day long. As easily spooked prey animals, horses subjected to the loud noises and unexpected sounds of city streets are likely to be involved in accidents, even deadly ones. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Zoos The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed and traded without any regard for established relationships. Zoos breed animals because the presence of babies draws visitors and boosts revenue, yet often, there's nowhere to put the offspring as they grow, and they are killed, as we saw with Marius the giraffe in Denmark. Some zoos have introduced evening events with loud music and alcohol which disrupt the incarcerated animals even further. EPA Our number one concern is the safety and welfare of our guests and our hearts go out to the family said Keith Winsten, the zoos executive director. Safety has always been of paramount importance to us and we are suspending these encounters until we have thoroughly reviewed our processes and procedures to ensure this cannot happen again. The zoo has four southern white rhinos. It comes after a zoo intern was mauled to death by a lion that had escaped from a locked pen in North Carolina. Alexandra Black, 22, was attacked on Sunday while cleaning an animal enclosure with other staff members at the Conservators Center near Burlington. Police said the lion was shot and killed after several attempts to sedate it with a tranquilliser failed. Senator Elizabeth Warrens formation of an exploratory committee for president on Monday represents a sort of political ball drop, the beginning of a new year and new campaign that will feature an unusually large number of Democrats seeking the presidency. Or will it? As the 2020 Democratic primary gets underway, the defining characteristic of this first stage of the race is the sheer uncertainty about who is even running. More than 30 Democrats are mulling presidential bids, but hardly any of them qualifies as an instant front-runner or a gifted, tested campaigner, and some of the biggest names could pass in the end. Even beyond the field of specific candidates, this will be one of the most fluid nominating contests Democrats have had in recent decades. A leaderless party, they are in a moment of transition from centre-left politics to a more ideologically pure brand of liberalism. Democrats are grappling with what they stand for, what their voters expect, and what demographic groups will be most critical in winning an Electoral College majority in 2020. But most of all, they are unified by a once-unimaginable objective that only illustrates how unpredictable American politics has become: ensuring Donald Trump is just a one-term president. Whos going to run? It is hard to recall a recent presidential primary where, at the outset of the race, there was this much genuine mystery not only about who would eventually emerge as the nominee, but who planned to run at all. Ms Warrens announcement on Monday was expected. And it will not be a surprise when senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California enter the race in the coming weeks. But the number of would-be candidates who may ultimately stay out of the race is larger than the list of contenders who are certain to run. There are the well-known, or at least much-buzzed-about, Democrats who are still deliberating: former vice president Joe Biden is the most prominent of this group, and leads the field in initial polling in Iowa. But there is also great anticipation over Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the runner-up for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and Texas representative Beto ORourke, whose losing senate bid this year electrified many grassroots Democrats. 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 It is unclear if any of these men will enter the race particularly Mr Biden, who, associates say, is ambivalent about running after over three decades of presidential fits and starts. There is also great uncertainty about lesser-known potential contenders who could be formidable and if the Trump phenomenon proves anything, it is that making any assumptions about candidates is folly. Will senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota both of whom just won third terms in presidential battleground states go beyond their flirtation with running? And what of the roster of current and former Democratic governors, like Steve Bullock of Montana or Terry McAuliffe of Virginia? Meeting the moment Presidential politics recalls the adage that 80 per cent of life is showing up. Except in the case of primaries. Then, its about knowing when to show up. That question, more than anything, is what looms over Ms Warrens candidacy: would she be the president today if she had run in 2016, as some liberal activists and admirers urged her to? Mr Sanders ended up filling the void on the populist left and ran a surprisingly strong campaign against Hillary Clinton. Ms Warren was hardly the first White House hopeful to risk waiting. Bill Clinton, for example, opted out of the 1988 campaign and still became president four years later. But the more recent history of presidential calculations suggests that candidates are wiser to run when the moment presents itself. That is what Obama did in 2008 after just four years in the Senate, the same period Ms Warren would have served by 2016. Some Democrats think 2020 is Mr ORourkes moment: he has been in the House for just six years, but many liberals see his energy and freshness as inspiring. One reason Ms Warren announced on Monday and declared so early, her allies suggested, was to erase any uncertainty about her intentions among supporters whom she kept waiting and ultimately disappointed in 2016. But now, instead of a head-to-head race against Hillary Clinton, Ms Warren is entering a wide-open campaign facing questions about her sensitivity on race and her political savvy after the release of a DNA test of her Native American heritage. Her decision to take the test angered some allies on the left and did nothing to stop Mr Trumps mockery of her roots. Democratic senator Mazie Hirono calls out Donald Trumps shutdown on live TV: 'Any efforts on his behalf to blame the Democrats would be such bullsh*t' What do voters want? Timing is also crucial in presidential races because the issues can change so quickly. Mr Trumps incendiary rhetoric and policies around race and immigration have shifted the political conversation away from matters of economic inequality, which has been the lifes work of Ms Warren and which defined much of the 2016 Democratic primary. Still, her party has plainly moved to the left on economics and social justice. So as much as anything, Ms Warrens candidacy will test whether 2020 primary voters will demand that their candidates take unwavering positions on issues like universal health care and Wall Street regulations, much as they have historically expected them to do so on supporting abortion rights. Mr Sanders 2016 candidacy demonstrated that there is hunger among Democrats to confront Wall Street excesses and income inequality. But whats less clear is how much of a premium the voters will put on purity on these issues and if they will overlook a softer line from a candidate who inspires them and who they think can defeat Mr Trump. A warning shot at big money Ms Warren is one of several potential candidates who have crusaded against the influence of wealthy donors and corporations, even to the point of calling out fellow Democrats for taking a more pliant approach to big-dollar fundraising and business regulation. And she is unlikely to be any less confrontational with rivals in the primary who are heavily backed by billionaire donors, or who are billionaires themselves. That poses a threat to possible Democratic candidates like Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, who are aligned with liberals on important issues like climate change and immigration but embody the kind of capitalist wealth that many despise. She may also cause trouble for non-billionaires like Mr Booker and Mr McAuliffe, who have collected enormous sums of money over the years from banks, hedge funds and pharmaceutical corporations. Mr Booker recently became the first candidate to have a super PAC formed in support of his anticipated campaign. There is reason to expect Democratic primary voters and activists will be wary of candidates they see as too cosy with big money. In the 2018 midterms, Democratic candidates who disavowed corporate money fared exceedingly well in primary elections, and the incoming House majority is expected to make ethics and campaign-finance legislation one of its first priorities. Revulsion from a money-soaked political system is one of a few concerns that links Democrats on the activist left, such as representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with less ideological party favourites like Mr ORourke. It is not difficult to imagine Ms Warren emerging as a kind of good-government buzz saw on debate stages dotted with billionaires and super PAC beneficiaries. Whether or not voters thrill to her persona or policies, there may be no candidate better equipped than she is to help set the rules of engagement around political money and the 2020 field and to call out those who flout 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 Splitting the screen with Washington Ms Warrens step into the 2020 race was one of the biggest political stories of the day, but even a Democrat of her stature had to share the news cycle with an ongoing government shutdown and Mr Trumps demands that congress finance a border wall with Mexico. So it is likely to go for most of the 2020 campaign, as a president prone to political brinkmanship and angry outbursts simultaneously navigates divided government and his own battle for a second term. Crises in government could routinely overshadow the Democratic primary campaign. Democrats internal debates about ideology and their partys identity could be obscured by louder, more venomous clashes between the two parties. And challengers hoping to beat Mr Trump on the campaign trail may have difficulty competing for attention when he is in the White House or on Twitter. At times, there could also be moments of friction between the Democrats running for president and the Democrats helming the party in congress. In the case of the shutdown, there is relatively little daylight, at least so far: neither legislative leaders like Nancy Pelosi nor candidates like Ms Warren want to build a border wall. But in other fights from cabinet nominations to possible impeachment proceedings there may be a wider gap between would-be presidents striving to win primary votes and legislative tacticians aiming to outmanoeuvre Republicans or cut deals with them. Candidates like Ms Warren, and other sitting senators like Mr Harris and Mr Booker, will each have to strike their own balance between joining the fights of the day in Washington often in reaction to Mr Trump and introducing themselves to voters around the country, outlining their agendas and drawing contrasts with their rivals for the nomination. The New York Times A senior Conservative MP has accused the Commons authorities of having swept under the carpet significant problems around bullying and harassment in Westminster. Maria Miller, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, warned that the House of Commons could be brought into disrepute over the disgraceful way a damning report into the subject is being taken forward. She called for clarity over when speaker John Bercow would stand down, and claimed it was curious that many women MPs had fallen out with him. Earlier in the year amid the fallout that followed Dame Laura Coxs inquiry into bullying and harassment allegations it was reported that Mr Bercow would stand down in the summer. In an interview with Press Association, Ms Miller said: Its absolutely disgraceful the way in which the Cox report is being taken forward, and that significant issues that she raised appear to be being swept under the carpet. I will continue to do everything that I can to make sure that there is an acknowledgement of the need to change the culture here. She added: At the moment its clear that a number of modernisation projects here have stalled and that is completely unacceptable and MPs will be taking the matter into their own hands. She said Dame Laura was absolutely clear that there would not be a change in the culture unless there is a change in senior management including Mr Bercow and the commons clerk. Speaker John Bercow makes Commons remarks on Westminster bullying Ms Miller said: Sir David Natzler has announced that he will be leaving: we now need clarity as to when the speaker will be leaving. She alluded to recent incidents in the Commons between Mr Bercow and female Conservative MPs, including former education secretary Nicky Morgan questioning his approach to selecting those who ask questions, and allegations that he called Commons leader Andrea Leadsom a stupid woman. Ms Miller said: The reason people will not speak out is fear of the speaker, they are fearful of him and maybe they have just cause to be fearful of him. He controls your ability to be able to contribute in the chamber, and secondly his outbursts can be very embarrassing and for some people even humiliating. The ex-cabinet minister added: Many female colleagues appear to have found themselves on the wrong side of the speaker, which is curious. Maria Miller calls for House Speaker John Bercow to resign Dame Laura said she had found endemic bullying and harassment in parliament, in which more than 200 former and current Commons staff had reported being affected. The former judge said she found a culture of deference, subservience, acquiescence and silence and recommended that people in management roles should consider their positions. The speaker has been the subject of multiple bullying allegations, which he denies. A spokesman for the speaker said: The speaker, alongside the entire House of Commons Commission, has committed to swift and lasting change in response to Dame Laura Coxs report and accepted its key recommendations. A number of changes have already been made in response to the report and the speaker hopes and expects to see further such progress made in 2019. The speaker was elected by the house in 2017 for the course of the parliament. In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the house first. Theresa Mays new year message was a plea to MPs to back her beleaguered Brexit deal so the UK can turn a corner and focus on the stuff that really matters to people housebuilding, education, the NHS. In the prime ministers vision for 2019, the country is itching to start a new chapter, once this pesky business of pulling out of the EU is carried out on 29 March but how realistic is this? The answer lies in the description of the period that will follow the formal act of leaving the EU, or rather in the term that should be used to explain what happens next. I wanted to change the world, I wanted to find an alternative to the problems I saw, recalls Hadiya Masieh. Surrounded by photos of her children, the 40-year-old remembers how she was drawn into the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and its call for a caliphate. After being attracted to the organisations ideals as a teenager, she became a full-time member and recruiter, marching and leafleting to spread its message of fundamental conflict between Islam and the west. But the 7/7 bombings that left 52 victims dead in London in 2005 was a wake-up call, showing where the Islamist ideology she had devoted herself to could lead. Its not that the group was violent, but young people go in with the idea of creating peace and hope and a better life and it gets turned into something else, Ms Masieh told The Independent. They get used by these political groups for their own agenda. She has spent more than a decade working to counter the ideas she once followed, as part of a growing army of former extremists trying to turn the tide against a surge of radicalisation on all fronts. Police have warned that Britain may be struck by further terror attacks following the atrocities that left 36 victims dead in 2017, and with plots becoming less sophisticated and quicker to mount there are fears that not all can be stopped. The explosion in Islamist-inspired terrorism sparked by the rise of Isis has been followed by an increase in far-right extremism, as the two ideologies feed each other to fatal effect. As terror investigations hit a record number in the UK and security services run red hot to combat emerging plots, efforts are mounting to cut off the threat at its source. Ms Masieh works with young women and girls who are vulnerable to Islamist radicalisation as part of the governments Prevent counter-extremism programme and a group called Women Without Borders. She says her own experience helps engage with teenagers who are attracted to Isis, saying: I think I had to be in it to understand it if women have been sold a utopia, an idea they can relate to, they will run with that and weve seen that happen. Ms Masieh saw a spike in girls aged between 15 and 17 being referred for help from 2014 onwards, as Isis targeted potential jihadi brides with sophisticated propaganda campaigns. They were attracted by their ability to offer a situation to the problems that they were facing every day as young girls, whether that was Islamophobia or non-acceptance, she said. They were offered a package claiming this was a space where you can be you, youll have your identity and you can practice your faith without any harm coming to you. While many western commentators saw womens role in the Islamic State as little more than brutal servitude, Isis allowed women to recruit more female members online, broadcast their activities on social media and even enforce its harsh interpretation of sharia law in morality police units. Hadiya Masieh, a former Islamist group member who now works for Prevent (poptech/YouTube) Many women, including some who took young children, were among around 900 people who have left the UK for Syria since 2014. Several, including at least one of three Bethnal Green schoolgirls who joined Isis together, have been killed. Ms Masieh said the destruction of Isiss territories and much of its online propaganda network had hit its recruitment capabilities, but that continuing grievances have left fertile ground for a resurgence. Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa atop of military vehicles REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march past destroyed buildings as they celebrate victory REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces evacuate a civilian from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A civilian prays after she was rescued by fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop of military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis in pictures A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrates in Raqqa Reuters I focus on giving young people an alternative, showing them the flaws in extremist arguments and giving them the capacity to challenge them and hope that there is another way forward, she added. Islamic education is important to teach them that they can have their identity as a Muslim and carry on living as a British citizen. Ms Masieh warned that rising Islamophobic hate crimes risked making more people vulnerable to extremists arguments, but said rocketing hate crime and terror attacks had strengthened resolve to counter hatred of all kinds. Recommended Teenage Isis supporter encouraged girlfriend to behead her parents People have had enough and they want to find a way of addressing these issues, she added. There is this air of coming together collectively. Fellow Prevent intervention provider Nigel Bromage, a former member of the neo-Nazi group Combat 18, works with people taking on far-right ideas. Simply put extremism is a coin, he said. On the one side youve got Islamists and the other side youve got far-right extremism. They both feed off each other and a lot of the time they use the same grooming techniques to get involved, but for a different cause. The relationship has been played out in terror attacks and plots, with a man who tried to behead an Asian dentist claiming he was avenging Lee Rigby, who was murdered by Islamist extremists. Three years later Darren Osborne, an unemployed father who consumed propaganda from Tommy Robinson, Britain First and other far-right figures, cited the Manchester bombing as a reason for ploughing a van into Muslims in Finsbury Park. Darren Osborne cited the Manchester bombing as a reason for driving a van into Muslims in 2017 (Reuters) (Metropolitan Police/Reuters) White people are now the largest single ethnic group of terror suspects arrested in the UK, and Prevent referrals for right-wing extremism have rocketed by 36 per cent in a year. For the first time, the number of people receiving counter-radicalisation support for Islamist and extreme right-wing views are on a level. Mr Bromage, 53, said he was drawn into the far-right because of his hatred of the IRA, being drawn to his first meeting by a leaflet showing graphic images of a bomb victim. He spent 20 years in groups including the National Front, British Movement and Combat 18 before becoming disillusioned and cutting ties in 1998. I realised at the end that I joined the far-right to stop terrorism, but at the very end I was advocating direct action as the only way to achieve my beliefs at the time, Mr Bromage said. I became sickened with the violence and the message that was being portrayed. I realised I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and just needed to leave. He now mentors people receiving support through the Prevent scheme and runs a charity called Small Steps that helps far-right extremists break away from their beliefs and lifestyle. We predominantly have been working with people who are hardcore far-right neo-Nazi activists but over the past six months its changed, Mr Bromage said. Weve got people from all sorts of organisations. Groups like Generation Identity, Britain First, the English Defence League and more populist right-wing organisations. A Generation Identity stunt in Bristol in November 2018 (Twitter) He warned that groups presenting themselves as non-violent can radicalise people who later seek to take their own direct action, and that issues like terrorism and grooming gangs can act as a gateway to extremism. Although these people highlight real concerns and issues, these people never offer any real answers and we need to highlight that, Mr Bromage said. We find out why a person is angry, where they get their views from and we offer them alternatives. Mr Bromage said the far-right had not been taken seriously in the UK for a long time but that the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and rise of neo-Nazi National Action had sparked new awareness. Its a serious problem, people understand that and now were going the right way where were tackling far-right extremism and its being done well, he added. Not everyone is so optimistic about Prevent, which has been attacked from all political and ideological sides for being both draconian and ineffective, invasive and inept. But as one of the four strands of the UKs counterterror strategy prevent, pursue, protect and prepare the government has so far rebuffed calls to rebrand the programme or change its tactics. A refreshed strategy released in the summer characterises Prevent as a safeguarding programme for vulnerable adults and children, adding: There is no single sociodemographic profile of a terrorist in the UK, and no single pathway, or conveyor belt, leading to involvement in terrorism. Terrorists come from a broad range of backgrounds and appear to become involved in different ways and for differing reasons. Few of those who are drawn into terrorism have a deep knowledge of faith. While no single factor will cause someone to become involved in terrorism, several factors can converge to create the conditions under which radicalisation can occur. Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu recently told MPs that while security services had until recently considered returning foreign fighters as the greatest terror threat to the UK, it wasnt the threat was already here. He said that of a record 700 terror investigations currently running in Britain, around 80 were looking into Islamist jihadis and 20 per cent other, including a significant proportion from the right wing. Prevent is the most important pillar of the strategy if long-term we want to see some reduction in the threat, Mr Basu told the Home Affairs Committee. We have got to challenge extremist behaviour even if it doesnt cross the criminal threshold because of the kind of intolerance it breeds. Mr Bromage called on former extremists of all stripes to join the fight and become role models, adding: As long as society can be forgiving and accepts that people can change, then more people will come forward and we will create a better answer. Emergency services responded to thousands of calls across the country in a matter of hours on New Years Eve. Police and ambulance crews endured their busiest night of the year on Monday as problems caused by excessive drinking piled additional work on top of routine calls. Police arrested a 25-year-old man after a knife attack at Manchester Victoria station, which investigators are treating as terror related, during the most high-profile incident of the night. Three people, including a British Transport Police officer, were stabbed during the attack, although none are thought to be in a life-threatening condition. London Ambulance Service said it took close to 900 calls between midnight and 2am on New Years Day, including the fatal stabbing of a woman in Camberwell. A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. In central London, a man believed to be a security guard was also fatally stabbed. Police in Essex dealt with another stabbing, this time just outside the capital in Epping, where a teenager was knifed in the stomach at a nightclub after a verbal exchange on the dance floor at around 1.20am. A second teenager was left unconscious with several teeth missing after being attacked outside the same club two hours later. Both are expected to make a full recovery from their injuries. Meanwhile, in Walsall, a 29-year-old man was arrested after a woman and her baby were attacked with a sword at a New Years Eve party. West Midlands Police said the victim and her child had not been seriously hurt in the altercation, but were badly shaken up and distressed. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb), which covers Kent, Surrey and Sussex, responded to more than 1,100 calls between 5pm on 31 December and 5am on 1 January. The trust said the busy 12-hour period had come at the end of days of increased demand over the festive period. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Im extremely proud of everyones efforts last night and throughout the whole festive period, SECAmb chief executive Daren Mochrie said. I would like to thank every member of staff and also our volunteers including our community first responders and chaplains for their commitment and professionalism at this busy time of year. North West Ambulance service had warned it would be dealing with similar problems as last New Years Eve: its crews saw a 50 per cent increase in emergency calls compared to a normal Saturday night and a 170 per cent increase in the number of calls to assaults. Police Scotland said it had received close to 10,000 emergency calls between Christmas Day and the morning of New Years Eve. Additional reporting by agencies Hundreds of customers at a self-storage warehouse in south London are likely to have lost their possessions after a fire completely destroyed the building. Shurgard, which runs the self-storage facility on Purley Way in Croydon, said it would contact all those renting units within the next two days. The fire started at around 7.45pm on Monday and ripped through the warehouse. The cause is yet to be determined. Nobody was injured, police said, although a spokesman for Shurgard said the building had been razed to the ground. The entire building has been destroyed, he said. Damage to the surrounding area seems to be limited, but for safety reasons traffic has been blocked for the time being. Shurgard representatives at the scene are working in close collaboration with the London Fire Brigade and the local police department to provide them with all necessary information on the store. The care for its customers of the 1,198 rented units at the Croydon Purley Way store is the first priority for Shurgard. Shurgard will undertake every effort to support all customers for which the event means a loss of their stored goods. As a first measure, a dedicated Shurgard team will be contacting every customer of the store within the next 48 hours to help them and support them with their claim procedures. London Fire Brigade (LFB) assistant commissioner Graham Ellis described the blaze as very challenging. He said: As you can imagine, self-storage units are generally full of items like furniture which when packed tightly provide a lot of materials to burn, and so these sorts of incidents tend to create large fires that burn hard for a long time, creating a lot of smoke. That said, firefighters have worked hard to ensure that while the fire is burning, it is contained and won't spread to nearby buildings. Currently, a thick plume of smoke is rising from the fire and while most of it is dissipating in the air, it is visible and locals will certainly smell it, so do keep windows and doors shut. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Self-storage units are technically very difficult fires to manage, as well as the fire loading it's difficult to know what is being stored, which is another reason why we will have lots of appliances in the area for most of today. The road around the storage unit remains closed while emergency services continue to work at the scene. At the height of the incident, 20 fire engines and around 120 firefighters were called to the scene to tackle the blaze. The fire has now been contained, but LFB said fire crews were expected to be tackling deep seated pockets of fire in the building into Tuesday night. Additional reporting by PA Up to 120 firefighters are tackling a blaze at a self-storage warehouse in London. Around 20 fire engines are at the scene, in Purley Way, Croydon, after London Fire Brigade (LFB) were called shortly before 8pm on New Year's Eve. The cause of the blaze remains unknown and Transport for London (TfL) has urged drivers to find alternative routes. Croydon station manager Jason Jones said: "This is a significant fire in a large self-storage warehouse. There is a lot of smoke in the local area and we'd ask residents to keep their doors and windows closed. "Thankfully no one was inside the property at the time of the fire and there are no reports of any injuries. "Firefighters will be at the scene throughout the night." The fire is believed to be at a Shurgard facility, which contains more than 1,300 self-storage units. Counter terror police are questioning a man following a New Years Eve knife attack at a station in Manchester left three people injured. Police say they are keeping an open mind as to the motives behind the incident at Victoria Station in the centre of the city, after video footage appeared to show a suspect shouting Allahu akbar, or god is great in Arabic, at the scene. Three people a police officer in his 30s and a man and a woman in their 50s were taken to hospital to be treated for stab wounds, none of which were thought to be life-threatening. British Transport Police (BTP) said on Tuesday the injured officer had been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment to a knife wound to his shoulder. A BBC producer who was a witness at the station described the attacker as wielding a large kitchen knife and who linked his actions to bombings in other countries. Recommended Police officer among three injured in Manchester knife attack I heard the man say, 'As long as you keep bombing these countries this is going to keep happening,' the producer, Sam Clack, told BBC 5 Live radio. It was very, very scary. Mr Clack, on his way to catch a tram home, said police officers used a Taser and pepper spray before, six or seven officers jumped on the man. A joint statement by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the BTP said a suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on a tram platform at the station within minutes of the incident taking place. The forces said additional police officers would be deployed to the station throughout New Years Day, but the move did not mean there was an increased threat to the public. Tonight's events will have understandably worried people but I need to stress that the incident is not ongoing, a man is in custody and there is currently no intelligence to suggest there is any wider threat at this time, assistant chief constable Rob Potts said in a statement released on Monday. The incident came as emergency services personnel across the country engaged in their busiest night of the year. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In Greater Manchester alone, 16 per cent more 999 calls and 3 per cent more 101 calls are made on New Year's Eve compared with an average Friday night. New Year's Eve is always a busy night for us, said superintendent Mark Kenny, who runs GMPs call handling teams. We tend to see more emergencies including serious incidents being reported, with alcohol-fuelled violence being the largest demand. Additional reporting by agencies A New Year's Eve knife attack at a station in Manchester in which three people were injured as a terror incident, police have said. Counter terror officers continue to question a 25-year-old man, who is being held in connection with the incident at Victoria Station in the centre of the city, officers said on Tuesday. Officers also conducted a search of the suspects home, in the Cheetham Hill neighbourhood in northern Manchester. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) chief constable Ian Hopkins said the attack was being treated as a terrorist investigation. Three people - a police officer in his 30s and a man and a woman in their 50s - were taken to hospital to be treated for stab wounds, none of which were thought to be life-threatening. Witnesses reported the suspect shouted Allah and long live the Caliphate during the incident, which took place on a tram platform at the station just before 9pm on Monday evening. A joint statement by Greater Manchester Police and the British Transport Police (BTP) said a suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on a tram platform at the station within minutes of the incident taking place. BTP assistant chief constable Sean O'Callaghan paid tribute to the officers who had first been on the scene. I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife, he said. They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have both praised the response of emergency services staff who dealt with the attack. My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night, the prime minister said in a statement on Twitter. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response. Thinking of those injured in Manchester last night, their families and loved ones, the Labour leader added. Thanks to our emergency services for their professionalism and bravery in dealing with this suspected terror attack. Police say there is no indication any other individuals were involved in planning or assisting the attack. Investigators said the incident is not going and there is currently no intelligence to suggest there is a wider threat to the public. Manchester Victoria station re-opened on Tuesday afternoon. Additional reporting by agencies Two people have been stabbed to death in London in the first six hours of 2019. The Metropolitan Police has launched separate murder investigations after fatal knife attacks in Camberwell, south London, and the West End in the early hours of New Years Day. Murders in the capital hit a 10-year high in 2018. Police were called by paramedics to a stabbing at a property in John Ruskin Street, Camberwell, at 4.20am on Tuesday. A woman aged in her early thirties was pronounced dead half an hour later. A 34-year-old man has been arrested. Officers were called to reports of another knife attack outside a New Years Eve party in Park Lane, Westminster, at 5.35am. A man in his early thirties, thought to be a security guard at the private event, was found with stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at 6.05am. Two other men, aged 37 and 29, and a 29-year-old woman were also stabbed. They were taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life threatening. Detective chief inspector Andy Partridge said: It appears the deceased and the two injured males were working as security staff for the party, they were attacked by a group of males who were outside trying to enter the venue. The female was also attacked as she assisted the security staff in closing the front door of the premises. This shocking incident happened just hours into a New Year, the area was particularly busy with people out celebrating and making their way home from various parties and organised events. UK news in pictures Show all 51 1 /51 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 June 2021 Members of the Vaxinol team, who are commercial, industrial and residential cleaners specialising in disinfection and decontamination, use electrostatic spray systems to deep clean the Only Fools Bar in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 10 June 2021 A woman walks her dogs as the incoming tide begins to wash away the heads of G7 leaders drawn in the sand by activists on the beach at Newquay, Cornwall AP UK news in pictures 9 June 2021 Adam Chamberlain, 45, general manager of Big Tree pub in Sheffield, has put up over 500 flags, taking 36 hours, in preparation for Euro 2020, which kicks off this weekend Tom Maddick / SWNS UK news in pictures 8 June 2021 REUTERS UK news in pictures 7 June 2021 A pedestrian wearing a face covering walks over Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 6 June 2021 Isobel Salamon, founder of the Edinburgh Cinema Club, poses alongside the Leith Trainspotting murals in Quality Yard, Leith, Edinburgh, for the programme launch of the Cinescapes Festival which starts on July 4 with a Trainspotting 1 and 2 double bill PA UK news in pictures 5 June 2021 A long exposure photograph captures the rotation of the earth as the stars blur into circles over Knowlton church ruins in Dorset Nick Lucas/SWNS UK news in pictures 4 June 2021 Balloonists take flight during the opening of the Midlands Air Festival in Alcester, Warwickshire PA UK news in pictures 3 June 2021 Members of the Household Cavalry during the Major General's annual inspection of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Hyde Park, London PA UK news in pictures 2 June 2021 Hannah Vitos of the Blenheim Art Foundation, poses for a photograph next to artist Ai Weiwei's Gilded Cage (2017) sculpture in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 June 2021 People swim in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool bridge across two exclusive residential blocks standing next to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, in London, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 AP UK news in pictures 31 May 2021 People enjoy the hot weather at Brighton beach Reuters UK news in pictures 30 May 2021 People venture into the sea as they enjoy themselves during a hot day on Brighton Beach AP UK news in pictures 29 May 2021 Swimmers at the Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire, which reopens after lockdown restrictions were eased PA UK news in pictures 28 May 2021 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he meets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Downing Street in London REUTERS UK news in pictures 27 May 2021 White Pelicans in the sunshine in St James's Park, London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2021 Boats are seen at Southsea Moorings in Portsmouth Reuters UK news in pictures 25 May 2021 York Glaziers Trust employees Kieran Muir (left) and Emily Price (right) remove a stained glass window panel at the start of a new five year, 5m project to conserve York Minsters South East Transept and its medieval St Cuthbert Window PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2021 Dark rain clouds above an oast house at Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst in Kent during one of the rainiest Mays on record, with the UK seeing 131 per cent of the usual months rainfall already PA UK news in pictures 23 May 2021 The Premier League trophy with the Manchester City club colour ribbons on, at Etihad Stadium, prior to the last Premier League match of the season. City will finally pick up the trophy after they won the league on 11 May Getty UK news in pictures 22 May 2021 Gary Kenny lifts the Buildbase FA Vase Trophy after Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase Final against Binfield at Wembley Stadium Getty UK news in pictures 21 May 2021 A family buffeted by the wind whilst crossing the the Millennium Bridge in London, with wind and rain forecast to ravage the UK on the first Friday that people have been allowed to meet in large groups outside in England PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2021 Devon And Cornwall Police Demonstrate Their Skills For Policing The G7 Summit Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 May 2021 An employee stands before a costume for the Queen of Hearts by Bob Crowley on display at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London PA UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters No arrests have been made in connection to the West End stabbing. Police have appealed for witnesses, some of whom are thought to have filmed the attack on mobile phones, to come forward. Neither of those killed have been formally identified. Scotland Yard recorded 134 homicides in London last year, the highest murder rate since 2008 and a 15 per cent rise from 2017. Twenty-four of the victims were aged 19 or younger. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said this week that tackling street violence was number one priority. Amid growing anger over a spate of murders in the spring, police and City Hall last year set up a Violent Crime Taskforce that has since seized more than 500 guns, 2,000 knives and 900 other weapons. A Nasa explorer on a quest to collect clues about the solar systems creation is believed to have reached the systems outermost region early on New Years Day. Nasa is awaiting news from the spacecraft which is on a path to pass by the icy Ultima Thule space rock on Tuesday, marking a new record for the furthest object ever explored in the Solar System roughly 6.5 billion kilometres from the Earth. During its flyby, the New Horizons spacecraft will pass approximately 3,500 kilometres from the surface of Ultima Thule. It is prepared to take gigabytes of photos and other data during the hours it approaches and departs from its closest point to the 30-kilometre-wide body. Scientists believe the body is farther away from Earth than any other that has had such a close encounter with a Nasa probe. The New Horizons probe was slated to reach the third zone in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt at 12:33am eastern time. Recommended Nasa prepares to explore most distant world ever probed by humankind Scientists will not have confirmation of its successful arrival until the probe communicates its whereabouts via Nasas Deep Space Network at 10:28am eastern time, about 10 hours later. Once it enters the peripheral layer of the belt, containing icy bodies and leftover fragments from the solar systems creation, the probe will get its first close-up glance of Ultima Thule, a cool mass shaped like a giant peanut, using seven on-board instruments. According to Nasa, scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched in 2006, meaning the mission was unique. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and selected it for New Horizons extended mission in 2015. Anythings possible out there in this very unknown region, John Spencer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons, told reporters on Monday at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on a 4 billion mile journey toward the solar systems frigid edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. The spacecraft, which is the size of a baby grand piano, flew past Pluto in 2015, providing the first close-up views of the planet. During the fly-by, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed that methane-rich dunes were on the icy dwarf planets surface. 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 After trekking 1 billion miles beyond Pluto into the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons will now seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets. As the probe flies 2,200 miles (3,500 km) above Thules surface, scientists hope it will detect the chemical composition of its atmosphere and terrain in what Nasa says will be the closest observation of a body so remote. We are straining the capabilities of this spacecraft, and by tomorrow well know how we did, Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, said during the news conference at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. There are no second chances for New Horizons. There is a great deal scientists can learn from both Ultima and the hundreds of thousands of similar objects scientists deem to be in the solar system. It is probably the most primitive object ever encountered by a spacecraft, the best possible relic of the early Solar System, Hal Weaver, the project scientist on the mission, told the BBC. While the object is officially known as 2014 MU69, it was nicknamed Ultima Thule, a Latin phrase which means beyond the borders of the known world. Additional reporting by Reuters Nasa flight controllers have sent their final set of commands to the space agencys New Horizons spacecraft ahead of its planned historic flyby of the icy Ultima Thule. The spacecraft is on a path to pass by the 30-kilometre-wide body on Tuesday, marking a new record for the furthest object ever explored in the Solar System roughly 6.5 billion kilometres from the Earth. The spacecraft is healthy and were excited! Alice Bowman, the mission operations manager, told reporters at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Maryland. During its flyby, the New Horizons spacecraft will pass roughly 3,500 kilometres from the surface of Ultima Thule. During the hours it approaches and departs from its closest point to the object, the spacecraft is prepared to take gigabytes of photos and other data. The galactic object New Horizons will be observing is located inside of a band of frozen material that rotates on an orbit around the sun that is further than the eight planets recognised in the solar system. On its trip to Ultima, New Horizons passed by the dwarf Pluto in 2015. There is a lot that can be learned from Ultima, and the hundreds of thousands of similar objects like it that scientists say they believe are in the solar system. 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 The makeup of the smallish, icy objects could hold clues and answers for scientists working to understand the formation of our solar system over 4.6 billion years ago. It is probably the most primitive object ever encountered by a spacecraft, the best possible relic of the early Solar System, Hal Weaver, the project scientist on the mission, told the BBC. Entering a new year is never without some fear, so why should 2019 be any different? U.S. troops remain in harms way on several fronts, most notably Afghanistan. The weakening economy has some experts predicting another recession. For the second year in a row, the lifespans of Americans have gotten shorter. Perhaps the biggest reason to be apprehensive, however, is the continued lack of the purpose-driven, clearly articulated, effective leadership this country needs as the second decade of the 21st century winds down. Heres one example: Hamstrung by partisan politics and an unpredictable president who claims to know tech better than anyone, Washington has allowed technology companies to exploit their customers deepening reliance on their products. One poster child for avarice is Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, who with a straight face assured two Senate committees last year that Facebook users have complete control over the information they willingly share with friends on the social network. Turns out that was a lie. The company did tighten privacy protections but then made mostly secret exceptions for scores of companies, according to a recent New York Times investigation. Even as Zuckerberg testified before Congress, his company was sharing users data without their explicit permission with more than 150 other companies. The arrangement helped Facebook expand its audience and generate more advertising revenue. The Federal Trade Commission, which sanctioned Facebook in 2011 for deceiving users about keeping their data private, may penalize it again. The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are also investigating the company. Its Congress, though, that needs to step up its game. This country needs legislation similar to the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation, whose aim is to protect internet users from data procurers and bandits. Unfortunately, Congress on most days cant pass a salt shaker across the table. The Open Markets Institute has recommended a nine-point plan for Facebook that involves rolling back the purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram. That can start the discussion, but whats missing is the direct involvement of Congress, which can do more than make recommendations. Other technological and scientific advances being made also require government attention. That wont happen unless America gets leadership that looks to the future, not the past. Leadership that recognizes its not by happenstance that 30 percent of all new cars in Norway are electric. Leadership that, instead of helping people cling to jobs rooted in the past, prepares them for the vocations of the future. If this country starts getting that kind of leadership in 2019, it will be a Happy New Year! Butch House likes to talk about concrete. And in San Antonio, that usually requires a conversation about clay soil, the unstable substance underlying home foundations, roads and the citys 5,000 miles of sidewalks. In parts of downtown, like around San Pedro Creek, we have places where youre hitting the water table in 5 feet. Worst soil in the world, said House, president of Bexar Concrete Works, one of the largest makers of concrete bridge supports in the U.S. Around AT&T stadium, around Nolan Street, the soil is like some melted yellow chocolate soupy mess that just drips off the auger. Thats why San Antonio has so many foundation companies. District 1 City Councilman Roberto Trevino, an infrastructure aficionado whose Fiesta pin two years ago was a tiny metal sidewalk, shares Houses lament, but he believes that he has at least a partial solution precast concrete sidewalks. Theyre not as contentious as public safety union contracts or light rail proposals, but Trevino says the repair and construction of sidewalks perennially tops every council members list of residents complaints. The stronger, longer-lasting form might cost about 20 percent more per square foot but has been shown to far outlast the traditional method. On Dec. 19, ConnectSA, a nonprofit trying to shape transportation policy, released a report calling for 40 miles of new protected bike paths and 200 miles of new sidewalks by 2025. The two can and should be linked, Trevino says, and he wants to make sure the new pedestrian mobility officer the city is looking to hire understands that. I can get really, really deep in the weeds on this topic, warned Trevino, an architect. His obsession has earned him a City Hall nickname, Luke Sidewalker. We have 1,900 miles of missing sidewalks in San Antonio, Trevino said. Thats 38 percent of our 5,000 miles of sidewalks. These arent the ones that are old and cracked. They simply do not exist. When you follow him into the weeds, you learn that the average cost of a code-compliant sidewalk can reach $28 per square foot and a lot more with retaining walls or sloped curbs. Thats almost $1 billion to meet the citys total need, and we dont have that money but the city could double the effect of the money it does have by using the more expensive but more durable precast method, he says. The citys Transportation & Capital Improvements Department, or TCI, says precast sidewalks will cost about one-third more than conventional ones Trevino says the difference is closer to 20 percent but industry sources agree that precast sidewalks can easily last 60 to 80 years or more. On San Antonios clay soils that dramatically expand and contract with heavy rain and severe heat, a traditional pour-in-place, or PIP, sidewalk can crack within five years, maybe three, according to concrete pros. It is that invest-for-tomorrow philosophy that Trevino hopes to sell to TCI, his fellow council members and residents who might be used to a Band-Aid approach to infrastructure repairs. Precast concrete is hardly a new technology. You see it in the traffic barriers and bridge supports on interstate highways. Its denser and has about three times as much tensile strength as a PIP structure, but using precast for a city sidewalk is not common in the U.S., according to experts familiar with both. The advantages of precast vs. pour-in-place can be considerable. PIP usually takes longer to install, about three days for a typical 50-foot-long residential sidewalk, say experts, compared with one day for precast. A PIP sidewalk cant be done in the rain. Both require about the same 2- to 4-inch underbed of fine gravel, but precast doesnt require the time-consuming wooden forms into which traditional concrete is poured. Precast sidewalks can hinge at their joints to better adjust to an uneven landscape. Pour-in-place is something weve done for years, said Jeff Pepper, a superintendent with Easter Concrete in Helotes for more than 20 years. If done correctly and we have rigid rules when working for the city it is a long-term product. But theres a huge variation in the quality of contractors. Shoddy placement of metal reinforcement rods, or rebar, within traditional PIP sidewalks can result in a cracked sidewalk within three years we see it all the time in walks we have to tear out, Pepper said. Precast walks are made in factories in long, shallow molds, like giant ice cube trays, where the rebar is usually stronger and placed consistently in the middle of the slab. Poorly made sidewalks, often done by crews working under the pressure of lost rain days and low-bid economics, might pass unnoticed in other cities. In San Antonio, sidewalks crack and wobble like theyve gone through mini-earthquakes, their jagged edges pitched upward. At Trevinos urging, the city conducted a trial in 2016 of 1,500 linear feet of precast vs. PIP sidewalks in the 2000-2200 block of La Manda, from Vance Jackson to West. Mike Frisbie, former director of TCI, deemed the trial a success for precast and scheduled another test the next year on Tiffany, from Briarfield to Marlbrough. The city wants to put a priority on building sidewalks in high-use areas approaches to VIA Metropolitan Transit bus stops and on the way to schools, churches, senior citizen centers and commercial areas. Razi Hosseini, the interim director of TCI, said precast sidewalks fared well in the tests, especially compared with what happened to traditional walks in 2018s above-average rain that followed some dry months. But Hosseini isnt suggesting San Antonio should use precast technology for all its sidewalks theyll work best in residential areas where there arent a lot of structural oddities, such as mailboxes on posts, utility poles and cumbersome retaining walls, he said but he hesitates to put a target percentage on it. The city has about $19.8 million allocated through 2019 for building new sidewalks, he said. Trevino said theres no reason the city couldnt aim for using precast for 20 to 30 percent of the remaining 1,900 miles of sidewalks it needs to construct. Im sold on them, Trevino said last month. And Im going to show that it all can be done in my district. House, the concrete factory president, said his company has made millions of square feet of precast concrete bridge decking, supports and traffic barriers over the past 50 years and that San Antonio would be wise to search for such long-term solutions. San Antonio has to think more long-term about its major projects, said House, a Texan who worked in construction in Rotterdam, Holland, for two decades and came to appreciate the European approach to infrastructure. We have to use new technology and more progressive thinking. Bruce Selcraig is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read his stories on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | BSelcraig@express-news.net A blurry photo of a red pickup truck taken moments before the pre-dawn slaying of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes near a Walmart in east Harris County is one of the few clues detectives hope will lead to her killers capture. A security camera from a nearby business spied the unidentified gunman cruising south along the feeder road near Wallisville Road on Sunday morning. He seemingly targeted the girls family her mother and three siblings, ages 6, 13 and 15 at random during their shopping trip, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a news conference Monday. The family never made it to the store, Gonzalez said. As far as investigators know, the family did nothing to spark the gunmans ire and he made no attempt to communicate before opening fire around 6:50 a.m. from the next lane over. One of the detectives handling the investigation, Lt. Christopher Sandoval, said the eldest girl in the car managed to get a look at her sisters assailant. She described him as a bearded man in his 40s wearing a red hoodie. The man is believed responsible for killing the little girl in the backseat and striking her 30-year-old mother, LaPorsha Washington, in the arm, according to police. CLOVERLEAF: 1 dead, 1 injured in possible gang-related shooting The mother managed to flee the gunfire toward Beltway 8, police said. She pulled over to the shoulder to call 911 when she realized Jazmine wasnt breathing. Her daughter died in the vehicle. First responders at the scene were especially distraught by the girls death, Sandoval recalled.Nobody deserves to die, especially not a 7-year-old girl. If you could have been on that scene yesterday and seen her lifeless body being pulled from the car, you would be absolutely upset. The youngest sibling in the car was hurt by shattered glass, the sheriff said, adding that Washington remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Monday afternoon. The shooting death capped the end of 2018 with heartbreak as Jazmines father, Christopher Cevilla, issued a tearful plea at the press conference for help in finding the suspect responsible for taking the life of his daughter. She was a second-grader at Monahan Elementary School in east Houston and was slated to turn 8 in February, according to officials. My daughter was 7 years old, Cevilla said, describing her as loving, caring, very passionate with people, very sweet, innocent. Just a lot of things that have been robbed of me and my family that we will never get back, Cevilla said, as two photos of Jazmine were displayed on TV monitors. What if that was your daughter, he asked. Help me and my family get justice for my baby girl. MISSING MAN: County worker found dead in Buffalo Bayou identified Sheldon ISD officials identified Jazmine as one of their students and asked parents of her classmates to break the news to their children now and comfort them while they are still on break. Authorities have not narrowed down the motive for the attack. It is our belief that it was totally unprovoked, whatever it was. Were leaving no stone unturned. Were going to leave every motive out there as a possibility, Gonzalez said. Authorities acknowledged that tracking down a killer on the vague description of a pickup truck will be a challenge in a sprawling metropolis teeming with similar vehicles. Yes, we know were in Texas. Yes, we know we have a lot of pickup trucks out there, Gonzalez said. But when you put the pieces together, consider that were looking for a bearded man, possibly in his 40s, driving a red pickup truck. This could be your neighbor. This could be your co-worker. He appealed for the publics help, especially those with security cameras attached to their homes and businesses, to look for any sign of the man in the red truck. And to the killer, should he be listening, Gonzalez had sharp words. I would suggest that you do the right thing and turn yourself in. Theres no need for anyone else to get harmed, he said. Keri Blakinger contributed to this report. To hear President Donald Trump tell it, his administration is, at any given moment, nearly ideal in its composition and capabilities. It is, as he tweeted in September, a "smooth running machine" - never mind that, prior to the tweet, 15 senior White House and administration officials had quit or been fired and that, in the months since, another eight have joined them. (Since definitions of "senior" can vary, we're using those officials identified in The Washington Post's timeline of high-profile departures from the White House.) What makes those departures particularly tricky isn't just that those who left undercut the idea that the administration hasn't hit any speed bumps. It's also that, in at least a third of the cases, those who departed have offered words of disagreement with or criticism of Trump or his administration. Below is a review of those who left, the conditions under which they did and what they've said about the White House since. 1. Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who quit Jan. 31. Criticisms: None. 2. Rob Porter, staff secretary who was fired Feb. 7. Criticisms: In Bob Woodward's book, "Fear," Porter is quoted as saying that "[a] third of my job was trying to react to some of the really dangerous ideas that he had and try to give him reasons to believe that maybe they weren't such good ideas." 3. Hope Hicks, communications director. Quit on Feb. 28. Criticisms: None. Hicks now works for Fox. 4. Gary Cohn, National Economic Council director. Quit on March 6. Criticisms: Cohn is also quoted in "Fear." "It's not what we did for the country," he reportedly said. "It's what we saved him from doing." In another anecdote, Cohn is described as removing a document from Trump's desk to prevent the president's signing it. 5. Rex Tillerson, secretary of state. Fired on March 13. Criticisms: It was challenging to "go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, 'This is what I believe,'" Tillerson said in an interview. He also said that Trump would need to be told when proposed actions were potentially illegal. 6. Andrew McCabe, deputy FBI director. Fired on March 16. Criticisms: McCabe called Trump's attacks on him personally "unhinged." Working at the FBI, he said, "is the best job you will ever have. Even if a president decides to attack you and your family." 7. H.R. McMaster, national security adviser. Fired on March 22. Criticisms: Prior to leaving the White House, McMaster was reported to have said that Trump was a "dope" who was no smarter than a kindergartner. 8. David Shulkin, secretary of veterans affairs. Fired on March 28. Criticisms: Shulkin claims he butted heads with advocates for VA privatization who "saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed." 9. Tom Bossert, homeland security adviser. Fired on April 10. Criticisms: None. He is currently employed by ABC News. It's not clear if he signed a nondisclosure agreement when joining the White House. 10. Nadia Schadlow, deputy national security adviser. Quit on April 11. Criticisms: None. In a lengthy interview with CBS, Schadlow was complimentary about Trump's involvement in the security team's processes. 11. Ty Cobb, White House lawyer. Quit on May 2. Criticisms: "Bob Mueller is an American hero in my view," Cobb said in an interview in October. "I don't believe this is a witch hunt." 12. Joe Hagin, deputy chief of staff. Quit on June 19. Criticisms: None. 13. Scott Pruitt, EPA administrator. Quit on July 5. Criticisms: None. Pruitt's departure followed a remarkable string of questions about his behavior at the EPA. 14. Marc Short, legislative affairs director. Quit on July 12. Criticisms: None. Short is now a CNN contributor. After signing a nondisclosure agreement while working with the campaign, he says he did not sign one at the White House. (The campaign NDA was expansive in its terms.) 15. Donald McGahn, counsel. Quit on Aug. 29. Criticisms: People close to McGahn told CNN that, in his last meeting with Trump, the president blamed him for the Mueller appointment. 16. Jeff Pon, Office of Personnel Management director. Fired on Oct. 5. Criticisms: None. 17. Nikki Haley, U.N. ambassador. Quit on Oct. 9. Criticisms: Haley described to NBC News how she leveraged Trump's personality: "I got the job done by being truthful but also by letting him be unpredictable and not showing our cards." 18. Jeff Sessions, attorney general. Fired on Nov. 7. Criticisms: None. Despite ongoing criticism from Trump that ultimately led to his ouster, Sessions told an audience last month that he "enjoy[ed] the honor and appreciate[d] the president allowing me to serve almost two years in one of the greatest jobs in the world." 19. Mira Ricardel, deputy national security adviser. Fired on Nov. 14. Criticisms: None. 20. John Kelly, chief of staff. Fired on Dec. 8. Criticisms: Working as chief of staff was a "bone-crushing hard job," Kelly said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Trump never asked him to do anything illegal "because we wouldn't have." 21. Nick Ayers, vice president's chief of staff. Quit on Dec. 9. Criticisms: None. Ayers did, however, decline a job that Trump had made very clear he hoped Ayers would accept. 22. Ryan Zinke, secretary of the interior. Quit on Dec. 15. Criticisms: None. 23. Jim Mattis, secretary of defense. Dec. 20. Criticisms: "[O]ur strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships," Mattis wrote in his resignation letter. "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," he added, remarking that he was leaving because Trump had "the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects." LAUREL, Md. - The nerdiest New Year's party in the solar system is happening 4 billion miles from Earth, where a lone, intrepid spacecraft is en route to the furthest object humans have ever explored. There is no champagne in this dim and distant region, where a halo of icy worlds called the Kuiper Belt circles the outermost edge of the solar system. There will be no renditions of "Auld Lang Syne" (in space, no one can hear you sing). But there is a mini van-sized spacecraft called New Horizons. And there is a puny, primitive rock called Ultima Thule, a rocky relic of the solar system's origins, whose name means "beyond the borders of the known world." At New Horizon's birthplace, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, scores of space scientists gathered to study - and celebrate - the occasion. While their fellow Earthlings counted down to midnight, they were ticking off time until 12:33 a.m., when the spacecraft would make its closest approach to its target. In images taken Sunday night, Ultima Thule appeared as little more than an elongated white smear against the darkness of space. But an amazed "oooh" rippled through the APL auditorium when deputy project scientist John Spencer projected the blurred image on a screen. Until then, no one had ever seen a Kuiper Belt object as anything more than a single pixel of light. "This is just a first glimpse of what is rapidly going to get better from here on out," Spencer said. "We're going to learn more very soon and we just can't wait." This is the biggest and busiest moment for the New Horizons team since its spacecraft soared past Pluto three years ago, capturing detailed close-up photos of the distant dwarf planet. Helene Winters, the missions project manager, said spacecraft operators have been subsisting on chocolate and sleeping on air mattresses at APL so they can make the most of every minute until New Horizons reaches its target. Navigators have kept a watchful eye out for potential hazards, which can be hard to spot in this dim and distant corner of the solar system. But because it takes more than six hours for light signals to traverse the vast distance between the Kuiper Belt and Earth, it is already too late to change the spacecraft's course. That same light time delay means scientists won't know until Tuesday morning whether the flyby worked. Winters laughed when asked whether she thinks she will be able to sleep Monday night. "Ask me again tomorrow." As midnight approached, the gathering at APL took on a festival atmosphere. Scientists and their guests munched on crudites in a room lit with sparkling blue lights. Small children up long past their bedtimes scurried between chairs and sneaked cookies from the buffet. "This is like a dream come true," said Chuck Fields, a podcast producer from Indianapolis who drove nine hours to attend Monday's event. He was dressed in a blindingly bright blazer and tie bearing images of planets, galaxies and the sun. His wife, Dawn, wore matching pants. "You can find anything on Amazon," Dawn laughed. "Alan (Stern) said this was going to be a celebration," Chuck added. "So it was like, OK, let's celebrate!" Five-and-half-year-old Benjamin Holder pored over an image of New Horizons and the distant rock it was due to encounter. "I used to have a cat named Toolie," Benjamin said. "But the Thule rock that you're looking for is not named after my cat." His uncle Erik Lessac-Chenen stifled a laugh. As a member of the spacecraft's optical navigation team, he'd devoted the better part of the past year and a half to tracking down that "Thulie rock." Two nights ago, he and his colleagues were awake until 4 a.m., developing the final set of commands to send New Horizons before its encounter. Those commands - he hopes - will ensure that the spacecraft doesn't miss its shot to take an image of its target. "Basically, it was like, 'This is where Ultima is. This is where you point. Good luck,' " Lessac-Chenen said. "Now it's up to New Horizons." The spacecraft, which launched in 2006, is the first NASA mission designed specifically to explore the outer solar system -- a region that project scientist Alan Stern calls "a scientific wonderland." Out in the Kuiper Belt, where sunlight is 0.05 percent as strong as it is on Earth, and temperatures hover close to absolute zero, the primitive building blocks of planets have persisted unchanged for 4.6 billion years. "This is history making what we're doing, in more ways than one," Stern said. Not only is Ultima Thule the most distant planetary object ever explored, it is also likely the most primitive. Unlike planets, which are transformed by geologic forces in their interiors, and asteroids, which are heated by the sun, Ultima Thule is thought to have existed in a "deep freeze" since it formed. "It is probably the best time capsule we've ever had for understanding the birth of our solar system and the planets in it," Stern said. The encounter with Ultima is among the more difficult feats NASA has attempted. The great distances from Earth and the sun mean scientists must put up with a long communications lag and instruments must operate with very little light. Ultima Thule was only discovered four years ago, and its orbit and surroundings still aren't well known. And New Horizons is a 13-year-old spacecraft; its power generator produces just a quarter as much wattage as a light bulb, which means operators must carefully prioritize their use of remaining fuel. The sheer speeds and distances involved boggle the mind. Ultima Thule is one percent the size of Pluto, and New Horizons must get four times closer to image it. At the moment of closest approach, the spacecraft will be moving at a breathtaking 32,000 miles per hour. Its cameras must swivel to track Ultima Thule as it passes by; otherwise, all it will see is a blur amid the black. "It's risky," NASA's associate administrator for science, Thomas Zurbuchen, said Monday evening. "There's a nonzero chance it's not going to work." But if it does, he added, scientists will have seen something entirely new. "And every time we do that . . . the solar system turns out to be more wonderful in some ways than we expected." The New Horizons team has several experiments planned for the brief encounter. Particle and dust detectors will probe the environment around Ultima. The spacecraft's three cameras will take images in color and black and white in an effort to map the tiny world and determine its composition. Spencer said Monday he is especially interested in those detailed color photos, which could illuminate a "particular mystery" about "cold classical" Kuiper Belt objects like Ultima Thule, which never underwent dramatic geologic change. Although these rocks should be primarily made of ice, they all appear reddish when viewed through the Hubble Space Telescope. It may be that the ices contain impurities that change color when struck by cosmic rays, Spencer said -- a possibility he hopes to pin down by looking into craters of more recently exposed material. "Who knows?" he said. "Anything is possible when you're exploring a new class of world you've never seen before." The New Horizons team will also use this moment to attempt an unprecedented radio science experiment. Six hours before the moment of closest approach, the dishes of the Deep Space Network - which NASA uses to communicate with far-flung spacecraft - blasted a powerful radio signal in Ultima Thule's direction. The signal was timed to arrive at the rock at the same time New Horizons does on Tuesday, allowing the spacecraft to study how those radio waves get reflected off its surface. As APL staffers began to set out plastic cups for sparkling wine Monday night, those signals were racing toward their rendezvous with New Horizons and Ultima Thule - a message from an old year on this world, to the next year on a new one. Who: Julie Dalton, a floor sommelier at Mastros Steakhouse since late 2017 Background: Houstons 2018 Iron Sommelier champion, Dalton didnt set out to be a professional oenophile, instead pursuing a career in biotech in the Baltimore area after studying at Texas A&M University (launching her love affair with our neck of the woods). But she eventually found herself immersed in 70-plus-hour workweeks because shed taken on two part-time restaurant gigs, earning numerous accolades for her sommelier skills. Yep, the wine bug bit her hard. Practically memorizing Wine for Dummies, she sailed through multiple certification tests and holds both Advanced Sommelier status through the Court of Master Sommeliers and is a Society of Wine Educators Certified Wine Educator. Previous jobs included a stint in New York working with Terry Theise, the James Beard Foundation award-winning writer/importer who deserves much credit for putting Austrian wine on the map in the U.S. One of the core assumptions about Netflix is that, thanks to its popularity and ubiquity, the service can blur boundaries. From Nashua, New Hampshire, to Newport Beach, California, Seattle to Sarasota, Florida, we're all watching the same thing. (And that thing, it seems, is "The Crown.") Except it turns out we're not. A researcher in Salt Lake City named Victoria Merinda has compiled the most searched-for Netflix shows in the country over this past year and proceeded to break them down by state. And it turns out, Americans are interested in very different shows depending on where they live. To wit: No single series captured the top ranking in even one-fifth of states. Equally surprising, 12 states - essentially a quarter of the country - had a favorite show that no other state had. Whether it was "Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life" (North Dakota) or "Disenchantment" (Oregon), "House of Cards" (Tennessee) or "Mindhunter" (Pennsylvanians, those dark souls), these states all went their own way. "I was interested to see whether certain regions liked one show and other regions liked a different show," said Merinda, who helped conduct the research for the tech-comparison site HighSpeedInternet.com. "But it turned out that so many states had different results." Merinda and her colleagues took about 40 of the most high-profile shows available on the service, both licensed series and Netflix originals, keeping them mainly to those that generated new episodes within the past few years. Then she examined Google Trends in each state for 2018 to see which of the 40 ranked highest. (She admits 40 is a selective group, and that there are many lower-profile shows not included in the study. Also worth noting: Google Trends is but one marker of a show's digital heat.) The highest trending of these Netflix series? "13 Reasons Why." The Bakerian teen drama polarized viewers this past season but still was the most talked-about in seven states, including Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina and Mississippi. Right behind it with wins in six states - including places as far apart as Maine, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina - was "The End of The F***ing World," the drama about a pair of disaffected teens traveling across England. (If nothing else, the survey shows how much teens are driving this streaming conversation. That should make Netflix happy, if not its equally youth-seeking competitors.) Those two shows aren't major surprises: They each saw the buzzy release of new seasons in 2018. And their broad popularity makes the individual states that chose them not especially meaningful. But a number of states went for more geographically specific choices. Some of those easily compute. You'd expect "Making a Murderer" to be popular in Wisconsin, where the story took place. "Ozark" for Missouri isn't a stretch. And the most sought-after shows in New Mexico were "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," both of which are very clearly set there. But others may require more creative explanations. Like "Iron Fist," the Marvel series about a social outlier. Two of the three states in which it was most-popular? Alaska and Hawaii, the two states not on the U.S. mainland. (It was also popular in Delaware. Draw your own conclusions.) Meanwhile, "Stranger Things" was popular in four states. But all of them were within a particular westerly bloc (Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Nebraska). "Maybe there's something to the idea that with all this space out here, people are more likely to turn to creepy mysteries and conspiracy theories like 'Stranger Things,'" said Merinda, a Utah resident and a confessed devotee of the series. (The show's popularity, it should be noted, might have been higher if it had come out with a new season this year. Population might play a role in the selection of another show out West. Wyoming went with "Lost In Space," the reboot of the classic 1960s TV series about a family fighting to survive in a frequently empty place. Wyoming, incidentally, is the least populous state by density in the Lower 48. Then there's "Orange Is The New Black." Among the five states in which it was most popular were Oklahoma and Louisiana, states that have the country's two highest prison populations. The results are surprisingly telling all around. Americans may stream shows they like. But what they like is often that which hits close to home. There may be little way to explain "Jane The Virgin," a show so little viewed on network television it is sometimes watched by as few as 500,000 people. Yet the series finished above all others in California and Texas, the two most populous states in the country (total number of people: nearly 70 million). That validates the CW's argument, at least, that people are watching the series somewhere, somehow. You'd have less trouble guessing which state chose a handcrafted, off-kilter series like "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" (it's Vermont) or lining up Massachusetts, state of British influence and a long history of police squaring off with crime syndicates, with its choice. "Peaky Blinders" contains both. But maybe the least surprising result was Washington, D.C. The District saw a tie - 16 shows finished with the same top score on Google Trends. The jokes about gridlock write themselves. Higher oil prices, increased drilling activity, eye-popping merger and acquisition deals, record production, and one week as a net petroleum exporter. Then a 40 percent plunge in prices. Oil markets and outlooks made a sharp turn in 2018, quickly shifting from predictions of global shortages and $100-a-barrel crude to concerns about increasing supplies, weakening demand and another oil glut. The uncertainty of where oil markets are heading was underscored in the final days of the year, when crude prices plunged 7 percent on Christmas Eve, surged 9 percent in the next trading day, Dec. 26, and slid again on Dec. 27. Crude prices settled Monday at $45.41 a barrel, up 8 cents, but down $15 or 25 percent from 2018s opening price of $60.42. It was the commoditys first annual decline since 2015 a slide that occurred in the last three months of the year after prices peaked at $76.41 a barrel on Oct. 2. How long oil trades at these levels will not only test shale drillers claims that they can still make money below $50 a barrel, but also the strength of the energy industrys recovery. Economists and analysts say that if prices hold below $50 for an extended period, the rebound could stall and slow Houstons economy, which accelerated in 2018 after several years of subpar growth. Already, some companies are revisiting spending plans based on earlier projections of prices at $60 a barrel or higher. ConocoPhillips, for example, said it would not increase its capital budget in 2019. Producers in West Texas Permian Basin, such as Diamondback Energy and Parsley Energy, said they will run fewer drilling rigs. Karr Ingham, a petroleum economist with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, a trade group, said the industry is more efficient that it was in 2014 and , and he doesnt expect the kind of collapse that devastated the industry as prices plummeted from more than $100 a barrel to less than $30. Facts & Figures: Crude inventories decline as U.S. becomes net petroleum exporter Unlike 2014, OPEC and its allies have moved to cut production and take more an 1 million barrels a day off the market. Prices appear to have stabilized after the recent sell-off. At this point, and I say only at this point, nothing catastrophic has occurred, Ingham said. I dont think were poised to lose tens of thousands of jobs or anything of that nature. But what ultimately happens depends on what happens to prices from this point forward and there are a lot of moving parts to that guess work. Record production A key factor shifting the market outlook from shortage to glut was the resilience of U.S. oil companies, which, despite pipeline constraints and sliding prices, pushed output to new records. The nation began 2018 producing less than 10 million barrels a day. Last week, the Energy Department reported that crude production reached 11.7 million barrels a day. In Texas, the home of the nations most prolific oil field, the Permian Basin, more than 1,000 companies filed nearly 13,300 original drilling permits with the Railroad Commission of Texas in 2018, a 5.5 percent increase from the previous year. Texas accounted for half the nations active drilling rings, which climbed to nearly 1,100 last week from about 900 at the beginning of 2018. The surging output has made the United States the worlds top producer and allowed it to become albeit for just a week in late November a net petroleum exporter for the first time in at least 70 years. Texas ports are working to expand export capacity, which means more U.S. crude will find its way to global markets in 2019. The rapid increase in U.S. production appears to be among the miscalculations that traders made in late summer and early fall as they bid up prices. Many expected the shortage of pipelines, particularly out of the Permian Basis, to slow U.S. output as drillers cut back, rather than sell oil in West Texas, where supplies mounted, at discounts. Analysts and traders also expected global supplies to dwindle after the Trump administrations sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports took effect in the fall. The administration, however, granted waivers to some of the worlds biggest energy consumers, including China, India and Japan, meaning far less oil than expected came off the market. Meanwhile, anticipating potential shortages, Saudi Arabia and Russia boosted their production. In December, Saudi Arabia, Russia and their OPEC allies agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day a move that has yet to convince markets increasingly focused on a slowing global economy that could weaken demand. Oil prices continued to decline after OPEC disclosed its plans, falling as low as $42.53 a barrel on Christmas Eve, the lowest settlement since the summer of 2017. Winners and losers Lower crude oil prices are benefiting refiners, who can acquire their main raw material for less, consumers, who are paying the lowest at the gas pump. In Houston, the average gasoline price fell to $1.90 a gallon on Sunday, down 29 cents from the end of 2017, according to GasBudd Record oil production and higher prices through most of 2018 should mean additional revenues for school districts, counties, the state and the endowments of the University of Texas and Texas A & M University. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is expected to release figures in mid-January. On HoustonChronicle.com: Energy recovery would stall if oil prices stay below $50 But Texas is producing 4.5 million barrels of crude oil per day and an extended run of low oil prices could undermine economic activity. A $20 per barrel price drop could shrink the states economic output by $32.9 billion a year, said Ed Hirs, an energy economist at the University of Houston. Its a tremendous loss in terms of income taxes, tax generation for the communities, Hirs said.That more than dominates the benefits that consumers feel with lower fuel prices. Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, a trade group, said the slide in prices is a reminder that growth is not guaranteed in a global market influenced by supply and demand pressures from any number of sources. Companies have shown an unbelievable ability to adapt and adjust over the past few years, Staples said. Looking into 2019, you will continue to see companies merge, controlling costs, finding efficiencies and very importantly, continuing to invest in research and development. In order to maintain our competitive position, technology will continue to player an even bigger role. sergio.chapa@chron.com twitter.com/SergioChapa The growth of the Gulf Coasts liquefied natural gas industry is set to accelerate in 2019 as at least three major projects are expected to get the go-ahead from developers. Those projects include a sixth processing unit, called Train 6, at Cheniere Energys Sabine Pass complex in Louisiana; Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture of Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Qatar Petroleum, on the Texas side of Sabine Pass; and Calescieu Pass LNG in southwestern Louisiana, developed by Venture Global of Arlington, Va. Within the next six months, developers behind each project are expected to make final investment decisions that would inject a combined $20 billion into the region over the next four years, according to the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. At least two other Gulf Coast projects could receive final investment decisions later in 2019, according to Wood Mackenzie. They are Driftwood LNG, a project south of Lake Charles being developed by the Houston company Tellurian, and a fourth natural gas liquefaction plant at the Quintana Island project of Freeport LNG of Houston. North America is set to lead an expected record year for LNG project sanctions, said Alex Munton, principal analyst, Americas LNG, at Wood Mackenzie in a statement. The first half of 2019 will be an especially busy one for the U.S. MILESTONE: Texas now an exporter of LNG And more are coming. Other projects that recently won federal approval and are likely to get final investment decisions in the coming months include Houston-based Delfin LNGs terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, and two separate projects in Lake Charles, La., from Energy Transfer of Dallas and Canadian company LNG Limited. Developers are racing to build LNG export terminals to capture growing demand from Asian countries shifting from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas. In North America, the Gulf Coast is at the center of the action as companies tap into vast natural gas supplies in Texas. Houstons Cheniere Energy became the first company to export LNG from the lower 48 in 2016 from its Sabine Pass complex. It recently began shipping LNG from its terminal near Corpus Christi. Dominion Energy of Richmond, Va., began exporting LNG from Maryland last year. The Houston pipeline company Kinder Morgan, which is completing a terminal in Georgia, and Freeport LNG are expected to start exporting LNG this year. The flurry of activity has the United States on track to become the third largest exporter of LNG in the world, behind Australia and Qatar, according to the Energy Department. Related: U.S. export capacity to more than double by end of 2019 LNG investment has sprung back to life after a lull in 2018, due to increased activity from buyers willing to sign long-term contracts, Wood Mackenzies report found. Since September, Cheniere, Venture Global, Tellurian, Freeport and Sempra Energy of San Diego, which is developing an LNG project in Port Arthur, all announced long-term agreements with buyers. Between September and late December, 13 million metric tons per a year in sales were announced, Wood Mackenzie said. LNG Deal: Tellurians plan for a $15 million LNG terminal advancing Even with all those projects coming online, supplies of LNG might still tighten in the coming years as Asian countries reduce their reliance on coal, according to another report from the Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy. That could be why buyers are increasingly signing longer contracts, Rystad said. Rystad analyzed long-term contracts signed in 2018 and found that the average duration of the contracts has increased, suggesting that LNG buyers are less confident they can secure all the LNG they need in the spot market. The large established Asian buyers such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China will continue to rely on long-term contracts to ensure security of supply, said Sindre Knutsson, senior analyst on Rystad Energys Markets team. Two Coasts: Sempra Energy progresses with Gulf Coast, West Coast projects Rystad forecasts that the market will tighten significantly in 2022 or 2023 and suggests a heightened risk of LNG shortages after then. Wood Mackenzie estimates that spot market demand for LNG among the top buyers of LNG globally could quadruple by 2030. And in the race to capture that new demand, the Gulf Coast is likely to emerge as a top contender. marissa.luck@chron.com twitter.com/marissaluck7 Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify that Cheniere Energy was the first to export LNG from the lower 48 states . The first liquefied natural gas exports from the U.S. were actually out of ConocoPhillips facility in Alaska in 1969, but Cheniere Energy was the first to export from the lower 48 and lead the modern LNG export boom. Anthony Snoddy was first to climb the 18-foot ladder. As the kid who found the tallest trees and front-flipped off buildings, Snoddy, 36, wasnt worried about the height. He knew it would be part of his job maintaining and repairing wind turbines. Instead, he was focused on the safety clamps and procedures for climbing the ladder. These werent part of his riskier youthful forays, but they were essential in graduating from MIAT College of Technology and entering a workforce expected to grow 96 percent between 2016 and 2026. At HoustonChronicle.com: Texas wind generation keeps growing, state remains at No. 1 Just make sure you do everything correctly, Snoddy told himself as he approached the ladder. In 2018, the MIAT campus in north Houston saw a 60 percent enrollment increase in its wind power technician program, which averaged 25 to 30 students at any given time. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow to 11,400 wind turbine technicians in 2026, up from 5,800 in 2016. Now Playing: MIAT College of Technology has a seven-month wind power technician career training program. Part of that training requires technician to know how to climb ladders and work safely. Video: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle Many of MIATs graduates could be employed in Texas, a hot spot for wind power. The state leads the nation in wind power production and has more installed wind power capacity than all but five countries in the world, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The American Wind Energy Association said that in 2017, Texas had up to 25,000 wind industry jobs. In addition to studying hydraulics, welding and electrical theories during the seven-month program, MIAT students must learn to safely climb the roughly 300-foot towers and to rescue their colleagues should something go wrong. That way, when they go out in the field, Ive personally verified that they can actively protect themselves at height, said David Moriconi, lead wind instructor at MIAT. So Snoddy attached his harness to a cable in the center of the ladder. He climbed to the top and transitioned to a platform, which involved unclipping from the cable at his chest and then clipping a dual-shock-absorbing lanyard to his back. New records: Texas wind generation breaks record, ERCOT reports He then attached a self-retracting line a yo-yo-like contraption that would catch Snoddy should he fall and unclipped the shock-absorbing lanyard. All of that had to be done before setting to work, with hand signals from below indicating that he needed to lift or lower a set of tools. And then Snoddy climbed back down the ladder in an equally safe fashion. He passed with flying colors. Just seeing, in a small fragment or picture frame, how its going to be done on a daily basis, Snoddy said, that was very important to me. The test earned students a climb and rescue certification required by many employers. Tony Robinette, field operations manager for renewable energy and construction at the staffing firm System One, emphasized the importance of this climb test, saying the most catastrophic injuries often come from climbing. He also applauded MIAT, saying the students are well prepared when they graduate. It helps that MIAT has a longer training period than some other programs. They definitely come out and hit the ground running, he said. Maintenance needs: Wind energy reaching turning point as turbines age And to make the training more fun, MIAT held a competition on the eve of its official climb test. Moriconi clocked how quickly students could climb the ladder five times. Thats roughly the height of a single section on a wind turbine tower and most towers have four sections. The fastest time was 1 minute, 30 seconds. The slowest time was around 4 minutes, 30 seconds. Snoddy came in second place at 1 minute, 56 seconds. Good, but not entirely satisfying. Im an ex-athlete, he said, so I wish I came in first. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/andrearumbaugh BORDERLAND BEAT 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. General Mail Box: borderlandbeat@gmail.com Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter for Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send us an email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. Sometimes its necessary to wander through the desolate wilderness and all varieties of torrid weather to find your way to those coveted greener pastures. Yet, in an era where the vast majority of people are more attuned to issues surrounding mental health, the hip-hop community, while progressing, has retained a vaguely stigmatic view. Historically spearheaded by braggadocious and hypermasculine figures that portray themselves as impervious to any emotion other than self-assurance, it has left little room for introspection on the long-term ramifications of your brain wreaking internal havoc, or how much anxiety can cripple every aspect of who you are. Although Biggie made a last-ditch attempt to curb his "Suicidal Thoughts" on Ready To Die and the Dirty Souths Geto Boys were rapping on the perils of paranoia back in 1990, it has taken a long time for hip-hop to heed the countless cautionary tales of artists succumbing to premature deaths courtesy of substance abuse or depression. Much in the same way as he is heralded by rappers and fans alike for opening the doors to a broader sonic palette, another accolade which must be assigned to Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi is of courageous advocate for mental health awareness. From the depths of despair to standing on firm footing once more, the difference in the man that had once seemed on the brink of self-destruction in 2016 to his momentous recovery just two years later, seems like night and day. In a disconcerting prelude to the release of Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin, the news surfaced that the Cleveland, Ohio native would be checking into rehab in the wake of an uphill battle with depression and suicidal urges. Outlined in a lengthy and heartrending Facebook post, this confessional saw Cudi concede that he was ashamed to be a hero and a leader when the man behind the artistic reverence was simply a damaged human. Poignantly sorrowful but by no means devoid of hope, one of his final parting remarks before immersing himself in banishing the woes read, I will be back stronger, better. Reborn. Less than two years on from pouring the innermost recesses of his soul out to his fanbase, that offhand sign-off phrase would form the basis for the anthemic track that signified his transformation. When Kanyes guerrilla marketing campaign on Twitter revealed that he and Cudi were releasing a record under the moniker of Kids See Ghosts, there was an innate air of trepidation as to whether it was a case of too little, too late. With Yes megalomaniacal tendencies seemingly at an all-time high and Cudi adrift in a sea of personal issues, no one knew whether the duo that once conjured up the beauty in sparsity and bombast in equal measure on classics such as 808s & Heartbreak and Man On The Moon: The End Of Day could recapture their synergy after a spate of high-profile disputes. Yet in defiance of all the skeptics and naysayers, thats precisely what came to fruition on the pairs first full-length collaborative effort. A concise seven-track body of work that nonetheless encapsulated two very turbulent journeys, the renewal of their partnership paid off in every note of unbridled joy or experimental dissension provided. From the off-the-wall lunacy of "Feel The Love" to the aptly named transcendental experience of "4th Dimension," the project may have birthed numerous propulsive bangers, but the show-stealing magnificence resides in the tracks that present Cudi as a man salvaged from cognitive wreckage. In conjunction with the raw, undiluted defiance of "Freeee Ghost Town Part 2, Kids See Ghosts," the emotional summit came on "Reborn." Led by therapeutic, lullaby-like chords, the track on which Cudder ruminates on moving forward, keep moving forward is the auditory representation of the small glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. The sound of solace for two men that had been put through the wringer in the past few years, it takes only a few moments scanning the YouTube comments to unveil a rich tapestry of human experience, as fans discuss how the track had a seismic effect on their outlook. From tales of discovering it whilst homeless and clinging on to its message as they attained stability, to using the track as an anchor whilst overcoming drug addiction, the healing power ofReborn is best encapsulated by User Oti Na Nai who proclaims that When you've had depression and anxiety, this hits you like a truck. Salute to all my brothers and sisters out there struggling to get through the day, it always gets better. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images From then on, the turmoil that the highly influential artist had endured was by no means forgotten, but began to feel like a relic of a tumultuous past. Undeterred by the misadventures that were a consequence of his mental health, interviews with Cudder have seen him exhibit a newfound gratefulness and clarity that has made peace with the fact that Pharrell is unlikely to work with him again as he is now living in the light. Capped off by a triumphant headline set that also constituted Kid See Ghosts inaugural live show at Camp Flog Gnaw, and his first solo performance since February at the BAPE HEADS show at Hulu Theater, attention now turns to what the newly re-centered Cudis next move will be. From what has been divulged thus far, it seems as though 2019 is shaping up to be one of his busiest periods in recent memory. In addition to a rekindled passion for social activism with the new Asterisk Collective; an Adidas-led project that Cudi believes will effect change for real people in real places, every indication suggests that well be getting the long-awaited follow-up to Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin over the next 12 months. In a typically unfiltered online dialogue with a fan from October 23rd, he revealed that I just started the new album! Taking my time w it tho but im thinkin next year sometime? Would that be cool? Huh? Tell me? Would that be ok? Furthermore, Cudder revealed that while the album may be in its embryonic stages for now, his attentive fanbase could rejoice in the fact that hed have some tasty features comin out soon in the meantime. Rejuvenated after undertaking the necessary precautions and placing an onus on self-care, if 2018 taught us anything its that the Cudi who helped millions of other outsiders exact their visions, is back. With a new record on the horizon and his prescience in the public eye at its most accelerated level since the Man On The Moon series heyday, an exhilarating return to form is all itll take for Cudi to finally dispel the harmful notion that anguish and genius are somehow mutually exclusive. Given all the progress that he has made in the past year, it seems as though thats exactly what is on the cards from this ever-evolving yet too often unsung pioneer. Richard Wershe Jr. is known as the youngest informant in FBI history to work alongside the authorities when he was just 14-years-old. Richard was originally arrested in 1987 in Detroit with eight kilos of cocaine and close to $30,000 on him and was booked with intent to deliver 650 grams of cocaine. The Detroit Free Press now reports that Richard, also known as White Boy Rick will be getting released from prison earlier than anticipated. His original release date was 4/20/2021, but it was recently updated to reflect the amount of gain time accrued during his sentence, Florida Department of Corrections press secretary Patrick Manderfield told the publication. The Michigan Parole Board voted to release Richard in 2017 but he was later transferred to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections and booked for charges of racketeering from 2006. He later detailed how he pleaded guilty to the charges as a way to protect his mother and sister. They said, Listen, this is what were going to do, he said. If you dont take this plea, we are going to arrest your mom and your sister. It was a forced plea. I dont agree I committed the crime that I was convicted of. Richard's life story has been made into a feature film that sees Matthew McConaughey playing his father - watch the trailer below. New York's Time Square draws in quite the crowd on New Year's Eve and CBD company Elixinol had that exact fact in mind when launching an ad in the heart of the Big Apple. Elixinol's advertisement in Time Square marks the first of its kind being the only cannabis ad, sparking many to follow in pursuit. "A year ago, we were denied advertising in Times Square," Chris Husong, director of sales and marketing for Elixinol said in a statement. "What a difference a year makes we join the entire hemp community in celebrating whats to come in 2019." According to Biz Journal, other companies such as Weedmaps (a weed dispensary locator) have tried to score the prime real estate in the past but was denied. The ad, as seen below, will run between from 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. on 15-second increments on multiple boards in the square. Elixinol is currently available in 40 countries, including Europe, Japan, and South America," the company's co-founder and president added. "I think well see more international opportunities because both the FDA and the World Health Organization are declaring CBD safe." The upcoming companies to be advertised in the square are said to be Cannabis Network Media, Curved Papers, My Bud Vase, MTracTech and Restorative Botanicals. Just before Kevin Spacey reappeared after not being spotted in over a year, he was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy who is the son of a former Boston TV news anchor. The assault allegedly took place in July 2016. "Spacey bought him drink after drink after drink and when my son was drunk, Spacey made his move and sexually assaulted him," the teen's mother said. New reports from Page Six detail how the "House of Cards" actor tried to get out of his arraignment but the judge denied the motion. The publication details how Kevin plans to plead not guilty to felony indecent assault and battery. Kevin and his lawyer's tried to argue that his presence at court would "amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case. They also tried to argue that showing up to court may taint the jurors and heighten prejudicial media interest in the case." "The complainant has shown a tremendous amount of courage in coming forward," Mitchell Garabedian, attorney for the accuser told NBC Boston. "Let the facts be presented, the relevant law applied and a just and fair verdict rendered." Kevin has to appear at the Nantucket District Court on January 7th. The Carter's really did end 2018 on a strong note. The power couple started their On The Run 2 Tour in June that took them all over Europe and North America with their three children along for the ride. After that, they headlined the Global Citizen Festival and then Beyonce performed at a wedding for the daughter of one of the richest families in the world. Sources tell People that all in all, it was "a very special year for the whole family," adding how "Beyonce and Jay loved touring and connecting with their fans. Duane Prokop/Getty Images They enjoyed bringing their whole family on tour. It was like a big adventure for everyone. They loved showing Blue around Europe, enjoyed solo date nights and family fun, the source added. Beyonce and JAY seem closer than ever. They are very grateful for another wonderful year together. They are definitely looking back at this year with huge smiles. Once Beyonce got home and settled in after her joyous trip, she shared a post that reflected on her time away even more. "I felt so much positivity and pride in the audience at Global Citizen: Mandela 100. Madiba, Johannesburg, and all of my African sisters and brothers, we hope we made you as proud as you all make us. South Africa was an extraordinary trip for me and my family. God bless," she added. Spending a day or two in Atlanta?!? Check out the restaurants, bakeries and other attractions we experienced!Atlanta was another city we didn't have much time in on our ladies trip last May, but we sure did a lot with the time we had!You can see the highlights from the rest of our trip in Montgomery, AL Birmingham, AL and Chattanooga, TN by clicking on each city. This was the trip of a lifetime for me and I can't wait to go back to these cities someday and see everything we missed!Enjoy! World of Coca-Cola 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313World of Coke was by far my favorite thing we did in Atlanta!!Honestly, when I drink pop, I'm a Pepsi fan. But the history, exhibits and information was really fun and informative for adults and kids alike.The best part of this museum???Trying the different flavors of Coke from around the world!Some flavors were not the best and others have you wishing they were available everywhere. Be prepared to be sticky and full of sugar by the time you leave, but it's completely worth every sweet sip.The gift shop is large and quite amazing. If you love buying souvenirs like I do on a budget, check out the clearance section. I scored Coke pajama pants for my daughter and I for $10 each! Ponce City Market 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308Awe, Ponce City Market. I love you. You are a food lovers dream and the shopping is a bonus too!Ponce City Market is located in the historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. building in Atlanta and is the largest adaptive reuse project in the area to date.Not only is there shopping and food, but offices and flats too!If you're looking for food, be prepared to wander around, browse at menus and finally make one of the hardest foodie decisions in life.Where to eat? There's so many choices.Check out what we tried below! Saint-Germain Bakery 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Suite N150, Atlanta, GA 30308Eclairs always have a place in my belly, especially when they are dusted with gold!All of the desserts at Saint Germain Bakery are simply gorgeous and my vanilla eclair was quite tasty too!After eating all things savory, it's worth a stop here to cure that sweet tooth craving. City Winery 650 North Avenue NE #201, Atlanta, GA 30308It turns out City Winery has locations in many cities, but this one in Atlanta has a ton of character and is such a great environment.It was a gorgeous May weekday when we visited, and the scent from the jasmine plants that surrounded us on the patio was relaxing and beautiful!I ordered the braised duck tacos with cabbage salad and guacamatillo salsa and they were so tasty!My sister in law ordered the wild mushroom pizza special, and I wish I could've been greedy and ordered that too! SO delicious!I love the unique menu and the winery on-site. They have live music often, and the list of bands and musicians was diverse.This place is worth a stop, for at least a glass of wine if you're at Ponce City Market! CNN Center 190 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303Our visit to the CNN Center in Atlanta was a blast!We started off with the VIP tour of the building which includes access to live news rooms, control rooms and so much more. I recommend spending the extra money for this tour versus the basic tour.Did you know that the escalator pictured above in the largest free standing escalator in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records?Such a fun experience just for that alone.While your visiting, make sure to check out the many gift shops, grab a bite to eat at Fresh 2 Order, and grab a cider on tap from BURGERFI! SkyView Atlanta 168 Luckie St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303After our CNN Studio visit, we walked across the street to ride Skyview Atlanta and catch the great view of the city!This ferris wheel is nearly 20 stories above Centennial Olympic Park and the gondolas are temperature controlled so you can stay cool on those hot Atlanta days.This is a great time to catch some amazing photos, enjoy a quick break from walking and relax for a minute.I'm afraid of heights, but with the enclosed gondolas, I had no issues with my fear. I now want to experience ferris wheels in every city I visit that has one! Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Ave W NW, Atlanta, GA 30313This park is such a beautiful and fun place to walk around, people watch and splash in the water!If you're adventurous like my sister in law, you can stand in the olympic rings and get stuck in the water. It was quite the task to get back out without getting wet!This public park was created as a spot for tourists and residents during the 1996 Summer Olympics and is still thriving today. It's fun and free, which is my kind of place to visit. Chicken + Beer Concourse D, Gate D5, Atlanta, GA 30337Last but not least, the Chicken and Beer restaurant in the Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta Airport!Rapper Ludacris opened this southern style comfort food restaurant at the airport in 2016. He has always been one of my favorite rappers since I was a teen, so I knew we had to stop and eat here before we flew back home to Minnesota!I ordered the Pesto Chicken Patty Melt which is collard greens, pesto chicken, white American cheese, onion and ale mustard with rosemary garlic tater tots.Oh my goodness! I've never had greens in a sandwich before, but you can bet I'll be trying this at home. So delicious, and defintely pure comfort food.Worth the stop to fill your belly before the flight home!What are your favorite things to do in Atlanta?Thanks so much for stopping by! JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser The opposition Labour Party in Britain called the Brexit impasse a complete mess, while Prime Minister Theresa May used her New Year message to send an optimistic message before Parliament resumes for the crucial vote on her deal from January 7. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used the occasion to say that the country cannot go on like this, adding that the ruling Conservative Party had plunged the country into crisis. He termed the current Brexit situation a complete mess. The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29. If the withdrawal agreement is passed in Parliament, it will take the form of a treaty with the EU, but serious reservations in both sides of the Brexit divide make its passage uncertain. The debate resumes in the week beginning January 7, with voting scheduled for the week beginning January 14. Sounding an upbeat note, May said: New Year is a time to look ahead and in 2019, the UK will start a new chapter. The Brexit deal I have negotiated delivers on the vote of the British people and in the next few weeks, MPs will have an important decision to make. If Parliament backs a deal, Britain can turn a corner. The referendum in 2016 was divisive but we all want the best for our country and 2019 can be the year we put our differences aside and move forward together, into a strong new relationship with our European neighbours and out into the world as a globally trading nation. However, Corbyn led opposition leaders using their New Year messages to criticise Mays deal. Corbyn, who said Labour would seek to re-open negotiations with Brussels to pursue a better outcome, accused the government of trying to drive through a bad deal and letting people down all across the country whether they voted leave or remain. According to him, only Labour was capable of uniting the UK, with policies to tackle inequality and job insecurity: Eight years of damaging Tory failure has left us with a divided country where millions are struggling to make ends meet. We cannot go on like this. Liberal Democrats leader Vince Cable said: The history books will look back on the coming three months as critical. Are we going to make a terrible mistake, leaving behind our influence in Europes most successful peace project and the worlds biggest marketplace? India is keeping a close watch on efforts to involve the Taliban in a peace process in Afghanistan, and on Pakistans activism in the region, though it has no plans to play any military role in the war-torn country, two people familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. The two persons described the developments over the past month, especially US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzads outreach to the Taliban, as fast paced and said a review was underway to assess the implications of these moves for India. Following the two-day talks between a Taliban team and Khalilzad in Abu Dhabi last month, Irans top security official Ali Shamkhani confirmed last week that Tehran, too, had been holding talks with the Taliban and that these discussions would continue. Subsequently, Irans foreign ministry said a Taliban delegation visited the country on December 30 and met deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss efforts for a negotiated end of the 17-year war. India is also following the reported plan of the US to withdraw 7,000 troops from Afghanistan and the people cited above said New Delhi believes this withdrawal will be gradual to allow the Afghan national defence forces to fill the gaps. Noting that the US was bringing its troop levels to what they were in 2014, a person said: Of course it will have an impactIt is going to be tough to fill in the gaps with such a large withdrawal. The review currently underway will focus on the implications of the fast-paced developments of the past month, including Pakistans activism, the person said, adding that foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had visited Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia to discuss Pakistans role in the process. The people cited above ruled out any Indian military involvement in Afghanistan or any direct talks with the Taliban. We are fully supportive of the current government, and we believe there must be a dialogue between the government and other political forces for the peace process, a second person said. We would like to be part of all processes and we have tried to participate in as many as we can. India has legitimate interests in Afghanistan and we would like to preserve them, the second person added. Nitin Pai, director of Takshashila Institution, said it would be better for India to prepare for the long haul and deal with whoever eventually comes to power in Kabul. It is better to deal with the outcome instead of trying to engineer one, because we lack the capacity to engineer an outcome to our liking, he said. Whoever comes to power, even if it is the Taliban, will have to deal with us. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warns Washington not to test North Koreans patience with sanctions and pressure. During his televised New Years speech, Kim said hes ready to meet with Trump at any time to produce an outcome welcomed by the international community. However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure. Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean cooperation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the Norths Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed. Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. Pyongyang over the past months has accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the Norths unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12. If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (U.S.-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures, said Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and gray-blue tie. It is the unwavering position of our party and the republics government and my firm will that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement ... take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime and push toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he said. Therefore, we have already declared domestically and internationally and took various actions showing our commitment that we will no further create or test nuclear weapons and will not use or spread them. Adam Mount, a senior analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said Kim appears to be hinting at an agreement that falls short of a full disarmament, but could still represent a major limitation of the North Korean threat a cap that essentially freezes the Norths rudimentary nuclear capability from growing or advancing further. In exchange, the United States would have to offer major inducements, including sanctions relief. US negotiators should move decisively in the new year to find out how far Kim is willing to go toward a verified cap on his arsenal. Discussions on reducing or eliminating that arsenal come later, Mount said in an email. However, Kims statement could prove problematic if theres ongoing evidence the Norths nuclear and missile facilities continue to run. Private analysts have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. Over the last year, signs of continued work on the arsenal were alarming but not duplicitous, because there was never a commitment to stop those activities, Mount said. That may no longer be true, raising the risk that the White House feels cheated rather than just stonewalled. Kims speech also points toward a difficult year for the US-South Korean alliance with their military cooperation coming under pressure from Pyongyang, Seouls process for inter-Korean engagement, and Washingtons current inability to reach an agreement on cost-sharing for the US military presence in South Korea. It will be critical for the allies to develop a firmer policy as its clear the issue of joint drills is coming to a head, Mount said. In the speech, Kim hailed the results of the Norths diplomatic activities in 2018, including his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim said an inter-Korean military agreement reached in their last summit in September to reduce conventional military threats was realistically a non-aggression declaration. Kim also emphasized the development of the North Korean economy and, without elaborating, mentioned nuclear power as part of the countrys plans to boost electricity production. Kims speech was closely watched as North Korean leaders traditionally use New Years statements to reflect on the past year and issue major policy goals for the year ahead. Kim used his New Years speech a year ago to start a newfound diplomatic approach with Seoul and Washington, which led to his meetings with Moon and Trump. Kim also met three times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which boosted his leverage by reintroducing Beijing Pyongyangs main ally as a major player in the diplomatic process to resolve the nuclear standoff. But nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled in recent months as they struggle with the sequencing of North Koreas disarmament and the removal of U.S.-led sanctions against the North. The North has also bristled at US demands to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal. The hardening stalemate has fueled doubts on whether Kim will ever voluntarily relinquish the nuclear weapons and missiles he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival. In his meetings with Trump and Moon, Kim signed vague statements calling for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. The North used a blunt statement last month reiterated its traditional stance on denuclearization, saying it will never unilaterally give up its weapons unless Washington removes what Pyongyang describes as a nuclear threat. The statement jarred with Seouls claim that Kim is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nukes and suggested that the North will potentially 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. Some experts say its becoming clear the North intends to keep a nuclear arsenal and turn the talks with the United States into a bilateral arms reduction negotiation between two nuclear states, rather than a unilateral process of surrendering its arsenal. Washington and Pyongyang have yet to reschedule a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean officials after the North canceled it at the last minute in November. There are views that North Korea wants a quick second summit because it thinks it can win major concessions from Trump that they probably couldnt from lower-level US officials, who are more adamant about the North committing to inspections and verification. US President Donald Trump on Monday signed into law a legislation that reinforces US commitment to its evolving strategy for the Indo-Pacific to deal with China and recognises the vital role its strategic ties with India will play in promoting peace and security in the region. The law recalls, reaffirms and endorses ongoing India-US cooperation under all existing instruments, such as the New Framework for the United States-India Defense Relationship of 2005 to the designating of India as a Major Defense Partner by a 2017 law, and calls for the strengthening and broadening of diplomatic, economic, and security ties between the United States and India. It is not an India-centric law, and details US relations with all major powers and entities in the region, including China, Australia, Japan and the ASEAN. Called the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, 2018, it builds on the Trump administrations National Security Strategy announced in 2017 that had defined the Indo-Pacific as a region that stretches from the west coast of India to the western shores of the United States, which, it had said, was witnessing a geopolitical competition between free and repressive visions of world order. The top challenge facing US and the international system backed by it is Chinas illegal construction and militarisation of artificial features in the South China Sea and coercive economic practices, which is a concern that America shares with India, Japan, Australia and others, the new law said. The other threats, in that order, were North Koreas acceleration of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities; and terrorisms, increased presence throughout Southeast Asia of the Islamic State and other international terrorist organisations that threaten the United States. The law also recognises USs growing engagement with India, Australia and Japan under the framework of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue popularly called the Quad that had two meetings in 2018 alone, still at the level of officials though. The law also recognized the importance of cooperation with India in the context of the wider US engagement with ASEAN, along with the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. US senator Elizabeth Warren become on Monday, the last day of 2018, the highest profile Democrat to formally move towards a White House run, announcing the launch of an exploratory committee, usually, but not necessarily, the first step in that direction. Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and others are expected to follow soon, with similar exploratory committees or a formal run in coming days a week. Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, & take care of themselves & the people they love, Warren wrote on Twitter on Monday morning. Thats what Im fighting for, & thats why Im launching an exploratory committee for president. I need you with me, the 69-year-old said. In an embedded video for supporters, she pitched herself as a candidate who will fight for the middle-class, people of colour and people immigrants who may come to the country from anywhere and take on corruption by politicians and big corporation. Our government is supposed to work for all of us, but instead, it has become a tool for the wealthy and well-connected If we organize together, if we fight together, if we persist together, we can win. Warren, a janitors daughter who went on teach law at Harvard, shot into public limelight after president Barack Obama named her to set up a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, based on an idea mooted by her, following the Great Recession triggered by them in 2008. The aim was to protect consumers from banks and financial institutions, the Wall Street, that had triggered the financial crisis most of the world, because of their linkages to the US economy. Warren went on to run, and win, for the Senate from Massachusetts and was re-elected for a second term in the November mid-term elections. Speculation about her run has attracted attention and snide remarks from President Donald Trump, who will be seeking a second term in 2020. He has attacked her over her claims of Native American ancestry and calls her Pocahontas, after the daughter of a Native American chieftain who interacted with the first American settler in the late 16th century and married one of them. If you wonder what is happening in the UK over Brexit, you are no different from the vast majority of the British people. They are equally baffled, often giving vent to ennui at the political contortions in Westminster. Technically, the UK is due to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, but even the most imaginative political columnists dare not put their money on it. Anything can happen: a mid-term election, another referendum, a change of prime minister, a blind Brexit (without anything agreed by the deadline), or a halt to the Brexit process and more talks in Brussels under a different dispensation in London. After a lull in London due to Christmas and New Year holidays, another political storm is inevitable, as lawmakers return to parliament on January 7, when the stalled withdrawal agreement will again occupy centre-stage, awaiting parliamentary approval. Also Read: European disunion: A continent that is adrift The current state of play is this: both sides of the Brexit divide are opposed to the agreement, which has no hope of being passed in parliament. The key irritant is the so-called backstop applicable to Ireland (EU country)-Northern Ireland (UK), which will potentially hock the UK to EU rules indefinitely. Now the crunch: top EU officials insist there is no scope for renegotiations to assuage the British MPs concerns; that the agreement reached after over two years of tough talks is all that is possible. But Prime Minister Theresa May is equally insistent that talks are on with Brussels on the backstop. The Brexit debate will resume in the House of Commons in the week beginning January 7. If May does not bring to parliament the promised legally binding clarifications on backstop to allay concerns, the agreement will not be passed, rekindling conflict and taking political turmoil to a new high. It may well be a negotiating position, but the May government has put in place emergency plans for a blind Brexit scenario, or leaving the EU on March 29 without anything in place to oversee ties with EU from March 30 onwards. EU has also initiated similar plans. This is the worst-case scenario, since rules and regulations governing every aspect of life in the UK are governed by EU-wide norms put in place since 1973, when the UK joined the group. Recession, price rise, shortage of medicines and flight disruptions are possibilities. Companies and trade lobbies including the nearly 1,000 Indian firms based in the UK with supply chains, personnel and operations across Europe are watching in horror the impasse, putting on hold investment and expansion plans. Many have opened offices in EU or moved staff to continue functioning in the large single market, whatever the fate of Brexit. As the Brexit deal dominates public discourse, and as Liberal Democrats leader Vince Cable puts it sucks all the energy of government departments, factional politics is increasingly getting on the nerves of many: within the ruling Conservatives, within Labour, between opposition parties as well as in Mays cabinet. Also Read: Is it time for the return of coalition politics in India? Britain is now the butt of global mirth and cringe-making sympathy, wrote John Kampfner, former head of the Creative Industries Federation, in The Guardian. Brexit has already deeply damaged the British brandWe have been here before. I remember the 1970s as a young boy. Britain was a laughing stock, the sick man of EuropeWhatever transpires with Brexit, the British brand is tarnished. Brexit, if and when it happens, in the end is a damage-limitation exercise: for the UK and Europe. Both stand to lose or diminish in various ways. For now, no one is even contemplating what life will be beyond Brexit in a UK that has never been so deeply divided. Indias hospitality industry is experiencing a period of rapid change. Driven by the rise of middle class income bracket and a deep desire of the young Indian to travel and savour experiences. Millenials and their distinct habits are compelling organizations to review their work place culture, operating models and product offering. Ms. Anshu Sarin, CEO- Berggruen Hotels shares some important trends expected to be seen in 2019: Make technology work for us: Travel and Hospitality will change the traditional way we have viewed business. Technology will play a huge role here to build scale, operational excellence and enhanced consumer experience. In an ever-changing landscape, every organization should know what and how can they make technology work for it over taking moon shots. Incremental approach over a transformative one with focus on augmenting capabilities would be our preference with cognitive based technologies. via GIPHY Workplace environment to be the key differentiator: Human capital has an immense impact on the strength of the organization today. It is imperative to define today for the workforce a purpose Why do we do what we do? Transform purpose into performance. Core values are not about mere words but phrases, rules and boundaries that define a companys culture and personality. It is critical to codify the core, articulate it and reinforce it on an on-going basis. Creating an environment which blends wisdom from experience with the quest for purpose of the millennial will be the key. Exponential growth in the number of millennial travellers: With the advent of disruptive change across sectors like BFSI, e-commerce, IT, FinTech, the organizations realize the importance of talent mix of industry experts with fresh minds. Thus, corporate travel segment has observed an increase in the millennial population over the better part of the last decade. They look for exploration, interaction and experience rather than a place to crash at night. Thus, staying relevant to the customized needs of this segment is of paramount importance for the sustainability of hospitality sector. Age of the Influencer: Travellers are on quest for insta-worthy locations due to constant social media pressure. These are driven by the influencers on platforms that help the business grow through campaigns and offering certain incentives to their followers. Leveraging social media by supporting likes with relevant content, juxtaposing push and pull marketing will be the way forward. Changing definition of Corporate Travel: 2019 will observe an increase in travellers that combine business and leisure travel into one trip. According to reports 55% of millennials extend business trips for extra leisure time. Driven by the blurring lines between work and leisure along with the need to have a comprehensive travel experience, corporate and leisure travel is expected to see an uptake. It is compelling to match up to the needs of todays business traveller whose constantly on-the-go lifestyle requires simple, mobile, local and inclusive experiences. via GIPHY Rise of Responsible and Sustainable Tourism: Every industry is undergoing sustainability reforms where organisations have begun taking dedicated initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. Travellers today prefer staying at hotels that adopt sustainable practices and are committed to fulfilling environmental responsibilities like optimising energy consumption in the hotels. Speaking further about the Travel and Hospitality trends expected to be seen this year, Ms. Sarin adds, In 2019 there will be an increase in travelers that combine business and leisure travel into one trip. Companies will need to offer the new age traveler or what we call the Non-liner generation, a purpose which is integrated into the stay experience. Technology will play a crucial role in the coming year and focus on augmenting capabilities would be our preference. Apart from technology, travelers would prefer brands which provides human touch and social commitment to fulfilling environmental responsibilities. Hence a dynamic, integrated but a personalized approach would drive demands in the coming year. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) recorded 3,987 fire calls from March to December 2018, the least recorded in three years. According to the data, 41 people were reported dead while 343 were injured in fire accidents. In addition, 27 firemen were injured while on duty. From January 2017 to December 2017, 4,927 fire calls, 55 fatalities and 219 injuries were reported. As per the information, 5,212 fire calls, 47 deaths and 128 injuries were reported from 2015-16; and 5,021 fire calls, 34 deaths and 115 injuries were reported from 2016-17. Some of the major fires this year were witnessed in December. This includes the Aarey forest fire on December 4. On December 17, a fire at Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Kamgar Hospital, Andheri, killed six people, including a two-month-old baby. Around 147 others were injured in the fire. On December 27, a fire broke out at Sargam Society, Tilak Nagar, killing five people, all senior citizens. On December 29, a fire at Sadhana Mills Compound, behind Worlis BDD Chawls, injured 16 firemen. On December 29, 2017, a major fire at Kamala Mills killing 14 and injuring 55 was reported. Fire officials have said that there is no specific reason to explain why fire outbreaks are more frequent this time of the year. We cannot say there is a trend of more fires in December. Rather than the fire, it is the illegalities in the infrastructure that leads to the deaths, said P S Rahangdale, chief fire officer. For example, the fire at BeauMonde Towers in Prabhadevi broke out on the 33rd floor. However, no deaths were reported since the building had a glass facade and a fire compliant system was in place. Meanwhile, in the case of the SRA building in Andheri or the recent fire at Tilak Nagar, the norms were not followed despite sending them repeated notices, he added. 377 premises checked in 4 days, 31 found flouting safety norms A recent inspection carried out by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) found that some of the establishments that are flouting fire safety norms include Mafatlal Gymkhana at Girgaum Chowpaty, Catholic Gymkhana at Marine Drive, Bar Stock Exchange at Kamala Mills in Lower Parel, Maratha Mandal in Mulund, and Neelyog Mall at Ghatkopar, according to data from the civic body. While MFB said that Wilson Gymkhana was also included in the list of establishments, gymkhana officials have said that no inspection was conducted at their premises. P Rahangdale, chief fire officer, said, We tied up with civic ward officers and inspected malls, multiplexes, theatres, food joints, and banquet halls across the city. This was done on the orders of the municipal commissioner, in preparation for New Years Eve celebrations. According to the fire brigade, 31 of the 377 establishments that inspected from December 27 to December 30, were found to be flouting norms and appropriate action. It said that it had demolished illegal and fire non-compliant extensions at two premises, removed extensions and encroachments blocking exits at 15 premises, and seized fire-hazardous goods from 123 establishments. A spokesperson from Bar Stock Exchange said, After the inspection, BSE complied with the fire safety norms based on the officers suggestions. We were asked to install additional sprinklers and smoke detectors in the restaurant. Some remaining paper work will be done on Tuesday. A spokesperson from Mafatlal Gymkhana said, There were three extra cylinders on our premises that were confiscated by the fire brigade. Some of our paper work, which is in place, was not handy. We couldnt produce it during the inspection, so we have been asked to produce them in the coming week. However, a spokesperson from Catholic Gymkhana refused to comment on the issue. Presently, we cannot comment, the spokesperson said. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that court verdicts and documents from before the Modi governments reign showed Gandhi familys involvement in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, adding they should come clear on it. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan, meanwhile, rubbished the allegations, asking why Fadnavis was not talking about the Rafale deal. Fadnavis said the Rs 3,200-crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters involved kickbacks for the Indian Airforce officers, bureaucrats and Congress leaders and shell companies for the transfer of money. Of the Rs 225 crore agreed upon, Rs 125 crore was paid to the Congress, bureaucrats and IAF officers in 52:28:20 ratio. Investigation reports by various agencies mentioned Sonia Gandhi, her son, Rahul, and their family members, who are referred to as family, establishing their clear involvement. The Italian Court, in its judgment, mentions Sonia Gandhis name on page 193 and 204 on four occasions, he said. Refuting the claim that Christian Michel, extradited by the Indian government for his alleged role in the AgustaWestland scam, was being pressured by the BJP government to take Sonia Gandhis name, Fadnavis said the Delhi court has imposed restriction on Michels lawyer after he was found to be misusing legal access by exchanging chits with lawyers. Many references of the names of Gandhi family date back to the rule of the Congress-led government in this case. Where does the question of BJP governments interference arise? All courts have termed the deal a scam. Interestingly, the Congress appointed its senior leader as a lawyer for Michel. The party had used government machinery for personal gains to compromise on national security, he said. Fadnavis also asked why every deal by the Congress led to a scam and why middlemen and deals related to the defence were linked to the party. He said Rahul Gandhi was raising questions on HALs ouster in Rafale deal, but he was silent on a state-owned company being replaced with a private company in AgustaWestland deal. The CM said he was not aware of AgustaWestlands participation in Make In India Conclave held in Mumbai in February 2016, despite the company being blacklisted by the Centre in 2013. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said it was an attempt by the BJP to attack them to cover up Rafale scam. The BJP is hiding behind Christian Michel to hide its corruption and scams. Why did Modi lift the ban on AgustaWestland and let it participate in Make In India? The government lost all prosecutions against AgustaWestland, including one in an Italian court in January 2018 and Milan court in September. Chavan said, The Milan court said there was no corruption by Indian officials. The Modi government did not even make an appeal in the case. The Modi government and the Enforcement Directorate wrote a false story of Christian Michel in July 2018 to defame the Congress, he said. Chavan said Michels lawyer Rosemary Patrizi and his sister Sasha Ozeman have alleged that the Modi government had offered to drop the case against Michel, if he named Congress leaders. CM Fadnavis also attacked NCP chief Sharad Pawar for supporting the Congress and Sonia Gandhi. New Year Day brought in a huge pleasure, though in a small size, in the life of Chhaya Savra as she delivered twins in a waiting room at Palghar station in Maharashtra Tuesday, officials said. Savra and her newborn son and daughter are doing fine. A police official said, the woman went into labour this morning when she was travelling in a suburban train for Dahanu along with her husband and mother-in-law. As the train reached Palghar railway station, Savra was taken to the first class waiting room and doctors were informed, he said. Dr Rajendra Chavan of Kanta Hospital assisted in the delivery along with Dr Umesh Dhumpalwar. Dr Chavan said the girl was born first. The infants weighed around 2.50 kg at the time of delivery, he said. Savra and the infants remain admitted at Palghar rural hospital, he said. Even as the rest of the world rang in the new year with fireworks and countdowns, a suburban temple in Thailands Bangkok witnessed a peculiar ritual: worshippers lying inside coffins to participate in traditional funeral rituals. What may appear to be eerie to many is, in fact, a Thai Buddhist ritual held every new year. The ceremony, worshippers believe, symbolises death and rebirth, which helps them get rid of bad luck and be reborn for a fresh start in the new year. Participants held flowers and incense in their hands as monks covered them with pink sheets and chanted prayers for the dead. Phitsanu Kiengpradouk, a 67-year-old retired policeman, was ready to welcome the new year with his own funeral. Laying in coffins means we are letting go of our suffering, from our body, and from our mind. We come here to lay in coffins, so we can have better luck and a better life, said Phitsanu. Busaba Yookong, a 30-year-old who attended the ritual with her family said attending her own funeral was not as eerie an experience as one would presume. The Takien Temple saw hundreds of worshippers flocking to it to take part in the Thai Buddhist ritual. While Thailand is on its way to becoming modern, with its capital city being filled with glitzy malls and high-rise buildings, superstitions still hold sway over the people in some aspects of the society. The Shia Central Waqf Board in Uttar Pradesh has called a meeting to discuss its stance in support of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and rebuilding the mosque elsewhere on Tuesday, ahead of the hearing in the title dispute case in the Supreme Court. A bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will take up the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute case on January 4, according to the list of cases to be heard by the top court. The top court had put off hearing the temple case in October, turning down requests for early hearings from the Yogi Adityanath government and others. The board has already filed a 30-page affidavit before the top court, saying that since the mosque was a Shia Waqf property, it alone is entitled to negotiate with other stakeholders to arrive at a settlement. Now that the hearing in the case is scheduled to commence from January 4, I have called a meeting with our lawyers to discuss the way forward on how best we can resolve the issue, said Waseem Rizvi, the controversial chairman of the Shia Waqf Board. Rizvi had also drafted a pact for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute, but there were not many takers for the proposal among the litigants. Let the temple come up at the disputed site, we are open to building a mosque in a Muslim-dominated area, at a reasonable distance from the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site, he said. The board, in its submission, had also suggested that a committee headed by a retired judge should be constituted to help negotiate a peaceful settlement to the dispute. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had ruled in favour of partitioning the disputed 2.77-acre land equally among three parties, the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram), represented by the Hindu Mahasabha. Apart from the main contenders, the Shia board is also one of the parties challenging the Allahabad high courts verdict of September 2010, laying down the specifics for partitioning of land in the Ayodhya dispute. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that while triple talaq is a matter of gender equality, entry of women in Sabarimala is related to tradition. In an exclusive interview to ANI, the PM tried to clear the air on BJPs apparent contradiction in its stand on the controversial triple talaq ordinance and the ban on entry of women between the age group of (10-50 years) in the Sabarimala temple by saying the ordinance against triple talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and social justice and it should not be seen as interference in religious issues. However, on the entry of women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala temple and protests by Hindu groups, PM Modi said the issue relates to tradition and the Supreme Court judgement that saw a dissent by a lady judge should be read carefully. The triple talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the Constitution, Modi said. Most Islamic countries have banned triple talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in Pakistan, triple talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, matter of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate, he said. Reacting to a question on the BJPs stand on the Sabarimala issue, the PM said: India is of one opinion that everyone should get justice. There are some temples, which have their own traditions, where men cant go. And men dont go... In this, Sabrimala, a woman judge in the Supreme Court has made certain observations. It needs to be read minutely. There is no need to attribute those to any political party. As a woman, she has made some suggestions. There should be a debate on that as well sometimes. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Thousands of Dalits gathered in Bhima Koregaon of Maharashtras Pune district on Tuesday to mark the 201st anniversary of a British-era war as the administration threw a protective ring around the small village in an effort to avoid the repeat of the large-scale violence last year. The violence broke out on January 1 last year in Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages during the bicentennial celebration of the war after unidentified people started pelting stones and set vehicles on fire. One person died in the violence and at least 40 were injured in the violence, which spilled into Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra as well. Also read: Bhima Koregaon violence was pre-planned, claim Pune Police The war in 1818 was fought between the British army, which was manned primarily by Dalits, and the Peshwa, the erstwhile rulers of the region notorious for their oppressive caste practices. The administration has deployed more than 20,000 police personnel in Bhima Koregaon for security cover and suspended internet services in this part of Pune as a precautionary measure. It has also set up a control room, monitoring the area through 350 CCTV cameras, some of them hidden, and diverted traffic from the arterial Pune-Ahmednagar highway. Police have denied permission to a number of religious leaders and groups for visiting the village, have externed 64 people and booked 1,211 people under preventive action. To avoid traffic jams, police have also made diversions this time. The crowd started coming since early morning amid the heavy police presence. According to senior police officials, around one lakh people visited the Vijaystambh or the victory pillar erected by the British with names of the Dalit soldiers who died in the battle, till 1pm. The flow of crowd will continue till evening, they added. Many Dalit leaders including Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar visited the Vijaystambh in Bhima Koregaon to commemorate the war anniversary. Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawale is also expected to visit the site later in the evening. Interestingly, there has been a large crowd at Vadhu Budruk where Dalits have come to pay homage to Govind Gopal Gaikwad Mahar, the Dalit farmer who had made arrangements for the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The clashes last year were triggered after a board was found at his memorial claiming Mahar had defied the orders of Mughal king Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by Aurangzeb in 1689. Mahar is a Dalit community. Local villagers, who believed that it was their ancestors who had performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj, tried to remove the board, leading to the quarrel, which resulted in a police case. The Bhima Koregaon violence dominated headlines for much of the last year, especially after Pune (urban) police arrested five activists in June, and another five in August, for alleged Maoist links and fomenting the clashes. This time too, police have restricted members of Kabir Kala Manch, a left-leaning Dalit outfit, from visiting the Vijaystambh, because of their alleged role in sparking the violence. Also Read: The Bhima-Koregaon issue kept the anti-caste movement busy in 2018 Police have also taken preventive action against those booked in all cases related to last years violence, including Hindu right-wing leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, who have been restricted from entering the area. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though it has nothing to prove him wrong. In an exclusive interview to ANI, PM Modi said those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the security forces. He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that countrys security is not compromised. Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my countrys needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the countrys security. I wont leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me, Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal. When asked why he was silent on the Congress accusation of crony capitalism and alleged favouring of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Modi replied, This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom. In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken. ..Media should have the courage to ask (the Congress) where is the evidence for these allegations? Dont throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it), he added. The Prime Minister said that there should be debate in the country on why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and on need for middlemen in defence purchases. Why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and our forces weakened. Who is doing it? What is the reason? Also, what is the need for middlemen in the defence deals? Cant defence deal not be done without middlemen? Had Make in India been initiated 70 years back, the malai khane wala raasta from outside would have been closed. My crime is that I am trying to Make In India. My crime is that whatever our defence forces need, that should be made in India, so that dealings outside the country end. I am trying to get technology transfer, Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister sought to dispel the Congress allegation that the purchase would harm his Make in India initiative. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambanis Reliance group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied vehemently by both the Indian government and Dassault. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led-central government of attempting to break Muslim homes through the Triple Talaq Bill and warned against creating a Zia-ul-Haqs Pakistan in (Mahatma) Gandhis India. The PDP leader said that she was speaking against the bill as a Muslim and a woman who has also gone through a broken marriage, at a time when there is an assault on the family structure of Muslims. Mehbooba said that Muslims take pride in our family structure and bonding which is very strong and is also true of other religions in the east unlike west. Unfortunately after the economic onslaught on Muslims through curbs on meat and leather which has ruined the economic state of Muslims, they have entered our homes now, by bringing the Triple Talaq Bill. It not only disturbs our family life but will also affect the economic state of Muslim women and men, Mehbooba said, while addressing a press conference here. Married to a relative, Mehbooba, 59, was divorced early in her life and brought up her two daughters, both in their twenties, alone. Mehbooba said that the biggest challenge for a woman after a broken marriage is her economic well being and the upbringing of her children. When we talk with the BJP about reservation for Muslims, they reject any reservation whether in education or jobs on religious lines, but when it comes to this kind of law made on religious lines, they go to the parliament, she said. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018, which proposes to criminalise the practice of Muslim men giving divorce to their wives by uttering the word Talaq thrice in quick succession, was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday. However, a united opposition on Monday, thwarted the governments attempt to push the instant Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha. An attempt to pass this bill; what message are you sending to 25 crore Muslims in the country. You have already cornered them enough by putting a ban on beef and leather. Now by breaking their homes what message are you conveying to them, Mehbooba said. Not a single Muslim MP has supported this bill in parliament. The BJP has majority but it is not about brute majority, there should a consensus, Mehbooba said. She also warned against interfering into Muslim lives. Dont interfere in our religion and if you do, you will face the consequences in coming time. The former CM also accused the BJP of not following the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. BJP always claims that they want to further the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, they claim of humanity and sab ka sath sab ka vikas but this kind of bill and entering the homes of Muslims for their division is awful, she said. Mehbooba said all Muslims including those of Jammu and Kashmir have stayed in India because of Gandhis secular India. I want to tell the government at the Centre that you are not doing any service either to your country or to Hindus. We do not want to create a Zia-ul-Haqs Pakistan in Gandhis India, she said. Muslims want to abide by Supreme Court rulings whether in Babri Masjid case or on this issue, we are ready to abide by that. On the other hand, they dont abide by the Supreme Court decision on Sabarimala Temple issue. And on Babri Masjid they say whatever the decision of SC, the temple will be built there, she said. Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan was on Tuesday sworn in as the first Chief Justice of Telangana High Court, which came into existence on New Years day more than four and a half years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Justice Radhakrishnan was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan at a simple ceremony in Raj Bhavan at 8.30am. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, senior officials, several judicial officers and lawyers attended the ceremony. Justice Radhakrishnan had been serving as the Chief Justice of the combined high court of the two Telugu states since July last year. Soon after the ceremony, the Governor flew to Vijayawada to administer the oath of office to Justice Praveen Kumar as the acting chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court, which also came into being on Tuesday. Later at a separate function held on the premises of the Telangana High Court, Justice Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to 12 judges allotted to the first high court. The Telangana chief minister and government officials also attended the ceremony. Last week, the central government issued a notification for the bifurcation of the high court between the two states with effect from January 1. On Monday, more than 400 judicial staff, advocates and judges of the newly formed Andhra Pradesh high court left for Vijayawada on special buses. They were given an emotional farewell by the Telangana high court staff as members of the legal fraternity recalled their long association for several decades. Come back before sunrise, irrespective of the success or failure of the mission: This was the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Indian Army Special Forces commandos who went across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28, 2016 to carry out surgical strikes at terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Modi, while revealing details of the military action for the first time, told ANI in an interview that the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. The strikes were carried out days after terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, killing 20 soldiers. The Prime Minister said the surgical strikes were planned as there was a rage building up within him as well as the Army after soldiers were burnt alive in the terror attack in Uri. I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, dont think about that but come back before sunrise. Dont fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation), he said, turning a bit emotional while discussing that operation. Emphasising that he was determined to see that none of the soldiers died in the operation, he said he had told them that they must return before sunrise even if they fail. The Prime Minister revealed that he was keeping tab of the risky operation throughout the night and was getting live information. I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers, he said. Also read | Let judicial process be over, says PM Modi on ordinance for Ram Temple Also watch: He said he didnt want any harm to come to the commandos who were willing to sacrifice their lives on our word. The Prime Minister disclosed that the commandos for the operation were chosen carefully and then imparted special training. Whatever equipment was required, it was arranged for them, he said. He said he was anxious throughout the time the soldiers were on the other side of the LoC and the moments became extremely difficult when the information flow stopped for about an hour in the morning. In the morning, information flow stopped, for an hour. My anxiety increased. Even one hour after sunrise. That time was extremely difficult for me... Then came the information that they have not reached back yet but two-three units have reached the safe zone, so dont worry. But I said I wont be fine till the last man returns, Modi said. On politicisation of the surgical strikes, the Prime Minister said it was not done by the government but by opposition parties, which raised questions over the military action and cited the Pakistani version to lend weight to their doubts. The Prime Minister said that even before the country was informed about the strikes, Pakistan was told about it. An Army officer apprised the nation (India) of the operation. That information was given to Pakistan as well... But it is unfortunate for the country that the same day (of the surgical strike), leaders of some parties raised doubts over the surgical strikes, Modi said. It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (to deny), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing Pakistani version. Politicisation started from that point, he added. Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in a series of tweets post surgical strikes raised doubts over the veracity of the Governments claims. Kejriwal said that Pakistan had invited foreign journalists to view their side of the border to ascertain claims of a surgical strike. BJP I believe you. But international media publishing Pak propaganda that no strike took place. Lets expose Pak propaganda, tweeted Arvind Kejriwal on October 4th, 2016. PM Modi added that the opposition leaders were speaking rubbish and those who raised doubts over the Army action, were wrong and such politicisation should not have happened. Modi said lauding the valour of soldiers from all operations including the 1962 war with China was the duty of the government and citizens. If we dont hail the valour of those who stake their lives for the country, then who will? So praising the Army should not be considered as politicisation, he said. The Prime Minister was asked whether the objectives of the surgical strikes were met, considering that cross-LoC attacks still continue in Kashmir. In response, he said he would not like to discuss the issue in open domain. But then he went on to add, Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving). Talking about the Uri attack, Modi said, That incident made me restless and there was rage within me. I had gone to Kerala and made a mention of this. Because I could not stop myself. Modi said that while talking to the Army, he realised that they wanted justice for their martyred soldiers and the government gave them the free hand to plan and execute the surgical strikes. Special training was imparted to the commandos and secrecy was maintained. The topography and obstacles were kept in consideration... It was a learning experience for me as well, Modi said. In September 2016, terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed entered the Army camp in Uri near the Line of Control and killed 20 soldiers in the attack. In retaliation, the Indian Army troops including the commandos from various units of the Para (Special Forces) units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir carried out raids across the border on multiple targets. All these targets were launch pads for terrorists for infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out attacks against military and civilian targets. Though the security forces are not sure about the exact number of casualties on the Pakistan side but based on post-operation intercepts and movements, it is believed that it had suffered around 50 casualties including its regular Army soldiers who were deployed for protecting the terror camps. From the Indian side, only one soldier had suffered injury due to a personnel mine explosion while returning from the operation. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Soldiers deployed on the Siachen glacier may soon be able to bathe, a luxury they cannot currently afford during their three-month stay at posts located at heights of up to 21,700 feet as water is a scarce resource. The soldiers are likely to be supplied with indigenously-developed waterless body hygiene products. Kolkata-based Eastern Command, which is responsible for guarding Indias disputed border with China, has tested and ordered the products, two officials said on condition of anonymity on Monday. India deploys around 3,000 soldiers at any given time on the glacier, where temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees. Guarding the strategic glacier costs Rs five crore to seven crore daily. Soldiers deployed along the Line of Actual Control with China in the Northeast have found waterless bath products very useful. Based on that feedback, the Eastern Command has ordered thousands of bottles of these products. Troops in other high-altitude areas including Siachen will also get these products, said one of the officials quoted above. Almost 80% posts on the glacier are located above 16,000 feet, with Bana towering above the rest at 21,753 feet. Soldiers have to trek for almost 28 days covering a stretch of 128 km to reach some of the farthest pickets on the glacier, one of the most desolate places on this planet. Every soldier deployed on the glacier goes without a bath for 90 days. That wont be the case anymore. The waterless body hygiene products will allow them to bathe at least twice a week. About 20 ml gel is good enough for a full body wash, said the second official. The Army Design Bureau (ADB), which was inaugurated in August 2016 to promote research and development and act as a bridge between the force and the private sector to meet the armys requirements, has facilitated the availability of waterless body wash. New Delhis Indian Institute of Technology has developed the hygiene products. It is a great move from the point of view of personal hygiene. Melting ice into the water on Siachen would require a lot of fuel and is not feasible, said an officer, who has served on the glacier. The ADB has identified 130 problems facing the army in three separate reports. It seeks to find indigenous solutions to them. These problems include a drop in engine performance of tanks and infantry combat vehicles at high altitude, difficulties in laying bridges for movement of troops and vehicles in mountains, smart vests for soldiers with built-in codes for identification, sniper scopes to engage targets with greater precision and robots to carry equipment in the high-altitude area. Solutions to 25 problems are being implemented while the other areas are still a work in progress, said an ADB official. Women across Kerala stand in line Women raise their hands to take a pledge to fight gender discrimination as they form part of a hundreds kilometer long "women's wall" in Thiruvananthapuram, in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday. ( AP Photo ) Delhi women extend support to Womens wall campaign A group of women in New Delhi on Tuesday expressed solidarity with protesters in Kerala who formed a Womens wall, demanding gender equality and justice for all. The demonstration was held outside Kerala House in New Delhi in Jantar Mantar where members of National Federation of Indian Women held placards saying, Equality and Justice is Womens Constitutional Right. Will go to any extent to protect Ayyappa temple customs:NSS Hitting out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the Sabarimala issue, an outfit of Keralas forward Nair community Tuesday said it would go to any extent to protect the customs of the Lord Ayyappa temple. A day after Vijayan flayed the Nair Service Society for its double standards on the Womens Wall, the outfits general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said the wall sponsored by the government would divide the people of the state on the basis of caste. WATCH: Lakhs of women form 620 km-long wall in Kerala Guinness press conference at 7 pm Guinness officials to hold press conference at 7 pm about the womens wall. CPI(M)-RSS workers clash in Kasargode There were incidents of violence in Kasargode after CPI(M) and RSS workers clashed. Police used stun grenades and resort to baton charge to disperse the warring groups. The Womens Wall was attacked, allegedly by some BJP-RSS workers, at Chettukund in Kasaragod district Tuesday as they lined up at the National Highway here to form the human chain. A historic day: Brinda Karat It is a historic day for the women of the state. Some forces are out to push the state again to the dark era but women wont allow this, said Brinda Karat while addressing a public meeting after the wall. CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat at end of wall CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat was the last person at the end of the wall in Thiruvananthapuram State health minister K K Shailaja leads wall State health minister KK Shailaja led the wall at Kasargode (north Kerala). Lakhs come together to form 620 km-long Womens wall Lakhs of women across Kerala lined up from one end of the state to the other to form a womens wall on Tuesday and took a pledge not to push the state to the era of darkness again and uphold gender equality and renaissance values. CM Pinarayi Vijayan to inaugurate Womens Wall Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to inaugurate the Women Wall program later today, according to news agency ANI. The participants were expected to gather at the designated centres on Tuesday at 3:30 pm, when a rehearsal would be held. The Wall will soon be formed, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. Women Wall not referendum: K Balakrishnan Ahead of the inauguration of Women Wall program in Thiruvananthapuram today, CPM State Secretary K Balakrishnan has said that the women wall was not a referendum on the Sabarimala verdict. Women Wall isnt a referendum on Sabarimala verdict. Government fund is not being used for it. Those who support gender equality can join the women chain, Balakrishnan said at a press conference. Lakhs to form Womens wall Lakhs of women from various walks of life would be participating in the 620 km-long state-sponsored Womens wall campaign to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The Congress is ready for a discussion in Parliament on the Rafale issue but wont give up its demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the deal, a senior party functionary said on Tuesday. Congress member KC Venugopal and Sankar Prasad Datta of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have given a notice for a discussion on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha on issues related to the Rafale deal under Rule 193 that does not entail voting. The notice has been included in the Lok Sabhas list of business for Wednesday. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told the House on Monday that his party was ready for a debate on the issue after the government accused it of evading one. The remarks were widely interpreted as a climbdown by the Congress, which has until now insisted on a JPC to probe the jet fighter deal before discussing the issue in Parliament. However, the partys chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala maintained that the Congress remained firm on its demand for setting up a JPC to probe the deal and the debate in Parliament will have no bearing on the partys stand. The demand for JPC to examine the corruption in Rafale deal remains the sole uncompromising guiding path for the entire opposition, he asserted. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been at the forefront of the partys onslaught on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue, is expected to participate in the short duration discussion. The NDA governments decision to buy 36 fighter aircraft from France under a government-to-government deal has been targeted by the Congress and others who allege there are three issues with it: one, due process wasnt followed; two, the price at which the aircraft are being bought is much higher than one which the previous UPA government had negotiated; and three, the old deal was scrapped and a new one signed so that Reliance Defence, a company promoted by Anil Ambani could benefit from an offset deal with Rafale maker Dassault Aviation. The government has maintained that it followed due process, that the price at which it bought the aircraft is lower but cant be disclosed on account of security considerations, and that offset deals are struck between the equipment maker and the local partner with the government having no role to play in it. On December 14, the Supreme Court, hearing petitions for a court-monitored investigation of the deal said it was satisfied that due process was followed, that the issue of pricing is beyond the courts purview, and that the government has nothing to do with offset deals. The Congress, however, has continued to press for a JPC. The BJP, in business advisory council meetings, maintained that it was ready for a debate on the issue but only under Rule 193, and not Rule 184 which calls for a vote. Gandhi made the Rafale issue one of his key campaign points in the recent assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. He is likely to keep up the attack on the ruling side in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well. If there is no wrong, why is the Modi government running scared of the JPC, which will have a majority of the members from the ruling National Democratic Alliance? This proves that the government seeks to hoodwink its own members from discovering the truth behind the murky Rafale deal, Surjewala added. The assessment within the Congress is that the discussion on the Rafale issue will give an opportunity for the combined opposition to corner the government in Parliament ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, the government, by conceding the demand for a debate, will project that it has nothing to hide. BJP members are expected to raise the alleged corruption in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal to counter the Congress. Opening after a two-week Christmas break, the Supreme Court is likely to take up the defence ministrys application seeking clarification in the Rafale judgment. Some mistakes crept into the judgment, particularly with respect to the governments submissions on sharing pricing details of the jets with the Comptroller and Auditor General and its subsequent examination by the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. In an interview to ANI, he also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating obstacles in the Supreme Court. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution, the Prime Minister said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. The BJP, as articulated in its manifesto, wants building of a majestic Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, there has been a renewed pitch within the party as well as by its sister organisations in the Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of construction of the temple. Also read: Surgical strikes was a big risk but was more concerned about soldiers safety, says PM Modi The Sangh Parivar organisations have expressed unhappiness over the delay in resolving the matter and there are demands to promulgate an Ordinance, similar to the one issued on Triple Talaq, to facilitate construction of a temple. The demand for Ordinance has been articulated even by BJPs ally the Shiv Sena. Asked whether the government could consider issuing an Ordinance on Ram temple, the Prime Minister pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts, he added. The matter is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 4. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court for day-to-day hearing in the case. The Prime Minister was asked why an Ordinance cannot be promulgated to facilitate Ram temple construction when a similar step was taken to ban instant Triple Talaq. Watch: PM Modi on Ayodhya ordinance - Let judicial process be over In response, Modi said, the Triple Talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict, in the light of Supreme Court verdict. He was referring to the Supreme Courts ruling in 2017, banning the practice of Triple Talaq among the Muslims. Subsequently, the government issued an Ordinance and brought a bill in Parliament. The bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is before the Rajya Sabha. Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this (Ayodhya) issue, Modi said. Targeting the Congress, he said it should not create obstacles and should let the judicial process to take its own course. Dont weigh it in political terms, Modi said, addressing the Congress. I beseech the Congress, for the sake of national peace and amity, they should stop its lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in the court, he added. The Prime Minister said all lawyers, including the Congress ones, should jointly head to the court and ensure that there is an early judicial verdict. In the court, Congress lawyers, who are creating obstacles, should stop. Let the judicial process take its own course, he said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Also read | Urjit Patel wanted to resign for months, he wrote to me personally: PM Modi The number of complaints against inclusions in the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has drastically risen to around 2.6 lakh in the last few days, a top official familiar with the development said. According to officials, a large number of these complaints have been filed with the assistance of indigenous groups, including the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which led the anti-foreigners movement in Assam. The Supreme Court had set December 31 as the deadline for filing of claims and objections. Officials said the last two days before the deadline saw mass objections being filed in several districts. The number of objections filed in my district has gone up to more than 70,000 and we are still in the process of counting them. Most of these objections were filed on the last day, said Thaneswar Malakar, deputy commissioner of Barpeta district in Lower Assam. The district has 70.74% Muslims, mostly of Bengal origin. Figures provided by officials associated with NRC had pegged the number of complaints at around 700 just two days before the deadline. In our district the number of objections filed stand at around 15,000. Most of them have come on the last day. The local unit of AASU was involved in it, said Hiranya Das, an official closely associated with the NRC exercise in Nalbari district. According to an official in the NRC secretariat, the highest number of objections have been filed in Barpeta, followed by Nagaon and neighbouring Morigaon, two Muslim majority districts. SC, after complaints from several groups that they are not able to file objections at the NRC Nagrik Seva Kendras, had allowed that they can be filed at the district headquarters. The official clarified that exact number of people against whom complaints have been filed could be more or less than the number of complaints since they have been filed quoting the application receipt numbers. One application may have more than one person. The exact number will only be known once we count all complaints and digitise them. There is possibility of several complaints against the same person, the official said. NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela will submit a report in the Supreme Court after tabulating the exact number of claims and objections after which a schedule for verification hearings will be approved by the court. The complainant will have to be present for these hearings. Samujjal Bhattacharya, AASU advisor, admitted that the organisation had helped people to file objections. AASU and other indigenous groups had extended support to people filing claims since the over 40 lakh people excluded from NRC draft had indigenous people and Hindus and Muslims have come prior to March 25, 1971 deadline. Similarly, we have also helped people who wanted to file objections. We want a Bangladeshi-free NRC, he said. According to NRC officials, 3.12 million people have filed claims for inclusion. The bill that seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to make it easier for non-Muslims from neighbouring countries to get Indian citizenship may see further changes. But a proposal to keep Bangladesh out of the bills purview is unlikely to be added. People aware of the developments said some non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members have demanded that Bangladesh be kept out of the proposed legislation in wake of protests in large parts of Assam. But it has not found support from many political parties including the BJP. The amendments to the Act propose to reduce the time the minorities Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh need to become citizens. According to the current law, only those who came to India from these countries before 1958 are eligible to become Indian citizens. Parties like the Asom Gana Parishad and other organisations have launched protests against the bill as it goes against the 1985 Assam accord. The accord, signed between the Centre and the Assam government, states that any outsider from Bangladesh, who has come after March 25, 1971, is an illegal immigrant. The new law allows citizenship for immigrants who have come until December 31, 2014, said a senior Opposition leader. A joint committee is currently reviewing the bill. Opposition leaders told HT that the proposal to drop Bangladesh from the bill has not been accepted. A BJP leader explained that if India can open its doors to non-Muslims from Pakistan, then why cannot Bangladeshi Hindus or Sikhs or Christians come to India. Northern states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab, which share the border with Pakistan, have given their approval. The joint panel is likely to meet on December 3 to adopt its report. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to go to Silchar in Assam on December 4 amid speculation that he might talk about the amendment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said mob lynchings in the name of cow protection were totally condemnable, saying such incidents do not reflect well on a civilised society. At the same time, he appeared to reject the contention of actor Naseeruddin Shah that minorities were feeling unsafe in India due to lynchings, saying some people sense insecurity around the time of elections because of agenda. In an interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi questioned whether such incidents had started only after his government came to power in 2014. He said everybodys sentiments should be respected and for creating such an environment, everyone will need to contribute. Any such incident does not reflect well on a civilised society. No voice ever should support such incidents. This is totally wrong and totally condemnable, he said when asked to comment on incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection. On actor Naseeruddin saying that minorities were feeling unsafe in the country, the Prime Minister said before elections, some people do see insecurity. Some people have an agenda. WATCH | PM Modi on Ayodhya ordinance: Let judicial process be over He went on to add, Did it (mob lynching) start after 2014? This is a result of ills within society. For improving this situation, we should all work collectively. The PM said his government believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (cooperation with all, development of all). In this context, he said that when his government went on electrifying 18,000 remaining villages of the country, it did not ask the villagers which religion they belonged to. Similarly, when the government implemented the Ujjwala scheme to provide subsidized LPG connections, it did not discriminate on the basis of religion, Modi said. He said he did not want get into a debate that such things happened during any particular government as even one incident is condemnable. There should be no such incident in the society. But we should understand what the main fabric of the society is, he added. The PM said people should listen to what sentiments Mahatma Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave had expressed or take note of the sentiments enshrined in the Constitution. It is the responsibility of every citizen to respect those sentiments. If you honour those sentiments, our sentiments are also respected. To create this environment, everybody should contribute, he said. Talking about harmonious existence in India, he said a Muslim scholar based in the Gulf had written about Indias harmony in diversity whereas in their region people of the same faith attacked each other. India should take pride in this compliment. India should take pride that we have been living in harmony for ages, he said. The Prime Minister also decried political violence that has been taking place in some parts of the country, apparently referring to West Bengal and Kerala. As a worker of the BJP, I strongly condemn it. We have suffered a lot, said Prime Minister Modi. In West Bengal, BJP is not even allowed to exercise its democratic rights. During elections, the way our workers are killed, it does not reflect well on democracy. In Kerala, our workers are killed every day, Modi added. He said BJP workers have been also killed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir. The question is not whether our workers are killed or not, but this political violence is not good for democracy and all parties will have to think about it, he said. I want to assure BJP workers and their families that the government does not tolerate any form of violence, be it by any party. We are committed to ensuring justice to everyone. We appeal to the state governments also ....Some day the truth will come out. Today, some people may be enjoying protection but someday the truth will come out. Political parties should train their cadres how to behave in a democracy, the PM said. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) A 40-year-old migrant woman from West Bengal has been elected the sarpanch of Ramnagar village on the outskirts of Amritsar city in the panchayat elections, voting for which was held on Sunday. Promila Kumari, a housewife, defeated her rival candidate, Sonia Sharma who was backed by the ruling Congress, by a margin of 132 votes. Promila and her husband Kamal Kumar (47), alias Bengali, the outgoing village sarpanch, owe allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The village has 1,756 registered voters of whom 1,274 cast their vote on Sunday. Promila and Kamal Kumar got registered as village voters nearly 17 years ago. She entered the fray as the panchayat was reserved for women candidates this time. The couple has three children. Kamal Kumar said, I came to Amritsar 28 years ago and worked here as a labourer. I also worked as a rickshaw puller. We got married in 2000. In 2001, we moved to Ramnagar after constructing a small house here. In the 2008 panchayat elections, I was elected as a panchayat member as a Congress worker. As I was not happy with the working of the then Congress sarpanch, I joined SAD, he said. In the 2013 panchayat elections, I was elected as the village sarpanch after I defeated the Congress candidate who had been wining for 30 years. I worked hard for the villages development, he added. Currently, he owns a small plastic waste management factory in the village, he said. Promila said, Nearly 50% voters in our village are Punjabis and the rest are migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. My agenda is to develop Ramnagar as a model village. SAD workers on Sunday protested outside the village polling station alleging bogus voting by the Congress supporters. Police resorted to cane-charge to disperse the protestors. A man who had boasted of killing and eating a rhesus macaque monkey, a protected species, on social media, was arrested in Meghalaya, police said Monday. The man was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Rhesus macaques, protected under the same Act, are familiar brown primates with red faces and rears. They have close-cropped hair on their heads and their natural range includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China. Also read: Number of Indian species in endangered list going up The accused was arrested from West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya after the state forest department lodged an FIR, Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar told PTI. After the man allegedly killed, burnt, and cooked the monkey, he posted photographs of it on social media from where PETA India came to know about it and urged the authorities to arrest him. Also read: Rhino found dead in north Bengals Gorumara National Park A PETA India statement released in Guwahati said following its request, the deputy commissioner ordered the SP and the divisional forest officer of West Garo Hills to form a joint team to investigate the matter and arrest the accused, Sengkud Sangma. See Photos: Chiles indigenous pine, a botanical dinosaur facing extinction In the statement, the animal rights body said, We commend the Superintendent of Police, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Divisional Forest Officer of West Garo Hills District for sending out a strong message that such cruelty will not be tolerated. India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged lists of installations covered under an agreement against attacks on nuclear facilities and lists of prisoners held in each others jails against the backdrop of a downturn in bilateral relations. The lists of nuclear installations and facilities were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations that was signed in December 1988 and came into force in January 1991, statements issued by external affairs ministry and Pakistans Foreign Office said. The pact states the two countries must inform each other of nuclear facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 every year. This was the 28th consecutive exchange of the lists since January 1992. New Delhi called off a planned meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries on the margins of the UN General Assembly last September due to terrorism-related concerns. People familiar with developments recently ruled out any major initiative on ties with Pakistan until after Indias general elections. Brahma Chellaney, a leading strategic analyst, described the exchange of lists of nuclear facilities as a symbolic annual action. Both sides are going through the motions but the Pakistani side doesnt declare all its facilities, including clandestine facilities created with Chinese assistance. This has been a concern for India, he said. In terms of military utility and a confidence-building measure, it is symbolic. The two countries exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody in line with the Consular Access Agreement of May 2008, which requires both to hand over such lists on January 1 and July 1 every year. The Pakistani side handed over a list of 537 prisoners 54 civilians and 483 fishermen in its jails, said a statement from the ministry. India handed over a list of 249 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in its custody. Nearly six years after being separated by forced marriages, two women who fell in love in college, tied the knot in a temple on Saturday in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The two women, aged 24 and 26 (names withheld to protect identity) hailing from Hamirpur, garlanded each other in a simple temple ceremony. However, the registrar has refused to recognise the marriage. On September 6, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court had decriminalised homosexuality by reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that penalised people for their sexual orientation. However, same sex marriage or civil partnerships are not recognised by law in India. Daya Shankar Tiwari, the lawyer of the two women, said: Registrar RK Pal has refused to register the marriage on the ground that there was no government order on same sex marriage. Pal, who retired from service on Monday, said: How could I have registered the marriage when there is no such provision? Same-sex marriage is not allowed. We dont even have an online proforma for it. The two women, however, have not lost hope. Our lawyer has told us that since the Supreme Court has done away with Section 377, we can stay together. No one can trouble us. We have been living together as a couple for some time now, one of them said. They had first met in their college over six years ago, but had to drop out in the mid-session after their families came to know about their relationship. The two were married off to other people. We were married off six months after leaving college, but could not forget each other. We divorced our husbands and fought a legal battle to stay together again, they said. Though the two women refused to give details of their divorce, they said they would not lay claim to their marital properties. After their symbolic marriage in a temple, they exchanged vows before their lawyer and friends. Their lawyer said he would challenge the registrars decision in the court. The women are within their legal rights to stay together, he said. Lesbian couples find little or no acceptance, and suicide is common given the role that families play in forcing them to marry men. Between 1995 and 2003, 22 young women in same sex relationships in Kerala committed suicide. However, despite the lack of legality of the marital status, same sex couples in the country have been holding wedding ceremonies. In 1987, Leela and Urmila, two policewomen in Bhopal were suspended after they got married in a temple. The Union information and broadcasting ministrys official calendar for 2019 is compendium marking the anniversaries of the Centres flagship schemes, with nuggets about the achievements of the Narendra Modi government that is seeking a re-election in a few months. January, for instance, marks the anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana that was launched by the PM on January 13, 2016. It is an actuarial premium based scheme under which farmers pay a maximum premium of 2% for Kharif, 1.5% for Rabi food and oilseed crops, 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops and the remaining part of the actuarial/bidded premium is shared equally by the Centre and state government. The month also marks the commencement of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, launched by the PM Modi, on 22 January, 2015 in Panipat, Haryana, to address the declining child sex ratio; and the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, a deposit scheme for the girl child, which was launched on the same day. The calendar compresses in bullet points information about policies and schemes and their perceived impact on people. In December, the ministry has marked the 25th (Christmas Day) as the anniversary for Mission Indradhanush, an immunisation programme. Farmers distress and crisis in the agricultural sector, which emerged as a major concern for the government and is seen as a reason behind the BJPs electoral defeats in the three Hindi heartland states during the last round of assembly polls, has been specifically addressed. Under the theme Sowing to Selling, Insurance to Irrigation - Towards Doubling Farm Incomes, the government claims to have provided access to credit boosted through historic farm credit target of R11 Lakh crore for 2018-19, and the historic decision of making minimum support price 1.5 times the cost of production. To be sure, the governments initiative of amplifying its achievements though the calendar is not unusual. A former bureaucrat who worked with the ministry said, All governments use platforms such as the calendar as a medium of messaging. Even the Congress-led UPA government used this as a platform to reach 10-12 lakh panchayats to convey their achievements, he said. Are calendars an effective means for communicating the accomplishments of the government? Piyush Pandey, the new worldwide chief creative officer of the advertising major, Ogilvy, does not seem to think so. Most people dont put calendars at home anymore, the usage is minimal; so there is a need to think twice before spending money on them, he said. Pandey, who worked on the BJPs last Lok Sabha election campaign and coined the slogan Ab ki baar Modi sarkar (this time around, a Modi government) also said, These calendars are largely for party workers and ardent supporters who value them more. China strengthening its position in Doklam: Surjewala Due to Modis weak policies, China strengthening its position in Doklam. China constructed motorable road near Chickens Neck. PM is playing with national security: Surjewala People with Opposition: Surjewala Its janta versus thugbandhan. People are with the Opposition: Surjewala Congress hits out at PM overt Uri attack Who went to Pakistan without invitation? It was Modi. He got a return gift as well. The attack on Uri where our jawans lost their lives: Surjewala Former French President said Rafale deal taken away from HAL: Surjewala Former French President Francois Hollande said Rafale deal was taken away from HAL and given to Reliance. Therefore, the charges are against him as well. This is why he doesnt want JPC on Rafale: Surjewala No need for ordnance on Ram temple: Surjewala Results of three states show that BJP is on its way out in 2019. Congress believes Ram temple issue is with Supreme Court. Whatever decision it makes should be followed. No need for ordnance: Surjewala Congress fought Britishers: Randeep Surjewala Congress fought Britishers, they fought for independence. The PMs paternal organisation was with the British: Randeep Surjewala Congress accuses BJP of corruption Everyday, new scams are coming out under BJP rule. In one company, whose director is Amit Shah, crores of old notes have been deposited: Randeep Surjewala I, me, mine and myself: Congress on Modis first 2019 interview Summary of Modi jis Monologue Interview: I, Me, Mine, Myself. Country is suffering your Is & Lies: Randeep Surjewala of Congress Minutes after a 95-minute interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aired on TV channels, the Congress fired 10 questions that the opposition party said, should have been answered by him. The whole summary of PM Modis interview was - I, me, mine, and myself, said the Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala at a Press conference, asserting that the PM should instead have detailed progress on 10 promises that he made, including the one to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every bank account and bringing back black money from abroad. Surjewala described the PMs interview to news agency ANI as a monologue. Modi answered questions on range of issues ranging from the governments stand on the Ram Temple to Urjit Patel resignation from the RBI. He also made sharp attacks on the Congress and the Gandhi family, which he said had run the country for four generations and were facing charges of financial irregularities and are out on bail. Surjewala said the Prime Minister had only peddled lies at the interview about his governments 55 months in power. The Congress spokesman also reminded him about the Rafale fighter jet deal and its demand for a probe by a parliamentary panel. Why are you running away from a probe, he underscored, listing what he said, were the governments broken promises. Also read | Come back before sunrise: What PM Modi told soldiers before surgical strikes PM Modi, in course of the interview, had counted the Congress campaign against him over the Rafale deal as an attempt to weaken the army and stressed that he would not stop him from expediting the procurement process so that the countrys security is not compromised. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my countrys needs should be met?.... I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the countrys security, he told ANI. In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken, Modi said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambanis Reliance Group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied by both the Indian government and Dassault. Also read | 12 things PM Modi said in 95-minute interview, his first in 2019 Tamil Nadus law minister CV Shanmugam has sought a probe into the role of state health secretary J Radhakrishnan during the hospitalisation of former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in 2016. Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016, after being treated in the hospital for 75 days from September 22, 2016, for various ailments. He (Radhakrishnan) was against taking Amma abroad for medical treatment. He opposed it saying it would paint Indian doctors in a poor light, Shanmugam, believed to be close to chief minister EK Palaniswami said while speaking to reporters in Villupuram on Sunday. The health secretary has not considered the plight of the patient Saving a patients life is important than protecting the reputation of doctors...This government must probe his (Radhakrishnan) background, he said. The ministers outburst against the senior bureaucrat, serving in the health department for more than six years, comes after the commission headed by retired judge Justice A Arumughaswam probing Jayalalithaas death said Radhakrishnan colluded and conspired with Apollo Hospitals and inappropriate treatment was provided to her. The panel has also charged former chief secretary PS Rama Mohana Rao of purposefully giving false evidence at the time of Jayalalithaas hospitalisation. Read more| Tamil Nadu deputy CM Panneerselvam summoned by panel probing Jayalalithaas death Alleging that Jayalalithaa was not given proper care, Shanmugam wondered why angiogram, a procedure to evaluate blockages in the heart, was not performed on Jayalalithaa. At a time when even the poor get an angiogram, why Jayalalithaa was not done that procedure? Who prevented it and who was in control? he asked and squarely blamed the health secretary for keeping everything under the cloud of secrecy. Amma would have been alive had she been given proper treatment during her 75-day-hospitalisation, he said. The truth should be made public and a probe is necessary. Further, he charged Jayalalithaas confidant VK Sasikala and her family of feasting at Apollo Hospital. The enormous amount of food bill was enough proof that Sasikala and her relatives feasted at the hospital while Amma was under intensive care, he fumed. Apollo Hospitals in a bill summary submitted to the Arughamugaswamy commission said that the food bill accounted for Rs 1.17 crore and room rent Rs 1.24 crore. The total bill for her treatment was Rs 6.85 crore of which Rs 44.56 lakh is yet to be paid. Radhakrishnan has dismissed the allegations levelled against him as unfounded, baseless and wild and said he had, so far, not been served a copy of the petition filed by the commissions counsel. The allegation that he conspired and colluded with Apollo Hospital and acted as its spokesperson was not only false but also slanderous, the top official said. Whether to take her or not to a foreign destination for treatment was purely a medical decision for which it would not be correct to hold an official like him responsible, he had said. This is the first time a senior IAS officer has been targeted by a cabinet minister. The state health minister Dr C Vijayabhaskar has also been summoned by the panel. Read more| Panel probing Jayalalithaas death to question Sasikala in Bengaluru jail (With agency inputs) The government is in favour of bringing construction-related material in the 5 per cent slab of GST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, while informing that changes in the tax structure will continue as there is scope for improvement. On Congress president Rahul Gandhi describing GST as Gabbar Singh Tax and Grand Stupid Thought, PM Modi said jiski jaisi soch, waise uske shabd (the way someone thinks, the same are his words). In an interview to ANI, Modi underlined that all decisions related to GST (Goods and Services Tax), a single tax regime which was rolled out two years back, have been taken through consensus in the GST Council, which has representation from state governments, including Congress ones. Are they abusing their own party leaders and party governments? ...Just creating a political hue and cry is not good, he said, attacking Gandhi for slamming the GST. The Prime Minister emphasised that GST is a new system that is bringing about a big transformation and is driven technologically. So some small traders have faced inconvenience. We acknowledge this. But the governments responsibility is to be sensitive to their concerns. So, whatever comes to our notice, are referred to the GST Council. We decide collectively how to simplify it (GST), he said. Talking about providing relief to traders, Modi said the central government wanted the tax liability slab to be raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 75 lakh but could not do this in the last GST Council meeting as some states had reservations. So, the issue has been sent to a Committee which has been formed by the GST Council. Once the Committee reaches a decision, it will benefit a number of people, he said. Similarly, Modi said, his government wanted to bring material used for under construction and fully constructed houses in catch all 5 per cent slab, like has been done in for restaurants. But there were reservations by some. So GST Council could not do it. It has now gone to the Committee. We will try to ensure that the committee report is expedited, he added. So, continuously, we have been trying to make GST easy and ensure that interests of the consumers are safeguarded. In such a short time, in such a big nation, whatever has been achieved is not small... There is scope for improvement. We will continue to make changes, Modi said. He said that over the last few days, tax rates of 1,200-1,250 items of daily use have been brought down, some to 18 per cent, some to 12 per cent, some to 5 per cent and in some cases even to zero per cent. He said zero tax is being levied on 500 items, which at one time incurred high taxes. We keep doing because we take feedback. We believe in discourse, the Prime Minister said. Before GST, the tax rates in the country were as high as 30-40 per cent with some hidden taxes and double taxes, he said, adding GST has simplified all this. When referred to criticism of the GST by Gandhi, Modi asked whether GST processes have not been implemented through consensus with all political parties in the country. Since Pranab Mukherjee was the Finance Minister, the GST process has been going on, he pointed out. In Parliament, the (GST) Bill was passed unanimously, he said, adding decisions are taken in GST Council where all governments and UTs along with the Centre are represented. All have equal position in the GST Council. Puducherry and Government of India are both equal, he said. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) The Election Commission of India (ECI) is getting ready to publish final electoral rolls on January 21, as it prepares for the Lok Sabha polls to be held this summer, and it wants voters to ensure that their names are in the voting lists of their respective constituencies. People familiar with the development said the commission has also asked all state election offices to verify the existence of voters and ensure electoral rolls are without errors such as duplicate names or missing voters. Voters are also being encouraged to verify their details. Being registered in two places is an electoral offence, but the commission has decided to give voters a chance to update their address and make necessary changes, said one Election Commission official on condition of anonymity. Through public interest messages on television, radio, advertisements in newspapers and through social media, EC has been informing voters of the various ways in which they can enroll or update their details. Duplicate entries and names missing from the list became a flashpoint between the poll body and some political parties (across states) in the last round of assembly elections. Previously, the big issue was the efficacy of the electronic voting machines (EVM), after complaints of EVMs malfunctioning were reported during the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Errors in the rolls set off a political slugfest after Opposition parties accused election officials of colluding with the ruling party to doctor the list. In Telangana, for instance, Congress leader Shashidhar Reddy accused the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) of getting names deleted. EC denied that its officials were responsible for incorrect deletion of names and said some names were excluded after voters failed to notify changes in their address. However, following complaints from voters about their names going missing from the rolls during the recent assembly elections in Telangana and the complaint from the Congress party about the existence of bogus voters in Madhya Pradesh, the commission is reaching out to voters through campaigns on the ground and through social media to ensure their names are on the list. In Telangana, many voters had not updated their addresses. In some cases when the officials went to verify their existence on the listed address, they found them missing so their names were struck off. The claims made by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh proved to be untrue. The commission, using a de-duplication software, carried out a purification exercise in 2016 to clean up the electoral list in Madhya Pradesh. We found 68 lakh duplicate entries, which were subsequently verified, the official said. The Congress presented these as bogus voters. "EC is a reputed body and it has been holding elections, impartially and without any fear or favour for several decades. Creating doubt about the election processes in India does not serve any purpose. The Congress blames EVMs and electoral rolls after it loses elections, but remains quiet when it wins," said Anil Baluni, Rajya Sabha MP and Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson. Following the complaint from Reddy, parties such as the YSR Congress have written to the poll panel to carry out a clean-up drive. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh [in 2014], there are many voters who are registered in their villages [that were part of undivided Andhra Pradesh] as well as in Hyderabad [now part of Telangana] . Since the assembly polls are upcoming in the state [of Andhra], there is a worry that some of these people who are registered in two places could vote here as well. We have informed the EC that there are duplicate entries in the list, and we came to know that some voters names were deliberately removed from the list by the officials at the behest of the ruling party. These concerns need to be addressed, said V Vijayasai Reddy of the YSR Congress. EC officials, however, said there is nothing to worry about because its de-duplication software tracks names with similar demographics, such as the name itself, the parentage, address, or age, and places them together. This is being followed up with a physical verification, said a second EC official. We are giving out details of which forms to fill for various purposes such as for those who have relocated to a different constituency, for updating or correct details etc; these forms are on the EC website and can be procured at the local election office, added this person, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. There has been talk in some quarters of EC linking rolls to Aadhaar numbers to ensure error-free electoral lists, but Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association for Democratic Reforms, an election watchdog, doesnt think that is a good idea and said accurate rolls are a utopian notion: The EC has to be on its toes trying to keep it as correct as possible. It has to be a continuous exercise. Linking to Aadhar is not the answer, since Aadhar [enrolment] itself is unreliable and risky. The Indian Navy resumed its search operation on Tuesday with help of NDRF personnel in the main shaft for the 15 miners trapped in a flooded illegal coal mine in Ksan village of Meghalayas East Jaintia district since December 13 last year. Officials said the navy diving team, along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers, went inside the main shaft and are jointly operating on a strategy that was planned. NRDF is also on standby with all their available resources to assist the Odisha fire service team for the installation of their pumps, they said. Odisha Fire Service is trying its best to run the machine and insert pumps inside to take out the water and check the water level in the main shaft, R Susngi, spokesperson of the East Jaintia Hills district said, according to news agency ANI. The official said out of the 15 people stuck in the rat hole mine, five are from Assam and ten, including three from East Jaintia Hill, belong to Meghalaya. Odisha Fire Service and NRDF teams were able to dewater from the old shaft that lays few yards below the main shaft after replacement of new cable, box and accessories purchased by district administration. The volume of water pumped will be measured after a few hours, official said. NDRF is offering its full corporation with all other agencies that visited the site for help, officials said. The district administration is also procuring the chassis of the crane and other logistics required to make at least three cranes in the old shafts nearby operational. The navy had said on Monday that the search for the Meghalaya miners will be feasible only after the level of the water in the illegal structure comes down. Also read: Search for Meghalaya miners possible after water level goes down: Navy The navy divers re-entered the main shaft of the nearly 350-feet flooded mine with a remotely-operated device and came out after three hours of search for the miners. It said visibility inside the shaft is very poor and at only around one feet at the bottom. The divers, who entered the shaft on Monday to survey the bottom using an UnderWater Remotely Operated Vehicle or UWROV, found some wooden structure inside the mine, as well as coal beneath. They also found mud and a rat hole with coal at its mouth. The 15 miners have been missing after the illegal coal mine they were digging got flooded in the coal-rich East Jaintia Hills, an area where illegal mining is rife and a National Green Tribunal ban on such activities has been in place for four years. Also read: How long can one hold his breath underwater: Man who narrowly escaped Meghalaya mine flooding The remote mine is an hours drive and then a half-hour hike from the district headquarters of the East Jaintia Hills district. Only four-wheel-drive SUVs can navigate the three streams and the steep uphill dirt road that the last two-kilometre stretch comprises. Later in the day, officials said that around 5:30pm, the fire services team from Odisha stopped pumping water from the old shaft located about 500 metres from the main shaft. After around three hours, it was found that the water level in the old shaft went down by six inches. Navy divers, along with NDRF personnel, went inside the main shaft at around 4:30pm to check the water level and reported that it had not changed. The fire services team from Odisha will continue de-watering the old shaft tomorrow and they expect that after eight hours of pumping, the water level can be determined. The Tibetan government-in-exile has contested Chinas claim of according top priority to the ecological conservation in Tibet, saying the ground realities were altogether different. It noted Chinas weak environment policies and the lack of sincere efforts have further exacerbated Tibets fragile ecosystem. China had made the claim in a white paper published in July. The white paper said Beijing regarded the Tibetan Plateaus protection vita for Chinas survival and development. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), as the government-in-exile in is known, released a 21-page response to the white paper. The paper would have been a wonderful reading for someone who knows very little about Tibet, but for a regular observer, there are too many lies, factual errors and contradictions between policies and implementations, CTA president Lobsang Sangay said in the foreword of his governments response to China. The CTA cited the impact of climate change, mining, irresponsible damming, forceful removal of Tibetan nomads and littering on the environment of Tibet. It urged China to respect Tibetan cultural beliefs in the sanctity of the sacred mountains, lakes, and rivers to tackle the environmental issues. The Chinese government must involve the local Tibetan population in decision-making processes for any major development projects in Tibet, the CTA said. Sonam Norbu, official spokesperson for the CTA, called environmental concerns apolitical and universal in impact. The ecological health of the Tibetan Plateau, which also functions as the roof of the world, is vital for the well-being and sustainability of the entire world, including China. Researcher Tempa Gyaltsen said China has failed to mitigate the alarming climatic conditions in Tibet and further aggravated the environmental crisis by increasing the scale of resource extraction and dam construction. He welcomed Chinas past initiatives in environmental protection, including the introduction of the 2015 new environment protection law. Rajasthan Minister Mamta Bhupesh stoked a controversy on Monday, December 31, 2018, when she said that working for the development of her caste is her priority. Bhupesh, the women and child development minister in Ashok Gehlots Cabinet in Rajasthan, was speaking at a public event at Reni in Rajasthans Alwar district when she made the comment. My first duty will be to work towards the development of people of my caste and then towards the larger society. I intend to work for everyone, she said. Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as Rajasthan chief minister on December 17 after the Congress won 99 seats in a tightly fought election with the BJP which bagged 73 seats. The Congress went on to form the government in the state with the support of Bahujan Samaj Partys 6 MLAs who had won the election. Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtras Pune district resembled a battleground on Monday evening as the administration threw a protective cordon around the small village in an effort to thwart a repeat of the violence that rocked the bicentennial celebration of a British-era war last year and left one person dead. At least 20,000 police personnel were deployed as the government set up a control room, monitoring real-time intelligence from 350 CCTV cameras, some of them hidden, and diverted traffic from the arterial Pune-Ahmednagar highway. Police have denied permission to a number of religious leaders and groups for visiting the village, have externed 64 people and booked 1,211 people under preventive action. The district administration expects at least one million people to show up on January 1 to celebrate the 201st anniversary of a war between the British army, which was manned primarily by Dalits, and the Peshwa, the erstwhile rulers of the region notorious for their oppressive caste practices. Bhima Koregaon is home to a victory pillar erected by the British on which is etched the names of the Dalit soldiers who died in the battle. Also Read: The Bhima-Koregaon issue kept the anti-caste movement busy in 2018 District collector Naval Kishore Ram said, We have taken the help of different Dalit organisations and social organisations in traffic planning for the event. Alternate traffic routes have been commissioned since midnight and a necessary police force is on the ground to tackle any sort of eventuality. Besides, strong confidence-building measures have been undertaken wherein villagers and elected office bearers of village panchayats have pledged complete support for the event. The Pune rural police have also given permission to five Dalit organisations to hold their customary sabhas near the obelisk. Plain clothed police officials and senior intelligence staff have been camping in the Bhima Koregaon area for the past 15 days. We have brought additional forces from neighbouring districts. We have been closely monitoring social media and action has already been taken against those circulating provocative posts, said Vishwas Nangre Patil, special inspector general (Kolhapur range). The administration is keen to avoid a repeat of last year, when violence broke out on January 1 at Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages after unidentified people started pelting stones and set vehicles on fire. One person died in the violence and at least 40 were injured. The next day, Dalit groups brought Maharashtra to a standstill in protest. The Bhima Koregaon violence has dominated headlines for much of the year, especially after Pune (Urban) police arrested five activists in June, and another five in August, for alleged Maoist links and fomenting the clashes. This time too, police have restricted members of Kabir Kala Manch, a left-leaning Dalit outfit, from visiting the Jay stambh (victory pillar), because of their alleged role in sparking the violence. The police have also taken preventive action against those booked in all cases related to last years violence, including Hindu right-wing leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, who have been restricted from entering the area.Bhim Army supremo Chandrakshekar Azad is expected to lead a rally today while BR Ambedkars grandson and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar will be offering his tributes at the war memorial at 7 am on Tuesday. Also Read: Bhima Koregaon anniversary: Pune rural police draw up plan for traffic diversions on Pune-Ahmednagar road This year, adequate security measures have been undertaken by the state government. We are confident that the celebration will pass off peacefully for 2019, said Republican Bharat president Akash Sable. Prakash Ambedkar said that the government was raising the bogey of urban naxalism to take control of the Jay Stambh and make preventive arrests. All this is being done as a nautanki (stunt), he said. A frail-looking Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar chose to begin the New Year on a positive note as he paid a surprise visit to his office in Panaji on Tuesday, for the first time in five months. Manohar Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment detected nearly 11 months ago and has not been to his office since August last year, was taken in his official vehicle to the state secretariat at around 10:30am. According to a statement by the chief ministers office, Parrikar was accorded a warm welcome at the secretariat by his cabinet colleagues. The 63-year-old also held meetings with his Cabinet colleagues and officials at the Secretariat, the statement said. Parrikar, who appeared relatively healthier than a few months ago, nonetheless remains weak and in need of assistance. He was also seen with a feeder tube protruding from one of his nostrils. He was discharged from New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 15 and remained confined to his private residence until he visited the site of an under-construction bridge on the Mandovi River near Panaji in mid-December. Also read: With one photo, Parrikar cools speculation about his immediate future Despite being confined to his home, Parrikar held sporadic meetings, including those of the cabinet, summoning ministers, officials and others to his residence. The opposition Congress, as well as the civil society, has condemned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using Parrikar as a doll to prop up their falling fortunes. Despite being confined to his home, Parrikar held sporadic meetings, including those of the cabinet, summoning ministers, officials and others to his residence. The opposition Congress, as well as the civil society, has condemned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for using Parrikar as a doll to prop up their falling fortunes. Late last month, the Bombay High Court at Goa dismissed a petition filed by a local politician seeking a medical evaluation of the chief minister by a team of expert doctors and the release of the medical reports to the public citing overriding public interest and stakes in Parrikars health. The high court called the request a violent invasion of the right of privacy of the chief minister.. Parrikars improving health has put paid to the talk of a change in leadership as well as demands from opposition and allies that the chief minister redistribute a bulk of the 40-odd portfolios that he holds to arrest the administrative paralysis. Also read: BJP showing Manohar Parrikar as Superman, He-man in staged photo-shoots: Congress Actor Prakash Raj announced on Twitter on Tuesday he will contest the Lok Sabha election to be held later this year as an Independent candidate, ending speculations about his imminent move to politics. It is unclear where Raj will contest from, being fluent in the languages of and popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too.. Raj posted on Twitter. Raj had begun a campaign in Karnataka called #JustAsking and said previously that his increasing political activity was sparked by the murder of a close friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was gunned down in front of her Bengaluru house on September 5, 2017. Also read: Journalist Gauri Lankesh, known critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, murdered Since then, Raj has been a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru last year, Raj had claimed that there he was being offered a fewer number of films as a result of his political activism. Also read: I am not anti-Hindu, I am anti-Modi, says actor Prakash Raj Notably, Raj was present during a meeting of Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, who would eventually become Karnataka chief minister, in the run-up to the assembly elections in the state. Repeated attempts to reach Raj went unanswered. The Bengaluru resident is known for his versatile acting and has appeared in films in all south Indian languages and also in Hindi and other languages. He received the National Award for Best Acting for his role in Kanchivaram. Memories of the violent clashes and stone throwing that marked the bicentennial celebration of a British-era war a year ago failed to stop Dalits from across the country congregating in Maharashtras Bhima Koregaon on Tuesday to commemorate its 201st anniversary. Pune Police said at least one million people made their way to the victory memorial, around 40 km from the city, as a mark of pride and assertion, waving blue flags and raising slogans of Jai Bhim, a reference to Dalit icon and Indias first law minister, BR Ambedkar. This year is special for us because of the riots which took place and our community was attacked by members of the right wing last year, said Rajesh Bhole, a resident of Aurangabad, with the flower-bedecked, obelisk-shaped memorial in the background. Union minister Ramdas Athawale visited the village late in the evening and announced that the central and state governments would collectively spend Rs 100 crore on beautifying the memorial. The state government has prepared a Rs 63 crore development plan for the Bhima Koregaon memorial and the central government will take steps to increase the amount to Rs 100 crore, Athawale said, adding that the government would take steps to declare the memorial as a pilgrim centre for Dalits. BHIMA KOREGAON VIOLENCE AND ARRESTS: CHRONOLOGY OF A CRACKDOWN A nondescript board put up near the shrine of a prominent Maratha king in a small village near Bhima Koregaon last year triggered the violence that rocked Maharashtra and sent shockwaves across Indias Dalit community Importance of Bhima Koregaon In the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism as the British Army comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas--the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom at Bhima Koregaon. Later Vijaystambh was erected by the British as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Bhima Koregaon battle on January 1, 1818. The board that sparked violence Crowd also gathered in large number at Vadhu Budruk where Dalits came to pay homage to Govind Gopal Gaikwad Mahar, the Dalit farmer who had made arrangements for the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.Mahar is a Dalit community.. The clashes last year were triggered after a board was found at his memorial claiming Mahar had defied the orders of Mughal king Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by Aurangzeb in 1689. TIMELINE JAN 1, 2018: Violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages on January 1, that is celebrated as the anniversary of the war between British and Peshwas, leaving one person dead and four others injured. 28-year-old Rahul Phatangale, according to postmortem report, died of head injuries during stone pelting by unidentified youths. Riots in Bhima Koregaon also caused damage to property worth 40 crore. Violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages on January 1, that is celebrated as the anniversary of the war between British and Peshwas, leaving one person dead and four others injured. 28-year-old Rahul Phatangale, according to postmortem report, died of head injuries during stone pelting by unidentified youths. Riots in Bhima Koregaon also caused damage to property worth 40 crore. JAN 2, 2018: A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote , president of Samasta Hindu Aghadi and Sambhaji Bhide of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, both right-wing activists, after several leaders from left-leaning parties took their names for inciting violence at Bhima Koregaon. Later the police arrested Ekbote. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote , president of Samasta Hindu Aghadi and Sambhaji Bhide of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, both right-wing activists, after several leaders from left-leaning parties took their names for inciting violence at Bhima Koregaon. Later the police arrested Ekbote. JAN 8, 2018: The Vishrambaug police filed FIR against six members of Kabir Kala Manch(KKM), a left-leaning cultural organisation, for making "provocative" and "inflammatory" statements during the Elgar Parishad held at Shaniwarwada on December 31 2017. The FIR was modified on June 8 by adding names of arrested activists. The Vishrambaug police filed FIR against six members of Kabir Kala Manch(KKM), a left-leaning cultural organisation, for making "provocative" and "inflammatory" statements during the Elgar Parishad held at Shaniwarwada on December 31 2017. The FIR was modified on June 8 by adding names of arrested activists. JUNE 6, 2018: Pune police arrested five persons in connection with December 31 Elgar Parishad case registered at Vishraumbaug police station. Among those arrested included member of the Republican Panther, Sudhir Dhawale; prominent lawyer, Surendra Gadling; activist, Rona Wilson; former Prime Minister rural development fellow, Mahesh Raut and retired Nagpur University professor Soma Sen. Pune police arrested five persons in connection with December 31 Elgar Parishad case registered at Vishraumbaug police station. Among those arrested included member of the Republican Panther, Sudhir Dhawale; prominent lawyer, Surendra Gadling; activist, Rona Wilson; former Prime Minister rural development fellow, Mahesh Raut and retired Nagpur University professor Soma Sen. AUGUST 28, 2018: Pune police arrested five persons including prominent lawyers and rights activists for their alleged "Maoist links". Among those arrested ncluded revolutionary writer P Varavara Rao, activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, and trade unionist and rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha in connection with December 31 Elgar Parishad case. For more than a century, Dalits have celebrated a victory in an 1818 war of the British army, manned by several Dalit soldiers, over the forces of the Peshwas, the erstwhile rulers of Pune who were known for oppressive caste practices. Last year, peaceful protesters were attacked by an unidentified group of men who torched vehicles, ransacked shops and sparked violence that left one dead and at least 40 people injured. Pune (rural) police initially named two right-wing leaders, Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, but the investigation against them has stalled. Instead, Pune (urban) police have focused on an event organised by Left and Dalit groups on December 31, 2017 in Pune called Elgaar Parishad and arrested 10 prominent activists for alleged Maoist links. In order to avert a repeat of last year, police threw a protective cordon around the village, suspended phone internet, stopped most vehicles from plying and put up numerous check posts, besides deploying 20,000 personnel and at least 350 CCTV cameras. While lakhs of people visited, we focused a lot on crowd management. The people were not allowed to halt near the victory pillar and our deployment was also strategic at various places, said inspector general of police Vishwas Nangre Patil. We did not allow aggression and impatience among visitors which helped us control the crowd, he said. A number of prominent politicians also made a beeline to the event. At 7am in the morning, Prakash Ambedkar, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh President and BR Ambedkars grandson, paid his respects and lauded retired Bombay high court judge BG Kolse Patil, retired Supreme Court judge justice PB Sawant and some students for creating awareness about Bhima Koregaon in rural Maharashtra. Now the state is labelling them as naxals as they tried to bridge differences between the Marathas and the OBCs (other backward classes) through the Elgaar Parishad as a platform, Ambedkar said. He demanded that the government take action against Ekbote and Bhide, who, he said, were the real perpetrators of last years violence. Later in the day, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and Athavale also visited the spot. But the focus remained squarely on the people, many of whom walked for miles, spent hours inside packed buses and went without food or water for long durations to make the journey. Most of them said the event meant more to them than just a celebration. We have composed songs to commemorate the battle of Bhima Koregaon so that Dalits can undertake awareness campaigns and assert their rights guaranteed under the Constitution, said Kabir Naiknaware, an artiste from Kolhapur. Former soldier BS Kawade, who came from Chiplun, described the memorial as a symbol of Dalit pride and identity. It reflects the Dalit prowess in fighting wars against the Peshwas and winning them. This anniversary is a historic occasion for us, he said. Indian babies will account for 18% of the expected 3,95,072 births across the world on the New Years Day, UNICEF said on Monday. An estimated 69,944 babies will be born in India, and of these Uttar Pradesh will welcome around 16,000. Yes, the craze for new arrivals on January 1 still lingers. Would-be mothers still insist on having their delivery on the first day of the year. However, the most maddening of all January 1sts in this respect was the first day of the new millennium, said Dr Jyotsna Mehta, a gynaecologist. However, she cautioned, in several countries including India, many babies would not make it past their first day. In 2017, about 1 million babies died the day they were born and 2.5 million in just their first month of life. Seven thousand newborns died every day in 2017 - 47% of all child deaths were under the age of five. 47% of all under-5 child deaths in that year were among newborn infants, up from 40% in 1990. Seventy-five per cent of neonatal deaths occur in the first week. In Uttar Pradesh, about 1,65,000 children died in their first month of life. Among these, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, said Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India representative. This New Year Day, let us all make a resolution to fulfil every right of each girl and boy, starting with the right to survive, said Yasmin. We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every child is born to a safe pair of hands, said Ruth Leano, UNICEF chief of field office, UP. Year 2019 also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the UNICEF would be commemorating with events across the globe throughout the year. Under the convention, governments have committed to, among other things, taking measures to save every child by providing quality health care. According to available data, immense progress has been made in ensuring child survival across the world over the past three decades, cutting the number of children dying before reaching their fifth birthday by more than half. But the progress has been slower for newborns. Babies dying in the first month account for 47% of all deaths among children under five. In UP, deaths in the first month of life are considerably higher at 64%. A UNICEF official said that the organisations Every Child Alive campaign called for immediate investment to deliver affordable, quality health care solutions to every mother and newborn. These include a steady supply of clean water and electricity at health facilities, the presence of a skilled health attendant during birth, ample supplies and medicines to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth, and empowered adolescent girls and women who can demand better quality of health services, said the official. In his first interview of 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on a variety of issues ranging from surgical strikes to demonetisation, and from the Ram temple issue to that of triple talaq and Sabarimala protests. In the nearly 95-minute-long interview with news agency ANI, PM Modi also targeted the Congress partys farm loan waivers that had been announced in the three states that the party won in the recent assembly elections. On surgical strikes Speaking at length on the surgical strikes that the Indian Army had carried out across the border in Pakistan, he said he was full of anxiety while the operation was on. I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, dont think about that but come back before sunrise. Dont fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation). I knew it was a big risk. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers. In the morning, information flow stopped, for an hour. My anxiety increased. Even one hour after sunrise. That time was extremely difficult for me... Then came the information that they have not reached back yet but two-three units have reached the safe zone, so dont worry. But I said I wont be fine till the last man returns, he said. On Pakistan To say that Pakistan would behave after losing a fight would be a mistake, he said. Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving), he said. On Ram temple Reiterating that the Ram temple was part of the BJP manifesto and that the party was committed to finding a solution to the issue within the framework of the Constitution, PM Modi said, that the government will do what is necessary only after the judicial process gets over. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts, he added. On triple talaq and Sabarimala Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to compare the triple talaq bill to the Sabarimala issue saying that while one was a matter of gender equality, the other was a matter of tradition. Most Islamic countries have banned Triple Talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in Pakistan, Triple Talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, matter of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate, he said. On the contentious Sabarimala temple issue, he said, There are some temples, which have their own traditions, where men cant go. And men dont go... In this, Sabrimala, a woman judge in the Supreme Court has made certain observations. It needs to be read minutely. There is no need to attribute those to any political party. As a woman, she has made some suggestions. There should be a debate on that as well sometimes. On demonetisation PM Modi rejected the claim that the demonetisation move by the government in 2016 had come as a shock, he said, This wasnt a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily. On Urjit Patels resignation Urjit Patels resignation as RBI chief was not something that happened due to any political pressure, Modi said. He himself requested (to resign) on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. No question of political pressure. He did a good job as RBI Governor, Modi said. 2019 Lok Sabha elections Looking forward to the upcoming elections in 2019 and the noise being made around the Grand alliance and other fronts being formed by various political parties, he said that the elections were going to be janta versus gathbandhan. It is going to be Janta versus gathbandhan. Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings, he said. On Congress first family It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail, that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing. A set of people, who are at their service, are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives, PM Modi said. On Congress-mukt bharat Taking Congress president Rahul Gandhis own words that Congress is a thought, PM Modi said that the country needs to be rid of such an ideology. Even Congress people say Congress is a thought, a culture. When I say Congress-mukt, I want to rid the country from this culture and this sort of thinking. And I say that Congress too needs to be mukt of this Congress culture, he said. On loan waivers and farmer suicides Explaining his reference to the farm loan waivers carried out by the Congress in three states as lollipops, he said that the waivers were nothing but a lie. To say a lie and mislead, that is what I called lollipop. Like saying that we have waived all farm loans. The truth is that nothing like that has happened... They should not mislead... And particularly a responsible political party should never do it. (So) when governments make such announcements (of loan waivers), those farmers ( who take loans from money lenders) do not become beneficiaries of the waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes. WATCH | PM Modi says farm loan waiver not effective, farmers must be empowered What is lacking in our system that a farmer becomes debt-ridden and the governments have to repeat this vicious cycle of elections and loan waivers?.. We should have a situation so that a farmer does not need loan, he said. The solution is to empower the farmers. From seed to market, give all facilities to the farmers, Modi said. On Rafale deal Reiterating that there was no wrong doing in the Rafale deal, he said that those who are questioning the deal are the ones who want to weaken the armed forces. Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations against me... I wont leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled against me... The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken... Dont throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it), he said. On Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya Saying that the government was committed to bringing those who have cheated the country of crores to justice, Modi said that the accused will have to compensate for each and every paisa. Those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow. Diplomatic channels, legal courses and seizure of properties being done. Those who have stolen Indias money, they will have to compensate for each and every penny, he said. WATCH | PM Modi on Choksi, Nirav Modi: Will get them back After years of battling with traffic congestion, air pollution and garbage woes, Delhi residents could finally look forward to some well-deserved changes in their city in 2019. From adding more buses to cracking down on factories and by incentivising zero-emission vehicles to reducing the load on existing landfill sites this year will see a host of projects that will hope to transform the citys carbon footprint, offer faster and greener mobility, and cleaner living spaces. Following is the list of changes that Delhiites can look forward to in 2019: TRANSPORT 1) 3,000 CNG buses The government is set to induct 3,000 buses to the citys fleet. While 1,000 of these will be AC low-floor buses, 1,000 will be standard-floor buses with hydraulic lifts. Buses will be added to the citys fleet after nearly 10 years. Against need of 11,000 buses, the city only has 5,460 buses. Who it will help: Commuters across NCR What it will cost: Rs 2,000 crore (estimated) When it is scheduled: April; in batches of 100-250 2) 1,000 e-buses 1,000 AC low-floor electric buses will be inducted along with charging infrastructure at depots at East Vinod Nagar, Bawana Sector 5, Burari, Rohini Sector 37, Revla Khanpur and Narela. Who it will help: Commuters across NCR What it will cost: Rs 3,000 crore (estimated) When it is scheduled: July; in batches of 100-250 3) Delhi Parking Policy The Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules, 2017, will lay uniform rules for parking which will disallow free parking in residential areas as well public spaces. Parking rates will also be linked to pollution levels. It will be the first attempt to organise parking in Delhi. Who it will help: It will help to decongest the city When it is scheduled: Despite clearances early last year, the policy has seen no movement 4) Electric Vehicle Policy Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, 2018, tries to kick start EV adoption. It targets 25% of all vehicle registrations to be electric by 2023. The policy primarily focuses on electrifying the two-wheeler segment. Who it will help: It will help bring in a new generation of zero-emission vehicles What it will cost: No budget estimates yet When it is scheduled: Policy yet to be notified INFRASTRUCTURE 5) RTR Marg Flyover The flyover will start from near the Munirka petrol pump on Outer Ring Road and end before NH-8, close to the Army Hospital. It will be 2.7km long and is expected to ease traffic movement from south Delhi and Noida, towards the airport and Gurugram Who it will help: Lakhs who use the stretch daily What it will cost: Rs 310 crore (estimated) When it is scheduled: March 6) Landscaping of roads In March, the government conceptualised a project to beautify roads wider than 60 ft and managed by the PWD. The beautified roads will be wider, greener, clean and pedestrian and cycle friendly. The project is in planning stage and tenders are to be awarded. Who it will help: It will make roads pedestrian friendly and will also help in reducing dust pollution When it is scheduled: March 31 7) CCTV Cameras Around 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras will be installed on PWD roads, gates of residential colonies, markets, parks, parking bays, community spaces/halls. It will ensure safety of citizens. Who it will help: Citizens, government agencies and police What it will cost: Rs 577 crore When it is scheduled: March EDUCATION 8) 5,000 New Classrooms Under its project to construct 12,748 rooms in Delhi government schools, the government said it will make 9,981 classrooms. Of these, around 5,000 classrooms are already constructed, while remaining will be made in 2019. The rooms will help schools to accommodate more students. 9) Entrepreneurship Classes The government will start entrepreneurship curriculum from Classes 9 to 12 to encourage students to become job givers and not job seekers. Who it will help: Students at Delhi government schools When it is scheduled: Next academic session ENVIRONMENT 10) Checking Pollution Delhi is looking at a series of initiatives this year including implementing long term measures listed under the Comprehensive Action Plan. It comprises plans that include testing cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain and introduction of green crackers during Diwali. If implemented in its totality, the CAP could bring down pollution by nearly 70%. Who will it help: All Delhi-NCR residents Schedule: While it has been notified, the application of some measures remains pending POLICE 11) Independent Cyber Cell An independent cyber cell will be set up that works under the anti-terror unit. It will focus on solving the increasing cases of cyber fraud. Currently the Delhi Polices cyber cell and Economic Offences Wing work together. Who will it help: City residents who are victims of hacking, ransomware and other forms of cyber attacks When it is scheduled: March HEALTH 12) New Mohalla Clinics More than 250 new mohalla clinics will come up across the city as part of the AAP governments plan to have 1,000 such clinics. There will be at least one such clinic in every 5km once all the clinics come up. Who it will help: All residents What it will cost: Rs 403 crore When it is scheduled: March 13) Regulation of Clinics, Labs The government is likely to introduce the Delhi Health Bill to regulate all medical establishments including diagnostics lab, IVF clinic, dental clinics, and blood banks. Under the bill, a council will be formed to regulate Delhis medical establishments. Who will it help: Delhi residents and people from other states who come to the city for treatment When it is scheduled: The bill is likely to be introduced in the cabinet next month 14) Bike Ambulances As part of a pilot project, 16 motorcycle ambulances with first responders on board will provide pre-hospitalisation care to patients in congested areas of east Delhi. The paramedics will be equipped to control bleeding, immobilise patients with skull or spine fracture, perform CPR, manage the airway, and provide oxygen. Who it will help: People living in congested areas When it is scheduled: January-February CIVIC 15) Waste Segregation Segregation of waste in homes will be the key focus area for the municipal corporations. The SDMC has already started this practice at certain colonies while the North MCD also aims to start the project this year. Segregation of waste at household and at the level of bulk generators will help in controlling the garbage mess across the city. Who will it help: Better management of waste is beneficial for the environment When it is scheduled: Already operational in some colonies, it will be expanded in 2019 16) Reviving Lakes As NITI Aayog warned the city could run out of groundwater by 2020, the government said it plans to revive at least 159 water bodies and create at least five new lakes. The rejuvenation of water bodies and creation of new lakes is expected to raise the ground water table. What will it cost: .Rs 500 crore When it is scheduled: Proposal for lakes in Rohini, Nilothi, Dwarka and Najafgarh approved. Approval for Timarpur Lake soon FOR THE YOUTH 17) Wi-Fi In Public Spaces The Delhi government, in its budget, allocated funds for free Wi-fi across Delhi. After much procedural delay, it was decided that the internet will be provided on the hotspot model where hundreds of zones will be created in market areas, parks, major intersections and some residential areas. The Wi-fi will be available within a 100 metre radius from the source of the hotspot and around 200 people will be able to use it at one time. The project, estimated to cost Rs 566 crore, will mostly be beneficial for youngsters, office goers and tourists. How it will change city: Though most people access internet through their mobile data packs which now have become cheaper, the service will boost tourism in Delhi. It would also help in emergency situations apart from ensuring better governance. FOR THE FUTURE 18) Traffic Managed By Artificial Intelligence The government plans to introduce Phase-1 of its ambitious Intelligent Traffic Management System. Under the system, one-third of the citys traffic will be managed by Artificial Intelligence (AI). There will be fewer traffic policemen and depth sensors with cameras through AI will regulate traffic signals. The sensors will predict traffic, possible choke points and guide users through smart signals on the roads. With less than 6,000 traffic police officers to manage more than 1 crore vehicular traffic in Delhi, the ITM system, which will cost Rs1,000 crore, can help prevent traffic congestion. Traffic police are in process of purchasing high-resolution cameras with sensor based real time traffic volume count technology. Currently, traffic police on the roads rely on their experience to divert or stop certain routes in peak hours. Residents of east Delhi now need to shell out four times the current rate to park their vehicles at East Delhi Municipal Corporations (EDMC) parking lots, officials said. Under the revised rates, parking for cars is now ?80 per hour from the earlier ?20 an hour. For two-wheelers, the hourly parking rates have been increased from ?10 to ?40. The civic agency has issued directions to contractors to hike parking fee by four times starting last Friday, senior officials who are privy to the development said. The decision was taken on the directions of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in view of the increasing level of pollution in the city, said a senior EDMC official. This measure, also known as differential parking rates, has also been mandated under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). The south and north civic agencies, meanwhile, are yet to issue similar orders. The matter is under consideration in our area and as soon as we receive a final approval from the mayor, we will also direct contractors to charge increased rates from visitors, said a spokesperson for South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Last year, all three civic agencies hiked the parking rates by four times following the direction of lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal and increased in pollution level in city. The hiked parking rates were in effect for 15 days in areas under all three agencies. EDMC officials said that contractors have been asked to execute the order till any further direction is issued from DPCC or Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA). For more clarity, we had also organised a meeting with parking contractors on Friday. They were asked to regularly check pollution level on Central Pollution Control Board website and display a copy of order at their entrances to avoid confusion, said Aman Rajput, assistant commissioner, remunerative and project cell, EDMC. However, when HT?conducted a spot check and visited three parking lots in east Delhi on Monday, the parking attendants were yet to implement the order. At Vikas Marg, a parking attendant said, We have heard of the order and an EDMC official had also visited the parking site today to ensure execution. But we cant increase the rates until we get an official notification about the final nod from contractor. Another parking contractor near Karkardooma Court said that he is yet to receive such an order from the civic agency. We are still charging ?20 per hour from four wheelers and ?10 per hour from two wheelers, he said. EDMC official said that they would start surprise inspections soon. Those who fail to comply with the directions will face stringent action as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act. The contractor will also need to keep a separate register to record the collection during this period and share the report with our officials during the inspections, said the official. We really hope it discourages people from using more private cars, one of the factors for environmental pollution, he said. SDMC has 115 surface parking sites and four functional multilevel parking sites while the north corporation has 96 surface parking sites and six multilevel parking facilities. The east corporation has 51 surface parking sites and NDMC has 116 surface parking sites. Since 2014, Indias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has been higher than that of China in all years except 2017. The Indian economy has also been the fastest-growing major economy in the world during this period. This feat was also accompanied by India improving its global ranking in terms of overall GDP. India replaced France as the sixth-largest economy in the world in 2018, and is expected to make further gains on this front in the near future. Projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggest that India will continue to outperform China in economic growth until 2023. While these are significant achievements, an analysis shows that Indias fastest-growing economy status may not bring as many benefits for it as China could manage while being in this position. The correct way to measure relative economic performance of a country at a point in time is to look at the ratio of GDP growth in that country and the world economy. This is because global economic conditions are an important determinant of growth rates in individual economies through the trade route. So, a higher ratio of individual GDP growth rate and global GDP growth rate is a better indicator of a countrys economic performance vis-a-vis the rest of the world. Also Read: Thanks to science, 100-year life firmly within our grasp Between 1990 and 2008, the year when a global financial crisis disrupted the growth momentum, Chinas economic growth was at least three times more than the world economy in nine out of 18 years. 2010 onwards, this ratio has not crossed three even once for China, and is not expected to do so, according to IMF projections for GDP growth until 2023. While India has replaced China as the fastest-growing economy, the ratio of Indias GDP growth and global GDP growth has been lower and is not expected to cross even 2.5 until 2023. These statistics imply that Indias macro achievements in terms of economic growth will have a relatively muted impact in terms of rise in standard of living. The simplest indicator of this is growth in per capita incomes. World Bank data shows that Chinas per capita income (in constant 2010 dollars) was 1.8 times that of India in 1995. 1995 is the earliest year for which per capita income data is available for China. This ratio kept increasing and reached a peak of 3.4 in 2014. Although India overtook China in terms of GDP growth rate in 2014, Chinas relative lead in terms of per capita incomes has remained intact till 2016, the latest period for which data is available. The short point is India needs to outperform itself in terms of economic growth to ensure that the fruits of growth are shared by a wider section of the population. This, however, is not going to be an easy task. Export-led growth was the bulwark of Chinas boom. An aggressive export strategy in a liberal trade regime made sure that China was able to exploit global markets to generate tailwinds for economic growth. The global trade outlook has changed drastically today. The multilateral trade regime is in great jeopardy, with the World Trade Organization still caught in an impasse over the Doha Round. Protectionist measures are becoming more and more popular in advanced countries, especially the United States, which used to be an important source of demand for exporters in the developing world. This reduces the possibility of India exploiting global markets to improve its growth performance in the near future. In fact, exports have seen a reduction in their share in GDP for both India and China and in the post-crisis world. Also Read: Is it time for the return of coalition politics in India? Given the bleak outlook for global trade, the importance of exports in Indias GDP is likely to remain subdued in short-term. This generates an important policy dilemma. Indias policy can reconcile itself to export pessimism and focus on a more inward looking growth strategy or keep trying to target exports, which will also involve a quid-pro-quo in terms of opening up to more imports. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had aptly described this debate as the choice between Make for India and Make in India. As 2018 has sped by, bibliophiles will have an opportunity to ring out the old and ring in the new with major literary festivals, awards and, as always, several promising offerings slated to hit the stands in January 2019. The 10th edition of the Appejay Kolkata Literary Festival, slated for January 18-20, will feature some phenomenal writers and figures of public interest from India and abroad. The shortlist for the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize will also be announced at the festival on January 19. This will be followed by the Jaipur Literature Festival Festival (JLF), and its publishing forum Jaipur Book Mark (JBM), from January 23 to 28, during which the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize, along with some other awards will be presented to the winners. The annual event, often referred to as the greatest literary show on earth, will feature some of the best minds from the fields of science, literature, journalism and other similar issues of contemporary relevance. The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature will be announced at the Tata Steel Literary Festival in Kolkata, which will coincide with JLF. These festivals will also serve as venues for major book launches, and for conversations on books releasing this January. On Leaders and Icons from Jinnah to Modi by Kuldip Nayar: This is the first major title which will be a posthumous release of a collection of a veteran journalists view of Indias political and cultural life over four decades. Kuldip Nayar, who began his career as an Urdu reporter in the 1950s, was arrested during the Emergency of 1975-77 and passed away in 2018. His book will be highly anticipated among his readers. In this frank and freewheeling narrative, journalist Kuldip Nayar recounts his experiences of meeting the many men and women who shaped the destiny of pre- and post-Independence India, from Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to prime ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi. This ringside view of history includes an encounter with Mohammed Ali Jinnah, when Nayar was a law student in Lahore in 1945. Even at that young age, he was not afraid to dispute Jinnahs two-nation theory, predicting that it would lead to an unbridgeable schism between India and its neighbour. Later, he met Abdul Qadir Khan, the father of Pakistans nuclear bomb, who initially received Nayar as a fan, but turned against him when he revealed that Pakistan had the bomb. He asked Nelson Mandela how he had survived twenty-one years in jail; Mandelas reply was that the lights in Cape Town always impelled him to think that South Africa would roll back the darkness one day, publisher Speaking Tiger informed IANS about the upcoming book. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, the educational campaigner from Pakistans Swat Valley who came to public attention by writing for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban, is said to be an incredibly moving follow-up to her internationally bestselling memoir I Am Malala. In the book, she introduces some of the faces behind the statistics and news stories we read or hear every day about the millions of people displaced worldwide. Publisher Hachette India said that Malalas experiences travelling the world and visiting refugee camps caused her to reconsider her own displacement -- first as an Internally Displaced Person when she was a young child in Pakistan, and then as an international activist who could travel anywhere in the world, except to the home she loved. We Are Displaced not only explores her own story of adjusting to a new life while longing for home, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her various journeys -- girls who have lost their community, relatives, and often the only world theyve ever known. Dawoods Mentor: The Man Who Made Indias Biggest Don by S. Hussain Zaidi: How did Dawood become the undisputed king of the Mumbai underworld and who was his mentor? Dawoods Mentor: The Man Who Made Indias Biggest Don, is a non-fiction account by Indias No. 1 crime writer and the author of several bestselling books S. Hussain Zaidi. In the book, Dawood meets Khalid (Khan Bachcha) and they eventually forge an unlikely friendship. Together they defeat, crush and neutralise every mafia gang in Mumbai. Khalid lays the foundation for the D-Gang as Dawood goes on to establish a crime syndicate like no other and becomes Indias most wanted criminal. Thinking Aloud: Reflections on India by Prasoon Joshi: Publisher Rupa asserted that the book will allow its readers to enter into the labyrinths of the adman and lyricists mind. Joshis musings, are divided into four sections, each exploring a specific theme, and all of them tied together by a common thread. They stem from ideas he has stumbled upon whilst working on and interacting about various projects, films, forums, literature festival discussions and so forth. The book is due to release in January. Creativity Unleashed by Gopi Krishnaswamy: Creativity is considered one of the most valuable skills to possess in todays volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. A compelling narration that combines personal anecdotes with history and neuroscience, Creativity Unleashed by Gopi Krishnaswamy aims to help readers understand that creativity is well within their reach. Not stopping at that, this book, according to Bloomsbury, offers a powerful method of enhancing creativity through simple step-by-step practices of mindfulness meditations and methods. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan has died in Canada due to a prolonged illness, his son Sarfaraz confirmed today. He was 81. Kader Khans health deteriorated on Friday and he was admitted to a hospital in Canada. The actors funeral will take place on Tuesday in Canada where his family is living at present. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it, Khans son Sarfaraz told PTI, adding, We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers, he added. He had dismissed Kader Khans death rumours a day ago. The actor had been admitted after complaining of breathlessness and was put on a BiPAP ventilator. He was unable to talk and also showed signs of pneumonia. Kader Khan suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. Kader also underwent surgeries for his knees in 2017. Actor Amitabh Bachchan led Bollywood in paying their last respects to Khan.Kadar Khan passes away. Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. "A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician," he wrote. Bachchan and Khan collaborated in blockbusters such as Do Aur Do Paanch, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag and Shahenshah. T 3045 - Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence ; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician !! pic.twitter.com/l7pdv0Wdu1 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 1, 2019 Actor Manoj Bajpayee also paid respects to the actor-writer. "Rest in peace Kader Khan saheb," Bajpayee tweeted. Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khannas Daag and went on to act in over 300 films. He also wrote dialogues for over 250 movies, with his first film as a dialogue writer being Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchans Jawani Diwani. As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. Khan was synonymous with comic roles, especially in films with Govinda. He worked in a number of David Dhawan directed Govinda films like Dulhe Raja, Coolie No.1, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Raja Babu, Saajan Chale Sasural, Aunty No.1, among others. In fact, Khan has worked with all leading actors of 70s, 80s and 90s, including Rajesh Khanna, Bachchan, Jeetendra, Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor and Govinda. Follow @htshowbiz for more Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre, who recently returned home to Mumbai after a long stay in New York where she was getting treated for cancer, celebrated her 44th birthday in the company of her family and friends. Seen were Sussanne Khan (who came with ex-husband Hrithik Roshan), Gayatri Oberoi (who was accompanied by her husband) and actor Kunal Kapoor and his wife apart from her husband Goldie Behl. Sonali glowed in a white shirt and shimmery silver skirt. Earlier in the day, Goldie took to Instagram to express his feelings for his wife. Sharing an intimate picture of the two of them, he had written: Happy birthday Sonali. They say your partner needs to be your best friend, your sounding board, your mirror, your strength, your inspiration. You have been all that and more to me. 2018 was a tough year on you but I am so proud of the dignity and courage with which you handled it. Not only did you help me find my own strength, but you imparted that to every soul who followed you life closely... Read the complete post here: Meanwhile, for much of Bollywood, it has been a season of never-ending parties, what with leading ladies Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra deciding to get married towards the year-end and hosting big parties for their industry friends. Before that, Ganesh Chaturthi, Eid, Diwali and Christmas parties kept the Bollywood set busy. Now is the turn of New Years celebrations. Of course, many stars have chosen to step out of the country, but many others found time to party. After socialite Anu Dewans high profile party earlier this month, it was time for Sanjay Kapoor to host one. With Maheep Kapoor and Sanjay playing the perfect host, in attendance were Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Chunky Pandey, Karan Johar, Neelam Kothari and her husband actor Samir Soni among others. Among the young set Suhana Khan, Shah Rukh Khans daughter, was out to welcome the New Year with her own gang. She was spotted heading out for a party in Mumbai, on Monday. Sonali Bendre with Hrithik Roshan, husband Goldie Behl and Kunal Kapoor. Sonali Bendre at her birthday party on Monday night. Gayatri Oberoi with her husband at Sonali Bendres party. Sussanne Khan and Hrithik Roshan at Sonali Bendres birthday bash in Mumbai. Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora at Sanjay Kapoors New Years party. Neelam Kothari with husband Samir Soni at Sanjay Kapoors party. Kartik Aaryan spotted in Mumbai on Monday. Suhana Khan was spotted partying with her friends in Mumbai. (All pictures by Viral Bhayani) Follow @htshowbiz for more David Dhawan, who directed Kader Khan in a number of popular films also starring Govinda, has said that he had a very, very long association with the late actor, who has been a very important person in his career. Khan died of a prolonged illness on December 31, his son said. He was 81 years old. I am not feeling good at all, David said. At 5 o clock in the morning I came to know about it. Then I spoke to his son in Canada. He had to go. I think it is more peaceful for him now. He was suffering for the last 10 years. From India, he went to Canada and now... Kader Khan and Govinda in a still from Coolie No 1. The filmmakers professional relationship with Khan began with 1992s Bol Radha Bol, and continued with Aankhen in 1993 and Raja Babu in 1994. They also did several films in the No 1 series, such as Coolie No 1 and Auntie No 1. I have had a very, very long association with him, David continued. He has been a very important person for my career. He is instrumental in my success. We have done some great work together. He was so talented... a superb dialogue writer and an actor. Once I started working with him, the first film of our association was Bol Radha Bol, we started this journey together which went on and on. I kept making films and he used to be there. He treated me like his own. He was my hero. Davids son, actor Varun Dhawan, said that Khans death was an extremely sad day for his father, who had worked with the late actor in 15 films. My dad always told me how Kader Saab used to write scenes, help other actors perform and was almost like a general on set, Varun said. He deserved so much more, David continued. He would work and then after shoot, he would go back home to his family. He deserved much more. He was a star, the way he worked. His contribution to film line is great. Popular for playing supporting roles in a variety of films, spanning several genres, Khan was also one of the most prolific and well-regarded writers in the industry. He used to write all the Bachchan films and Prakash Mehra and Manmohan Desais heroes were all common man and he used to write them, David said. He used to write lines for Mr Bachchan. I had a different innings and different relationship with him. What an actor. I learnt a lot from him. This is unbelievable. I am shattered today. Khan is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Tuesday decided to withdraw all politically motivated cases filed by the previous BJP government in the states against workers of political parties and Dalit activists. The announcement came a day after BSP chief Mayawati warned the Congress in both the states that her party will reconsider support to them if they do not revoke cases filed against innocent people during last years April 2 Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups. We (Congress) have been fighting (against the BJP government). Irrespective of any party, those who have been fighting the BJP government which had sent people to jail... those political cases will be withdrawn, Madhya Pradesh law minister PC Sharma said. Legal experts in the state said it was not easy to withdraw cases against those political workers as they were booked under various Indian Penal Code sections, including arson, attempt to murder and charge-sheets were filed in the court after investigation. In Rajasthan, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said his government will revoke all the cases, registered against Dalits during the Bharat Bandh last year, after reviewing them. Our government will review all such cases to ensure that innocents are released. He said Mayawatis demand was valid. The previous government had framed cases against many people and hence our government will review all such cases, he said. In fact, I am thankful to Mayawati for giving support to our party. She herself took the initiative to extend support to the Congress and hence I am thankful to her, he said. MP Bar Council chairman Shivendra Upadhyay said: Its the prosecution which can make a plea before the court under section 321 of CrPC for withdrawal of cases, but any case lodged during any public agitation can be withdrawn in public interest only. Then, its the discretion of the court whether to allow withdrawal of the cases or not. However, he added it would be difficult for the prosecution to convince the court that the withdrawal of such heinous crime cases was in public interest. Former advocate general Madhya Pradesh RN Singh said: A court is not obliged to accept the governments application which is filed through prosecution, without looking into the merit of the case. Mainly, such crime cases are withdrawn which dont relate to heinous crimes and that too which have been lingering on for a long time. MP BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said cases were withdrawn during the BJP regime too but those were politically motivated cases against the BJP workers and others. But we doubt that the Congress government may try to set free even notorious criminals in the name of withdrawing politically motivated cases, he added. Congress doesnt enjoy the majority in Madhya Pradesh state assembly. It has 114 MLAs, two short of the majority. It has the support of four independent, two BSP, and one SP MLAs. (With inputs from Mahesh Shivhare in Gwalior and Agencies) Search the web for theatre shows in India in 2019, and chances are that you will be directed to listings in London and New York. A deeper search might help find a mixed bag of events happening over the next few weeks or months - but there is no denying that it is much easier to find a list of much-awaited movies. But that doesnt mean that the stage is not set for action in the New Year. There will be more big-spectacle plays, like Mughal-E-Azam. There is an audience for this kind of musical performances, says actor-director-storyteller Danish Husain. The trend started with Disney Indias Beauty and the Beast in 2015, says Anasuya Vaidya, director of the Delhi-based Akshara Theatre. So successful was the show that it returned for a second season. In 2017, tickets for the best seats for Mughal-E-Azam were priced in the thousands. The demand ensured that not only did it have multiples shows in Mumbai, but also a second season in Delhi. Producers in Mumbai are pumping in a lot of money into these shows because they are economically viable, says Vaidya, adding, The growing audience for big ticket shows also means that quality has to keep improving and there has to be more technical finesse. Bollywood darling Manish Malhotra, for example, did the costumes for Mughal-E-Azam. The trend has caught on. If Bohemian Rhapsody paid tribute to the late musician Freddie Mercury on screen, at Mumbais National Centre for Performing Arts was staged the musical, Queen, Mercurys iconic band. There are more shows of the play coming up in 2019. There will also be big-ticket adaptations of the Mahabharat and Devdas this year, says Vaidya. The challenge, says Husain, is that there are not enough spaces to host such productions. So may be, there will be growth in infrastructure too this year, and we will have more theatres where such big productions can be staged, he says. The other demand, says Vaidya, is for original content. There are very few playwrights writing original content for the stage. But the trend now is to devise new plays out of short stories, some event, a strand of social life Most groups want to create a new play, says Sunit Tandon, director of the Delhi-based India Habitat Centre (IHC). Where classics are being performed, they are being interpreted differently or presented differently, he adds. Like the mythologies being set in the modern world as being a commentary of our times, he explains. Agrees Husain: The trend for 2019 will be cutting-edge content and content being presented in different forms like blending stand-up comedy with theatre or storytelling with theatre. If the world of performing arts looks promising in the coming year, there is optimism about the visual arts too. Over the past decade, the region has seen a significant increase in cultural activity with the establishment of major new contemporary art initiatives, such as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, the Colombo Art Biennale, the Lahore Biennale, and the Dhaka Art Summit. As a result, South Asian artists are attracting wider audiences, both on a national and global level, says Jagdip Jagpal, director of the annual India Art Fair, Delhi. Opinion is divided on the volume of business. While Jagpal says the art market continues to grow steadily and we are seeing a distinct increase in new collectors, Alka Pande, consultant arts advisor and curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at IHC, feels, commercially the market is not looking good. She explains, While the masters are doing well commercially, contemporary art does not have the same demand. Business, or the lack thereof, does not stop creativity, however, and as Pande says, unlike when there is a boom, when artists are not thinking about selling, a lot more thoughtful work is coming out. There is good work happening also in non-metropolitan centres. Multi-media and multi-disciplinary works are the trend. As Rajeev Lochan, former director, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) puts it, the large number of private museums and institutions supporting creative expression in the field of visual arts and encouraging inter-disciplinary discourse have remained quite inventive and active in organising workshops and exhibitions. This interdisciplinary approach promises a liberal platform of amalgamation between technique, technology, content and medium which appears to be a promising approach for 2019. Indian audiences and collectors are also showing a greater interest in photography as an art form, adds Jagpal, thanks to the efforts of some forward-thinking galleries and institutions. As with any beginning, a new year brings with it both optimism and a good measure of speculation about challenges and things that need to change for the better. The coming months will show how 2019 scores on the culture index. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter ****************** MID-MONTH MADNESS WINNERS GRAND PRIZE WINNER - Roxanne Cruz BLOG WINNER: Melanie Backus Individual Winners: Nancy: Amazon Gift Card: Connie Ruggles Contest #2 (not sure of prize): Marilyn Ridgeway Naomi: Ebook of Love Coward and swag: Darla Fillmore Catherine: Reader's choice of Destiny Series book: Deb Allard Vicki: Anonymous Bride: Darla Fillmore Mutiny of the Heart: Marilyn Ridgeway Linda: Ebook of Gold Rush Bride Hannah: Avis Powers Ebook of Gold Rush Bride Hannah: Nancy Costello ***************** GIVEAWAY RULES Winners must leave their email address and will be notified by email and the winne r s name will be anno unced in the days comments. No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary. All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Animal neglect happens more than you might think. Know the signs. Catherine Byrne who said the centre is about saving lives The Government is preparing for a court battle amid fierce local opposition to the first ever supervised injection centre in Ireland, Junior Drugs Minister Catherine Byrne has said. Ms Byrne said there is no timeframe on when the first facility - which is earmarked for Merchants Quay - will open. It followed Merchants Quay chief executive Paula Byrne admitting she had doubts the facility would be in place in 2019. Dublin City Council - which must approve the plan first - has asked for more information, particularly around policing. It also has concerns about how the facility will affect the surrounding area and an "over-concentration" of such services. The council wants to know how many people would be using the facility and how long they will spend there. Objections There have also been more than 90 objections from locals and local businesses over the facility. In an interview with the Herald, Ms Byrne said she anticipates a fight to block the centre if it is approved by the other relevant authorities. Ms Byrne said that she had no say on the location of the injection centre, which was chosen by an independent group. "If they grant permission I'm sure it will go to An Bord Pleanala, because I know there will be objections and there'll be observations on it as well," she said. "And then An Bord Pleanala, as an independent group, they'll have to decide on whether or not the site that has been chosen will go ahead. "If the city council grant it, and An Bord Pleanala grant it, there will be opposition and it could end up in the courts and we're prepared for that. "Nobody can give an exact date of when it's going to open because until all the processes are gone through, it's an independent process." Ms Byrne said the facility is "about saving lives". "The inner city, when you go from O'Connell Bridge up there's people openly injecting," she said. "People living around Merchants Quay would see disregarded syringes and paraphernalia, would see people injecting, but the point of the supervised injection facility is what it says, people are supervised and it's medically supervised and if anybody gets into difficulty then there's members of staff there to deal with them. "It's to take people openly injecting off the streets, it's to save lives, nobody has died in one of these. People have died in Dublin from injecting openly," she added. Meanwhile, the minister has admitted that issues of crack cocaine are widespread across the city, but said there are a number of different drugs on the rise nationwide, particularly the use of cocaine as a social drug. "It is yeah [widespread] but across the country as well," Ms Byrne said. "I suppose mostly in Dublin you would see crack cocaine but around the country would be more prescription drugs, spices and cocaine as well. "Cocaine is being used a lot as a social drug with people from all walks of life." Ms Byrne will join Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a visit to Ballymun in January following concerns that were raised over crack cocaine use in the area. Statistics Setanta GAA club wrote to Ms Byrne raising the issue in September. Ms Byrne said that her department will be looking at trends in the area and statistics and working closely with the locals drugs task force to find solutions. "I think it's a worry for everybody, not only a worry for me but a worry for everybody, a worry for communities and families as well," she said. "We need to have the statistics around all of these drugs, there maybe pockets of people seeing more of a rise in them than other areas, so we need to get the facts and the figures sorted out as well. "We'll have facts and figures with us when we go out [to Ballymun]. "To listen to what people are talking about and to look at it through the actions of reducing harm, support and recovery, and see where we go from there. "The task forces themselves are very much aware of what's happening on the ground," Ms Byrne added. The number of UK nationals securing Irish citizenship has soared since the Brexit vote, figures have revealed. Only 41 people from the UK went through the naturalisation process in 2015, the year before the referendum on Britain leaving the EU took place. However, Department of Justice statistics show that this figure leapt to 665 in 2018. It follows the revelation that more than one in five Irish passport applications last year came from people living in Northern Ireland and Britain. Insurance Amid continuing fears that Britain will crash out of the EU without a deal, there is uncertainty over travel and other rights for UK citizens in Europe. An Irish passport is seen as an insurance policy for all eventualities for those who can get one. While many UK citizens are entitled to Irish passports due to Irish heritage, those with no family connections must go through the naturalisation process to become a citizen. Applicants for naturalisation must be able to prove that they have been resident in the State for at least five of the last nine years, including one year of continuous residence immediately before the date they apply. Of those who obtained Irish citizenship last year, UK nationals were the oldest, with an average age of 56. In total, 10,158 people were granted Irish citizenship in 2018, according to the figures released by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan. The overall figure includes 3,136 children and brings to more than 120,000 the number of new citizens who have received certificates of naturalisation since the introduction of citizenship ceremonies in 2011. "The citizenship ceremony is a powerfully symbolic event, which befits the importance and solemnity of the occasion," Mr Flanagan said. "Each of our new citizens has an important contribution to make to all areas of our society". Mr Flanagan added that receiving Irish citizenship does not lessen the diversity of people's backgrounds or the importance of their heritage. "We look forward to all that they can add to the richness of our culture as part of their continued integration into our communities, right across the country," he said. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May used her New Year message to urge MPs to back her Brexit deal in the House of Commons. She said passing the Withdrawal Agreement into law will allow the UK to "turn a corner" and put a disruptive period of political turmoil behind it. A Westminster vote on the deal is due later this month. Power Mrs May is facing opposition from Labour, from within her own Conservative party and from the DUP, which she relies on to stay in power. DUP leader Arlene Foster last night warned Mrs May that she will need to get significant changes to the Brexit deal to secure her party's support. UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Mrs May's government of making a "complete mess" of Brexit. He argued the prime minister's efforts to get her deal through Westminster with a crunch vote were "letting people down all across the country, whether they voted Leave or Remain". Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said that people seeking a second referendum should "keep fighting". People travelling on the Luas need to have better manners and greater consideration for their fellow passengers, a Fine Gael senator has said. Senator Neale Richmond has made a call to passengers travelling on both the Green and Red Luas lines to make space by removing their backpacks and "have a little bit of cop on". "We all know the rush hour times when you can be crammed in against someone else on a very warm tram with window condensation, but there are ways in which life as a commuter can become more tolerable," Mr Richmond said. "A simple measure to partially alleviate this would be if Transdev would replicate signage already in use in London on the underground asking commuters to remove backpacks while on trams. "Much like not putting feet up on seats - a little bit of cop on can go a long way to making journeys more comfortable." Following years in development, the Luas Cross City service was launched in 2017, connecting the southside with the northside of the city. FIGURES In 2017, ahead of the new connecting Luas line, some 37.6 million passenger journeys were recorded, with passenger figures expected to rise even further. However, Mr Richmond, who has previously criticised transport operators Transdev for overcrowding on the trams, said more common courtesy was needed from passengers. "A bit of common courtesy should be used by all. When a tram stops at a platform, those waiting to get on board should allow commuters off first, as well as those standing near doors," he said. "A bit more cop on and courtesy to all would be a good way to begin 2019 for all using Luas trams." A spokesperson for Transdev said the latest comments were "disingenuous" toward passengers and that extensive signage was already in place, while also pointing to a recent customer satisfaction survey which revealed 97pc of people were happy with the service. "There are loads of stickers to say how to behave and we continuously run campaigns throughout the year," they said. "We run campaigns to say take your backpack off, turn down your headphones and be considerate toward your fellow passengers. We do that day in, day out. "It is disingenuous to the vast majority of Luas users who are using the tram and know how to use the service." More than 900,000 litres of water were dropped during gorse fires during the summer drought. The Irish Air Corps carried out more than 300 air ambulance missions in 2018, with more than half taking place in the west of Ireland. An arm of the Irish Defence Forces, the primary role of the Air Corps is to provide military air defence as well as to support organisations like the HSE and government departments. Some 310 dispatches from the Air Corps were required under the Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service, which has particular responsibility to support seriously ill patients in rural communities. The majority of missions took place in western counties. Among them, 49 were completed in Mayo, 36 in Galway, 30 in Roscommon and 25 in Clare. On the other end of the spectrum, there was just one mission each carried out in Kildare and Kilkenny and no EAS missions at all in 2018 in Dublin. Following the establishment of the EAS programme in 2012, the Air Corps has completed 2,300 missions throughout the country, headquartered in Baldonnel in Dublin and supported by a crew in Custume Barracks in Athlone. In addition to the ambulance service, figures also show the Air Corps completed 197 civil power operations, which offer assistance to An Garda Siochana's bomb squad, prisoner escorts, cash escorts and search operations. Narcotics The Irish Air Corps also assisted with a multi-national narcotics surveillance operation. During the historic visit of Pope Francis in August, as well as other state visits, some 2,861 personnel from the airborne branch of the Irish Defence Forces were drafted in. In a particularly challenging year thanks to polarised extreme weather, the Air Corps played a role in mitigating the impact of events including Storm Emma and the drought during the summer. Some 900,000 litres of water were dropped via the 'Bambi Bucket' on areas affected by gorse fires in counties Dublin, Wicklow, Limerick, Tipperary and Wexford, as well as parts of Armagh and Down. Standout Minister of State with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, said the support provided in Northern Ireland was a standout moment for the force this year. "These were unprecedented operations from our perspective and are among many reasons why we are extremely proud of the work of the women and men of the Irish Air Corps," he said. This year also marked 60 years of deployment on the United Nations Peacekeeping Service abroad, with a ceremony at Dublin Castle presided over by President Michael D Higgins and attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Simona Lingurar was naive and foolish in the extreme A granny who handled a stolen iPhone 6 had bought it at a market for only 10, a court heard. Simona Lingurar (42) was "naive in the extreme", but had not realised the property was stolen, her lawyer said. The Apple iPhone 6 normally retails for more than 500. Judge David McHugh fined Lingurar 80, and told her that she now had a conviction for theft. The defendant, of Maple Close, Carpenterstown, admitted handling a stolen iPhone last March 13. Gda Jun Han told Blanch- ardstown District Court that gardai obtained a search warrant and searched the def-endant's home on the day in question. During the course of the search, Lingurar handed over the white Apple iPhone to gardai. Gda Han said the phone was in good condition and was returned undamaged to its rightful owner. Convictions Gda Han said the defendant was subsequently arrested and admitted handling the stolen phone. She told gardai she had bought it at a market. The court heard that Lingurar had five previous convictions, though none for this type of offence. Defence solicitor John O'Doherty said the defendant was originally from Romania but had been living with her family in Ireland for more than 20 years. Mr O'Doherty said she had six children and a number of grandchildren. Lingurar's daughter had lost a child recently, and the defendant had been grieving and mourning the loss of her grandson. In relation to this incident, Mr O'Doherty said the defendant had bought the iPhone for 10 in a market. Lingurar had realised this was a bargain, but had not been thinking of the phone's true value and had been naive and foolish "in the extreme". The court also heard that Lingurar wished to apologise for her behaviour. SHOPPERS in Henley donated 723 meals to a charity food collection scheme. Customers at the Tesco supermarket off Reading Road were encouraged to buy long-life, dry or tinned food which they could leave in a collection basket at the store between November 29 and December 1. The meals were donated to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, which provide emergency food parcels to families in need and homeless shelters. Collections are held at Tesco stores across the country and more than 50 million meals have been donated since the scheme began in 2012. Tesco donated 20 per cent of the value of the donations to help the charities run food banks and distribute the food to those in need. Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of FareShare, said: Thanks to the generosity of Tesco shoppers over the festive season, we have enough long-life food to provide meals to those helping people in need across the UK. We would like to thank everyone who donated as well as all the volunteers who made the store collections such a success. Jason Tarry, Tescos UK chief executive, said: Year upon year we are taken aback by the generosity of customers. I would like to thank everyone who has donated, volunteered or helped in store. Haiti - 215th Independence : Message from the United States Embassy to Haitians On January 1, 2019, the Embassy of the United States in Haiti congratulates the Haitian people on the occasion of the 215th anniversary of the Independence of Haiti. "The Haitian revolution changed the course of history in the hemisphere and had an indelible impact on the United States. In the midst of the long struggle for freedom in Haiti, Haitian recruits left the port of St. Marc in 1779 to fight alongside American soldiers during the Battle of Savannah, our own Independence War. Since these days of revolution, relations between Haitians and Americans are deepening and the dynamism of the American-Haitian community makes the United States and Haiti stronger and more prosperous. The United States looks forward to continuing its partnership with Haiti to strengthen economic growth, the rule of law and security. Today, the United States continues to stand with Haiti to ensure a stable and prosperous future. To this end, the United States encourages all Haitians to unite to pursue progress by peaceful means. The United States wishes the people of Haiti a happy Independence Day celebration and a new year filled with peace, prosperity and opportunity." HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Security : 2 Haitians murdered in the border zone On Monday around 6:30 am the dead bodies of two Haitians were discovered 260 meters from the border on the stretch of the Jimani - Malpasse highway separating the Dominican Republic from Haiti. The Dominican Criminal Investigations Directorate (DICRIM) accompanied by a representative of the Public Ministry and a medical examiner went to the scene. The two Haitian-born victims known as currency changer, were identified as Elio Petion and Andreson Sevil, both residing in the province of Independencia were murdered by unknown. The medical examiner found multiple wounds on the bodies of both men causing death. A 9mm socket was found on the scene and a certain amount of money (the amount was not communicated) which suggests that the theft would not have been the reason for this double murder. Both bodies were sent to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) for autopsy purposes. A Dominican police source said an investigation was under way to establish the circumstances of these crimes and to identify and arrest the person or persons responsible for this double murder. A motorcycle taxi driver allegedly transporting the two victims is currently being questioned by the Dominican Police. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Official request for extradition of the Dominican Republic The Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Jean Rodriguez, has formally asked the Haitian authorities for the extradition of brothers Luis Bom (in jail in Jacmel) and Francisco Bom (fugitive), accused of murdering with machetes Julio Reyes Perez owner of a ranch in Le Quemao and his wife Neida Feliz Urbaez both dead from their wounds https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-23790-icihaiti-flash-temporary-closure-of-the-pedernales-border-market.html He said he sent the request for extradition of these foreigners to the Ministry of Justice of Haiti through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX). "We have completed the legal process so that these Haitian citizens can be extradited from their nation to the Dominican Republic, so that they can respond to the country's criminal justice system, for allegedly associating in the murder of Julio Reyes Perez Matos and causing serious injuries that subsequently caused the death of Mrs. Neyda Miladis Urbaez Feliz, in order to steal them," ensuring that the rules of national and international law guarantee Bom brothers have their right to a fair and regular trial. "Contrary to what has been said in the media and in various statements by Haitian officials who say that Haiti has never signed an extradition agreement with the Dominican Republic "the Prosecutor Rodriguez says that this application is covered by the Convention of Extradition of Montevideo, signed in Uruguay on December 26, 1933 by both the Dominican Republic and Haiti among others" and adopted by the Prosecutor by the two countries in 1981. Recalling that Article 1 stipulates "Each one of the signatory States in harmony with the stipulations of the present Convention assumes the obligation of surrendering to any one of the States which may make the requisition, the persons who may be in their territory and who are accused or under sentence. This right shall be claimed only under the following circumstances: a) That the demanding State have the jurisdiction to try and to punish the delinquency which is attributed to the individual whom it desires to extradite. b) That the act for which extradition is sought constitutes a crime and is punishable under the laws of the demanding and surrendering States with a minimum penalty of imprisonment for one year." Download the Montevideo Convention : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/en_conve_extra_inter_american_1933_montevideo.pdf It should be noted that this is not the only extradition convention signed by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, mentioning the "Inter-American Convention on Extradition, OAS, 1981" which refers in its preamble to the Montevideo Agreement to 1933 and which states "Obligation to Extradite The States Parties bind themselves, in accordance with the provisions of this Convention, to surrender to other States Parties that request their extradition persons who are judicially required for prosecution, are being tried, have been convicted or have been sentenced to a penalty involving deprivation of liberty." Inter-American Convention on Extradition, OAS, 1981 : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/extradition-fr.pdf However, the existence of these Conventions and their signatures by Haiti does not mean that these Conventions were promulgated by the Haitian Parliament. The only thing we can be sure of is that this request is going to be the beginning of a controversial Saga between the two countries... See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23831-haiti-dr-the-government-of-haiti-mobilizes.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23817-haiti-dr-the-haitian-authorities-agree-to-deliver-to-the-dominicans-one-of-the-murderers.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23799-haiti-flash-explosive-situation-in-pedernales-haitians-in-fear.html SL/ HaitiLibre Xiaomi has announced that it is slashing prices on select television models in India. The Mi LED Smart TV 4A 32 will now be available for INR 12,499 ($179), down from the previous INR 13,999 ($201). The Mi LED TV 4C PRO 32 will now be available for INR 13,999 ($201), down from the previous INR 15,999 ($229). The drop in prices is due to the change in government levied taxes on televisions up to 32-inches in size from 28% to 18%, and Xiaomi is passing on the savings to the customer. Xiaomi also dropped the price of the Mi LED TV 4A PRO 49 from INR 31,999 ($459) to INR 30,999 ($445). This is due to the change in the US dollar value in India, which has steadily decreased over the past month. The collapse of Europe's once-dominant socialist political parties has been apparent for years, and it continued in 2018. By now, however, the left has the information it needs to pull out of its nosedive. It just has to start using it. The crushing defeats of 2017 - the near-death experience of the Socialist Party in France, the deflation of the Social Democrats in Germany and the Labour Party in the Netherlands, the shrinking of the entire left wing in the Czech Republic - apparently weren't enough of a wake-up call. The defeated parties haven't regained popularity, and some, like the German Social Democrats, have slid further down in the polls. The center left collapsed in the Italian election, letting two populist parties take the reins. In Sweden, the Social Democrat-led government saw diminished support in an inconclusive election and is unable to keep governing. In the U.K., the Labour Party was unable to wrest power from the squabbling, poorly led Tories, largely because it is itself divided on major issues such as Brexit and the desirable degree of wealth redistribution. Far away in Brazil, the Workers' Party lost the presidential election. Just five European Union countries are still ruled by center-left or leftist governments - Greece, Slovakia, Malta, Portugal and Spain. Only Spain's Socialists won power in 2018, and not in an election but rather in an unusual parliamentary coup. In Greece, the leftist bloc Syriza will probably lose power this year, and in Spain, center-right parties are better positioned than the Socialists for the next election, whenever it comes. In the 2019 European Parliament election, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats - the center-left umbrella party - is projected to be the biggest loser, and while the more modern and more radical European United Left-Nordic Green Left is expected to gain a few seats, that won't be nearly enough to help the entire leftist spectrum recoup its losses. There are three accepted explanations for this litany of woe. One, popular among leftists themselves, is that the traditional parties took a wrong turn somewhere. In his 2017 book, "Wrong Turnings: How the Left Got Lost," the British economist and business professor Geoffrey Hodgson argues that, after making compromises with capitalism since the 1950s, the socialist and labor parties have failed to offer a "persuasive, feasible and democratic alternative to capitalism" after the 2008 global financial crisis. Another view has to do with the changing class structure of society. Its proponents argue that the old working class is gone, taking with it the traditional base of the leftist parties united by class consciousness and by the institutions that supported it, from labor unions to choral societies and women's clubs. "First, the emancipation of the working class - primarily the extension of access to higher education - changed the working class and its dependence on left-wing subcultures and organizations," the political scientist Jan Rovny of Sciences Po in Paris wrote in a London School of Economics blog post earlier this year. "Second, the left's enabling of the search for rights allowed younger generations to seek personal liberation from traditional hierarchies, including those of the left." By this thinking, the old proletariat has been replaced at the bottom of the class hierarchy by a new precariat, people working in the service economy with few chances and little desire to organize. They are often immigrants separated from each other by cultural divides and sometimes disenfranchised. The traditional left has had little to offer them. The third concept is more radical than the first two. It posits a collapse of the entire traditional left-right paradigm, describing it as too simplistic for today's complex matrix of factors affecting political preferences. Social scientists Yann Algan, Elizabeth Beasley, Daniel Cohen and Martial Foucault analyzed this matrix earlier this year using a detailed dataset from the 2017 French presidential election. They saw people with lower-than-average incomes for their level of education voting hard left, for Jean-Luc Melenchon, and people with higher incomes than their education level going for the center-right (Francois Fillon). They noted that people with lower interpersonal trust went for Melenchon if they had higher life satisfaction, and for nationalist populist Marine Le Pen if they were less happy with their lives. The ideological divides that used to match class lines have also shifted: For example, though the supporters of Le Pen were as unlikely to be wealthy as those of Melenchon, the nationalist's voters weren't particularly interested in redistribution. The three explanations of the traditional left's demise approach the same problem from different angles. The structure of society has changed for a number of reasons: broader access to education, deindustrialization, migratory flows, the success of social policies pursued by the same leftist parties that are suffering now at the polls. At the same time, the toolbox for describing and measuring societal divides, as well as for exploiting them for political purposes, has improved dramatically with the rise of data science and social networks. The leftist parties, meanwhile, have failed to use this toolbox to offer compelling ideas to the social groups that might be willing to support them. I'm not a leftist by any definition. No one who grew up in the Soviet Union, as I did in Moscow in the 1970s and 1980s, can be one without amnesia-inducing drugs. State-run redistribution will always turn into a corrupt, wasteful system that fails to make anyone happy regardless of how much repression is involved. That said, I have a stake in the survival of the traditional left in the Western world. It has a proven record of making societies fairer, holding back imperial impulses, shortening wars. It has been a useful counterbalance to the natural inclination of the traditional right to support big business, the military and law-enforcement machines. The traditional left doesn't have to give up these important roles. What it requires is clarity on three issues: Whom it stands for, what it stands for and how to communicate the ideas. The new potential support base includes diverse groups. Three of these are government employees who believe in the positive mission of the state; creative classes and intellectuals who stand for freedom, diversity and a massive role for educational institutions; a precarious working class that feels ill-treated by a system rigged in favor of the rich. All of them share an interest in one thing: fairness. Many leaders on the left understand this, and Martin Schulz, the losing German Social Democratic candidate for chancellor in 2017, even chose "More Fairness" as his slogan. The reason he lost was that he couldn't explain what the word meant to him and how he was going to deliver fairness to the different target groups. In such a situation, the government employees, intellectuals and students tend to vote for environmentalist parties like the German Greens, which share their sensibilities. Many of the insecure workers go for the nationalist populists who address the issue of fairness in the simplest terms: A country, according to them, must help its own first. There are, meanwhile, ways to address the concerns of all the potential audiences while advocating clear policies. The Dutch GreenLeft, which did unexpectedly well in the 2017 election and has increased its popularity since, provides an important example. It's the product of a merger of four progressive parties that stressed different aspects of socialism and environmentalism but found ways to combine both. Merging with Greens can be a productive way forward for the traditional left, since voters appear to move freely between them. In Germany, for example, the decline of the Social Democrats has led to the rise of the Greens, who replaced them as the nation's second most popular party this year. The GreenLeft has departed from traditional redistribution ideas; the party proposes programs that stress getting the underprivileged into training and work rather than providing more financial support for them. While calling for more education spending, it actually advocates a smaller government and a more streamlined political system, catering to the anti-elite mood of the struggling lower middle class. A combination of "green" goals with leftist sensibilities could be an answer to movements like France's Yellow Vests. Instead of fuel taxes, which set off violent protests because they have an immediate, direct effect on the tightest family budgets, such hybrid parties want to extract environmental taxes primarily from big corporations. Though the effect of higher corporate taxation would trickle down to the poor, too, the framing of the matter is less likely to cause protest - especially if investments in public transportation come through, as these parties promise. The coalition government in Luxembourg, headed by a center-right party but also including a leftist one and a green one, proposes to make public transportation free in the small country next year, a highly popular move that is likely to boost the government's staying power. A focus on fairness should probably mean less of a focus on political correctness. Social liberalism has prevented politicians on the left from talking freely about the dark side of immigration. That hasn't helped immigrants much. In many countries, they've been pushed out of sight into areas the locals avoid and left to suffer the consequences of poor policing, lacking social services and labor-market discrimination. That has little to do with fairness; punishing crime is fair, and so is linking social support to positive, lasting labor-market outcomes. Being pro-refugee, as most leftist and environmentalist politicians are, shouldn't tie the leadership's tongues in knots, something the intellectual audience has learned to accept but that resentful workers hate. Parties led by young leaders, such as the Dutch GreenLeft's 32-year-old Jesse Klaver, have been good at communicating specific ideas to diverse target groups on social media. So far, traditional leftist parties have largely left this field to populists, who find the social networks a convenient tool for spreading divisive messages. But nothing is preventing the left from taking the war to them in a way that helps them win elections. Traditional, offline networks - those unions and choral societies - are no match for Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and leftist parties have been too slow to realize this. This time of desperation for the traditional left is a time for bold alliances, primarily with the Greens, and for clear ideas promoted cleverly with specific target groups in mind. The leftist parties should seize the opportunity to learn and experiment rather than wait for the old support levels to come back. They won't. If this opportunity is missed, the Western world is in for years of conservative or fractured governments trying to fight or appease leaderless movements like the Yellow Vests, which they don't really understand. That prospect alone should give believers in the leftist ideal of fairness an itch to get their act together. - - - Bershidsky is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics and business. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow can speak at length on many topics. The whims and demographics of her cable-news audience, however, are not among them. "I think I may just be lucky that we're at a time in the news cycle where there is an appetite for that kind of explanatory work," Maddow said back in the early months of the Trump administration, when her eponymous nightly program was posing a ratings threat to the top dogs over at Fox News. That threat has turned into a full-time menace. Whereas "The Rachel Maddow Show" several years ago finished in the double digits in annual rankings of cable-news programs, it's now in the tastemaking vanguard. Over the first three quarters of 2018, Maddow sat in between No. 1 Sean Hannity and No. 3 Tucker Carlson in the cable-news elite. Her show finished fourth for all of 2017. The host's audience-pulling exploits drove, at least in part, a recent press release from her network: "MSNBC IS THE #1 CABLE NEWS NETWORK FOR WEEK OF DEC. 17, BEATING FOX NEWS FOR 1ST TIME IN 17 YEARS." Over almost eight years on this beat, I've come to treat ratings-oriented press releases from major TV outlets like exposed wiring in a flooding basement: Do not touch. There are just too many baskets in cable-news ratings - total viewers, the 25-54 demographic, prime-time ratings, dayside ratings, "sales day" ratings and so on - lending themselves to corporate spin. For even the lamest of cable-news shows, a ratings "win" can often be pried from the data, so long as there's a crafty PR type at the keyboard. And there always is. And indeed: Fox News pointed out that MSNBC's historic win for the "week of Dec. 17" included only Monday-through-Friday numbers - and excluded the weekend, which put Fox News in its normal place: No. 1. Another consideration: Hannity was on vacation that week. Caveats noted. Still, MSNBC has something to crow about. Its news programming is sharp, energetic and relentless. Its anchors are prepared. Its correspondents are on the scene. Many of the names are the same as always: "Morning Joe" early; Chris Matthews early evening, followed by Chris Hayes, Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell in the prime-time block. Starting in 2015, however, NBC News/MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack and MSNBC President Phil Griffin overthrew a cabal of progressive anchors in the daytime and replaced them with talented newsies - Nicolle Wallace, Craig Melvin, Stephanie Ruhle, Katy Tur, Ali Velshi, Hallie Jackson - who resist blanket characterizations, other than to say that they keep on top of the news. What a job that has become. Whereas prime-time anchors were once able to plan their programs based on what had transpired by close of business, Trump scoops observe no clock. One of the mantras of Maddow throughout 2018, in fact, is the wonder she expresses at how many times she has had to rip up her scripts because some court document or some White House hiccup emerged from the national news vault in the early evening hours. Chaos, though, has helped: MSNBC had its best year ever in 2018, with an 11 percent jump in viewership. Though CNN was down, it managed its best numbers for a midterm election year. Fox News being Fox News, it finished as the most-watched network in all of cable, not just cable news. As it turns out, benighted tweets, frequent resignations, multiple federal investigations and a generalized climate of grifting boost the audience for television news. While newspapers and digital outlets struggle to pay for their staffs, profits exist at Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. Within this crew of panel makers, MSNBC is distinguishing itself with reporting about the Trump administration without depending on the Trump administration. "I don't necessarily want to hear from the White House on almost anything," said Maddow to this blog in 2017, citing the lies coming from the building. So, where to go for news? Federal courthouses, that's where. Ever since special counsel Robert Mueller started producing indictments and other interesting documents, Maddow has devoured them - all of them. She reads the filings on air, off air and in-between. Often with the help of key reporters on the Mueller beat, she proceeds to detail what's in them and what's not in them. There has been a lot of explaining to do. To appreciate the focus of the "Rachel Maddow Show" on the Mueller legal plume, consider the name of Alex van der Zwaan. Perhaps the most international guy ever conceived, he's a 30-something Dutch man who was born in Belgium, formerly worked in the London branch of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and speaks Russian, French, Dutch and English. His entry into Mueller's world came through Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman who made a handsome living in part by making corrupt Ukrainian politicians look OK. Manafort facilitated a report by Skadden that whitewashed the actions of pro-Russia, former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych, who had jailed an opposition leader. For reasons that caused a great deal of speculation, van der Zwaan misled prosecutors about his contacts with a Manafort associate, Rick Gates, as well as an unidentified associate of Gates and Manafort. Summing up the implications of van der Zwaan's February guilty plea in the case, Maddow said: "This stuff that we learned in this guilty plea today, this all comes out of some very dramatic, terrible and really recent stuff that happened in Ukraine. We know from previous reporting that after Yanukovych got run out of that country - after Manafort's client got run out of that country in 2014 - Ukrainians started screaming bloody murder about this stuff that Paul Manafort and his client had done to Ukraine, which U.S. law firms and U.S. PR firms may have been involved in greasing the skids for." While Maddow busied herself explaining what the van der Zwaan news was, her rival over at Fox News focused on what it wasn't. Upon van der Zwaan's sentencing in April, Hannity spewed dismissals: "Now, also tonight, Robert Mueller secures his first conviction - got to give him a lot of credit in this witch hunt. A Dutch lawyer was just sentenced to 30 days in jail, 30 whole days. And he's being ordered to pay $20,000 fine for lying to the FBI. That's it? And it had nothing to do with Russia collusion." So: One cable-news host is mining a sprawling investigation of the president's top associates and campaign aides; the other is dismissing it out of hand. Which one, do you suppose, has the brighter future? Fox News and CNN have attracted a great deal of attention in the past two years with high-profile interviews of Trump officials, whether it's the president himself or White House adviser Kellyanne Conway or press secretary Sarah Sanders or some other appointee. The sessions on Fox News tend to be easier on the Trump folks - though they're by no means uniformly so - and on CNN, they're invariably confrontational, bordering on antagonistic. As the Hollywood Reporter noted, MSNBC has had fewer interviews with Trump appointees, though the shortfall is by no means intentional. MSNBC sources say that they routinely make requests to the Trump White House. Rejections pile up. The result may well be an accidental benefit to MSNBC. Though its reporters routinely abridge the positions of the president on air, the network traffics in a minimal amount of Trumpism from the mouths of Trumpites. And that appears to be exactly what the audience wants. As this blog has pointed out, MSNBC's daytime crew has begun veering from the cowpath on which all the networks carry live presidential announcements and briefings. For example: Wallace blew off that no-news speech in November by President Trump, and Tur televised Sanders's remarks at a press briefing only so long as she didn't require an on-the-fly reality check, and that didn't take too long. Our posts on those topics have drawn a generous amount of engagement, including a lot of positive feedback for the network. A good chunk of the news-consuming public appears to have decided that the Trump crew has lied far too much to deserve a footing on major media outlets. Finally, a note on contributors. Fox News pays contributors, not to mention anchors - Hannity and "Fox & Friends" (though things are changing there) - to defend Trump's "policies" as well as his misanthropic behavior. Starting in the presidential campaign CNN brought on certain contributors - Jeffrey Lord, Kayleigh McEnany, Scottie Nell Hughes, Paris Dennard (all of whom are no longer with the network) - to do likewise, with embarrassing and anti-journalistic results. MSNBC has sidestepped this brand of clown time by airing the comments of conservative contributors principled enough to bash Trump - such as Charlie Sykes, Bret Stephens and George Will - or at least principled enough to publicly agonize over Trump - such as like Hugh Hewitt. Another emphasis has fallen on reporting; MSNBC has eased up on the I-can-comment-on-any-topic! punditry and commonly hauls in whatever reporter has a big story for that particular day. Reporting helps with programming decisions, too. When Wallace steered clear of Trump's falsehood-ridden immigration speech in early November, according to an informed source, she had done some reporting to determine that the president wasn't going to make any grand announcements. Just falsehoods, as it turned out. Boston-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals, which has research and development operations in New Haven, got an early Christmas present. Federal regulators gave an early approval for the company to begin marketing its drug candidate, Ultomiris. The drug is for use in the treatment of adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, which is a rare, acquired, life-threatening disease of the blood characterized by destruction of red blood cells, increased incidents of blood clots and impaired bone marrow function. Ultomiris becomes Alexions fourth drug to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be sold in this country. The company specializes in developing drugs to treat ultra-rare diseases. FDA approval for Ultomiris comes 11 years after regulators approved Soliris, Alexions first drug for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Megan Goulart, a company spokeswoman, said one key difference between the two drugs is that Ultomiris only has to be taken once every eight weeks while patients using Soliris must take it every two weeks. And for individuals of average weight being treated with Ultomiris, the drug has the potential to cost less than Soliris. Businessweek reported last year that the company has drawn criticism over the price of its star drug Soliris, which costs more than $18,000 for a single treatment, as well allegations of aggressive sales practices by the company. Businessweek also reported in 2017 an investigation the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has undertaken into grants made by Alexion in Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Russia and Turkey to rare disease patient groups, allegedly in an effort to attract new users of Soliris. John Orloff, executive vice president and head of research & development at Alexion, said company officials believe Ultomiris has the potential to become the new standard of care for patients with PNH. An executive with a Maryland-based non-profit health organization devoted to serving patients diagnosed with bone marrow failure disease said FDA approval of Ultomiris improves the quality of life for those individuals with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. The introduction of Soliris eleven years ago transformed the lives of patients with PNH, Neil Horikoshi, chief executive officer of the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome International Foundation. said in a statement. But the management of this debilitating disease still requires strength and sacrifice from patients and their families. With Ultomiris, patients no longer have to plan their lives around bi-weekly infusions and can look forward to just six or seven infusions a year. Alexion officials announced in September 2017 that the company was relocating its headquarters to Bostons Seaport District and taking 400 jobs with it. The relocation was completed in July and left the companys former headquarters building at 100 College Street with about 450 workers, many of whom work in research and development. Alexion was founded by Leonard Bell in New Haven in early 1992. Bell left the company in May 2017. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com By Richard Tuffin, Research Fellow, University of New England Port Arthur Historic Site , Author provided Its our experience that most people think archaeology mainly means digging in the dirt. Admit to strangers that you are of the archaeological persuasion, and the follow-up question is invariably whats the best thing youve found?. Start to tell them about a fantastic ink and watercolour plan you unearthed in library archives, or an old work site you stumbled upon in thick eucalypt bush, and their eyes glaze over. People invariably want to hear about skeletons, pots and bits of shiny metal. Its this type of stuff that you will often see in the media, giving the misleading impression that archaeological process is only about excavation. While the trowel and spade are an important inclusion in the archaeological toolkit, our core disciplinary definition that of using humanitys material remains to understand our history means that we utilise many ways of engaging with this past. Read more: Poor health in Aboriginal children after European colonisation revealed in their skeletal remains A hole in the ground Of course, theres nothing like a tidy hole in the ground to get peoples attention. Yet what often gets lost in the spotlights glow is that excavation is the last resort; its the end result of exhaustive research, planning and design. In the research environment, excavations are triggered by having no, or only a low level of, other streams of evidence. This similarly applies in mitigating the impacts of development, where the threat of an historical sites partial or complete removal adds an element of evidence recovery. Should the excavation be ill-thought out, or divorced from proper research goals, the results and therefore the net benefit of the whole exercise are lessened, if not completely lost. This is particularly so for historical archaeologists, where the availability of documentary archives, oral testimony and the remaining landscape itself can reveal so much before trowels meet dirt. Read more: Essays On Air: how archaeology helped save the Franklin River Lots of work before digging For the historical archaeologist, a huge amount of work must take place before an excavation can even be planned, with invasive investigations sometimes not even considered. In our particular field, the historical archaeology of Australias convict system (1788-1868), there is a vast amount of documentary evidence that requires interrogation before any archaeological process can begin. https://images.theconversation.com/files/250357/original/file-20181213-1... 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250357/original/file-20181213-1... 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250357/original/file-20181213-1... 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250357/original/file-20181213-1... 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250357/original/file-20181213-1... 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"> Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, Tasmania Archive and Heritage Office, Author provided As an example, in the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office, 35 metres of shelf space is taken up just by the official correspondence records for the period 1824-36. Correspondence, reports, tables, diaries, newspapers, maps, plans, illustrations and photographs contain a wealth of information about the convict past. These can be used to query how people interacted with each other and the places, spaces and things that were created and modified as a result. The experience of convict labour We are currently over a year into a research project (called Landscapes of Production and Punishment) that uses evidence of the built and natural landscape to understand the experience of convict labour on the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania (1830-77). At its peak, nearly 4,000 convicts and free people lived on the penal peninsula. Their day-to-day activities left traces in todays landscape that we locate and analyse using historical research, remote sensing and archaeological field survey. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, a form of 3D mapping) has been used to great effect, mapping large areas in high detail, which have then been surveyed to find the sites of convict labour. These include quarries, sawpits, charcoal-burning stands, brick pits, tramways, roads and paths, cultivated fields and boundaries. https://images.theconversation.com/files/250359/original/file-20181213-1... 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250359/original/file-20181213-1... 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250359/original/file-20181213-1... 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250359/original/file-20181213-1... 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250359/original/file-20181213-1... 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"> Landscapes of Production and Punishment, 2017-19, Author provided Read more: What Australia's convict past reveals about women, men, marriage and work No soil was disturbed Without turning a sod, we have recreated historic landscapes that have long lain dormant. These have then been brought to life through the records of the system, which were historically used to account for the convicts and their labour. These include records about the lives of convicts whilst under sentence, as well as statistics on the products and processes of their labour. This raw data shows us the outputs of industrial operations carried out by the convicts, like brick making, sandstone quarrying, lime burning and timber-getting, as well as the manufactories that produced leather, timber and metalwork goods by the thousand. The records also locate convict and free settlers back into time and space, reconnecting them to the places and products of their labour. As the project develops, excavation may be one of the archaeological methods used to retrieve our evidence but only once we have exhausted all other avenues of enquiry. Controlled destruction As archaeologists, we have a responsibility to ensure that the controlled process of destruction that is an archaeological investigation has the greatest possible research return. Without this due process, our work becomes unhinged from research frameworks. The excavations devolve into expensive and directionless treasure hunts from which little research value can be extracted. The archaeologists profession be it as an academic or working in the commercial and government sector is more than excavation. It encompasses a diverse range of skills and techniques which can be deployed to aid in our central task of understanding the lives of those who came before. Read more: A fresh perspective on Tasmania, a terrible and beautiful place The authors would like to thank Caroline Homer (Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office) and David Roe, Jody Steele and Sylvana Szydzik (Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority). Richard Tuffin receives funding from the Australian Research Council DP170103642. Martin Gibbs receives funding from the Australian Research Council DP170103642. He is a member of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology and the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology Originally published in The Conversation. by Sumon Corraya The ruling coalition takes 276 seats out of 300. Outside the capital, clashes leave 18 people dead. The opposition calls the election a farce, demands for a new poll. Bangladeshs only Catholic lawmaker, Jowel Areng, is re-elected. Dhaka (AsiaNews) The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League (AL) won a landslide victory in yesterdays parliamentary elections. One of the lawmakers re-elected was Jowel Areng, the only Catholic member of parliament, who ran with the AL. For Prime Minister Hasina, this is the third consecutive victory since she came to power in 2009. The opposition slammed the election, saying it was marred by fraud and corruption at polling stations. For this reason, it has already filed a complaint with the Election Commission calling for the vote to be cancelled and a new vote held. Despite the fear of violence, like during the electoral campaign, voting took place yesterday in a mostly peaceful atmosphere, the exception being outside the capital. Contrary to claims that internet services had been suspended, some noted that they had access to the web. In Dhaka merchants reported that streets were empty and that the atmosphere was surreal, as if it were a holiday, noting that in the capital, the prime minister is too strong and the government would never allow clashes. Outside the capital, at least 18 deaths were reported. The outcome of Bangladeshs 11th general election was never in doubt. Although counting continues (picture 2), Sheikh Hasina is certain to win. With 66 per cent of the vote in, the Awami League and the Grand Alliance lead with 81 per cent majority. The opposition Oikya Front received 15 per cent of the vote. This translates into 276 seats out of a total of 300 for the ruling coalition. Another 50 are reserved for women and allotted proportional to the overall vote. The main opposition force, the Oikya Front, is led by a famous lawyer, Kamal Hossain, who served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasinas father, but became the main opposition leader after Khaleda Zia, head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was convicted of corruption and sent to prison. Hossain demanded the election be cancelled calling it a "farce". A local source told AsiaNews that at least 50 Oikya Front candidates dropped out of the race complaining of fraud and are now calling for new elections. "Even if the fraud were true, denying ALs overwhelming victory would be crazy, said the source. Now there is the danger that the opposition will take to the streets to protest. However, "they are too weak and the government will not allow them to cause damages." (Photo 2, credit: Dhaka Tribune) At the Angelus, Pope Francis recalls his Message for the World Day of Peace, inaugurated by Paul VI 52 years ago. "We are all responsible for the life of the 'city', of the common good". The Hebrew blessing in the "name" and in the "face" of the Lord. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Jesus Christ, Savior of the world. He is the Blessing for every person and for the whole human family. He is the source of grace, mercy and peace": this is how Pope Francis linked today's solemnity of the Holy Mother of God, to the World Day of Peace, which is celebrated on January 1st. Speaking to the tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus, the pontiff explained: "This is why Saint Pope Paul VI wanted the first of January to be the World Day of Peace; and today we celebrate the fifty-second, which has as its theme: Good politics is at the service of peace. We must not think that politics is reserved only for rulers: we are all responsible for the life of the 'city', of the common good; and politics too is good to the extent that each one plays his part in the service of peace. May the Holy Mother of God help us in this daily commitment ". Both this mornings Mass and the Angelus reflection were dedicated to the Christian and theological centering of peace in society. Previously the Pope spoke about the blessing reported in the first reading of today's Mass, (Numbers 6,24-26), in which the Israeli priest, imposing his hands on the people, invoked "the name" and "the face" of the Lord "In the Bible ... the name represents the very reality that is invoked, and so," placing the name "of the Lord on a person, a family, a community means offering them the beneficial force that flows from Him". "We know that according to the Scriptures the face of God is inaccessible to man: no one can see God and remain alive. This expresses the transcendence of God, the infinite greatness of His glory. But the glory of God is all Love, and therefore, while remaining inaccessible, like a Sun that cannot be looked at, it radiates its grace on every creature and, in a special way, on men and women, in which it is reflected most. "When the fullness of time came" (Gal 4: 4), God revealed himself in the face of a man, Jesus, "born of a woman". And here we return to the icon of today's feast, from which we started: the icon of the Holy Mother of God, who shows us the Son, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world ". At the conclusion of the Angelus, Francis blessed the crowd with the words of Jewish blessing. In the end, greeting the participants, the Pope thanked them for the "countless initiatives of prayer and commitment for peace that take place in this day in every part of the world, promoted by the ecclesial communities" and recalled in particular the march organized by the community of St. Egidio and the one held yesterday in Matera. During Friday prayers, al-Sumaidaie said that it was "impermissible" for Muslims to celebrate Christmas or New Year. The Chaldean patriarch slammed such "rhetoric of hatred" that sows "divisions". In his New Year message, he calls for openness and deeper sharing. Baghdad (AsiaNews) Iraqi Christians and Muslims have reacted with outrage to a statement by Iraqs Grand Mufti Abdul Mehdi al-Sumaidaie, who recently said that it is impermissible for Muslims to celebrate Christmas and New Year since they are Christian holidays. Al-Sumaidaie is one of the countrys most important religious figures and has close ties to the government. The controversy began last Friday, following his sermon at the end of Friday prayers in a mosque in central Baghdad. In it, the prominent Sunni cleric urged Muslims not join Christians on their holy days, noting that those who do so believe the Christians religious doctrine. The mufti adheres to a particular brand of Islam that is inspired by Salafism. His views have incensed many people, including non-Christians. Some have called for him to be removed from office for dividing Iraqi society. One of the first people to slam the Islamic leader's claims is the Chaldean patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who noted that a man of faith, whatever his religion, should favour brotherhood, tolerance and love, not division and sedition. The patriarch called on the Iraqi government to prosecute those who spread such rhetoric, especially when they do it from official platforms. These are misconceptions, misguided and far from the correct knowledge of religions," Sako said. "Our people today need to deepen the common denominators in order to contribute to the achievement of coexistence, not treachery, atonement and incitement to hatred, he added. The Chaldean primate mentioned the issue again in his New Year message, which he sent to AsiaNews. He also praised the Iraqi government for declaring Christmas a national holiday for all citizens. In the recent past, Christians and others have been targeted to drive them out of their land. In light of this, the muftis words are ominous because they can inspire "hatred and exclusion". Instead the prelate calls on Christians and Muslims to "open up to the other" and "deepen" what they share so that they can build a "bright future". Many ordinary Christians and Muslims have reacted to the muftis words with scorn. On social media, al-Sumaidaie has come in for criticism, with many demanding he retract his statement. Many Iraqi Muslim clerics have also expressed support for and solidarity with Christians, chief among them the head of the Sunni Endowment Authority Abdul Latif al-Heymem who yesterday visited the Chaldean patriarchate and met Card Sako as a show of solidarity and closeness. During their talk he said that Christians are an "essential" part of the nation, with "strong bonds" and "extended roots" that sink deep into the countrys history. Without mentioning the mufti, he called on ordinary Iraqis to oppose those who want to meddle with Iraqs unity and the countrys social and political fabric. "We deplore the offensive terms" used against Christians, al-Heymem said, which "do not represent" the Sunni community and undermine national unity". Presidential Campaign Kicks Off In Ukraine By RFE/RL December 31, 2018 Three months before votes are due to be cast, the Ukrainian presidential campaign has officially kicked off. President Petro Poroshenko has not officially announced he will seek a second five-year term but is widely expected to. Billboards of Poroshenko dot cities across Ukraine, highlighting his position as commander of the country's armed forces and his role in securing Ukraine an Orthodox Church independent of Moscow. After taking 54 percent of the vote in the 2014 election, Poroshenko's public approval ratings have plummeted, namely amid ongoing economic woes and a lack of progress on reforms and cracking down on corruption. More than 10,300 people have died in the war in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of two provinces have been fighting against government forces since April 2014. As of now, Poroshenko's main rival appears to be Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister who announced her candidacy in June. Recent opinion polls show Tymoshenko ahead of Poroshenko. The nomination of candidates with the Central Election Commission will last until February 3, 2019, and the commission should announce a final list of presidential candidates by February 8. The election campaign is due to last until midnight on March 29, and the vote will be held on March 31. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/presidential-campaign- kicks-off-in-ukraine/29685307.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. Kurdish YPG Militia to Disarm After Peace Returns to Syria Spokesman Sputnik News 08:00 31.12.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) will lay down their arms only after peace returns to Syria, the militia's spokesman Nuri Mahmud said. Mahmud argued that the weapons supplied by the United States were used to combat terrorists, according to a Jordanian news channel, Al-Hadath. The YPG said it had handed over the northern city of Manbij to the Syrian army to focus on the fight against the Daesh* terror group east of the Euphrates River. The surprise withdrawal of 2,000 US troops from Syria was announced after Trump said that the objective to defeat the Daesh terror group had been achieved. *Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a wide number of other countries. Sputnik Iraq to play bigger role in Syria to fight Daesh: PM Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 01:45AM The Iraqi prime minister has hinted that his country would play a bigger role in Syria to fight Daesh terrorists after the withdrawal of the US forces. Adel Abdul-Mahdi made the remarks on Sunday, stressing that Iraq seeks to move beyond its current arrangement with Syria. However, he did not get into more details. He went on to say that top security officials from Baghdad met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus in a bid to "gain the initiative against Daesh." US President Donald Trump announced this month that he had decided to withdraw the approximately 2,000 US troops in Syria. Iraqi warplanes and artillery have pounded Daesh positions inside Syria in the past, after getting the green light from Syrian authorities. Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that Syrian President al-Assad has allowed Iraqi fighter jets to conduct airstrikes against the positions of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the war-ravaged country without waiting to be granted formal authorization for the assaults. A high-ranking Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Russia's RT Arabic television news network that Iraqi warplanes will be able to enter the Syrian airspace and bombard Daesh sites under Assad's directives. The Iraqi official, however, highlighted that the Syrian president has demanded the Baghdad government to inform Syrian authorities before launching any aerial raid. On December 12, the media bureau of Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement that Iraqi military aircraft had carried out two separate airstrikes against members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr. The statement noted that the fighter jets targeted a meeting of Daesh Takfiris in al-Susah town, which lies in Abu Kamal district of the province, leaving 30 terrorists dead. Another air raid destroyed a militant hideout in the same Syrian town, killing 14 Daesh terrorists. Iraqi authorities have on occasions stated that they work closely with the Syrian government to monitor and target terrorist targets based on the efforts of intelligence and information departments of the security coordination committee formed between Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran and Moscow years ago, as well as coordination with the so-called US-led anti-Daesh coalition. "If we perform a strike, we will coordinate with the international coalition, the joint security center and all the relevant parties. As we work together, we follow the principle of partnership to ensure safety and harmony between allies," former Iraqi Ministry of Defense spokesman Tahseen al-Khafaji said in April. Iraqi warplanes hit strategic Daesh position in eastern Syria, kills 30 commanders Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 02:08PM Iraqi military aircraft have pounded a strategic position of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr after Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, allowed Iraqi fighter jets to conduct airstrikes against the extremists in Syria without waiting to be granted formal authorization for the assaults. The media bureau of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, in a statement released on Monday, announced that Iraqi F-16 fighter jets had bombed and destroyed a two-story building on the outskirts of the village of Sousa, killing 30 Daesh commanders as they were holding a meeting. The statement added that the aerial assault was carried out following close surveillance by the Iraqi Intelligence Service. The development came a day after a high-ranking Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Russia's RT Arabic television news network that Iraqi warplanes will be able to enter the Syrian airspace and bombard Daesh sites under Assad's directives. The Iraqi official, however, highlighted that the Syrian president had demanded that the Baghdad government inform Syrian authorities before launching any aerial raid. Iraq sentences over 600 foreigners in 2018 over Daesh links Meanwhile, Abdul Sattar al-Biraqdar, spokesman for Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, said on Monday that courts in the country have handed down sentences to more than 600 foreign nationals, including many women and dozens of minors, in 2018 over their membership in the Daesh terror group and involvement in acts of terror. Biraqdar added that "616 men and women accused of belonging to Daesh have been put on trial" throughout this year, and sentenced under Iraq's anti-terrorism law. They comprised 466 women, 42 men and 108 minors, he noted. Biraqdar, however, did not specify the punishments. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the Arab country on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, he had formally declared victory over Daesh in Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in Iraq. In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh. Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year. Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. More Arab countries to reopen embassies in Damascus in coming days: Kuwait Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 06:45PM Kuwait says it expects more Arab countries to reopen diplomatic missions in Damascus in "coming days" amid promising signs that the incumbent Damascus government led by President Bashar al-Assad is being admitted back into the Arab world. Kuwait's official news agency KUNA broke the news on Monday, but added that the move would need a green light from the 22-member Arab League. Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah said the Persian Gulf kingdom remains committed to the Arab League's decision, and would reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital once the regional organization consents to it. Jarallah expected a "thaw in relations between Syria and Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the coming days as more nations look to reopen their embassies in Damascus." Arab League's permanent representatives are due to meet in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo on January 6. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November 2011, citing alleged crackdown by Damascus on opposition protests. Syria has denounced the move as "illegal and a violation of the organization's charter." On Friday, 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." It came a day after 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. 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. Iraq targets gathering of Daesh commanders in Syria IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Baghdad, Dec 31, IRNA -- The Iraqi F-16 jetfighters bombarded a Daesh(ISIS) gathering attended by 30 commanders of the terrorist group in Syria, the Iraqi military sources said in a statement released on Monday. The Iraqi military authorities in their statement said a Daesh shelter in Al-Susah, a Syrian town in Deir ez-Zor eastern country, was destroyed and 30 Daesh ringleaders were killed. The operation, aimed at eradicating terrorism which was conducted following the green light by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Iraqi military source said. Iraqi jetfighters will have the permission to use the Syrian airspace without any agreement from Damascus, Russian media 'RT Arabic' quoted the source as saying. They will be permitted to bombard Daesh positions, the source added. Assad has reportedly received a letter from Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Iraqi Prime Minister. The letter has been submitted to Assad by Falih Alfayyadh, Advisor of the National Security Council. Developing relations between the two countries, the importance of coordination between Syria and Iraq in all fields, especially in fighting terrorism and fostering cooperation on border issues were reportedly among topics mentioned in the letter. 9376**2044 Enhanced security coordination with Iran to improve regional security: Pak Army Chief IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Islamabad, Dec 31, IRNA -- Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said enhanced security coordination on Iran-Pakistan border shall further improve the security situation in region, a military statement said. According to a statement issued by military's media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Army Chief made the remarks during a meeting with Chief Minister of Balochistan province Jam Kamal Khan. "COAS said that maintaining security situation of Balochistan is focus of Pak Army," said the statement. It added: COAS said that progress of Pakistan is linked to peace, stability and progress of Balochistan. COAS further said fencing of Pakistan-Afghan border and enhanced security coordination on Iran-Pakistan border shall further improve the security situation. CM Balochistan appreciated efforts of Pak Army towards provision of enabling security environment for execution of socio-economic development projects in Balochistan. 272**6125**1424 Israeli Prime Minister Says Will Not Resign if Indicted on Graft Charges Sputnik News 05:51 01.01.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Netanyahu and his wife Sarah are allegedly involved in the Bezeq-Walla corruption affair, also known as Case 4000, being accused of promoting the interests of Bezeq, the country's largest telecom provider, in exchange for favorable coverage of Netanyahu's activities by the popular news website Walla controlled by the company. Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he was not going to step down if he faced corruption charges. "I do not intend to resign," the prime minister said at a press conference in Brazil aired by i24 News. Netanyahu has also been suspected of getting expensive gifts from business circles (Case 1000) and trying to reach a deal with the leadership of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper (Case 2000). However, Netanyahu refuted all the accusations. Last week, Netanyahu called snap elections for April 9 amid corruption allegations. Initially, the parliamentary elections were slated for November 2019. The first public opinion poll after the announcement of snap elections predicted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was heading toward an easy re-election. Sputnik Neumann has been placed on a paid leave of absence from the company, Activision Blizzard said. Activision Blizzard Inc on Monday said it intends to terminate Chief Financial Officer Spencer Neumann for reasons unrelated to the video game publishers financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures. Neumann has been placed on a paid leave of absence from the company, Activision Blizzard said, adding that Neumann will get an opportunity to demonstrate why termination of his employment is not justified. The company did not elaborate on the reasons for the planned termination. It did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Neumann did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment over LinkedIn. Chief Corporate Officer Dennis Durkin will assume the duties of CFO effective Jan. 1 until the issue is resolved, Activision said in a regulatory filing. If Neumann ultimately ceases to be the CFO, then Durkin will take over the role, the company said. Durkin, 48, joined Activision in March 2012 and has served as CFO until May 2017, after which he took the role of Chief Corporate Officer. (Source) Israeli Black Hawk Chopper Nearly Collides With Civilian Drone Sputnik News 19:37 31.12.2018(updated 19:42 31.12.2018) As the popularity of drones grows, the issue of their safe use is becoming more and more acute. In December, operations at Gatwick Airport in London were disrupted for several days in row due to civilian drones being spotted above its grounds. A civilian drone nearly collided with an Israeli Air Force Black Hawk helicopter flying over a military base in central Israel on 31 December, the Times of Israel reported, citing the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). "The drone was flown against the law, at an altitude and in an area that are forbidden for drones to operate in", the IDF said. The Israeli military vowed to work in cooperation with the police in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Drones, owned by civilians, are forbidden to fly over military objects due to the threat of collision with military aircraft, as well as the exposure of sensitive data to a country's enemies. Such rules have been adopted by numerous states following the spread of drone technology into public use. Sputnik Iraqi PM sheds light on Trump visit after criticism Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 11:03AM Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has given explanations on a sneak trip by US President Donald Trump to a military base near Baghdad last week, which angered Iraqis. Abdul-Mahdi on Sunday stressed that the visit had taken place with the prior notice of the Iraqi government and that the al-Asad Air Base at which Trump arrived Wednesday night was "100% an Iraqi base". Trump's two-hour sojourns at the base, stopping short of a visit to Baghdad, drew criticism from Iraqi lawmakers who have demanded US troops be expelled in response to what they believe was an unannounced trip. Abdul-Mahdi dismissed that, saying the Americans had in fact "informed us the same morning of the day on which Trump was about to visit Iraq and we welcomed it." However, "we put forth two preconditions: one being that he must come like any foreign dignitary, with official welcoming and meetings being included and the other, a few limited subjects be specified for negotiations given the briefness of the visit." The Americans, however, said Trump did not plan to go anywhere other than the base, to which "we also announced that there would be no possibility for the prime minister and the accompanying delegation to go to the Ayn al-Asad base." According to Abdul-Mahdi, the Americans said the schedule was impossible to change, proposing a phone discussion between the two leaders. "Iraq's dealing of the US president's visit was based on a principled policy rooted in the will of Baghdad and respect for friendly relations between the two sides," he said. "Some people are talking about the the existence of a status of forces agreement or SOFA between the United States and Iraq, while we do not have such an agreement with the United States or with any other country on the basis of which the head of a government or commander of the armed forces can visit their base on Iraqi soil [without coordination or permit]," he added. Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi also touched on the presence of US troops in his country, saying they were there on the request of the Iraqi government. The Iraqi premier, however, rejected the presence of American bases in Iraq. "Some people have said Tramp came to an American military base in Iraq, but that is not the case. "The United States has no military bases in Iraq. All the military bases are Iraqi. However, American and non-American forces have a presence in some sections of these bases," he added. Supreme Leader's Moves Seen As Successive Blows To Iran's Moderates By Golnaz Esfandiari December 31, 2018 By appointing a conservative ally to head the influential Expediency Council, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to have made a move to strengthen the hard-line camp and weaken the moderates -- and also may have cleaned up his line of succession. "This is not good news for the moderates within the establishment," Paris-based political analyst Taghi Rahmani said of Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani's appointment to both head the Expediency Council and take a seat the powerful Guardians Council. The Expediency Council is tasked with mediating disputes between parliament and the Guardians Council, which determines whether laws are compliant with the Islamic republic's constitution and also vets election candidates. In addition to taking on his new roles, Larijani will retain his seat as head of the country's Judiciary. "It demonstrates that Khamenei prefers the extremists to manage the country's affairs," Rahmani said. Larijani, a close ally of Khamenei who has been blacklisted by Washington for rights violations that took place under his leadership of the Judiciary, is said to have close ties to the country's military and intelligence bodies. He's accused by rights activists of overseeing hundreds of executions and using the Judiciary as an instrument of state repression and a tool to silence dissent. Larijani's elder brothers also hold key posts in the Islamic republic. Ali Larijani is currently Iran's parliament speaker and Mohammad Javad Larijani heads the Judiciary's human rights council. In taking on leadership of the Expediency Council, Larijani replaces Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi, who died last week at the age of 70 following a long illness. Khamenei's decision was announced in a December 30 decree that was issued by Iranian media. It stated that Larijani, 57, would also join the 12-member Guardians Council. It is common for Iranian political figures to hold multiple state posts. The decision comes at a challenging time for Iran, which is dealing with the reimposition by the United States of tough economic sanctions, including penalties targeting the country's oil exports, following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision in May to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. Prior to Trump's decision to abandon the deal worked out with other world powers and Iran, the Islamic republic was hit earlier in the year by a wave of antiestablishment protests that spread to more than 80 cities and towns. Larijani is a critic of second-term President Hassan Rohani, who was a key player in the hammering out of the nuclear deal, which was highly unpopular with the hard-line camp. "I think primarily Khamenei's goal is to strengthen Larijani. He's moving things around while keeping Larijani at the top," U.K.-based analyst Saeed Barzin said in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Both Larijani and the 70-year-old Rohani have been touted as potential successors to Khamenei, who underwent prostrate surgery in 2014 amid long-standing rumors that he has prostate cancer. Barzin suggested that Larijani's appointment to the Expediency Council could be mean Khamenei is grooming him for succession. "It could be a move to consolidate Larijani's position for leadership, [although that] is speculation for now," Barzin said. "This will hurt Rohani and will weaken his position, and will tie his hands in the future." Larijani's appointment as chairman of the Expediency Council comes amid rumors that hard-line cleric and defeated presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi is poised to become head of the Judiciary once Larijani's term ends in the summer of 2019. Raisi, the custodian and chairman of the Astan Quds Razavi, the organization that runs Iran's holiest sites, has been also mentioned among Khamenei's possible successors. The head of the Judiciary is appointed by Khamenei for five-year terms. Speaking on December 22, Prosecutor-General Mohammad-Jafar Montazeri did not confirm or deny the rumors about Raisi taking over the Judiciary, saying only that "for now, it's in cyberspace." Rahmani says Khamenei, 79, appears to be shaping "the succession core." "He seems to be creating a circle between the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) along with Raisi and Larijani and even [one of Khameni's sons] Mojtaba Khamenei to be in charge of the country's future leadership team and in control of the country," Rahmani told RFE/RL. However, Rahmani noted that the moves does not mean that everything will go according to Khamenei's plans. "Setting up the chess pieces does not necessarily means that Khamenei will achieve his wishes," the analyst said. "Iran's political conditions and civil society...can influence things, and other players who have remained silent could also play a role in the future." Radio Farda broadcaster Amir Mossadegh Katouzian contributed to this report Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/supreme-leader-s -moves-seen-as-successive-blows-to-iran-s -moderate-camp/29685653.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. Military chief: Iran maintains powerful, firm military presence in region Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 05:20PM Iran's top military commander says despite its mainly peaceful defense doctrine, the Islamic Republic maintains powerful and categorical military presence in the region, warning certain regional countries against inviting the US to the Persian Gulf to hatch plots against Iran. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks on Monday while on a visit to the southern Iranian Persian Gulf island of Abu Mousa to inspect readiness of military forces and equipment deployed to the island. "Security in the Persian Gulf islands has been realized through the presence of the elite forces and use of the most modern military equipment," Baqeri said. The Iranian military commander then warned certain countries along the southern rim of the Persian Gulf against inviting the United States to carry out plots in the Persian Gulf region, emphasizing, "Regional enemies of Iran must know that in parallel to its peaceful doctrine, the Islamic Republic of Iran maintains powerful and firm military presence, and if need be, it would not only defend its territorial integrity, but also hold the inviting countries responsible for any consequences." "Some [regional] countries must not pin their hope on America, because this very America was forced to leave Syria after several years of violence and spreading chaos there," Baqeri said. The top Iranian military commander also noted that throughout its history, "the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been a pioneer of friendship and peace seeking, and even its military drills are held to convey this message," he added. Baqeri concluded by saying that regional security could be only realized through cooperation of all regional countries while foreign presence in the region will prevent achievement of this goal. Baqeri's remarks came after on Sunday he slammed the US presence in the Persian Gulf region, noting that the presence of American forces only serves to fuel insecurity in the Persian Gulf. Iran's military chief noted that the Americans have always sowed insecurity wherever they had a presence, adding, "Their retreat from Syria and other parts of the region will certainly lead to increased security and peace." He also downplayed US President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw troops from Syria, saying that Trump's decision was of no significance for defensive and security missions in the region. "The US exit from Syria was the humiliating withdrawal of a country that was present there without the consent and approval of the [Syrian] people and the legal government," Baqeri added. Trump positions not compatible with facts: Spokesman IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 31, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Bahram Qasemi said the US and Trump policy on various issues, including West Asia are clear to everyone, but what's happening on the ground is not necessarily compatible with Trump's positions and ideals. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman made the remarks while referring to the statements of the US President during his visit to Iraq about monitoring Iran. Bahram Qasemi said on Monday, Trump had a trip to Iraq on the occasion of Christmas, and made some remarks during a visit to the American base in the country contemplative and interpretable. He underlined, 'On the trip, Trump noted that the former presidents of the country spent seven thousand billion dollars in Iraq, and that after all cost, they should travel secretly and sneakily to Iraq. It will not be too late for the United States to spend several times more than seven thousand billion dollars, and cannot even go to a country of the region of secretly and nightly.' The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said, 'It's time for the American people to ask their own authorities why in Iraq, Syria and many other areas have spent so much on killings and homelessness and why these costs are not paid for improving the quality of life of the Americans, particularly pay for the lower classes.' Qasemi said, 'Sooner or later, the US government will come to the conclusion that it cannot go to other countries in the new age as before and with the past tools to go to other countries seeking its goals because the world is another world, the people of the world are vigilant.' He continued, 'As we saw in Iraq, Iraqi parties and groups opposed the visit and adopted very negative positions towards the United States, but this trip may have been an insult to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the Iraqi people.' 9455**2050 India's Modi Facing Tough 2019 Election Year By Anjana Pasricha December 31, 2018 Several months ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was considered unbeatable and his Bharatiya Janata Party a sure frontrunner in general elections that are months away. But after the opposition Congress Party snatched some of the party's key bastions in state polls, he enters 2019 facing questions on whether the BJP can take victory for granted. Political analysts point out that the defeats in three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, have dented Modi's image as a vote-catcher. The party's star campaigner, he had helped the BJP cement victories in as many as 13 states after his spectacular victory in 2014. But with the three heartland states slipping out of the BJP's hold in December, Modi no longer seems invincible. "The winds of change have started to blow in the Hindi heartland. Even if the Modi magic remains, it will not be as bright as it was in 2014," says Neerja Chowdhury, an independent political analyst. The losses of these states are significant because along with a clutch of northern states, they hold the key to political power at the national level. The disenchantment cuts across rural and urban areas and stems from the popular perception that the development agenda on which Modi swept to power more jobs, good governance and an economic boom, failed to bring the transformation he promised. And in a country where a million people enter the workforce every year, the aspirations of many young people remain unfulfilled. Twenty-four-year-old Akash Kumar in the business hub of Gurgaon is among the tens of thousands of young voters who helped secure a victory for Modi, hoping that his vote would herald change. "He had promised to create new opportunities for people like me, give houses to low-income groups, lower the cost of living, but I have seen no benefits," says Kumar, who earns about $300 a month working as a field agent in a real estate firm. His income has not increased much in recent years and a new job has been difficult to come by - although economic growth numbers have improved, the creation of new jobs remains a challenge. The picture is not much brighter in India's vast countryside where agriculture supports more than half the population. 2018 witnessed a surge of protests by angry farmers who say they are hurt by low prices for crop produce. Farm analysts point to the recent crash in prices of onions and potatoes due to a glut in production that has angered farmers in two of the country's largest states, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Tens of thousands of farmers poured into New Delhi's streets in November -- it was the fourth protest this year. Huge protests also took place in cities like Mumbai, highlighting rural distress. "Clearly, the rural anger is translating into electoral verdict," according to farm analyst Devinder Sharma. He says the blame cannot be attributed directly to only the BJP government. "This is an accumulated anger over the past few decades. For four decades, the farm income has remained static. So whichever government is in power will have to face the music." Analysts point out that the realization that it has not been able to fulfill expectations has prompted BJP to move away from earlier promises of ushering in "good days" to promoting Modi as a leader who has "good intentions." "It's a very interesting shift that the BJP has made in terms of its campaign slogan. And that reflects the unease the party faces in not having been able to achieve or come close to the promises that you made in 2014," according to Sandeep Shastri, a political analyst at Jain University at Bengaluru. BJP leaders maintain that their recent losses would not have any bearing on national elections, arguing that state elections are fought on local issues. The officials say they are eyeing gains in areas beyond party strongholds to make up for losses in traditional bases. The government is also taking steps to placate rural anger and is soon expected to announce new measures to address some of the farmers' grievances. Political analysts also point out that although Modi appears more vulnerable, he still remains the country's most credible leader. The reason: he faces a divided and fractured opposition. The Congress Party, which received a boost with its recent victories, is trying to cobble together an alliance with regional parties to take on Modi. But it has much ground to make up: in 2014 it had won just 44 seats in the lower house of parliament compared to the BJP's 282 and the Congress Party's efforts to unify opposition parties have made a slow start. "Beyond doubt there is much more of a challenge for the party and for him," says analyst Shastri, referring to the BJP. But he points out that "the capacity to bounce back and make up lost space seems to be much more with the BJP than with the opposition, simply because of the momentum they have garnered since 2014." Kim Says N Korea's 'New Path' Inevitable if US Insists on Unilateral Action Sputnik News 03:56 01.01.2019(updated 05:56 01.01.2019) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned Washington Tuesday during his New Year's speech not to test Pyongyang's patience with sanctions and pressure. In particular, in his New Year address, Kim said the United States should continue to halt its joint military drills with South Korea and avoid the deployment of strategic military assets to Seoul. Kim stressed that there would be significant progress on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula if the United States takes corresponding action. North Korean leader also said that he is willing to meet US President Donald Trump at any time again. Donald Trump said in a Christmas statement that the progress has been made with regards to North Korea, and he is anticipating his next bilateral meeting with North Korean leader. Trump has been considering a second summit with Kim to speed up the stalling denuclearization. Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton said the summit could take place in January or February. On June 12, Trump and Kim met in Singapore, where they committed to establish new US-North Korea relations. In the joint declaration, Kim pledged to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while in return, Trump promised to provide certain security guarantees to North Korea. However, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Sunday that the North Korean military tested in December telemetry equipment used for tracking launched intercontinental ballistic missiles despite Pyongyang's claims that the country has suspended missile-related tests. Pyongyang conducted its latest missile launch in November last year. In late April, Kim Jong-n announced that the country would suspend its ICBM launches and missile tests ahead of the summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump. Moreover, during September's inter-Korean summit, Pyongyang pledged to close its missile test range in Tongchang-ri and completely dismantle nuclear facilities in Yongbyon. Sputnik North Korea leader sends message to US president on stalled nuclear talks: Report Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 06:06AM North Korea's leader has sent a "letter like" message to US President Donald Trump in connection with stalled negotiations between the two sides over Pyongyang's nuclear program, a South Korean daily says. Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday that Kim's "conciliatory message" had been delivered to Washington through an unspecified channel on Friday. The report said it was about stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington, but did not provide details about the content. The negotiations came to a halt in November, when a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol was abruptly canceled. Trump held a historic meeting with Kim in Singapore in June, when the two agreed to work towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Subsequent diplomacy between the two sides has, however, made little progress in recent months, mainly because the US refuses to lift harsh sanctions on the North. This is while the North has taken several steps towards denuclearization; it has suspended missile and nuclear testing, demolished at least one nuclear test site, and agreed to allow international inspectors into a missile engine test facility and another nuclear testing site. The Trump administration, however, insists that sanctions on the North must remain in place until it completely gives up its nuclear weapons. Despite the halt in its talks with the US, Pyongyang has sought to improve relations with Seoul since Kim met with the South's President Moon Jae-in for the first time in January this year. The two neighbors technically remain at war after the end of the Korean War in 1953. Kim vows 'frequent' meetings with Moon In the meantime, the office of the South's President said on Sunday that Kim has also sent a message to Seoul, pledging "frequent" meetings with Moon next year with the aim of pursuing peace and solving "the issue of denuclearization of the peninsula together." The North's leader "expressed a strong determination to visit Seoul while watching future situation," said Moon's spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. It is not known how the message was delivered to Seoul. Moon welcomed Kim's "warm" letter in a Twitter post, saying Kim also expressed regret that he could not make a planned visit to Seoul by the end of December. "There will still be a lot of difficulties ahead," Moon said in his message. "However, our hearts will become more open if we put in that much effort. There's no change in our heart about welcoming Chairman Kim (to the South)." Moon's tweet also included a photo that showed a ruby-colored folder emblazoned with the seal of Pyongyang's powerful State Affairs Commission and the top part of Kim's letter. "Dear your excellency President Moon Jae-in. Our meeting in Pyongyang feels like yesterday but about 100 days have ready passed and now we are at the close of an unforgettable 2018,"read the letter, which was not fully disclosed. Moon and Kim have, this year, held three summits, the latest of which was held in the North's capital, Pyongyang, in September. President Moon said previously that Kim will "soon" visit Seoul. He also said that a second North Korea-US summit was "near at hand." Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton also said earlier this month that the president wants to hold a second summit with Kim. China About to Deploy Brand-New Lightweight Battle Tank Sputnik News 16:36 31.12.2018 The innovative vehicle was previously tested last year, as China and India sought to reconcile over the contested border territory near Doklam, simultaneously claimed by three Asian countries, including Bhutan. China has introduced into service its much-lauded lightweight battle tank, which the military is set to deploy in rocky areas like the Tibetan mountains, to increase its combat capabilities in the region. According to Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the vehicle has been handed over to troops to be further put to use. The new-generation tank, identified as Type-15 by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), was displayed for the first time at an exhibition last month that marked the 40th anniversary of China's sweeping reforms, thereby demonstrating the country's technological and military breakthrough. Chinese media reported that the tank boasts a 105 mm gun that can fire armour-piercing shells and launch guided missiles, and is separately equipped with a hydro-pneumatic suspension system that ensures good manoeuvrability and survivability in mountainous regions. The Type-15 tank is remarkable for its 1,000 horsepower engine and low weight as compared to the PLS's other main battle tanks currently in service: the vehicle is 32 to 35 tonnes, which is lighter than the Type 99 tank, for instance, which may vary in weight from 54 to 58 tonnes, The South China Morning Post reported. Beijing-based military analyst Song Zhongping said the PLA Marine Corps needed to upgrade some of its key equipment pieces, bringing up the currently used Type 62 tank, which is two times less powerful than the Type-15. "The Type 62 tank is lagging behind. The Type 15 tank has much better protection capability and manoeuvrability", the edition quoted him as saying. It is noteworthy that the newly-developed tank has already undergone an extensive combat exercise on the Tibetan plateau, as in June last year Chinese and Indian troops engaged in a close 73-day-long standoff at Doklam, a contested area between Tibet's Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan's Ha Valley to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. At the time, Indian troops opposed the construction of a road by Chinese soldiers near the border, as it was too close to the main highway, the Chicken Neck corridor, connecting the northeast with the rest of India. The soured relationship normalised after the PLA brought the contentious road construction to an end. Sputnik First GPS III satellite successfully launched SMC Public Affairs / Published December 31, 2018 LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the first Global Positioning Systems III satellite Dec. 23 from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellitewas carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The satellite is known as "Vespucci," in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the Americas were named. "Launch is always a monumental event, and especially so since this is the first GPS satellite of its generation launched on SpaceX's first National Security Space mission. As more GPS III satellites join the constellation, it will bring better service at a lower cost to a technology that is now fully woven into the fabric of any modern civilization," said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for space. "It keeps GPS the gold standard for positioning, navigation, and timing information, giving assured access when and where it matters. This event was a capstone, but it doesn't mean we're done. We're going to run a series of procedures for checkout and test to ensure everything on Vespucci functions as it was designed." GPS III's "Vespucci" separated from its upper stage approximately two hours after launch. Engineers and operators at Lockheed Martin's Waterton facility will now begin on-orbit checkout and tests which are estimated to complete in six months. Operational use is expected to begin in about a year. "Today's launch could not have succeeded without the teamwork of dedicated professionals. I'm extremely proud of their accomplishment." stated Col. Steve Whitney, GPS Directorate director. "Today's launch is the beginning of the GPS III era, bringing greater capabilities for our military and civilian users worldwide." Vespucci will be vectored to augment the current GPS constellation comprised of 31 operational spacecraft. GPS satellites operate in medium earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 12,550 miles in six planes. Each satellite circles the earth twice per day. GPS provides the "gold standard" of position, navigation and timing services for billions of users worldwide. GPS III, the newest generation of GPS satellites, brings new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy, and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. "The first GPS III launch marks a significant milestone for the GPS constellation as well as our partnership with SpaceX," said Col. Robert Bongiovi, SMC Launch Enterprise director. "This launch demonstrated the successful teamwork and cooperation amongst all mission partners to deliver the capabilities our warfighter demands. I'm proud of my team and look forward to our additional National Security Space missions with SpaceX." The GPS III Vespucci team is led by the SMC's Global Positioning Systems Directorate, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation is the prime satellite vehicle contractor. The launch was led by Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise Directorate, and was on the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle at Cape Canaveral AFS. Air Force Space Command's 50th Space Wing and 2nd Space Operations Squadron operate the GPS constellation from Schriever AFB, Colorado. SMC is the Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the GPS, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities. As the U.S. enters a new era with the declaration of space as a warfighting domain, SMC is undergoing re-architecting as part of "SMC 2.0" efforts which will manage other significant U.S. acquisition agility initiatives that seek to build new partnerships with industry, allies, and Defense Department partners, in order to drive innovation within the space enterprise and speed the delivery of new capabilities to warfighters. She has been in power since 2009 and has essentially remained India-friendly all through. The Bangladesh parliamentary election results that were announced on New Years Eve delivered a one-sided win for the ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, giving it 288 seats out of 299, with one result still pending. But instead of an electoral catharsis, a fresh standoff with the Opposition alliance looms as it alleges extensive booth-capturing and vote-stuffing. International media correspondents, including the BBC correspondent in Chittagong, have even confirmed some of the stories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her hat-trick victory. She has been in power since 2009 and has essentially remained India-friendly all through. But whatever her popularity, the result reminds one more of elections in Egypt or Russia, rather than in a vibrant democracy. India is bending its basic principles to accommodate national interests as Sheikh Hasina has been an adroit operator in isolating militant Islamists and balancing foreign policy between India, a valued neighbour, and China, a powerful economic and infrastructure-building juggernaut. She has often taken decisions about closer cooperation with India that in the past were kept pending fearing a domestic backlash. But should India adopt differentiated standards on authoritarian rule in the Maldives or Sri Lanka or any other Saarc neighbour, compared to Bangladesh? All the major powers in the aftermath of the Second World War have confronted similar dilemmas. For instance, the United States, while shedding blood in Vietnam to defend Asia against Communism, simultaneously befriended sundry dictators in the Gulf region and Latin America. Americas wartime President Franklin D. Roosevelt had reportedly silenced his secretary of state when he dubbed Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza a bastard, with the quip that yes, but hes our bastard. In private, India needs to caution Sheikh Hasina that a similar bottling-up of opposition by her father, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had led to his assassination and a military coup in 1975. Begum Zia, founder of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), being in jail, the Opposition rallied behind the Jatiya Oikya Front, led by 82-year-old Kamal Hossain, a former Awami League member turned dissident. Many of their candidates say they withdrew from the fight as polling began due to blatant booth-capturing by the ruling party. Foreign observers and correspondents have been noting the strange mix in Bangladesh of economic success and stifling of free speech and democratic mores. Sheikh Hasinas success rests, besides material prosperity, on lifting millions from abject poverty, on her opponent BNPs continued dalliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), even giving them tickets this time. People remember Jamaat-e-Islamis disruptive role when it was in coalition with the BNP in Begum Zias government of 2001-06. Sheikh Hasina has shrewdly kept the public focus on their role as Pakistani collaborators in the Pakistan Army genocide in the pre-liberation period. JI leader Mir Quasem Ali was awarded the death penalty by an International Crimes Tribunal. This has indirectly kept alive Indias role in liberating Bangladesh, which the military dictatorships and the BNP had kept papered over. The Narendra Modi government has persistently wooed Sheikh Hasina. The exchange of enclaves and straightening of the boundary was a long overdue step to eliminate a recurring irritant. Two issues may yet challenge India-Bangladesh relations in 2019. One is the BJPs insistence that those excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, currently 40.07 lakh people out of which 30 lakhs have sought a review, would be deported. Bangladesh insists that there are no illegal Bangladeshis in India. The second is the Rohingya issue, as most of them must have crossed the India-Bangladesh border. Instead of putting pressure on Myanmar, jointly with Bangladesh, to make conditions conducive for their return, India cannot bully Bangladesh to take them back. With the Lok Sabha elections approaching and the BJP facing slippage in the Hindi belt, its focus is on the eastern states, particularly West Bengal, to add to the BJP tally. A NRC-type move in West Bengal to polarise the vote could well rile Bangladesh. With domestic politics driving the BJPs priorities, the question of whether Narendra Modi-the-statesman will stymie Narendra Modi-the-electoral-juggernaut remains moot. Therefore, the next six months are unlikely to see great leaps in Indo-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh endorsed Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during Chinese President Xi Jinpings 2016 visit. Several deals worth $21.5 billion were announced. The actual progress has been slow as Bangladesh realised that they were loans, not grants. The Karnaphuli Multi-Channel Tunnel to connect Chittagong to Coxs Bazaar and thus linking the port to new economic zones in South Korea and China is under construction. Two China-made attack submarines commissioned in Chittagong port rang alarm bells in New Delhi. Bangladesh later signed a coordinated maritime patrol agreement with India called CORPAT. India also extended two soft loans $1 billion in 2010 and $5 billion in 2017, the latter for defence equipment. Thus, so far there has been a deft balancing act between India and China. But Sheikh Hasina has not endorsed forthrightly a trans-Bangladesh transit corridor for India for connectivity with its eastern periphery. Perhaps a new Indian government after mid-2019 would push the planned Padma river bridge, which is a prerequisite for the trans-Bangladesh Asian Highway, turning Bangladesh into a bridge between South Asia and Asean. In return, Bangladesh may seek Indias help to approve the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which India is reluctant to endorse as it would cut across its sensitive eastern states. Bangladeshs garment exports, a tremendous revenue earner and job creator, constitute 83 per cent of the countrys exports. With China looking to diversify its export partners, facing US trade sanctions, Bangladesh and India are attractive destinations. To consolidate gains in India-Bangladesh relations, India has to be watchful but not paranoid about illegal immigrants like US President Donald Trump. A buoyant Bangladeshi economy is best guarantee that their people stay at home. Bangladesh beats India at many socio-economic indices. Using a friendly neighbour to play domestic politics is poor diplomacy, and perhaps even poorer politics. The next five months will show if the BJP realises that. Trump: US-Mexican Border Wall Would Not Be Solid Concrete By Ken Bredemeier, Michael Bowman December 31, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged Monday that not all of the barrier he wants to build along the Mexican border would be a concrete wall he has long called for. "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media," Trump contended in a Twitter remark. He was disputing John Kelly, his outgoing White House chief of staff, who said in an interview over the weekend that the Trump administration discarded the idea of a "solid concrete wall" early in Trump's two-year tenure as president. But Trump conceded, "Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" Trump won the cheers of his most ardent loyalists in his successful 2016 presidential campaign with his call for a solid concrete wall along the 3,200-kilometer U.S.-Mexican border, claiming Mexico would pay for it. As president, however, Trump has sought U.S. taxpayer funding, but Congress has balked, leading to the ongoing shutdown of a quarter of U.S. government operations, furloughing 800,000 government workers and forcing another 420,000 to work without pay. The shutdown is now in its 10th day with no end in sight, and likely extending past Thursday when a new Congress is seated, with opposition Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives from Trump's Republican Party. Republicans will maintain their majority in the Senate, leaving Washington with a politically divided government in the second two years of Trump's first term. House Democrats say they plan to pass legislation Thursday that would fund most shuttered government agencies through the end of September, and the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8, but not include any money for Trump's wall. The fate of such legislation in the Republican-controlled Senate is uncertain, and Trump has insisted he will not sign any budget bill without the border wall funding. On Monday, House speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement calling for Republican support for the bill. "It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,'' the statement said. Trump wants $5 billion as a down payment on the barrier that could cost more than $20 billion, but Democrats have only agreed to $1.6 billion to improve border security, but no wall money. Trump and Democratic lawmakers have not held any negotiations for days over the wall dispute. Kelly told the Los Angeles Times, "To be honest, it's not a wall. The president still says 'wall' oftentimes frankly he'll say 'barrier' or 'fencing,' now he's tended toward steel slats." Kelly added, "But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it." In a second Twitter remark, Trump said, "I campaigned on Border Security, which you cannot have without a strong and powerful Wall. Our Southern Border has long been an "Open Wound," where drugs, criminals (including human traffickers) and illegals would pour into our Country. Dems should get back here (and) fix now!" White House officials said talks to resolve the border barrier funding impasse have broken off. Trump on Sunday tweeted that Democrats "left town and are not concerned about the safety and security of Americans!" Democrats scoffed at the accusation. "This is the same president who repeatedly promised the American people that Mexico would pay for the wall that he plans to build," New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said on ABC's This Week program. "Now he's trying to extract $5 billion from the American taxpayer to pay for something that clearly would be ineffective." "President Trump has taken hundreds of thousands of federal employees' pay hostage in a last ditch effort to fulfill a campaign promise," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, tweeted. "Building a wall from sea to shining sea won't make us safer or stop drugs from coming into our country." In a series of tweets on 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 in U.S. custody. His comments, the first to reference the children's deaths, came the same day 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 how long he thought the shutdown would last, Trump told reporters, "Whatever it takes." Democrats have blamed Trump for "plunging the country into chaos" and have noted that Trump, before the partial work stoppage took effect, said he would be "proud" to "own" a shutdown over border wall funding. Trump Contradicts Outgoing Chief of Staff, Says Concrete Wall Not Abandoned Sputnik News 16:23 31.12.2018(updated 16:30 31.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump contradicted his outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly on Monday, insisting that his administration has not yet abandoned the idea of building a concrete wall along the US-Mexico border. "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" Trump said in a Twitter message. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, Kelly said that in the early days of the administration, Trump gave up on the idea of building a concrete wall. Kelly said the administration made the decision after border patrol personnel said they would prefer a physical barrier in some places, and only enhanced technology and additional staff in others. In recent weeks, the White House has started to use the phrase "steel slats" interchangeably with "wall" when referring to a barrier between the United States and Mexico. The US government has been in a partial shutdown since December 22 due to Trump's demand that funding legislation include money for a border wall. Sputnik Militants in Yemen Stealing Lots of Food Aid Intended for the Poor - Report Sputnik News 00:11 01.01.2019(updated 00:15 01.01.2019) Major aid shipments of rice, grain and food baskets intended for needy populations in Taiz, Yemen, have been stolen by militants on both sides of the conflict in that country. "The army that should protect the air is looting the aid," humanitarian official Nabil al-Hakimi told the Associated Press for a Monday report. Some 14 million Yemenis, or half of Yemen's population, live on the brink of starvation as a result of the chaos that's roiled the country since Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Arab states initiated a campaign against the Shiite Muslim Houthis in 2015 at the behest of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The United Nations estimates these 14 million people are living in "pre-famine conditions," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said October 23. International aid sent to Yemen has frequently failed to reach its intended recipients; instead, armed groups paid by Riyadh have pillaged the shipments, according to AP's review of public and confidential documents and interviews with dozens of humanitarian workers in the country. To militants on the ground, international food aid has looked like dollar signs. Armed groups withhold food from civilian populations considered disloyal, siphon aid packages to feed themselves and sell the aid on the black market, the report says. In Taiz, the third largest city in Yemen and under the control of Saudi-backed forces, much of the food is simply stolen and never accounted for. Approximately 5,000 sacks of rice destined for Taiz went missing in the first half of the year without a trace; 705 food baskets at a welfare warehouse were pilfered; 110 sacks of grain disappeared from humanitarian trucks prepared to deliver supplies to mountainous areas. The problem is common among areas controlled by Saudi-aligned militants and Houthi forces alike, the report notes, adding that there are serious bureaucratic deficiencies with the United Nations' World Food Program, which has 5,000 food distribution sites within Yemen. The UN says it can only track where one in five deliveries go; the other 80 percent are untracked, according to the AP investigation. The report estimates at least $4 billion worth of aid has been funneled into Yemen by Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Nations and others, and there is actually enough food making its way into Yemen for the population to keep from starving. Due to the massive exploitation of these imports by parties within the country, though, approximately 10.8 million of Yemen's 29 million inhabitants are still in a state of emergency when it comes to securing adequate nutrition to stay alive, a coalition of global relief groups said in an October report. Speaking to AP about the lack of food in Yemen, Geert Cappelaere, Middle East director for the UN International Children's Emergency Fund, said, "This has nothing to do with nature. All of this is man-made. All of this has to do with poor political leadership which doesn't put the people's interest at the core of their actions." "Since the Houthis came to power, looting has been [happening] on a large scale," former Houthi acting Education Minister Abdullah al-Hamidi, who later defected to the Saudi-led coalition, told AP. "This is why the poor get nothing. What really arrives to people is very little." Sputnik Outgoing Pentagon Chief Tells Troops to 'Hold Fast' By Jeff Seldin December 31, 2018 Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving some final advice to troops and the Defense Department's civilian employees maintain your faith in America and continue to stand by the country's allies. "Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," Mattis wrote in his official farewell message Monday, his last day on the job. "I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life," he continued. "So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes." Monday's letter comes as Mattis prepares to relinquish his office to Deputy Secretary Pat Shanahan, who will become acting defense secretary as of January 1. Unlike Mattis, who came to the Pentagon as a revered former Marine general who served in Afghanistan, Shanahan does not have any military experience. Shanahan came to the Defense Department from aviation giant Boeing, where he spent more than 30 years overseeing both civilian and military related programs. Shanahan was named deputy secretary in 2017. Mattis resigned on December 20 following a White House meeting with Trump during which the two men disagreed over the president's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, where they have been helping in the fight against the Islamic State terror group. While it was not the first time the two men disagreed on policy, for Mattis the Syria decision represented a breaking point. "You have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects," Mattis wrote to Trump at the time, adding he would stay on until the end of February 2019 to allow time for a successor to be found and so that he could represent the U.S. at a NATO Defense Ministerial meeting. Stressing alliances Mattis also warned the president that the U.S. "must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," naming both China and Russia. And he further warned that the United States could not afford to alienate allies. "Our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnership." Three days later, Trump announced via Twitter that Mattis would be leaving at the end of the year. According to Pentagon officials, Mattis' departure, at his own request, will not be marked by any of the fanfare normally seen to pay respect to an outgoing defense secretary. Instead, the handover of authority from Mattis to acting Defense Secretary Shanahan will marked by a phone call, alerting all relevant government agencies to the change in command. Shortly after the Pentagon released Mattis' farewell message Monday, the Trump took to Twitter. "I am the only person in America who could say that, "I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory," and get BAD press," he wrote. Mattis began his last message as secretary of defense by quoting from a telegram U.S. President Abraham Lincoln sent to Gen. Ulysses Grant in 1865, just over two months before the end of the U.S. Civil War. "Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder or delay your military movements, or plans," it read. China Calls for 'Responsible' US Withdrawal from Afghanistan By Ayaz Gul December 31, 2018 China has advised the United States against staging an abrupt troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and called for collective international efforts to help initiate a peace process between the South Asian nation's warring parties. The remarks by a top Chinese diplomat Sunday in neighboring Pakistan come amid unconfirmed media reports suggesting President Donald Trump has ordered pulling out half of the more than 14,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. "They [U.S.] have been in Afghanistan for 17 years. If they are leaving the country, they should try to leave in a gradual and a responsible way," said Lijian Zhao, deputy Chinese ambassador in Islamabad. Speaking to Pakistani television station GTV News, Lijian emphasized the need for the Taliban and Afghan government to sit together and negotiate a political resolution to a war he said has been going on for nearly 40 years. Only an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process supported by international partners of Afghanistan could help end the hostilities, Lijian noted. "If a civil war broke out after the U.S. withdrawal, the first countries affected will be Pakistan, will be China, and it will be the immediate neighbors. So, we have to sit together with the parties concerned so that we start a peace process," he said. The U.S. has recently engaged in direct talks with the Taliban to convince them to engage in peace negotiations with the Afghan government. But reports of a potential U.S. withdrawal from the country have worried critics who say the move would reduce the incentive for insurgents to halt fighting and negotiate a deal. Terrorism in Xinjiang Lijian reiterated Beijing's worries that a volatile Afghanistan would encourage terrorists linked to the outlawed East Turkistan Islamic Movement, or ETIM, to foment violence in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. The militant group claims to be fighting for the rights of the Uighur Muslim community in Xinjiang, which shares a border with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. "They are still in Afghanistan. They are still posing a threat to the national security of Xinjiang, of China. What they want is to establish a separate state, to separate Xinjiang out of China. This is totally unacceptable to China. So, we will work with the Afghan government to try to eliminate this group," Lijian pledged. The Chinese diplomat rejected as "groundless Western propaganda" reports that his country was suppressing religious freedom and the rights of Uighur Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism. Rights issues in Xinjiang International human rights groups have expressed concerns that China is forcing Uighur and other Muslim minorities to quit their religious beliefs in internment camps set up in Xinjiang under the guise of vocational education centers. Lijian noted that ETIM is declared a terrorist organization by the United Nations. He said that Chinese authorities, particularly those in Xinjiang, have taken measures against terrorists linked to the group, which has resulted in "zero" incidents of terrorism in the last two years. The Chinese diplomat lamented that Western media describe counterterrorism moves in other parts of the world as "actions for maintaining peace," but they become human rights issues when China undertakes similar actions. "This is totally [a] double standard and Western propaganda. They are just badmouthing about China," Lijian said. The Chinese diplomat asserted that Xinjiang is open to international visits, and people can go there to see for themselves that the rights of Uighur Muslims are fully protected. Iran Hosts Bilateral Talks With Taliban on Afghan Peace By Ayaz Gul December 31, 2018 An Afghan Taliban delegation visited Iran on Sunday and held bilateral talks on promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan. The development comes as the Afghan insurgent group claims it has established control over 61 of the 407 Afghan districts during the 2018 fighting season. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told a televised weekly news conference Monday that Taliban delegates held detailed discussions with Iran's deputy foreign minister Syed Abbas Arghchi during their stay in Tehran. "The main purpose of these talks was to help advance efforts aimed at starting peace negotiations between rival Afghan sides for bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan," explained Qasemi. The spokesman noted that the Taliban "are in control of 50 percent of Afghanistan" and the insurgent group had sought the meeting with the Iranian government. Qasemi added the Afghan government had been informed about the interaction in advance. The Iranian spokesman said the two countries share a long border with mutual cultural and historic commonalities. The meeting came just days after Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, visited Kabul and revealed there that Tehran was in talks with the Taliban to help further the Afghan peace process. US-Taliban peace talks The United States in recent months has engaged the Taliban in direct talks and both sides sounded upbeat about future progress after last month's meetings in the United Arab Emirates. Washington's diplomatic initiative is aimed at jumpstarting a dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government aimed at finding a political settlement to the 17-year-old war. But the Taliban refuses to hold direct talks with Kabul and demands the complete withdrawal of all U.S.-led foreign troops from the country before it joins any Afghan peace process. Meanwhile, the insurgent group claimed Monday battlefield advances during 2018 have brought a total of 61 of the 407 Afghan districts under "complete" Taliban control. 'Taliban controls 61 Afghan districts' The gains have forced U.S. President Donald Trump to review his administration's Afghan war strategy, the Taliban claimed in its so-called annual report of progress. It said the Taliban hotly contests the rest of the districts across Afghanistan. Trump unveiled his Afghan strategy in August 2017 that sought intensified aerial bombings to increase pressure on insurgents and force them to come to the table for peace negotiations with the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. The Taliban noted its fighters had overrun a total of 29 Afghan district centers in the outgoing year but some of them were retained while others were abandoned for "military and strategy reasons." "This report is based on precise data collected from concerned areas and verified by primary sources, leaving no room for suspicious or inaccurate information," it said. The Taliban went on to claim killing nearly 23,000 Afghan security forces, including hundreds of their commanders, and about 250 personnel of the U.S-led foreign military coalition, though insurgent battlefield assertions are inflated most of the time. There was no immediate reaction available from the Afghan government. 'Kabul territorial control at lowest level' A U.S. watchdog in its quarterly report last month noted government control or influence of its districts reached the lowest level to 55.5 percent over the past three years. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) quoted the U.S. military assessment as saying that as of July 31 the Afghan government controlled or influenced 226 districts and that the Taliban controlled or influenced 49. It said the rest of the 132 districts were identified as contested. By comparison, the Long War Journal, a non-profit American news website which reports on the war on terror, assessed at the time the Afghan government controls 145 districts, the Taliban controls 52, and 199 are contested. While the Kabul government has lately barred the U.S. military from making public Afghan forces' casualties, President Ashraf Ghani disclosed last month nearly 29,000 soldiers and police personnel have been killed in battles against Taliban and other militant groups since 2015. Afghan Defense and Interior Ministry chiefs informed the national parliament in October around 40 military and police personnel were being killed every day in Taliban attacks. Trump Defends His Planned Troop Withdrawal from Syria By Ken Bredemeier December 31, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday defended his planned withdrawal of all 2,000 American troops from Syria, attacking critics of the action as chronic complainers. In a string of Twitter remarks, Trump said, "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS (Islamic State) loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero." He said the Islamic State terrorist group that once claimed Raqqa in northern Syria as the capital of its caliphate, "is mostly gone" from Syria and "we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants." Trump stunned U.S. national security aides and lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, by announcing December 19 that he was withdrawing the U.S. troops who had been instrumental in removing most of the jihadist group from northeast Syria and aided Kurdish fighters in their fight against the insurgents. Critics of the withdrawal said that removing U.S. troops could lead to a resurgence of Islamic State operations. One critic of the move, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, normally a Trump loyalist, met with the U.S. leader Sunday and later said the president remains committed to defeating Islamic State. Graham suggested Trump may slow his planned 30-day withdrawal, but the White House has not commented on Graham's interpretation of his talks with Trump. "I think we're in a pause situation where we are re-evaluating what's the best way to achieve the president's objective of having (other countries) pay more and do more" in the war on terrorism, Graham said. In his Monday tweets, Trump said, "I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working. Just doing what I said I was going to do! Except the results are FAR BETTER than I ever said they were going to be! I campaigned against the NEVER ENDING WARS, remember!" Trump contended, "I am the only person in America who could say that, "I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory," and get BAD press. It is Fake News and Pundits who have FAILED for years that are doing the complaining. If I stayed in Endless Wars forever, they would still be unhappy!" Indian Army Claims to Have Killed 2 Pakistani Intruders in Jammu & Kashmir Sputnik News 10:47 31.12.2018(updated 11:47 31.12.2018) According to Indian Army officials, the intruders wearing combat dresses of Pakistani regulars were assisted by the heavy fire of machine guns, mortars, and rockets from the Pakistani posts. The movement was detected by the army men deployed along the LoC and they fired on the intruders. New Delhi (Sputnik) The Indian Army claims to have successfully foiled an attempt of infiltration by intruders suspected to be from the Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on New Year's Eve in the Naugam sector of the Line of Control (de facto border) on Monday morning. "Army foiled a major BAT attempt to strike a forward post along the Line of Control in Naugam sector in the early hours of Sunday", an Army spokesman said. The Indian Army suspects the intruders came with the intention of carrying out a major attack on the eve of the new year. "From the recovery, it was estimated that BAT team intended to carry out a gruesome attack on the Army forward post in the Naugam sector. The alertness and counter-action of troops foiled such an attempt", said a report by news agency ANI. The official said that a heavy exchange of fire had been underway since last night. "Our troops conducted prolonged search operations in thick jungles and difficult terrain conditions to ascertain the situation, which confirmed the elimination of two likely Pakistani soldiers and resulted in the recovery of a large cache of warlike stores. The search operations are still under way in the sector to sanitise the area", media reports quoted an Army official as saying. According to reports, the Indian Army will ask Pakistan to take back the remains of deceased individuals. There was no immediate response from Pakistani authorities on the incident. According to Indian Home Ministry data, in 2018 India witnessed more than 600 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and international border between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the highest number of cross-border exchanges initiated from the Pakistani side in the last eight years. Relations between the two South Asian neighbours have been historically tense with both of them accusing each other of ceasefire violations at the disputed border. Sputnik At Least 2 Killed as Bomb Detonates Near Shopping Mall in Philippines - Reports Sputnik News 14:20 31.12.2018(updated 14:31 31.12.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A powerful blast detonated outside a shopping mall in the Philippines' southern island of Mindanao on Monday, leaving at least two people dead and dozens injured, the Mindanao Examiner newspaper reported. The bomb was allegedly planted on a motorcycle taxi parked outside the shopping mall in Cotabato City, where people were buying New Year gifts, according to the newspaper Mindanao Examiner. No terrorist group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Mayor Frances Cynthia Sayadi has reportedly labelled the blast a "terrorist act". The blast comes days after the Congress of the Philippines approved the third extension of martial law in Mindanao over a persistent security threat in the region. Martial law was initially declared in Mindanao in May 2017 after the conflict broke out between the Philippine security forces and extremists affiliated with the Daesh* terrorist group, including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf jihadist groups. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/IS/ISIL) is a terrorist group banned in Russia. Sputnik Taliban Delegation Held 'Comprehensive' Peace Talks With Iran - Tehran Sputnik News 15:21 31.12.2018(updated 15:26 31.12.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A delegation of the Taliban radical movement has held "comprehensive" peace negotiations with the Iranian party in Tehran on the framework of future negotiations between Taliban and the Afghan government, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday. "A Taliban delegation was in Tehran yesterday [Sunday]. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister," Qassemi said, as quoted by the TOLOnews broadcaster. Taliban has not commented on the meeting so far, the news outlet added. For decades, Kabul has been fighting numerous terrorist groups launching attacks in the country. The Taliban movement has been one of the major forces opposing the government, as its militants managed to gain control over the country in 1996 before being overthrown in 2001. Ihsan Taheri, a spokesman for the Afghan High Peace Council, told Sputnik earlier in December that in the coming months the Afghan government will be working on a draft peace deal with Taliban. According to Taheri, the work should be terminated by the start of direct talks between the rival forces. Sputnik Ramdas Athawale, the union minister of state for social justice, visited the spot and offered his tributes. Mumbai: The state authorities heaved a huge sigh of relief as the event to commemorate the 201st anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle went off peacefully on Tuesday. While lakhs of people, mainly dalits, visited the Jay Stambh (war memorial) at Bhima-Koregaon, no untoward incident was reported, unlike last year, when one person was killed and several others injured in the riots. According to sources, this year witnessed the highest turnout of dalit devotees who visited the war memorial, which was erected by the British as a memorial for the soldiers killed in the Bhima-Koregaon battle on January 1, 1818. In the dalit narrative, the battle symbolises the victory over casteism as the British Army comprising a large contingent of dalit Mahar soldiers defeated the Brahmin forces of the Peshwa. Ramdas Athawale, the union minister of state for social justice, visited the spot and offered his tributes. He announced that the Bhima-Koregaon region would soon be given pilgrimage status. The state government has made a plan of Rs 63 crore for the development of this region. It will be increased to Rs 100 crore and the Centre will extend every possible support for this, he added. Sandip Pakhale, additional superintendent of police, Pune Rural Police confirmed that the number of devotees who turned up this year was much higher than that of last year. He said, Till now, 5.5-6 lakh people have visited the spot and it is higher than last years figures. Last year we couldnt count the number as riots broke out. And many went back without visiting the victory pillar after they heard about the riots. The presence of political parties was limited to dalit parties like various factions of the Republic party. Only Raju Waghmare of the Congress was seen paying homage to the pillar. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade were among those who visited the pillar. After last years riots, the Pune police had deployed heavy security with over 6,000 police personnel and over 1.000 volunteers. The police has been preparing for the event for the last three months. They had taken preventive action and barred many, including Milind Ekbote, Kabir Kala Manch activists from entering the area. The administration made available facilities like drinking water, toilets, parking, ambulances and helpdesks expecting a crowd of over seven lakh on Tuesday. Palestinians Will Establish Gov't in Tel Aviv 'By God's Will' Iran's Khamenei Sputnik News 20:26 31.12.2018(updated 22:22 31.12.2018) For decades, Israel has been in conflict with the Palestinians, who have been seeking recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, part of which has been under Israel's control since the 1967 six-day war, and the Gaza Strip. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted Monday that it would soon be possible for the Palestinians to establish "a government in Tel Aviv". Khamenei, who hosted the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Tehran, also touted what he called the Palestinian resistance against Israel, arguing that the most recent exchange of violence between Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza, which ended in a ceasefire, marked Israel's potential demise. According to the ayatollah, whose words at the meeting were later posted, "Palestine will strongly persist, and by the grace of God, the Palestinian nation's ultimate victory will come true in the near future"; however, he assumed that in recent years, "the victory of the Palestinian people has not meant being able to establish a government in Tel Aviv", adding that "that will come true by God's help". Meanwhile, it is not immediately clear why Khamenei brought up Tel Aviv, when the Israeli government is based in Jerusalem, which many on the international arena refuse to recognize as the Israeli capital. "During the two last wars against the Resistance groups, the Zionist regime begged for ceasefire after 22 days in one case and after 8 days in another instance; in the most recent conflict, the Zionist regime asked for ceasefire after only 48 hours", he said. "This means the Zionist Regime has been brought to its knees". He went on to say that Palestinians' "consecutive victories in recent years" lie in resistance. Syria-based Al Nakhala, who was born in Gaza in 1953, was named the first new leader of the Palestinian Jihad movement (PIJ) in the last 20 years and is said to be close to Iran. The group, meanwhile, is considered to be a terrorist organization by the US and the EU, and the former branded Nakhala himself "a global terrorist" in 2014. Earlier Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi remarked that Israel, the US and unnamed "regional powers" were providing support for terrorist groups that carry out deadly attacks in Iran, referring in particular to recent car bombings. The UN General Assembly voted in early December in favour of a resolution demanding that the Israeli-Palestine standoff be brought to an end. The adoption of the resolution came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week urged Israel and Palestine to peacefully resolve their conflict by supporting the two-state solution plan that envisages an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. Palestinians have been in a row with the Israeli authorities for the past several decades. Most recently, in November, at least 40 Palestinians sustained injuries in clashes with Israeli troops in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip border. Since 1967, Israel has been in control of part of the territory of West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, and refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic state, in common with other countries, like the US. Sputnik Trump Defends 'Slow' Withdrawal of US Troops From Syria Sputnik News 20:30 31.12.2018 The White House announced the pull out of its troops from the Arab Republic on 19 December. The US president noted later that the goal of American troops to eliminate Daesh* had been "mostly" achieved and thus the soldiers can now return home. US President Donald Trump has taken to his favourite medium, Twitter to defend his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, slamming critics for allegedly being hypocritical. Trump noted that any other US president would have been applauded for such a decision. READ MORE: US Withdrawal From Syria a Step in Right Direction Russian Envoy to UN Trump argued that he had always campaigned against "never ending wars", but at the same time achieved much in defeating the Daesh* in Syria, claiming that US troops will be returning home "with victory". Washington announced on 19 December that it will be withdrawing its troops from Syria within the next 60 to 100 days. US President Donald Trump justified the move by stating that the American forces had achieved their goal of defeating Daesh* in the Arab state and can now return home. At the same time, Trump's close ally in the Congress, Lindsey Graham, told reporters on 31 December that he had discussed the withdrawal with Trump over lunch and convinced him to reconsider the decision. "[Trump] promised to destroy ISIS. He's going to keep that promise. We're not there yet. But as I said today, we're inside the 10-yard line and the president understands the need to finish the job", he said. The decision to pull out the country's forces was not welcomed by some US officials and was followed by two resignations US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, who announced that his views were no longer aligned with Trump's, and Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the US coalition in Syria. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia Sputnik Two dead after bomb explodes outside mall in southern Philippines Saudi Press Agency Monday 1440/4/24 - 2018/12/31 Manila, December 31, 2018, SPA -- A bomb explosion ripped through stalls selling fruits and trinkets outside a mall in the southern Philippines on Monday, killing two people and injuring 24, police and the military said, according to dpa. The improvised explosive device was placed in a box left near the stalls that were also selling firecrackers and toys outside the South Seas Mall in Cotabato City, 895 kilometres south of Manila. A second, undetonated bomb was found along the same street, near where the explosion occurred, said Major General Cirilito Sobejana. "The second bomb was left, probably in a hurry," he said. "We are still checking if the bomb that exploded was detonated by a cellular phone or another triggering machine was used." A man and a woman were declared dead on arrival at two hospitals in Cotabato City, a police report said, citing information from the four hospitals in total where the victims were rushed. --SPA 13:49 LOCAL TIME 10:49 GMT 0009 US military admits killing more civilians in Syria, Iraq Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 05:12AM The US military has issued a report, admitting killing additional civilians since it started its military campaign in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The report released on Sunday shows that over 1,100 civilians were inadvertently killed in airstrikes over the last four years, marking an increase of 15 people since November. War monitoring groups, however, estimate that the raids have killed thousands of civilians. "The Coalition conducted a total of 31,406 strikes between August 2014 and end of November 2018. During this period, based on information available, CJTF-OIR assesses at least 1,139 civilians have been unintentionally killed by Coalition strikes since the start of Operation Inherent Resolve," said the report. The report comes as the US has reportedly evacuated a military base in Syria, the first step towards delivering on President Donald Trump's recent pledge to pull American forces out of the war-torn Arab country. Some 50 American soldiers had already left the base and traveled to a base in Iraq, along with their armored vehicles and other equipment, according to local residents of al-Malikiya, in the northeastern province of Hasakeh. The US and its allies have been bombarding what they call Daesh positions inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. The strikes have on many occasions resulted in civilian casualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism. In Iraq, the US and a coalition of its allies launched a military campaign against purported Daesh targets in the country in 2014, but their operations have in many instances led to civilian deaths and generally spared the terrorists. Trump agreed to reevaluate Syria evacuation: Graham Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 06:46AM US President Donald Trump has agreed to reevaluate his decision to immediately leave Syria, says Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, noting that the 30-day evacuation plan is now in a "pause situation." The remarks by Graham came on Sunday after he met with Trump and General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss the president's surprising announcement. "After discussions with the president and Dunford, I never felt better about where we are headed. I think we're slowing things down in a smart way," the South Carolina Republican, who is a close ally of Trump, told reporters at the White House. "But the goal has always been the same. To be able to leave Syria and make sure ISIS never comes back," he added, using another acronym for Daesh. "I think we're in a pause situation where we are reevaluating what's the best way to achieve the president's objective of having people pay more and do more," he said, probably referring to Trump's assurances to some generals that he was willing to extend the deadline. In an unexpected change of policy, Trump announced earlier this month that he was going to return the troops back home because the Daesh terrorist group was already defeated and there was no reason for the US to extend military presence in Syria. The US has reportedly stationed about 2,000 soldiers in 18 bases across Syria since 2015. The Pentagon says the withdrawal would take between two and three months. The decision was met with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, prompting Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign. The decision also led Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the so-called anti-Daesh coalition in Syria and Iraq, to quit. But Trump doubled down on his policy by also announcing that he would cut in half the roughly 14,000 US forces in Afghanistan. Graham, a staunch ally of the president, said the pause did not mean that Trump had backtracked. "He has not reversed his decision," the senator said. "The pause is to assess the effects of the conditions on the ground." Earlier this month, Graham warned that a US troops drawdown in the Middle East could pave the way for "a second 9/11." The remarks came a day after Turkish media reported that US troops had already left a base in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah and were headed to Iraq. Arrogant powers can never stop Iran support for Palestine: Ayat. Khamenei Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 11:07AM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran will never back away from supporting Palestine despite the heavy pressure from the world's arrogant powers. "These forces will never make us abandon our divine, sacred and rational responsibility," Ayatollah Khamenei said as he received Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement Ziad al-Nakhala and his delegation in Tehran on Monday. The Leader commended the Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation forces as the main reason behind Palestine's constant victories against the Tel Aviv regime over the past years and the key to more victories in future. "As long as there is resistance, the Zionist regime's downfall and demise will continue," he said, assuring Palestinians that their final victory was "imminent." Noting that Palestine was on the path towards "greater victories," the Leader said: "The main victory is that Palestinian people and resistance groups were able to bring the Zionist regime to its knees, a feat that Arabic armies could never accomplish." Ayatollah Khamenei then referred to the Israeli military's latest failed attempt in taking on Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza Strip, which was met with an overwhelming response that forced the regime to call for truce after only two days. "During the previous two wars, the Zionist regime called for truce after 22 days on one occasion and 8 days on another, but in the latest confrontation it requested a ceasefire after only 48 hours," the leader explained. "This means the Zionist regime has been brought to its knees." Gaza's latest victory was achieved after the Hamas movement fired hundreds of missile into occupied Palestinian territories, defeating Israel's much-touted Iron Dome missile system. The ceasefire caused a heavy backlash within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, forcing Avigdor Liberman, his minister of military affairs, to quit. 'Thousands more' missiles ready to hit Tel Aviv Nakhaleh, for his part, said Gaza maintains high levels of readiness to defend itself, as displayed over the recent months during the "Great March of Return" rallies that have strongly continued despite brutal crackdown by Israeli forces. He also said Gazans were resisting US President Donald Trump's so-called "deal of the century," a backchannel plan to allegedly reach a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians by ending the resistance. "Today, the Islamic resistance of Palestine is at the peak of its power and readiness, to the extent that Tel Aviv and all other Israeli towns and settlements will be within the reach of thousands of resistance missiles in case another war breaks out," he concluded. Iran confirms hosting Taliban delegation for peace talks Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 11:34AM Iran says it has hosted a delegation from Taliban to discuss possible ways to end hostilities in Afghanistan. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told reporters in Tehran on Monday that the extensive meetings between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the group on Sunday were coordinated with the government of Afghanistan. "Since the Taliban are in control of more than 50 percent of Afghanistan, and given the insecurity, instability and other issues that the country is dealing with, they [the Taliban] were interested in talks with Iran," Qassemi said. He said Iran has long borders with Afghanistan and always sought a constructive role to maintain peace in the region. The Tehran meetings came days after it was confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), had traveled to the war-torn country for initial talks. Most analysts believe that Iran's effort to get the Taliban to accept peace with the Afghan government is aimed at preventing further growth of Takfiri terrorist groups, especially Daesh, in the war-ravaged country. Following its defeat in Iraq and Syria, Daesh terrorists have been shifting attention to Afghanistan during past month, making the country a new center of their atrocious acts of terrorism in a bid to sow more insecurity across the whole region. About 18 years of the United States' presence in Afghanistan at the top of a military coalition has brought nothing but chaos and insecurity to the country as a result of which all forms of organized crime, especially production of illicit drugs, have been skyrocketing. The country has also turned into a hotbed of violent acts by major terror outfits, especially Daesh. US should leave Iraq, Syria Qassemi then pointed to Trump's recent trip to Iraq and his decision earlier this month to end the US military presence in Syria, saying Washington "should go back home." Trump's unexpected announcement was met with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, prompting Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign. The decision also led Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the so-called anti-Daesh coalition in Syria and Iraq, to quit. But Trump doubled down on his policy by also announcing that he would cut in half the roughly 14,000 US forces in Afghanistan. Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of the US president, said Sunday that Trump had agreed to reevaluate the evacuation plan, meaning that the process was now in a "pause condition." Qassemi said: "What we are clearly witnessing today is that America cannot have a presence in the region." Pointing to the trillions of dollars that Washington had spent on its Middle East wars, Qassemi said Trump's unannounced visit to Iraq on Christmas amounted to a "violation of Iraq's sovereignty and an insult to the people of Iraq." Iran rejects reports of EU conditions to save JCPOA Elsewhere, Qassemi dismissed as "substantially false" reports that the European Union has set conditions for establishing a special payment channel that is supposed to secure its trade commitments under the 2015 nuclear with Tehran. "Today, no country in the world is unmindful of Iran's characteristics and everyone knows that Iran won't allow others to set conditions for it," Qassemi said. Iran and the EU have been working on the so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for a few months now, following US President Donald Trump's decision in May to abandon the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA). Since then, the Trump administration has targeted Iran's oil and other key economic industries by introducing a series of economic sanctions, threatening other JCPOA signatories the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany-- to end business with Iran or face penalties. China and Russia have already expressed their commitments to the deal. The SPV is designed to protect European businesses from US financial punishments but progress has been slower than expected. Qassemi said the hurdles that the SPV was faced with stemmed from "Europe's inability to cope with the immense US pressure" and ultimately "the complex nature" of the mechanism that makes the process time consuming. "We think Europe is largely incapable of withstanding the US and its pressure and lack the required ability to defend its European identity as well as its financial and economic institutions," he said. The spokesman stressed that Iran was not relying solely on the SPV and had quietly sought alternative plans with other countries such as China, Russia, India and Turkey. "Although it has so far failed to meet the deadlines on the SPV, we hope that Europe can keep moving on this path and stay true to its commitments," he added. Trump defends withdrawing US troops from Syria Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 05:09PM US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, saying he is "just doing what I said I was going to do" during his 2016 election campaign. Trump made the comments on Monday, one day after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the US leader, told reporters at the White House that Trump will reevaluate the withdrawal plan for Syria. Graham has been a harsh critic of the withdrawal decision, which he initially called a "disaster." "... I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Just doing what I said I was going to do!" However, Trump asserted that US forces are being sent home "slowly," adding to the uncertainty about the timetable of an action that has drawn widespread criticism. The US has stationed about 2,000 soldiers in several bases across Syria. "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero," Trump said in another tweet earlier on Monday, using another acronym for the terror group also known as Daesh or ISIL. Trump announced his decision to withdraw the US troops from Syria on Wednesday, asserting that ISIL had been defeated. Trump's unexpected announcement shocked top US officials and allies. France, a leading member of the so-called anti-Daesh coalition, has said it would keep troops in Syria. The decision to withdraw ran counter to Defense Department and State Department messaging on US policy in Syria, and led to the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis. Mattis wrote in his resignation that he and the Trump did not see eye to eye, adding that it was the president's right to choose a defense secretary whose views were "better aligned" with the views of the Commander in Chief. The US deployed troops and equipment to Syria in 2014 as part of a Washington-led coalition that is supposedly fighting ISIL. The terror group is widely reported to be financed by Saudi Arabia and partially trained and protected by American forces in Syria to support the terror campaign against the Syrian government and ordinary citizens. Afghan Taliban delegation holds meeting with Iran deputy FM in Tehran ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 31 December 2018 / 12:15 Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qassemi announced that an Afghan Taliban delegation held talks with Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Abbas Araqchi in Tehran on Sunday. Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Qassemi said, "The Afghan government has been informed of the meeting". "The Taliban delegation was in Tehran yesterday. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister," the spokesman added. The talks are designed to set parameters for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. About the European financial mechanism known as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), he stated, "Despite the apparent political will of Europe to keep Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and implement the agreement, the Europe and EU show in practice that in practice they are incapable of confronting US pressures and cannot defend European identity and financial institutions". "Europe has not been able to present its SPV in the due time" Qassemi added. Commenting on EU's delay in launching SPV with Iran, he said although Tehran still hopes that Europe will comply with its commitments, it has pursued other options with countries like China, Russia, India and Turkey. End Item A Palestinian government to be formed in Tel Aviv: Ayatollah Khamenei ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 31 December 2018 / 15:16 Tehran (ISNA) Secretary- General of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, Mr. Ziad al-Nakhala and his entourage met with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei on Monday. During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei insisted that the Palestinian nation's ultimate victory will come true in the near future. Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out a clear equation regarding Palestine, saying, "According to this equation, your resistance will result in your victory, and if you do not resist you will not be victorious. But thank God, the people of Palestine have resisted until now in the fight against the Zionist regime, and have been victorious". The leader of the Islamic Revolution added, "The victory of the Palestinian people in recent years, does not mean being able to form a government in Tel Aviv, which will come true with God's grace, rather the main victory is the fact that the Zionist regime, which Arab armies could not defeat, was brought to its knees by the Palestinian people and the resistance, and by God's will, you will achieve greater victories". Ayatollah Khamenei reminded his audience, "The Zionist regime that during the two last wars against the Resistance groups, at one instance after 22 days, and at another instance, after 8 days requested cease-fire, in the most recent conflict, requested cease-fire only after 48 hours. This means the Zionist Regime has been brought to knees". The leader of the Islamic Revolution regarded these events as very important and as divine blessings, reiterating, "The reason for the Palestinians' consecutive victories in recent years lies in resistance. Thus, in the future, as far as the resistance exists, the Zionist Regime will continue to decline". Referring to the extreme pressures put on the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Front of Arrogance, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, "These pressures can never make us give up our divine, religious and logical duty in supporting Palestine". Further on in his speech, the leader of the Islamic Revolution praised resistance and fighting of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and asked God the Elevated to bless Dr. Ramadan Abdullah --the former secretary general of the Islamic Jihad--with rapid recovery. During the meeting, Mr. Ziad al-Nakhala reported on the latest evolutions in the usurped Palestine and on high capacities and preparations of the resistance groups, saying, "Despite all the pressures, the people of Gaza are standing against the Zionist Regime and the so-called Deal of the Century plot, a salient example of which is continuing the weekly protests Friday of Return". He also pointed out the recent victory of the Islamic resistance in Palestine against the Zionist regime and this regime's request for a cease fire after 48 hours and added, "Today, the abilities and power of the Islamic resistance in Palestine is more than ever, so that if war breaks out, Tel Aviv and all other towns and settlements of the Zionist regime will be within reach of thousands of missiles of the Resistance". End Item This is the first such action by the FDA despite the government dismissing all reports of post-vaccination illness. A one-year-old girl died in December last year after she was administered the MR vaccine at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur. Mumbai: Following the death of a baby following a measles-rubella (MR) vaccination, the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has directed officials to immediately stop the use of the batch of measles and rubella vaccine, which was used. This is the first such action by the FDA despite the government dismissing all reports of post-vaccination illness. According to FDA officials, the MR vaccine along with three syringes was used during the vaccination. We have ordered that the use of the vaccine be stopped, and samples of the drugs be drawn, said PR Ramteke, drug inspector. A one-year-old girl died in December last year after she was administered the MR vaccine at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur. Astha Godange, was vaccinated at Tumsar tehsil's Garra village on December 15. After the vaccination, she suffered loose motions and was taken to the local hospital. On December 7, an 11-year old girl from Lakhni tehsil in Bhandara district died after developing complications following the MR vaccination. Iran Spox confirms talks with Taliban delegation in Tehran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 31, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi confirmed on Monday that a Taliban delegation held extensive talks with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs Abbas Araqchi in Tehran yesterday. Speaking in his weekly press briefing, he said the meeting followed a recent visit by the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamhani to Afghanistan during which he held talks with Afghan officials. Following the visit, he said, a Taliban delegation travelled to Tehran on Sunday to hold detailed talks with Araqchi. On Dec 26, Shamkhani went to Kabul at the invitation of National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib. During his one-day stay in Kabul, Shamkhani met with Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah and some other Afghan officials. Enhancing political, economic and security relations, countering terrorism and organized crimes, and border and regional cooperation were among the goals of Shamkhani's visit to Afghanistan. Referring to the current chaos and insecurity in Afghanistan and the fact that Taliban militant group has over 50 percent of Afghanistan territory under its control, the spokesman said that during Shamkhani's visit to Afghanistan the group's leaders expressed interest in meeting and talking to him. He noted that the Afghanistan government was fully aware of the meeting and the negotiations. Qasemi added that the negotiations between two sides mainly aimed at facilitating dialogues between the Afghan groups and Kabul administration to advance peace process in the country. Given the Iran-Afghanistan historic and cultural background and the two countries' long joint borders, Qasemi added, Iran is quite willing to play a pivotal role in establishing peace and tranquility in its neighboring state especially now, after Shamkhani's meeting with the Afghan government. 9060**1424 Russia Launches Criminal Probe of US Citizen By Pete Cobus December 31, 2018 Russia has detained an American citizen in Moscow on accusations of spying, according to Russian state media. Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officials issued a statement on Monday saying U.S. citizen Paul Whelan had been detained on December 28 "while carrying out an act of espionage," and that they have opened a criminal probe. They provided no further details, but Russia's state-run TASS news agency said that Whelan faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. A State Department spokesperson said Monday the United States is aware of Russian authorities' detention of a U.S. citizen. "We have been formally notified of the detention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the official said in an emailed statement to VOA. "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it." The State Department did not provide further details, citing privacy concerns. The arrest coincides with several spy scandals that have exacerbated tensions between Russia and the West, including the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, along with the recent U.S. conviction of Russian citizen Maria Butina for acting as an illegal foreign agent. News of Whelan's detention came less than 24 hours a after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a New Year's greeting to U.S. President Donald Trump in which he said Moscow is amenable to a continuing dialogue with Washington on a range of topics. In 2016, Izvestia, a Kremlin-aligned news outlet, reported that there were 13 U.S. citizens in Russian jails at the time. The Kremlin has not since published any details on other Americans currently in Russian detention. Russia's FSB Detains US Citizen in Moscow During Spy Action Sputnik News 11:45 31.12.2018(updated 15:19 31.12.2018) A criminal case under the article "espionage" has been initiated against an American citizen, the press service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers detained US citizen Paul Whelan in the Russian capital during a spy action, the FSB's press service said on Monday. "On December 28, a US citizen Paul Whelan was detained by officers from the Russian Federal Security Service during a spy action in Moscow", the press office said. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that the US Embassy had been notified about the detention of its citizen in accordance with a consular convention. "All the information that currently can be provided regarding the detention of US citizen Paul Nicholas Whelan is contained in the FSB statements For our part, we can add that the US Embassy in Moscow was informed in a timely manner of the detention in accordance with the bilateral consular convention," the ministry said. An investigation is ongoing, it added. The Russian service has not shared any other details on the matter. The article, according to which a criminal case was initiated, provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 10 to 20 years. Earlier in December, a Norwegian citizen was detained for similar charges of espionage. The court hearing on the case of Frode Berg is set for February 2019. Sputnik Russia Formally Notifies US of Detention of American Citizen - State Dept. Sputnik News 18:29 31.12.2018(updated 19:11 31.12.2018) Earlier on Monday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Paul Whelan, an American citizen, who was charged with espionage against the Russian Federation. Russia has officially confirmed that it has detained an American citizen, who was suspected of engaging in espionage against the country, a State Department official announced on Monday. Consular access to the person detained has been requested, according to the State Department. "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it", the spokesperson for the State Department said. Russia's FSB announced on Monday that it had detained an American citizen, who is suspected of espionage, adding that a criminal case against the person had been opened. Sputnik Russia's FSB Says It Has Detained A U.S. Citizen For Suspected Spying By RFE/RL December 31, 2018 Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has detained a U.S. citizen in Moscow over suspected spying. The American -- identified as Paul Whelan -- was detained on December 28 and a criminal probe had been opened, the FSB was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency on December 31. The TASS report said Whelan could face between 10 to 20 years in prison if found guilty but disclosed no further details. The announcement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow remained open to dialogue with Washington in a New Year's greeting to U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. State Department said it knows about "the detention of a U.S. citizen by Russian authorities" and had been formally notified by the Russian Foreign Ministry. "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access," the State Department said. "We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it." Relations between the United States and Russia remain strained over a raft of issues including Russia's role in wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine, its alleged meddling in elections in the United States and elsewhere, and the poisoning of a Russian double agent in Britain. At the end of November, Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Argentina, citing tensions after Russian forces opened fire on Ukrainian Navy boats before seizing them and capturing 24 Ukrainian sailors. The detention of Whelan comes weeks after a Russian woman pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to acting as an agent for the Kremlin. Maria Butina allegedly tried to lobby officials within the powerful National Rifle Association and the Republican Party in hopes of influencing U.S. policies in favor of Moscow. The Kremlin has denied that Butina is a Russian agent and has organized a social-media campaign to secure her release. In the past, Russia has arrested foreigners with the aim of trading prisoners with other countries. In his annual year-end news conference on December 20, Putin said Russia would "not arrest innocent people simply to exchange them for someone else later on." With reporting by TASS and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-fsb-says-american- detained-over-suspected-spying/29685167.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. Russia arrests suspected American spy Iran Press TV Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:41AM Russia's domestic security apparatus has arrested an American citizen in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, starting a court action against him. The Federal Security Service (FSB) named the detainee as "Paul Whelan," saying he had been nabbed on Friday during a "spying action," various Russian news outlets reported on Monday, citing an FSB statement. "The FSB began criminal proceedings against the man under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers the crime of espionage," Russia Today said, adding, "No details of the suspect's identity or facts surrounding the operation were immediately disclosed." Relations between Russia and the West, especially the United States, have been tense since the Cold War. The ties soured further in 2014, when the Crimean Peninsula voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation. The allies have ever since slapped multiple rounds of sanctions targeting Moscow and arrested many Russian individuals for "espionage." In October, the US Ministry of Justice accused seven Russians of being military intelligence officers, and charged them with hacking and financial fraud. Four of the men were expelled from the Netherlands in April for allegedly attempting to hack the UN chemical watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Washington separately accuses Moscow of interfering in its 2016 presidential elections. The Kremlin spurns the arrests as "spy mania" and roundly rejects the meddling claims. Students were complaining about the lack of facilities provided to them as per the promises made by the institute at the time of admission. Mumbai: The University of Mumbai Law Academy (UMLA), a constituent unit of the varsity, will soon get an independent structure at Kalina campus. The Asian Age in September had reported how UMLA was yet to get approval from the Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex body for law education in India, for multiple reasons, of which, lack of separate building and basic facilities for students was one. The move is in a way fulfilling the BCIs guidelines and criteria. Students were complaining about the lack of facilities provided to them as per the promises made by the institute at the time of admission. According to them, despite paying fees of Rs 50,000 plus annually, it was injustice not to get anything in return. Moreover, there were only four permanent faculty members while the remaining ones were on temporary basis. UMLA was established in 2015 and only now, after the appointment of the new vice-chancellor Suhas Pednekar, the further procedure had been approved and passed. The VC is responsible behind the approval and transfer of the institute from Fort campus to Kalina campus. It was being dragged without any accountability since the last four years but now, construction work of the new building has almost been finished and shortly, students will be moved, a senior official said on Tuesday. UMLA is currently located at the Fort campus of MU, which is being shared by the department of law. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Story of a Chinese man who actually sold his kidney to buy an iPhone News oi-Vivek Kidney > iPhone Whenever Apple launches a new iPhone, people joke about selling their kidney to buy an iPhone, as iPhones usually cost more than the Android counterpart. One guy in 2011 took this advice too seriously, and here is a story of the Xiao Wang, the boy who lost his life for the sake of owning an iPhone. Here is a story about a man, who actually sold his kidney to get the latest iPhone in China in 2011. A 17-year old Chinese man named Xiao Wang traded his kidney to buy the Apple iPhone 4 in 2011, as going to school with an iPhone is considered as "Symbol of status." Xiao Wang sold one kidney for USD 3,200, which is a bit more than the price of the kidney. Wang would have never thought that buying an Apple iPhone might make him suffer throughout his life. What went wrong? Wang's operation was done in an underground hospital, and the doctor's who did the operation did not follow the proper surgical procedure, which led to an infection, which killed the other kidney as well. Fast forward to 2018, Xiao Wang is now 24 years old, and he has to undergo weekly dialysis for the rest of his life. Just for the sake of owning an iPhone Wang lost his life. Moral of the story It is ok if you don't have an iPhone or a fancy gadget that your friend has, do not decide to sell your body parts or do some illegal things to own something, which might spoil your entire life. Work hard, and one day you might be able to buy an iPhone just like other people. 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 Humans will face intense psychological issues on Mars: experts News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Living on a spaceship for six months would be one of the issues many might face. As the human race is planning to colonize Mars, experts might be skeptic about sending people to the Red Planet. They believe that it wouldn't be as easy as it has been projected in recent years. NASA believes that when the technology is ready, humans will be able to move to Mars and begin colonizing it. However, some experts believe that it wouldn't be only technological constraints which humans will encounter once they move to Mars. The biggest issues that the humans will come across on the Red Planet would be psychological, claims the experts. These issues could include interplanetary 'jetlag' and the idea of being on a spaceship for several months on the journey and then living in a small dome after reaching Mars. "The biggest hurdles to Mars settlement are not technical but psychological," said Dr. Federico Caprotti, from the University of Exeter. "Long-range missions raise psychological questions that current knowledge in space science cannot answer. For example, the International Space Station enables a quick return and therefore a sense of psychological closeness to the Earth. Mars does not allow this, and that brings a risk of intense pressure." she added "There is also the issue of interplanetary 'jetlag'. The journey could take about 400 days - though experimental plasma engines could speed this up. The psychological effects of a journey that long, combined with the lack of real-time communications with Earth as signals take four to 24 minutes could be huge," Caprotti said. With space agencies like NASA, and private space firms like SpaceX poised to set up a colony on Mars, the prospect of living on the Red Planet is only going to go uphill. NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin said that a Mars colonization is achievable by 2040, while Elon Musk believes it can be achieved by 2030s. Besides, Elon Musk also shared the first pics of the "test hopper" prototype that is under development in Texas. The spacecraft is said to ferry up to 100 human beings to Mars. He added that more details about the spacecraft will be revealed early next year following a test flight of the prototype. 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 Frontier Developments has announced that Elite Dangerous: Beyond Chapter Four will launch on December 11. Having been in beta for the past few weeks, Chapter Four is the most significant Elite Dangerous update of the year, and the final chapter in the Beyond season of updates Chapter Four is packed with content and is available for free to all Elite Dangerous Commanders on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Beyond Chapter Four is headlined by two new ships, a new discovery system for exploration, advanced mining techniques, additional multiplayer options, and more, as detailed below. Exploration A new Analysis Mode, with the improved Exploration Discovery Scanner and Detailed Discovery Scanner, is a game-changing new way for all Commanders to explore the galaxy. After an initial scan of the system, players will then be able to tune their scanners to find stellar bodies and other phenomena. Not only is this new system a more realistic, satisfying and engaging exploration experience, but also provides players with the freedom to make more informed decisions on where to look next, and be ultimately better rewarded for time spent exploring. Additionally, Commanders will have probes that can be arced onto planetary surfaces, and planetary rings, to map them in detail, locate points of interest and leave their mark on the galaxy in a new way. Mining New mining tools and mechanics provide a fresh, potentially lucrative mining experience for all Elite Dangerous Commanders. Miners can investigate rings to locate the best spots to start their mining sessions and identify mineral deposits within individual asteroids. Then, with the right amount of skill, can coordinate a detonation. Squadrons Squadrons is a new in-game way of uniting like-minded Commanders to support factions of their choice, take part in Community Goals together and compete for top spots in weekly leaderboards. Squadrons also feature new communication tools, including in-game chat channels, to coordinate activities across the galaxy. Engine Tweaks Additionally, Beyond Chapter Four also features a new lighting engine, numerous visual improvements, background simulation updates, and a number of cockpit interface changes to improve the flying experience of players. Elite Dangerous: Beyond Chapter Four will be available for free to all players on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on December 11. The court was hearing a petition challenging house arrest of Mr Azad and denial of permission for taking public speeches. Mumbai: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who has not been given permission to hold public meetings in Pune ahead of the Battle of Koregaon anniversary, did not get any relief from the Bombay high court. The court on Monday refused to pass any orders to the Pune police to permit the Bhim Army to conduct public meetings. However, the court has asked the state to file an affidavit on Mr Azads claims that he has been facing house arrest in Maharashtra. The state has denied these claims and said that the police have been only monitoring his movements and not kept him under house arrest. The court was hearing a petition challenging house arrest of Mr Azad and denial of permission for taking public speeches on December 29, December 30 and December 31. A vacation bench of Justice C.V. Bhadang directed the Pune police to file its affidavit in response to a petition filed by activist Datta Pol, chief of the Bhim Armys Pune unit. Mr Azad was scheduled to address a rally at the SSPMS college ground in Pune on Sunday evening. However, it was cancelled as the organisers failed to get required permissions. On Saturday, his supporters alleged that he was detained at a Mum-bai hotel, a charge that the police have denied. Dalit leaders were also scheduled to have an interaction with students at Savitribai Phule Pune University on Monday, but the varsity officials said no permission had been granted for the programme. In the petition, Mr Pol sought a direction to the Pune police to grant them permission to hold public meetings. According to the petition, the Bhim Army had filed several applications to the Pune police seeking permission to conduct public meetings and gatherings on December 30 and 31. However, till date, the police have not replied to the petition. We later learnt from the media that our applications have been rejected. Hence, this petition has been filed seeking a direction to police to allow us to hold public meetings, said Mr Pols advocate Nitin Satpute. The petition further claimed that the Mumbai police had kept Mr Azad and Bhim Armys Mum-bai chief Ashok Kamble under house arrest. On Monday, an advocate appearing for the Pune police informed Justice Bhadang that Mr Azad was never detained or placed under house arrest. The high court refused to pass any interim order and directed the police to file its affidavit while posting the petition for hearing on January 4. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. WNW winds shifting to SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Kumar came to the courtroom surrounded by 2-3 commandos along with 20-25 Delhi police personnel, including women. New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Monday surrendered before a city court to serve the life sentence awarded to him by the Delhi high court in connection with a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. He surrendered before metropolitan magistrate Aditi Garg, who directed that Kumar (73) be lodged in Mandoli jail in Northeast Delhi. The court rejected Kumars petition to be lodged in the high-security Tihar jail, but allowed his plea for security and directed the police to take him to prison in separate vehicle. Kumar came to the courtroom surrounded by 2-3 commandos along with 20-25 Delhi police personnel, including women. He was flanked by his confidant, Kailash, and 4-5 advocates. No family member or Congress leader accompanied him. The court was informed by Kumars counsel that the `1 lakh fine imposed by the high court is yet to be deposited. Earlier in the day, former MLAs Krishan Khokhar and Mahender Yadav, who were also convicted in the same case, surrendered before the court to serve their 10-year jail term. They were accompanied by family members and relatives. The counsel for Yadav and Krishan told the court that they have deposited the fine imposed on them by the trial court in its May 9, 2013, order and are yet to deposit the `1 lakh fine imposed on each of them by the high court. Kumar, a former MP, has already filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the conviction and life sentence awarded to him by the high court. There is also another anti-Sikh riots case pending against him. The high court, on December 17, convicted and sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. After his conviction, Kumar resigned from Congress. The case in which Kumar was convicted and sentenced is related to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonments Raj Nagar Part-I area on November 1-2 in 1984 and for the burning down of a Gurdwara in Raj Nagar Part-II. The riots had broken out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards. Besides Kumar, Yadav, and Krishan, the others convicted in the case were former Congress councillor Balwan Khokhar, retired naval officer Captain Bhagmal, and Girdhari Lal. In its judgment, the high court had noted that over 2,700 Sikhs were killed in the national capital during the 1984 riots, which was indeed a carnage of unbelievable proportions. The high court had further said that there has been a familiar pattern of mass killings since Partition, like in Mumbai in 1993; Gujarat in 2002; and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh in 2013, and the common feature of each was the targeting of minorities with the attacks being spearheaded by the dominant political actors, facilitated by law enforcement agencies. Check out the latest Lockheed Martin earnings call transcript. 2018. What a year. It's been nearly 12 months since the great "Hawaii false missile alert" happened. On Jan. 13, at 8:07 a.m. local time, Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency mistakenly broadcast a warning about an incoming ballistic missile threat. Recipients might have been inclined to disregard the warning as a mere drill -- but for the fact that the alert specifically urged them to understand that "this is not a drill." Panic erupted across the islands, alongside calls for beefed-up missile defense in the U.S. Senate. Twelve months later, that's starting to happen. Lockheed Martin to the rescue Earlier this month, in a publicly disclosed contracts update, the Pentagon announced that it has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) $585.2 million to "design, develop, and deliver" a "Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H)" system to ensure "autonomous acquisition and persistent precision tracking and discrimination to optimize the defensive capability of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and counter evolving threats." In a press release responding to the award, Lockheed Martin clarified that it will utilize its Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), currently under construction in Clear, Alaska, and expected to go online in 2020, "to provide the lowest risk and best value HDR-H solution to [the U.S. Missile Defense Agency]" in Hawaii as well. HDR-H is to be built on the island of Oahu by the end of 2023. Once both are ready, LRDR and HDR-H will be incorporated into Lockheed's Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), incorporating both shipborne and "Aegis Ashore" elements. In this way, Lockheed and the Pentagon will respond to Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's demand that the military put "a missile defense system in place in Hawaii to defend Hawaii." What this contract means to investors Hawaiians should be happy to hear that. Lockheed Martin investors should be pretty pleased, too. Thanks to Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency snafu, their company is about to be gifted $585 million in extra revenue that might otherwise never have been awarded. Granted, for a business as big as Lockheed Martin, with $51 billion in annual revenue, even a half-billion dollars won't really move the needle very much. This entire contract, spread over five years of performance, will amount to barely 0.2% of the company's annual business. Still, there are at least a couple reasons investors might want to pay attention to it. The first reason has to do with where Lockheed will be routing its ballistic missile defense revenues through. Although a system for tracking and shooting down missiles with other missiles, Lockheed is not recording HDR-H revenues as part of its Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) business, as you might expect -- but rather as part of its Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) division. RMS is the division that had its profit margin artificially depressed two years ago, when it absorbed the low-margin Sikorsky helicopters business from United Technologies, dropping its operating profit margin almost instantly from 7.9% (in 2015) to just 5.9% (in 2016), with a further fall to 5.6% over the last 12 months. (For context, that's less than half Lockheed Martin's overall profit margin of 11.6%). Lockheed's winning the HDR-H contract, which one presumes will be more profitable than the revenue the company has been getting out of Sikorsky, promises to help reverse this slide in profit margins in Lockheed's second largest division by revenue. The picture could improve even more if the Pentagon decides to expand its investments in missile defense in the future. Lockheed notes that it is designing LRDR and HDR-H with an "open, scalable architecture for future growth." That suggests the company has hopes of winning additional, higher-margin missile defense awards of a type similar to HDR-H. With Lockheed Martin stock currently trading for a rich 24 times earnings -- earnings that, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence , are little better than what the company was earning five years ago -- every little bit of extra revenue helps. And the bigger the profit margins on those revenues, the better. Editor's note: A previous version of this article attributed Lockheed Martin's HDR-H contract to the company's Missiles and Fire Control business, rather than to Rotary and Mission Systems. The Fool regrets the error. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy has informed lawmakers of its intent to pursue a block purchase of two Ford-class aircraft carriers, Senator Tim Kaine's office said on Monday, a step officials have said could save billions of dollars as the Trump administration tries to expand the size of the fleet. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy has informed lawmakers of its intent to pursue a block purchase of two Ford-class aircraft carriers, Senator Tim Kaine's office said on Monday, a step officials have said could save billions of dollars as the Trump administration tries to expand the size of the fleet. The decision comes nine months after the Navy expressed interest in a block buy and asked shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries for detailed pricing on the cost of two aircraft carriers as it considered doubling its order for the most expensive ship in the U.S. fleet in a bid to save money. The Navy commissioned the first Ford-class aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, in July 2017, three years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. The Ford cost about $13 billion. The Navy has said it would spend about $43 billion in total to build the first three ships in the Ford class. Huntington Ingalls Chief Executive Mike Petters has said multi-ship purchases are the best way to reduce costs. Kaine, of Virginia and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a block buy would save billions and provide more stability to the Hampton Roads shipbuilding community in southeastern Virginia. "This smart move will save taxpayer dollars and help ensure the shipyards can maintain a skilled workforce to get the job done," he said in a statement. The Navy released a force structure goal in 2016 that calls for a 355-ship fleet. Previously it had a goal of 308 ships, and the actual size of the Navy had generally been between 270 and 290 ships, according to the Congressional Research Service. A 355-ship fleet would include 12 aircraft carriers, one more than the previous goal. The United States currently operates 11 aircraft carriers, several times more than any other country. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Both Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Ms Irani will be in Amethi on January 4 in the first face-off of this crucial election year. New Delhi: Setting the tone for her proposed visit to Amethi, the stronghold of the Gandhi clan, Union minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress over the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases. Both Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Ms Irani will be in Amethi on January 4 in the first face-off of this crucial election year. Ms Irani claimed that the case was politically motivated. The CBI created evidence for a manufactured probe. But, the courts have cleared BJP chief Amit Shah of all charges levelled against him. It was a conspiracy by the Congress, she told the media here. The entire investigation was carried out acco-rding to a set script to achieve certain goals. Truth has finally won in a case that was nothing but a conspiracy by the Co-ngress, she said. Quoting from the recent special CBI court judgment, the Union minister said, The judgment clearly said that the CBI was more concerned about establishing a particular pre-conceived and pre-meditated theory, rather than finding out the truth, to implicate political leaders. She added that years of fake propaganda by Congress against Mr Shah had failed. All 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and Prajapati, his aide, were acquitted last month by the special CBI court because of insufficient evidence. Mesbah Kamal, Dalit rights activist and professor of history, Dhaka University, talks about why Sheikh Hasina's Awami League alliance return to power for a third consecutive term and the significance of Bangladeshs 11th parliamentary elections Long before Bangladesh voted to elect its 11th parliament on 30 December, the Opposition had been critical of the countrys Election Commission for not providing them with a level playing field against the Awami League-led Grand Alliance. The landslide victory of the Awami League-led alliance is now being furnished as evidence to sustain the Oppositions charge. Is South Asia evolving a new political model in which political parties come to power through elections and then deploy state power to knock out competitors from the electoral race to retain power? Or does the Awami Leagues astonishing victory conceal social processes not easily discernible to outsiders? In a telephonic interview, Mesbah Kamal, Dalit rights activista and professor of history, Dhaka University, answers these questions and analyses the significance of Bangladeshs 11th parliamentary elections. A regular in television talk shows, Kamal wears many hats he is the chairperson of the Research and Development Collective; general secretary, Adivasi Odhikar Andolan; secretary-general of the National Coalition for Indigenous People in Bangladesh; and chief advisor of Bangladesh Dalit Forum. These are edited excerpts from the interview conducted with Kamal. Sheikh Hasinas Awami League has won a landslide victory but Bangladeshs Opposition in claiming it was not a free and fair election. How true are these claims? We dont yet know the final voting percentage but it was over 60 percent. That is a very good turnout. Of course, there are allegations of intimidation, but it can be definitely said that these were essentially stray cases. The overall result would have been perhaps the same even if there had been no intimidation, or if the elections would have been 100 percent fair. What explains the huge support for the Awami League? This is partly because the entire country has rallied behind the pro-liberation forces (a term used for those who fought against the Pakistani Army to liberate Bangladesh). They also represent the countrys secular, democratic forces. The other reason for the Awami Leagues victory is the (Sheikh Hasina) governments development initiatives. Bangladeshis thought that the governments continuity is essential for continuing the process (of development). Critics would say that Khaleda Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party did not have a level playing field she is in jail and the candidature of her partys candidates was rejected in as many as 17 constituencies. Could that be the reason behind BNP's poor performance? Really, that is not the reason for the Oppositions defeat. Khaleda Zia has been very widely discredited, largely because of the graft charges levelled against her when she was in power. In fact, her party had started to gather support because of its alliance with Kamal Hossain (who enjoys an iconic status in Bangladesh) and some other well-known political leaders. Hossain said the Opposition alliance will not have any affiliation with the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is an Islamic fundamentalist group. Soon thereafter, it became clear that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would continue its affiliation with the Jamaat-e-Islami. Are you saying that the Jamaat-e-Islami was the most important factor why the BNP was comprehensively trounced? Yes, it cost them a high percentage of votes. The second reason was the role of (Khaleda Zias son) Tarique Rahman in the election. He has been discredited because of his involvement in corruption when his mother was in power. He was also held responsible for the 21 August, 2004, grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina. Around 24 people were killed in the incident. Tarique was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in the case. Tarique was earlier the BNPs senior vice-president. He has been out of the country for 10 years. Yet he played a major role in choosing candidates, even interviewing them through video conferencing. This fact dominated media headlines and turned the popular sentiment against the BNP. There were thus two reasons for the BNPs poor showing its persistence on retaining affiliations with the Jamaat-e-Islami, contrary to what Kamal Hossain had promised, and Tariques leadership role in the Opposition alliance. Are you saying that the 2018 parliamentary election is a vote against the anti-liberation forces and communal or fundamentalist elements? Of course, it is. The BNP and the Jamaat in Bangladesh are known as pro-Pakistani elements. They are also known to be associated with the ISI (the Pakistani intelligence agency). In fact, there were reports that the ISI provided a list of potential candidates (to the BNP). Werent these reports speculative? These reports were based on telephone conversations between a top BNP leader, who had been earlier a minister, and an ISI agent based in Dubai. Can we then say that the election results are a message to the BNP that it cannot be pro-Pakistan and still hope to win elections? Clearly, yes. The BNP has no political future as long as they continue to be pro-Pakistan and function under the leadership of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. BNP has paid a price for being anti-liberation and pro-Pakistan. Leaders from Jamat-e-Islami have been executed after a very long trial that was conducted by the International Crimes Tribunal, which held them guilty for committing atrocities, genocides and raping women. The charges against them have been proved beyond any doubt. These constitute the memory of 1971. There are people who saw 1971 and are still alive. It is also a memory that transcends generations. A very good number of voters did not see 1971 for instance, those who voted for the first time in this election numbered nearly 2 crores. These first-time voters (too) rejected the anti-liberation forces. The memories of (the Bangladesh) Liberation War dominated the media. In Bangladesh, TV talk shows are extremely popular and a very important instrument for political education. It is because of TV talk shows that issues pertaining to the Liberation War have reached the younger generation. Essentially, the issues were framed thus: Do we own our liberation war? Do we own our freedom fighters? Do we own our history? How to write real history? All these issues have gone against the fundamentalists. The BNP is, in fact, a changed or another name of the Muslim League. Muhammad Ali Jinnahs Muslim League? Yes, Jinnahs Muslim League. They have been using the cover of BNP, but the party is a continuation of the Muslim League. They have been exposed. Students in Bangladesh recently took to the streets. It was interpreted as an expression of discontent against the government. Was it not? There were a couple of issues the young people wanted to be addressed. There was a campaign against the quota system in government jobs (56 percent of jobs are reserved; of that, 30 percent are reserved for families of freedom fighters), and for road safety. These were popular demands. I must say the government did not handle these protests well. The Awami League government had many successes, but there were also failures. However, this did not mean, as some thought, that they would vote for the BNP. There is always anti-incumbency against a ruling party. But the anti-incumbency was not so strong that people would cast their votes negatively. Ultimately, it can be said that people want, above all, parties that are pro-liberation, secular and democratic. They dont want to give space to anti-liberation and communal forces. Do you think Kamal Hossain joined the Opposition alliance because he might have thought liberal democracy requires an effective opposition? He probably thought that space for people to express their democratic aspirations was shrinking. He was partially correct. But this did not mean he had to go and align with anti-liberation and communal forces. It was the biggest political mistake of his life. It will be difficult for Hossain to overcome his mistake. Do you think Sheikh Hasina is becoming increasingly authoritarian? At this stage, I will say it is not so. When a party has an absolute majority, it does pose a real challenge (to democracy). Sheikh Hasina has a fantastic majority, but unless she is careful, things could well turn (against her). Are we seeing a new model of democracy in South Asia a leader comes to power through elections and then uses power to knock out those who could be his or her competitors? The Awami Leagues history is quite different. It hasnt, for instance, resorted to extra-judicial killings. What Sheikh Hasina has been trying is to restore the rule of law. She has been trying to punish the perpetrators of atrocities and genocides, but very much through the judicial process. The judicial process in Bangladesh takes very long to complete. But it is a good thing that Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League have shown tremendous patience. Look at the trial of the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It went through the judicial process even though it took many, many years to bring the killers to justice. Or take the case of four national leaders, who were killed in jail in 1975. This case also took very long to complete, as did cases involving the collaborators (of the Pakistan Army in 1975). Before they were executed, they were given all chances (to appeal against the verdict). The vision here is to sensitise people against the values of anti-liberation forces. The Awami League seeks to challenge them politically and ideologically. Do you think the 2018 verdict will force Islamic fundamentalists to go underground for waging their battle? Or do you think they will realise their mistake and dilute their hardline position? In fact, I think it is a mistake to believe or hope they will change themselves. Even after 48 years, they neither admitted to the atrocities they committed in 1975 nor did they appeal for mercy. Do you think these Islamic fundamentalist forces will adopt more violent methods? These forces have always had underground outfits. They had it in the 1960s. Going underground is new neither for them nor for Bangladesh. They have gone as extreme as they could against the country and peoples interest. Not only are they a declining force, but they will also become politically obsolete in the future. This will create space for (the emergence of) other secular, democratic forces which are on the margins. The Donald Trump government has been sued by Americas largest labour union representing about 400,000 federal employees seeking damages for being forced to work without pay during the partial government shutdown brought on by Donald Trumps 11th hour tantrum over his $5 billion demand for a border wall, just days before the Christmas holidays in the US. New York: The Donald Trump government has been sued by Americas largest labour union American Federation of Government Employees representing about 400,000 federal employees who are seeking damages for being forced to work without pay during the partial government shutdown brought on by Trumps 11th hour tantrum over his $5 billion demand for a border wall, just days before the Christmas holidays in the US. Nearly all the nine departments and agencies hit by the shutdown which began 22 December are running out of their carryover cash as the pay period for the next paycheck ends 5 January. At least 19 Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will close to the public on 2 January because their temporary funds are totally exhausted. The two plaintiffs Justin Tarovisky and Grayson Sharp who work at high-security prisons run by the Justice Department have been forced to work overtime without pay, just like hundreds of thousands of other workers who live paycheck to paycheck. But Trump hardly seems to care. Instead, in his second post to Twitter of 2019, Trump wished everyone including the haters and the fake news media a caps-lock happy new year: "HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME," the US president wrote on Twitter. "JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!" As Trump continues taunting the Opposition but refuses to say whether he will sign on anything at all, its already 10 days since 800,000 workers have been flung onto thin ice, with no word on when theyll get their next wage. The lawsuit debunks Trumps tall claims of wide support for his shutdown stunt; Trump's exclamation and typo filled insults on Twitter are getting to be boring, rambling and not moving the needle one bit. Trump has dug in and so has the Opposition, this week is going to be a big one in Washington DC and Democrats are in no hurry to tell Trump how they'll play their cards in payback season. To call the change a shake-up seems almost like an understatement. The freshman class of 2019 is younger, browner and more female than ever before after the largest Democratic gains in midterms since Watergate. Democrats in the House unveiled two bills Monday to fund shuttered government agencies without approving money for Trump's border wall and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job. They plan to pass them as soon as the new Congress convened Thursday, one of the first acts after Democrats take control. White House officials, including Trump's departing chief of staff John Kelly have exposed the inner workings behind Trump's signature campaign pledge to build the wall. Chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of "a solid concrete wall early on in the administration." The Democratic package to end the shutdown would include one bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels, with $1.3 billion for border security far less than $5 billion Trump has said he wants for the wall through Feb. 8 as talks continued. The ducks are lined up something like this: Donald Trump seems to be enjoying the shutdown, he is setting the agenda, politicos are talking about what he wants them to talk about and because they are doing this, Trump can keep tweeting about what he wants to tweet on the border wall, fueling his base and distracting from the looming Mueller probe finale that may hit any day now. The shutdown is not ending anytime soon, Trump won't allow it to because he doesn't care about the wall, he cares about the imagery alone. Urjit Patel stepped down as RBI governor because of personal reasons and had been telling the prime minister for some time about his decision to resign, said Modi. New Delhi: Urjit Patel stepped down as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor because of personal reasons and had been telling the prime minister for some time about his decision to resign, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "I am revealing for the first time, he (Urjit Patel) was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Prime Minister Modi revealed. Patel resigned in December from his post citing "personal reasons" amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. Prime Minister Modi, after Patel's resignation, tweeted that the RBI governor left behind a "great legacy." The prime minister further dispelled the Opposition's criticism that Patel was made to leave. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI governor," Prime Minister Modi added. Stressing that institutions like CBI and judiciary are paramount to his government, the prime minister stressed that Congress has no right to criticise BJP by saying that the government weakened such institutions in the country. "Congress has no right to speak on this issue. Against the PM and PMO, the NAC (National Advisory Council) was formed. What kind of empowerment of the PMO was this? Cabinet takes such a big decision and a big leader tears that Cabinet decision at a press conference. What kind of respect is for an institution?" questioned PM Modi. "Coming to judiciary, they openly said that we will decide judiciary on the basis of ideology and senior judges were shown the door and junior judges were promoted. And you are talking about institutions? In the same RBI, several times Governors were forced to leave before their term expired. You called Planning Commission people a bunch of jokers," the prime minister added. Prime Minister Modi cleared the air over the government removing the two men at the top of CBI. In October, CBI director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana were relieved of their duties pending an inquiry, after each accused the other of corruption, following which the government sent them on leave, calling it an "extraordinary and unprecedented" situation. "When CBI internal personal matter came to light, they were both asked to go on leave legally. Because institution is paramount for us," stressed the prime minister while speaking to ANI. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have in recent times, criticised the BJP-led Narendra Modi government of misusing the Enforcement Directorate for political vendetta, often dubbing it as 'Embarrassment Directorate'. The prime minister, however, allayed the criticism. "How are these people saying this? Recently, Sohrabuddin judgement came. Just read that judgement. See how institutions were misused. Accusations on us is that Modi is not taking action against these people. And you are saying this is vendetta. ED is doing is job professionally. From a foreign country, a razdaar (confidante) has been brought in custody of India. Should not every Indian be proud of it?" said the prime minister, while referring to Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Michel, a UK citizen, was extradited to India from the UAE last month in connection with the case and was respresented by lawyer Aljo K Joseph, who happened to be a Congress party leader but was shunted after controversy over his affiliation erupted. "If a Congress worker turns up to be Christian Michel's lawyer, then it is a cause for worry. The countrymen should be proud that razdaar has come, now there will be proper inquiry under legal scrutiny and the truth will come out. Instead of that, you are sending lawyers from your party to support him Michel. This is a matter of concern," Prime Minister added. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be a 'public versus coalition' contest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be a "public versus coalition" contest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday while ridiculing the alliance proposed to be formed by anti-BJP parties. In an exclusive interview to ANI, he dismissed claims by some political pundits that the BJP might not get more than 180 out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, saying there were a similar "set of persons" who echoed a similar narrative even in 2014. The prime minister was responding to a question whether people had now considered the "gathbandhan" to be an alternative to Modi. He expressed confidence that the people will again repose faith in the BJP, considering the work done by his government over the last four and a half years. "I believe, this election is going to be a contest between those who fulfill and take forward the aspirations of the people and those who stop these aspirations. There is experience of 70 years. The public is the decider," the prime minister said when asked if the 2019 elections were heading towards a US presidential style of elections between Modi versus Rahul. Asked whether the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be "anybody but Modi" contest as projected by the Opposition parties, he said, "It is going to be 'janta (public) versus gathbandhan (coalition)'. Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings," he added. Ridiculing the coalition sought to be formed by some anti-BJP parties, he said, "The public knows that earlier it was de-centralised corruption, those who sat in the states, looted the states, those who were in the Centre, looted at the Centre... The people will decide whether or not they should ally with these forces of corruption who are coming together." The prime minister's attention was drawn to the "180 club" claim by some sections, inferring that the BJP might not get more than 180 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. In his response, he said, "Is there any scientific study? In 2013 too, the same set of persons used to talk the same thing about BJP getting less than 180 seats. That narrative continues." The prime minister also spoke on India's ties with Pakistan. Two days after the Indian Army foiled a fresh attempt by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) to push infiltrators through the LoC (Line of Control) in Kashmir, Modi said India will make all efforts to keep pressure on Pakistan, but it will be a huge mistake to believe that the country will mend its ways anytime soon. Modi said that whether it is surgical strikes or action at other levels, the Indian government is working out various strategies to keep up the pressure on Pakistan to check terrorism. He said that while India favours a dialogue and good friendly relations with Pakistan, it is also wary of the fact that the neighbouring country is not going to mend it ways of promoting cross border terrorism any time soon. When asked why cross border attacks have not stopped after the surgical strikes, Modi replied, "Whatever strategy is to be adopted, how to do, is ongoing at appropriate levels, has been happening. 1965 war, war during partition...Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. (It will be a huge mistake to believe that Pakistan will mend its ways after a war. It will take a lot of time for Pakistan to mend its ways.)" "India, whether under UPA or NDA government, has never opposed dialogue. It is our consistent policy that we are in favour of dialogue. It is the consistent policy of the country, not Modi government or Manmohan Singh government. It is our consistent policy that we are ready to talk on all issues, not this issue or that issue. Because India's argument is strong. We only say one thing that amid the noise of bombs and guns, the dialogue cannot be heard. Cross-border terrorism must end. And we are persistently maintaining pressure on this," the prime minister said. He added that India has created an environment that terror-supporting Pakistan stands isolated in the world. On a question whether he will go to Pakistan if invited by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for SAARC, the prime minister said: "We will cross the bridge when we reach there." On his government's foreign policy with regard to China, the prime minister said India should be judged on the basis of what it did in Doka La. He asserted that nothing has happened with India since then that can be considered as deceit. On the issue of triple talaq, Modi said that while triple talaq is a matter of gender equality, entry of women in Sabarimala is related to tradition. He tried to clear the air on BJP's apparent contradiction in its stand on the controversial triple talaq ordinance and the ban on entry of women between the age group of (10-50 years) in the Sabarimala temple by saying the ordinance against triple talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and social justice and it should not be seen as interference in religious issues. "Triple talaq ordinance was brought after Supreme Court verdict. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the Constitution," Modi said. "Most Islamic countries have banned triple talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in Pakistan, triple talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, matter of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate," he said. Reacting to a question on the BJP's stand on the Sabarimala issue, the prime minister said: "India is of one opinion that everyone should get justice. There are some temples, which have their own traditions, where men can't go. And men don't go... In this, Sabarimala, a woman judge in the Supreme Court has made certain observations. It needs to be read minutely. There is no need to attribute those to any political party. As a woman, she has made some suggestions. There should be a debate on that as well sometimes." On the Ram Temple issue, Modi made it clear that any decision on bringing an ordinance on Ram Temple can be considered only after the judicial process ends. Modi also suggested that the judicial process is being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," the prime minister said about the Ram Temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. The BJP, as articulated in its manifesto, wants building of a majestic Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Recently, there has been a renewed pitch within the party as well as by its sister organisations in the Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of construction of the temple. The Sangh Parivar organisations have expressed unhappiness over the delay in resolving the matter and there are demands for promulgating an ordinance, similar to the one issued on triple talaq, to facilitate construction of a temple. The ordinance demand has been articulated even by BJP's ally the Shiv Sena. Asked whether the government could consider issuing an ordinance on Ram temple, the prime minister pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages. "Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he added. The matter is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on 4 January. The prime minister also said that mob lynchings in the name of cow protection were "totally condemnable", saying such incidents do not reflect well on a civilised society. With inputs from ANI What does the workplace look like for these women who are resetting centuries of gender, class and caste oppression? Can they speak truth to power as we hear women in other places speaking? Or is silence a small price for the slow-moving liberties that they have gained? What shape can #MeToo take here? #MeToo Bundelkhand is an exclusive two-part series on the continued silence around crimes against women in rural Bundelkhand, and the normalisation of this silence. What emerges is that systemic violence and discrimination against women, especially in rural areas, runs deep, and goes beyond just the sexual. Bundelkhand, as of late 2018, is poor, dry and stuck in a paralysis of governance, far from the feel good narratives that most state-sponsored PR and blindsided patriotism seems buoyed by. Things are not getting better here, but things are also not the same. Cheap internet connections and smartphones are aglow in villages that dot the barren ghats. Women are at work, lower castes are in public spaces, changing and redefining them. Large bribes are paid so that the women of the family can be teachers and nurses, earning hefty permanent salaries, and supporting unemployed male members. But what of the dark lining below these stories of social and economic change? What does the workplace look like for these women who are resetting centuries of gender, class and caste oppression? Can they speak truth to power as we hear women in other places speaking? Or is silence a small price for the slow-moving liberties that they have gained? What shape can #MeToo take here? I. Rajkumari*, 25, Journalist The editorial structure of the media here is shaped like an inverted pyramid, with the number of paid editorial staff reducing to a pinpoint as you go lower and deeper into up country or rural locations, and where advertising revenues are slim. Large media corporations may have stringers, who, since they are not on the payroll, work for multiple organisations, and double as advertising agents with revenue targets and hefty commissions. In this game of mobility, networking, insecure finances, blackmail and political and administrative power brokering, women are rarely seen or heard. The ones who are, are treated with some curiosity and a lot of lewd relish. Her Story He made it impossible for me to go to the administrative offices. Everyone was under his thumb. No one would speak to me. I stopped reporting. Rajkumari never finished school, and in her late teens when she had the opportunity to be trained as a professional journalist, she took it. A Dalit, her family has had few avenues of livelihood, and there were many sisters to support. Rajkumari began working as a reporter. After her marriage, her marital family wasnt supportive of her gallivanting about at unpredictable hours, and so she had to leave. Years of economic and domestic strife later, she pleaded her way back to journalism. She began to work in the Ajaygarh block of Panna district in Madhya Pradesh, a short bus ride across the border from her village in Banda. Rajkumari saw no other women reporting, as she began to establish herself in her new beat, familiarising herself with villages, panchayat level workers and local influencers. When she went to the block office to question a few relevant officials on her first lot of stories, she was accompanied by a colleague, a senior reporter. It was clear immediately that the block office was controlled by one man, Ram Milan Pande, the Block Pramukh. (The Block Pramukh is the highest level of elected official at the block level.) Panchayat elections are both overtly and implicitly political, and Pande was a longstanding Congressman, with strong influence in the region. He had ambitions of running for an MLA position, in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, and he saw Rajkumari, a young, confident and mobile woman in the area, as a creative tool for campaigning. He was pretty friendly and quite aged, must have been more than 50 years old, Rajkumaris colleague Rajni told us. In the weeks after, as Rajkumari began to report independently, she was a frequent visitor to the block headquarters. This was when Pande started sharing things with Rajkumari to win her confidence. Well aware that this was par for the course, she suffered Pandes overtures just to get her stories done. But then, one morning in July this year, at the block to interview Pande for a story, Rajkumaris repeated requests were ignored. There was a meeting on she was told, and many officials from the block were present. Pande dealt with the issues at hand, and slowly, the room emptied out, leaving Rajkumari alone with him. He asked her to wait, have tea, he wanted to speak to her about something. He said he would pay for her fuel costs, and she should do some campaigning for him in the block. When she backed away, he grabbed her hand and said,Not a leaf in this area moves without me. Ill have your newspaper shut down. Rajkumari left the office. In the weeks that passed, she wasnt entertained by any official in the block, none of her requests for interviews or bytes were acknowledged. She slowly stopped reporting in the area. Within a month, citing domestic reasons, Rajkumari left work again. II. Seema*, 25, lawyer and activist Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh has been a dirty, petty thing, resulting in deep and complex shifts in caste dynamics and social structures in the region over the last three decades. One important historical factor was the establishment of the Bahujan Samaj party in 1984 by Kanshiram, and its mobilisation in Uttar Pradesh. Kanshirams successor, Mayawati, played a key role in the grassroots mobilisation and spread of an empowering Dalit politics in the state. Increasing political awareness worked alongside policies (including affirmative action for other backward castes) that benefited the lower castes in Uttar Pradesh, significantly differently from other north Indian states. Youth in Uttar Pradesh have grown up in this atmosphere of political and social opportunism and opportunity, both frustrated and buoyed at the promises of political emancipation, as well as disappointed by the poverty and unemployment that deep-rooted gender and caste based discrimination still has them trapped in. Her Story If I say that I was wrong, people will say I brought it on myself, through my own actions. I cant name people in the party (BSP) who have abused me. It will give the party a bad name. But many have. Theyve posted abuse on Facebook, photos and comments. If they see this Dalit girl stepping beyond her boundaries, they do everything they can to pull you down. Seema was married at 13, in a village that was shadowed by the threat of the notorious Babli Kol daku of Bundelkhand. She is Dalit, and like many Dalit parents, hers brought her up to value education above anything else. She studied even after she was married, and despite resistance from her in-laws, got a job in the labour department in Chitrakoot. Her friendship with a distant relative proved to be a lifelong trauma for Seema, as the boy, observant of her ambitions and perseverance, took photos and posted them online, in the early days of Facebook, resulting in public shame and the end of Seemas marriage. He would call her from different numbers, blackmail her, even come to her home and abuse her. Work became more and more important for Seema to survive both personal strife and economic upheaval,When I have scars, I lie and say I fell from the roof. Even though everyone in my mohalla knows Im being harassed and abused, everyone knows Im being used. Now if he says something or does something, I wont stay quiet. I will fight back. If I dont fight, what hope is there for the next generation? Even though I feel that Im so aware, Ive had to bear so much. Meera lives in the district headquarters now, and has been studying law and running her own practice in the district court in Chitrakoot. Over the years, to cope with public and domestic abuse, she has networked with womens groups, political parties and bureaucracy, to help her along the thorny path of a Dalit woman trying to get by in the world. The more mobile and aware she is, the more the forces seem to close-in to throttle her. The district court in Karwi, Chitrakoot, is a sea of upper caste men fighting to maintain the status quo, and make a quick buck as and when they can. You know how it is, when you should charge 50, they charge 100; when they should charge 500, they charge a 1000, she says. Enter Seema, young, slight, Dalit, smart and articulate.When I go into the courts, and see women testifying about rape, and see what questions and comments they have to face, the filthy abuse, so loud and aggressive, I understand how someone would be driven to say, it didnt happen, I wasnt raped, Ive filed a false case even if that is entirely untrue. Ive seen this happen. Last year, her Facebook account was hacked and controversial videos and posts were circulated from it, causing her great stress and public shame.They plant their people in cyber cafes to watch which Dalit girls are coming and what their Facebook IDs are. And then they post objectionable videos and photos from your accounts. I couldnt eat for days, I was terrified my parents would find out, and commit suicide. But if you work in an office, you have to compromise. People will say, Bring us tea, if we come to your home, wont you serve us tea? And you ignore them, else, how will you feed your children? Even as a politically conscious and mobile young woman, Meera is not enough for the forces of gender, caste and feudal power that conspire to hold her down in the world. Also read part one: Who killed Neetu Shukla? A deep dive into a suicide-murder case from Uttar Pradesh's hinterland III. Susheela*, 53, Auxillary Nurse Midwife The Auxillary Nurse Midwife or ANM is a permanent or contractual government health worker located in a village level sub-centre. She is responsible for catering to the basic healthcare needs as well as childbirth for a population of 5000. The ANM is a salaried worker, and has a joint account with the village pradhan, into which she receives a fund of Rs 10,000, for various equipment or tasks. The job of an ANM is a prestigious one. It also involves being beholden to a network of village and block level officials, health department staff and politicians. The ANM is crucial to the system of maternal and community healthcare, but is also a woman embroiled in the highly corrupt and chimerical world of local politics and bureaucracy. Her Story I was abused. Let me tell you the story. It was the 25th of September. I was at the Panchayat Bhavan. Its been four months, but every time I think of that incident and those people I become a mess. It was evening, most people had left. I was waiting for my son to take me home. My husband is dead, people know I am alone. Susheela has worked as an ANM for the past 18 years in a remote area of Bundelkhands Banda district, surrounded by mountains and forests, and regularly visited by dacoits.You can go to any family in this area and ask about my credentials, if I have ever had a complaint against me, Susheela says. She does not stop weeping throughout our interview. Through her tears, Susheela explains the topography of her area of work, through the network of men she must work with the sarpanch, local BJP leaders, the Chief Medical Officer, doctors, police superintendent, constables, and local thugs. As a long-term government employee of the area, she is regularly asked to pay the pradhan for expenses of the party, I dont even know what the party is and what they want the money for. The money that comes into her (joint) account, recently for sanitation tasks in the health centre, is paid to the pradhan. On the fateful evening she describes, Susheela was asking the pradhan to sign in her register to acknowledge she had given him the money Rs 8,000.There were many people around, but I only recognised the three of them, the pradhan, his brother, and the (BJP) treasurer. They began to abuse me loudly, beat their chests. They grabbed my register and tore it, looked at me in a way that terrified me. So many people saw, but no one said a word. Isnt this molestation? Susheela went into shock, but later that evening, called the local police station.They told me I should have dialled 100. I said I wasnt feeling well. Then I spoke to the CMO. Within a day, they had arranged to get me transferred. They dont want me creating trouble. For months, Susheela resisted this transfer away from her family, her government housing and her familiar area at the age of 53.They told me to go from one official to the other, one doctor to another each wants a cut. How can a woman be tormented like this? People ask me to pay them money, then circulate these rumours that I extract money from people. Ask anyone whether I ever did any wrong. The SP, DIG or the Mahila Aayog hasn't heard me out. She went into a kind of trauma, still visible in her broken, rambling speech. She hasnt been paid a salary in four months, since the incident took place. She received death threats from the pradhan and his brother, and calls from the local police station Madam, thane mei aakar FIR kar dijiye calls she recognised as barely concealed threats if she didnt compromise.Why will I file a case? I need to live in this area. I want my posting cancelled. As of 19 December, her transfer has been nullified. She has been reinstated to the sub-centre where she has been working for 18 years, where she slowly adjusts to living in fear.I haven't slept in four months. I feel like I should call the BJP (party workers, media) and kill myself in front of them. *Names changed on request. Reporting by Khabar Lahariya Bureau. Written by Disha Mullick. Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will make all efforts to keep pressure on Pakistan. New Delhi: Two days after the Indian Army foiled a fresh attempt by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) to push infiltrators through the LoC (Line of Control) in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will make all efforts to keep pressure on Pakistan, but it will be huge mistake to believe that the country will mend its ways anytime soon. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that whether it is surgical strikes or action at other levels, the Indian government is working out various strategies to keep up the pressure on Pakistan to check terrorism. Prime Minister Modi said that while India favours a dialogue and good friendly relations with Pakistan, it is also wary of the fact that the neighbouring country is not going to mend it ways of promoting cross border terrorism any time soon. When asked why cross border attacks have not stopped after the surgical strikes, Modi replied, "Whatever strategy is to be adopted, how to do, is ongoing at appropriate levels, has been happening. 1965 war, war during partition...Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. (It will be a huge mistake to believe that Pakistan will mend its ways after a war. It will take a lot of time for Pakistan to mend its ways.)" His statement comes two days after the Indian Army foiled a fresh attempt by Pakistan to push infiltrators via its BAT (Border Action Teams) proxies in Kashmir. Two infiltrators were killed while forcing others to retreat. The Pakistan Army had provided heavy cover fire, using mortars and rockets, to the intruders who were wearing combat fatigues like that of Pakistani regulars army soldiers and tried to sneak into Naugam sector in Kashmir. "India, whether under UPA or NDA government, has never opposed dialogue. It is our consistent policy that we are in favour of dialogue. It is the consistent policy of the country, not Modi government or Manmohan Singh government. It is our consistent policy that we are ready to talk on all issues, not this issue or that issue. Because India's argument is strong. We only say one thing that amid the noise of bombs and guns, the dialogue cannot be heard. Cross-border terrorism must end. And we are persistently maintaining pressure on this," the prime minister said. He added that India has created an environment that terror-supporting Pakistan stands isolated in the world. On a question whether he will go to Pakistan if invited by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for SAARC, the prime minister said: "We will cross the bridge when we reach there." On his government's foreign policy with regard to China, the prime minister said India should be judged on the basis of what it did in Doka La. He asserted that nothing has happened with India since then that can be considered as deceit. "Our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours," he added. During the interview, the prime minister also responded to the criticism of his much publicised foreign tours being too many and more photo opportunities rather than substantial, saying his travel schedule has been more or less similar to that of his predecessors but his visits are noticed more because he interacts with people, takes decisions and makes India's voice heard. "If you count, there are number of multi-lateral forums, summit-level meetings. If the level is lower than prime minister, the voice is not heard. Manmohan Singhji also had to do these summits. It has become mandatory. I try that India's voice reaches the world. Earlier, when PM used to go, nobody used to notice at the place they arrived in, even the place from where they departed no one noticed. My visits are noticed because I interact with people and take decisions," the prime minister said. Suicides by farmers despite the rollout of freebies should be an important lesson to the government that waiving off farm loans is hardly a way to address farm distress, either in the short-term or long-term. Agricultural distress, farmer suicides and loan waiver announcements dominated newspaper headlines in 2018; and will likely do so in 2019 as well. The suicide-prone Indian farmer doesnt have a reason yet to begin the New Year on a happy note, except of course a few recent farm loan waiver announcements. But, if loan waivers could do the trick, why did the farmer suicides continue in 2018? To begin with, there is no consolidated, updated data available on farmer suicides in India. Even the National Crime Records Bureau of India data comes with a two-year lag (the latest available is till 2015-end and whatever data is available for 2016 is provisional). But a look at the news reports from agrarian districts in multiple states show us a disturbing picture. They tell us that the trend of farmers resorting to the extreme step of suicide has continued in 2018. According to report by news agency United News of India, some 909 farmers ended their lives in the Marathwada region alone between the first week of January-December. A severe drought situation in this part of the country with an average rainfall just 63 percent in 2018 destroyed the crop pattern, the report said. Are all of them related to agri distress? Not sure. But, chances are that a majority of them are. Remember, Maharashtra is one of the states that rolled out a farm loan waiver programme for farmers in distress. Continuing suicides despite the rollout of freebies should be an important lesson to the government that waiving off farm loans is hardly a way to address farm distress, either in the short-term or long-term. The problem and the solution lies somewhere else; certainly not in instant debt resolution. If the government is still clueless about the heart of the problem, this report may be of some help. It talks about a farmer getting a paltry sum of Rs 10,000 for selling 27 quintal of onions in Mandsaur mandi in Madhya Pradesh. That works out to less than Rs 4 per kilo. Onion sells at Rs 15-20 per kilo in retail markets. In a separate report, distressed at the falling prices, an onion-grower from Maharashtra who had to sell his produce for little over Re 1 per kg sent his earnings to the Prime Minister to mark his protest, a PTI report said. Its a mistake to consider these as one-off cases; they symbolise the ground situation in many parts of India. There are many reasons as to why farmers are left with a pitiable sum for their produce. A faulty pricing mechanism, lack of warehouses/ storage facilities and distant mandis make sure farmer gets a raw deal and the profit is pocketed by the middle man. So essentially, the problem faced by the Indian farmer can be categorised as: a) Lack of irrigation facilities in drought-prone areas (if rains fail, everything is lost for the farmer in that year) b) Over-indebtedness (the farmer easily gets loan after loan from all types of banks, but is not in a position to repay), and c) A faulty market infrastructure that fails the crop grower when it comes to pricing. Farmer suicides in India had touched a record high in 2009 and had declined thereafter but since 2013 is showing a rising trend. Loan waivers grabbed the headlines in 2018 prior to every state election. Of course, the farmer is of value to the vote-seeking politician and there is enough taxpayers money in the coffers to play with. Naturally, a series of loan waiver announcements were made in 2018; the major ones being the packages announced in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. A few other states like the Punjab, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had already announced mammoth packages in the period before that. But as this writer explained in an earlier piece, loan waivers hardly was of any benefit to the struggling farmer, the really needy ones and the landless agriculture labourers. In fact, this effective tools of political populism only helped to put the banking sector in bigger troubles. Most economists have already issued warnings against the implications of the waivers on the broader economy, citing a serious damage to credit culture and the financial health of banks. Besides, the forced loan waivers could also prompt banks to slow lending to farmers in the period ahead owing to the increasing risk on their balance sheets. Not only that, since loan waivers are not a sustainable solution to farmers' problems and only offers a temporary relief, ultimately these announcements will end up hurting the farmer. If loan waivers could solve the farm sector stress in India, the 2008 UPA waiver would have done the trick. So, what is the solution? The rot is much deeper in the farm sector on account of multiple factors that call for a structural overhaul to repair damaged farm-infrastructure via a reforms-based approach. However, the governments are merely relying on temporary solutions in the form of hiking MSPs, offering loan waivers and giving growers hope of unrealistically good days ahead. For instance, promising a doubling of farm income by 2022 without doing any groundwork is nothing but a Utopian idea, especially when a majority of Indian farmers still depend on seasonal rains as the main source of irrigation. The Indian farmer has the smallest landholding the world over. The global average of landholding size is 5.5 hectares. The per capita availability of land in India from 1951 to 2011 declined by 70 percent from 0.5 hectares to 0.15 hectares. Now, what is the problem with holding of smaller pieces of land? It makes the life of the farmer a lot tougher as his costs escalate on all countsequipment, labour and crop treatment. Unlike rich farmers who own several hectares of land, these farmers will not have enough appeal among bankers as well. What does Year 2019 hold for the farmer? Year 2018 saw no roadmap or innovative thinking from Indian politicians to resolve farmers woes. The general theme that played out in 2018 was loan waivers and loan waivers alone. And that arguably benefited politicians to win some votes, but, certainly, not the crisis-ridden farmer. A strong roadmap for structural reforms in the Indian agriculture sector is still awaited. Will Year 2019 be any different for our kisans? Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2019-20 here (Data support from Kishor Kadam) It is important for the Narendra Modi government to leave a imprint in the minds of the people with altruistic measures benefitting the entire nation A week may be too long a period in politics but four months are too short for meaningful and comprehensive economic reforms. It is in this sense that the Narendra Modi government is up against time. Economic historians and commentators may talk back and forth about the governments hits and misses in the past five years but what is important is for the government to leave a firm imprint in the minds of the people that it had acted late than never. But these must be altruistic measures, the ones benefitting the entire nation. First, it must bite the bullet and bring petroleum products within the habit of the goods and services tax (GST). Nobody bemoans seriously the failure to bring in real estate and liquor within its ambit as much as the failure to bring petroleum products under GST. As much as 50 percent of the petrol bunk price of fuels is accounted for by central excise and state VAT on this hugely sensitive product that has a cascading effect on a wide range of product and services prices. The argument that the high taxes collected from petroleum products are justified if only to bankroll welfare schemes meant for the poor is specious especially given the fact that high taxes on petrol and diesel hit the poor more than others. The cascading effect of high fuel tax is too real to be labored upon. Second, income tax is a burden the lower middle class must be spared from. There should be no income tax on individuals whose income does not exceed Rs 5 lakh. Period. That the rate of tax on taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh is only 5 percent is no argument. As it is, Section 87A is very niggardly. It says tax rebate is equal to Rs 2,500 or the actual tax whichever is less for those whose total income doesnt exceed Rs 3.5 lakh. The government must ungrudgingly and wholeheartedly give tax relief to the people in the bottom of the heap. One is unable to understand why the government is hell-bent on collecting something from the lower middle class when it has ample opportunities to tax the well-heeled. Third, wealth tax and estate duty must be revived. This would not only make up for the loss in revenue from petroleum products if brought under GST but also send a powerful political message that the Modi government is not serving the interests of the rich at the expense of the poor. There should be a wealth tax of 2 percent on net wealth in excess of Rs 3 crore. There should be no exceptions made, no invidious distinction made between productive and non-productive assets. In others words, the market value of all the assets in an individuals possession should be added up without discrimination. Thus if a person has a net wealth of Rs 5 crore, the wealth tax he would pay would be 2 percent of Rs 2 crore i.e. Rs 2 lakh. Likewise, inheritors must be made to pay a price for inheriting like some states in the US do. Quite a few states impose a stiff 50 percent inheritance tax. There is no reason why all inheritances in India should not be subject to an inheritance tax of 10 percent. To wit, if a person dies and leaves behind five inheritors, each inheriting Rs 5 crore worth of property, each one should be called upon to pay Rs 50 lakh as inheritance tax. Thus the aggregate inheritance tax collected would be a healthy Rs 2.50 crore. In India, we have had estate duty which is a tax on the estate. This should be tweaked to tax the inheritors. Inheritors inheriting illiquid properties may have difficulty in paying the tax. For example, if one has inherited land and buildings and nothing else, how will he pay the tax except by selling the inherited property? This can be addressed by allowing the inheritor a couple of years so that in the meanwhile he is able to acquire liquidity. Of course, interest clock would tick in the meanwhile. Fourth, the government should immediately ban cash donations. Right now it is permitted up to Rs 2,000 and that encourages splitting of even huge cash donations into thousands of units of Rs 2,000 each. Banishing shady cash transactions has its origins in cash political donations. Lastly, no amount of loan waivers is going to ameliorate the lot of the farmers. What is needed is boosting their income and making farming viable. Small and marginal farmers are not properly organised or equipped. The government must play a catalytic and facilitating role in organising them into producers cooperatives with pooling of land becoming the cornerstone of the whole exercise. Producing on large scale on commercial and scientific basis is the key. AMUL is a shining example of the success of producers cooperative. All the five measures listed above are doable in the short time between now and the announcement of dates by the Election Commission. (The writer is a senior columnist and tweets @SMurlidharan) The year is beginning in excellent circumstances for Artprice and its shareholders! As planned, Artron, our Chinese institutional partner, has posted the artprice.com logo on the principal home page of its Chinese website artron.net, giving immediate access to our high-end subscriptions. https://zh.artprice.com/artron Artprice is currently one of the very few Western companies to be accessible from inside China and its gated Internet system. Artron.net receives more than 5.4 billion visits per year and has 3 million professional members who correspond to Artprice's primary target clientele. "We have overcome all the obstacles, and here we are in China! I thank Artron and President Wan Jie who opened the doors for us." says thierry Ehrmann, Artprice's founder/CEO. And from Artron's side, its founding President Wan Jie says "We share a common vision and a common sense of perfection. Our nine years of cooperation have resulted in a game changer for the history of the global Art Market and we are both looking forward to exceptional economic results in 2019." Artprice would like to wish its loyal shareholders a very Happy & Prosperous New Year! About Artprice: Founded by thierry Ehrmann (see Who's who certified Biography ) (c) https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2018/10/bio-2019-whos-who-thierry-ehrmann.pdf ). Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Dicover Artprice in video: https://www.artprice.com/video Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 700,000 artists. Artprice Images gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians. Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 6,300 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label) Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2017 published last March 2018: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2017 Artprice is associated with Artron Group the Chinese leader in the Art Market, its solid institutional partner. About the Artron Group: "Artron Art Group (Artron), a comprehensive cultural industrial group founded in 1993 by Wan jie, is committed to inheriting, enhancing and spreading art value. Based on abundant art data, Artron provides art industry and art fans with professional service and experience of quality products by integrated application of IT, advanced digital science and innovative crafts and materials. Having produced more than 60,000 books and auction catalogues, Artron is the world's largest art book printer with a total print volume of 300 million a year. It has more than 3 million professional members in the arts sector and an average of 15 million daily visits, making it the world's leading art website. Founded in 1993by Wan Jie, the Artron Art Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It is the first choice for art professionals, investors, collectors and art fans in general wishing to discover and/or participate in the art world or the art market. Founded in 1993, Artron Art Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year." Artron's Web: www.Artron.net Artprice's Contemporary Art Market Annual Report for 2017 - free access at: https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2017 Artprice's press releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseen.htm https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom Artmarket News: https://twitter.com/artpricedotcom & https://twitter.com/artmarketdotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom 3.4 million subscribers http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/ Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos: http://goo.gl/zJssd https://vimeo.com/124643720 The Contemporary Art Museum The Abode of Chaos https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999 3.4 million subscribers Contact: ir@artprice.com ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-56430-artprice-artron-1-01-2019_en-2018.pdf News release from Vestas Asia Pacific Singapore, 1 January 2018 Vestas has secured a 18 MW order in Taiwan with local Engineering Procurement and Construction provider Star Energy Corporation for two of their latest wind energy projects. The order includes the supply and supervision of installation of 5 V105-3.45 MW turbines delivered in 3.6 MW Power Optimised Mode. The wind park will be located in Changhua along the west coast of Taiwan, which holds the largest wind energy capacity of any county, municipality or city in Taiwan. Vestas' High Wind Operation (HWO) will help increase energy production, reduced hysteresis losses and increased grid stability during High Wind condition which is ideal for Taiwan's good wind condition and requirement. "This is an important order for us as it signifies our return to the Taiwanese market", said Clive Turton, President of Vestas Asia Pacific. "Star Energy Corporation and Vestas have a long-standing service collaboration and the order adds to this relationship, showcasing the confidence and trust that Star Energy Corporation has in Vestas". The order also includes a 5-year service agreement AOM 4000 including a Vestas Online Business SCADA solution. Vestas is currently servicing 159 MW of wind turbines in Taiwan including multibrand turbines. Turbine installation is expected to commence around the second half of 2019. For more information, please contact: Stephanie Foo Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific Tel: +65 9645 4558 Mail: FOHKH@vestas.com 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 92 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 78 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 23,900 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 (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) www.linkedin.com/company/vestas (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) www.facebook.com/vestas (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) www.instagram.com/vestas (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) www.youtube.com/vestas (http://www.youtube.com/vestas) Attachment It may be recalled that the surgical strikes were carried out days after a terrorist attack on an Army camp in Kashmirs Uri had killed 20 soldiers. New Delhi: Flexing his muscles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear in an interview to ANI that India will continue keep up its pressure on Pakistan. At the same time, he felt that it would be a huge mistake (to think) that Pakistan would mend its ways soon. Mr Modi said though India favours a dialogue and good relations with Pakistan, the neighbouring country is not going to mend its ways of promoting cross-border terrorism anytime soon. When it was pointed out that cross-border terrorism had not waned even after the surgical strike, the PM said that whatever needs to be done is being carried out at an appropriate level. Refusing to divulge the governments strategy on carrying out further surgical strikes in public, Mr Modi argued: Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving.) Speaking on the 2016 surgical strike, the PM said that Army Special Forces commandos, who conducted the strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), were told to come back before sunrise, irrespective of the missions success. Speaking to ANI, Mr Modi said the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, dont think about that but come back before sunrise. Dont fall for the lure and prolong the operation, he said. Mr Modi said though he knew it was a big risk, he did not care about any political risk to me... and the biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers. It may be recalled that the surgical strikes were carried out days after a terrorist attack on an Army camp in Kashmirs Uri had killed 20 soldiers. Mr Modi said the surgical strikes were carried out because rage was building inside him and within the Army after the attack. The Prime Minister revealed he was anxious the entire night, while he was keeping a tab on the operations, and things became extremely difficult when live information stopped flowing for about one hour in the morning. Saying that neither the UPA or NDA governments were against any dialogue with Pakistan, the PM made it clear that amid the noise of bombs and guns, dialogue cannot be heard and cross-border terrorism must end. Asked if he would go to Pakistan if he was invited by Pakistan PM Imran Khan for the Saarc summit, the PM said that he would cross the bridge when it comes. On his governments policy towards China, Mr Modi said India should be judged on the basis of what it did in Doklam. He reiterated our principle position is that we want friendly relations with neighbours. On criticisms and controversies on his foreign tours, the PM claimed that his travel schedule was similar to (that of) his predecessors. He said there are a number of multilateral forums, summit-level meetings... Manmohan Singhji also had to go to these summits. It has become mandatory. Mr Modi then said he tries to make Indias voice heard in each part of the world The PM claimed that earlier, when Prime Ministers used to go, nobody used to notice at the place they arrived in or even from the place they left. Mr Modi added: My visits are noticed because interact with people and take decisions. FDA Removes Additional Clinical Testing Requirements for the HeartCheck CardiBeat Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 31, 2018) - CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSXV: EKG) ("CardioComm" or the "Company"), a leading global provider of consumer heart monitoring and electrocardiogram ("ECG") acquisition and management software solutions, confirms the USA Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has reduced the scope of their request for additional information for the Company's premarket notification 510(k), Class II medical device clearance application for the HeartCheck CardiBeat and GEMS Mobile Application. CardioComm submitted its most recent 510(k) application to the FDA for Class II Medial device clearance on the HeartCheck CardiBeat as previously reported. The Company was then requested by the FDA to provide additional data that included clinical evaluations to confirm the device's ability to record ECGs equivalent to those using conventional ECG electrode patches and ECG cables. Subsequent to receiving the Company's reply with additional data, the FDA provided guidance on two primary items. These were: the Company no longer was required to support the request for extensive ECG electrode testing data; and, additional data was requested related to Bluetooth wireless coexistence testing. In compliance to the FDA's directive, the Company has submitted a letter of revocation of their supplementary information submission which was accepted by the FDA on December 26, 2018. The Company will provide the FDA a restatement of their response for additional information to the FDA by January 23, 2019 without clinical ECG testing data and with the requested wireless coexistence data. The FDA will have 31 days to complete the 510(k) review following receipt of CardioComm's restated submission. The Company will provide updates on this and future 510(k) applications. To learn more about CardioComm's products and for further updates regarding HeartCheck ECG device integrations please visit the Company's websites at www.cardiocommsolutions.com and www.theheartcheck.com. About CardioComm Solutions CardioComm Solutions' patented and proprietary technology is used in products for recording, viewing, analyzing and storing electrocardiograms for diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. Products are sold worldwide through a combination of an external distribution network and a North American-based sales team. CardioComm Solutions has earned the ISO 13485:2016 certification, is HIPAA compliant and holds clearances from the European Union (CE Mark), the USA (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Etienne Grima, Chief Executive Officer 1-877-977-9425 x227 egrima@cardiocommsolutions.com investor.relations@cardiocommsolutions.com Forward-looking statements This release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of CardioComm Solutions and certain of the plans and objectives of CardioComm Solutions with respect to these items. Such statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. In evaluating these statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this release other than as required by applicable laws, including without limitation, Section 5.8(2) of National Instrument 51-102 (Continuous Disclosure Obligations). Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. As the year ended, we are sure all of us were looking back nostalgically at what 2018 has been. So are our much loved Bollywood celebrities. Namaste England actor Arjun Kapoor has had nothing less than an eventful year, with ups and downs. Wishing everyone a happy new year, Arjun Kapoor posted an emotional and spirited message on Instagram. Read what he had to say. Looking back at the year that has been for him, and all geared up for the year that will be in 2019, Arjun Kapoor posted a series of photos on Instagram. His caption read, "Rolling my sleeves up & looking straight at you 2019 !!! 2018 is done and here we go 2019... thank you for teaching me so much 2018 I will never be the same again... the highs & lows the good & the bad it all taught me one thing life is more about living in the present being happy grateful & enjoying what I have worked so hard for... my family has been so amazing they give me strength, my friends as always have stood by me no mater what, the media has been gracious & understanding & my fans have given me the strength needed to fall 7 times & get up 8 because that's life. Promise to be more active & interactive with all of you in the coming year...enjoy the holidays wish u a happy new year everyone be safe & be happy... " (sic). Arjun recently returned from a family trip to Singapore. Arjun, Janhvi, Khushi, Boney and Anshula had gone to Singapore to ring in Anshula's 26th birthday. Arjun had Instagrammed a photo of the family from the trip, with a heartfelt birthday wish to his sister. "Happy birthday Ansh... ur an extension of me, the best part of me & u always shall be the world to me... #happybirthdayanshula #bestsisterever #growinguptoofast," he wrote. On the work front, Arjun Kapoor will next be seen on the big screen in Dibakar Banerjee's 'Sandeep Pinky Aur Faraar' where he will star alongside Parineeti Chopra. MOST READ: Anushka Sharma & Virat Kohli Look Drop Dead Gorgeous As They Ring In New Year Kader Khans Brothers Died At A Young Age Kader Khan was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father is from Kandahar and mother from Pishin (now Balochistan, Pakistan). He had three brothers, who died very young. Kader Khan Lived In Mumbai Slums! The family migrated to India and apparently found a place to live in Mumbai slums. From prostitution to drugs to murder, the actor has seen everything in the filthy slums! His parents got separated and life became hell for him and his mother in those dirty slums. His mother was then forced to marry for the second time. He Used To Sleep On An Empty Stomach In an interview, Kader had revealed that three days a week they used to sleep on an empty stomach. Due to poverty, Kader quit schooling and worked at a local mill like other kids in slums. But it was his mother's advice that made him join school. His Mother Made Him Realise The Importance Of Education She had said, "If you become a daily labourer today, your Rs 3/day will remain the same forever. But remember, if you want to get rid of this poverty, you must educate yourself first." He got enrolled in school and later he graduated from Ismail Yusuf College affiliated to Mumbai University. He did post graduation in civil engineering. Dilip Kumar Noticed The Actor In Him! While he was performing in a play at the Annual Day function of the college, he was noted by actor Dilip Kumar who signed him up for his next film. Kader Was A Professor Before Entering Bollywood Before entering Bollywood, Kader Khan worked as a professor at MH Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai. Apparently, he had a dream of opening an educative organisation where both art and religion would be discussed, but this just remained a dream! Mr Khan Was Wheel-chair Bound, Had Memory Loss & Could Barely Speak! In 2015, he got operated which impaired his mobility. He was wheel-chair bound. There were also reports that he suffered memory loss and could barely speak. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Two thirds of British people want an import ban on 'illegal' food products like foie gras and chlorinated chicken after the UK leaves the EU, a new survey shows. The poll reveals 67% of people want a post-Brexit ban on the import of animal products that are illegal to produce in the UK. For example, traditional foie gras is made from the livers of ducks or geese that have been force-fed. But the RSPCA, which conducted the poll, considers the practice cruel, and current UK laws already prohibit it from being produced domestically. The poll shows that British people are concerned that products like foie gras, and eggs from hens kept in barren battery cages, which were banned in the UK in 2012, still make their way on shelves. Other products like chlorinated chicken and hormone-boosted beef are currently banned from being produced and imported by the EU but there are fears Brexit could open the door to them too. The poll showed 67% of the public want these sorts of products banned from being brought into the country. The move could also be a welcome move for British farmers to ensure that their products are not undercut by lower-welfare imports from abroad. David Bowles, head of Public Affairs at RSPCA said: Ensuring animal products that are imported to the UK at least meet our minimum welfare standards must be a priority not just for animal welfare reasons but also to protect the integrity of UK food and the commercial viability of UK farming. As the EFRA report issued last week concluded, the government must insist on maintaining our higher standards when negotiating new trade agreements so that farmers here are not undercut by cheap, lower-welfare imports. He added: Brexit offers a great opportunity for the UK to strengthen its animal welfare standards. The UK has already forged ahead by banning the production of lower-welfare products such as eggs from hens kept in barren battery cages. Now is the chance to ban them being imported too. Although foie gras has never been produced in the UK on cruelty grounds, around 180 to 200 tons are imported from mainland Europe each year. Sow stalls, which do not allow a pig to turn around or move, were banned in the UK in 1999 but are still used in major pig producing countries such as USA and Australia. Veal calves reared in, for example, Holland can be kept in conditions which would be illegal in the UK although such veal is currently allowed to be imported. Growth promoting hormones used to produce beef, and chicken meat washed with chlorine, are practices currently banned in the EU but some have said Brexit offers opportunities to import these products at a lower cost to the consumer. by Alex Murray | Suns Correspondent | Mon, Dec 31st 6:19pm EST Jae Crowder (thumb) will likely return for Utah's matchup with Toronto on Tuesday. (David Locke on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: Crowder missed the Jazz' game on Saturday but it looks like he'll be able to return to the lineup for a big game with the Raptors on New Year's Day. Check back for confirmation tomorrow. Solera National Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Solera National Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, licensed professionals, and individuals in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposits; and business loan products, such as real estate secured loans, construction loans, small business administration loans, business lines of credit, and equipment financing. It also provides online banking, account analysis, combined account analysis, commercial sweep, remote deposit, ACH origination, payroll direct deposit, merchant, fraud, business debit card, and cash management services. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. Read More He alleged that the Congress was slowing down the judicial process to resolve the Ayodhya issue. New Delhi: In a rare New Year day interview ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday broke his silence on the Ram Temple issue highlighting his governments resolve to go the extra mile on the emotive issue, but cautioned that any decision on passing an executive order (ordinance) on the Ayodhya matter cannot be taken unless the judicial process in the Supreme Court is over. The detailed interview to news agency ANI also offered an opportunity to Mr Modi to present his version on a host of issues, including Rafale jet deal, triple talaq, surgical strikes, mob lynching, anti-corruption fight, note ban, GST, Pakistan talks and his foreign visits, on which he has been targeted by Opposition parties. Apart from presenting a report card of his performance, Mr Modi spared no opportunity to hit out at the Congress for most of the problems confronting the nation today. He also unleashed special punches on the partys first family, a term he uses to refer to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, over their alleged financial irregularities and the resultant bail granted to them by a court. Looking to woo Hindu voters on the Ram Temple issue, considered to be the backbone of the BJPs strategy to win a second term at the Centre, Mr Modi virtually promised an ordinance to ensure that a temple is built at Lord Rams birth place. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts, he said. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution, he added. He alleged that the Congress was slowing down the judicial process to resolve the Ayodhya issue. In the court, Congress (leaders appearing as) lawyers, who are creating obstacles, should stop. Let the judicial process take its own course, the Prime Minister commented. Dont weigh it in political terms... I beseech the Congress, for the sake of national peace and amity, they should stop their lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in court, he added. Responding to Rahul Gandhis attacks on Rafale deal, Mr Modi said, The Congress is weakening security forces by slinging mud at the Central government. I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the countrys security. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. Reaching out to Muslim women, Mr Modi highlighted his governments efforts to enact the law criminalizing triple talaq. It is not a matter of religion, its an issue of gender equality... Even in Pakistan, triple talaq is banned, he said, adding that the instant talaq matter is different from that on womens entry into Sabarimala temple in Kerala as the latter is related to tradition. Brushing aside questions raised about the BJPs prospects following the setback in the Assembly elections in the three heartland states, he said he had faith in the countrys voters. Experts will say all kinds of things, to defend their position and drive their narrative. But we should never underestimate the political understanding of the common man, the Prime Minister noted. Exuding confidence of the BJP emerging victorious in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Modi said, It is janata versus mahagathbandhan, the polls will reflect the publics aspirations. Opposition parties are trying to save each other through gathbandhan. Asked if the 2019 elections were heading towards a US Presidential style of elections between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, he said, I believe this election is going to be a contest between those who fulfil and take forward the aspirations of the people and those who stop these aspirations. There is track record of 70 years to see. The public is the decider. Mindful of the impact of agrarian distress on Lok Sabha elections, Mr Modi said that the only solution to farmers problems is to empower them and his government is committed to it. Attacking the Congress on the issue, he described the farm loan waiver announced by governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as political stunts and asserted that a majority of farmers do not benefit from these misleading announcements as they take loans from money lenders, not banks. The Prime Minister, who had earlier described the farm loan waiver announcements of Congress governments as lollipops, said, To lie and mislead, that is what I called lollipop. Like saying that we have waived all farm loans. The truth is that nothing like that has happened... They should not mislead... And particularly a responsible political party should never do it. These are political stunts, he said. In a sharp attack on the Gandhi family, the Prime Minister said that the first family of the country is out on bail and facing charges of financial irregularities. He added that his government was making all efforts to take action against top leaders of the Congress facing allegations of wrongdoing. The family that was once considered the first family of the country, that ruled the country for four generations, has to walk around on bail, that too on charges of financial irregularities. That is a big thing, the Prime Minister said, responding to a question on perceived inaction of his action against the accused in corruption cases linked to 2G telecom spectrum, Commonwealth Games and the alleged land scam involving Robert Vadra (the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi). Mr Modi said action had been initiated against former finance minister P. Chidambaram and even though he did not believe in political vendetta, action against those involved has begun. Those who have run away after looting people will have to return. Every penny they have taken from the people, they will have to return it back to the people, he said assuring action against fugitives facing cases of wrongdoings. Countering criticism on mob lynching, Mr Modi said, No instance of violence is acceptable to us lynching is condemnable, a blot on civil society. Mr Modi also justified his foreign travel and said, Every Prime Minister had more or less the same number of foreign trips there is not much difference. He also linked his busy foreign schedule to an increase in multi-lateral meetings and events that need to be attended by the countrys Prime Minister. If someone less than the Prime Ministers level goes then your voice is not heard, so it has become essential to go on these trips, Mr Modi said. Elaborating on the controversial exit of former RBI governor Urjit Patel, the Prime Minister said that he had wanted to resign since 6-7 months because of personal reasons. Mr Modi said, He (Mr Patel) wrote to me personally, adding that he had done a good job. The governor himself requested (to resign) because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past six-seven months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally, the Prime Minister said. Mr Patel resigned after months of perceived acrimony between the government and the central bank over issues ranging from liquidity and credit flow to tackling weak banks, which raised concerns about the RBIs independence ahead of general elections this year. Defending the decision of demonetisation, Mr Modi claimed that the sudden move was not a jhatka (shock), as people with black money were warned a year earlier. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily, he said. The Prime Minister elaborated that demonetisation was needed to bring money into the mainstream. There was a parallel economy running before notes ban, which had drained the country from the inside... The currency which used to be kept in sacks has returned to the banking system, he said. The demonetisation decision wasnt taken overnight, the Prime Minister said. The process took a year. It was necessary for the economic health of the country. But yes, when a train changes tracks, it slows down a bit, he said. Post note ban, more people are paying taxes, the Prime Minister added. In a surprise announcement on November 8, 2016, the Prime Minister banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes overnight, leaving 80 per cent of the cash in circulation worthless. The move was aimed at curbing black money and bringing back money into the banking system. NTT DOCOMO, INC., a telecommunications company, provides various mobile services in Japan and internationally. It operates through three segments: Telecommunications Business, Smart Life Business, and Other Businesses. The company offers iPhone, iPad, smartphone, tablet, and feature phone products and services under the docomo name, as well as d POINT CLUB, a point program. It also provides technical and operational services to mobile operators and other companies. In addition, the company offers LTE, FOMA, and FOMA high-speed services; docomo Wi-Fi services; VoLTE voice call services; docomo Hikari, an optical Internet service; and docomo Shop services. Further, it provides optical-fiber broadband, satellite mobile communications, and international services; distributes video, music, and electronic books, etc.; and offers finance/payment services, online shopping service, other life-related services, etc. Additionally, the company engages in the mobile device protection service, commissioned development/sale, system maintenance businesses, etc. As of March 31, 2019, it had 78.45 million cellular subscriptions; and 70.15 million d POINT CLUB memberships. NTT DOCOMO, INC. has collaboration with Tohoku University to research on an artificial-intelligence technology to detect periodontal disease by photographing a person's gums with a smartphone. It also has a mobile payment alliance agreement with Merpay, Inc., LINE Pay Corporation, and KDDI Corporation for merchant stores. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. NTT DOCOMO, INC. is a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation. Read More 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 Luvu Brands, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets various wellness, lifestyle, and casual seating products worldwide. The company offers Liberator Bedroom Adventure Gear, products for sensuality and intimacy. It also provides daybeds, sofas, and beanbags made from virgin and re-purposed polyurethane foam under the Jaxx brand; and medical (PPE, medical isolation gowns, and face masks) and bed therapy products, assistive in relieving medical conditions associated with acid reflux, surgery recovery, and chronic pain under the Avana brand. In addition, the company is involved in the purchase and resale of products to retailers, e-commerce sites, and single retail stores, as well as provision of contract manufacturing and fulfillment services. It markets its products through various websites comprising liberator.com, jaxxliving.com, and avanacomfort.com; and Liberator exhibition and Atlanta stores, as well as through distributors, retailers, and e-tailers across various channels of adult, mass market, drug, and specialty accounts. The company was formerly known as Liberator, Inc. and changed its name to Luvu Brands, Inc. in November 2015. Luvu Brands, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More The JPC, which met on Monday, rejected all the amendments moved by the members of Opposition parties. BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who is a member of the JPC, told reporters that the citizenship bill is not for Assam alone but for the entire country. (Representational Image) Guwahati: Despite the ongoing protest against the citizenship bill in Assam, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 has decided to submit its report to Parliament on January 7. The JPC, which met on Monday, rejected all the amendments moved by the members of Opposition parties. Stating that the JPC would meet on Thursday to finalise the draft report, sources present in the meeting told this newspaper that JPC meeting on Monday saw heated exchanges between some Opposition members and JPC chairman Rajendra Agrawal. The Opposition MPs also recorded their dissent. A few members are expected to submit their written dissent ahead of the January 3 meeting. BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab had moved an amendment proposing that Bangladesh should be kept out of the purview of the bill but it was rejected. The first dissent occurred when the Opposition MPs rejected the chairmans suggestion that they should opt for voice vote. The Opposition demanded that voting should be done by raising of hands, which was subsequently accepted. Sources said the amendments moved by the Opposition MPs were all rejected during voting, barring an amendment moved by Meenakshi Lekhi of the BJP, which was passed by consensus. The BJP MPs amendment was on technical issues, about certain words and phrases. In an interesting development, the Presidents nominee Swapan Dasgupta withdrew his amendments stating that he has received assurances from the government in this regard. Mr Dasguptas amendment proposed removing Assam from the purview of the bill and that the bill was in violation of the Section 6A of the Citizenship Act. The section deals with the cut-off date of 1971 proposed in the Assam Accord and was inserted through an amendment after signing of the Accord. However, Mr Dasgupta was challenged by the Opposition, who demanded a clarification as to who has assured him in this regard. Sources said that Assam MP Bhubaneswar Kalita had an exchange of words with the JPC chairman, when he referred to the two Central notifications of 2015 and demanded that they should be scrapped as they were subordinate legislations and against the principle because legislation is first passed and then subordinate legislations are framed. In this case, the subordinate legislations were first passed by the government in 2015 and were unconstitutional and in violation of the provisions of the Assam Accord. The two notifications, which have also been challenged in the Supreme Court now, include the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015, and The Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015. BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who is a member of the JPC, told reporters that the citizenship bill is not for Assam alone but for the entire country. The vill will have no impact in Assam as some sections have apprehended, he asserted. Big Rock Brewery Inc. produces, markets, and distributes craft beers, ciders, and ready-to-drink beverages primarily in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Wholesale and Retail. It offers a selection of beer, ciders, and RTD beverages under the Big Rock, Tree Brewing, Rock Creek Cider, Dukes Cider, AGD, Shaftbury, Bow Valley, and Cottage Springs brands. The company also provides apparel and accessories, including jackets, headwear, sweaters, glassware, belt buckles, and coolers. It sells its products to provincial liquor boards, grocery chains, on-premise and contract manufacturing customers; and through premises owned and/or operated by the Corporation, Big Rock's website, and third-party delivery services. Big Rock Brewery Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells BMW vehicles and automotive components in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers minibuses under the JinBei, Renault, Haise, Grand Haise, and Granse brands, as well as multi-purpose vehicles under the Huasong brand. Its automotive components include moldings, seats, axles, safety and airbag systems, and interior decoration products, as well as engines for minibuses, sedans, sport utility vehicles, light duty trucks, etc. The company also provides BMW sport activity vehicles. In addition, it offers auto-financing services to customers and dealers. Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited has strategic partnerships and alliances with BMW, Toyota, Magna, Bosch, Continental, Delphi, TI Automotive, and Johnson Controls. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Read More Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut. Read More GREENWICH After the generous holiday season, nonprofit food pantries such as Neighbor to Neighbor in Greenwich see a drop off in donations. To beat the feast-or-famine trend in food donations, Neighbor to Neighbor food drive coordinator Duncan Lawson encourages schools and businesses to use Amp Your Good, an organization that delivers fresh food to the nonprofit whenever it needs to replenish its stock. In addition to giving food, schools and businesses that organized drives through Amp Your Good gave Neighbor to Neighbor an even bigger gift consistent access to fresh produce. That translated into more than 2 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables for area residents in need. Two Greenwich public schools, North Mianus and Parkway Schools, participated in food drives using Amp Your Good. North Mianus purchased more than 4,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables that Lawson estimates will last three to four months, and Parkway donated about 1,300 additional pounds, he said. North Mianus School has partnered with Neighbor to Neighbor for six years, but it switched its food drive four years ago. Now, instead of students bringing in cans and boxes of food, students and their families make their gifts online. At first, I didnt love the idea because I like the kids having the tangible thing, said physical education teacher and organizer Scott Moroney. We lost that hands-on part, which we understand, because its easier for them. Holiday food drives are a boon to the nonprofits, but donations of cans, bottles and boxes of food can be difficult to process. Staff members devote time and energy to picking up food items by the crate and finding room in the pantry for canned food, Lawson said. Fresh food, which is a healthier option that Neighbor to Neighbor wants to give to families, has a short shelf-life and the nonprofit has limited refrigeration space. After the holidays end, donations trail off, and Lawson relies on his annual food budget to keep produce on the menu and get Neighbor to Neighbor through the leaner months. Amp Your Good ensures families have consistent access to fresh food throughout the year, gives Lawson more control over the outcome of food drives and lessens the amount of manpower devoted to picking up, sorting and organizing canned goods, Lawson said. In a traditional canned food drive, many people participate by donating a few items, Lawson said. When schools and businesses switch to online giving, participation may decrease since people enjoy being able to give away something they can touch but money purchases more food overall, Lawson said. The switch required Moroney and his fellow P.E. teacher Pat Prisinzano to find more creative ways of motivating kids to give, but they have found ways to integrate this online food drive into social-emotional learning. We get a chance to teach our kids about healthier choices, Moroney said. Canned stuff is loaded with sodium, so we get to talk about fresh produce. Since parents use their credit cards to make donations, the teachers emphasize giving back and motivate students to give by promising to be slimed or wear dresses. Were in elementary school, but the curriculum is pretty rigorous, and they push these kids, Moroney said. I feel like sometimes what gets lost is that theyre still children. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com Ever wonder what members of Congress get for Christmas? I hope that Rep. 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 Barack 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 Donald 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 Latinos in Congress, 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. ruben@rubennavarrette.com On September 13, Dr Rout was sacked by CM Patnaik for allegedly making anti-party statements. BHUBANESWAR: Dr Damodar Rout, former Cabinet colleague of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, on Tuesday dubbed the latter as a thief and dared the CM to take action against him. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has shunted out many of his ministerial colleagues branding them as thieves. But I was shunted out his council of ministers when I dubbed him as a thief, Dr Rout told reporters here. The outspoken septuagenarian politician said when he ordered for some major scams in which some top officials were informed, a powerful bureaucrat close to the CM minister conspired to oust him from the council of ministers and he was successful in his mission. On September 13, Dr Rout was sacked by CM Patnaik for allegedly making anti-party statements. The veteran politician who was also a close associate of Biju Patnaik, Mr Patnaiks father, has vowed to unseat the BJD government in the coming Assembly elections. This government headed by Naveen Patnaik is thoroughly corrupt. Chit fund scam and mining scam are the glaring examples the encouragement and patronisation extended by the present government to the dishonest people. My ultimate aim is to dislodge the government at any cost, Dr Rout declared. Reacting to Dr Routs remark, BJD leader Ashok Panda said the former minister had no ability to cause any harm to his party (BJD). For the new year, critics of President Donald Trump should resolve not to be intimidated by the potential wrath of his vaunted political base. The only one who should cower before the Make America Great Again legions is Trump himself. And he does fear them. Bigly. The latest illustration is the way he chickened out on a bipartisan agreement to keep the government fully funded, instead forcing a partial shutdown over chump change for the wall. I use quotation marks because there never was going to be an actual, physical, continuous wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, much less paid for by the Mexican government. The president is desperately trying to avoid acknowledging this and other realities before the 2020 election. Anyone who thinks Trump is a master politician is wrong. Hes a master illusionist, which isnt the same thing. Politicians cant keep pulling rabbits out of empty hats forever. At some point they face a reckoning, and Trumps is well underway. Trump is talented at making it appear he has more than he really does more money, more respect, more support. All those campaign rallies before the midterm election were not just an attempt to save the Republican majorities in Congress or feed Trumps insatiable ego. They were also demonstrations of the fervor of his core supporters and implied warnings to Republicans who might cross him. Trump tries to project an image of immense strength. But it turns out that the man who made Youre fired! a television catchphrase cant summon the nerve to actually dismiss anyone in person. Trumps bluster camouflages great weakness. Look at his political standing. Trump won the presidency with 46 percent of the popular vote. (Thats compared to 48 percent for Hillary Clinton, but whos counting?) His margin in the Electoral College, which he tries to portray as a great landslide, was actually quite puny smaller than either of Barack Obamas, either of Bill Clintons, George H.W. Bushs or either of Ronald Reagans. Trump did have a bigger electoral margin than George W. Bush ever managed to win. But only Trump has the unflattering distinction of winning a presidential election while losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million. No matter. A skilled politician would seek to expand his base of support. But according to Gallup, Trumps approval has been underwater since the day he took office never once reaching higher than 45 percent and now stands at 39 percent. Does that apples-to-oranges comparison of vote percentage and approval rating really mean that Trump has lost significant support? Not necessarily until you also take into account the results of the midterm election, which can only be read as a massive repudiation of Trump and all he stands for. Democrats captured the House, defended all but two of their imperiled senators, and grabbed governorships and state legislatures across the country. The Democratic Partys House popular-vote margin was the biggest ever seen in a midterm. So much for the ethno-nationalist-populist wave that Trump is supposed to be surfing. It is a mistake to underestimate Trumps base or to suggest that all the issues he raises are, because he raises them, invalid. There are legitimate reasons, for example, to want to ensure border security. But racism is not one of them; and a useless wall, meant to symbolize rejection of a brown-skinned invasion, is not an actual solution. The fact is that Trump touched a nerve that was already inflamed. Race, ethnicity, cultural heritage, economic dislocation, opioid addiction, the effects of free trade, the impact of robotics all these issues were out there already, and a lot of people believed our elected officials werent dealing with them adequately. Trump hasnt a clue about what to do or how to do it. But he knows how to poke and prod; he knows how to rile people up and sell them red hats. If his core, unshakable base of support is, say, around 35 percent, then he almost surely would lose a re-election bid in 2020. I say almost because we dont know whom the Democrats will run against him or whether there will be a significant independent or third-party challenger; and I say would because we cant be entirely sure that Trump will run again. For now, he may be calculating that 35 percent is enough to keep the GOP-led Senate from removing him from office in the event that the House finds compelling grounds to impeach him. What keeps him from compromising isnt principle or determination. Its simple fear. eugenerobinson@washpost.com Vatican Media As we prepare to pivot from 2018 to 2019 in an atmosphere of uncertainty, anxiety and worry about whats next in the political and economic spheres, I came across a book in my library that I had forgotten having purchased: John ODonohues To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. This writer from Conamara, Ireland, who is immensely popular across the globe, offers seven areas in which he believes blessings can be beneficial, if not healing. In a dark time and in a landscape littered with confusion and outright cruelty and intolerance, what he writes in the introduction felt to me like a soft light penetrating the darkness of divisiveness. He writes: The word blessing evokes a sense of warmth and protection; it suggests that no life is alone or unreachable. Each life is clothed in raiment of spirit that secretly links it to everything else. President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria is already having unintended consequences. The U.S. departure could lead to the release of 1,100 Islamic State fighters now held in detention camps in northeastern Syria creating a dangerous new terrorist threat to the West. The Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF the Kurdish and Arab proxy forces whom the United States armed and trained to fight the Islamic State do not have the capacity to guard and feed so many terrorists without U.S. support. And the Washington Post reports that their home countries are refusing to repatriate their citizens, citing the risk that they would spread radical ideology or perhaps carry out attacks back home. If the SDF is abandoned by its U.S. patrons, it might have no choice but to release them. How much damage could these terrorists cause? To put it in perspective, the Islamic State had only about 700 fighters left when President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 yet from that tiny nucleus, the Islamic State grew into the worlds largest, most powerful terrorist network, until Trump unleashed our military to beat the group back. Imagine what destruction an influx of 1,100 terrorists into the global ecosystem could wreak. The Islamic State detainees hail from 32 countries, including many believed to be from Europe. As a Syrian Kurdish foreign affairs official noted, the U.S. withdrawal would create a security vacuum that these criminals could exploit to escape and pose a danger to all of us, adding that they could make their way back to their home countries and carry out bombings. The optimal solution would be for Trump to reconsider his withdrawal plan so that we can keep these detainees in Syria under the watchful eye of U.S. intelligence and special forces. But there is also another possible solution one that would help the president keep another campaign promise: Send them to Guantanamo Bay. In January, Trump issued an executive order that authorized the U.S. military and intelligence community to transport additional detainees to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay when lawful and necessary to protect the Nation. During his State of the Union address, Trump asked Congress to ensure that, in the fight against ISIS and al-Qaida, we continue to have all the necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them. And in many cases for them it will now be Guantanamo Bay. In March, Congress responded by approving more than $200 million in new construction for Guantanamo Bay as part of the omnibus spending bill. And this spring, the Pentagon formally authorized the station to receive new detainees who pose a continuing, significant threat. There is little doubt that a number of the Islamic State fighters now held in Syria would make excellent candidates for detention at Guantanamo Bay. Trump should order the intelligence community to conduct a threat assessment for each of the detainees to see which ones would qualify for transfer. No doubt, a decision to move some of the prisoners from Syria to Guantanamo would create an uproar in Europe particularly from countries whose citizens would be transferred. These would be the very same countries currently refusing to take custody of their citizens who went to fight for the Islamic State. Trump should give any complaining countries an ultimatum: Either take your nationals back, or they are headed to Guantanamo. Transfer to Guantanamo is a less than optimal solution, because right now high-value detainees held on the battlefield in Syria do not have access to lawyers and cannot challenge their detentions in court which means they can be effectively interrogated for intelligence purposes. But once transferred to Guantanamo, they would immediately get lawyers and the right of habeas corpus which dramatically reduces their intelligence value. Instead of transferring these terrorists, we should keep them where they are and continue supporting the SDF until the estimated 30,000 Islamic State fighters still at large in Iraq or Syria are all killed or captured. The Islamic State is not defeated not by a long shot. But this much is clear: We cannot allow more than a thousand dangerous terrorists to be released into the world so that they can return to the fight. They must be kept off the battlefield. Better to keep them in Syria than in Guantanamo, to be sure. But better to keep them in Guantanamo than release them to carry out jihad against the West. @marcthiessen Heres one New Years resolution that should be easy: The United States and North Korea should resume the diplomatic progress they began in 2018 toward peace and denuclearization. Its a measure of this years turbulent pace that the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un just six months ago now seems a distant memory. The promise of that meeting disappeared soon after it took place, in a stalemate that led many analysts to question whether Kim had ever been serious about giving up nuclear weapons. Perhaps the North Korean opening will turn out to be a hoax, as critics have argued, but its too soon to make that judgment. The priority for now should be to transform the promises made in Singapore into verifiable steps toward complete denuclearization and a lasting and stable peace regime. The Trump administration has been sending the right signals lately. Stephen Biegun, the special representative for North Korea, offered a small but symbolic concession on Dec. 19 in Seoul, when he said that Washington would review its ban on American travel to North Korea. Trump amplified the positive message with a Dec. 24 tweet that showed him with Biegun and National Security Council aide Allison Hooker: Christmas Eve briefing with my team working on North Korea Progress being made. Looking forward to my next summit with Chairman Kim! Trumps offer to meet again with Kim is one of the puzzle pieces for 2019. Counting on it is how Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the planned second summit in a Dec. 20 interview with NPRs Steve Inskeep. The administrations recent gestures are clearly meant to coax a reciprocal response from Kim. For months, Washington has been waiting for a clear road map toward denuclearization; without it, a second installment of the showy Singapore-style summitry may backfire. Recent North Korean statements have stressed that, in North Koreas view, the Singapore communiques commitment to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula doesnt just refer to the Norths weapons, but to U.S. weapons that could threaten Pyongyang. Domestic support for the Singapore framework matters now, when Democrats are about to take control of the House and Trumps broader foreign policy is under fire. Skepticism about Kims promises is certainly warranted, given the diplomatic gridlock since Singapore. But even Trumps sharpest critics should agree that backsliding into military confrontation would be a mistake. How do you build a floor under the accomplishments that have been made so far, so that they arent washed away? asks Robert Carlin, a former CIA and State Department analyst who has visited North Korea more than two dozen times. He fears that the commitments Trump and Kim made in Singapore could collapse as quickly as did the Clinton administrations 1994 Agreed Framework with North Korea, after Republicans gained the White House in 2001. What needs to be preserved, above all, is the halt in North Korean nuclear and missile testing. Pompeo highlighted this centerpiece in the NPR interview: Theyre not firing rockets. Theyre not conducting nuclear tests. Any resumption of North Korean testing could have disastrous results. Impatience and bombast have been hallmarks of Trumps foreign policy. But he evidently views the diplomatic opening with North Korea as a win for his presidency, and hes willing to wait on the details. As Pompeo put it to NPR, people shouldnt expect instant pudding. But at some point, the pudding needs to harden, or it will just be mush. Trump got many things wrong in foreign policy this past year. But he made the right start on North Korea, and sensible people should hope that his dialogue with Kim will deepen into a real transformation of the Korean Peninsula. davidignatius@washpost.com The only way to deal with Donald Trump is to not do deals with Donald Trump. The private sector has learned this; when will Congress? For his entire career, our deal-maker in chief has relied on a not-so-secret technique for extracting supposedly good deals: He agrees to a given set of terms and then, at the last minute, reneges on them. He has done this to small businesses around the country, refusing to pay for cabinetry, catering, real estate commissions, and other goods and services after theyve been delivered. His companies have also filed for bankruptcy six times, helping him wriggle out of bills. Given this reputation, its hardly surprising that vendors and lenders alike ultimately learned it was wiser not to do business with him at all rather than count on him to keep his word. During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised that hed run government like a business, and in this respect among others he has. Multiple times since taking office, after agreeing to a deal, he has changed his mind at the very last minute. Hes done this with dreamers, China tariffs, a Group of Seven communique, budgets. As Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., put it earlier this year, during the lead-up to the last government shutdown, Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O. Which is to say: Trump doesnt know what he wants, only that he doesnt want whatever he has committed to. Trump illustrated this yet again in the run-up to the latest shutdown. Initially, Trump signaled that hed sign a stopgap funding bill that would have kept the government open until early February. To be clear, kicking the can down the road for another seven weeks is not exactly a sign of responsible governance. But if youre a Republican, it seemed shrewd politically. The majorities of both houses of Congress have an interest in looking at least semifunctional. Which is why Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., decided to endorse this stopgap bill and delay a more substantial funding battle until after Democrats take over the House this week. Then at least Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the likely incoming House speaker, could be scapegoated for any shutdown-related embarrassment. Accordingly, the Senate passed the temporary funding measure, by voice vote, on Dec. 19. The House was expected to vote on it the following day, and the bill was anticipated to sail through with broad support in both parties. Then Trump did what he always does: He suddenly changed his mind. Egged on by Fox News and Ann Coulter, he announced he was torpedoing any funding bill including this pitiful temporary measure unless it included money for his precious border wall. And so outgoing Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., decided not to bring the Senate-passed version of the funding bill to the floor at all. Its precisely this sort of flip-flopping and the cowardly congressional accommodation of said flip-flopping that is slowly fraying the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. We then got stuck in an indefinite government shutdown. What will a new congressional session bring? Maybe the Trump administration will find ways to preserve many of the Obamacare provisions that the public loves, despite refusing to defend them in court; maybe not. Both the North American Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA 2.0 remain in limbo, as do the steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico that Trump promised to repeal once a deal was signed. Same with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Cold War-era arms-control agreement. And so on. Trump has managed to convince himself, and his base, that hes a brilliant negotiator, smarter than all the experts including his Federal Reserve chairman, the many minions tasked with negotiating and renegotiating trade deals, his secretaries of state, defense or treasury, or really all of the best people he has selected to work for him. His gut tells him more than anybody elses brain can ever tell him, he maintains. But his gut seems to have a perpetual case of indigestion, given how often it flips. The real question is why congressional leaders, including Ryan, repeatedly cave to Trumps latest tweets and fleeting fancies instead of writing him off as the flake that he is. Why not at least try to whip the veto-proof votes for a budget, really for any piece of legislation necessary to simply govern without him? The only thing you can rely on Trump for is unreliability. crampell@washpost.com Barely four hours into the new year and homicide detectives with the San Antonio Police Department were already investigating the first fatal shooting of 2019. According to a preliminary report, a 6-foot male wearing a hoodie with his face covered by a mask and armed with a handgun walked into the 7-11 at 7930 Callaghan Road about 4:38 a.m. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Officers say when they arrived at the location they discovered one of the clerks collapsed on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds and several customers attempting to help him. The report did not detail the events of the shooting but lists the clerk, who later died at University Hospital, as a victim of an apparent robbery. The suspect fled the store and is currently at large. When caught, he faces a charge of capital murder, according to the report. The identity of the clerk is pending notification of family. Police responded to two other shootings earlier Tuesday morning. The first was on the 4300 block of Jarbet Drive, on the East Side, about 12:39 a.m. where they say a disturbance resulted in a male in his 20s being shot in the ankle. Police did not have any other information on this shooting at this time other than that the victim was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in stable condition. About 3:41 a.m., across town on the 300 block of Groff Avenue, a teenage male was transported to University Hospital after being shot in his knee, police said. Officers at the scene say two men in their 20s were looking for a female when they were told to leave by another group of people. The two suspects then began shooting before fleeing, police said. The suspects remain at large. An armed, masked former Marine who was arrested Sunday in Seguin and told police he was on his way to church to fulfill a prophecy thought he was 240 miles away in Vidor at the time, authorities said. Tony Dwayne Albert II, 33, of Houston, told investigators he was headed to the First Baptist Church in Vidor, on the outskirts of Beaumont, police revealed Monday. Police are still trying to determine why Albert thought he was in Vidor and what ties he has there, if any. Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll said we cannot connect him to Vidor at this time. This guy has a long history of mental illness, Carroll added. On ExpressNews.com: Man was on his way to fulfill a prophecy, police said When he was arrested in Seguin, Albert was carrying a 9 millimeter Smith & Wesson M&P pistol that had been stolen from a residence in Vidor, police said. It was unclear whether Albert committed the burglary or obtained the gun later, police said. The drama surrounding Albert began shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday, when he was spotted carrying the pistol and wearing cargo pants, military-style boots and a green T-shirt near the intersection of West Kingsbury and West Court streets in Seguin. His gun was loaded, and he was carrying a magazine with extra ammunition, police said. He also had on a white surgical mask with a white T-shirt wrapped around his head, Officer Tanya Brown, a spokeswoman for the Seguin Police Department, said Monday. An unnamed citizen noticed Alberts odd attire and called police. An off-duty officer who was on her way home from work heard the call on the radio and was the first to respond. Albert was booked into the Guadalupe County Detention Center on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of marijuana. He is being held on a $100,000 bond, records show. Brown said its unclear what Alberts intentions were or what he meant by his statement about fulfilling a prophecy. Its easy to jump to conclusions in light of recent armed attacks on places of worship, Brown said. On Oct. 27, a gunman killed 11 people in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nearly a year earlier, a former airman killed 26 people and wounded 20 during a Sunday service at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, 30 miles southeast of San Antonio the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history. Thats where our minds immediately went, Brown said. On Sunday, Seguin police withheld from the news media the location of the church where Albert told them he was headed. They said they wanted to alert authorities in Vidor first. Carroll said his department was notified about Alberts comments around 4 p.m. Sunday and immediately alerted the First Baptist Church of Vidor. Services were over by then, he said. The churchs pastor did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. Albert has been arrested seven times, mostly in Houston, on various charges dating to 2009. He was convicted in five of those cases: for driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana under 2 ounces, attempting to elude a police officer, attempting to disarm a police officer and, most recently, assault of a family member causing bodily injury. In the assault case, Albert was arrested in March 2017 after he struck a woman with whom he was living. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. Because he had a domestic violence conviction, Albert would be prohibited by federal law from owning, purchasing or possessing a firearm. He is currently on probation for attempting to disarm a police officer. The case was handled in Harris County Veterans Court, a specialty court designed to increase access to mental health and addiction treatment for veterans. As a condition of his probation, Albert entered a residential substance abuse treatment center in Humble for individuals with mental health issues and substance abuse history, court records show. He successfully completed the Dual Diagnosis Residential Program and was released, records show. In December 2017, Albert was jailed for violating terms of his probation, apparently by using marijuana. In a court filing a month later, Albert sought to justify his marijuana use by tying it to a stated religious conviction regarding the usage of cannabis. He wrote that he was associated with the First Church of Cannabis, a religious organization that contends marijuana is a healing plant. This affiliation is generally a very private and secretive one as the desire of we affiliates is to separate ourselves from recreational cannabis users who continue to pervert the usage of our sacrament, Albert wrote. Bill Levin, founder of the Indiana-based First Church of Cannabis, said he did not know Albert and did not believe him to be a dues-paying member of the organization. In the court filing, Albert also said he was associated with Messianic Judaism, a modern religious movement that combines Christianity with elements of Judaism. Athill Muhammad, a Houston lawyer who represented Albert in two of his criminal cases, described him as a fine, upstanding man who had been honorably discharged from the military. Police are uncertain how Albert got to Seguin on Sunday. State motor vehicle records indicate that he owns a car, but police did not find one in Seguin. The Texas Rangers, the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Guadalupe County District Attorneys Office are assisting with the investigation. Staff Writers Keri Blakinger and Samantha Ketterer contributed to this report. | 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 Tamira Thayne's ."Untethered." Me (left) and Bonnie Plafke, who came to hang out with me during testing in Florida. Update, Christmas 2018: My wonderful friend, Bonnie Plafke, is still in search of an O Blood Type kidney donor. A big thank you to those who have also undergone testing since our first post, only to be denied for one reason for another. I join Bonnie in sending out a big THANK YOU for trying on her behalf! Would you please continue to spread the word about Bonnies need for a donor, and contact Bonnie at 954-638-9943 or plafke@comcast.net if you can help? Thank YOU! Original Blog Post, From July, 2018: It is with a sad heart that I report today on my efforts to be a kidney donor for my animal rescue friend Bonnie Plafke. In initial testing, our blood matched well, so I flew to Florida last month for two days The agency is also probing the public servants proximity with Brajesh Thakur. New Delhi: The CBI, investigating the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur (Bihar), is set to approach the competent court for permission to conduct a lie detector test on two close aides of prime accused Brajesh Thakur. Sources said, Two accused are giving conflicting statements during interrogation. The agency may conduct a lie detector test on them. The agency will first need to seek their consent as legal provisions entail that such a test cannot be conducted without the permission of the person concerned. After that the CBI will approach the competent court for the same, sources clarified. The agency is also preparing to question four senior officials of the social welfare department of the state government for their alleged role in releasing funds to the accused NGO. The agency is also probing the public servants proximity with Brajesh Thakur. It is suspected that four senior public servants of the revenue department of the state government played a crucial role in releasing funds to the NGO belonging to Thakur. They will soon be called for questioning. The sexual abuse of 34 girls in the state government-funded shelter home, allegedly linked to Thakur, came to light after a social audit was conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. After the incident came to light, an FIR was registered by the Bihar social welfare department and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested. Following an outcry, the Nitish Kumar government handed over the probe to the CBI. His social welfare minister Manju Verma had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June. Southern Californians can celebrate a "White Christmas" on the 25thholiday this month in the run up to for the Rose Parade. You can play the Drifters animation while you open gifts thanks to technology and Joshua Held. Christmas is a time for music, family, prayer, and SNOW! (at least this year). It's a teachable moment to use new gear and to have fun making new memories that will last a lifetime. Last night Christmas Eve, in Canada's Great Hall on Q, "Beverly Hills was a reason to miss home in the North", while White Christmas'sunifying lyrics are still associated with Bette Midler they resounded on the radio while rain fell at 11pm. This morning there will be snow on LA's surrounding mountaintops. Snowflakes can become an event to study water (hydrology): With rims of white tips revealed in the morning light, there will be a 2018 white Christmas morning ringing the greater So Cal valleys. This makes today a perfect opportunity that when the presents, services and celebration are done to put several hearts and minds together to figure out how everyone can see the snow from home and stay dry and warm using Google Maps together to see the beautiful system we live within. With computers and smart phones families or junior scientists can look at the big picture of the mountain range and cities with GIS and read a story to children that will explain our shared water cycle and the mountains are part of our precious geological system that will result in a new layer of our state snow pack. Scientific American to National Geographic have their place, but today is a day kids can make science, stories, meaning making and studies memorable. With a new book released on the web by GLOBE Elementary, it could make the afternoon or tomorrow exciting to explore hydrology whether with Grandparents, family exploring science at home, or in the near future recreationally, at school or in a park (see the free NASA Earth Observer app). While the December weather has been rotating between 70 degrees and now 30 or below with the snow, it will be an exciting Christmas day with white mountains, presents, and fun with friends with beautiful views of mountains that with new tools despite the holiday traffic or the shutdown can seen, studied, and explored using smart phones, tablets or cpus. The carols we see the world newly, but this can bridge to media, to studies, and to the weather. Water awareness during weather variation (Snow) can become a source of state and local water reserves, but rich with new vocabulary, the start of regional climate knowledge, and comprehension of the forces in our geographic areas now impacted by urban and rural changes. Wind, water, and wildfires can become events to comprehend forces, elements, and complexities that lead to good choices during emergencies or debris mudslides, drought, heat and cold that we now call extreme weather. GLOBE and Earth Observation through community hubs for learning or your computer and phone: For kids and adults, GLOBE is a great way to learn about the world we live in. You can add Science and IT to holidays, walks or classrooms. A common wireless phone can become a supporting tool for student achievement, for example students will be using digital tablets and sensors in STEM/STEAM explorations. Whether in Scrabble, or storybooks, or through wandering a browser on the web, surely water saving and energy can enter the discussion for peace on Earth and good will towards others because wealth, ease and opportunity come from the planning of water use locally and the integration of California studies with hand held technologies that show us a greater picture of the place we live. The app and tools make water conservation, weather and energy understandable and show us the synergy of city and countryside that supports our populations. Whether later this January you will want to read more, the books are online in English, Spanish, German, French and the water cycle map in 35 languages. For more information about helping New Education Options reach more teachers, create STEM jobs, or to underwrite supportive childcare services and home school programs with individual tutoring in the San Fernando Valley, write us at 14431 Ventura Blvd. #312, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Our goal to help wildfire families through providing childcare scholarships with the funds we raise before the year ends at the Billy Blanks Sweat Club at Califa and Desoto by raising funds for 60 places and start our capacity building campaign for after school or day programs and our research classroom programs. Systems thinking through songs to science: Cities, industries, crops, and homes have risen up from the rich resources of our mountains and valleys. The California Tartan and the Sierra Club tout our landscapes beauty. It's easier to protect our natural systems and resources for ourselves and future generations if we understand them, celebrate their cycles, and participate in seeing their changes using big data and taking a deeper look. Songs remind us of what we value and where we dream to go. They also invigorate, give us courage, and encouragement to believe in our dreams. You can head to the snow in place this holiday making anything possible for young students this holiday including joining the Trees across the GLOBE or Urban Heat campaigns. Plant a seed by reading aloud the book and discussing it. Summary/Background/News about learning technology and innovations: New Education Options is working with kids understand citizen science. Consider trying it yourself, it's at your fingertips. AND watch for our upcoming blog, vlog and articles working with students, teachers, scientists, and artists, coming soon through PASCO Scientific (PASCO.com). You can call us for student programs or help us to raise funds to acquire a traveling classroom in Woodland Hills at 818-742-5099. We welcome volunteers for tree and hedge projects or Scrabble fundraisers and for capital donations that are tax exempt before tax time this holiday. Santa and the reindeer, snowmen and songs were never so able to explain the green, white, high color trees, and berries we'll see this morning"Ho, ho, ho"have a great, happy and safe holiday. Bette Midler's White ChristmasCover Lyrics used in Canadathe West Coast from North to Southone watershed: http://www.metrolyrics.com/white-christmas-lyrics-bette-midler.html William Elliott's All Hearts are Home for Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwLqzTQL6U8 Kulak's Woodshed writers and Steve Schalchlin using music to help animals via the Rescue Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s_PpJciJtM New Snow Storybook (first book about Climate): https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/climate https://sciencenode.org/feature/climate-science-storybook.php https://www.climate.gov/teaching/professional-development/sharing-climate-story-young-learners-through-elementary-globe Maps and Data: https://www.climate.gov/maps-data Portal for Teachers: https://www.climate.gov/teaching Handheld with EOS (Nasa Earth Observer): https://observer.globe.gov https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app Storytelling with Data: https://www.tableau.com/asset/data-storytelling-using-visualization-share-human-impact-numbers?utm_campaign=Retargeting-CORE-ALL-ALL-ALL-ALL&utm_medium=Display&utm_source=Google+Display&utm_campaign_id=2017049&utm_language=EN&utm_country=USCA&kw=%7Bkeyword%7D&adgroup=WEB-All+Other&adused=%7Bcreative%7D&matchtype=%7Bmatchtype%7D&placement=%7Bplacement%7D&creative=c18viz-redline&dclid=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg4-XiMO63wIVjKdpCh2y_A9lEAEYASAAEgKcpfD_BwE Landcover from space and weather that causes disease or helps crops: https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/12mar_disease https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-26/all-the-things-satellites-can-now-see-from-space CBC Christmas Eve on CBC, Finale on Q, White Christmaswith pre-chorus on Beverly Hills from the Great Hall: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/ Thank you for helping us remember to feel our thoughts and dreams through songs, words, stories, and charactersin a time where we need to replant, conserve, restore and renew the Californian dream into the inheritance of tomorrow for all of us: https://yipharburg.com The 10 states each with the largest number of residents with a traditional long-term care insurance policy was reported today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. "Millions of Americans have planned for the very real risk of one day needing long-term care," explains Jesse Slome, director of the long-term care insurance association. "They have purchased a traditional long-term care insurance plan on an individual basis or when it was offered through their group employee benefits program." The Association shared the latest state-by-state data on the number of individuals who have long-term care insurance policies. "The data comes from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners annual study which only looks at traditional LTCi plans," Slome noted. "Over the past few years, far more individuals have opted for linked-benefit plans that combine a life insurance or annuity policy with one that may also provide payouts for qualifying long-term care expenses." The 10 largest states based on 2017 policyholders include: California (634,572) Texas (443,963) New York (408,354) Florida (341,816) Illinois (332,446) Pennsylvania (265,239) Virginia (246,281) Ohio (243,181) New Jersey (218,164) Minnesota (216,012) "Most of the states reported nominal declines in the number of individuals with coverage," Slome pointed out. "Only Kansas and Nevada reported year-over-year increases." Some eight million Americans have some form of long-term care insurance protection according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. "I tell people that long-term care is a real risk that faces all Americans but insurance is an option for a specific segment of the U.S. population," Slome shares. "You have to be someone who believes in planning. You have to be able to health-qualify for this protection and you have to be able to afford the premiums which generally range from about $100-monthly when you apply in your mid-50s to twice that if you wait until your 60s." The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocates for the importance of long-term care planning and helps consumers connect with knowledgeable professionals who are independent advisors. Consumers looking for local long-term care insurance agents or cost comparisons should visit the Association's website at www.aaltci.org or can call the organization's national headquarters at 818-597-3227. LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 3, 2019) -- In an editorial published in CNS Spectrums, Jay Avasarala, MD, PhD, takes the research community to task for its lack of minority representation in Phase III clinical trials for drugs to treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Noting that the disease course of MS in African American (AA) patients is more aggressive, he urged researchers to make more effort to stave off the persistent slide in minority representation, which he believes skews efficacy and disability data and prevents physicians' ability to extrapolate whether drugs are effective in these populations. "The MS phenotype in the African American patient is an ideal model to study drug efficacy since the disease follows a rapidly disabling course," he wrote. "AA MS patients admitted to US nursing homes are six years younger but more disabled compared to Caucasian American (CA) patients with MS. Since phenotypes between CA and AA can be clinically distinct, it is remarkable that not a single study has compared how drugs perform in such diverse groups." According to Avasarala, a neurologist specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and neuroimmunology at UK HealthCare's Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, minority recruitment for clinical trials for MS drugs has declined from 7.7% in 2002 to about 2% in 2013. In 2014, the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) launched the Drug Trials Snapshots initiative that endeavored to increase minority representation in drug trials and improve public transparency by providing drug trial data online. While Avasarala acknowledges that the initiative was a good first step, he emphasizes that it does not require drug package inserts to include efficacy data from minority populations, making it difficult for prescribing physicians to determine whether the drug will help patients from minority ethnicities. In the editorial, Avasarala proposed several changes to help spur minority recruitment, which will in turn improve the quality of data for minority populations and make it easier for physicians to treat their AA patients. "First, I believe we should require pharmaceutical companies to collect post-marketing data in all minority groups who receive FDA-approved drugs for management of MS and classify responsiveness based on ethnicity," he said, noting that the FDA has required manufacturers to provide post-marketing data on drug safety for many years. Avasarala also advocates for a requirement that package labelling include efficacy data from minority populations and that no publication should accept study data without a clarifying statement that acknowledges the lack of sufficient data to make reasonable conclusions in non-Caucasian minorities. Since the 1970's, science has documented that MS among African Americans is clinically distinct in its progression and presentation, according to Avasarala, but research into treatments that address their particular phenotype has not kept pace. "The scientific community has published reams of data , but all that matters to a patient is, 'OK, doc, how can you treat me?' "What drugs would you recommend?" And we fall short for African Americans, because we simply don't have the data." "I feel powerless to help them. There needs to be a change. And change ought to begin in the form of a policy shift." Avasarala states that his research at UK HealthCare will focus on the translational aspects of MS, datamining, the application of retinal imaging techniques to advance disease diagnosis, and studying in vitro blood-brain barrier models to facilitate drug transportation. ### CNS Spectrums, published by Cambridge University Press in association with the Neuroscience Education Institute, covers all aspects of the clinical neurosciences, neurotherapeutics, and neuropsychopharmacology, particularly those pertinent to the clinician and clinician investigator. Turkey: Terrorists cannot be allies of US YPG/ PKK terrorists in Syria can not be US' allies, Erdogan's aide says after US Senator terms them 'Kurdish allies' YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria cannot be allies of the U.S., Turkey's presidential spokesman said on Monday after U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called them "Kurdish allies". "KURDISH ALLIES" "Dear @LindseyGrahamSC You know and have stated publicly more than anyone else the direct link between the terrorist PKK and its Syria branches PYD & YPG," Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter. He added: "Terrorists cannot be your allies. Just as ISIS [Daesh] doesnt represent Muslims, PKK doesnt represent Kurds in Syria or elsewhere." Kalin's remarks come a day after Graham dubbed terrorists in Syria "Kurdish allies" of the U.S. Graham tweeted: "I learned a lot from President @realDonaldTrump about our efforts in Syria that was reassuring. "The President will make sure any withdrawal from Syria will be done in a fashion to ensure: ISIS is permanently destroyed, Iran doesnt fill in the back end, and our Kurdish allies are protected. "President @realDonaldTrump is talking with our commanders and working with our allies to make sure these three objectives are met as we implement the withdrawal. U.S. troops in Syria have been cooperating with the YPG/PKK to fight Daesh, against Turkeys objections that using one terror group to fight another makes no sense. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG/PYD is its Syrian branch. Trump's new command According to New York Times, US President Donald Trump agrees to give the military about four months to withdraw the 2,000 United States troops in Syria. President Donald Trump signaled Monday the U.S. is slowing its withdrawal of 2,000 troops stationed in Syria. The announcement appears to be at odds with Trump's original declaration in which he vowed an immediate removal of U.S. forces from Syria and the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group. But the new timeline for the U.S. exit remains unclear. TRUMP GAVE HIS TROOPS FOUR MONTHS But according to The New York Times, Trump has agreed to give the military about four months to withdraw the 2,000 United States troops in Syria. "ISIS is mostly gone, were slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants," Trump said on Twitter, using another name for Daesh. GRAHAM ANNOUNCED WITHDRAWAL Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally but fierce critic of the announced withdrawal, said after having lunch with the president Sunday he thinks "we're slowing things down in a smart way. "I think we're in a pause situation where we are reevaluating what's the best way to achieve the President's objective of having people pay more and do more," he said. Graham has been one of a number of Republican critics of the planned withdrawal, arguing that it would embolden the Syrian regime and its main allies -- Russia and Iran, while undermining the fight against Daesh. TRUMP DEFENDED HIS DECISION Trump staunchly defended his decision in a series of tweets in which he took aim at his critics. "I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working. Just doing what I said I was going to do!" the president said. Trump did not specify which generals he was referring to but his outgoing defense secretary, Marine Corps General James Mattis, resigned following the withdrawal announcement, issuing a barbed resignation letter in the process. Navy officials said the search operations will be feasible when the water level comes down. Guwahati: A joint team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Navy and the Odisha Fire Service on Monday completed the survey of rat-hole mine and decided to send Navy divers once again into the flooded 370 feet-deep illegal coal mine in east Jaintia Hills where 15 miners are trapped since December 13. The Navy divers, who went inside the mine at 3 pm and came out at 6 pm on Sunday, reported that the shaft was too deep and dark, and while the water level was at 150 feet, they could dive only till 90 feet, officials said. Navy officials said the search operations will be feasible when the water level comes down. The site was cleared for the Odisha Fire Service rescue team to start pumping water from the main shaft. The other shafts nearby are being prepared to enable the Odisha Fire Service to operate the pumping. Saying despite the poor visibility, one rat-hole was also found with coal at its mouth as an underwater remotely-operated vehicle found that there are some wooden structure inside and coal lying beneath, the rescue operations spokesperson R. Susgni said: Divers of the Indian Navy have entered the coal mines main shaft to survey the bottom of the sheet using the underwater remotely-operated vehicle. Mr Susgni said: We are carrying out these safety measures to rule out decompression sickness of the divers. The Navy has also requested the district administration to assist in de-watering so that it comes down to 30 meters, or within the safe diving limit. One Coal India 100 horsepower pump also reached the accident site, but it may take at least two days to get it operational due to logistics issues, sources said. Saying the rescue team had also interacted with five survivors who narrowly escaped the flooding coal mine, sources said one of the miners, Sahib Ali from Assam, told the rescue team there was no way the trapped miners would come out alive. The rescuers, who do not have any map of the rat-hole mine, have been trying to find out the exact location of miners inside the tunnel. (Photo: Peter Kenny)Wesley Granberg-Michaelson with his book Future Faith at the Global Christian Forum in Bogota Colombia at the end of April 2018. Theologian and church leader Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, in his book Future Faith, has given the world the most lucid insights of 2018 into changes blowing through global Christian faith that are reshaping it. A tireless ecumenical advocate, Granberg-Michaelson is a key player in the Global Christian Forum and was once touted as a contender as General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. His work is Ecumenical News' Book of the Year. It earns this for the wonderfully clear insight it gives into the current state of Christianity in the world and the direction it is heading. "Global Christianity is at a hinge point in history," he begins the book. Going on an earlier theme of his he says, "Today, Christianity is undergoing another historical shift. For the first time in one thousand years, a majority of the world's Christians are living in the Global South." Granberg-Michaelson goes from the global to the local focusing on how U.S. congregations are challenged to change in this "watershed moment in Christian history." In his book he draws on the stories, examples, and personalities of pastors and congregations from throughout the United States, as well as those from Africa, Asia, and Latin America -- the faces of Christianity's future, Future Faith is designed to inform and empower followers of Jesus in a rapidly changing world. The author looks at how historic Protestants are pondering the fate of diminishing congregations on weakening denominational structures and how Catholic officialdom worries about its centralized authority in a world of "radically decentralizing access to information and the access to power." CHRISTIAN FAITH GROWING RAPIDLY All this comes amid the irony that the Christian faith continues to grow rapidly and expand. "The church that will learn to survive and thrive in this future will be the one that includes rather than excludes, that welcomes, rather than warms and that relates rather than regulates," asserts Granberg-Michaelson. Granberg-Michaelson is the former secretary of the Reformed Church in America, and director of church and society interpret connection points between global Christian trends and the American church. Sojourners Jim Wallis said Future Faith is an "extraordinary book, noting, "Wesley Granberg-Michaelson offers us ten fundamental ways the global church could help save the American church. Their Christian witness could literally transform the American churches if we were to listen to them." "Few guides to the future of faith are as trustworthy as Wesley Granberg-Michaelson," writes Diana Butler Bass. "Think of these 10 challenges as an invitation to a more faithful way of being church. Be not afraid. Embrace this moment of transformation." The book received strong praise from religious leaders. Fuller Seminary's Richard Mouw said, "This is an inspiring and encouraging book, with wise insights into what we can and must do to remain faithful to God's work of renewal in the world. Future Faith disturbed me as it informed me. But thank God, it also gave me new hope." Wesley Granberg-Michaelson has served as general secretary of the Reformed Church, director of church and society for the World Council of Churches in Geneva, and as a distinguished visiting scholar at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress. He is a man who knows church and society. His extensive portfolio includes serving for eight years on the foreign policy staff of U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield, a Republican from Oregon, and as managing editor of the social justice magazine Sojourners from 1976 to 1980. Granberg-Michaelson played a behind-the-scenes role in the 1910 merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council into the World Communion of Reformed Churches, a union that represents 80 million Christians from 108 countries, in nearly 230 denominations worldwide. He also is co-founder of Christian Churches Together, a forum established to foster unity and to witness among evangelical, orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, historic Protestant and ethnic churches. The arrest of Kalua from bus stand on Monday night takes total number of accused held in case to 30, police said. Kalua, who attacked police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr during mob violence, has been arrested on Tuesday. (Photo: ANI) Lucknow: One of the main accused in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr during mob violence in December has been arrested on Tuesday. An axe has also been recovered from his possession, police said. The arrest of Kalua from a bus stand on Monday night takes the total number of accused held in this case to 30, a police officer said. Kalua told police that on December 3, he was felling a tree to block a road. When the inspector stopped him from doing so, he attacked him with an axe, the officer said. After that, the officer was shot. Prashant Natt, the man who allegedly shot the inspector, was arrested on December 27. The police inspector was killed in clashes with the protesters in Syana in Bulandshahr district. Two persons were also injured in police firing one of whom, Sumit, died later. The police clashed with people who had blocked a road in Syana while protesting against illegal animal slaughter. According to reports, cow carcass was found in the fields in a village on Monday morning and as the people gathered, the police reached the spot. Angry mobs attacked the cops who later fired in the air. The protesters torched the Chingarwathi police outpost and set several vehicles, including a police van, on fire and pelted stones at the cops. A 19-turbine wind farm in Donegal is set to go ahead after a High Court legal challenge against it was withdrawn. The multi-million-euro development of a wind farm at Meenbog close to the Barnesmore Gap had been threatened by a legal challenge over the possible impact of the development on the breeding of a wild bird. An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission to Cork-based company Planree Limited for the development. The plans had been opposed by some elements of the local community and over 250 objections were lodged. The Irish Raptor Study Group (IRSG) had launched the legal challenge over concerns about the impact of the development on the Hen Harrier. The legal challenge had been welcomed by Finn Valley Wind Action, which had led the local campaign against the wind farm. The development was granted planning permission after a previous similar application by the same company had failed. The case was before the High Court on December 19. In a statement (IRSG) confirmed it had withdrawn the proceedings challenging the decision. Ryan Wilson-Parr Chairman of the IRSG said: "It is apparent that current best practice and policy in Ireland in relation to safeguarding European protected species outside of designated sites could be improved to better implement the Birds Directive, Habitats Directive and EIA Directive. The IRSG will continue to work to improve the protections for the conservation of the Hen Harrier and other Birds of Prey. The IRSG would like to thank the efforts of our legal team Fred Logue Solicitors and Barrister David Browne." IRSG had objected to the proposed development and claimed the southern area of the county supports up to 11 territorial pairs of breeding Hen Harrier, equivalent to seven per cent of the national population. The group say the Hen Harrier is now Irelands rarest declining breeding bird species due to habitat loss and has suffered a 50 per cent decline in numbers over the last 40 years. SALT LAKE CITY An Ivins woman who police say drugged her husband's wine because she "didn't want to deal with him" has been ordered to three years of probation. Sarah Nasrene Cooper, 30, pleaded guilty in 5th District Court in October to surreptitious administering of a substance, a third-degree felony. Prosecutors originally said she crushed 10 pills of Alprazolam more commonly known by the brand name Xanax and seven Tylenols and put them in a coffee cup filled with wine before serving it to her husband. But court documents show she admitted to secretly spiking the drink with Lorazepam the generic form of the anti-anxiety drug Ativan on June 25, which sickened him and made him vomit. The husband took a drink of the wine "and quickly noticed it tasted funny," the charging documents say. He saw white chunks and powder mixed in when he poured it out in the kitchen sink. Cooper told detectives "she was not trying to hurt her husband, she was just trying to make it so she didn't have to deal with him tonight," according to the charges. Judge Michael Westfall sentenced her on Dec. 19 to write an apology letter to her husband and pay a fine of $1,543. He also ordered Cooper to undergo a substance-abuse evaluation and to avoid alcohol and drugs. The conviction carried a possible penalty of up to five years in prison, but Westfall suspended the time behind bars. SALT LAKE CITY In 2017, Utah police officers shot and killed six people. In 2018, there were six officer-involved shootings in just the first five months of the year. A total of 18 fatal officer-involved shootings were tallied during 2018 in Utah three times more than the previous year. Eleven of those shootings happened in the final three months of the year. A record number of "officer-involved critical incidents" when officers use lethal but not necessarily deadly force were also investigated in Salt Lake County. Thirteen of the 18 fatal officer-involved shootings happened in the county. District Attorney Sim Gills office conducted a total of 21 deadly force police investigations last year, a new record for Gill. But as the number of investigations grew, so did a deep divide between the district attorney's office and police officers. Gill says his job is to determine whether anyone, including police officers, is following the law. Some police officers say they don't trust Gill because they fear even when the evidence doesn't support it, he may determine that a shooting was not legally justified and then file criminal charges against the officer. Because of this rift, more and more officers refuse to be interviewed by Gill's office as part of the district attorney's independent review. There is a genuine and pervasive lack of trust between law enforcement and this district attorney. And the reason for that is hes shown time and time again a willingness to charge, even when probable cause does not exist, said attorney Bret Rawson, whose law firm has represented most officers involved in shootings in Utah. That distrust has apparently led Rawson and his team to instruct officers involved in shootings not to talk to the district attorney's office during its investigation of an officer-involved critical incident. Although officially Rawson said the advice he gives his clients is private information that he will not discuss, a pattern emerged during the second half of 2018 in Gills final officer-involved critical incident reports. In at least five reports, the officers who fatally shot a suspect did not answer questions, provide a statement or offer any information on the advice of (their) attorney," according to Gills reports. Without a statement from the officer explaining why he or she pulled the trigger, Gill said he has no way of knowing why an officer decided to use deadly force. He may be able to get an idea based on other evidence, such as body camera video. But without an explanation involving the officer's thought process, Gill is forced to conduct an investigation without that key piece of information. Police in Utah used lethal force at least 27 times in 2018, according to statistics kept by the Deseret News. In 18 of those confrontations, a suspect was killed. The suspect was injured in five other scenarios. In four cases, an officers bullet missed the perceived threat and no one was injured. Gill and police officers in the county agree that officer-involved shootings are the result of the actions of the suspect. The number of police shootings in a single year is dependent on each individual situation and not a law of averages, Gill said, adding that there is no magic number when determining if there have been too many shootings in a single year. Other than zero, you cant say what the right number will be, he said. You cant measure against one year to the other. But while an officer may perceive his or her life is at imminent risk, Gill has not always found the use of deadly force to be legally justified. And that is where a solid rift has been established between Gill and local police unions. No position change Despite the increase in the number of shootings his office has to investigate, Rawson said the advice hell give clients in 2019 wont change, as long as this district attorney shows a proclivity to disregard the training and experience of law enforcement officers who find themselves in critical incidents. Our position hasnt changed on the concerns and difficulties that exist with this district attorney, he said. Some would argue that tensions between Gills office and law enforcement began in 2011 when in the span of less than a year, three officers use of deadly force were determined to be not legally justified. West Vally officer James Cardon was charged with reckless endangerment after shooting at a fleeing vehicle. The case was later dismissed in court. Salt Lake police officer Matthew Giles fired eight times at a fleeing vehicle that had rammed a police car. His shooting was determined to be not legally justified, but no criminal charges were filed. Then in 2012, West Valley police officer Shaun Cowleys use of deadly force against Danielle Willard was ruled to be unjustified and Cowley was charged with manslaughter. The high-profile case, however, didnt make it past the preliminary hearing stage in court. In 2016, Unified police detective Cordell Whitmores shooting of a fleeing suspect in the shoulder was determined to be unjustified, but no criminal charges were filed. As recently as April, Gill announced that Adult Probation and Parole officer Andrew Reed O'Gwin, 48, was not legally justified when he fired five rounds at a man, striking him three times. O'Gwin was charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony. That case was scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 14. Another complaint many officers have is the length of time it takes for the district attorney's office to complete an officer-involved critical incident investigation. Officers typically cannot go back to full active duty until that report is completed. O'Gwin was charged 11 months after his incident. A determination from an officer-involved shooting from April 2018 in Salt Lake City has yet to be decided. Rawson said he doesn't want a district attorney with a rubber stamp. But officer-involved shootings in Utah are rare, he said, and bad shoots are even more rare. Now, having said that, do those things exist and has it occurred and will it occur? Certainly. And so, our role is to protect the interests of our clients, and I can foresee circumstances where if it was in fact not a justified shoot that we may have a very different type of discussion with any prosecutor, he said. But the reality is weve seen this D.A. charge. And in the instances where he has, weve felt not only is it not a reasonable doubt case, we felt there hasnt even been probable cause. Important role Gill said his office has a role to play in the checks and balances of the system. And he is accountable to the public, even if the community doesn't always agree with his decisions. Im going to find nine out of 10 shootings justified. You know why? Because the majority of officers are doing exactly what theyre trained to do, he said. But the integrity of a system is not measured by the nine out of 10 that I clear, its the ability to capture and recognize and acknowledge that one out of 10 or that one out of 100 or whatever that number is, when its not justified by an objective process and be willing to share that. What does that mean, when they say they cant trust me? Gill asked. They cant trust me to do my job? To follow the law? To apply the same law they want the sanctuary from? And when I apply it, look at my track record. "I call it like I see it. Gill said there have been times he has determined an officers use of deadly force was justified, despite public outcry over his decision. Specifically, Gill points to the fatal shootings of Dillon Taylor in 2014 and Patrick Harmon in 2017. When those shootings were justified, and everybody out of the community wanted to hang those officers, it wasnt the police union that was out there defending them. It was me. It was our office. Because that was the right thing to do. And by the same token, if that shooting is not justified, then we have the same obligation to uphold the law and call it like we see it, he said. When Salt Lake police fatally shot Harmon, 50, in 2017 near 1050 S. State, Gill said he received death threats when he determined that shooting was legally justified. Declining interviews As for officers not talking to his investigators following a shooting, Gill said he respects an officers Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate. Nationwide, he said it has become a trend for officers not to speak to those conducting an independent review. But Gill believes that in order to earn the trust of the community, the best course of action is to be as transparent as possible. And without an officer's comments, Gill said he will never know what prompted an officer to shoot and kill someone. Only the officer who pulled the trigger can say what was going through that officers mind at the time deadly forced was used, he said. "Officer Green declined to be interviewed in connection with this incident, as is his constitutional right," Gill wrote in one report in 2018. "As such, it remains unclear what he was thinking or feeling, or even what he saw when he discharged his service weapon." In September, Gill sat down with the family of Elijah James Smith, 20, in his office and had a "difficult conversation" with them as he explained that he was announcing the West Valley police officer's deadly use of force against their son was legally justified. "I can tell you why I cant charge him. I can tell you why, under our law, what would be available to him, but I cannot tell you why at the time he pulled that trigger and shot your son. We can make inferences about it, but only he can tell you that, he told them. To date, Gill has had enough evidence from other areas witnesses, body camera video, surveillance video, etc. that he has been able to use to make determinations about an officer's use of deadly force without the officers testimony. Do I anticipate a scenario where Ill say, I dont have enough information to rule this justified?' Absolutely, Gill said. But Rawson said it's not that officers don't want to talk. They just don't want to talk to Gill. Officers involved in shootings talk to their departments internal affairs teams, he said. And if Gill wants to take those officers to court to get their testimony, then so be it. Our feeling is if they are going to charge our officers, sometimes its best for that perspective to come out on the witness stand, he said. Officers dont have anything to hide. These officers want to tell their stories. They always are approached by their administration to have them provide that information. Theyre compelled to provide that information by an internal process that requires that if they dont provide that information, they actually lose their jobs and are decertified by the state of Utah, he continued. Where they are not necessarily voluntarily giving statements is in the criminal proceeding. "Its a homicide investigation. The public sometimes doesnt understand that when an officer uses deadly force, they are investigated just like any other member of the public that uses deadly force. Rawson said officers are afraid that if they tell the district attorney something that doesnt match other physical evidence, theyll face criminal charges. They need to feel like theyre not targeted by the person who is ultimately making the decision. And there have been enough instances that have caused concern among the law enforcement community that the lack of trust that exists and continues to exists, I view, as an ongoing problem that has not been resolved, he said. We feel this D.A. is intending to get these officers in kind of a gotcha moment. Its like, get in a fistfight and then tell the story exactly how it happened blow for blow. Its a very difficult thing to do. And then if youre asked to do it multiple times, thats a very difficult thing to do. Nobody can be expected to perfectly articulate that given how complex and difficult those circumstances are. Gill said thats not what his office is doing. We look for everything. Its not just, Oh geez, you used the wrong pronoun in the statement that you gave me, therefore you must have something to hide. Thats not what were doing, he said. Its not about railroading anybody or discounting anybody or looking for a gotcha moment, because its not about me doing a gotcha moment. Its still what we have to be able to prove to a court. Maybe the one area both sides have in common is that each believes the other's actions are politically motivated. Gill said if officers and their attorneys are withholding interviews because of their Fifth Amendment right, that's fine. But if it's because of a personal grudge, he'd rather they just say so. "You want to hold this D.A. or this office hostage to your political decision, thats perfectly fine. But lets not couch it into some constitutional framework. If its a political consideration, own it. Make it as such, Gill said. "If youre making this purely as a political decision or a personal decision, then youre not really serving the best interest of that police officer. Because thats where a statement might clarify that and not have to go down that rabbit hole. But thats a call that each lawyer, each client, has to make for themselves. And then we live by the consequences of those decisions. Gill proudly points out that his office has personally spent $1 million to help train local officers in de-escalation techniques and how to respond to the potential use of deadly force situations, including the purchase of a sophisticated machine like a life-sized video game that puts officers in realistic training scenarios. "The majority of men and women in law enforcement do their job honorably, professionally and with great diligence, and they should be respected for that and I respect them for that. But wearing a uniform and having a badge is not an automatic immunity from the checks and balances, the expectations of our community, or the rule of law. "Nobody is absolved from that responsibility. Thats why this office is an independent elected office, he said. "If the issue is they want a rubber stamp, I am not that person. If the issue is they want 100 percent agreement, I am not that person. If the issue is that I am committed to a fair and just process and call it the way it is, because thats the way the law requires us to do it, I will do it even if its against my personal best interest, my professional best interest, against the interest of this institution. "I will do it with great pride in defending those officers when they do something right. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Besides heavy police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras are put in place to monitor area. At least 20,000 security personnel, including 5,000 police personnel, 1,200 Home Guards and 12 companies of RAF and SRPF have been deployed in and around the war memorial. (Photo: ANI) Pune: Thousands of people, mainly Dalits, Tuesday flocked the 'Jay Stambh' memorial in Maharashtra's Pune district to pay tributes on the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle amidst heavy police presence. One person was killed and several others were injured in caste clashes that broke out on January 1 last year on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1818 battle, which has attained legendary stature in Dalit history. At least 5,000 police personnel, 1200 Home Guard jawans, 12 companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and 2,000 Dalit volunteers are deployed in and around Perne village where people are paying tributes at the war memorial, police said. The 'jay stambh' was erected by the British as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. Besides large-scale police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras are monitoring the area, a senior police officer said. Police check posts have been set up along the border of Pune district. "Internet services in and around Perne village have been suspended," special Inspector General of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil said. In the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism as the British Army comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas--the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom. Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, was among the first politicians to offer his tribute at the Jay Stambh this morning. After laying a wreath at the memorial, Ambedkar hoped the commemoration event will pass off peacefully. "Unlike last year, local people of surrounding villages have extended all help during the commemoration. Locals are lending a helping hand. I hope peaceful completion. However, the police should not act in haste," he told reporters. Ambedkar said the number of visitors is likely to swell this year. "The reason behind the surge is because the likes of retired SC judge P B Sawant, retired HC judge B G Kolse Patil and some students (Kabir Kala Manch) took the history of the Koregaon Bhima battle to rural Maharashtra," he said. Unfortunately, the same students who "bridged the gap between the Marathas and the OBCs using the Elgaar Parishad platform were labelled as Naxals by the government, he said. "These students took real history of Koregon Bhima to the masses, but the government labelled them Naxals," he said, adding the government should find real perpetrators of last year's violence and bring them to justice. Police are probing the alleged Maoist links in the January 1 violence, which they suspect was triggered by provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017. In the wake of the clashes, police had booked Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide on charges of inciting violence The country has witnessed a four-fold jump in the amount of money involved in banking frauds since the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance took charge at the Centre in May 2014. According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Financial Stability Report (FSR) on Monday, the total amount of money involved in banking frauds across all Indian banks and financial institutions over the last five years amounts to Rs 1.34 lakh crore. Of this, close to 80% of all frauds pertain to bank credit. The year 2017-18 witnessed the highest amount of money lost to frauds at Rs 41,167 crore, which is 4.04 times more than the Rs 10,171 crore committed in 2013-14, a year prior to Modi taking charge. The report shows that Rs 30,420 crore worth banking frauds were committed during the first six months of the current financial year (2018-19). Many experts believe that this year, the total value of all banking frauds will surpass last years number. Credit-related frauds amounted to Rs 1.06 lakh crore out of Rs 1.34 lakh crore worth banking frauds committed during the last four years. In fact, the ticket size of credit frauds in the past four years is significantly higher than the non-credit frauds witnessed by banks. Banks lost Rs 9.6 crore in each credit fraud, which is 4.5 times more than Rs 2.2 crore lost on each non-credit banking fraud. Out of a total 23,741 banking frauds reported in the past four years, 11,016 are related to credit frauds. An analysis of RBI data shows that the amount involved in banking frauds has significantly gone up since September 2017. In terms of the relative share of frauds, public sector banks (PSBs) continue to dominate. The predominance of frauds among PSBs points to possible inadequacy of risk mitigation processes. The assessment and inculcation of appropriate Risk Culture in an organisational milieu assumes importance in this regard, the RBI said. The fraud committed by the uncle-nephew duo of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, diamond merchants, has taken a huge toll on the frauds in the banking sector. In 2017-18, the duo alone accounted for Rs 13,500 crore. Meanwhile, the apex bank has called for changes in the governance of banks. Operational risks in the banking sector have assumed significance of late, calling for reforms in governance and Board oversight structures and overhaul of the extant risk culture in banks, RBI said in its report. At a summit in Singapore in June, US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un signed a vaguely worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. (Photo: File) Seoul: Nuclear-armed North Korea wants good relations with the US but could consider a change of approach if Washington maintains its sanctions, leader Kim Jong Un warned in his New Year speech on Tuesday after 12 months of diplomatic rapprochement. At a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, the two signed a vaguely worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But progress has since stalled with Pyongyang and Washington arguing over what that means. "If the US does not keep its promise made in front of the whole world... and insists on sanctions and pressures on our republic," Kim said on Tuesday, "we may be left with no choice but to consider a new way to safeguard our sovereignty and interests". He was willing to meet Trump again at any time, he added, "to produce a result that will be welcomed by the international community". The North is demanding sanctions relief -- it is subject to multiple measures over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes - and has condemned US insistence on its nuclear disarmament as "gangster-like". Washington is pushing to maintain the measures against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Kim's speech "expressed his frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations so far", said former South Korean vice unification minister Kim Hyung-seok. The North Korean leader "obviously had certain expectations that the US would take certain steps -- however rudimentary they are -- after the North blew up a nuclear test site and took other steps. But none of them materialised. "He is faced with this urgent task to improve his 'socialist economy' -- which is impossible to achieve without lifting of the sanctions." In marked contrast with January 1, 2018, when he ordered mass production of nuclear warheads, Kim said the North had "declared that we would no longer produce, test, use or spread our nuclear arsenal", calling for the US to take "corresponding measures". The production pledge was a "significant evolution in leadership intent, if true", Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said on Twitter, but added: "Of course, this is one of those claims where it'll take more than KJU's word to be credible." Kim spoke sitting in a dark leather armchair, in a large office flanked with packed bookshelves along one side and paintings of his predecessors, his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung behind him. As he began speaking -- in a deep, gravelly voice and wearing a dark suit and blue tie -- a clock on a desk read at moments after 12. But at times during the address, it was blurred out and towards the end of the half-hour broadcast, it was close to 1, suggesting the speech was recorded in several takes. Year of rapprochement The leader's New Year speech is a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out goals for the future. The 2018 address was a crucial catalyst for the developments that followed. It came after a year of high tensions when the North made rapid progress with its weapons development, carrying out its sixth nuclear test - by far its most powerful to date - and launching rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland. The two leaders traded personal insults - Trump mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man", who in turn called him a "mentally deranged US dotard" - and threats of war as fears of conflict rose. In last year's speech, Kim warned "the nuclear button is on my office desk all the time", but also offered to send a team to the forthcoming Winter Olympics in the South. That opened the way for the South's dovish President Moon Jae-In to play the role of peace broker. A rapid sequence of developments followed, with athletes and a senior delegation led by Kim's powerful sister going to the Pyeongchang Games in February, before Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of the Singapore summit with Trump. Kim also met with Moon three times last year -- twice at the border truce village of Panmunjom and once in the North's capital -- as Seoul and Pyongyang pursued several reconciliation initiatives, and at the weekend vowed to meet Moon "frequently" this year. Much of Kim's speech Tuesday focussed on North Korea's moribund economy, saying that improving people's lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task. He also said the US and South Korea should no longer carry out joint military exercises -- which have been largely halted since the Singapore meeting -- calling such drills "a source of tension". "War-related equipment -- including strategic assets of outside powers -- should no longer be allowed to be brought in," he added. Seoul and Washington are in a security alliance and the US stations 28,500 troops in the South to protect it against its neighbour, which invaded in 1950. The 18-month-long legal battle between the two firms marks a rare instance of a taxi firm suing a ride-hailing rival over lost revenue. Ride-hailing firm Grab was ordered to pay 4.8 billion dong (USD 206,985) in compensation to a local taxi operator by a Vietnamese court on Friday, sources and state media said. The 18-month-long legal battle between the two firms marks a rare instance of a taxi firm suing a ride-hailing rival over lost revenue. Vietnam Sun Corp, better known as Vinasun, had sought 41.2 billion dong in compensation for what it said were Grabs unfair business practices. Singapore-headquartered Grab plans to appeal the courts decision, the company said in a statement published after the hearing. 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 towards Grab, the statement said. In its verdict the court found Grab violated Vietnamese regulations because it operates as a taxi company, and not just as a technology firm, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. The judge presiding over the case also said there was a link between the operations of Grab and Vinasuns lost revenue, but said Grab was not the only factor behind those losses, the report said. A Vinasun spokeswoman said the company had no comment on the court decision. Hoang Ngoc Giao, director of the Institute for Policy, Law and Development Studies in Hanoi, said the courts decision went against the interest of Vietnamese consumers. The decision will set a precedent that hinders the development of a digital economy in Vietnam, and will discourage the development of several companies, Giao told Reuters. Grab said in a statement earlier this week that Vinasun needed to evolve and transform its business and should not discourage the entry of innovative companies. It is unreasonable for this court case to drag indefinitely just to allow Vinasun to build its case - when theres none at all, Grab said in the statement. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Sigfox, known for building networks that link objects to the internet, has developed sensors able to give the exact location of rhinos using the firms network over a longer period of time. (Photo: Pixabay) French tech company Sigfox has developed a bite-size tracker that can be inserted into the horns of rhinos to help conservationists monitor and protect the endangered species. With the dramatic decline of animal species in the past century mostly due to poaching and urban expansion, wildlife organisations have turned to technology to help safeguard species being pushed towards extinction. The global number of rhinos dwindled to about 20,000 a decade ago due to relentless poaching, though they have rebounded to about 29,000 thanks to conservation efforts. Cameras, infrared and motion sensors, electronic bracelets and drones have been used over the years to protect endangered species, but have at times been limited by vast distances and limited resources in the countries concerned. Sigfox, known for building networks that link objects to the internet, has developed sensors able to give the exact location of rhinos using the firms network over a longer period of time. We now help rangers and conservation experts to observe from a distance, taking less risk, and especially to anticipate potential dangers that the animal could (face), Marion Moreau, head of the non-profit Sigfox Foundation, told Reuters. The sensors can alert park rangers when rhinos approach an area identified as particularly dangerous due to previous instances of poaching. Combined with other warning sensors, they can be used to get rescue teams to the location in real time. We started a project in Zimbabwe three years ago, inventing a prototype of a captor, inserted in the horn of about 30 rhinoceroses, which emits the exact position of the rhinoceros three times a day, over three years, said Moreau. The Sigfox network uses a specific radio signal which offers more security guarantee than other tracking devices. The sensor only wakes up when it has to transmit data, which makes it immune to interception by poachers, she said. Moreau said Sigfox intended the trackers to be long-lasting with an autonomous battery-life of around three years. The cost would also be capped at USD 30 per sensor. Sigfox worked with conservationists and specialised groups including the International Rhino Foundation in developing the tiny sensor. It is also collaborating with the Jane Goodall Institute, a nonprofit organisation that protects primate habitats, in the use of new technologies for conservation. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The psychological feeling of a fresh start when the calendar turns a page and the human urge for better tidings in the New Year are undeniable. But good wishes and pious thoughts are insufficient to dispel the darkening clouds. 2019 threatens to be an unsettling year around the world. The international conditions inherited from 2018 are discouraging and they cannot be easily rectified and rerouted toward an optimistic path. Topmost among the structural problems carrying forward from the bygone year is the slowing global economy. Forecasts by prominent knowledge centres concur that worldwide GDP growth will shrink in 2019. The Japanese financial firm Nomura reckons that the world grew at 3.9 per cent in 2018 and can churn out only 3.7 per cent this year. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says 3.7 per cent was achieved in 2018 but 3.5 per cent will be all in 2019. The London-based consultancy IHS Markit sounds a sharper alarm by calculating that global output registered a 3.2 per cent rise in 2018 and will fall to just three per cent in 2019. If you think an average 0.2 per cent downgrading of world output is not disastrous, 2019 could be the beginning of a fairly long decline or an omen for a 2008-style economic crash. As income inequalities stay stubborn and regulations on big businesses are further loosened in rich countries, systemic risks are piling up. Terms like deceleration, plateauing and crimping dominate the New Year prognoses for the most consequential economies the United States, China, Japan, Europe and Canada. The economist Megan Greene has warned that 2019 will witness a synchronised slowdown, driven by the withdrawal of fiscal stimuluses from governments, lack of boost in productivity and the protectionist wave unleashed by US President Donald Trump. The global boomlet experienced during the last couple of years was fuelled by heavy state investment and easy monetary policies of central banks. Now, as worries about public debt mount, the steroids doled out by governments are vanishing and we are in a phase of belt tightening by exchequers. The private sector, which has got used to being bailed out and pampered by governments since the 2008 crisis, lacks brilliant new innovations or breakthroughs to power growth on its own. It is a strange dependency syndrome that bodes ill for a sustained recovery. Businesses are also on tenterhooks over the uncertainty of a disorderly Brexit and President Trumps economic wars. In 2019, a lot is riding on how the United States squares up to China. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has lowered global trade growth expectations from 3.9 per cent in 2018 to 3.7 per cent this year, with much hinging on whether or not Mr Trumps touted big progress on a deal with Chinas President Xi Jinping leads to a final settlement or proves to be a mere tactical ceasefire. The hurdle to fully resolving this conflict is that neither side is wearing purely economic lenses. Mr Trump is a populist intent on tearing apart the delicate fabric of international cooperation to fulfil vows to his globalisation-wary domestic voter base. His trade hawks believe they can throw a spanner in Chinas relentless rise as a superpower by hammering it with tariffs and business barriers. President Xis tough posture to resist American pressure derives from the hyper-nationalistic ideology of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which asserts that China is unstoppable and that the West must be compelled to digest this reality. Although deeply interlinked business lobbies and conjoined interest groups in both countries have attempted to cool down heated tempers, the norm of interdependence between China and the US which anchored the global economy and geopolitics is eroding. Couple this with the fallout from the failure of arms control agreements between the US and Russia. The resultant strategic tensions and weapons buildups are rendering the world edgier in 2019. The entrenchment of narrow nationalism and the breakdown of institutional mechanisms of managing disputes, be they bilateral or multilateral, pose major challenges in the New Year. In 2018, President Trump walked the talk on his maxim that nobody is Americas partner or ally and everybody is its foe or competitor. His liberal foil, French President Emmanuel Macron, has posited a contrapuntal patriotism which is exactly the opposite of nationalism, and an antidote to selfishness of nations only looking after their own interests. But in 2019, President Macron and other liberal internationalists seem feeble and forlorn as they face headwinds of mass unrest at home and the spreading virus of Trump-inspired populism across Europe. Even in Brazil, the far-rightist Jair Bolsonaro is assuming office as President on New Years Day and is likely to heighten regional tensions by taking a leaf out of the Trump playbook. Popular disaffection with mainstream incumbent politicians and its exploitation by illiberal forces could also affect Africa, where two leading countries Nigeria and South Africa are heading to vital general elections scheduled this year. Then there is India, which too is gearing up for parliamentary elections. If economic bad news and nativist rejection of globalisation and global governance are the macro-level international motifs in the New Year, India stands apart as an outlier. With a projected healthy GDP growth of 7.2 to 7.3 per cent in 2019, and a continued diplomatic emphasis on bilateral and multilateral cooperation, India appears to be bucking the global trend. If Indias voters reaffirm their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modis steady hands this year, they will cement its reputation as an oasis of sanity amid global turbulence. When the world as a whole is caught in a whirlwind of disruptive change in 2019, the Indian electorate has a historic chance to ring in stability a few months from now. The writer is a professor and dean at the Jindal School of International Affairs ust, as large parts of the state were flooded, the people showed remarkable initiative, innovation and energy. We are sure the country will carry this spirit in the new year. There is enough richness of legacy in our society and history that ensures resilience when the times are unfavourable. It is with this sense that we are left at the passing of 2018 and as we ring in the new year with our readers, wishing them optimism, stability, and advancement. The year gone by had a poor beginning, with the four most senior judges of the Supreme Court one of whom is now the Chief Justice doing the unthinkable by calling a press conference in order to reach the wider public with their lament that the executive was steamrolling the judiciary, with the then CJI not standing up for institutional independence. As the year wore on, the executive came under criticism from diverse quarters, not just political opponents, for trying to undermine various institutions such as the Election Commission, RBI, and CBI. But the sharp decline in governance really came on full view with hate-filled groups and larger mobs descending on dalits and the minorities as the executive just looked on. The social fabric of India, rising from its great diversities, still remains strong, but this is not for want of trying to give it a hard shake by ideologically regressive elements whose political sway was assured after the general election of 2014. The mismanagement of the economy by the government reflecting the negative outcomes of both demonetisation and the faulty and hurried implementation of the Goods and Services Tax was on full view all through 2018 as the output of industry and businesses suffered, and the countrys farmers rose in protest, eventually impacting the recent Assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states, leading to the revitalisation of the Congress under its new leader Rahul Gandhi. The politico-security scenario suffered with the government showing myopia and ineptness in dealing with the sensitive issue of Jammu and Kashmir. In foreign affairs, the government did finally make adjustments to correct course in 2018 in order to not leave all the eggs in the American basket. This was a positive. However, diplomacy in the neighbourhood, so crucial to the success of any foreign policy outlook, still lies in the trough. Whatever the record of the government, the people of India have shone. Our scientists and sportspersons across a range of fields have done us proud. The year began with Isro sending up 31 satellites in a single launch, and our first nuclear-capable submarine took its first tour of duty this year, completing the triad of deterrence. In Kerala, in August, as large parts of the state were flooded, the people were once again to the fore, showing remarkable initiative, innovation and energy. We are sure the country will carry this spirit in the new year. The year 2018 was tumultuous for Pakistans democracy. In the preceding year, Pakistans score in formal measures of democratic health, like the Polity and Freedom House indices, remained somewhere between a flawed democracy and a hybrid regime. In the absence of updated measures for 2018, it is worth taking stock of progress or regression in key arenas of democratic activity. Elections: A third transition of power through the electoral process has, for the time being, further cemented elections as the only game in town ie as the only way of winning and losing executive office. This remains an unequivocal positive because, while the context and nature of elections remains riddled with question marks, the ancillary gains of citizen-centric accountability often bear fruit in the long run. Simply put, regardless of how controlled or coerced an election process is, it retains some value in creating a more responsive government. While vote-choice may be structured by things like whos allowed to compete and campaign, increased opportunities for electoral accountability compels politicians to listen to citizens. At the same time, the 2018 elections did raise serious questions from both a procedural and substantive perspective. As is the case in most elections, the Opposition did not accept the electoral process as free and fair. There are also ongoing procedural issues with regards to the way that elections are administered. Parliamentary processes: If the PML-Ns tenure in power was characterised by executive centralisation and disregard for parliamentary procedure, the new ruling partys first few months signal continuity, rather than rupture, with these trends. Since August, the legislative process has remained at a standstill due to conflicts between the government and the Opposition. In Punjab, in particular, partisan conflict appears to be quite pervasive. Similar issues are plaguing activity at the National Assembly level. As a result, the formation of committees was not initiated and legislative responsibilities remained unattended. There are also persisting concerns that the new leadership in the National Assembly is not equipped or experienced enough to deal with the functioning of the legislature. Political parties: The political party landscape remains wracked with judicial complications and ongoing accountability pressures. The politics of both main Opposition parties, the PML-N and PPP, is currently buried under the weight of NAB action against their compromised leadership. Given the timing of these events, there remain pervasive doubts over the nature of the anti-corruption campaign, with perceptions once again divided along partisan lines. With party leaders busy fighting off corruption cases, the year has seen chances of any institutionalisation and professionalisation within parties dissipate. At the same time, post-election analysis shows that voter identification with parties seems to be growing, especially in urbanising parts of the country. This can be considered a positive since it may compel parties to invest more in their structures, pay more attention to their supporters, and develop more coherent policy platforms in the long run. Democratic space: Finally, 2018 was marked by two interrelated negative trends on the space for civil society. The first was new types of regulatory pressure on the development sector, with a host of restrictions introduced by the government. This has reduced the space available to INGOs in the country. The second trend is the ongoing crisis in print and electronic news media. This crisis lies at the intersection of increased state heavy-handedness (especially the militarys influence), a financial crunch induced by withholding of advertising by the public and private sector, and a history of poor financial management practices by media house owners. The outcome has been channel shutdowns, a number of layoffs, and persisting delays in the disbursement of salaries to media personnel. The states overall regulation of the media sphere has also taken on a new, more coercive trajectory as the military repeatedly weighs in on the regulation of social media, and the government appearing more than happy to comply with a host of censorship requests. Collectively, events in these four areas of democratic activity do not provide much cause for optimism. Each provides its own evidence for democratic regression to varying degrees. Most of all, it is the increased de jure and de facto restriction on dissent and free speech that may prove to be the most harmful in the long run. In the absence of any organised opposition, the reversal of these trends does not look likely in the year ahead. By arrangement with Dawn We dont know how persuasive Priyanka was with Salman. It looks like the prolonged cold war between Salman Khan is overat least for now. Apparently Priyanka requested Salman repeatedly to attend her wedding reception in Mumbai after he refused to attend her wedding in Jodhpur. A source close to Salman says, Bhai made it very clear that his sister Arpita who is a very close friend of Priyanka, was most welcome to attend the wedding. He wasnt going. Not after the way Priyanka let him down by opting out of Bharat at the eleventh hour. To those who came in late, Priyanka and Salman were at loggerheads for years. She finally broke the ice and asked her friend Ali Abbas Zafar who directs Bharat to put in a word for her as the leading lady. But she suddenly pulled out of the project leaving Salman fuming . We dont know how persuasive Priyanka was with Salman. But she managed to get him to come to the wedding reception . The olive branch was further extended when Priyanka trudged down to Salmans home with her husband Nick Jonas right after the reception , to seek his blessings. We hope she doesnt piss off Bhai again. Even the Gods dont forgive so many times. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday expressed his displeasure over the delay in the completion of the Medigadda barrage which is part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project. Only 13 gates have been fixed so far out of the total 85 gates of the barrage. Mr Rao visited the Medigadda barrage and Kannepalli pump house on Tuesday and studied the maps. He told the project officials and contractors to speed up the work and complete it before the summer. He said he would personally monitor the work once in two days. Mr Rao flew to Kaleshwaram by helicopter from Begumpet airport and was accompanied by chief secretary S.K. Joshi and a few senior officials. Landing at the helipad near the Medigadda barrage after an aerial tour of the project, he was taken to the gallery where photos and maps depicting the progress of the project were on display. The engineers explained to Mr Rao how the work was being carried out and he clarified the CM's doubts regarding the project. He directed the officials to take up the land acquisition in the Telangana-Maharashtra border.He said that since the Medigadda barrage is the most important segment of the Kaleshwaram project, it must be completed as fast as possible. The engineers told the Chief Minister that the construction of the Bahubali Well, Asias biggest surge pool, has been completed. The well was designed to pump Godavari water from Mid Manair to Mallannasagar. Later in the day, the Chief Minister inspected the pump house being constructed at Kannepalli in Mahadevpur mandal. Her also he asked the officials to complete the work by March so that the flood waters of the river Godavari can be utilised from this year onwards for irrigation after the monsoon. Congress MLAs D. Sridhar Babu of Manthani and Gandra Venkataramana Reddy of Bhupalapalli and officials concerned welcomed the Chief Minister at the Medigadda project. The two Congress MLAs submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, appealing to him not to delay the compensation to the farmers whose lands were acquired for the project and do justice to the families displaced. Mr Rao told them not to worry about the project work in their respective Assembly constituencies and that everybody would jointly work for the development of the state with a positive attitude. The Congress MLAs said their meeting with the Chief Minister was cordial. They also said that they would cooperate with the works on the Kaleshwaram project. They, however, said that they would stick to their demand of redesigning the Kaleshwaram project. Meanwhile, a team of retired engineers led by M. Shyam Prasad Reddy visited the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Project on Tuesday. Mr Reddy said that 200 metres of the main tunnel was yet to be completed and 40 acres of land was to be acquired to complete the construction of the tunnel. He said that according to the instructions of the Chief Minister, the team has visited the Medigadda, Sundilla, and Annaram barrages and the Palamuru-Rangareddy project. He said they would visit the Dindi irrigation project on Wednesday and submit a report to the CM on Thursday. Hyderabad: In his second term, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao hopes to fulfil the unfulfilled promises of his first term. After becoming the first Chief Minister of Telangana state on June 2, 2014, he had made several promises such as the construction of a new secretariat building at Bison Polo Ground, and of the Telangana Kala Bharathi at NTR Stadium, Smruthi Vanam for Telangana Martyrs on the banks of the Hussain Sagar, installing a 125-ft-tall Ambedkar statue near the Secretariat, and Banjara Bhavan at Jubilee Hills. Some of these projects have been mired in court cases. The Central government in-principle approved allotment of defence land of Bison Polo Ground in Secunderabad for construction of a new secretariat building. But the fate of this depends on the new government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. If the NDA retains power, or a new government is formed with the support of the TRS, then the Telangana state government will not have a problem in getting the defence land. But if the UPA comes to power, or any new government is formed with the support of the Congress, then the TS government will face a problem in getting the land as the Telangana unit of the Congress is opposed to the construction of the new secretariat building, considering it an unnecessary expense. The construction of a huge Telangana Martyrs Memorial in the proposed Telangana Martyrs Memorial Park on the banks of the Hussainsagar has not fructified though Mr Rao was expected to lay the foundation stone on the occasion of the second anniversary of the formation of the new state of Telangana. The Buddha Purnima building and offices of the tourism and energy departments have to be shifted to establish the memorial park, which was also to be a cultural centre. The Chief Ministers plan to install a 125-ft statue of B R Ambedkar adjacent to NTR Ghat near the Secretariat, ran into controversy when Telangana Telugu Desam leaders raised objections because NTR Ghat would have to be removed. The Telangana government then made it clear that the NTR Ghat will not be removed and the Ambedkar statue will be installed in some other place. This may actually happen during this term of the TRS government. A Telangana Kala Bharathi building was to come up on 14 acres of land opposite Indira Park where the NTR Stadium stands. Mr Rao approved the design of the building by Mumbai based architect Hafeez Contractor which envisaged auditoriums with a seating capacity of 3000, 1500, 1000 and 500, a preview theatre, art museum, painting and sculpture galleries, seminar rooms, restaurants, and food courts. Water bodies and fountains would surround it. The state government said that the Telangana Kala Bharathi would be a tribute to the glorious history of the state of Telangana. The Banjara Bhavan for Scheduled Tribes at Banjara Hills, to be called Kumaram Bheem Bhavan, has been bogged down by court cases. One more building in the same place for Scheduled Castes and named after Babu Jagjivan Ram was also sanctioned. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao won the recent Assembly elections by cheating, said Congress in-charge of Telangana affairs R.C. Khuntia at a meeting held here on Monday. Several prominent Congress leaders of Telangana state attended the meeting which discussed the upcoming Panchayat Raj elections and reviewed the reasons for the defeat in the Assembly elections. Mr Khuntia said, Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana Rajat Kumar admitted that around 22 lakh voters were missing from the electoral rolls. This is proof of irregularities in the elections. Several EVMs were tampered. There is difference in number of votes polled and number of votes counted. They (the TRS) used money, police and several other means to win the elections. We will complain to Central Election Commission and will also approach the President of India. The MLAs have not sworn in even 20 days after the elections. Because of the fear of the CBI filing cases against him, Mr Rao has turned the TRS into the B-Team of the BJP. We will prove this in panchayat elections. TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said, We discussed the election strategies. Our MLAs will be in-charge of the parliament and the panchayat elections. Despite a Supreme Court guideline, the VVPAT slips are not being counted. We do not know why the CEO of Telangana is not responding. The government has cheated the BCs by reducing their reservations. The Congress will continue to fight against the government demanding justice to the BCs. Justice A.V. Sesha Sai, who has been shifted to Andhra Pradesh, shakes hands with TS government pleader Vani Reddy on the last day of the combined High Court in Hyderabad on Tuesday. (Photo: P. Surendra) Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court, which became the High Court of Andhra Pradesh after the formation of the state in 1956, will serve only the Telangana region from New Years Day Following the Presidents notification, the Andhra Pradesh High Court will start functioning in the Andhra region after 62 years. The court will be located in the Guntur region. Till the formation of united AP state in 1956, the Andhra High Court was situated in Guntur. Following the notification for the bifurcation of separate High Courts, the High Court premises on Monday became a venue for the legal fraternity to bid farewell. A lot of cheer and sadness could be seen among the advocates and the judges who had been working in the same court for decades together. Justice A.V. Sesha Sai, who has been allotted to the AP High Court, broke down when his fellow judges and advocates bid him farewell. The others who received a rousing send-off also felt emotional and shared warm hugs. The judges allocated to AP along with their families left for Vijayawada in separate cars. Several advocates who were leaving for AP were in tears when their fellow advocates from Telangana state waved them goodbye. The Telangana advocates were also emotional. Several judicial employees are still confused as some of them have been sent to Andhra Pradesh on a temporary basis to run the Andhra Pradesh High Court during the initial days of its establishment at Vijayawada. The Hyderabad High Court arranged transportation for the judicial employees to leave for AP on Monday. Earlier, mild tension prevailed in the High Court premises during noon, when some employees refused to leave the state on a temporary basis, assuming that they would be allotted to AP, despite being from Telangana state. A few members went to the Chief Justices chamber and expressed their unhappiness and gave a representation requesting to allocate the employees on nativity basis. The Judges Committee for the allocation of the employees said that the allocation would be on the basis of seniority and other guidelines. More than 5,000 case files belonging to AP jurisdiction were transported safely to Vijayawada in separate vehicles as a first phase. Over two lakh more case files were yet to be forwarded to the AP High Court. Advocates from the Rayalaseema region staged a protest outside the court premises, calling December 31 a 'black day', alleging that the AP state government had not constituted the High Court in the Rayalaseema region. Along with the separate High Courts, the Bar Councils for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state will start functioning separately. Secretary of the Bar Council said the money from the advocates welfare fund stamps would be deposited in separate bank accounts from January 1. HC rejects petition seeking stay on High Court division The Hyderabad High Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the notifications for constituting a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh from January 1, 2019. A division bench comprising Justice V. Ramasubramanian and P. Keshava Rao was hearing the petition filed by advocate P.V. Krishnaiah, urging the court to stay the implementation of the Union government's notifications related to the constitution of the separate High Court. The bench said that, other than some inconveniences in the way to run AP High Court in the short time, there were no other reasons to stay the notifications. It cited the AP governments stand before the Supreme Court on the availability of Court building at Nelapadu in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh government has filed a sworn affidavit before the Apex Court, mentioning that the court building would have available on December 15,2018, it said. Mr P.V. Krishnaiah, appearing in person, said the Union government has issued a notification to constitute separate High Court in a hasty manner and in without applying mind. He alleged that with the malice on the state, the Union government did not allow the state the period to complete the court building. He said notifications were issued without consulting the AP government and waiting for the Union cabinet resolution. Vijayawada: TD supremo and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has asked his MPs to strongly oppose the triple talaq bill as and when it is introduced in the Rajya Sabha. He also spoke to Congress president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the strategy to be adopted in the Rajya Sabha when the Bill is introduced. He said the BJP has been vindictive towards the male members of a particular religion. Law should be equal for everyone irrespective of their religion, he said. Talking to reporters, Mr Naidu said TD objects to the punishment clause for Muslim men in the Triple Talaq Bill. He said that they were part of the countrys population. The BJP, he added, was adamant on introducing the Bill for political gains. Mr Naidu said all opposition parties need to be united to stop BJPs autocratic way of functioning. He added that there were attacks on minorities, and Muslim men now should not be a target. A feeling of insecurity among any group like Muslims is not good for national integrity, he said underlining Indias secular credentials. He said all non-BJP parties should unite and fight for the rights of Muslim minorities. He asked TD MPs to raise their voice at the highest level to safeguard the interests of Muslims. The organisers claimed that 55 lakh women, well beyond their expectations, took part in the event. (Photo: DC) Thiruvananthapuram: Lakhs of women cutting across caste, religion and political ideologies scripted history on Tuesday by standing firm along the 620-km national highway stretch from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram to form the longest womens wall in the history of the state. The wall raised three major slogans safeguard the values of renaissance movement, uphold gender equality and prevent Kerala from turning into a mental asylum. The Womens Wall was conceived against the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPM-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. Barring an attack on the participants allegedly by RSS-BJP workers at Chettukundu in Kasargod, the historic event passed off peacefully. The organisers claimed that 55 lakh women, well beyond their expectations, took part in the event. At many places, four to five rows had to be created behind the wall to accommodate the participants. Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan said the wall was a warning to communal and orthodox sections. He said women from all walks of life defied the negative campaign, lies and false propaganda against the programme to uphold the states pride and honour. While the Womens Wall was formed on the left side of the NH, men and children assembled on the right side to express their solidarity. Health minister K.K. Shialaja was at the starting point in Kasargod while CPM politburo member Brinda Karat was present at Ayyankali square, Vellyambalam, the last point. Mr Vijayan and prominent women leaders paid floral tributes at the statue of social reformer Ayyankali. Ms Karat, who inaugurated the public meeting at Vellayambalam, lashed out at the Congress saying, the Congress speaks the voice of RSS in the morning and that of Muslim League in the evening. A boat which has no anchor has no future, she said. The women had come in lakhs to take forward the legacy of great social reforms, she said. We are small bricks of the big wall. It will have millions and millions of bricks like us and we will take forward our glorious history,she added. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday suggested any decision on an ordinance on Ram temple in Ayodhya can happen only after the completion of the judicial process but asserted that the government was ready to make all efforts to fulfil its responsibility. Mr Modis comments came amidst heightened demands by Hindutava organisations, including the RSS, for an ordinance for an early construction of the temple. Let the judicial process take its own course. Dont weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as government, we are ready to make all efforts, the Prime Minister said during an interview, broadcast by several TV channels. Reacting to the comments, the RSS said people expect the Modi government to fulfil its promise of building the Ram temple within its tenure as the BJP was elected to power in 2014 for committing to all possible efforts to do so. Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto had promised to make all possible efforts within the ambit of the Constitution to build the Ram temple. People of India gave the BJP a majority, trusting their promise, the RSS tweeted. People of India expect the government to fulfil the promise within its tenure, it added. The RSS also described Mr Modis remarks as a positive step towards the construction of the Ram temple, saying it was in line with a resolution passed by the BJP in 1989 in Palampur in which the saffron party had committed to the construction either through mutual consultation or an enabling legislation. However, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut reacted sharply, wondering whether law is bigger than lord Ram. Drawing a parallel with the triple talaq case, Mr Modi said an ordinance came only after the Supreme Court order. He also accused the Congress of delaying the judicial process in the Ram temple case through its lawyers. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on January 4. Mr Modi also answered a wide range of issues, including on Oppositions efforts to form a grand alliance to take on the BJP in 2019 elections, rumblings within the NDA, the Modi magic, Urjit Patels resignation as RBI governor, demonetisation, mob lynching and BJPs defeat in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. Amidst criticism that the surgical strike failed to check Pakistans support for terrorism, the Prime Minister asserted that it would be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will mend its ways after just one war. Pakistan will never improve on the basis of one war. That nation will still take some time to improve. All PMs of India, across all parties never opposed dialogue with Pakistan, he said. But, can we hear anything in the midst of bombs? Today, terror supporting Pakistan is isolated, Mr Modi said. Rejecting Opposition charges that his government was anti-farmer, the Prime Minister said, there is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. Meanwhile, the Congress attacked Prime Minister saying his interview was full of rhetoric and there was no mention of ground realities or any concern for promises made by him to the people. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister should have spoken about the suffering caused to the people from note ban and GST, bank frauds, black money, national security and farmers woes. Summary of Modijis monologue' interview I, Me, Mine, Myself. The country is suffering your Is and lies, he tweeted. Rejecting opposition charges that his government was anti-farmer, the Prime Minister said,there is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. A majority of them take loans from money lenders. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes. On the opposition charge Patel was forced to quit as the central bank head, Modi said he had been requesting to be relieved for six-seven months due to personal reasons and these requests were made even in writing. While Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala termed it as, bereft of ground reality, jumlas (rhetoric) galore, Modijis interview looks like a parody, his party colleague and former Union minister Anand Sharma alleged that it was fixed. Nation suffers - DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, `15 lakh in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and acche din, Surjewala said. In his counter-offensive, BJPs spokesperson Nalin Kohli said, It is a comprehensive, detailed and candid interview in which the PM has spoken on a wide range of issues that have been in the media space for some time. This interview completely demolishes the motivated agenda of opposition parties and vested interests that seek to malign the sterling performance of his government. When pointed out that cross border terrorism has not waned even after the surgical strike, the Prime Minister told the agency that whatever needs to be done is being carried out at an appropriate level. Refusing to divulge government strategy on carrying out further surgical strike at a public domain, Mr Modi argued: Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving). Speaking on the 2016 surgical strike, the Prime Minister said that Army Special Forces commandos, were told to come back before sunrise, irrespective of the missions success. He said the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dismissed efforts of the Mahagathbandan to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party at national level. In an interview, Mr Modi criticised AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidus efforts to form the Mahagathbandan. Mr Naidu, who initiated the alliance in Telangana state Assembly elections, has failed miserably at the first instance, Mr Modi said, alleging that Mr Naidu had joined hands with the Congress setting aside his partys policies. About Mr Naidus allegation that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is trying to form the Federal Front with the blessings of Mr Modi, the Prime Minister said, I don't know that Mr Rao has initiated the Federal Front. The Prime Minister said, there is no meaning in the Mahagathbandan and there is no need to discuss about that. Mr Modi said that the Lok Sabha elections are the janata vs Mahagathbandan. What happened to Mahakutami in Telangana? They are are coming together with It is with a selfish motive. He said the leaders who opposed the Congress throughout their life, and those who had quit the Congress are now coming together in the name of Mahagathbandan. There will be no benefit to this kind of politics, he said. The neighbours had got incensed after Anjaiahs dog pooped during a stroll. Hyderabad: A software consultant was attacked with a helmet and his sister too beaten up after their pet dog pooped in the open in LB Nagar. Police have booked a case against a family of four for causing hurt, breach of peace and criminal intimidation. D. Anjaiah, 27, the software consultant, a native of Thallamalkapuram village in Surya district, lives with his parents and sister at Shivaganga Colony in LB Nagar. On Sunday afternoon, he had complained to LB Nagar police that Ramulu, his wife and daughters had picked up a quarrel with them the night before. The neighbours had got incensed after Anjaiahs dog pooped during a stroll. Ramulu and his family members got angry when the pet pooped in the open. They reportedly abused and threatened Anjaiah and his sister, and also hit him with a helmet, LB Nagar inspector A. Ashok Reddy quoted the complainant as saying. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 324, 504 and 506 r/w 34 of IPC. They will be produced before court for necessary action, the inspector said. Moreover, in Hyderabad, people who do not clean their pets poop are penalised by the concerned authorities. Many remain unaware and ignorant of the rules. The volume of water pumped will be measured after a few hours, official said. (Photo:AP) Guwahati: The Indian Navy divers on Tuesday resumed the search operation with the help of NDRF personnel but it was delayed after the high-powered pumps encountered technical snags in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district. Informing that there were some technical problems with the machines and the rescue operation was affected, the spokesperson for rescue operation R Susngi told reporters that depth of shaft is over 370 feet and currently the water level inside the vertical shaft is at about 161 feet. Odisha Fire Service is trying its best to run the machine and insert pumps inside to take out the water and check the water level in the main shaft, he said adding that the navy diving team along with the NDRF divers went inside the main shaft and are jointly operating on a strategy that has been planned. Meanwhile, state government officials also released the names of 15 miners trapped inside a 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district since December 13 after water from a nearby river gushed in, puncturing the mine wall. Odisha Fire Service and NRDF teams were able to dewater from the old shaft that lays few yards below the main shaft after replacement of new cable, box and accessories purchased by district administration. The volume of water pumped will be measured after a few hours, official said. Asserting that NDRF is offering its full corporation with all other agencies that visited the site for help, officials on Tuesday said the district administration is also procuring the chassis of the crane and other logistics required to make at least three cranes in the old shafts nearby operational. Meanwhile, state government officials also released the names of 15 miners trapped inside a 370-foot-deep illegal coal mine in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district since December 13 after water from a nearby river gushed in, puncturing the mine wall. Names of trapped miners are Omor Ali, Mezamur Islam, Mominul Islam, Shirapat Ali, Mozid Sk, Raziul Islam, Abdul Kalam SK Abdul (all from West Garo Hills), Chal Dkhar, Iong Dkhar, Nilam Dkhar (From East Jaintia Hills) Amir Hussain, Munirul Islam, Saiar Islam, (from Assams Chirang district) Samsul Haque (from Nalbari Assam) and Assh Bahadur Limbu, (Karbi Anglong, Assam). The official said that out of the 15 people stuck in the rat hole mine, five are from Assam and ten, including three from East Jaintia Hill, belong to Meghalaya. (EOM) Urjit Patel resigned in December from his post citing 'personal reasons' amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Urjit Patel stepped down as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor because of personal reasons and had been telling the Prime Minister for some time about his decision to resign, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "I am revealing for the first time, he (Urjit Patel) was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," PM Modi said. Patel resigned in December from his post citing "personal reasons" amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. The Prime Minister, after Patel's resignation, tweeted that the RBI Governor left behind a "great legacy." PM Modi further dispelled the opposition's criticism that Patel was made to leave. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor," he added. Stressing that institutions like CBI and judiciary are paramount to his government, the Prime Minister stressed that the opposition Congress party has no right to criticise the BJP by saying that the government weakened such institutions in the country. "Congress has no right to speak on this issue. Against the PM and PMO, the NAC (National Advisory Council) was formed. What kind of empowerment of the PMO was this? Cabinet takes such a big decision and a big leader tears that Cabinet decision at a press conference. What kind of respect is for an institution? questioned PM Modi. "Coming to judiciary, they openly said that we will decide judiciary on the basis of ideology and senior judges were shown the door and junior judges were promoted. And you are talking about institutions? In the same RBI, several times governors were forced to leave before their term expired. You called Planning Commission people a bunch of jokers," the Prime Minister added. PM Modi cleared the air over the government removing the two men at the top of CBI. In October, CBI Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, were relieved of their duties pending an inquiry, after each accused the other of corruption, following which the government sent them on leave, calling it an "extraordinary and unprecedented" situation. "When CBI internal personal matter came to light, they were both asked to go on leave legally. Because institution is paramount for us," stressed the Prime Minister. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have in recent times, criticised the BJP-led Narendra Modi government of misusing the Enforcement Directorate for political vendetta, often dubbing it as Embarrassment Directorate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, allayed the criticism. "How are these people saying this? Recently, Sohrabuddin judgement came. Just read that judgement. See how institutions were misused. Accusations on us is that Modi is not taking action against these people. And you are saying this is vendetta. ED is doing is job professionally. From a foreign country, a razdaar (confidante) has been brought in custody of India. Should not every Indian be proud of it?", said the Prime Minister, while referring to Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Michel, a UK citizen, was extradited to India from the UAE last month in connection with the case and was respresented by lawyer Aljo K Joseph, who happened to be a Congress party leader but was shunted after controversy over his affiliation erupted. "If a Congress worker turns up to be Christian Michel's lawyer, then it is a cause for worry. The countrymen should be proud that razdaar has come, now there will be proper inquiry under legal scrutiny and the truth will come out. Instead of that, you are sending lawyers from your party to support him Michel. This is a matter of concern," the Prime Minister added. Hyderabad: There is a plan behind the delay in the formation of the Cabinet and summoning of the Assembly. Generally, after an election, whichever party comes to power forms the Cabinet and summons the Assembly to take oath by newly elected MLAs. In 2014 immediately after the state results, on June 2, K. Chandrasekhar Rao took oath as Chief Minister along with 12 Cabinet ministers. On June 20, he summoned the Assembly and within six months expanded his Cabinet in December 2014. But this time the Assembly results were declared on December 11 and Mr Rao took oath as Chief Minister on December 13 along with just one Cabinet minister. He is expected to take more than a month to form the Cabinet. The reason behind this is to give ample time to Congress MLAs to decide whether they want to jump ship and join the TRS. The Congress won 19 Assembly seats and to get Opposition status at least 12 members are required in the Assembly. The TRS leadership wants to prevent the Congress from getting main Opposition party status in the Assembly and for this eight Congress MLAs have to defect. In 2014 too, the TRS had encouraged defections but this was in order to strengthen its own position. This time, it is encouraging defections to further weaken the main Opposition party and the lure this time too, TRS sources say, is offering ministerial posts. Mr Rao has decided that in the first phase of Cabinet formation representation will be given to every combined district. At present, Mr Rao and the only other minister who has been sworn in, Home Minister Mohmood Ali, are covering Medak and Hyderabad districts. The CM is likely to take eight more ministers into the Cabinet in the first phase to give representation to the remaining eight combined districts. The total strength of the Cabinet should not be more than 18, including the CM. Once the Assembly is summoned, the MLAs will take oath and election for the Assembly speaker and deputy speaker will be held. New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Monday failed to initiate a discussion on the contentious Triple Talaq Bill, with a united Opposition led by the Congress demanding that the draft law be sent to a select committee for scrutiny. With the government pressing for a discussion on the Muslim women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 after law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the same, the Opposition stuck to its demand for sending the Bill to a select committee. Amid a stalemate between the government and the Opposition over the issue, the House failed to transact any significant business during the day. The House was adjourned for the day amid din over the issue. Earlier the Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice during the day with an adjournment in the morning following protests by AIADMK members over the Cauvery issue. The House also saw another brief adjournment of 15 minutes in the afternoon soon after the Bill was tabled. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Bill was very crucial and requires further scrutiny and claimed that more than half of the members belonging to several parties have demanded that the Bill be sent to a select committee. He accused the government of breaking the tradition of sending Bills to select committees for scrutiny before they become a law. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready for a discussion on the issue and accused the Congress of creating hurdles in the passage of the legislation. He said the Congress has already supported the bill in the Lok Sabha earlier. The Congress and other parties are only playing politics on this issue which is very important for ensuring the rights of married Muslim women, he said. Hitting back, deputy leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma said, It is the government which is doing politics. Nobody is opposing the bill. Let there be legislative scrutiny. The government is misleading the people.If the Bill has been passed without legislative scrutiny in the Lok Sabha then it should not be passed here without referring to select committee. Rajya Sabha is not a rubber stamp, he said. New Delhi: Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on Monday surrendered before a city court on the last day of the deadline set by Delhi High Court and was sent to jail to serve his life sentence in a case relating to the deadly anti-Sikh riots in 1984. Kumar, 73, was brought to Mandoli jail in northeast Delhi shortly after he surrendered before Metropolitan Magistrate Aditi Garg, who directed that he be provided a separate van for commuting due to security threat. As a precautionary measure, Sikh prisoners in Mandoli Jail complex will be kept away from Kumars ward. Kumar is the first big politician to be convicted in the riots. In its judgment on December 17, the High Court noted that over 2,700 Sikhs were killed in the national capital, holding that the riots was indeed a carnage of unbelievable proportions. Hyderabad: Tirumala, which bustles with pilgrims and is jampacked on New Year eve, did not see a huge rush on on Monday. Even the VIP counters were thinly attended throughout the day after TTD announced it would not entertain reference letters of VIPs but would allow only protocol VIPs for darshan on January 1. Anticipating huge rush of pilgrims, the TTD has made elaborate arrangements for VIPs and devotees on the eve of New Year, at par with Vaikunta Ekadasi. There was criticism from a section of devotees that the temple administration had unnecessarily blocked accommodation and cancelled arjitha sevas anticipating a heavy influx which never came. Mr Keerthi Kumar, a devotee from Vellore, said, The TTD administration should have estimated properly and taken measures accordingly. It should at least have eased room allotment and VIP ticket issuance norms after having realised that the turnout of devotees on Monday was poor. The temple management had also withdrawn Divya darshan, given to pilgrims who walk up the steps and privilege darshan for the aged and physically challenged devotees. A total of 55,373 devotees had darshan by 6 pm and there was no waiting in the queue compartments. After its forecast turned out to be wrong, the TTD should have eased the norms. If it is not possible to ease the norms for VIP darshan and arjitha sevas, they should have restored divya darshan and darshan for aged and physically challenged, but they did nothing, said D. Pradeep Kumar, a devotee from Bengaluru said. Navy personnel conduct rescue task at the site of the coal mine collapse at Ksan, in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, Monday. (Photo: AP) Guwahati: A joint team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Navy and the Odisha Fire Service on Monday completed the survey of rat-hole mine and decided to send Navy divers once again in to the flooded 370 feet-deep illegal coal mine in east Jaintia Hills where 15 miners are trapped since December 13. The Navy divers, who went inside the mine at 3 pm and came out at 6 pm on Sunday, reported that the shaft was too deep and dark, and while the water level was at 150 feet, they could dive only till 90 feet, officials said. Navy officials said the search operations will be feasible when the water level comes down. The site was cleared for the Odisha Fire Service rescue team to start pumping water from the main shaft. The other shafts nearby are being prepared to enable the Odisha Fire Service to operate the pumping. Saying despite the poor visibility, one rat-hole was also found with coal at its mouth as an underwater remotely-operated vehicle found that there are some wooden structure inside and coal lying beneath, the rescue operations spokesperson R. Susgni said: Divers of the Indian Navy have entered the coal mines main shaft to survey the bottom of the sheet using the underwater remotely-operated vehicle. Mr Susgni said, We are carrying out these safety measures to rule out decompression sickness of the divers. The Indian Navy has also requested the district administration to assist in de-watering so that it comes down to 30 meters, or within the safe diving limit. One Coal India 100 horsepower pump also reached the accident site, but it may take at least two days to get it operational due to logistics issues, sources said. More than 7,000 students and girls and delegates from 13 states participated in the conference. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The Muslim Girls Association discussed various issues confronting modern girls and women at a time when the country revolves around the triple talaq issue. In a two-day national seminar which concluded on Monday, speakers focused on contemporary issues like education, ethical values, habits, domestic employment, lifestyle, time management, depression, anxiety and obsession. No speaker touched on the instant triple talaq issue. More than 7,000 students and girls and delegates from 13 states participated in the conference. Ms Nasreen Fatima, wife of home minister Mahmood Ali, addressed the conference which was held on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the organisation. She advised girls to desist from social media and spend more time on education. She advised girls to learn cooking and household work along with education. Ms Anjum Babu Khan, director, Eden Glendale Academy, presented a power point presentation on the functioning of the brain and said that it was a great blessing of the Creator that human beings, applying their minds, can learn anything. She expressed sorrow over the poor representation of Muslim women in high ranking positions. She stressed that girls should present the true picture of Islam before other communities. 'Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this (Ayodhya) issue,' P rime Minister Narendra Modi said. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. In an interview with news agency ANI, he also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," the Prime Minister said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the temple issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. The BJP, as articulated in its manifesto, wants building of a majestic Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, there has been a renewed pitch within the party as well as by its sister organisations in the Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of construction of the temple. The Sangh Parivar organisations have expressed unhappiness over the delay in resolving the matter and there are demands for promulgating an Ordinance, similar to the one issued on Triple Talaq, to facilitate construction of a temple. The demand for Ordinance has been articulated even by BJP's ally, the Shiv Sena. Asked whether the government could consider issuing an Ordinance on Ram temple, the Prime Minister pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages. "Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he added. The matter is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 4. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court for day-to-day hearing in the case. The Prime Minister was asked why an Ordinance cannot be promulgated to facilitate Ram temple construction when a similar step was taken to ban instant Triple Talaq. In response, PM Modi said, "The Triple Talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict, in the light of Supreme Court verdict." He was referring to the Supreme Court's ruling in 2017, banning the practice of Triple Talaq among the Muslims. Subsequently, the government issued an Ordinance and brought a bill in Parliament. The bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is before the Rajya Sabha. "Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this (Ayodhya) issue," PM Modi said. Targeting the Congress, he said it should "not create obstacles" and should let the judicial process to take its own course. "Don't weigh it in political terms," the Prime Minister said, addressing the Congress. "I beseech the Congress, for the sake of national peace and amity, they should stop its lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in the court," he added. The Prime Minister said all lawyers, including the Congress ones, should jointly head to the court and ensure that there is an early judicial verdict. "In the court, Congress lawyers, who are creating obstacles, should stop. Let the judicial process take its own course," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while revealing details of military action, said the date of attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety of the troops. (Representational Image) New Delhi: "Come back before sunrise, irrespective of the success or failure of the mission". This was the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Indian Army Special Forces' commandos who went across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28, 2016, to carry out surgical strikes at terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. PM Modi, while revealing details of the military action for the first time, told news agency ANI in an interview that the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. The strikes were carried out days after terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, killing 20 soldiers. The Prime Minister said the surgical strikes were planned as there was a "rage" building up within him as well as the Army after soldiers were burnt alive in the terror attack in Uri. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don't think about that but come back before sunrise. Don't fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," he said, turning a bit emotional while discussing that operation. Emphasising that he was determined to see that none of the soldiers died in the operation, he said he had told them that they must return before sunrise even if they fail. The Prime Minister revealed that he was keeping tab of the risky operation throughout the night and was getting live information. "I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," he said. He said he didn't want any harm to come to the commandos who were "willing to sacrifice their lives on our word." PM Modi disclosed that the commandos for the operation were chosen carefully and then imparted special training. Whatever equipment was required, it was arranged for them, he said. He said he was "anxious" throughout the time the soldiers were on the other side of the LoC and the moments became "extremely difficult" when the information flow stopped for about an hour in the morning. "In the morning, information flow stopped, for an hour. My anxiety increased. Even one hour after sunrise. That time was extremely difficult for me... Then came the information that they have not reached back yet but two-three units have reached the safe zone, so don't worry. But I said I won't be fine till the last man returns," PM Modi said. On politicisation of the surgical strikes, the Prime Minister said it was not done by the government but by opposition parties, which "raised questions" over the military action and cited the Pakistani version to "lend weight to their doubts". The Prime Minister said that even before the country was informed about the strikes, Pakistan was told about it. "An Army officer apprised the nation (India) of the operation. That information was given to Pakistan as well... But it is unfortunate for the country that the same day (of the surgical strike), leaders of some parties raised doubts over the surgical strikes," PM Modi said. "It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (to deny), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing Pakistani version. Politicisation started from that point," he added. PM Modi added that the opposition leaders were speaking "rubbish" and "those who raised doubts over the Army action, were wrong and such politicisation should not have happened". Prime Minister Narendra Modi said lauding the valour of soldiers from all operations including the 1962 war with China was the duty of the government and citizens. "If we don't hail the valour of those who stake their lives for the country, then who will? So praising the Army should not be considered as politicisation," he said. The Prime Minister was asked whether the objectives of the surgical strikes were met, considering that cross-LoC attacks still continue in Kashmir. In response, he said he would not like to discuss the issue in open domain. But then he went on to add, "Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving). Talking about the Uri attack, PM Modi said, "That incident made me restless and there was rage within me. I had gone to Kerala and made a mention of this. Because I could not stop myself. PM Modi said that while talking to the Army, he realised that they wanted justice for their martyred soldiers and the government gave them the "free hand" to plan and execute the surgical strikes. Special training was imparted to the commandos and secrecy was maintained. "The topography and obstacles were kept in consideration... It was a learning experience for me as well," the Prime Minister said. In September 2016, terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed entered the Army camp in Uri near the Line of Control and killed 20 soldiers in the attack. In retaliation, the Indian Army troops including the commandos from various units of the Para (Special Forces) units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir carried out raids across the border on multiple targets. All these targets were launch pads for terrorists for infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out attacks against military and civilian targets. Though the security forces are not sure about the exact number of casualties on the Pakistan side but based on post-operation intercepts and movements, it is believed that it had suffered around 50 casualties including its regular Army soldiers who were deployed for protecting the terror camps. From the Indian side, only one soldier had suffered injury due to a personnel mine explosion while returning from the operation. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that there was need to overcome difficulties arising out of non-availability of appropriate statistical data pertaining to food and the agriculture sector. He said there was need for effecting changes in certain traditional habits of farmers to some extent. Greater results could be achieved if the farmer is brought into the organised sector, he said. He said that the state needs to be divided into crop colonies, the entire crop produced by the farmer should be sold on demand; unadulterated products should come out through food processing units proposed to be established by state government. He said that crores of people are dependent on agriculture and horticulture in the state and hence these two departments should work to fulfil peoples needs and aspirations. CM KCR held a high-level review meeting in Pragathi Bhavan on Monday on various aspects of the food processing industry, the process to follow in future in establishing them, involving Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) womens groups in the food processing industry and exporting different types of agri products to other states and countries. The CM said, This meeting is not for taking a decision right now across the table, but only to come to an understanding on issues connected to food processing. Unfortunately, in the absence of appropriate statistical data it is becoming difficult to take decisions. We need data on the amount of rice produced, fruits produced, domestic food needs of people, etc. The CM spoke of ensuring minimum support price for agricultural produce and the need for farmers to be educated against mono-cropping. Hyderabad: Ending the year on a happy note, a constable couple helped out a two-month-old girl at the Osmania General Hospital. The police shifted the baby to the Government Maternity Hospital at Petlaburj and began an effort to trace her mother. At about 8.30 am on Monday, assistant sub-inspector Md. Taheruddin was informed of a woman found crying at Chanchalguda for her lost baby. She was brought to the police station where, upon questioning, she identified herself as Shabana Begum, 30, wife of Feroz Khan, a ragpicker from Falaknuma. Police checked out her story, questioned her husband and handed the baby to her. The police commissioner said, The work done by K. Priyanka, women PC of 2014 batch of Begumpet, as a mother and a police officer is highly appreciable and the timely action of M. Ravinder, 2010 batch PC 2821 of PS Afzalgunj, Hyderabad, is appreciable. He said the act of the constable couple reiterated the commitment of the police. This has brought yearend cheer after hard work to duty all through, Mr Kumar said. The baby was breastfed by constable K. Priyanka at midnight after she was informed about her plight by her husband, constable M. Ravinder. The baby was very weak and did not stop crying until she was fed, said Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar. At about 11.30 pm, one Md. Irfan brought the baby, later identified as Fatima Begum, to the Afzalgunj police station. He said he was standing near the hospital when a woman who was in an inebriated condition came up to him and asked him to hold her baby while she went to get some water to drink. Mr Irfan said she never returned, and he took the baby to his house in Yakutpura as she was crying incessantly to feed her milk. When the baby didnt drink the milk, he took her to the Afzalgunj police. At the police station, Mr M. Ravinder, an e-Cops constable, was on night duty and noticed the crying baby and called his wife, Ms Priyanka, a constable at the Begumpet womens police station, who was at home nursing her own baby. Upon hearing of the babys plight, Ms Priyanka engaged a cab and went to Afzalgunj police station where she fed the baby and went home as she was on maternity leave. The boys parents suspected that he could have been killed by his elder cousin, however, no external injury marks were found by forensic doctors. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: A Class IV student who left the house on a bicycle was found dead in the bushes at Shamshabad. The boys parents suspected that he could have been killed by his elder cousin, however, no external injury marks were found by forensic doctors. A case of suspicious death has been registered and a probe is on, said police. Shamshabad inspector, R. Venkatesh said, The incident took place near Palamakula village in Shamshabad on Sunday night. M. Dinesh, 9, son of M. Chinna Raju, a Class IV student had been to a medical store to get medicines for his grandmother along with his elder cousin, 16. At about 6 pm, the duo came back and left again on a bicycle. As Dinesh did not return home till night, his parents went searching for him. His body was found lying in the bushes at night. The police were alerted and a clues team and dogs squad were pressed into action. The body of the boy was shifted to Osmania General Hospital for post-mortem. Forensic doctors at OGH said that no external injuries were observed and his genitals were also checked, to find if he was abused by anyone. Even that was negative. The boys father expressed suspicion Dineshs cousin, whom he had scolded yesterday for not attending school regularly and wasting time. The boys cousin is a Class IX student in the same school, said the inspector. He said that as the parents of the boy are alleging smothering, a case of suspicious death has been registered, and the PME report has been awaited. Bhupesh, who is the women and child development minister in the Rajasthan cabinet, made the remark while addressing a public event in Alwar district's Reni town on Monday. (Photo: ANI) Alwar: Rajasthan Minister Mamta Bhupesh said that working for the development of her caste is her priority. Bhupesh, who is the women and child development minister in the Rajasthan cabinet, made the remark while addressing a public event in Alwar district's Reni town on Monday. "My first duty will be to work towards the development of people of my caste and then towards the larger society. I intend to work for everyone," Bhupesh said on Monday. In Rajasthan, where the Assembly polls were held in 199 seats out of 200, the Congress bagged 99 seats, and the BJP 73. BSP got 6, CPM 2, Bharatiya Tribal Party 2, Rashtriya Lok Dal 1, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party 3, and Independents 13. New Delhi: Amid war of words between the treasury benches and the opposition over the Rafale jets deal issue, the Congress on Monday said in Lok Sabha that it is ready for a debate on the controversial matter on January 2, 2019. Jaitley ji has thrown a challenge ... We are ready for a debate on January 2. Please decide a time, Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was present in the House when Mr Kharge made the comments. He made these remarks soon after the House gave its nod to additional gross expenditure of `85,948.86 crore during the current fiscal ending March 2019. At 2 pm, when the House was to take up discussion on Supplementary Demands for Grants, Mr Kharge repeated his demand for a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Rafale deal. At this, finance minister Arun Jaitley said Mr Kharge should begin the discussion on the issue immediately and asserted that the government was ready to give a reply. Mr Kharge, he said, was running away from discussion. Stressing that there should a discussion on Rafale deal, Mr Jaitley said he would prove that the Congress party was spreading lies over the deal. When the House was about to be adjourned for the day, Mr Kharge reminded Speaker Sumitra Mahajan of the debate and sought a time for it. Ms Mahajan said she will decide on the timing but Kharge cant extract a decision on the date and time immediately. You keep your challenges to yourself. Dont challenge me, a peeved Mahajan said. The other major missions are the launch of the heavy communications satellite GSAT-20 and the first unmanned space mission towards the year end. (Representational Image) Nellore: Indias second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-II, will be the highlight of the calendar of the Indian Space Research Organisation this year. The other major missions are the launch of the heavy communications satellite GSAT-20 and the first unmanned space mission towards the year end. During the recent launch of the GSLV-F11 recently, Isro chairman Dr K. Sivan had appealed to space scientists to gear up to launch 32 missions in 2019. Isro had launched 17 missions in the year just gone by. In addition to this, a satellite for the Indian Data Relay Satellite System to maintain continuous communication with Indias remote sensing/earth observation satellite is also on the cards. Isro has been working on a new technology to use the fourth stage of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle for space experiments and this is likely to be demonstrated through the launch of the PSLV-C44 in the first quarter of 2019. Usually the last stage of the PSLV becomes part of space debris. Isro has been planning to give life to the last stage known as PS4 for six months after the launch. Isro officials said it will be useful for students and institutions to carry out experiments without spending much. Isro will invite proposals from students and scientists to utilise the new technology. Isro also developing an app for using Navic, India's own global positioning system, in mobile phones and it is likely to be ready before the end of 2019. The last satellite of the series was launched in 2018. Prakash Raj has been vocal about his views on the current BJP-led government at the Centre. (Photo: File | ANI) Chennai: Announcing his formal entry into politics, critically-acclaimed actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday said he will contest as an independent candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The National Award-winning actor made the declaration in a tweet. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too.. Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) December 31, 2018 Raj has been vocal about his views on the current BJP-led government at the Centre. He has also been one of those seeking justice for his friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot outside her residence in September 2017. The actor earlier claimed that Bollywood filmmakers stopped offering him roles as he has been critical of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. Prakash Raj is the latest celebrity to join politics from south after veterans Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Amid all the platitudes and good wishes for happiness and world peace that we will throw at one another on New Year's Day, know this - 2019 will be no ordinary year! And there are 19 reasons why Not least, that this is an India, that unlike the years before, is shaking off its stupor. It knows that its voice and its views have a value and an import that cannot be dismissed as mere white noise. The canny Indian has always been able to see beyond the sloganeering and the catch phrases. Be it Garibi Hatao - we're still a nation of the hungry and impoverished - and India Shining - the much loved Atal Behari Vajpayee robbed of a second term by the much maligned 'videshi bahu.' Indira Gandhi paid the price for the 'emergency'; Dr. Manmohan Singh, for not living up to the hopes the elected had placed in him. Sure, India has chosen to go with the flow in the past, but equally, she's never held back from placing her trust in the alternative. It's been done before, upending the ruling UPA as it did in 2014. Will Narendra Modi's 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' pass the coming litmus test? Or will he be a one-term prime minister? If I were a politician, I would be afraid. Very afraid. Elections are upon us. And Prime Minister Modi, who swept aside all opposition thus far, has suddenly come face to face with a minnow, that both he and the nation, dismissed as 'Pappu' as we chortled together at the 'naamdaar' and 'shehzada' barbs. But here's the thing. With Rafale, Rahul Gandhi may have found his own Bofors, shrugging off four years of ennui, when he paddled in the shallows, to reinvent himself. The hug and the wink in parliament were, admit it, pure genius. The electoral turnaround, snapping at the BJP's heels in its home ground of Gujarat, losing Goa by a whisker, and then to go on and win the three states in the Hindi heartland that the BJP could not afford to lose, says more than any twitter barb that while the Congress leader isn't a shark as yet - and given the prime ministerial ambitions of our own Hardanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda, the two 'M's - Mayawati and Mamta - and oh yes, Chandrababu Naidu and KCR - he may never make it to the re-christened Race Course Road. But he's got more bite than anyone gave him credit for. And it all began, right here in Karnataka, where a party that dared to fail, rediscovered its mojo, and dare we say it, could pose a challenge in '19. PM Modi could still pull it off. Sops to the farmer and the SMEs. Another surgical strike to reinforce his ultra-nationalistic credentials, although with Imran Khan playing so nice, it may be difficult to go to war with Pakistan. John F Kennedy once said he doesn't want an America which is spiritually poor and materially rich. We don't want that either. Although with DeMo, we're materially poor too! Happy New Year everyone! New Delhi: The government has exempted rupee payments made to Iran's national oil company NIOC towards the purchase of crude oil from payment of any tax, according to a Gazette notification. The finance ministry in a December 28, 2018 Gazette notification said the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) will not have to pay any withholding tax on payments it gets from Indian refiners. India had on November 2, 2018, signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees. Any income a foreign company receives in an Indian bank account is subject to a withholding tax of 40 per cent, which together with sundry cesses totals to 42.5 per cent. Exempting payments received by NIOC for crude oil it sells to Indian refiners, the notification said the Iranian firm "shall not engage in any activity in India, other than the receipt of income under the aforesaid arrangement". It said, "the notification shall be deemed to have come into force from the 5th day of November 2018". This will help clear close to USD 2 billion of payments Indian refiners are holding for oil they bought from Iran during November and October. The rupee pact was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on November 5, 2018. Sources said Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of NIOC. Iran can use these funds to pay for imports of foodgrains, medicines and medical devices from India, the cost of its missions in the country, direct investment in Indian projects, and financing of Iranian students in India. It can also invest the funds in Indian government debt securities. India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, India is allowed to import a maximum of 3,00,000 barrels a day of crude oil. This compares to an average daily import of about 5,60,000 barrels in 2018. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonnes or 15 million tonnes in a year (3,00,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonnes (4,52,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year, sources said. Two of its refiners -- Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) -- bought 1.25 million tonnes of oil from Iran in November and December. India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of total needs. US President Donald Trump in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, re-imposing economic sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Some sanctions took effect from August 6, 2018, while those affecting the oil and banking sectors started from November 5, 2018. Prior to this, India paid its third largest oil supplier in euros using European banking channels. These channels got blocked from November. During the first round of sanctions when EU joined the US in imposing financial restrictions, India initially used a Turkish bank to pay Iran for the oil it bought. Beginning February 2013, India paid 45 per cent of the oil import bill in rupees, while keeping the remainder pending till the opening of payment routes. It began clearing the dues in 2015 when the restrictions were eased. Sources said New Delhi may export goods, including wheat, soybean meal and consumer products, to Iran during the exemption period. Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but Western sanctions over the Persian Gulf nation's suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the seventh spot in the subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonnes and 10.95 million tonne crude, respectively from Iran. Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonnes in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, the Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonnes to catapult it to the third spot. Iranian oil is a lucrative buy for refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crudes -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria, and the US. Besides blocking of banking channels from November, shipping firms are unwilling to transport Iranian oil. To get around this, Iran is using its own ships to transport crude to India. Its insurance companies are also providing insurance cover for such shipments, sources added. The government wanted the RBI to align its PCA framework with global norms, which recognises only slippage on capital to risk weighted assets ratio. New Delhi: The relation between the Reserve Bank and the government is akin to that of 'husband and wife', former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once famously said but that bond turned sour in 2018, leading to unprecedented episodes that culminated in the abrupt resignation of Urjit Patel as the governor. Differences between the Centre and the RBI over easing of lending restrictions for certain sectors and the appropriate size of reserves to be maintained by the central bank, among other issues, spilled out. It was further aggravated when deputy governor Viral Acharya spoke of maintaining autonomy and independence of the central bank. It soon unravelled that the government had cited a never-used-before provision of the RBI Act to get the central bank to discuss issues it considered of public importance. This seemed to have been the culmination of a series of events that began with the government getting persons considered close to its ideology being appointed as directors on the RBI's central board. Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy vigorously pushed the government's cause especially with regard to taking a more liberal view on issues such as reserves the central bank must maintain. Soon enough there was speculation that the then Governor Patel would resign but he chose to stay on to see if there was a resolution and quit when there wasn't a common ground found even over names of an expert committee the RBI and government had agreed to constitute to look into appropriate size of reserves the central bank must maintain. The government quickly moved in and appointed a former bureaucrat who from day one showed a willingness to consider all issues on the table and take a more consultative approach rather than being a confrontationalist. Winds of changes are already visible at Mint Street as Shaktikanta Das has held at least three consultations with bankers over different issues, a trend which was a rarity during Patel's tenure. Many blamed the pressure brought by the government on the central bank to ease lending restrictions and release more of its capital to bolster the economy for Patel's resignation. Patel became the first since post economic liberalisation in 1991 to resign as the RBI governor. In independent India, the first governor to resign was Benegal Rama Rau in 1955 during the tenure of the Jawaharlal Nehru government. Indira Gandhi got S Jagannathan to resign after he refused to give an enhanced loan to Maruti in 1975. During Chandra Shekhar government (1990), R N Malhotra had to resign due to differences with the government. Patel was hand-picked by the BJP-led government after his predecessor Raghuram Rajan was denied a second-term. A Kenyan national who acquired Indian citizenship prior to being appointed as Deputy Governor of the RBI in January 2013, Oxford-trained Patel was initially seen as toeing government line after he backed the November 2016 shock decision to overnight junk 86 per cent of the currency in circulation. Since then, he was seen waging a war to get the struggling banking system in order and punish defaulting borrowers. The genesis of differences between the RBI and the government was one-day default norms announced by the central bank on February 12, 2018. The RBI aligned the revised norms with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) as it also recognised the one-day default norms. According to the RBI, the revised framework tried to reduce the arbitrage the borrowers are currently enjoying while raising funds through borrowing from banks vis-a-vis from the capital markets. Besides, there were some disagreements on weak bank norms, Prompt Corrective Action (PCA). Of 21 public sector banks, 11 are under PCA framework due to declining profit and rising bad loans. The PCA framework kicks in when banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). The government wanted the RBI to align its PCA framework with global norms, which recognises only slippage on capital to risk weighted assets ratio. The differences came out in the open when Deputy Governor Acharya, in a hard-hitting speech in October, talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. Subsequently, Economic Affairs Seceretary Subhash Chandra Garg and government nominee on the Board took an apparent dig at Acharya's 'wrath of financial markets' comment in a tweet saying vital indicators of the economy were showing improvement. "The autonomy for the central bank, within the framework of the RBI Act, is an essential and accepted governance requirement. Government of India has nurtured and respected this," the finance ministry said in a statement. However, there was truce on two issues, including with regard to reserves. It was agreed that an expert panel to examine the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) of RBI in its central board meeting on November 19. The RBI, while deciding to retain the CRAR at 9 per cent, agreed to extend the transition period for implementing the last tranche of 0.625 per cent under the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), by one year, up to March 31, 2020. Despite reaching some common ground on contentious issues, Patel in a surprise move resigned on December 10 leaving government perplexed. Acting swiftly, the government very next day, appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das as the 25th Governor of the RBI. This time government preferred a bureaucrat over an economist after tryst with two economists as head of the central bank. Considered an efficient implementer and a team player, Das may be the right man in the RBI amid tensions with the finance ministry over governance and autonomy issues. Das, a 1980 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre has worked in economic and finance departments in the state and the centre during his 37-year-long tenure like other previous governors Y V Reddy and D Subbarao who also moved from North Block to the Mint Street. Manchester Knife Attack: Allah implicated in terror stabbing Terror in Manchester as three people are stabbed. Well, so they say. So little is said about the murder of 23 people at an Ariana Grande concert in the city back in 2017 that you suspect the news media will downplay notions of militant Islamism in this latest attack. So what happened? Police are investigating the stabbing of three people at Manchester Victoria station last night. They, says the Times, are treating the attack as terror-related. Theres no mention of what motives the alleged terrorist held or was attempting to promote. Maybe hes a militant vegetarian? The Guardian says it might be terror related but doesnt speculate on cause. Manchester police scour Victoria station after triple stabbing, says the paper. Counter-terror police involved in investigation of New Years Eve attack on three people. Or as the Sun puts it: TERROR RAMPAGE Terror cops raid suspects home after knifeman screaming long live the Caliphate stabs cop and couple in New Years Eve rampage. A 25-year-old man from Cheetham Hill, north Manchester, has been arrested. The BBC tells us: Resident Nousha Babaakachel, 40, said a Somali family live at the address, a mother and father of five, in their 40s, who came to live in the street around 12 years ago from the Netherlands. She said two of the four sons are at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter. Both parents attend the local Khiza Mosque. The BBC mentions a mosque but does not mention Islam. One without the other is bit like saying the alleged knifer subscribes to Netflix and shops at Asda. Its a big so what? But its enough for the Sun to copy and paste the BBCs lines and pass them off as their own: A witness claims the suspect shouted Allah during his attack with a long kitchen knife. The Sun editorialises this into an Allahu Akbar in the URL to its story (see above). Why not just stick to the facts? The witness is Sam Clack, a BBC producer. It was pretty scary. It was just me on the platform and as I was standing there I heard the most blood-curdling scream I had ever heard from a woman near by. It looked like there was a fight going on. I heard the guy shout Allah distinctly. I didnt hear the rest of the sentenceThe guy started backing up towards me. And he got to within seven or eight feet of me and was looking around very skittish. I saw that the man had a kitchen knife with a long 12in blade. Mr Clack said that he heard the attacker say: As long as you keep bombing other countries this sort of shit is going to keep happening. Which countries? The BBC says he was shouting about god being great in Arabic as he was hauled away. But dont worry. Manchesters Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts tells us: Tonights events will have undoubtedly worried people but I need to stress that there is currently no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time. At this time. Mr Clack is less certain, adding: It was scary. I have never been so scared in my life. Someone with a knife six to eight feet away, he had just stabbed someone. It was the proximity. It just highlights the fact that it can happen anywhere. Before the horror, a look at the coppers who help us. Assistant Chief Constable Sean OCallaghan, of British Transport Police, tells media: I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife. They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and were all relieved that this is not more serious. It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery. Sure thing. But what of the alleged attacker and his motives? More to come Anorak Posted: 1st, January 2019 | In: Key Posts, News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink The Royal Anguilla Police Force reports that at 9:50 pm on Sunday 30th December, 2018 police responded to a call from a residence in Island Harbour that someone appeared to have died. On arrival at the scene officers found one unresponsive male who was later pronounced dead by a Medical Practitioner who arrived at the scene. Another male who had been taken from the same location to the Princess Alexandra Hospital via the ambulance was also later pronounced dead by a Medical Practitioner. Personal particulars of the deceased persons who are visitors to the island are being withheld until further notice. The Commissioner of Police and members of the Royal Anguilla Police Force would like to extend sympathy to the grieved family and friends of the deceased. As the Police investigation continues into this matter a Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to the family Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides bandwidth infrastructure solutions for the communications industry in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company operates in six segments: Fiber Solutions, Transport, Enterprise Networks, Zayo Colocation (zColo), Allstream, and Other. The Fiber Solutions segment provides dark fiber, and fiber-to-the-tower and small cell mobile infrastructure services for carriers and other communication service providers, Internet service providers, wireless service providers, media and content companies, large enterprises, and other companies. 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Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC 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Holdings LLC, LMC River North Holdings LLC, LMC Spring Street Investor LLC, LMC Stonewall Station Investor LLC, LMC Triangle Square Investor LLC, LMC Venture Developer LLC, LMC Verbena Holdings LLC, LMC West Loop Investor LLC, LMCFX Investor LLC, LMCPNW Marymoor Holdings LLC, LMI - Jacksonville Investor LLC, LMI - South Kings Development Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle Holdings LLC, LMI - West Seattle Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle LLC, LMI Cell Tower Investors LLC, LMI City Walk Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale LLC, LMI Contractors LLC, LMI Glencoe Dallas Investor LLC, LMI Lakes West Covina Investor LLC, LMI Largo Park Investor LLC, LMI Las Colinas Station LLC, LMI Naperville Investor LLC, LMI Pacific Tower LLC, LMI Park Central Two LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners Investor LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners LLC, LMI-JC Developer LLC, LMI-JC LLC, LMV 1640 Broadway REIT-DC LP, LMV 1701 Ballard REIT-DC LP, LMV 19H REIT-DC LP, LMV 2026 Madison REIT-DC LP, LMV 85 South Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC Communities VI LLC, LNC Communities VII LLC, LNC Communities VIII LLC, LNC Pennsylvania Realty Inc., LNC at Meadowbrook LLC, LNC at Ravenna LLC, LS College Park LLC, LS Terracina LLC, LV Opendoor Investor LLC, LV Opendoor JV LLC, LW D'Andrea LLC, Lagoon Valley Residential LLC, Lakelands at Easton L.L.C., Legends Club LLC, Legends Golf Club LLC, Len - Little Harbor LLC, Len FW Investor LLC, Len Paradise LLC, Len-Angeline LLC, Len-Hawks Point LLC, Len-Land LLC, Len-Land West LLC, Len-MN LLC, Len-Verandahs LLP, LenCom LLC, LenFive LLC, LenFive Opco GP LLC, LenFive Sub III LLC, LenFive Sub LLC, LenFive Sub Opco GP LLC, Lenalto CMBS LLC, Lencraft LLC, Lennar Aircraft I LLC, Lennar Arizona Construction Inc., Lennar Arizona Inc., Lennar Associates Management Holding Company, Lennar Associates Management LLC, Lennar Avenue One LLC, Lennar Berkeley LLC, Lennar Bevard LLC, Lennar Bridges LLC, Lennar Buffington Colorado Crossing L.P., Lennar Buffington Zachary Scott L.P., Lennar Carolinas LLC, Lennar Central Park LLC, Lennar Central Region Sweep Inc., Lennar Chicago Inc., Lennar Cobra LLC, Lennar Colgate Urban Renewal Development LLC, Lennar Colorado LLC, Lennar Colorado Minerals LLC, Lennar Commercial LLC, Lennar Communities Development Inc., Lennar Communities Inc., Lennar Communities Nevada LLC, Lennar Communities of Chicago L.L.C., Lennar Concord LLC, Lennar Construction Inc., Lennar Cory Road LLC, Lennar Courts LLC, Lennar Developers Inc., Lennar Ewing LLC, Lennar Financial Services LLC, Lennar Flamingo LLC, Lennar Fresno Inc., Lennar Gardens LLC, Lennar Georgia Inc., Lennar Greer Ranch Venture LLC, Lennar Heritage Fields LLC, Lennar Hingham Holdings LLC, Lennar Hingham JV LLC, Lennar Homes Holding LLC, Lennar Homes LLC, Lennar Homes NJ LLC, Lennar Homes of Arizona Inc., Lennar Homes of California Inc., Lennar Homes of Indiana Inc., Lennar Homes of Texas Land and Construction Ltd., Lennar Homes of Texas Sales and Marketing Ltd., Lennar Homes of Utah Inc., Lennar International Holding LLC, Lennar International LLC, Lennar Lakeside Investor LLC, Lennar Layton LLC, Lennar Living LLC, Lennar Lytle LLC, Lennar MF Holdings LLC, Lennar MPA LLC, Lennar MPA WIP LLC, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Lennar Marina A Funding LLC, Lennar Massachusetts Properties Inc., Lennar Middletown LLC, Lennar Monmouth Redevelopers LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Victory Block G Mezz LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily Builders LLC, Lennar Multifamily Communities LLC, Lennar Multifamily Venture DC LP, Lennar New Jersey Holdings LLC, Lennar New Jersey Properties Inc., Lennar New York LLC, Lennar Northeast Properties LLC, Lennar Northwest Inc., Lennar OHB LLC, Lennar PI Acquisition LLC, Lennar PI Property Acquisition LLC, Lennar PIS Management Company LLC, Lennar Pacific Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Management Inc., Lennar Plumsted Urban Renewal LLC, Lennar Point LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core GP LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core LP LLC, Lennar Realty Inc., Lennar Reno LLC, Lennar Riverwalk LLC, Lennar Sacramento Inc., Lennar Sales Corp., Lennar Sierra Sunrise LLC, Lennar Spencer's Crossing LLC, Lennar Sun Ridge LLC, Lennar Texas Holding LLC, Lennar Ventures LLC, Lennar West Valley LLC, Lennar Winncrest LLC, Lennar at Franklin LLC, Lennar at Jackson LLC, Lennar at Marlboro 79 LLC, Lennar at Monroe LLC, Lennar.com Inc., Longleaf Acquisition LLC, Lori Gardens Associates II LLC, Lori Gardens Associates III LLC, Lori Gardens Associates L.L.C., Lorton Station LLC, Lyons Lennar Farms LLC, Madrona Ridge L.L.C., Madrona Village L.L.C., Madrona Village Mews L.L.C., Majestic Woods LLC, Maple and Broadway Holdings LLC, Menifee Development LLC, Mid-County Utilities Inc., Miralago West Lennar LLC, Mission Viejo 12S Venture LP, Mission Viejo Holdings Inc., Motomic Diagnostics LLC, Multibank 2009-1 CML-ADC Venture LLC, Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC, NC Properties I LLC, NC Properties II LLC, North American Asset Development LLC, Northbridge L.L.C., OHC/Ascot Belle Meade LLC, One SR L.P., PD-Len Boca Raton LLC, PG Properties Holding LLC, POMAC LLC, PT Metro LLC, Pace Drive Holdings LLC, Palm Gardens At Doral Clubhouse LLC, Palm Gardens at Doral LLC, Palm Springs Classic LLC, Palm Vista Preserve LLC, Patuxent Infrastructure Inc., Pioneer Meadows Development LLC, Pioneer Meadows Investments LLC, Plaza Condominium Ventures LLC, Portside Marina Developers L.L.C., Portside SM Associates L.L.C., Portside SM Holdings L.L.C., Portside Shipyard Developers L.L.C., Prestonfield L.L.C., Quail Roost Lennar LLC, RCCF GP II LLC, RCCF GP III LLC, RCCF GP IV LLC, RCCF GP LLC, RES-FL EIGHT LLC, RES-FL SEVEN LLC, RES-FL VISION ONE LLC, RES-FL VISION TWO LLC, RES-GA CASCADE LLC, RES-GA DIAMOND MEADOWS LLC, RES-GA KAP LLC, RES-GA SOUTHERN PLANTATION LLC, RES-GA THIRTEEN LLC, RES-GA TWELVE LLC, RES-GA WEST LLC, RES-IL ONE LLC, RES-NC ONE LLC, RES-PA LSJ LLC, RES-PA POM LLC, RES-TX BOULEVARD LLC, RH Insurance Company Inc., RH MOA BBCMS 2017-C1 LLC, RH MOA CF 2017-C8 LLC, RH MOA LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C4 LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C6 LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 CLASS B LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 LLC, RL BB FINANCIAL LLC, RL BB INACTIVE LLC, RL BB-AL LLC, RL BB-FL ALHI LLC, RL BB-GA LLC, RL BB-GA RMH LLC, RL BB-IL LLC, RL BB-IN AA LLC, RL BB-IN KRE LLC, RL BB-IN KRE OP LLC, RL BB-IN KRE RE LLC, RL BB-MS LLC, RL BB-NC LLC, RL BB-OH LLC, RL BB-SC BROOKSA LLC, RL BB-SC CLR II LLC, RL BB-SC CLR III LLC, RL BB-SC CLR IV LLC, RL BB-SC CLR LLC, RL BB-SC CRRC LLC, RL BB-SC RACEDAY LLC, RL BB-TN BRISTOL LLC, RL BB-TN LLC, RL BB-TN RACEDAY TOWER LLC, RL BB-TX LLC, RL BB-WV LLC, RL CMBS Holdings LLC, RL CML 2009-1 Investments LLC, RL REGI ARKANSAS LLC, RL REGI Alabama LLC, RL REGI FINANCIAL LLC, RL REGI Florida LLC, RL REGI GEORGIA LLC, RL REGI INACTIVE LLC, RL REGI KANSAS LLC, RL REGI MISSISSIPPI LLC, RL REGI MISSOURI LLC, RL REGI NORTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI TENNESSEE LLC, RL REGI VIRGINIA LLC, RL REGI-AL HP LLC, RL REGI-AL VRC LLC, RL REGI-FL CRC LLC, RL REGI-FL ESH LLC, RL REGI-FL FT. PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. (Florida), Rutenberg Homes of Texas Inc., Rye Hill Company LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada Holdings LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada LLC, Ryland Homes of California Inc., S. Florida Construction II LLC, S. Florida Construction III LLC, S. Florida Construction LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve South LLC, SPIC CPCO Inc., SPIC CPDB Inc., SPIC CPRB Inc., SPIC Del Sur LLC, SPIC Dublin LLC, SPIC Mesa LLC, SPIC NC Fremont LLC, SPIC Otay LLC, SPIC Springs LLC, San Felipe Indemnity Co. Ltd., San Lucia LLC, San Simeon Lennar LLC, Schulz Ranch Developers LLC, Seminole/70th LLC, Siena at Old Orchard L.L.C., Sierra Vista Communities LLC, Silver Springs Lennar LLC, South Development LLC, Southbank Holding LLC, Spanish Springs Development LLC, St. Charles Active Adult Community LLC, St. Charles Community LLC, Standard Pacific 1 Inc., Standard Pacific Investment Corp., Standard Pacific of Colorado Inc., Standard Pacific of Florida, Standard Pacific of Florida GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Las Vegas Inc., Standard Pacific of Orange County Inc., Standard Pacific of Tampa GP, Standard Pacific of Tampa GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Tonner Hills LLC, Standard Pacific of Walnut Hills Inc., Standard Pacific of the Carolinas LLC, Stoney Holdings LLC, Storey Lake Club LLC, Storey Park Club LLC, Strategic Holdings Inc., Strategic Technologies LLC, Summerfield Venture L.L.C., SunStreet Energy Group LLC, SunStreet Manager LLC, TCO QVI LLC, TICD Hold Co. LLC, TIH Hold Co. LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. Realty Inc., UAMC Holding Company LLC, UB 2018C14 MOA LLC, USH - Flag LLC, USH Equity Corporation, USH LEE LLC, USH Leasing II LLC, USH Leasing LLC, UST Lennar HW Scala SF Joint Venture, VII Crown Farm Investor LLC, Venetian Lennar LLC, Vineyard Land LLC, Vineyard Point 2009 LLC, Vista Palms Clubhouse LLC, WCI Communities, WCI Communities Inc., WCI Communities LLC, WCI Towers Northeast USA Inc., WCI Westshore LLC, WCP LLC, WIP Lennar OHB LLC, Waterview at Hanover LLC, West Lake Village LLC, West Seattle Project X LLC, West Van Buren L.L.C., Westchase Inc., Westchase Ltd., Westfield Homes USA Inc., White Course Lennar LLC, Wild Plum JV LLC, Willowbrook Investors LLC, Winncrest Natomas LLC, Woodbridge Multifamily Developer I LLC, Wright Farm L.L.C., and YLRichards4Acres 2015 LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. It also holds exploration licenses and permits in Serbia and Macedonia, as well as in the Bisha mining district. The company was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. As of January 7, 2019, Nevsun Resources Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited. Read More Flotek Industries, Inc. operates as a technology-driven chemistry and data company that serves customers across industrial, commercial, and consumer markets in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Chemistry Technologies and Data Analytics. The Chemistry Technologies segment designs, develops, manufactures, packages, distributes, delivers, and markets reservoir-centric fluid systems, including specialty and conventional chemistries, for use in oil and gas well drilling, cementing, completion, remediation, and stimulation activities designed to maximize recovery in new and mature fields, as well as to reduce health and environmental risk by using greener chemicals. This segment serves integrated oil and gas, oilfield services, independent oil and gas, international supply chain management, and national and state-owned oil companies. The Data Analytics segment designs, develops, produces, sells, and supports equipment and services that create and provide valuable real time information about the composition and properties for customers' oil, natural gas, and refined products. This segment sells Verax analyzers, deployed in the field across the oil and gas sector, to support contracts and software services via its cloud-based Viper software platform, as well as sells hardware-related solutions. It sells its products directly through its sales force and contractual agency arrangements. The company was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company offers products and systems to separate complex chemical and biological materials, as well as to identify, analyze, and purify components. It operates in two segments, Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics. The Life Science segment develops, manufactures, and markets a range of reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes. It focuses on selected segments of the life sciences market in proteomics, genomics, biopharmaceutical production, cell biology, and food safety. This segment serves universities and medical schools, industrial research organizations, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotechnology researchers, food producers, and food testing laboratories. The Clinical Diagnostics segment designs, manufactures, sells, and supports test systems, informatics systems, test kits, and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories in the diagnostics market. This segment offers reagents, instruments, and software, which address specific niches within the in vitro diagnostics test market. It sells its products to reference laboratories, hospital laboratories, state newborn screening facilities, physicians' office laboratories, transfusion laboratories, and insurance and forensic testing laboratories. The company offers its products through its direct sales force, as well as through distributors, agents, brokers, and resellers. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Hercules, California. Read More William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company earned $466.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a net margin of 3.04% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98%. William Lyon Homes's revenue for the quarter was down 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. View William Lyon Homes' earnings history. The following companies are subsidiares of Roper Technologies: 3089554 Nova Scotia ULC, AC Analytical Controls B.V., AC Analytical Controls Holding B.V., AC Analytical Controls Services B.V., Acton Research Corporation, Acumen PM LLC, Aderant CM LLC, Aderant CRM LLC, Aderant Case Management LLC, Aderant Company, Aderant CompuLaw LLC, Aderant DoD LLC, Aderant Enterprise Holdings Inc., Aderant FM LLC, Aderant Holdings Inc., Aderant Imaging LLC, Aderant International Holdings Inc., Aderant Legal (UK) Limited, Aderant Legal Holdings (AUS) Pty Ltd, Aderant Legal Holdings (NZ) ULC, Aderant Legal Holdings Inc., Aderant North America Inc., Aderant Parent Holdings Inc., Aderant RainMaker LLC, Aderant Redwood LLC, Advanced Sensors Limited, Alpha Holdings of I LLC, Alpha Holdings of II LLC, Alpha Technologies B.V., Alpha Technologies GmbH, Alpha Technologies LLC, Alpha Technologies Services LLC, Alpha Technologies U.K., Alpha Technologies s.r.o., Alpha UK Holdings LLC, Amot Controls Corporation, Amot Controls GmbH, Amot/Metrix Investment Company Inc., Amphire Solutions Inc., Amtech Systems LLC, Amtech Systems Limited, Amtech World Corporation, Ascension Technology Corporation, Atlantic Health Partners Inc., Atlas Healthcare Software Private Limited, Austria, Avitru LLC, Axium Holdco Inc., C/S Solutions Inc., CBORD Holdings Corp., CIVCO Medical Solutions B.V., Cayman Islands, Centurion Research Solutions LLC, Civco Holding Inc., Civco Medical Instruments Co. Inc., CliniSys Group Limited, Clinisys Scotland Limited, Clinisys Solutions Limited, Compressor Controls (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Compressor Controls Corporation, Compressor Controls Corporation B.V., Compressor Controls Corporation Middle East, Compressor Controls Corporation S.r.l., Compressor Controls Ltd., Compressor Controls Pty Ltd., ConstructConnect Inc., Cornell Pump Company, DAP Technologies Corp., DAP Technologies LTD, DAT Solutions LLC, DCMH Group Holdings Inc., DCMH Group Holdings LLC, DCMH Holdings Inc., DI Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., DI Dutch Holdings LLC, DI Limited, Dash I Inc., Data Innovations Cooperatief U.A., Data Innovations Europe S.A., Data Innovations LLC, Data Innovations Latin America Ltda, Data Innovations Ltd., Dawning Technologies LLC, Deltek, Deltek Ajera Inc., Deltek Asia Pacific (HK) Limited, Deltek B.V., Deltek Belgie BVBA, Deltek Danmark A/S, Deltek GB Limited, Deltek GmbH, Deltek Inc., Deltek Nederland B.V., Deltek Norge AS, Deltek Pty Ltd., Deltek SAS, Deltek Sverige AB, Deltek Systems () Inc., Deltek Systems (Philippines) Ltd., Deltek Systems ) Inc., Deltek WST LLC, Dominion I Inc., Dynamic Instruments Inc., Dynisco, Dynisco Enterprises GmbH, Dynisco Enterprises LLC, Dynisco Europe GmbH, Dynisco Holding GmbH, Dynisco Holdings Limited, Dynisco Instruments LLC, Dynisco Instruments S.a.r.l., Dynisco Parent Inc., Dynisco S.r.l., Dynisco Shanghai Sensor and Instrument Co. Ltd., Dynisco Viatran LLC, Dynisco Viatran (M) Sdn Bhd, Dynisco-Viatran Instrument Sdn Bhd, FMS Purchasing & Services Inc., FSI Holdings Inc., FTI Flow Technology Inc., Fluid Metering Inc., Foodlink Holdings Inc., Foodlink IT Private Limited, Foundry, Gatan GmbH, Gatan Inc., Gatan Service Corporation, Gatan U.K. Limited, GeneInsight Inc., Getloaded Corporation, Guangzhou MEDTEC Medical Device Co. Ltd, HRsmart Czech Republic, HRsmart Germany, HRsmart GmbH, HRsmart Inc., HRsmart International, HRsmart International Holdings LLC, HRsmart Mexico, HRsmart SA (Pty) Ltd., HRsmart SAS, HRsmart Talent Management Solutions Europe Limited, HRsmart Ventures LLC, Handshake Software Inc., Hansco Automatisering B.V., Hansen Technologies Corporation, Hansen Technologies Europe GmbH, Harbour Holding Corp., Hardy Process Solutions, Horizon Software International LLC, INPUT Inc., IPA Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., ISL Finance SAS, ISL Holding SAS, ISL Scientifique de Laboratorie - ISL S.A.S., IT Holdings LLC, Innovative Product Achievements LLC, Inovonics Corporation, Input S.A.R.L., Instill Corporation, Integrated Designs L.P., IntelliTrans Limited, Intellitrans AB, Intellitrans LLC, Intellitrans Ltd., Job Access LTDA, K/S Roper Holding, K/S Roper Investments, Link Logistics Holding LLC, Logitech Limited, Louis U.K. Limited, Lumenera, MED Professional Services LLC, MEDTEC Inc., MHA Long Term Care Network Inc., MIPS Austria GesmbH, MIPS CZ s.r.o, MIPS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, MIPS Deutschland Holding GmbH, MIPS Nederland B.V., MIPS Sarl, MIPS Schweiz AG, MIPS Software Iberica SL, MPR Readers Inc., Managed Health Care Associates Inc., Marumoto Struers K.K., Media Cybernetics Inc., Medical Information Professional Systems GmbH, Medical Information Professional Systems NV, Medina Acquisition LLC, Metrix Instrument Co. L.P., NDI Europe GmbH, Navigator Group Purchasing Inc., Neptune Technology Group () Co., Neptune Technology Group Inc., Neptune Technology Group S.de R.L. de C.V., Neptune Technology Group Services Inc., Neptune Technology Group Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Nippon Roper K.K., Northern Digital Inc., Off-Campus Advantage LLC, Omega Legal Systems Inc., PAC (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PAC ApS, PAC GmbH, PAC Instruments (Thailand) Company Limited, PAC Instruments Asia PTE. Ltd., PB Bidco Limited, PB Holdco Limited, PB Midco Limited, PB Topco Limited, PGP UK Limited, Petroleum Analyzer Company L.P., Phase Analyzer Company Ltd., PowerPlan, PowerPlan Holdings Inc., PowerPlan Holdings LLC, PowerPlan Inc., PowerPlan Intermediate Holdings Inc., PowerPlan Operations ANZ Pty Ltd, PowerPlan Operations Ltd., PowerPlan ULC, Project Cobalt Acquisition Corp, Project Diamond Intermediate Holdings Corporation, Project Torque Intermediate Holdings Inc., QSC 1208 Limited, QSC 1209 Limited, Quantitative Imaging Corporation, RF IDeas Inc., RI Marketing Private Limited, RIL Holding Limited, RMT Inc., RT Merger Sub Inc., Rebate Tracking Group LLC, Redlake MASD LLC, Roda Deaco Valve Inc., Roper Brasil Comercio E Promocao De Productos E Servicos LTDA, Roper Capital Deutschland GmbH, Roper DK Sub Sarl, Roper Engineering s.r.o., Roper Europe GmbH, Roper Finance S.a.r.l., Roper GM Holdings ApS, Roper GmbH, Roper GmbH & Co. KG, Roper Holdings Inc., Roper Holdings LP, Roper Holdings Limited, Roper Holdings S.a.r.l., Roper Industrial Products Investment Company, Roper Industries ApS, Roper Industries Deutschland GmbH, Roper Industries Inc., Roper Industries L.P., Roper Industries Limited, Roper Industries Ltd., Roper Industries Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Roper Industries UK Limited, Roper International Holding Inc., Roper LLC, Roper Lux Sub S.a.r.l, Roper Middle East Ltd., Roper NL1 UK Limited, Roper NL2 UK Limited, Roper Pump Company, Roper S.a.r.l., Roper Scientific B.V., Roper Scientific GmbH, Roper Scientific Inc., Roper Scientific SAS, Roper Scot LP, Roper Southeast Asia LLC, Roper Swiss Finance GmbH, Roper UK Holdings S.a.r.l., Roper UK Investments Limited, Roper UK Limited, Roper UK Ltd., Roper-Mex L.P., Ropintassco 1 LLC, Ropintassco 2 LLC, Ropintassco 3 LLC, Ropintassco 4 LLC, Ropintassco 5 LLC, Ropintassco 6 LLC, Ropintassco 7 LLC, Ropintassco Holdings L.P., SHP Group Holdings Inc., SIRA LLC, Scotland, Shanghai Roper Industries Trading Co. Ltd., Singapore, Sinmed Holding International B.V., Societe de Distribution de Logiciels Medicaux, SoftWriters Inc., Softwriters Holdings Inc., Sohnar Pty Ltd, Spain, Star Purchasing Services LLC, Strata Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., Strata Decision Technology Holdings LLC, Strata Decision Technology LLC, Strata Parallel II Inc., Strategic Healthcare Programs Blocker 2 Inc., Strategic Healthcare Programs Blocker LLC, Strategic Healthcare Programs Holdings LLC, Strategic Healthcare Programs L.L.C., Struers (Shanghai) International Trading Ltd., Struers A/S, Struers GmbH, Struers Inc., Struers Limited, Struers SAS, Student Advantage LLC, Sunquest Europe Limited, Sunquest Holdings Inc., Sunquest Information Systems, Sunquest Information Systems () Private Limited, Sunquest Information Systems (Europe) Limited, Sunquest Information Systems (International) Limited, Sunquest Information Systems Inc., Sunquest Information Systems Pty Ltd, Switzerland, TLP Holdings LLC, Taupo Holdings Inc., Technolog Group Limited, Technolog Holdings Ltd., Technolog Limited, Technolog SARL, Tennessee, Thailand, The CBORD Group Inc., The Management Group Inc., The Tidewater Healthcare Shared Services Group Inc., Torque Acquisition Holdco Inc., Transcore Atlantic Inc., Transcore CNUS Inc., Transcore Holdings Inc., Transcore ITS LLC, Transcore LP, Transcore Link Logistics Corporation, Transcore Nova Scotia Corporation, Transcore Partners LLC, Transcore Quebec Corporation Inc., Trinity Integrated Systems Limited, UHF Purchasing Services LLC, Union Square Software (International) Limited, Union Square Software Inc., Union Square Software Limited, Union Square Software Pty, Uson L.P., Uson Limited, Utilitec Limited, Utilitec Services Limited, Utility Data Services Limited, Verathon Holdings Inc., Verathon Inc., Verathon Medical, Verathon Medical (Europe) B.V., Verathon Medical (UK) Ltd., Verathon Medical Limited, Verathon Medical Pty Limited, Verathon Medical SARL, Verathon Medical ULC, Viastar Services LP, Viatran, Walter Herzog GmbH, Wisconsin, WorkBook APAC Ltd., Workbook Software A/S, Zetec (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zetec France, Zetec Inc., Zetec Korea Inc., Zetec Rental LLC, Zetec Services Inc., iPipeline, iSqFt Holdings Inc., iSqFt Parent Corporation, iSqFt Sub Inc., iTradeNetwork Inc., iTradenetwork Limited, and mySBX Corporation. The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (South Africa) Pty Limited, Accenture (UK) Ltd, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Azerbaijan Ltd, Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BV, Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A, Accenture CAS GmbH, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc., Accenture Capital DAC, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd., Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SAS, Accenture Customer Services Limited, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Delivery Poland sp. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital France Holdings SA, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance (Gibraltar) III Ltd, Accenture Finance GmbH, Accenture Finance GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II GmbH, Accenture Finance II GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II Ltd, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services Srl, Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Ghana Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Ltd., Accenture Global Services Ltd, Accenture Global Solutions Ltd, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services Ltd, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc., Accenture Holding GmbH, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holding GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SAS, Accenture Holdings plc, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazylym Cozumleri Limited irketi), Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture Insurance Services SAS, Accenture Insurance Services SpA, Accenture International BV, Accenture International Capital SCA, Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture International Sarl, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea BV, Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Managed Services SpA, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Middle East B.V, Accenture Middle East BV, Accenture Minority I BV, Accenture Minority III Ltd, Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi (Pty) Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Newco LLC, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations Sp. z o.o., Accenture Outsourcing SRL, Accenture Outsourcing Services, Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations BV, Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru S.R.L, Accenture Peru S.R.L., Accenture Post Trade Processing SAS, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process Ltd, Accenture Product Lifecycle Services, Accenture Properties, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture S.A., Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture SAS, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sendirian Berhad, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Ltd, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.r.l., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services Sp. z o.o., Accenture Services Sp. z.o.o., Accenture Services and Technology Srl, Accenture Services fur Kreditinstitute GmbH, Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Servicos Administrativos Ltda, Accenture Servicos de Suporte de Negocios Ltda, Accenture Solutions Co Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Sp. z o.o., Accenture Sp. z.o.o., Accenture SpA, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc., Accenture Sub Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag KFT, Accenture Technologia, Accenture Technologia Consultoria e Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions SAS, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures BV, Accenture Technology Ventures S.P.R.L., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co., Accenture Vietnam Co. LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., 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., 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., Epylon, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, 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., Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., 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, 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., 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, 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., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, 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 AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sinnerschrader, 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, 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., Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, 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. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry worldwide. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution. It also distributes regulatory reports and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions; and provides end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and multi-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services. In addition, this segment offers financial reporting document composition and management solutions; SEC disclosure and filing services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; customer communication solutions; cloud-based marketing and customer communication tools; customer and account data aggregation and reporting services, as well as creates sales and educational content, including seminars and a library of financial planning topics; and mutual fund trade processing services. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment offers desktop productivity tools, data aggregation, performance reporting, portfolio management, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, asset servicing, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral optimization, compliance and regulatory reporting, and accounting. It also provides capital market, wealth management, asset management, and international securities processing solutions; managed services; and customizable advisor Websites, search engine marketing, and electronic and print newsletters. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York. Read More Vocera Communications, Inc. provides secure, integrated, and intelligent communication and workflow solutions that empowers mobile workers in healthcare, hospitality, retail, energy, education, and other mission-critical mobile work environments in the United States and internationally. The company's communication solution integrates with other clinical systems, including electronic health records, nurse call systems, and patient monitoring, as well as to provide critical data, alerts, alarms, and clinical context that enable workflow. It also offers Vocera Communication and Workflow System, a software platform, which connects communication devices, such as hands-free, wearable, and voice-controlled Smartbadge and badges, as well as third-party mobile devices; and Vocera Care Experience, a hosted software suite that coordinates and streamlines provider-to-patient and provider-to-provider communication and clinical rounding to enhance quality of care, patient and staff experience, reduce care provider's risk, and improve reimbursements, as well as Vocera Ease, a cloud-based communication platform and mobile application to enhance the patient experience by enabling friends and family members to receive timely updates about the progress of their loved one in the hospital. In addition, the company provides professional, software maintenance, and technical support services; and classroom training, distance learning, or customized courseware for systems administrators, IT and industry-specific professionals, and end-user educators. As of December 31, 2020, the company provided its solutions to approximately 1,900 healthcare facilities, including large hospital systems, small and medium-sized local hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, and aged-care facilities. It sells its products through direct sales force, resellers, and distributors. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. Read More Newell Brands Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, and distributes consumer and commercial products worldwide. Its Appliances and Cookware segment offers household products, including kitchen appliances, gourmet cookware, bakeware, and cutlery under the Calphalon, Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Sunbeam brands. The company's Commercial Solutions segment provides commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions; closet and garage organization; hygiene systems and material handling solutions; and home and security, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms products under the BRK, First Alert, Mapa, Quickie, Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Spontex brands. Its Home Solutions segment offers food and home storage; fresh preserving; vacuum sealing; and home fragrance products under the Ball, Chesapeake Bay Candle, FoodSaver, Rubbermaid, Sistema, WoodWick, and Yankee Candle brands. The company's Learning and Development segment provides writing instruments, including markers and highlighters, pens, and pencils; art products; activity-based adhesive and cutting products; labeling solutions; and baby gear and infant care products under the Aprica, Baby Jogger, Dymo, Elmer's, EXPO, Graco, Mr. Sketch, NUK, Paper Mate, Parker, Prismacolor, Sharpie, Tigex Waterman, and X-Acto brands. Its Outdoor and Recreation segment offers products for outdoor and outdoor-related activities under the Coleman, Contigo, ExOfficio, and Marmot brands. The company markets its products to warehouse clubs, department stores, drug/grocery stores, mass merchants, specialty retailers, distributors and e-commerce companies, home centers, sporting goods retailers, office superstores and supply stores, contract stationers, and travel retailers. The company was formerly known as Newell Rubbermaid Inc. and changed its name to Newell Brands Inc. in April 2016. Newell Brands Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. 3M Company develops, manufactures, and markets various products worldwide. It operates through four business segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer. The Safety and Industrial segment offers personal safety products, industrial adhesives and tapes, abrasives, closure and masking systems, electrical markets, automotive aftermarket, and roofing granules to industrial, electrical, and safety markets. The Transportation and Electronics provides electronics, such as display materials and systems, electronic materials solutions; automotive and aerospace, and commercial solutions; advanced materials; and transportation safety products to transportation and electronic original equipment manufacturer customers. The Health Care segment offers medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, oral care, separation and purification sciences, health information systems, drug delivery systems, and food safety products to healthcare industry. The Consumer segment provides home improvement, home care, and consumer health care products, as well as stationery and office supplies to various consumers. This segment is also involved in the retail auto care business. It offers its products through various e-commerce and traditional wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors, and dealers, as well as directly to users. 3M Company has a strategic collaboration with Merry Maids in residential cleaning sector; and collaborations with The Infectious Disease Research Institute and Duke Human Vaccine Institute to create a vaccine candidate with potential to provide protection against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Read More Bridgepoint Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides postsecondary education services in the United States. Its academic institutions, Ashford University and University of the Rockies, offer associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences, and health sciences. The company offers its programs primarily through online; and at its campuses. As of December 31, 2017, its institutions offered approximately 1,200 courses and 80 degree programs; and had 45,730 students enrolled. The company was formerly known as TeleUniversity, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in February 2004. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read More 2 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for TransEnterix in the last year. There are currently 2 hold ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" TransEnterix stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in TRXC, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for TransEnterix or view top-rated stocks. 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 Canada, XTO Energy Inc., and XTO Holdings LLC. TI Fluid Systems plc manufactures and sells fluid storage, carrying, and delivery systems primarily for the light duty automotive market worldwide. It operates through two segments, Fluid Carrying Systems (FCS) and Fuel Tank and Delivery Systems (FTDS). The FCS segment offers brake and fuel lines and bundles, such as double-wall and single-wall steel fluid carrying lines, and bundles for brake and fuel systems; multi-layer plastic lines for vapor, thermal management, and exhaust treatment; sensor-integrated connectors for installation and system assembly; and heated plastic lines for selective catalyst reduction urea fluids. This segment also provides thermal products, including thermal management technology for hybrid-electric vehicle battery packs; climate control tube and hose assemblies; coaxial or tube-in-tube assemblies; accumulators and receiver dryers; and heater and radiator hoses, as well as powertrain products comprising gasoline direct injection lines and rails, high-pressure diesel lines, and turbocharger cooling lines. The FTDS segment offers fuel tank products, such as plastic fuel tanks for gasoline, diesel, and flex fuel vehicles; partial zero emissions vehicle fuel tanks; pressurized fuel tank systems for hybrid vehicles; low emission vehicle fuel tanks; delivery and return components; and plastic fuel filler tubes. This segment also provides pump and module products, such as brushed and brushless pumps, modules, electronics controls, additive dosing systems, and sensors; and aftermarket products. The company serves automotive original equipment manufacturers. TI Fluid Systems plc was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Oxford, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Tenneco: A.E. Group Machines Limited, AE International Limited, Anand I-Power Limited, Anqing TP Goetze Liner Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Goetze Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Armstrong Properties (Pty.) Ltd., Ateliers Juliette Adam SAS, Autopartes Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Beck Arnley Holdings LLC, CATAI s.r.l., CEDS Inc., Carter Automotive Company LLC, Clevite Industries Inc., Componentes Venezolanos de Direccion S.A., Cooperatief Federal-Mogul Dutch Investments B.A., Coventry Assurance Ltd., DRiV Automotive Inc., DRiV IP LLC, DRiV Incorporated, Dongsuh Federal-Mogul Co. Ltd., F-M Holding Daros AB, F-M Holding Goteborg AB, F-M Holding Mexico S.A. de C.V., F-M Motorparts Limited, F-M Motorparts TSC LLC, F-M TSC Real Estate Holdings LLC, F-M Trademarks Limited, FDML Holdings Limited, FM International LLC, FM PBW Bearings Private Limited, FM Participacoes e Investimentos LTDA, Farloc Argentina S.A.I.C. y F., Federal Mogul (Thailand) Ltd., Federal Mogul Aftermarket Egypt Ltd., Federal Mogul Argentina S.A., Federal Mogul Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul Hungary Kft., Federal Mogul Powertrain Otomotiv Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul SAS, Federal Mogul Services Sarl, Federal Mogul Systems Protection SAS, Federal-Mogul, Federal-Mogul (Anqing) Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Changshu) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (China) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Chongqing) Friction Materials Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Langfang) Automotive Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul (Shanghai) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (T&N) Hong Kong Limited, Federal-Mogul (Tianjin) Surface Treatment Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Vietnam) Ltd., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Espana S.A., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket France SAS, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket GmbH, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket UK Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Bearings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Sealings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Holding Korea Ltd., Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul Automotive GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Automotive Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Automotive Verwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Betriebsgrundstucke Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Bimet Spolka Akcyjna, Federal-Mogul Bradford Limited, Federal-Mogul Bremsbelag GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid Beteiligungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Canada Limited, Federal-Mogul Chassis LLC, Federal-Mogul Componentes de Motores Ltda., Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Limited, Federal-Mogul Coventry Limited, Federal-Mogul Deva (Qingdao) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Deva GmbH, Federal-Mogul Dimitrovgrad LLC, Federal-Mogul Distribucion de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Dong Feng (Shiyan) Engine Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul EMEA Distribution Services, Federal-Mogul Employee Trust Administration Limited, Federal-Mogul Engineering Limited, Federal-Mogul FIL-P43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul FIL-S43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Filtration LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 1 LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 2 LLC, Federal-Mogul Financial Services Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Financial Services S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Financing Corporation, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Barcelona S.L., Federal-Mogul Friction Products Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Friction Products GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products International GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Limited, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Friction Products S.A., Federal-Mogul Friction Products a.s., Federal-Mogul Friction Spain S.L., Federal-Mogul Friedberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Garennes SAS, Federal-Mogul Germany Investments Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Global Aftermarket EMEA, Federal-Mogul Global Growth Limited, Federal-Mogul GmbH, Federal-Mogul Goetze (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Gorzyce Sp. z o.o., Federal-Mogul Holding Deutschland GmbH, Federal-Mogul Holding Sweden AB, Federal-Mogul Holdings Ltd., Federal-Mogul Iberica S.L., Federal-Mogul Ignition GmbH, Federal-Mogul Ignition LLC, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products India Limited, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products SAS, Federal-Mogul Industria de Autopecas Ltda., Federal-Mogul Investment Ltd., Federal-Mogul Investments B.V., Federal-Mogul Italy S.r.l., Federal-Mogul Izmit Piston ve Pim Uretim Tesisleri A.S., Federal-Mogul Japan K.K., Federal-Mogul Juarez S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Lighting S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Limited, Federal-Mogul Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Federal-Mogul MP US LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Pinghu) Trading Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Thailand) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Colombia S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Minority Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Philippines Inc., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Services SRL, Federal-Mogul Naberezhnye Chelny, Federal-Mogul Nurnberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Operations France S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Piston Rings LLC, Federal-Mogul Plasticos Puntanos S.A., Federal-Mogul Powertrain (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Eastern Europe B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain IP LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Italy S.R.L, Federal-Mogul Powertrain LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Mexico Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Russia GmbH, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Solutions India Private Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Systems S A (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Vostok OOO, Federal-Mogul Products US LLC, Federal-Mogul Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul R&L Friedberg Casting GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Risk Advisory Services LLC, Federal-Mogul S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul S.A., Federal-Mogul SP Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Sealing System (Nanchang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sealing Systems GmbH, Federal-Mogul Sejong Co. Ltd, Federal-Mogul Sejong Tech Ltd, Federal-Mogul Serina Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sevierville LLC, Federal-Mogul Shanghai Bearing Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Shanghai Compound Material Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Singapore Investments Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., Federal-Mogul Sistemas de Limpadores de Para-Brisas Ltda, Federal-Mogul Sorocaba-Holding Ltda, Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Hungary Kft., Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Morocco SARL AU, Federal-Mogul TP Europe GmbH & Co KG, Federal-Mogul TP Liner Europe Otomotiv Ltd. Sti, Federal-Mogul TP Liners Inc., Federal-Mogul TP Piston Rings GmbH, Federal-Mogul TPR (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Technology Limited, Federal-Mogul Transaction LLC, Federal-Mogul UK Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul UK Powertrain Limited, Federal-Mogul VCS Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul VCS LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train International LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Valvetrain GmbH, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain La Source SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Limited, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Schirmeck SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain s.r.o., Federal-Mogul Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Verwaltungs-und Beteiligungs-GmbH, Federal-Mogul Wiesbaden GmbH, Federal-Mogul World Trade (Asia) Limited, Federal-Mogul World Wide LLC, Federal-Mogul Yura (Qingdao) Ignition Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Zhengsheng (Changsha) Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul de Costa Rica S.A., Federal-Mogul de Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Federal-Mogul de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Venezuela C.A., Federal-Mogul of South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Felt Products MFG. CO. LLC, Ferodo America LLC, Ferodo Limited, Fonciere de Liberation, Forjas y Maquinas S. de R.L. de C.V., Frenos Hidraulicos Automotrices S.A. de C.V., Fric-Rot S.A.I.C., Gabilan Manufacturing, Gasket Holdings LLC, Gillet Exhaust Manufacturing Limited, Gillet Pressings Cardiff Limited, Goetze Wohnungsbau GmbH, ISA Installations Steuerungs und Automatislerungs GmbH, J.W. Hartley (Motor Trade) Limited, Jurid do Brasil Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., KB Autosys (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., KB Autosys Co. Ltd., KB Autosys India Private Ltd., Kinetic Pty. Ltd., Kontich, Leeds Piston Ring & Engineering Co. Limited, Maco Inversiones S.A., McCord Payen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., McPherson Strut Company LLC, Monroe Amortisor Imalat Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Monroe Australia Pty. Limited, Monroe Czechia s.r.o., Monroe Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Manufacturing (Proprietary) Ltd., Monroe Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Packaging BVBA, Monroe Ride Performance Sweden AB, Monroe Springs (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Montagewerk Abgastechnik Emden GmbH, Motocare India Private Limited, Muzzy-Lyon Auto Parts LLC, Parts Zone (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Payen International Limited, Piston Rings (UK) Limited, Precision Modular Assembly Corp., Productos de Frenos Automotrices de Calidad S.A. de C.V., Proveedora Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Pullman, Pullman Standard Inc., Qingdao Tenneco FAWSN Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Raimsa S. de R.L. de C.V., Ride Performance Canada Inc., Ride Performance Japan Ltd., Ride Performance Korea Limited, Ride Performance Mexico Holding LLC, SAXID Limited, Sapav Marketing Ltd, Saxid, Saxid s.r.l., Servicio de Componentes Automotrices S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios Administrativos Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Shanghai Tenneco Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Sibirica Energy Limited, Sintration Limited, Speyside Real Estate LLC, Subensambles Internacionales S. de R.L. de C.V., T&N Industries LLC, T&N de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TA (Australia) Group Pty. Ltd., TM S.r.l, TMC Texas Inc., TPR Federal-Mogul Tennessee Inc., Taiwan Federal-Mogul Motorparts Co. Limited, TecCom GmbH, Tenneco (Beijing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Beijing) Ride Control System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Changzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (China) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Dalian) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Jingzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (MSCan) Operations Inc., Tenneco (MUSA), Tenneco (Mauritius) Limited, Tenneco (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Emission System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Ride Control Co. Ltd., Tenneco (TM Asia) Ltd., Tenneco (TM Belgium) BVBA, Tenneco (Tianjin) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco Asheville Inc., Tenneco Asia Inc., Tenneco Automotie Nederland B.V., Tenneco Automotive (Thailand) Limited, Tenneco Automotive Brasil Ltda., Tenneco Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Tenneco Automotive Eastern Europe Sp. z.o.o., Tenneco Automotive Europe BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Europe Coordination Center BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Foreign Sales Corporation Limited, Tenneco Automotive France S.A.S., Tenneco Automotive Holdings South Africa Pty. Limited, Tenneco Automotive Iberica S.A., Tenneco Automotive Inc. Nevada, Tenneco Automotive India Private Limited, Tenneco Automotive Italia S.r.l., Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc., Tenneco Automotive Polska Sp. z.o.o., Tenneco Automotive Port Elizabeth (Proprietary) Limited, Tenneco Automotive Portugal Componentes Para Automovel Unipessoal LDA., Tenneco Automotive RSA Company, Tenneco Automotive Second RSA Company, Tenneco Automotive Services Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, Tenneco Automotive Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco Automotive Trading Company, Tenneco Automotive UK Limited, Tenneco Automotive Volga LLC, Tenneco Automotive Walker Inc., Tenneco Brake Inc., Tenneco CA Czech Republic s.r.o., Tenneco CA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco CA Netherlands BV, Tenneco Canada Inc., Tenneco Clean Air Argentina S.A.I.C., Tenneco Clean Air India Private Limited, Tenneco Clean Air Spain S.L.U., Tenneco Clean Air US Inc., Tenneco Deutschland Holdinggesellschaft mbH, Tenneco Eastern European Holdings S.a.r.l., Tenneco Eberspaecher (Beijing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Emission Control (Pty) Ltd, Tenneco Etain Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, Tenneco Europe Limited, Tenneco FAWSN (Changchun) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco FAWSN (Foshan) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco FAWSN (Tianjin) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco Fusheng (Chengdu) Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Tenneco Global Holdings Inc., Tenneco GmbH, Tenneco Holdings Danmark ApS, Tenneco Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Tenneco Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Tenneco Industria de Autopecas Ltda., Tenneco Innovacion S.L., Tenneco International Holding Corp., Tenneco International Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Tenneco International Manufacturing S.a.r.l., Tenneco Japan Ltd., Tenneco Korea Limited, Tenneco Lingchuan (Chongqing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Management (Europe) Limited, Tenneco Mauritius China Holdings Ltd., Tenneco Mauritius Holdings Limited, Tenneco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Tenneco RP Germany GmbH, Tenneco Ride Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Tenneco Ride Performance US 4 LLC, Tenneco Ride Performance US 5 LLC, Tenneco Silesia spolka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Tenneco SpinCo Incorporated, Tenneco Sverige AB, Tenneco Walker (Tianjin) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco Zwickau GmbH, Tenneco-Eberspaecher (Dalian) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco-Walker (U.K.) Limited, The Pullman Company, The Tenneco Automotive (UK) Pension Scheme Trustee Limited, Thompson and Stammers (Dunmow) Number 6 Limited, Thompson and Stammers (Dunmow) Number 7 Limited, United Piston Ring Inc., VTD Vakuumtechnik Dresden GmbH, Walker Australia Pty. Limited, Walker Danmark ApS, Walker Electronic Silencing Inc., Walker Europe Inc., Walker Exhaust (Thailand) Company Limited, Walker Gillet (Europe) GmbH, Walker Limited, Walker Manufacturing Company, Walker UK Ltd, Wellworthy Limited, Wimetal Societe Par Actions Simplifiee, and Wuhan Tenneco Exhaust System Co. Ltd.. The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, Envision Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, EnvisionRx Puerto Rico Inc., First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG 90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG (PJC) USA LLC, JCG Holdings (USA) Inc., K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW 90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, and Thrifty PayLess Inc.. Wall Street analysts have given AIT Therapeutics a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but AIT Therapeutics wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. NCI Building Systems, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America. It operates in four segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components, Insulated Metal Panels, and Metal Coil Coating. The Engineered Building Systems segment offers engineered structural members and panels; and self-storage building systems under the Metallic, Mid-West Steel, A & S, All American, Mesco, Star, Ceco, Robertson, Garco, Heritage, and SteelBuilding.com brands to builders, general contractors, developers, and end users directly, as well as through private label companies. The Metal Components segment provides metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trims, doors, and other related accessories for use in new construction, and repair and retrofit applications; roll-up doors; and interior and exterior walk doors under the MBCI, American Building Components, Eco-ficient, Metal Depots, and Doors and Buildings Components brands to manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups, and other customers. The Insulated Metal Panels segment offers insulated metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, and cold storage end-market applications under the Metl-Span and CENTRIA brands. The Metal Coil Coating segment engages in cleaning, treating, and painting flat-rolled metals in coil form, as well as in slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by industrial users. It also cleans, treats, and coats heavy and light gauge metal coils for use in construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances, and other products; and provides toll coating and painted metal package services under the Metal Coaters and Metal Prep brands. NCI Building Systems, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2020, the company marketed approximately 354 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States and Canada, as well as in 14 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Read More Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets. Read More Bank of Hawaii Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of Hawaii that provides various financial products and services in Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific Islands. It operates in three segments: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury and Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers checking, savings, and time deposit accounts; residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases, personal lines of credit, installment loans, small business loans and leases, and credit cards; private and international client banking, and trust services to individuals and families, and high-net-worth individuals; investment management and institutional investment advisory services to corporations, government entities, and foundations; and brokerage offering equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products. This segment operates 65 branch locations and 357 ATMs throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, as well as through a customer service center, and online and mobile banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. It offers commercial lending and deposit products to middle-market and large companies, and government entities; commercial real estate mortgages to investors, developers, and builders; and international banking and merchant services. The Treasury and Other segment offers corporate asset and liability management services, including interest rate risk management and foreign exchange services. Bank of Hawaii Corporation was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Read More Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. provides various banking products and services to individuals, small and medium enterprises, and corporate customers in Brazil and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Commercial Banking and Global Wholesale Banking. It offers deposits and other bank funding instruments; debit and credit cards; digital pre-paid solutions; payment platform; loyalty programs; employee benefit vouchers; payroll loans; digital lending and online debt renegotiation services; mortgages; home equity financing products; consumer credit; and local loans, commercial and trade finance, guarantees, structured loans, and cash management and funding solutions, as well as on-lending transfer services. It also provides funding and financial advisory services related to projects, origination and distribution of fixed-income securities in the debt capital markets, financing of acquisitions and syndicated loans, other structured financing arrangements, and subordinated debt and energy efficiency transactions; advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital markets transactions; and stock brokerage and advisory, equity, and equity research services. In addition, the company structures and offers foreign exchange, derivative, and investment products for institutional investors, and corporate and retail customers; and provides market making services. Further, it offers instant payment services; range of products and services focused on the agribusiness sector; microfinance services; and online automotive listing and digital car insurance solutions, as well as digital trading platform. The company provides its financial services and products to its customers through multichannel distribution network comprising branches, mini-branches, ATMs, call centers, Internet banking, and mobile banking. Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in SAo Paulo, Brazil. 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] | (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. As a bonus to opt-ing into our email newsletters, you will also get a free subscription to the Liberty Through Wealth e-newsletter. You can opt out at any time. In 2019, the process of democracy will impact 3.28 billion people, with 1.34 billion or 40% of the sample from India alone. Voters from across diverse geographies, believers in varied ideologies and belonging to several shades of inequality, will oversee and be impacted by political change. From Afghanistan and Australia to Thailand and Uruguay, these 62 countries will elect new leaders, according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Howsoever flawed or imperfect some of these democracies, 2019 is the year when the voting population of two-fifths of the world more than half of it, if we exclude China will elect new leaders. This will impact several issues, from foreign affairs and defence deals to domestic coalition complexities and local policymaking. This will also bring a huge element of uncertainty to the world. The process of democracy will impact 3.28 billion people in the coming year. (Photo: Facebook) While we will know these answers only next year, the most impactful expressions of these choices will be in India that goes in for general elections in April and the European Union to elect the European Parliament in May. The latter will give more of a sense of direction of what the Western world is thinking rather than executing it. But both will be the worlds most-watched elections. Together, they impact 1.85 billion people, whose aspirations will shape the textures of international relations and global economics in 2019. But aside from these two, there will be several large elections Thailand and Nigeria, impacting 255 million people, in February; Indonesia and Afghanistan (299 million) in April; the Philippines and South Africa (162 million) in May; Japan (127 million) in July, Canada and Argentina (81 million) in October; Poland and Australia (63 million) in November; Romania (19 million) in December. While those who track changing world orders will need to examine these 15 elections very closely, you cannot leave out smaller countries Finland (5.5 million) in April; Slovakia (5.4 million) in May; the Netherlands, Belgium and Lithuania (31.4 million) in May; Latvia (1.9 million) in June; Bolivia, Haiti and Greece (32.9 million) in October; Croatia and Tunisia (15.7 million) in December. The European Union will also vote to elect the European Parliament in 2019. (Photo: Reuters) On the lowest side of the spectrum, the smallest elections will be held in Cocos (Keeling) Islands (population: 596) for their Shire Council; a referendum for the 3,398 people in the Falkland Islands; Montserrat (population: 4,900); and Tuvalu (11,192), Nauru (13,649), and Gibraltar (34,571) in March, July and December respectively. As political parties fight for their mandates and tweak their manifestos to express their nations' economic direction, expect huge uncertainties in policy stability and, as a result, sharp volatility in global markets. From oil and currencies to debt and stocks, 2019 will provide rich fodder for global speculators. In other words, these 62 elections in 2019 will impact geopolitical and geoeconomic indicators from all six continents no sample could be as diverse or as disparate as this. It will be a political economy laboratory whose outcomes will spill beyond these nations' boundaries. This year will be the year when social scientists from across the world will be able to test their hypotheses on predicting new world orders. Which buttons will we press? 1.34 billion Indians will be part of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. (Photo: PTI) One country at a time, the choices before these 62 nations in 2019 will be layered. Will the world redefine and shift to a truly liberal order, one that has not been hijacked by the elite, but carries within it greater inclusion economic, social and cultural? Will it change towards becoming more conservative, inward-looking, a me-first or me-only, rather than a global collective meeting global challenges of free and fair trade or climate change together? Or will it be status-quo? The answers will trickle in by mid-2019 and consolidate by the end of the year. Also read:2019: From TINA (There Is No Alternative) to AOBM (Any One But Modi) BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) - Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil's president Tuesday, taking the reins of Latin America's largest and most populous nation with promises to overhaul myriad aspects of daily life and put an end to business-as-usual governing. For the far-right former army captain, the New Year's Day inauguration was the culmination of a journey from a marginalized and even ridiculed congressman to a leader who many Brazilians hope can combat endemic corruption as well as violence that routinely gives the nation the dubious distinction of being world leader in total homicides. A fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, the 63-year-old longtime congressman rose to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda that has energized conservatives and hard-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers' Party. Bolsonaro was the latest of several far-right leaders around the globe who have come to power by riding waves of anger at the establishment and promising to ditch the status quo. "Congratulations to President @jairbolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech," Trump tweeted. "The U.S.A. is with you!" Tuesday's festivities in the capital of Brasilia began with a motorcade procession along the main road leading to Congress and other government buildings. Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle, stood up in an open-top Rolls-Royce and waved to thousands of onlookers. CORRECTS TO SAY SHE IS SPEAKING SIGN LANGUAGE, NOT SALUTING - Brazil's new first lady Michelle Bolsonaro uses sign language to speak to the public, as her husband, President Jair Bolsonaro, stands behind her during his inaugural ceremony at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Another person, not in picture, translated her words for those who are not hearing impaired. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) They were surrounded by dozens of guards on horses and plain-clothes bodyguards who ran beside the car. Once inside Congress, Bolsonaro and his vice president, retired Gen. Hamilton Mourao, took the oath of office. Bolsonaro then read a short speech that included many of the far-right positions he staked out during the campaign. He promised to combat the "ideology of gender" teaching in schools, "respect our Judeo-Christian tradition" and "prepare children for the job market, not political militancy." "I call on all congressmen to help me rescue Brazil from corruption, criminality and ideological submission," he said. A short time later, Bolsonaro spoke to thousands of supporters outside, promising to "free Brazil" from socialism and political correctness. As he spoke, supporters began to chant "Myth! Myth! Myth!"- a nickname that began years ago with internet memes of Bolsonaro and became more common during last year's campaign. Bolsonaro's middle name is Messias, or Messiah in English, and many supporters believe he was chosen by God to lead Brazil, an assertion bolstered after Bolsonaro survived a stabbing during a campaign rally in September. During Tuesday's speech, Bolsonaro stopped at one point, pulled out a Brazilian flag and wildly waved it, prompting roars from the crowd. "Our flag will never be red," Bolsonaro said, a reference to communism. "Our flag will only be red if blood is needed to keep it green and yellow." Brasilia was under tight security, with 3,000 police patrolling the event. Military tanks, fighter jets and even anti-aircraft missiles also were deployed. Journalists were made to arrive at locations seven hours before festivities began, and many complained on Twitter of officials confiscating food they had brought for the wait. The increased security came at Bolsonaro's request. His intestine was pierced when a knife-wielding man stabbed and nearly killed him, and today Bolsonaro wears a colostomy bag. His sons, politicians themselves, had insisted their father could be targeted by radicals, but security officials have not spoken of threats. Bolsonaro did little moderating since being elected in October, with progressives and liberals decrying stances that they say are homophobic, sexist and racist. The new president, who spent nearly three decades in Congress, has also drawn international criticism for his plans to roll back regulations in the Amazon and his disinterest in social programs in a country that is one of the world's most unequal in terms of income. On the economic front, where Bolsonaro will ultimately lead Latin America's largest economy is unknown, as during the campaign he reversed course from previous statist stances with pledges to lead market-friendly reforms. He also promised to overhaul Brazil's pension system and privatize several state-owned companies, which gave him wide support among financial players. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro reiterated his commitment to fighting crime in a nation that has long led the world in homicides. More than 63,000 people were killed last year. He wants to tackle the problems in part by shielding police who kill during an operation from criminal prosecution. "We are counting on Congress to provide the judicial support so police can do their jobs," Bolsonaro said, signaling that he may soon submit legislation that would allow police to be tried outside the criminal system. Human rights groups fear that defense of police violence could shield officers from investigations of misconduct and lead to more extrajudicial killings. The most notable foreign leaders who attended were associated with far-right movements: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Leftist Presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Miguel Diaz-Canel of Cuba, deemed dictators by Bolsonaro, were uninvited by Bolsonaro's team after the foreign ministry sent them invitations. Leftist President Evo Morales of Bolivia, however, was invited and warmly embraced Bolsonaro after the ceremony. The United States was represented by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Seven of Bolsonaro's 22 Cabinet ministers are former military personnel, more than in any administration during Brazil's 1964-1985 dictatorship. That has sparked fears among his adversaries of a return to autocratic rule, but Bolsonaro insists he will respect the country's constitution. Riordan Roett, a professor and director emeritus of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University, noted that generals have administration skills that can be useful in government. "The danger is that as a former low-ranking military officer, (Bolsonaro) will be swayed by some of the generals to come down hard on criminality, drug dealers, etc., and that may cause a backlash and many innocent people could be caught in the crossfire," Roett said. Bolsonaro's Liberal and Social Party will have 52 seats in Brazil's 513-member lower house, the second largest bloc behind the Workers' Party. Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington-based think tank, said a main challenge for Bolsonaro will be curbing spending and entitlements, no easy task given the makeup of Congress and entrenched interests. "Bolsonaro needs some quick successes to get off on the right foot with the public and the political elites," said Hufbauer, adding that a failure to do that would likely reduce Bolsonaro's honeymoon period to six months. ___ Associated Press video journalist Yesica Fisch reported this story in Brasilia, AP writer Mauricio Savarese reported from Sao Paulo and AP writer Peter Prengaman reported from Rio de Janeiro. AP writer Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. Supporters of Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro make a military salute during his inauguration in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Supporters display a giant banner with the likeness of Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, during his inauguration in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro are cooled down with a water hose by firefighters, prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro puts his hand over his heart during his inauguration, in the plenary of the Brazilian National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Raimundo Pacco) Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, right, and Vice President Hamilton Mourao attend their inauguration, in the plenary of the Brazilian National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Raimundo Pacco) Supporters of Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro are cooled down with a water hose by firefighters, prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) A supporter holds a photo of Brazil's former army captain Jair Bolsonaro before the swearing-in ceremony in front of the Planalto palace in Brasilia, Brail, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. Once an outsider mocked by fellow lawmakers for his far-right positions, constant use of expletives and even casual dressing, Bolsonaro is taking office as Brazil's president Tuesday. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro hold a banner in the stands that reads in Portuguese "PT Never Again" in reference to the defeated Workers Party, prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, at the Planalto Presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, January 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Locals show their support for Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro prior to his inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Supporters of Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro wait prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Sheets of fiery color sizzle in the sky over the Sydney Opera House. Showers of confetti offer a softer alternative to revelry in the Philippines, noted for its raucous, even violent, celebrations. Thais lie in coffins in a ritual symbolizing death and rebirth. A new mother, still wearing her hospital cap, cradles her infant. These are the faces of the new year , captured across the globe as we bid farewell to what many considered an unsettling 2018, a year filled with challenges to many of the world's most basic institutions, including in the realms of politics, trade, alliances and religion. ___ Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers A "Happy New Year" hat lies on the wet ground along with other items following the celebration in New York's Times Square, early Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg) Revelers embrace in Times Square in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, during a New Year's celebration. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Joey and Claudia Flores, of California, kiss as confetti falls during a New Year's celebration in New York's Times Square, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Maria Delmar Valencia, of Milan, Italy, foreground, reacts just after midnight as she takes part in the New Year's celebration in New York's Times Square, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg) As rain-soaked confetti sticks to most surfaces, revelers embrace in Times Square, early Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, as they take part in a New Year's celebration in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Confetti covers the crowd during the New Year's celebration in Times Square as seen from the Marriott Marquis in New York, early Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Revelers celebrate in Times Square in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, during a New Year's celebration. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) A New York City police officer is covered with confetti in Times Square in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, as people take part in the New Year's celebration. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Confetti drops over the crowd as the clock strikes midnight during the New Year's celebration in Times Square as seen from the Marriott Marquis in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) A reveler celebrates as confetti falls during a New Year's celebration in New York's Times Square, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) A man watches the fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach during the New Year's celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Two men watch the fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach during the New Year's celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Revelers watch Christina Aguilera perform as they wait for midnight during the New Year's Eve celebration in New York's Times Square as seen from above from the Marriott Marquis hotel, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) A woman watches the fireworks exploding over Copacabana Beach during the New Year's celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Fireworks explode over the London Eye during the New Year's eve celebrations after midnight in London, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Buddhist light candles during New Year celebrations at Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon). Fireworks explode over the Arc de Triomphe during the New Year's Day celebrations on the Champs Elysees, in Paris, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu) Fireworks light the sky above the Quadriga at the Brandenburg Gate shortly after midnight in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Hundred thousands of people celebrated New Year's Eve welcoming the new year 2019 in Germany's capital. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Bosnian people cheer during New Year's celebrations in Sarajevo, Bosnia on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.(AP Photo/Amel Emric) Fireworks explode over the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill for the the New Year's Eve celebrations during a rainfall in Athens, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Fireworks explode in the sky over Rome's Colosseum during New Year's celebrations, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Fireworks explode over Martyrs Square during New Year's Day, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Fireworks light the sky above illuminated Christmas tree at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania, shortly after midnight during the New Year's celebrations, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) People watch fireworks during New Year celebration in downtown St.Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Buddhist light candles during New Year celebrations at Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon). A New Year performance is held at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Artistes from the Mansudae Art Troupe, the Phibada Opera Troupe, the National Folk Art Troupe, Kim Won Gyun University of Music and the art squad of the Korean People's Internal Security Forces and artistes of the Moranbong Electronic Ensemble gave performance. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin) Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour during New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Brendan Esposito/AAP via AP) Fireworks explode over the Victoria Harbor during New Year's Eve to celebrate the start of year 2019 in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Spectators watch as fireworks explode in front of Malaysia's landmark building, the Petronas Twin Towers, during the New Year's celebration in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.(AP Photo/Yam G-Jun) A reveler prepares to countdown to the new year in Beijing, China, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Confetti rains down on revelers at the Eastwood Shopping Mall as Filipinos welcome the New Year Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Filipinos welcome the New Year with the loudest noise possible including setting off powerful firecrackers in one of Asia's most violent celebrations. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Worshippers pray as they take turns lying in coffins during a ceremony at the Takien temple in suburban Bangkok, Thailand Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. Worshippers believe that the ceremony - symbolizing death and rebirth - helps them rid themselves of bad luck and are born again for a fresh start in the new year. (AP Photo/Sakchai lalit) People participate in the annual New Year's swim in harbor of Copenhagen on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (Bax Lindhardt/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Leni Bonto cuddles her baby Zairah inside the recovery room after being born on New Year's day Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 at Fabella Children's Hospital in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Zairah, the third child of Bonto, became the first baby born at the hospital on New Year's day. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) Pakistani Christians attend a midnight service at Sacred Heart Cathedral, ending of the year 2018 in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) By early 1996, time was up for an unpopular Labor government and opposition leader John Howard romped to power with a five per cent swing and a comfortable majority. But at the end of 1997, Mr Howard was looking increasingly like a one-term prime minister. Between July and September, four ministers quit over various breaches of the ministerial code of conduct and travel claims irregularities. Polls were placing Labor well in front. The coalition government had responded effectively to an early term challenge, the Port Arthur massacre, overseeing the introduction of national gun laws over the vocal objections of a good part of its own constituency. Yet gun law changes didn't win the government many new votes, while many conservatives took their vote to the new One Nation party. The government's first budget in August 1996 featured unpopular cost-cutting measures to repair the deficit inherited from Labor. By the end of 1997, the government was also heading towards a showdown with unions over waterfront reform. In answer to criticism that the government lacked a reform agenda, Mr Howard and his treasurer Peter Costello had placed a consumption tax - GST - back on the agenda, making backbenchers very nervous as that was precisely the issue which cost John Hewson victory in 1993. Cabinet historian Professor Paul Strangio said in hindsight the Howard government always seemed destined for a long period in office. Yet that wasn't at all how it appeared at the time. "If few would have banked on Howard becoming a long-term prime minister at the end of 1997, the cabinet papers from his first two years in office suggest he headed a government sure of its fundamental values and imbued by a powerful sense of conviction," he said as the National Archives of Australia released of cabinet documents for 1996 and 1997. "These would provide ballast and direction for navigating a course through the policy conundrums and political vagaries of 1998 and beyond." Mr Howard, the special guest speaker at the launch of cabinet papers for his first two years of government, said he was fortunate to come to government with a talented team, though just two - himself and John Moore - had previous federal ministerial experience. "We had a plan, a program and we set about implementing it. Of course, we had a few unexpected challenges," he said. One was the tragedy of Port Arthur. But before that, the day after the election, he was handed incoming government documents revealing the true budget position and what came to be known as the $7.6 billion "Beazley black hole." "We realised we had a big job ahead," he said. Mr Howard said the government fell behind Labor in the polls in 1997 because it looked as though it was drifting. "And governments should never look as though they are drifting," he said. As well, the Labor opposition appeared to be on a roll. A factor was the defection of then Australian Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot to Labor. "Some of my colleagues got nervous. But nobody fundamentally thought that we hadn't been doing a good job," he said, noting success with the budget, industrial relations reform and an overhaul of tax. "I thought we would win the 1998 election." Many others didn't. Mr Howard said he was surprised on election eve when polls placed the government six points behind Labor. He was even more surprised on election night when exit polls also showed the government six points behind. "We ended up winning despite the two-party vote being against us, but we hung on in the right places," he said. Professor Strangio said the cabinet papers gave a sense of strong conviction, fundamental values and unity. "Mr Howard obviously made errors. He has been acknowledged for his great sense of self-knowledge and capacity to learn. If you don't have that capacity or you are not given time to have that capacity, it's problematic." The Doctor Who New Years Day special was meant to give Jodie Whittakers historic first series the grand finale worthy of its status. It did prove fairly fitting too, but for the wrong reasons, - epitomising what had gone with last years re-boot. Even when show-runner Chris Chibnall (belatedly) resorted to a story about the Daleks, it was merely a pale imitation. Historic: The Doctor Who New Years Day special was meant to give Jodie Whittakers historic first series the grand finale worthy of its status Exterminate: It did prove fairly fitting too, but for the wrong reasons, - epitomising what had gone with last years re-boot You wouldnt have thought it possible to mess up any episode with the Daleks, let alone a special, but Chibnall managed even this. When you thought back to previous festive specials, vintage/different Daleks, Whittakers predecessors incarnations as the legendary Time Lord, or what Doctor Who used to be like in general... it was not as good. Much of Doctor Who is demented scientific nonsense of course. But the thing that made the least sense in the New Years Day special was how/why Ryan, Yazz, or Bradley Walsh knew what Daleks were. Neither did the police officer who was told you are an enemy of the Daleks! and replied: how you spelling that? Didnt any of them watch Doctor Who? Enemy: Even when show-runner Chris Chibnall (belatedly) resorted to a story about the Daleks, it was merely a pale imitation If the BBC and Chibnall are not careful, this could be an accurate prophecy of what the future looks like. Most of the problems/mistakes that plagued the launch of the Chibnall-Whittaker re-boot had been obvious (as my review of Episode One predicted) and were still there. It was cripplingly PC (not bad for a kid with dyspraxia right?!), peppered with patronising CBeebies-style history lessons (so Iraq invented New Year), and prone to gratuitous bits of politics (the Unified Intelligence Task Force had been suspended following funding withdrawal by the UKs international partners). We were also subjected to endless speeches full of Positive messages and Life Lessons - about how to be a good dad or fighting back. Above all it was Just Not Scary Enough. Fear: But the thing that made the least sense in the New Years Day special was how/why Ryan, Yazz, or Bradley Walsh knew what Daleks were. Neither did the police officer who was told you are an enemy of the Daleks! and replied: how you spelling that? Written by Chibnall himself, Resolution was feeble fare, like everything about the Whittaker/Chibnall era. If one thing summed this all up, it was the Daleks - or rather, the Dalek. Resolution featured only one Dalek, which being on its own, never seemed to pose a real threat to The Doctor or the people of Sheffield (where it had appeared) - let alone to the whole planet (as it announced, and then insisted repeatedly). When the Recon Dalek droned all humanity is my prisoner now! even The Doctor didnt take it seriously, scoffing: in your dreams mate! A single Dalek can be sinister enough of course, or original. Different: It was cripplingly PC (not bad for a kid with dyspraxia right?!), peppered with patronising CBeebies-style history lessons (so Iraq invented New Year), and prone to gratuitous bits of politics But whereas the creatures Rose Tyler, Oswin Oswald, or Matt Smith encountered were insane or dying or Super-Daleks, the Recon Dalek here just wasnt special. Its voice for a start was, like the Transformer-style creatures in Chibnalls very first episode, beyond cliched like a six year-olds idea of what scary sounded like, completely lacking imagination or sophistication. The Daleks dialogue too was woefully limited. You are my prisoner! You are my puppet! Nothing shall halt the mission! As for the horrendous rock music that accompanied the exciting car chase, it was a blatant copy of the Jack Shoulder film The Hidden and so bereft of any subtlety it was an insult to the Doctor Who series of the past. Positive: We were also subjected to endless speeches full of Positive messages and Life Lessons - about how to be a good dad or fighting back. Above all it was Just Not Scary Enough Reconnaissance scouts have capabilities beyond the normal Dalek soldier! revealed The Doctor, which seemed a surprise given none of the previous Time Lords had mentioned it and unlikely on the evidence of this one which was never impressive. On the contrary, typically feebly, for the most part it resembled a ragged, rusty, tin can - the casing the squid constituent of the Recon Dalek had cobbled together using bits of metal and spare parts of a farmers tractor. It turns out Daleks are masters at metalwork. But even when the Recon was complete, the Chibnall-Whittaker axis still managed to suck the danger out of the Daleks as they had been with the various other monsters and creatures through out the entire series. So if it was there and we assume is now roaming around here should we be worried? asked Bradley Walsh. Probably, The Doctor replied, although Probably not was more a better answer, given the way this series had been. Explosive: Written by Chibnall himself, Resolution was feeble fare, like everything about the Whittaker/Chibnall era Oh dear: If one thing summed this all up, it was the Daleks - or rather, the Dalek. Resolution featured only one Dalek, which being on its own, never seemed to pose a real threat to The Doctor or the people of Sheffield Despite the squid wrapping itself around a female archaeologist, becoming her pilot and using her as its mode of transport, Lynn managed to escape its clutches eventually although how wasnt very clear. She just shook it off apparently. Then, when the Recon knocked up its casing, the Daleks famous lethal plunger again proved feeble and misfired. Although the Reconaissance Daleks werent especially advanced from the basic Daleks according to The Doctor, this one still let the Time Lord (somehow) talk to Lynn independently from her pilot and distract the Dalek enough to re-boot the TARDIS systems. It didnt detect that The Doctor wasnt human. Beware: But even when the Recon was complete, the Chibnall-Whittaker axis still managed to suck the danger out of the Daleks as they had been with the various other monsters and creatures through out the entire series The first part of The Doctors plan to defeat it was embarrassingly simple (like something from Rent-A-Ghost): simply running behind the Dalek, dodging its blasts, and pulling it about like a wheelie bin, then sticking a bomb on it. In the end, The Doctor easily destroyed it by pulling a level to a trapdoor that sucked the Dalek out into the lethal heat of a sun going supernova. But if the Dalek was feeble, The Doctor proved to be too. How did it go? Did you get rid of it? Ryan asked when The Doctor returned from the show-down with the Dalek. Not quite. Not at all. I slightly riled it and let it get away. And now its trying to summon the fleet. The Time Lord was too busy congratulating herself/itself on my best skid ever to realise the Dalek had escaped being obliterated by The Doctors make shift bomb and taken over the body of Ryans dad. Drama: Although the Reconaissance Daleks werent especially advanced from the basic Daleks according to The Doctor, this one still let the Time Lord (somehow) talk to Lynn independently from her pilot and distract the Dalek enough to re-boot the TARDIS systems Nice work Doc ! In contrast to Peter Capaldi, David Tennant, and even the cherubic Matt Smith, one of the problems with Jodie Whittaker is she is about as authoritative as a netball teacher. This tends to make her threats to all the aliens/monsters The Doctor is up against (especially Daleks) rather hollow. I want you to see just how serious my face is right now! she told it. Not very. When she declared: Get off this planet! This is now my final, final, FINAL warning - because Im nice, she summed it up (the reason why her incarnation as The Doctor and this series doesnt work). It was terrific to finally have a woman playing the role but in the next series she really needed to MAN UP. Fury: When she declared: Get off this planet! This is now my final, final, FINAL warning - because Im nice, she summed it up (the reason why her incarnation as The Doctor and this series doesnt work) It appears Antonia Kidman doesn't have to worry about losing any holiday weight. The 48-year-old journalist, who is the sister of Hollywood actress Nicole, revealed her very lean figure while leaving a Sydney gym on Saturday. Dressed in a purple tank top and black shorts, Antonia appeared to have put herself through a rather gruelling workout. Back to the gym! Antonia Kidman looked completely exhausted after a workout session in Sydney on Saturday Antonia completed her look with orange sneakers, and draped a blue towel around her shoulders. The newsreader carried her belongings in a striped weekender bag, which she slung casually over one shoulder. Sweating profusely after her post-Christmas gym session, Antonia styled her hair into a casual updo and went makeup free. Gym attire: Dressed in a purple tank top and black shorts, Antonia appeared to have put herself through a rather gruelling workout The mother-of-six, who is married to businessman Craig Marran, spoke about how she balances her media career with parenthood last May. Antonia told Stellar magazine that she takes care of most of the domestic tasks. 'During the week, I take care of the home and domestic tasks and he [Craig] works for us outside of the home,' she said. Essentials: The newsreader carried her belongings in a striped weekender bag, which she slung casually over one shoulder Dedicated: Sweating profusely after her post-Christmas gym session, Antonia styled her hair into a casual updo and went makeup free She added: 'We both value what the other person does and we each prefer the roles that we have. 'We see each other as part of a team and we make our decisions based on that.' Antonia welcomed four children with her late ex-husband Angus Hawley, who she was married to until 2007, and shares two with current husband Craig. Bling: Antonia, who is married to businessman Craig Marran, showed off her wedding rings Balancing act: The mother-of-six spoke about how she balances her media career with parenthood in an interview last May Angus Hawley ex-husband died of a heart attack in 2015. Starting her career in journalism at Channel Nine, Antonia later moved to Foxtel where she presented a number of lifestyle programs. She enjoys a close relationship with her sister Nicole, an Oscar-winning Hollywood star who is married to Keith Urban. Domestic role: The author said she takes care of most of the domestic tasks while her husband 'works for us outside of the home' Ex Coronation Street star Sean Ward candidly discussed his battle with depression in a hard-hitting Instagram video on Sunday where he admitted he has given up cannabis, porn and alcohol to combat the condition. The actor, 30, who played villain Callum Logan in the popular soap until 2015, told his fans he had to quit his vices in a bid to overcome his mental health problems. Speaking to his followers, the brave star said he had an 'addictive personality' and had previously been self-medicating to deal with his depression. Scroll down for video Brave: Ex Coronation Street star Sean Ward candidly discussed his battle with depression in a hard-hitting Instagram video on Sunday, where he admitted he has given up cannabis, porn and alcohol to combat the condition He said: 'So there's a few things I had to change to get past the first stages of depression. Three main things for me. 'I have a very addictive personality. One of them was alcohol. I was hitting the bottle hard. It runs in my family. 'So that was one thing I had to cut out, alcohol. 'The next thing was cannabis. You know I'm an actor, I've always had a puff here and there. Speaking out: The actor, 30, who played villain Callum Logan in the popular soap until 2015, told his fans he had to quit his vices in a bid to overcome his mental health problems 'You think 'it helps me create a character but actually it just makes you dopey as hell' so I had to quit the cannabis. 'And third and most importantly, I apologise because my mum might see this, but porn. I had to quit watching porn. It's for the devil. 'It ruins relationships. Those three things set me on a clear path.' Writing alongside the video, he continued: 'Once my whole world was fragmented due to depression I realised a lot of things had crept into my being that did not support my dream. Candid: He said: 'So there's a few things I had to change to get past the first stages of depression. Three main things for me. 'I have a very addictive personality. One of them was alcohol. I was hitting the bottle hard. It runs in my family Villain: Sean's character, drug dealer Callum Logan was first introduced in 2014, but was killed by Kylie Platt the following year 'I take full responsibility for my addictions and now I'm back in control. It sounds obvious but NO BOOZE, NO DRUGS & NO PORN. 'All these changes gave my body and brain the time to actually deal with my problems rather than trying to numb out the pain which actually in the long run makes you so much worse. Hope this helps. 'See your reality for what it is and make the changes for your future. To infinity and beyond.' Sean told MailOnline: 'Due to the recent rise in male suicide I felt a strong need to be frank about my own experiences in the hope of encouraging men to speak about their own emotions and everyday challenges. 'I also believe men need to catch up emotionally to women and speak up more. I have a short film Ive written about depression in farmers which will help shed more light on this situation for men in the UK and Ireland.' Sean's character, drug dealer Callum Logan was first introduced in 2014, but was killed by Kylie Platt the following year. He was previously in a relationship with actress Georgia May-Foote, with the pair splitting after she appeared on the 2015 series of Strictly Come Dancing. She went on to date her dance partnerGiovanni Pernice, who is now dating 2018 series star Ashley Roberts. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details. Ariana Madix has spoken about a cancer scare on social media. The 33-year-old Vanderpump Rules star included the reveal in a lengthy summary of her 2018 on Instagram. 'I had to have a lil bit ocancer removed from my body and lymph nodes biopsied. (In the clear now!),' the actress wrote on Monday. Scroll down to see video The revelation was in the midst of mostly positive news for the Dads actress, including boasts of international travel and competitive horse riding successes. The lengthy caption ended on a hopeful note: 'Looking ahead to 2019 with optimism, hope, and more hard work on the horizon!' However more details of her ordeal were included in an attached video. The reality TV star recorded herself on a couch while recovering from her biopsy. 'Update, I'm not allowed to shower so I feel extra gross,' began Ariana's video. 'I'm still definitely doing a filter because I feel and look disgusting,' continued the Florida native. And indeed, the video was heavily filtered, with a digital flower behind her ear and fake freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose. 'I'm watching scary shows... and what's really scary is what's going on there,' Madix deftly segued, while showing her biopsy scar under her arm. 'Um, still waiting on biopsy results, so hopefully next week I get a clear on that.' Judging by her caption, Ariana was eventually cleared of any serious health complications. Vanderpump Rules season 7 returned to the air on Bravo last month, with a dramatic argument between Ariana and boyfriend Tom Sandoval. Tom yelled, 'You've been in a relationship with a girl before' to Ariana, who reminded him, 'That is not your business to tell.' The pair have been romantically linked since 2013. It was likely Tom who Ariana referred to in her caption on Monday when she wrote, 'I fell more in love with my boyfriend and my girlfriends, but most importantly: MYSELF.' They hit headlines after they shared a cosy embrace at the Pride Of Britain Awards in 2017. But Candice Brown and Paul Hollywood appeared to laugh off their kiss as they reunited for The Great Festive Bake Off special on Channel 4 on Tuesday, which saw 2017 finalist Steven Carter-Bailey crowned winner. The judge, 52, branded GBBO's 2016 winner, 34, 'brave' for returning to the show a year on from their steamy display, which took place when Candice was newly-engaged to now-husband Liam Macaulay, and Paul was married to wife Alexandra. Awkward! Candice Brown (L) and Paul Hollywood (R) reunited for The Great Festive Bake Off special on Channel 4 on Tuesday, a year on from their kiss at the Pride Of Britain Awards While introducing the stollen task, Paul described Candice as 'brave' as she tackled to be crowned winner for the special against Steven, 35, 2015's runner-up Tamal Ray, 32, and 2014 contestant Kate Henry, 41. Poking fun at the kiss, the brunette responded: 'Coming back on the show was brave and stupid... they said they weren't going to bring it up!' The pair appeared to mock their smooch further into the episode when Candice introduced her 'wear more lipstick cake' for the 3D New Year's resolution task. Paul, Noel Fielding, 45, Sandi Toksvig, 60, and Prue Leith, 78, burst into laughter as the This Morning star revealed her inspiration behind the sweet treat was over her 'lack of lipstick'. Friendly: The judge, 52, branded GBBO 's 2016 winner, 34, 'brave' for returning to the show a year on from their steamy display Victory: 2017 finalist Steven Carter-Bailey beat out Candice as he was crowned winner of the festive special Competitive: Winner Steven, 35, and former P.E. teacher Candice competed against 2015's runner-up Tamal Ray (far left), 32, and 2014 contestant Kate Henry, 41 (second from left) Juicy: The pair appeared to mock their kiss further into the episode when Candice introduced her 'wear more lipstick cake' for the 3D New Year's resolution task Fans also took to Twitter to comment on their first TV appearance since her win in 2016, with some branding the pair 'flirty': 'This is basically a programme of Candice and Paul flirting and it's making me want to vom'. [sic] Another penned: 'Well we all know Candice is gonna win.. Paul is still a judge! #GBBO #weknowwhathappened.' Another wrote: 'So funny watching Paul and candice acting all casual but we all know what happened between yall #GBBO.' 'Paul seeing Candice again. #GBBO', a third tweeted, alongside a funny meme of the celebrity chef pulling a cheeky smirk. Split: In the same month, Paul and his wife, Alexandra, announced that they were separating after nearly 20 years of marriage in a joint statement Paul raised eyebrows with a farewell kiss with the former contestant after a night in November 2017. In the pictures, he cupped the back of Candice's head as he kissed her goodbye following a night out at the Grosvenor House Hotel event. Candice, who announced her engagement to beau Liam the previous week, was also seen toying with Paul's ear as they relaxed at the table. 'Candice and Paul flirting': Fans also took to Twitter to comment on their first TV appearance since her win in 2016 But the Dancing On Ice star was quick to defend the pictures at the time, as she declared the smooch was a 'goodbye peck'. A spokesman for both Paul and Candice said what was pictured was an innocent kiss on the cheek, and that it was untrue to describe it as an intimate kiss. While a representative for the pair, who was also present at the drinks, told MailOnline: 'Following The Mirror Pride of Britain Awards last Monday, seven of us including Paul and Candice were seated outside waiting for cars home. The photograph was taken as Paul was saying goodbye to each of us.' Yummy: Elsewhere in the episode, the contestants were required to make a stollen wreaths within just three hours Winning streak: Maintaining his star baker status throughout the episode, Steven was given Paul's signature Hollywood handshake for his fruit bread Happy: Former actress Kate narrowly missed the title as she also received a Hollywood handshake, while Tamal and Candice's cakes were criticized as 'raw' and 'too heavy' In the same month, Paul and his wife, Alexandra, announced that they were separating after nearly 20 years of marriage in a joint statement, putting their focus on the happiness of their son, Josh. The blue-eyed baker has since gone on to find love with former barmaid, Summer Monteys-Fullham, 22. Candice secretly tied the knot with her tree surgeon beau Liam Macaulay in France four months ago. Masterpiece: For the technical challenge, the contestants were required to make snow eggs, complete with a delicate caramel cage Masterpiece: The four bakers were later instructed to make a 3D resolution cake, to which Steven created a communication cake, complete with an address book, notepad and telephone Detailed: Tamal made a 'Tailor's Dummy' dessert with a blue blazer, while Kate created a 'Dream Restaurant' piece Elsewhere in the episode, the contestants were required to make a stollen wreaths within just three hours. Maintaining his star baker status throughout the episode, Steven was given Paul's signature Hollywood handshake for his fruit bread. Former actress Kate narrowly missed the title as she also received a Hollywood handshake, while Tamal and Candice's cakes were criticized as 'raw' and 'too heavy'. Celebration: Hertfordshire-based Steven was crowned winner and congratulated with a 'Hollywood hug' from Paul Pleased: The contestants appeared in high spirits as they clapped for the star's impressive achievement Kiss: Kate planted a kiss on the winner's cheek after he was announced as the winner Triumphant: Beaming with pride over his triumphant stint, the champ described his win as a 'great start to the new year', and was delighted to have made new friends during the show special For the technical challenge, the contestants were required to make snow eggs, complete with a delicate caramel cage. With a winning streak, Steven came in at first place for his version of the dessert, followed by Candice, Tamar and Kate. The four bakers were later instructed to make a 3D resolution cake, to which Hertfordshire-based Steven was crowned winner and congratulated with a 'Hollywood hug' from Paul. Beaming with pride over his triumphant stint, the champ described his win as a 'great start to the new year', and was delighted to have made new friends during the show special. Shay Mitchell has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in a heartbreaking social media post. The 31-year-old Pretty Little Liars alum made the candid announcement on her Instagram Story. 'I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams,' wrote Shay on Tuesday. Shay Mitchell has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in a heartbreaking social media post. Seen here in September The series of posts began with a reflection of the year that had just passed. 'Although it was an amazing year it didnt come without hardships,' began the actress. Then she shared an ultrasound image of a baby along with a broken heart emoji. 'We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life,' began the Canadian star's follow-up post. 'And sometimes its easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity.' The 31-year-old Pretty Little Liars alum made the candid announcement on her Instagram Story 'I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams,' wrote Shay on Tuesday 'The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams,' admitted the Bliss author. 'In the spirit of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey togetherin good times and in badand to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through.' Shay concluded: 'So, for 2019, lets all try to be a little more compassionate, empathetic, patient and thoughtful with each other.' 'This sounds like a great resolution to me. I hope that you agree. Happy New Year everyone!' 'Although it was an amazing year it didnt come without hardships,' began the actress Although Mitchell has made no public mention of the father, she has been most recently linked with Canadian TV host and music reporter Matte Babel. The actress and the 38-year-old Toronto native were spotted together as recently as October, while out on an LA dinner date. Matte is friends with Shay's ex boyfriend Ryan Silverstein, whom she dated in 2014. Her pregnancy has been turbulent health wise. And now Amy Schumer is sending her thanks to those around her who've helped out out. The 37-year-old comedian posted a shot on Tuesday in which her sister Kim Caramele is seen tying her shoe laces. Grateful: Amy Schumer started the year by giving thanks on Tuesday, praising her sister Kim Caramele for tying her 'dumb shoe' amid her pregnancy 'Happy new year to the women in my life and yours, she captioned the monochrome shot. 'What would we be without our friends? Nothin. Here is my sister tying my dumb shoe.' She continued: 'Women, we are amazing and our love for each other is so deep. Lets continue to link arms this year and move forward. All of us.' Sister sister: Amy and Kim are very close and frequently share shots of each other on social media The candid shot saw Amy in a loose-fitting jumpsuit while Kim tied up her shoes. The Trainwreck star's post comes after she recently shared a video of herself vomiting on the side of the road on Christmas day. 'And so this is Christmas,' she captioned the clip. Not the smoothest pregnancy: The Trainwreck star's post comes after she recently shared a video of herself vomiting on the side of the road on Christmas day Turbulent times: It comes after Amy was admitted into hospital in November for a serious bout of hyperemesis gravidarum - a severe form of pregnancy-related nausea It comes after Amy was admitted into hospital in November for a serious bout of hyperemesis gravidarum - a severe form of pregnancy-related nausea. The Duchess Of Cambridge also dealt with hyperemesis gravidarum during each of her three pregnancies, increasing public awareness of the condition. Amy is also doing her bit to raise awareness, frequently keeping her social media following abreast of her pregnancy journey, including with video footage of herself vomiting. Struggle street: Amy is also doing her bit to raise awareness of hyperemesis gravidarum, frequently keeping her social media following abreast of her pregnancy journey, including with video footage of herself vomiting Amy is currently expecting her first child with husband Chris Fischer. The pair married in a secret Malibu ceremony February 2018 before announcing in October that they were pregnant. The loved-up duo have not revealed the due date but she is rumored to give birth around March. Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky rang in the New Year with a smooch. The loved up couple packed on the PDA as Elsa shared a sweet snap from their New Year's Eve celebration via Instagram on Tuesday. And the Tideslands star, 42, posted another photo of herself partying with a group of women including her new sister-in-law Miley Cyrus. Big kiss: Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky rang in the New Year with a smooch 'Happy 2019 feliz ano 2019. @chrishemsworth. #thegirlsgang,' Elsa captioned the snap as her 35-year-old husband posted the same pic. Chris rocked a satin yellow floral print shirt as he bent over to plant a kiss on his gorgeous blonde wife who wore a black tank top. In the other photo, Elsa holds up a peace sign surrounded by a group of women as Miley is seen off to the side pursing her lips at the camera. Newlyweds Miley and Liam Hemsworth are reportedly celebrating their honeymoon with family and friends at a Montana ski resort. Family affair: Elsa posted another photo of herself partying with a group of women including her new sister-in-law Miley Cyrus And enjoying the wintery pursuits, brother Chris and Elsa put on a loved-up display in a snowy selfie posted to Instagram on Sunday. Captioning the shot, Elsa used simple emojis, including a loveheart and snowman. Meanwhile, in another Instagram image, Chris and Elsa's children appear to be enjoying the different climate, after swapping their home of Byron Bay for the snowy mountains. Snow in love! Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky share sweet selfie during newlyweds Miley and Liam's rumoured family honeymoon in Montana 'Do you want to build a snowman?' Chris, 35, and Elsa, 42, get creative with six-year-old daughter India Rose and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, four, in the snow 'Do you want to build a snowman?' Elsa captioned a picture of the famous parents with their six-year-old daughter India Rose and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, four. After tying the knot at their Tennessee mansion on December 23, it's believed Miley, 26, and Liam, 28, headed straight to the slopes to spend Christmas in the snow with their loved ones. On Saturday, Liam's older brother Luke, posted a shot of the Isn't It Romantic actor in a ski mask. Family ties: After tying the knot at their Tennessee mansion on December 23, it's believed Miley, 26, and Liam, 28, headed straight to the slopes to spend Christmas in the snow with their loved ones. On Saturday, Liam's older brother Luke, posted a shot of the Isn't It Romantic actor in a ski mask Captioning the shot he wrote, 'Found the fly @liamhemsworth.' Australia-based Luke also seems to be revelling in their trip, frequently sharing pictures online. An actor just like his younger brothers, he revealed the family's picturesque lodgings in one upload. Long way from home! Luke Hemsworth, 38, (pictured) has been documenting the family trip on Instagram, and revealed Liam had joined them on Saturday The hunk panned across a staggering glass front cabin, with twinkling Christmas trees lighting up the snowy foreground. Although Miley is yet to be pictured on the slopes, her friend and hair stylist Aleksey Bishop shared a picture at the ski resort on Saturday. What a place to stay! In one upload, Luke panned across a staggering glass front cabin, with twinkling Christmas trees lighting up the snowy foreground Other friends of Miley's have also been posting Instagram pictures from a Montana ski resort, suggesting she may also there. Miley and Liam married on December 23 in their Tennessee home. It was reported the couple were initially planning to say 'I do' in their Malibu mansion, but the home was recently destroyed by a bush-fire in California. She released her debut album Story of Me last month. And Megan Mckenna was showing off her vocal prowess once again as she joined The Voice US contestant Kaleb Lee for a New Year's Day Parade in London on Tuesday. The former TOWIE star, 26, looked every inch the star in a sexy all black ensemble as she bought in the new year. New year's treat: Megan Mckenna, 26, was showing off her vocal prowess once again as she joined The Voice US contestant Kaleb Lee for a New Year's Day Parade in London on Tuesday Racy: After performing in London, Megan shared a snap from a spa and vowed to have more spa days in 2019 Showing off her gym-honed figure, the former CBB star wore sexy black flares and pointed shiny shoes. Keeping the ensemble all one colour, the added a crocheted black corset under a sultry leather jacket. Megan opted for minimal accessories, and wore her hair coiffed into voluminous loose curls. Sexy: Keeping the ensemble all one colour, the added a crocheted black corset under a sultry leather jacket Making sure to channel her usual Essex glamour, the blonde bombshell sported a full face of make-up that came complete with contoured cheeks, a smokey eye and light brown shine to her very plump pout and thick false eyelashes. After showing off her vocal prowess, Megan took to Instagram to share a racy throwback picture relaxing at the Corinthia Hotel in London. Showing off her enviable curves in a tiny sequined bikini, the TOWIE star wrote: 'New Years resolution: More spa days'. Megan recently released her debut country music album Story of Me, which includes Far Cry From Love and High Heeled Shoes - tracks Megan first performed for fans to see on her ITVBe spin-off There's Something About Megan. The show documented Megan's trip to Nashville where she met with songwriters and performed her own showcase in the famous Bluebird Cafe. Famous faces: Megan was joined by the Voice US star and country legend Kaleb Lee Minimal: Megan opted for minimal accessories, and wore her hair coiffed into voluminous loose curls On its release Megan's album had topped the charts, reportedly knocking country legend Dolly Parton from the top spot on iTunes. As well as embarking on her country music career, Megan is looking for love again and has signed up for the new series of E4's Celebs Go Dating. She will star on the dating show alongside her ex-boyfriend Pete Wicks, returning star Sam Thompson, Kerry Katona, Love Island's Georgia Steel and Chelsee Healey. Looking for love: As well as embarking on her country music career, Megan is looking for love again and has signed up for the new series of E4's Celebs Go Dating Megan is currently single following her split from ex-boyfriend Mike Thalassitis. She was accused of spending the night with TOWIE's Adam Oukhellou weeks before her make or break holiday with ex Mike Thalassitis - reportedly getting close to him after they partied at London's Libertine nightclub with his sister Yazmin Oukhellou and her boyfriend James Lock in September. It's claimed their romantic tryst came as Megan's ex Mike was away filming for raucous reality TV series Ex On The Beach. According to The Sun, the former Celebrity Big Brother star hopped across town to party with Adam and their pals shortly after attending a film premiere in the capital. Ready to mingle: Megan is currently single following her split from ex-boyfriend Mike Thalassitis Rehearsing: Megan shared a clip of the duo rehearsing ahead of their big performance on Instagram A source told the publication: 'They all decided to continue the night at Adams place which was where he got close to Megan. 'At the time Megan was single and free to spend her days getting to know whoever she wanted. 'Pals close to Megan said she had fun that night and there was definite chemistry between her and Adam but nothing ended up developing between them.' A representative for Megan has since denied the accusations, claiming that the pair partied together at Adam's house but did not become intimate. New music: Megan recently released her debut country music album Story of Me, which includes Far Cry From Love and High Heeled Shoes - tracks Megan first performed for fans to see on her ITVBe spin-off There's Something About Megan Rachel Weisz has called for more female roles to be as 'strong and complex' as they were in the 40s and 50s. The actress, who has earned critical acclaim for her new movie The Favourite, has admitted that her role in the period comedy alongside two other female leads, Olivia Colman and Emma Stone, is 'unusual' given the 'present time in cinema and storytelling.' Speaking to the Press Association, the British star, 48, candidly discussed the struggle for excellent and challenging scripts, not just for women, but for men in the industry as well. 'Hard to find good writing': Rachel Weisz, 48, has called for more female roles to be as 'strong and complex' as they were in the 40s and 50s The Favourite has already picked up coveted nominations at the SAGs, Critics Choice Awards, and Golden Globes, and is expected to reign supreme during award season. And while Rachel is soaking in the praise for her portrayal of Lady Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, in the movie, she also considers herself lucky to be presented with such a script, led by three female protagonists. Speaking candidly about the unexpected success of the venture, Rachel explained: 'At this present time in cinema and storytelling, its sadly quite unusual I think, for all three characters that all three women, are so textured and layered and complex and have such different aspects to their character. 'All three characters are so textured': The actress has admitted that her role in the period comedy alongside two other female leads, Olivia Colman and Emma Stone, is 'unusual' Candid: Speaking to the Press Association, the British star discussed the struggle for excellent and challenging scripts, not just for women, but for men in the industry as well 'They are not one thing, they are a million things each,' she added. Rachel also admitted that the quality of scripts nowadays are improving, but still provide a challenge for both sexes. 'Films in the 40s and 50s, they always had very complex strong women who could be vulnerable and villainous and regal and kind and all the adjectives that you could list. 'At the moment there is good writing for women, but I think if a man were sitting here he would say its hard to find good, complex writing even for men so I think fiction for humans is maybe not as interesting as it could be in cinema. 'Layered characters': Rachel also spoke candidly about the unexpected success of The Favourite Acclaim: The Favourite has already picked up coveted nominations at the SAGs, Critics Choice Awards, and Golden Globes, and is expected to reign supreme during award season Its not just women, but we make up half the world,' Rachel concluded. On the personal front, Rachel, who is already a parent to 12-year old son Henry with ex Darren Aronofsky, gave birth to a daughter with James Bond star Craig, 50, in late August. The flick focuses on the behind-the-scenes politics between two cousins jockeying to be court favourites during the reign of Queen Anne in the early 18th century. Olivia stars as the monarch while Emma portrays Abigail Hill, a favourite of the Queen. Rachel plays Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Roles: Olivia (L) stars as the monarch while Emma (R) portrays Abigail Hill, a favourite of the Queen Portrayal: Rachel plays Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. They 'consciously uncoupled' in 2014 after 11 years of marriage, but have remained amicable ever since. So much so, that Gwyneth Paltrow , 46, and her ex-husband Chris Martin, 41, spent the Christmas and new year period on a very modern family holiday with their respective partners; producer Brad Falchuk, 47, and actress Dakota Johnson, 29. The two couples have joined Gwyneth and Chris' children, Apple, 14, and Moses, 12, in the Maldives, with the Iron Man actress taking to social media with snaps from their unconventional break. Unconventional: Gwyneth Paltrow (above) and her ex-husband Chris Martin have headed overseas together with their respective partners Brad Falchuk and Dakota Johnson According to the New York Post's Page Six, Gwyneth and husband Brad jetted out to the idyllic holiday destination just before Christmas, with Chris and Dakota in tow. Sources claim the two couples spent the festive break together, as well as New Year's Eve. While Gwyneth took to Instagram with a few holiday snaps from her time in the Maldives, she didn't share any snaps with ex-partner Chris and his girlfriend, 50 Shades of Grey star Dakota. Instead, the mother-of-two treated fans to a sun-kissed selfie and another shot of herself and husband Brad walking along a jetty. Modern family: According to Page Six, Gwyneth and her husband Brad jetted out to the idyllic holiday destination just before Christmas, with Chris and Dakota in tow Sun-kissed: While Gwyneth took to Instagram with a few holiday snaps from her time in the Maldives, she didn't share any snaps with ex-partner Chris and girlfriend Dakota Stunning: As she embraced the New Year, Gwyneth told fans: 'Walking into the new year with a lot of gratitude for all of the wonderful moments of 2018, lessons and joys alike' Ringing in 2019, Goop founder Gwyneth penned alongside her romantic upload: 'Walking into the new year with a lot of gratitude for all of the wonderful moments of 2018, lessons and joys alike. 'Wishing each and every one of you a truly magnificent, happy 2019.' Gwyneth and Chris tied the knot in 2003, but later announced their separation, telling fans they were 'consciously uncoupling' in 2014. Their divorce was finalised two years later in 2016. The Oscar-winning actress went has since gone on to find love with Brad, with the pair first meeting on the set of Glee, which Falchuk co-created with Ryan Murphy, before going public with their relationship in April 2015. The couple announced their engagement in January 2017 and tied the knot in The Hamptons in September 2018. Family: Former couple Gwyneth and Chris share two children; daughter Apple, 14, and son Moses, 12 (pictured above) End of the road: Gwyneth and Chris previously tied the knot in 2003, but later announced their separation, telling fans they were 'consciously uncoupling' in 2014 New love: Gwyneth has gone on to find love with Brad, with the pair first meeting on the set of Glee which Falchuk co-created, and announced their engagement in January last year Speaking to Glamour Magazine shortly after her wedding day, Gwyneth said she felt 'grateful' to have tied the knot with Brad. 'I feel so lucky, and I am so grateful. It's different to be in your mid-40s; do it again and bring all your experience, your pain, your happiness, sufferingeverything... it's actually very heartening. I feel very optimistic,' she claimed. Coldplay frontman Chris, meanwhile, has been dating Dakota since 2017, after meeting through mutual friends. The notoriously private couple have remained tight-lipped over their romance, with Dakota simply telling Tatler magazine that she is 'very happy' while refusing to discuss her relationship further. Sweet: The couple tied the knot at Gwyneth's Hamptons estate in New York in front of family and friends, including Cameron Diaz, Rob Lowe, Robert Downey Jnr and Steven Spielberg Stunning: Gwyneth was seen reflecting on 2018 and thanked those for making her wedding 'so special' as she shared a photo of the happy couple and their wedding venue (above) According to reports, Dakota spent Thanksgiving last year with Chris and his family, including former wife Gwyneth, who joked they had a 'modern family'. Sources told E! News: 'Gwyneth thinks [Dakota] is lovely. She gets on very well with her and is happy for Chris. They've spent a good amount of time together and have a very nice friendship. 'The kids really like Dakota and enjoy spending time with her. [Gwyneth] is very happy she and Chris have been able to make this work so well... it's very special that they're all able to come together like this and make it work.' She's been soaking up the sun with her close friend during their idyllic break in the Caribbean. And Lizzie Cundy, 50, continued to showcase her svelte figure as she enjoyed another beach day with pal and Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, 63, in Barbados on Monday. The age-defying TV personality channelled her inner Pamela Anderson and slipped into a Baywatch-inspired vibrant red swimsuit. Fun-filled: Lizzie Cundy, 50, continued to showcase her svelte figure as she enjoyed another beach day with pal and Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, 63, in Barbados on Monday The brunette put her youthful-looking appearance on full display in the plunging one-piece which featured frill detailing across the neckline and hips. The FUBAR radio host left her long brown hair loose in a tousled style and donned a pair of kooky clear oversized shades while she larked about in the crystal clear water with her friend. Continuing her active streak, Lizzie was later spotted riding a jet-ski through the sea towards the shoreline. Meanwhile, Bruno exhibited his toned physique in a pair of tight navy swimming briefs as he playfully showcased his muscles. Red alert! The age-defying TV personality channelled her inner Pamela Anderson and slipped into a Baywatch-inspired vibrant red swimsuit The pair are regulars on the island at this time of year to make an appearance at Simon Cowell 's annual New Year's Eve star-studded extravaganza. Lizzie, who always insisted she was 47, revealed she is actually 50 when she came clean earlier this year on ITV's My Shirley Valentine Summer. Speaking on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine Show, Lizzie revealed she'd been told she was too old to be a TV presenter and so started to say she was younger to find more work. However, since coming clean she claims she's landed more TV gigs than ever. The former WAG, who was previously married to retired Chelsea star Jason Cundy, said she 'hated' lying about her age. Posing up a storm: Bruno posed in his tight swimming briefs on the beach However, she was previously told by an unnamed media mogul that she was 'too old' to find work which prompted her decision to have three years from her real age. Lizzie revealed: 'The reason why I did it was to work. When I was presenting I was doing a big red carpet show. 'A big media mogul said to me, "You're too old, unless you say you're a lot younger, the younger generation and celebrities won't relate with you." Active: Continuing her active streak, Lizzie was later spotted riding a jet-ski through the sea towards the shoreline 'Since I've revealed my age, I haven't stopped working, every day I have so much work. I wish I had done it earlier, to be honest.' Meanwhile, Bruno made a rare appearance with American model Matt Law, 30, at the London film premiere for Mary Poppins Returns earlier this month. Last year, Bruno was forced to miss his first ever episode of Strictly Come Dancing in thirteen years due to a pre-booked trip to Los Angeles - where he was seen partying with TV personality Lizzie and Matt. She's been modelling professionally for well over a decade. And Emily Ratajkowski has shared her tips and tricks on striking the perfect pose, with Instagram sensation The Fat Jew, resulting in a series of epic photos, which he posted on social media on New Year's Eve. Whilst on the beach in Gustavia on the Caribbean island of Saint Barts, the model, 27, stripped down to a thong bikini for the impromptu photo-shoot with her shirtless pal, who tucked his denim shorts up to reveal an eyeful of his derriere. Fierce: Emily Ratajkowski, 27, has shared her tips and tricks on striking the perfect pose, with Instagram sensation The Fat Jew, resulting in a series of epic photos Emily showcased her enviable physique in the skimpy red string bikini and showed The Fat Jew (also known as Josh Ostrovsky) how to strike a range of fierce poses. With all of the shots featured around looking back over their shoulders, the pair moved their arms into different positioned and flashed smouldering looks at the camera. The Fat Jew captioned the saucy snaps: 'AM I DOING THIS RIGHT? @emrata.' His followers couldn't get enough of the fabulous photos, with comments flooding in thick and fast. Work it: Whilst on the beach in Gustavia on the Caribbean island of Saint Barts, the model, 27, stripped down to a thong bikini for the impromptu photo-shoot with her shirtless pal Smouldering: With all of the shots featured around looking back over their shoulders, the pair moved their arms into different positioned and flashed smouldering looks at the camera Fan reaction: Followers couldn't get enough of the fabulous photos, with comments flooding in thick and fast 'And the hottest couple alive in 2019 award goes to these 2 incredible hotties!!!' wrote one fan. 'This entire year goes by and you end it with the best post you have ever posted,' praised another. Some one else exclaimed: 'OH EM GEE HOTTEST THING ON THE INTERNET.' Emily and The Fat Jew have been friends for some time, with the social media star attending the model's intimate wedding to Sebastian Bear-McClard earlier this year. Hot stuff: Emily Ratajkowski posted a scintillating snap to her Instagram on Monday Impressive: Daring to impress, the cover girl and actress also posted a snap of herself laying in the sand to her Instagram stories American stunner Emily posted a scintillating snap of herself in the red hot bikini to her Instagram on Monday with the caption: 'Bye 2018' Daring to impress, the cover girl and actress also posted a snap of herself laying in the sand to her Instagram stories. The beauty has just returned from a holiday with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard She said 'Adios' to Colombia in a cheeky Instagram story post. She turned around, looking over a scenic vista while showing off her backside in a high-cut black one-piece from her own Immorata swimwear line. 'Xmas paradise': Emily modeled a barely-there thong bikini from her own line Inamorata Swim as she frolicked by the beach Emily showcased her swimsuits in a series of tantalizing photos over her vacation. On Christmas Eve, she posted a smoldering Instagram snap of herself staring out to see with her back to the camera, throwing her curves into relief. Emily, who could be seen holding her phone out in front of her while facing the ocean, captioned that she was in an 'Xmas paradise'. This holiday season saw Emily ring in her first Christmas as a married woman after tying the knot this year to producer Sebastian. She said goodbye to a difficult 2018 that saw her split from Josh 'JP' Patterson, the father of her 18-month-old daughter. And Binky Felstead declared the year 'hasn't been her favourite' as she posed in a bikini for a sweet beach shot while enjoying a new year's holiday to Cabo, Mexico, with her little girl and her godfather on Monday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 28, looked incredible as she reclined on the sand, showing off her taut tum in a Melissa Obadash bikini as she reflected on the past 12 months with her 'true angel and love of my life' India. Reflecting: Binky Felstead declared 2018 'hasn't been her favourite' as she posed in a bikini for a beach shot while enjoying a holiday to Cabo, Mexico, with her little girl on Monday The TV personality wrote: '2018... its safe to say you havent been my favourite year. SO BRING ON 2019!!! 'I want to say a massive thank you for all your continued support, it honestly means the [world] to me. Sending SO much love and HAPPY NEW YEAR from my true angel and love of my life, India..& I.' Binky, real name Alexandra, tossed her hair up into a casual bun and wore large sunglasses while India seemed more interested in playing in the sand. Earlier in the day, the brunette beauty posted another adorable picture of the mummy-daughter duo in matching blue kaftans and sunglasses with her 1.4 million followers. Yummy mummy: The former Made In Chelsea star, 28, looked incredible as she reclined on the sand, showing off her taut tum in a Melissa Obadash bikini as she reflected on the past year The snap showed a doting Binky gazing lovingly at her daughter as she toddled towards the camera in a pair of her very own baby Ray-Bans. She also shared a video on her Instagram Stories telling India to 'show everyone your outfit' and added 'you're matching with mummy' when the adorable tot turned to the camera. Binky and former co-star Josh confirmed their split in September after three years of off and on dating. The couple were famously tumultuous during their time on Made In Chelsea, but got back together in early 2017 when they found out they were expecting India. Twinning is winning: The TV personality posted another adorable picture of the mummy-daughter duo in matching blue kaftans and sunglasses with her 1.4 million followers Travelling in style: Binky and India travelled out to Mexico in style, posing for a sweet snap while enjoying their business class seats The former pair remain close, but Binky recently admitted she is 'scared' of Josh moving on with a new relationship. Speaking to The Sun, she explained: 'It was literally a mutual decision. Things hadnt been right for a while, but wed kind of painted over it. I think doing that was unfair on India as well as ourselves. We cant stick together just because we have a baby. 'Josh will find someone very quickly, and that kind of scares me. The scariest thing for me is thinking about being on my own, and how am I going to meet someone again when I have a baby? Because who wants to think about being on their own' She added: 'Of course, hopefully one day, but Im not there yet. Im not even thinking about that. As long as Josh and I are in a good place together thats all that matters, because thats whats perfect for India.' Ryan Thomas and Lucy Mecklenburgh have continued to brush off their romance woes, choosing to spend New Year's Eve together in New York. The couple were rocked by video footage of Lucy appearing to get close to a mystery man in Dubai, but moving past the scandal, the former TOWIE star and her beau kicked off 2019 with a romantic trip to the Big Apple. Taking to Instagram, Lucy revealed that the duo were partying with friends to see out 2018 - with Ryan missing his ex-partner Tina O'Brien's wedding to be with his girlfriend across the pond. United front: Ryan Thomas and Lucy Mecklenburgh have continued to brush off their romance woes, choosing to spend New Year's Eve together in New York Documenting their night on social media, Lucy shared a short video clip as she arrived in New York, with Ryan seen walking ahead of Lucy as they made their way through their hotel. She was later seen drinking cocktails as the duo joined their friends at a lavish rooftop bar, with a view of Brooklyn Bridge, to ring in the New Year with a booze-fuelled night out. While Ryan didn't feature again in her Instagram story, the former soap star revealed via his own page on the social media platform that he jetted overseas for New Year's Eve. Sharing a photo of himself holding a bottle of champagne while posing with Virgin Atlantic air crew, Ryan told fans: 'Landing on New Year's Eve with a bottle of bubbly from the @virginatlantic staff.' Still together: The couple were rocked by video footage of Lucy appearing to get close to a mystery man in Dubai, but seem to have moved on from the scandal NYE bash: Taking to Instagram, Lucy revealed that the duo were partying with friends to see out 2018 in the Big Apple Trip overseas: Lucy shared a short video clip as she arrived in New York, with Ryan seen walking ahead of Lucy as they made their way through their hotel He then proceeded to wish his family and friends happy new year individually on his story, including his brothers Scott and Adam Thomas and former co-star Brooke Vincent, but noticeable missed out girlfriend Lucy. Ryan's appearance in New York suggests he chose not to attend his ex-partner Tina O'Brien's wedding to her long-term beau Adam Crofts. According to reports, Ryan - who shares daughter Scarlett, 10, with Tina - had been invited to the nuptials held in his hometown of Manchester on New Year's Eve, but was a no show. His trip to New York with Lucy comes as the pair continue to put on a united front following video footage surfacing of Lucy appearing to get close to a mystery man while holidaying in Dubai. Jetting off: Former soap star Ryan revealed via his own page on the social media platform that he jetted overseas for New Year's Eve Rocked: His trip to New York with Lucy comes as the pair continue to put on a united front following video footage surfacing of Lucy appearing to get close to a mystery man while holidaying in Dubai In footage obtained exclusively by MailOnline, Lucy was seen planting a kiss on the mystery man's cheek, holding his hand and caressing his back, while sources claimed she was 'rubbing the inside of his leg' and they later left 'two minutes apart'. After the video of Lucy's nightclub moment appeared, the star took to Twitter to claim she was bidding farewell to a friend in the clip - yet the point was met with ridicule from Twitter users, who insisted the exchange was suspicious. She furiously wrote: 'Since when has saying goodbye to a friend turned into a cosy night out?! #ridiculous' - however sources now claim Ryan is less than pleased. Lucy insisted the video was 'not that bad' and had been taken out of context and took to Twitter to like a series of messages including a note reading: 'The video wasnt even that bad.. mad how people are so quick to jump to conclusions'. Ryan, however, was said to be 'in pieces' after seeing the video. Insiders revealed to MailOnline the actor was left devastated by her actions yet believes her version of events that she was merely saying goodbye to a pal and was overly tactile due to drink. Rocked: Lucy insisted the video was 'not that bad' and had been taken out of context, with reports claiming Ryan was left 'in pieces' over the footage A source said: 'He is in pieces over the video really upset. He's a pretty forgiving guy and knows how tactile Lucy can be but this footage seems a little more than someone saying goodbye.' 'He's been asking his friends and brothers what they would think and how they would react if it was their wife or partner in the video and pretty much universally, they've all said they wouldn't be happy. 'But at the moment he's taking Lucy's word at face value because he loves her and he wants to believe she's telling the truth. He's also had tons of support on social media from fans though a fair few haven't had such kind words for Lucy.' The Sun later reported that the couple had furious phone conversations, with sources claiming: 'Ryan burst into tears when he watched the video of Lucy with the mystery man and feared the worst... 'She explained he's just a friend and said she would never be so silly as Ryan's mate was in Dubai at the same time. Ryan is a very emotional person who wears his heart on his sleeve.' Out of context: Lucy has insisted she was simply saying goodbye to a friend in the video and nothing untoward had gone on Ryan was also said to be red-faced by the awkward timing of the video, which came just days after the couple posed for a cosy magazine shoot. In the accompanying interview, the pair declared their intentions to get engaged and buy a family home together next year, with Lucy warning: 'You'd better get saving because I want a really heavy left hand.' A source told MailOnline: 'Ryan is also pretty embarrassed that the footage emerged the same week as they appeared on the cover of OK! mag gushing about how much they love one another.' In the wake of the video, he and Lucy chose to stay silent on the status of their relationship, until Ryan finally confirmed the duo were still together shortly after Christmas. The Celebrity Big Brother winner took to Instagram to share sweet clips of himself enjoying a Christmas-themed day out with daughter Scarlett and girlfriend Lucy in the captial. Breaking his silence: In the wake of the video, he and Lucy chose to stay silent on the status of their relationship, until Ryan confirmed the duo were still together shortly after Christmas Subtle: He and Lucy both shared similar Instagram posts to reveal they are still dating, as they enjoyed a festive day out post-Christmas with Ryan's daughter The trio enjoyed a trip to Winter Wonderland and a stay at Mayfair's luxury five-star hotel The Dorchester. He later shared a clip of Lucy drinking a glass of wine at the bar in The Dorchester, as she sat with Scarlett watching a piano player. While he and Lucy didn't share any direct posts with each other, reality star Lucy took to her own Instagram page to share a video of herself enjoying a drink at their hotel. Lucy and Ryan began dating in 2017, after falling for each other on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. Isla Fisher is known for her fiery red tresses. But it appears the Arrested Development star, 42, is looking for a change for the New Year. The Australian actress looked almost unrecognisable when she unveiled a thick mane of blonde hair on Instagram on Monday. 'Go blonde or go home': Actress Isla Fisher, 42, undergoes the ultimate transformation by colouring her firey red tresses to welcome the New Year. (L) In December 2018 (R) Now The mother-of-three first cut a sultry figure in the close-up snap, shooting the camera a half smile while flaunting her new luscious locks. 'Go blonde in '19 or go home,' Isla captioned the snap. Born to Scottish parents, the actress is known for her beautiful flame-red hair. Signature: The former Australian soap star is known for her red hair, with her only colouring it a handful of times including for the role of Mary Jane in Scooby Doo in 2002 The beauty's gorgeous natural tresses have even been mentioned in films, such as 2006's The Wedding Crashes. In the past, the Hollywood actress has dyed her hair blonde for roles, including in 2002, when she played Mary Jane in Scooby Doo. Taking to Instagram to share a throwback, Isla appeared to be less than impressed with changing her beautiful mane previously. Glam: 'This period in my life convinced me that gentleman do NOT necessarily prefer blondes': Isla said of her previous time as a blonde 'This period in my life convinced me that gentleman do NOT necessarily prefer blondes,' she captioned the throwback snap in June last year. Isla is married to husband Sacha Baron Cohen, 47, with the couple sharing three children, daughters Olive, 11, and Elula, eight, and son Montgomery, three. This year looks set to be a big one for Isla, who only just got her family a new puppy in November - a beagle named Busta. New addition: 'My easiest labor and he's already sleeping through the night': The lovable actress welcomed a Beagle into the family in November The Confessions Of A Shopaholic star wrote on Busta's inaugural Instagram post, 'Introducing Busta BC. My easiest labor and he's already sleeping through the night.' In September, Isla and her funnyman husband Sasha Baron Cohen showed off her playfully romantic side, after he was named GQ's Man of the Year. 'Congratulations 'Man of the Year' now can you empty the kitty litter? There's a bit of cat-sh**e on the carpet,' she captioned her husband's magazine cover. On another post Isla wrote: 'Married to one of the GQ Men of the year, unfortunately not John Legend.' She's just returned from a sun-filled trip to the Maldives with her boyfriend of two years. And Chloe Lewis shared a stunning throwback holiday snap alongside a cryptic message as she prepared to welcome the new year on Monday night. The TOWIE star, 27, looked sensational in a white two-piece as she grinned into the camera for the Instagram shot. Happy new year! TOWIE's Chloe Lewis shared a stunning throwback holiday snap alongside a cryptic message as she prepared to welcome the new year on Monday night Alongside the image, the reality TV personality penned an impassioned note about 'valuing privacy' and 'keeping your circle small'. Chloe wrote: 'The older I get the more I realise the value of privacy. Keeping your circle small. You can be open, honest & real while still understanding that not everyone deserves a seat at the end of your table. 'This year I have learnt a lot. HAPPINESS is most important I wanted to thank my wonderful friends, family & my Danny for an amazing year! Heres to 2019 Happy New Year x.' Fans flocked to comment on the post with many in awe over the star's looks, and wishing her the best for 2019, but others pointed out the jarring words about 'privacy' alongside a bikini shot. Fans flocked to comment on the post with many in awe over the star's good looks: 'such a natural beauty' Reaction: Alongside the image, the reality TV personality penned an impassioned note about 'valuing privacy' and 'keeping your circle small' Chloe and stockbroker boyfriend Danny Flasher met in December 2016, went public with their romance in early 2017, and moved in together in April. The reality star has previously admitted her boyfriend has turned down a role on the ITVBe show that propelled her to fame. Speaking on This Morning in August, she said: 'The show have asked me about him coming on, it's his choice. He's got a good job.' Chloe told Fabulous Magazine in April: 'I'm gonna keep him separate! I'm going to keep him all to myself! I couldn't do a relationship on the show again. 'I would never say never, because I don't know what the future holds - but no, for now, definitely not. Fun in the sun: Chloe has just returned from a sun-filled trip to the Maldives with her boyfriend of two years, stockbroker Danny Flasher 'But, Danny is all for TOWIE for me, he's like "I want you to do well, I want you to stay on it". 'He loves all the goss and everything, but for him he's got a good job up the city and he does really well so it's not something I think is for him!' Chloe dated former TOWIE co-star Jake Hall, 25, for seven years, but their relationship endured a very public breakdown on the show in 2016. Jake is now a father to daughter River, 13 months, with fiancee, Swedish Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri, 32, who he has been dating since shortly after his split from Chloe. Shanina Shaik celebrated the New Year in Bali, making the most of the tropical location. Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 27-year-old model shared a photo of herself at the beach, while clad in a green string bikini. 'What are you going to do on your last day of 2018?' she captioned the seductive photo. Scroll down for video Beach babe: Shanina Shaik celebrated the New Year in Bali, spending New Years Eve day at the beach in a skimpy green bikini Later on, she attended a party at OMNIA Dayclub Bali, which is described as 'an all-day party destination perched atop a cliff, 100 metres above the Indian Ocean'. The Victoria's Secret model looked stunning in a shimmery silver mini-dress with a plunging neckline. Her long dark hair was piled high up on her head in a topknot. 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! 2019. Im sending my love to everyone...' she captioned a seemingly candid photo of herself clutching a glass of champagne. Get the party started: Later on, she attended a party at OMNIA Dayclub Bali , which is described as 'an all-day party destination perched atop a cliff' Sticking close: Joining Shanina at the poolside party was her husband of one year, DJ Ruckus, who was seen planting a kiss on her cheek on the dance floor 'Im currently in 2019, some of the world is still waiting to get here. Its looking really good on this side.' Shanina also took to Instagram Stories to share a series of videos as the night unfolded. 'She ready... for 2019!!' she captioned a video of herself posing in the mirror as she prepared for the party. After having arrived at the club, the stunning star shared a series of videos of the scenery. Silver lining: The Victoria's Secret model looked stunning in a shimmery silver mini-dress with a plunging neckline Party people: Shanina took to Instagram Stories to share a series of videos as the night unfolded, seen here with friend Jennifer Yepez 'It's lit,' she captioned one video. On a second one, she added: 'Oh, we ready! 2019!!' Joining Shanina at the poolside party was her husband of one year, DJ Ruckus, who was seen planting a kiss on her cheek on the dance floor. The 35-year-old appeared to have been working the decks at the party, but Shanina stuck close to him and was by his side in the DJ booth as the clock struck midnight. Together: The 35-year-old DJ appeared to have been working the decks at the party, but Shanina stuck close to him and was by his side in the DJ booth as the clock struck midnight Celebration: 'Happy New Year!' she could be heard squealing in a video, before cheering and blowing a kiss at the camera 'Happy New Year!' she could be heard squealing in a video, before cheering and blowing a kiss at the camera. Another video showed fireworks going off above a projected sign reading: 'Happy New Year 2019'. At one stage, DJ Ruckus - real name Gregory Andrews - was seen climbing up onto the DJ deck and leaning over into the crowd. Dancing queen: Showing off her dance moves from the VIP section, Shanina was seen shaking her bottom for the camera, while fanning herself with what appeared to have been a party hat Cheeky: She playfully poked her tongue out, before scanning the party with her camera, showing off the crowd of people dancing in the rain Showing off her dance moves from the VIP section, Shanina was seen shaking her bottom for the camera, while fanning herself with what appeared to have been a party hat. She playfully poked her tongue out, before scanning the party with her camera, showing off the crowd of people dancing in the rain. 'I had my hair did, my sleeves were buttoned down... that all went out the window. Bali on New Years Eve was [fire emoji],' she captioned a photo of herself at the end of the night. Love Island bosses are said to be encouraging intersexuals and non-binary individuals to apply for the 2019 installment. It was announced on Monday that the hit reality show had opened its application process and asked potential contestants whether they identify as 'male, female, non-binary or intersex', according to The Sun. Intersexuals are born with any of several variations of male and female characteristics while non-binary people don't fall into strict gender category. Open: Love Island bosses are said to be encouraging intersexuals and non-binary individuals to apply for the 2019 installment The much-loved ITV2 series has previously had bisexual contestants star on the show, most notably Katie Salmon and Sophie Gradon, who sadly passed away this year, paired up on the 2016 installment. However, it has faced criticism for focusing on heterosexual relationships, although executive producer Richard Cowles previously said he would be open to producing a 'gay spin-off' of the current series. MailOnline have contacted a Love Island rep for comment. The news comes a day after show bosses confirmed that Love Island is coming back for summer 2019. ITV2 officially opened applications for the next series on Monday, and has once again begun the hunt for lively singles from across the country to take part. It's back! Show bosses have confirmed that Love Island is coming back for summer 2019, as ITV2 officially opened applications for the next series on Monday (Pictured: 2018 winners Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer) The chosen islanders will take up residence in a luxury villa in the hope of finding love, but to remain on the island, they will need to couple up, and more importantly, win the hearts of the public. Applications are now open via http://www.itv.com/loveisland/news/apply-now. Last series saw Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer walk away as the winning couple, bagging 50,000 in the process. As well as signing lucrative brand deals off the back of their win, the pair have also landed their own reality show. The chosen islanders will take up residence in a luxury villa in the hope of finding love, but to remain on the island, they will need to couple up, and more importantly, win the hearts of the public Success stories: Former stars Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen recently tied the knot Happy families: 2016 Love Island winners Cara De La Hoyde and Nassan Massey went on to appear in TOWIE. They're now engaged after welcoming their son Freddie in December 2017 Baby bliss: Cally-Jane Beach and Luis Morrison welcomed the first Love Island baby in May 2017 when they welcomed their daughter Vienna Made for each other: After coupling up in the villa during Love Island 2017, Dom Lever and Jess Shears are now officially married, tying the knot in Mykonos, Greece in October The couple's much-anticipated spin off show Jack & Dani: Life After Love Island starts Monday 7th January at 9pm on ITVBe. Last year 60,000 people applied for the 2018 series within the first 12 hours of the application process opening. It seemed that people were desperate to get onto the Love Island, as show insiders revealed to The Daily Star that over 150,000 fans applied to be in the 2018 season. The producers received the record-breaking amount of applications in under four months, but host Caroline Flack, 38, wasn't surprised by the figure as she said to the newspaper: 'I mean, why would you not apply?' This year's lovers: In addition to Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer, Megan Barton-Hanson and Wes Nelson are still going strong Loved-up: Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley are still together Going strong: Adam Collard and Zara McDermott are still going steady She then continued to list of the many reasons why people would want to be on the show, and said: 'Firstly, everyone wants to be in love. 'Secondly, you get to be on holiday for nine weeks. Third, you get to get a good tan. And fourth, you get to have fun! Explaining the rise in interest in the show, Caroline continued and said: 'I think Love Island is popular because people can relate to it. Spin-off success: Olivia Attwood starred in Love Island spin off show Cracking On with her ex-boyfriend Chris Hughes 'People love other people's relationships. And all relationships are different. I like the love bits. Some people like the drama but I like the really loving bits. They're the bits that make me cry.' The sexy 2018 series was the most watched show on over the summer which drew in an impressive growing audience. Caroline has been hosting Love Island since it began in 2015, and many former stars of the show have gone onto star in other reality show. New reality career: Many stars have gone on to appear in TOWIE, including Kady McDermott Winning! 2015 winner Jonathan Clark also went on to become a TOWIE cast member Petra Ecclestone's new fiance Sam Palmer has posted a sweet tribute to the socialite after exclusively announcing the couple's engagement to MailOnline. The art gallery manager, 34, took to Instagram to ring in the new year on Monday night, posting a snap of the couple and telling his followers the socialite, 30, accepting his proposal was one of his personal highlights of 2018. As the former electrician delighted over the news, Petra's Formula 1 tycoon father, Bernie Ecclestone, 88, seemed less impressed, saying he 'doesn't know what the hurry is' - just 14 months on from his daughter's explosive divorce. So in love: Petra Ecclestone's new fiance Sam Palmer has posted a sweet tribute to the socialite after exclusively announcing the couple's engagement to MailOnline Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: 'I told her I dont know what the hurry is I dont understand the reason.' The businessman's reaction stood in stark contrast to Sam's words. The vintage car dealer wrote: 'A personal thank you to everyone that made opening Maddox Gallery Los Angeles possible. 'I hope everyone had as an amazing year as us and that 2019 brings lots of love,health and happiness to all. 'My personal highlights have been opening the gallery in LA with the woman I love and her agreeing to marry me Here is to a fantastic 2019.' Happy news: The art gallery manager, 34, told his Instagram followers the socialite, 30, accepting his proposal was one of his personal highlights of 2018 (pictured in March) Petra and Sam announced their engagement on New Year's Eve after one year of dating, and just 14 months on from her acrimonious divorce from James Stunt, with whom she shares three children. In an exclusive statement to MailOnline, a representative said: 'Petra Ecclestone and Sam Palmer are delighted to announce their engagement and look forward to spending 2019 together.' Petra's brother-in-law Jay Rutland, 37, set tongues wagging about the status of her romance late Sunday night, when he dedicated a cryptic congratulatory post to the lovebirds on his Instagram account. Jay, who is married to Petra's sister Tamara, 34, shared a shot of a man's inner lip tattooed with the name 'Rutland', alongside the caption: 'Congratulations @petraecclestone & @sam_maddoxgalleryla - I can see what attracted you to him...' Unsure? Petra's Formula 1 tycoon father, Bernie Ecclestone, 88, seemed less impressed with the news, saying he 'doesn't know what the hurry is' (pictured in June 2017) Formula One heiress Petra and Sam, who serves as a director at Jay's Maddox art gallery in West Hollywood, stayed mum on the matter on social media. Petra and James' divorce was finalised in October 2017, after six years of marriage. The exes share daughter Lavinia, five, and twin sons, Andrew and James, three. While no details of the settlement were released, it was reported that James signed a 16million prenuptial agreement, with Petra also awarded sole custody of the couple's three children in January. Fiercely private Petra has since been photographed in the past with her new man, a vintage car dealer who is friends with her sister Tamara's husband, Jay. She recently told Mail On Sunday's YOU magazine of her relationship: 'It's very early-on dating. The whole thing is quite strange because my life didn't pan out the way I expected it to. Moving on: Petra's divorce from first husband James Stunt was finalised in October 2017, after six years of marriage (pictured in January) 'I thought I wasn't the type who believed in divorce. I go to church and I got married thinking I would be with that person for the rest of my life. 'But things happen for a reason and, whatever that reason is, I've now got my three kids.' She also told the publication that the most romantic thing she has ever done for her new boyfriend is to commission a piece by the street artist Mr Brainwash as a Christmas present. The mother-of-three relocated to Los Angeles and moved into a 57,000ft Bel Air mansion, which is believed to have cost 148 million. Petra admitted that the grand abode is her most extravagant purchase, saying: 'My house in LA. It's really cool, but I want to sell it and move somewhere smaller.' Whirlwind romance: Petra and former electrician Sam have been dating for around one year (pictured together in October) She added: 'I have a house with 14 bedrooms, a bowling alley and a hair and nail salon. I also have a home in Chelsea and come to London about every three months. 'We have seven dogs, including a St Bernard called Beethoven whos as big as a horse. Im allergic to cats.' Petra previously spoke about how she relocated her family to Los Angeles as she no longer felt safe at her luxury London home. Talking about her biggest fears during the interview, she said: 'I worry about the world my children are growing up in, which is becoming more evil daily.' She recently revealed that she would be spending the festive season in the US with her mother, Slavica Ecclestone, Tamara and Jay, and their daughter Sophia, four. In 2018, she became known across the world as 'The World's Hottest Grandma'. And Gina Stewart certainly had a lot to celebrate on Monday night as she watched the New Year's Eve fireworks from the balcony of her Gold Coast apartment. The Queensland local shared a video to Instagram of herself with her youngest daughter, Summer, as they posed against the backdrop of the city skyline. Scroll down for video She's a firework! The World's Hottest Grandma Gina Stewart, 48, celebrated New Year's Eve with her five-year-old daughter Summer on Monday. Pictured on her Gold Coast balcony In another clip, the 48-year-old Internet sensation posed in a thigh-skimming white dress while holding a wine glass. Earlier in the day, Gina shared a glimpse of the view from her balcony - a location which has become famous for being where she takes her selfies. It comes after the glamour model found herself in hot water with Instagram last week for violating their strict guidelines on nudity. Million dollar view: Earlier in the day, Gina shared a glimpse of the view from her balcony - a location which has become famous for being where she takes her selfies Gina was 'deeply disappointed' to discover that a photo she had shared to promote her 'Almost Naked' 2019 calendar was removed. She explained that the charity calendar was raising money to support breast cancer research, after her own mother recently battled the disease. 'I wrote about the reasons behind my calendar launch and said that I will be donating to a cause that I am passionate about,' she told her Instagram followers. Too sexy for social media? It comes after the glamour model found herself in hot water with Instagram last week for violating their strict guidelines on nudity 'Unfortunately, all of the supportive comments from my followers were lost due to the post being banned, sadly, by Instagram,' she added. 'All I can say is: Instagram, have a heart.' Gina - who has three children in their twenties, as well as a five year-old daughter, Summer - became a grandmother at the age of 46. Kylie Jenner and Miley Cyrus both had one of the most memorable years of their lives. And the two A-listers were among the top stars to say goodbye to 2018 on social media. Kylie, 21, took to Instagram on Monday to share a racy snap of herself wearing a low-cut dress while with BFF Jordyn Woods ahead of New Year's Eve festivities. What a year! Kylie Jenner and Miley Cyrus lead stars celebrating the final day of 2018 on social media on Monday Not to be outdone Miley, 26, took to the picture-sharing social media to share a snap of herself enjoying the snow in Montana on her rumored honeymoon with family. She captioned the snap: 'eyes match my lips, bag match my fit.' After tying the knot at their Tennessee mansion on December 23, it's believed Miley and Liam Hemsworth, 28, headed straight to the slopes to spend Christmas in the snow with their loved ones. Winter wonderland: Miley, 26, took to the picture-sharing social media to share a snap of herself enjoying the snow in Montana on her rumored honeymoon with family DGAF: She also flipped off a camera while posing in a cabin Poppin bottles: She proudly posed with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne Bubbly: Miley drank straight from the bottle Too sweet: She also shared a snap of herself in a colorful onesie It was reported the couple were initially planning to say 'I do' in their Malibu mansion, but the home was recently destroyed by a bush-fire in California. The year was also huge for Kylie as she welcomed her first daughter Stormi with rapper beau Travis Scott , 26, back in February. In her latest social media post, she could be seen rocking a sexy LBD which showed off her cleavage. Flaunting it: In her latest social media post, she could be seen rocking a sexy LBD which showed off her cleavage Vibes: She also proudly flaunted her newly-dyed blue hair which were worn in a curly updo while posing with BFF Jordyn Woods Gorgeous: Looking simply stunning in a shimmering figure-hugging silver and black body suit, the 34-year-old counted down with her 84.5million Instagram followers Happy New Year! The social media star rang in the New Year with her babydaddy in a DJ booth as he MC'd an event at a Cleveland Club on Monday night Smooch: Khloe Kardashian finished her year on a high by sharing a kiss with boyfriend Tristan Thompson Melting: Khloe also shared a snap of the ice sculpture dedicated to the duo, inscribed with a 'Koko & TT 2019' She also proudly flaunted her newly-dyed blue hair which were worn in a curly updo. Jordyn, 21, could be seen putting on her best pucker as the duo sat in the back of a luxury car no doubt on their way to a big party. Kylie posted it with the caption: 'to 2019 please...' Squad goals: Taylor Swift seemed to be having a blast ringing in the new year as she threw a costume party where guests dressed as their 'childhood heroes' Under the sea: The 29-year-old singer was dressed as Ariel from Disney animated film The Little Mermaid Vibes: It seemed to be quite the party Quite the party: There was also a humorous snap of Taylor and 42-year-old Ryan taking a swig out of bottles of alcohol 'The future is bright': Her BFF Karlie Kloss was off enjoying her honeymoon in South Africa Taylor Swift seemed to be having a blast ringing in the new year as she threw a costume party where guests dressed as their 'childhood heroes.' The 29-year-old singer was dressed as Ariel from Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. Taylor invited plenty of her a-list friends including power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Sparkle sparkle: Halle Berry looked fantastic as she held sparklers Shining star: Chrissy Teigen was active on Instagram Story as she is one of the hosts of the NBC New Year's Eve event Gorgeous: She wore a black sequined number Low-key: Katie Holmes enjoyed a relaxed evening with former Dawson's Creek co-star Mary-Margaret Humes Slice of life: Jennifer Lopez also opted for a more low-key affair Yum: She enjoyed pizza on the last night of 2018 Dapper: Kevin Hart was dressed to the nines as he posed by a pool table 'The year I nailed the glam pic': Olivia Munn shared a funny selfie Howdy! Kate Hudson enjoyed a cowboy themed affair Ringing it in: Jessica Simpson shared this selfie 'New Year's Kiss': She was able to snap her first kiss of 2019 with husband Eric Johnson Bonding time: David and Victoria Beckham enjoyed family time Blake, 31, was dressed as Dorthy from classic film The Wizard Of Oz. There was also a humorous snap of Taylor and 42-year-old Ryan taking a swig out of bottles of alcohol. Eye-popping: Courtney Stodden gave fans quite an eyeful Interesting: She declared that she has 'gone Buddhist for 2019' Stunning: Kerry Washington seemed to have a blast Wow factor: Elsa Hosk looked gorgeous as always Model duties: She sported an LBD Just the two of us: Sofia Vergara was joined by hubby Joe Manganiello Vibes: Emmy Rossum sported golden Happy New Year ears Lovely lady: She also shared this bikini snap Sisterly love: Dakota and Elle Fanning posed together in this cute snap Relaxed: Selma Blair shared this cute selfie Loved up: Salma Hayek shared this snap of a romantic Happy New Year set-up Her heart is in... Amber Heard was in Havana, Cuba The Reputation hitmaker captioned the photo album: 'Mary Poppins, Audrey, Ariel, Ms. Frizzle, Cinderella, Gwen, Mr. Toad, Avril, Nancy Drew, Posh Spice, Rizzo, Frida Kahlo, Steve Irwin, Dorothy.. This new year we decided to dress up as our childhood heroes. Sending you all love and hope going into 2019 [heart emoji]' Several other celebrities shared their festivities including Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Hudson, and Halle Berry. Wow factor: Farrah Abraham posted these very revealing snaps from a tub Colorful character: Mindy Kaling sported this shiny coat Bonding time: Kelly Ripa posted a selfie with son Joaquin 'Happy': Uma Thurman rung the new year in style What's important: Busy Philipps cuddled one of her children Family affair: Robin Thicke shared this cute snap of his son enjoying himself in New York's Times Square Australian model Jordan Barrett is preparing to ring in the New Year in Florida. And ahead of his nighttime celebrations, the 21-year-old was seen going for a jog on the beach in Miami on Monday. Sporting a white T-shirt and workout shorts, Jordan slicked back his blond hair into a ponytail during his exercise session. Breaking a sweat! Party boy model Jordan Barrett went jogging on the beach in Miami, Florida on Monday while preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends Jordan's accessories were surprisingly lavish for a beach workout. He wore gold bracelets and several rings, and also carried a wallet and iPhone in one hand. Picking up the pace, the Byron Bay native appeared to work up sweat underneath the scorching sun. Working out: Picking up the pace, the Byron Bay native appeared to work up sweat underneath the scorching sun The previous day, Jordan looked more relaxed when he was spotted reclining on a beach lounger. He was also seen sipping on a cold drink while chatting with a group of friends and casually smoking a cigarette. Jordan has upped his frequent flyer points in recent months, jetting back and forth between the U.S. and Australia. No dramas! The previous day, Jordan looked more relaxed when he was spotted reclining on a beach lounger Not a care in the world! He was seen sipping on a cold drink while chatting with friends And Jordan's jet-setting lifestyle looks set to continue after it was revealed in October that he had landed himself a role in an upcoming film. The fashionista, who has been taking acting classes since 2016, confirmed to Executive Style that he will star in a motion picture. A source later told Daily Mail Australia that it will be a big-budget disaster movie. The Real Housewives of New York City alum Kelly Killoren Bensimon spent the final day of 2018 parading her 5ft10in bikini body in the Miami Beach surf. There was not an inch to pinch on the 50-year-old self-described 'tanorexic' who wore a $176 sea-green Elizabeth Hurley Beach 'Antibes' two-piece. The reality star-turned-Warburg Realtor flashed a big grin and her pert derriere as she enjoyed her wet and wild fun in the Florida sunshine. Wet and wild! The Real Housewives of New York City alum Kelly Killoren Bensimon spent the final day of 2018 parading her 5ft10in bikini body in the Miami Beach surf 'Enjoying a break from the city!' There was not an inch to pinch on the 50-year-old self-described 'tanorexic' who wore a $176 sea-green Elizabeth Hurley Beach 'Antibes' two-piece 'Dear 2018 - We made it! My kids are all in college...and I'm officially an empty nester,' Kelly - who boasts 411K social media followers - wrote on Instagram Sunday. 'With more time on my hands, I am able to work differently - smarter. When my kids were home, I'd work as fast as I could so I could be a full time working/stay at home mom. It was complicated, but the effort was worth it. 'Now, with more free time on my hands, I've been focused on being my own architect and structuring a life plan - not just living to work.' Bensimon added: 'Thank you 2018 for opening your doors to me to some of the most amazing real estate experiences in New York City, the Hamptons, and Miami. I can't wait to show you more of what I love: new development, innovative commercial real estate, and homes like you have never seen. This is our year, keep watching.' Life's a beach! The reality star-turned-Warburg Realtor flashed a big grin and her pert derriere as she enjoyed her wet and wild fun in the Florida sunshine Kelly wrote on Instagram Sunday: 'Dear 2018 - We made it! My kids are all in college...and I'm officially an empty nester. With more time on my hands, I am able to work differently - smarter' Bensimon added: 'Now, with more free time on my hands, I've been focused on being my own architect and structuring a life plan - not just living to work' (pictured Sunday) Missing from the Columbia University grad's side were her two daughters - 21-year-old Sea Louise attending the University of Mississippi and 19-year-old Thadeus Ann attending Trinity College in Hartford. Sea was celebrating New Year's Eve at the French bistro Bagatelle in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. Both college students' father is 74-year-old French photographer Gilles Bensimon, who divorced the Illinois-born beauty in 2007 after a decade of marriage. December 21 family portrait: Missing from the Columbia University grad's side were her two daughters - 21-year-old Sea Louise (L) attending the University of Mississippi and 19-year-old Thadeus Ann (R) attending Trinity College in Hartford 'Sunday scaries!' Sea was celebrating New Year's Eve at the French bistro Bagatelle in Manhattan's Meatpacking District She's ditched the chilly climes of the UK for some winter sun with her family. And Tamara Ecclestone beamed with delight as she celebrated the new year with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter Sophia, four, during a beach break on Tuesday. The socialite, 34, turned heads as she slipped into a white zebra print two-piece, exhibited her toned midsection and enviable legs. Beach babe: Tamara Ecclestone beamed with delight as she celebrated the new year with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter Sophia, four, during a beach break on Tuesday With her hair swept into a loosely tousled bun, the heiress' naturally radiant complexion was on full display as she went make-up free. The brunette ensured she maintained her signature glamour in the accessory department as she donned a pair of mirrored aviator-style glasses. Meanwhile, businessman Jay, 37, displayed his taut upper body as he went shirtless for the beach day out, sporting a pair of black shorts. Adorable Sophia looked in high spirits as she posed with her parents on the sandy shores of the island for the sweet snap, which was captioned: 'Thank you for the journey 2018. Happy New Year wishing you all a magical 2019.' Holiday goals: The socialite, 34, turned heads as she slipped into a white zebra print two-piece, exhibited her toned midsection and enviable legs Natural beauty: The brunette looked every inch the yummy mummy as she ditched her make-up to soak up the sun while staying in the idyllic holiday location Earlier that day, Tamara took to the social media platform to share a sweet picture of herself in a bikini cuddling her daughter, Sophia, captioned: The best cuddles .' Meanwhile, the Formula One heiress' husband Jay took to his own Instagram to share a picture of little Sophia with blonde curly locks, instead of her usual brunette straight hair. Sharing his confusion over her transformation, he said: 'My little beach bum now has blonde curly hair,' followed by a shrugging arms emoji. Just moments earlier, Jay had shared a picture of Sophia relaxing in the pool with a blue leopard print swimsuit with brunette hair, adding to the confusion. How did that happen?: Tamara's husband Jay, 37, took to Instagram to share a picture of little Sophia with blonde curly locks, revealing his confusion over the transformation Luxury lifestyle: They reportedly splashed out 20k on first class flights to celebrate Christmas in Los Angeles, California During the festive season, the Ecclestone family jetted off to LA to bask in the Californian sun. The couple doted on their daughter Sophia, showering her with lavish gifts as they took to Instagram to share a slew of family snaps on Christmas. Despite spending a reported 50k on decorations for her 70million London home, the billionaire heiress pulled out all the stops to ensure Fifi had a magical day in America. Property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was still sharing his life and London home with Chinese-American Dara Huang when he met Princess Beatrice. But, happily, Edoardos ex-fiancee does not appear to hold grudges. Dara has shared a New Years message with friends online in which she expresses her gratitude for the support she has received in the past year and pledges to forgive. News of Beatrices relationship with Edoardo, 35, known as Edo, was made public in November. Pictured: Property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Dara Huang News of Beatrices relationship with Edoardo was made public in November Thank you for the love and support I got from everyone . . . for my strength and blessings, Dara writes in the positive message. Love, laugh, share, forgive. Next to it is a photograph of her with her two-year-old son by Edo, Christopher Wolfie Woolf. Old friends, the romance between Beatrice, 30, and Edo is said to have blossomed after her younger sister Princess Eugenies wedding in October. However, they have still not been pictured together in public. Before Christmas, the Daily Mail Diary pictured them leaving separately from swanky London private members club, Home House. Exiting the venue in the early hours, the couple were careful to stagger their departures so they could not be pictured getting into the same Range Rover together. The rest of Daras family appear to be less forgiving. Her father, Po-Tien, a retired scientist with U.S. space agency Nasa, told this newspaper last month: Why would they want to go and break this up? I cant understand it. Its not fair, but the Royal Family are so powerful. What can I do? One of Edos friends said: As always in these cases, there are two sides to the story. Friends of Prince Philips godson, Ashley Hicks, were saddened to read in this column in September that he had walked out on his pregnant wife, Kata de Solis, after only three years of marriage. Now, the American fashionista, 37, who has an 11-month-old son, Caspian, with Hicks, has revealed she is staying close to her husbands family. Were so lucky to live beside Lady Pamela, she says of Ashleys mother, daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Shes the best grandmother. So friendly are they that Lady Pamela, who was one of the Queens bridesmaids, has helped name her unborn boy. His name will be Horatio, Kata tells Tatler. Lady Pamela has also decided his nickname should be Dickie. It will be a touching tribute to Lord Mountbatten, who was known as Dickie. He was assassinated by the IRA in 1979. Strictly lovestruck- Arlene's a grandma Pictured: Arlene Phillips with her daughter Alana at the Olivier Awards in 2014 Arlene Phillips has received the sweetest Christmas gift: the former Strictly judge is dancing with joy after becoming a grandmother. Her daughter, make-up artist Alana, 40, has given birth to her first child, Lila Primrose Stewart (right). Alana married lawyer Henry Stewart in April. Words cannot describe the love I am feeling, Arlene, 75, wrote online. My heart is full. After becoming a grandmother Arlene Phillips posted a photo of her granddaughter on Instagram Accused of turning Agatha Christies The ABC Murders into anti-Brexit propaganda, BBC screenwriter Sarah Phelps is now taunting her critics. Her Poirot murder mystery included references to British fascists and prejudice against foreigners. Now, she promises: See you next time when I rewrite Pride And Prejudice in a crack den. It was recently revealed that kind-hearted Simon Cowell had adopted a stray dog named Daisy during his annual Barbados break. And his partner Lauren Silverman has now been spotted taking the couple's new addition for a walk along the beach on New Year's Eve. The glamorous brunette, 41, was seen enjoying an afternoon stroll alongside her eldest son Adam, 12, joined by Cowell's three other dogs, Squiddly, Diddly and Freddy. New addition: Lauren Silverman has been spotted taking the couple's new rescue dog Daisy for a walk along the beach in Barbados on New Year's Eve Lauren beamed with delight as she took the overexcited new pup to along the sea front. The X Factor boss' partner was dressed for the occasion in a patterned maxi dress with ruffle detailing. The chic off-the-shoulder number was set off with a straw fedora and a large pair of shades. Family outing: The glamorous brunette, 41, was seen enjoying an afternoon stroll alongside her eldest son Adam, 12, joined by Cowell's three other dogs, Squiddly, Diddly and Freddy Canine lovers: Lauren beamed with delight as she took the overexcited new pup to along the sea front Glamorous as ever: The X Factor boss' partner was dressed for the occasion in a patterned maxi dress with ruffle detailing The dogs attracted a large amount of attention from fellow holiday makers during their outing. Simon, 59, hosts an annual auction for homeless dogs on the Caribbean island and was said to have fallen in love with a terrier cross named Daisy. According to The Sun, Daisy was found abandoned with her two puppies, but thanks to charity K9 Puppies, of which Simon is a patron, they have all been nursed back to health. The chic off-the-shoulder number was set off with a straw fedora and a large pair of shades. Effortlessly stylish: Lauren's chic off-the-shoulder number was set off with a straw fedora and a large pair of shades Sweet moment: The American beauty wrapped her arms around her son Adam Cute: The dogs attracted a large amount of attention from fellow holiday makers during their outing The TV star and his long-term girlfriend Lauren Silverman are said to be bringing Daisy back to the UK on his private jet. The pooch will be joining Simon's other dogs, Squiddly, Diddly and Freddy who are all Yorkshire terriers. The TV star is so attached to his dogs that he recently revealed plans to spend 180,000 to have them cloned by harvesting their genes through a South Korean company. Family: Simon, 59, hosts an annual auction for homeless dogs on the Caribbean island and was said to have fallen in love with a terrier cross named Daisy Puppy love: The pooch joins Simon's other dogs, Squiddly, Diddly and Freddy who are all Yorkshire terriers He told The Sun on Sunday: 'I am 100 per cent cloning the dogs, all of them.Weve thoroughly looked into it, got all the details and I can prove to you Im going to clone them. There is documentation. 'I am doing it because I cannot bear the thought of them not being around.' The dogs travel with Simon regularly as he works in both Los Angeles and London, as well as an annual trip to the Caribbean, and on the flight the dogs get their own squeaky toys to play with, and bespoke jum-bones. Simon recently revealed his hopes that son Eric, four, who he has with partner Lauren Silverman, 41, may one day take over the family business. Luxury: The X Factor boss is said to be bringing Daisy back to the UK on his private jet Plans: The TV star is so attached to his dogs that he recently revealed plans to spend 180,000 to have them cloned by harvesting their genes through a South Korean company Fans were delighted to see Eric appear on the judging panel on The X Factor, with Simon joking during an interview on This Morning: 'I'm getting him ready to do my job.' Simon also touched on whether he had 'left it too late' to become a father - he welcomed son Eric when he was aged 55 - and admitted he no longer dwells on that thought. 'If you have asked me earlier I would have said I might have left it a little too late,' said Simon, before quickly adding: 'Whatever happens happens.' She's never shy to flaunt her famous figure. And Emily Ratajkowski proved on trend as she posted a scintillating snap to her Instagram on Monday. The 27-year-old American stunner showcased her enviable physique in a skimpy red string bikini with the caption: 'Bye 2018' Hot stuff: Emily Ratajkowski, 27, posted a scintillating snap to her Instagram on Monday Daring to impress, the cover girl and actress also posted a snap of herself laying in the sand to her Instagram stories. The beauty has just returned from a holiday in Colombia with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard She said 'Adios' to Colombia in a cheeky Instagram story post. She turned around, looking over a scenic vista while showing off her backside in a high-cut black one-piece from her own Immorata swimwear line. Impressive: Daring to impress, the cover girl and actress also posted a snap of herself laying in the sand to her Instagram stories 'Xmas paradise': Emily modeled a barely-there thong bikini from her own line Inamorata Swim as she frolicked by the beach Emily showcased her swimsuits in a series of tantalizing photos over her vacation. On Christmas Eve, she posted a smoldering Instagram snap of herself staring out to see with her back to the camera, throwing her curves into relief. Emily, who could be seen holding her phone out in front of her while facing the ocean, captioned that she was in an 'Xmas paradise'. This holiday season saw Emily ring in her first Christmas as a married woman after tying the knot this year to producer Sebastian. He joined Emily and her family for the holiday vacation. AJ Pritchard's brother Curtis has admitted it would be a dream come true to join his brother as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing. The brothers were recently the victim of a vicious nightclub attack in Cheshire by eight men and Curtis will undergo emergency operation on his knee for his injuries. But Curtis, 23, is trying to look on the bright side and what the future may hold for him when he heals. Future: Curtis Prithcard, 23, has admitted it would be a dream come true to join his brother AJ, 24, as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing He told The Sun: 'The response has been quite phenomenal, its always been a dream to get on that programme and to be able to do that with my brother would be a dream come true.' Curtis added that he will not let the thugs who assaulted him and AJ get the better of him. He said: 'Im not going to let my attackers win, Im determined to rise above it. 'Im happy my brother AJ is OK, hes my best friend, and as a family were determined to stick together. Its made us stronger.' Support: AJ Pritchard has branded his brother Curtis a 'real life Superman' after eight thugs set upon them at a nightclub in Cheshire on Friday evening AJ, 24, has branded Curtis a 'real life Superman' after he leaped to his defense during the attack. The Strictly Come Dancing star took to Instagram on Monday to share a gushing post about his sibling as he reflected on the past year following the vicious attack. Posted alongside a beaming snap of the pair, the professional dancer thanked his loyal fanbase for their support over the past week, and insisted he wants to close 2018 on a 'super positive note. The former Britain's Got Talent star penned: 'With my real life superMAN - closes 2018 on a SUPER Positive note.. Support: The Strictly Come Dancing star took to Instagram on Monday to share a gushing post about his sibling as he reflected on the past year following the vicious attack 'Thank you for all the love & support over the past few days. Thank you to each & everyone of the thousands of messages we have received. 'Yes it is a vile situation, but honestly the love has been overwhelming...my brother is my BEST friend by choice. Happy New Year to everyone... Its has been a Positive 2018 & will be a fantastic 2019...', the choreographer added. The pro dancer - who usually often on social media - has not emerged publicly since the incident, which saw him and his brother Curtis attacked in a nightclub in Nantwich, close to their family home, where both men were staying for the Christmas break. Reflection: The Strictly Come Dancing star, 24, took to Instagram on Monday to share a gushing post about his sibling, 22, as he reflected on the past year Low profile: The choreographer is said to be 'beside himself with worry and anxiety' after the vicious attack AJ is said to be 'beside himself with worry and anxiety' after the attack, with a source telling the Sunday Mirror: 'AJ is so traumatised by what happened he doesnt want to leave the house. 'He has told friends he doesnt understand why this has happened to him. AJ has never been targeted before and this has come out of the blue. He is beside himself with worry and anxiety.' On Saturday morning messages of support flooded in from AJ's 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.' Close: On Saturday morning, AJ saw messages of support for him and his brother Curtis 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. Friends: Strictly's Dianne Buswell and Katya Jones led the stars rallying around the brothers after their horrific attack Sad: Dianne, 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' Saddened: Dianne's celebrity dance partner-turned boyfriend Joe Sugg, 27, sent his best wishes to the brothers on Twitter 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.' Supportive: Head judge Shirley Ballas also shared her support, posting a tweet on Saturday 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' 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. 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. 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 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.' 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 Best wishes: 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. It looks like 2019 may be the year Karl Stefanovic bids farewell to Australia. Long before his wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough on December 8, Karl apparently had his sights set on escaping the country to improve his public image. And following his recent sacking from the Today show, there is nothing holding him back from starting over again in the USA. Will 2019 be the year Karl Stefanovic moves to America? The Channel Nine star told friends he 'wanted to get away from it all' months before being axed from Today. Pictured: Karl filming in New York City for Today in November 2016 Several months ago, before he was dropped from Today, the 44-year-old journalist confided in friends that he was considering 'going away for a while'. At the time, he was feeling increasingly 'strained' due to the media scrutiny surrounding his engagement to Jasmine, 34. 'He wants to get away from it all, he's getting tired of all the attention he gets in Sydney,' said a source familiar with Karl's thoughts at the time. 'Ideally, he would like a job at Channel Nine's U.S. bureau. He loves America and Jasmine lived in Los Angeles for years while working as a model.' 'He's tired of all the attention': Long before his wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough on December 8, Karl apparently had his sights set on escaping the country to improve his public image See you in the States? Karl would 'ideally... like a job at Channel Nine's U.S. bureau' as he 'loves America', a source told Daily Mail Australia It has previously been rumoured that Karl may relocate to America as a foreign correspondent for Channel Nine. And considering that he is no longer required on the Today show from 5:30am every weekday morning, the move stateside certainly seems possible. Although he would be moving away from his children, it is believed the TV star has shared custody with his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn and so could fly back for visits. Jasmine, who has already had a taste of living in California, could run her shoe brand Mara & Mine from overseas and employ staff to manage her Paddington boutique. When approached by Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday, a Channel Nine spokesperson declined to comment. She's familiar! Karl's wife Jasmine previously lived in LA during her time as a model, and could run her shoe brand Mara & Mine from overseas. Pictured: Karl and Jasmine in November 2017 Hmm! When approached by Daily Mail Australia, Channel Nine declined to comment Despite being dropped from the Today show, Karl is still contracted to Channel Nine until the end of 2020. In a statement released on December 19, the network's Director of News and Current Affairs, Darren Wick, confirmed Karl would 'continue to host This Time Next Year'. The second season of the prime time show is set to resume filming in February. During Karl's time on Today, he would often fly to the U.S. to cover breaking news stories, building up plenty of experience broadcasting from overseas. On Monday she revealed she had been struck down by strep throat. But Busy Philipps proved no illness could keep her down by hitting the beach in Mexico later that day. The 39-year-old was joined by husband Marc Silverstein, as well as actress Jessica Alba and producer Brian Grazer for the celebrations. Noting gonna break her stride: Busy Philipps. 39, proved no illness could keep her down by hitting the beach in Mexico following a strep throat diagnosis. Seen here with husband Marc Silverstein The Busy Tonight host clad her shapely pins in peach leggings for the seaside outing at Puerto Vallarta. Philipps had slipped a denim jacket over an olive sweater and sipped on a cup of hot tea while screenwriter hubby Silverstein massaged her neck. The Dawson's Creek alum covered her eyes in dark shades. Meeting of the minds: Also relaxing on the white sands were Sin City actress Jessica Alba, 37, and her brood. Seen with Brian Glazer, right Also relaxing on the white sands were Sin City actress Jessica Alba, 37, and her brood. The founder of The Honest Company looked chic in a black skirt and crop top for her NYE festivities. She covered her brunette tresses in a gray fedora and clad her feet in sandals as she settled down in the sand with one-year-old son Hayes. The Fantastic Four star was at one point joined by Hollywood super producer Brian Glazer, 67, who was unmissable in bright yellow pants. Back in black: The founder of The Honest Company looked chic in a black skirt and crop top for her NYE festivities Hello sunshine! The Fantastic Four star was at one point joined by Hollywood super producer Brian Glazer, 67, who was unmissable in bright yellow pants Busy claimed she would be spending her new Year's vacation in bed, after coming down with strep throat, and then developing a secondary infection. 'Strep and a secondary infection! Here I am getting a shot in my butt! So glad I'm on vacation! Happy New Year!' she wrote, sharing a picture of herself at urgent care. The 39-year-old also shared images from her hotel room, as she self medicated with energy drinks and pain killers. Ouch: 'Strep and a secondary infection! Here I am getting a shot in my butt! So glad I'm on vacation! Happy New Year!' Busy wrote, sharing a picture of herself at urgent care He may be better known as Queen's lead guitarist, but Dr Brian May also holds a doctorate in astrophysics - and today revealed a song he wrote after being asked by NASA to support its latest historic mission. 'We're off to New Horizons so hold on to the wheel', he sings in the rare solo song, which was first played as the craft passed Ultima Thule - an object a billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, last night. May was at Mission Control for the event, and today released the track New Horizons, his first solo single since 1998, on YouTube. Scroll down to listen to the track Brian May, lead guitarist of the rock band Queen and astrophysicist, discussing the upcoming New Horizons flyby of the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule, on December 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland The 'New Horizons' track (Ultima Thule mix), had its global premiere broadcast live on January 1 at 12.02am EST (5.02am GMT) from the New Horizons control Center in Maryland, USA, at the moment when the historic Ultima Thule encounter is confirmed. 'This project has energised me in a new way,' May said. New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern (L) of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO and Brian May (R), lead guitarist of the rock band Queen and astrophysicist after a New Years event at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory For me it's been an exciting challenge to bring two sides of my life together - Astronomy and Music.' May says Alan Stern, the Project Instigator of the NASA Mission, who approached him in May about writing a special song. 'He asked if I could come up with a theme for Ultima Thule which could be played as the NH probe reached this new destination.' 'I was inspired by the idea that this is the furthest that the Hand of Man has ever reached it will be by far the most distant object we have ever seen at close quarters, through the images which the space craft will beam back to Earth. 'To me it epitomises the human spirit's unceasing desire to understand the Universe we inhabit. ' Guitarist Brian May of Queen also holds a doctorate in astrophysics, and is paying musical tribute to a NASA spacecraft that will conduct a far-flung flyby Portions of the wailing guitar track, overlaid with the voice of the late legendary scientist Stephen Hawking, are already available on www.brianmay.com Scientists do not yet have a clear picture of exactly what Ultima Thule is, whether a single object or a cluster, spanning about 19 miles (30 kilometers) in diameter. Portions of the wailing guitar track, overlaid with the voice of the late legendary scientist Stephen Hawking, are available on www.brianmay.com. Ultima Thule is a Kuiper Belt object that sits one billion miles past Pluto. Its official name is 2014 MU69. Scientists aren't yet sure if Ultima is a single body, a binary pair, or a system of many objects. Artist's impression New Horizons completed a successful flyby of Pluto three years ago, and returned stunning images of the dwarf planet. May joined Jubilant NASA scientists celebrating this morning after confirmation their New Horizons probe has reached the solar system's outermost region, flying close to a space rock 20 miles long and billions of miles from Earth on a mission to gather clues about the creation of the solar system. The New Horizons probe was slated to reach the 'third zone' in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 a.m. this morning ET - but NASA did not receive confirmation it was a success until 10:31am. Alice Bowman, the New Horizons Mission Operations Manager, known as 'MOM' received the updates from mission engineers, who one by one called in their status as green. 'We have a healthy spacecraft, we have just completed the most distant flyby,' she said. Researchers have spotted a strangely deformed protostar - and say it could shed new light on how planets form. Using observations from the ALMA radio observatory in Chile, researchers observed, a warped disk around an infant protostar that formed just several tens of thousands of years ago. They say it could explain the misalignment of planetary orbits in many planetary systemsincluding our own. Scroll down for video In the latest findings, published in Nature, the group from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) and Chiba University in Japan discovered that L1527; an infant protostar still embedded within a cloud, has a disk that has two partsan inner one rotating in one plane, and an outer one in a different plane. The disk is very young and still growing. L1527, which is about 450 light years away in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, is a good object for study as it has a disk that is nearly edge-on to our view. The new find implies that the misalignment of planetary orbits in many planetary systemsincluding our ownmay be caused by distortions in the planet-forming disk early in their existence. OUR MISALIGNED SOLAR SYSTEM The planets in our solar system orbit the sun in planes that are at most about seven degrees offset from the equator of the sun itself. It has been known for some time that many extrasolar systems have planets that are not lined up in a single plane or with the equator of the star. One explanation for this is that some of the planets might have been affected by collisions with other objects in the system or by stars passing by the system, ejecting them from their initial orbital plane. Advertisement PICTURED: Illustration showing the structure of the warped disk around the protostar, with an inner and outer disk. 'This observation shows that it is conceivable that the misalignment of planetary orbits can be caused by a warp structure formed in the earliest stages of planetary formation,' Nami Sakai, who led the research group from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) and Chiba University in Japan, said. 'We will have to investigate more systems to find out if this is a common phenomenon or not.' The remaining question is what caused the warping of the disk. Sakai suggests two reasonable explanations. Using observations from the ALMA radio observatory in Chile, researchers observed, a warped disk around an infant protostar that formed just several tens of thousands of years ago. Pictured, an artist's conception of the warped disk around the protostar. 'One possibility,' she says, 'is that irregularities in the flow of gas and dust in the protostellar cloud are still preserved and manifest themselves as the warped disk. A second possibility is that the magnetic field of the protostar is in a different plane from the rotational plane of the disk, and that the inner disk is being pulled into a different plane from the rest of the disk by the magnetic field.' She says they plan further work to determine which is responsible for the warping of the disk. Three former Google employees believe that artificial intelligence could be the secret to making you happier at work. Their startup, called Humu, uses machine learning to parse through employee data and then 'nudges' workers to help them improve in areas that might make their work lives better, according to the New York Times. Nudges are delivered to employees via emails or text messages and are expected to motivate employees around small tasks, with the eventual goal of improving the broader organization as a whole. Scroll down for video Three former Google employees believe that artificial intelligence could be the secret to making you happier at work via their startup, called Humu, that's based in California Humu was founded in 2017 and now counts 15 companies, both big and small, as its customers, according to the Times. It's based around a 'nudge engine' that encourages people to make decisions based on what's in their best interest, instead of making decisions based on what is easiest. These same principles were used by the human resources team at Google, which sought to motivate employees to save money, waste less food and make other proactive choices. 'Often we want to be better people,' Laszlo Bock, Humus chief executive and Googles former leader of people operations, told the Times. 'We want to be the person we hope we can be. But we need to be reminded. 'A nudge can have a powerful impact if correctly deployed on how people behave and on human performance.' Nudges are sent to employees via emails or texts and are expected to motivate employees around small tasks, with the eventual goal of improving the broader organization as a whole The company uses machine learning to streamline content sent to each customer, as well as to tailor timing and how messages are delivered based on how employees respond Humu uses machine learning to streamline content sent to customers, as well as timing and how messages are delivered based on how employees respond, the Times noted. Each nudge is tailored for a different purpose and many of Humu's customers have them sent only to managers. For example, a manager might be 'nudged' to remember to ask members of their team for their input, while an employee might be nudged to come up with questions for their manager. One of Humu's customers, the salad chain Sweetgreen, used Humu to determine that a fewer-than-expected number of employees believed they had opportunities to advance their careers at the company. Humu recommended that store managers have individual meetings with staff members to discuss advancement opportunities. A nudge sent to one Sweetgreen manager read: 'Consider what skills each team member needs to be successful, both in their current role and longer term in their career. HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES LEARN USING NEURAL NETWORKS AI systems rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn. ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information - including speech, text data, or visual images - and are the basis for a large number of the developments in AI over recent years. Conventional AI uses input to 'teach' an algorithm about a particular subject by feeding it massive amounts of information. AI systems rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn. ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information - including speech, text data, or visual images Practical applications include Google's language translation services, Facebook's facial recognition software and Snapchat's image altering live filters. The process of inputting this data can be extremely time consuming, and is limited to one type of knowledge. A new breed of ANNs called Adversarial Neural Networks pits the wits of two AI bots against each other, which allows them to learn from each other. This approach is designed to speed up the process of learning, as well as refining the output created by AI systems. Advertisement 'Take notes. Preparing this list of skills will help you spot opportunities for your team as they arise so its worth putting the work in now!' As a result, the Sweetgreen manager learned that employees wanted to diversify their skills. That said, experts have noted there could be risks to the application, as it could push workers to complete tasks that are more beneficial to the employer, instead of their own personal interests, the Times reported. 'The companies are the only ones who know what the purpose of the nudge is,' Todd Haugh, an assistant professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University, told the Times. 'The individual who is designing the nudge is the one whose interests are going to be put in the forefront.' Advertisement A NASA spacecraft has gone into orbit around an ancient asteroid, setting a pair of records. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft entered orbit Monday around the asteroid Bennu, 70 million miles (110 million kilometers) from Earth. It's the smallest celestial body ever to be orbited by a spacecraft. Scroll down for video The animation above shows our closest look yet at the space rock, showing Bennu in one full rotation from about distance 50 miles away (80 km). It was captured over the course of four hours and 18 minutes WHAT DID NASA FIND? Data obtained from the spacecraft's two spectrometers, the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES), reveal the presence of molecules that contain oxygen and hydrogen atoms bonded together, known as 'hydroxyls.' The team suspects that these hydroxyl groups exist globally across the asteroid in water-bearing clay minerals, meaning that at some point, Bennu's rocky material interacted with water. While Bennu itself is too small to have ever hosted liquid water, the finding does indicate that liquid water was present at some time on Bennu's parent body, a much larger asteroid. Advertisement Bennu is just 1,600 feet (500 meters) across. The spacecraft's laps are barely a mile (1.6 kilometers) above the asteroid's surface, another record. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has found water locked deep inside the asteroid it hopes to bring a sample from back to Earth. The craft finally arrived at asteroid Bennu last month, more than two years after blasting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Now, NASA says it 'made the right decision' choosing its target. 'Recently analyzed data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has revealed water locked inside the clays that make up its scientific target, the asteroid Bennu,' NASA said. 'The presence of hydrated minerals across the asteroid confirms that Bennu, a remnant from early in the formation of the solar system, is an excellent specimen for the OSIRIS-REx mission to study the composition of primitive volatiles and organics,' said Amy Simon, OVIRS deputy instrument scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 'When samples of this material are returned by the mission to Earth in 2023, scientists will receive a treasure trove of new information about the history and evolution of our solar system. While Bennu itself is too small to have ever hosted liquid water, the finding does indicate that liquid water was present at some time on Bennu's parent body, a much larger asteroid. During the mission's approach phase, between mid-August and early December, the spacecraft traveled 1.4 million miles (2.2 million km) on its journey from Earth to arrive at a location 12 miles (19 km) from Bennu on Dec. 3. During this time, the science team on Earth aimed three of the spacecraft's instruments towards Bennu and began making the mission's first scientific observations of the asteroid. OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first asteroid sample return mission. Data obtained from the spacecraft's two spectrometers, the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES), reveal the presence of molecules that contain oxygen and hydrogen atoms bonded together, known as 'hydroxyls.' The team suspects that these hydroxyl groups exist globally across the asteroid in water-bearing clay minerals, meaning that at some point, Bennu's rocky material interacted with water. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has finally arrived at asteroid Bennu more than two years after blasting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.The animation above shows the craft's approach to the object, beginning August 17 when it was over 1,300,000 miles from Bennu, to November 27, when it was just 40 miles away While Bennu itself is too small to have ever hosted liquid water, the finding does indicate that liquid water was present at some time on Bennu's parent body, a much larger asteroid. One outlier from the predicted shape model is the size of the large boulder near Bennu's south pole. The ground-based shape model calculated this boulder to be at least 33 feet (10 meters) in height. Preliminary calculations from OCAMS observations show that the boulder is closer to 164 feet (50 meters) in height, with a width of approximately 180 feet (55 meters). Bennu's surface material is a mix of very rocky, boulder-filled regions and a few relatively smooth regions that lack boulders. However, the quantity of boulders on the surface is higher than expected. OSIRIS-REx will spend the next year in orbit around its target before dropping down briefly so it can get close enough to scoop up a sample of dirt and rock from the surface. 'Our initial data show that the team picked the right asteroid as the target of the OSIRIS-REx mission. We have not discovered any insurmountable issues at Bennu so far,' said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, Tucson. 'The spacecraft is healthy and the science instruments are working better than required. It is time now for our adventure to begin.' 'We have arrived,' technicians announced, spurring high-fives and clapping around the control room. Just days ago, Osiris-Rex flexed its mechanical arm through a full range of motion for the first time in space ahead of reaching Bennu; eventually, this instrument will be used to pluck a regolith sample from the surface to bring back home. The craft has now traveled more than a billion miles since launching in September 2016. Osiris-Rex' ultimate goal is to bring back a regolith sample of at least 2.1 ounces. It will first survey the asteroid's surface for a year, before selecting a safe and 'scientifically interesting' location to scoop up some rocks. If all goes well, the craft will bring the sample back to Earth in September 2023. Osiris-Rex has been sending back photos throughout the course of its journey, revealing glimpses at its then-faraway target and even our own planet from millions of miles way. In August, the craft snapped its first image of asteroid Bennu. While the blurry snapshot might not look like much, its first look was the closest we've come to the space rock yet, at 1.4 million miles away. The craft also captured a look at Earth and moon in their 'orbital dance' back in January. Asteroid Bennu, which Osiris-Rex will spend the next few years studying, is said to be a carbon-rich hunk of rock that might contain organic materials or molecular precursors to life. NASA aired live coverage of its arrival starting at 11:45 a.m. ET, shortly before the spacecraft began the 20-second burn that put it on the right trajectory around the asteroid. Artist's impression Osiris-Rex captured a 'super-resolution' view (left) of asteroid Bennu on October 29, 2018. The photo was created using eight images obtained by the spacecraft from a distance of about 205 miles (330 kilometers) 'Analyzing a sample from Bennu will help planetary scientists better understand the role asteroids may have played in delivering life-forming compounds to Earth,' NASA explains. 'We know from having studied Bennu through Earth- and space-based telescopes that it is a carbonaceous, or carbon-rich, asteroid. Carbon is the hinge upon which organic molecules hang. 'Bennu is likely rich in organic molecules, which are made of chains of carbon bonded with atoms of oxygen, hydrogen, and other elements in a chemical recipe that makes all known living things. 'Besides carbon, Bennu also might have another component important to life: water, which is trapped in the minerals that make up the asteroid.' The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory located on Mount Graham in Arizona spotted Osiris-Rex (red) in September 2017, roughly a year after it launched This September 11, 2016 photo shows a Centaur upper stage lifted at Space Launch Complex 41 on Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where it was attached to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket first stage booster, carrying OSIRIS-REx Once Osiris is ready to collect a sample, it will drop down closer to Bennu and hover over the surface like a hummingbird, with only its mechanical arm getting close enough to touch the asteroid. The Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) will suck up the regolith, kicked up by its nitrogen gas thrusters, and hopefully collect enough to study back at home. Scientists estimate the asteroid formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago. 'Bennu is a leftover fragment from the tumultuous formation of the solar system,' NASA says. 'Some of the mineral fragments inside Bennu could be older than the solar system. These microscopic grains of dust could be the same ones that spewed from dying stars and eventually coalesced to make the Sun and its planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago.' Data breaches, widespread malware attacks and microtargeted personalized advertising were lowlights of digital life in 2018. As technologies change, so does the advice security experts give for how to best stay safe. As 2019 begins, I've pulled together a short list of suggestions for keeping your digital life secure and free of manipulative disinformation. Scroll down for video From deleting old apps to using multi factor authentication, Elissa Redmiles of the University of Maryland reveals how to stay safe online in 2019. 1. Set your boundaries and stick to them As part of my research, I've recently been speaking with a number of sex workers in Europe about their digital security and privacy. One consistent thing I've heard from them is, 'The best way to stay safe is to set boundaries.' Decide on your own, and in advance what data you're willing to share with apps and online services, and stick to those limits. That way, when the latest new app asks you for a permission that oversteps what you're willing to share, you'll be more prepared to answer. Also set limits on the online discussions you're willing to participate in; bow out when a discussion is hurting more than helping you. It's even useful to set boundaries for how much time you're willing to spend on digital security which could be an endless task. 2. Burst your filter bubble People who get their news primarily or exclusively from social media are subjecting themselves to the whims of the algorithms that decide what to display to each user. Because of how these algorithms work, those people are likely to see articles only from news sources they already like and tend to agree with. This isolation from people with other views, and from evidence that might challenge particular perspectives, contributes to unprecedented levels of partisanship and disagreement in modern society. Free online tools like AllSides and Purple Feed are some places that show news reports and social media posts from differing political perspectives, and identify information that's generally agreed upon across the political spectrum. 3. Manage your passwords The biggest threat to password security is no longer the strength of your passwords but the fact that many people reuse the same passwords for all, or many, of their accounts. Researchers are busy designing notifications to tell you when one of these reused passwords has been leaked to the world, but it's safer to use different passwords, especially for your most valuable accounts. You can use password manager software. Or, use the original low-tech method, writing your passwords down on paper. Believe it or not, it's much safer to write them down than reuse the same password everywhere. Of course, this is true only if you're sure the people you live with or frequent visitors to your home won't try to get into your accounts. 4. Turn on multi-factor authentication Adding an additional step for logging in to your most important social media, email and financial accounts can add lots of protection. Multi-factor authentication systems are best known for texting you a six-digit code to type in as part of your login process. While any multi-factor authentication is better than none, text messages can fairly easily be intercepted or spied on. An even safer route is to use a special code-generating app on your phone. People who change phones or SIM cards often, or who want additional protection, might consider using a physical keythat plugs into your computer to authorize a login. They can take a bit more time to set up initially, but then work much faster than most other methods. Data breaches, widespread malware attacks and microtargeted personalized advertising were lowlights of digital life in 2018. 5. Delete apps you don't use Smartphone apps track where you are very closely, and share your location data with advertising and marketing companies. Just carrying a phone in your pocket can give tracking companies clues to where you go and how long you stay, and technical details about your phone can offer clues to your identity. If you don't use an app anymore, uninstall it from your phone. If you need it again, you can always reinstall it quickly but in the meantime, it won't be tracking you around the world and around the web. A security expert has warned that smartphone users should switch off their location settings if they are worried about how their data is shared. 6. Keep the apps you do use up-to-date Software companies don't always know about all the vulnerabilities in their programs and when they issue updates users don't always know if they're fixing a major problem or something minor. The top piece of advice experts give is to keep your software up-to-dateon your computers and your mobile devices. Having spent 2018 worrying about how hackers, corporate executives and hurried programmers might be trying to exploit your data and your cognitive and digital vulnerabilities, resolve to be more secure in 2019. Just the thought of a bed bug infestation is enough to make you start scratching and tossing out furniture. A new app created by a researcher at Ohio State University has the answers and information on what to do next. The app funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set up as one-stop information source for everything bed bugs. A new app created by a researcher at Ohio State University has the answers and information on what to do next There are guides for identifying and getting rid of them along with tips for travelers. Susan Jones, an entomologist at Ohio State, said the app was needed because there's a lot of misinformation out there about the critters. The app works on Android and iOS devices and can be found by searching 'bed bug field guide' 'If you don't know anything about an organism, then you are sort of at the mercy of that creature,' said Jones, who has been studying bed bugs for about 10 years. The app works on Android and iOS devices and can be found by searching 'bed bug field guide.' Bed bugs can cause instant panic, but few people really know how to spot them or what to do, she said. There are right ways and wrong ways to get rid of them, she said, noting that most store-bought chemicals advertised as ways to eradicate bed bugs don't work. It's a job that should be handled by professionals, Jones said. Too often, people who can't afford to pay someone, try to do it themselves, she said. A year ago, a woman accidentally started a fire while trying to kill bed bugs with rubbing alcohol at a multi-family home in Cincinnati that left people homeless. In a Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018 photo, Ohio State University entomologist Susan Jones discusses the app she created with tips on spotting bed bugs and getting rid of them as she shows off a cooler with containers of bed bugs, in Columbus, Ohio. Jones says the bugs can be tricky to identify because they're nocturnal and good at hiding. That's just one - extreme - example of what can go wrong. Michael Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, said bed bugs have been making a major resurgence and that while most people think of them when traveling, they are most often found in houses and apartments. The cost of eliminating bed bugs, Jones said, is a reason they continue to be a problem. They can reproduce quickly, can hide from floor to ceiling, and they're nocturnal, she said. 'You don't know where they're hiding,' Jones said. In the spring of 1943, RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for a major escape from the German Stalag Luft III Camp near Sagan, now Zagan in Poland. With the escape planned for the night of March 24, 1944, the PoWs built three 30ft deep tunnels, named Tom, Dick and Harry, so that if one was discovered by the German guards, they would not suspect that work was underway on two more. Bushell intended to get more than 200 men through the tunnels, each wearing civilian clothes and possessing a complete range of forged papers and escape equipment. In the spring of 1943, RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell conceived a plan for a major escape from the German Stalag Luft III Camp near Sagan, now Zagan in Poland To hide the earth dug from the tunnels, the prisoners attached pouches of the sand inside their trousers so that as they walked around, it would scatter. The prisoners wore greatcoats to conceal the bulges made by the sand and were referred to as 'penguins' because of their supposed resemblance to the animal. When the attempt began, it was discovered that Harry had come up short and instead of reaching into a nearby forest, the first man in fact emerged just short of the tree line, close to a guard tower. Plans for one man to leave every minute was reduced to 10 per hour. The Great Escape starred Steve McQueen (pictured above) as Captain Virgil Hilts In total, 76 men crawled through to initial freedom, but the 77th was spotted by a guard. In the hunt for the entrance one guard Charlie Pilz crawled through the tunnel but after becoming trapped at the other end called for help. The prisoners opened the entrance, revealing the location. Of the escapees, three made it to safety, 73 were captured, and 50 of them executed. ... and the Hollywood film The 1963 film The Great Escape was based on real events and, although some characters were fictitious, many were based on real people, or amalgams of several of those involved. The film starred Steve McQueen as Captain Virgil Hilts, James Garner as Flight Lieutenant Robert Hendley and Richard Attenborough as Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, and was based on a book of the same name by Paul Brickhill. Contrary to the film, no American PoWs were involved in the escape attempt, and there were no escapes by motorcycle or aircraft. Hilts' dash for the border by motorcycle was added by request of McQueen, who did the stunt riding himself except for the final jump. Ethiopian-born Tegegn Bayissa had claimed his career was wrecked by 'deep-seated and cunning' racism. The police community support officer blamed colleagues' prejudice for their refusal to let him patrol unattended. He insisted it was the only possible explanation, given that his role was 'not rocket science' and one that even a teenager could perform. Ethiopian-born Tegegn Bayissa (pictured) had claimed his career was wrecked by 'deep-seated and cunning' racism But when he brought a race discrimination claim, the true reason emerged for the PCSO had made a catalogue of basic errors, one of which could have seen him arrested. After hearing how senior officers had given Mr Bayissa every chance to learn the ropes, an employment tribunal rejected his claim on every one of 47 points. However, Greater Manchester Police has now been left with a reported 20,000 legal bill after he said he was unable to cover its costs. University-educated Mr Bayissa joined the force as a 25,000-a-year PCSO in 2014 as part of a drive to attract more ethnic minority officers. Humiliatingly, he managed to mess up a routine exercise security-marking bicycles at a family fun day, failing to apply lacquer on top of the ink which meant the details could be wiped off easily by a thief. He was given a warning after failing to report an assault following a road crash, admitting he did not know what officers were meant to do after a traffic accident. On one occasion he found a mobile phone, but instead of handing it in to lost property he put it in his drawer which could have led to his arrest. One shopkeeper on his beat refused to believe he was a genuine PCSO because he did not appear to know what he was doing. Mr Bayissa claimed that 'officers had been desperate to find fault in his actions'. In 2016 he quit, launching a race claim. Mr Bayissa argued that he was a victim of 'deep-seated and cunning police racism', asking: 'What part of PCSO's role is so difficult for a man who has a university level education? 'A teenager with not much life experience can work as a PCSO. The role ... was not rocket science.' However, the tribunal panel disagreed, saying that senior officers had displayed huge patience as he struggled. Mr Bayissa had been 'resistant to the suggestion that there was anything he could learn arising from incidents he had encountered', they said, adding: 'It appears to us that [he] underestimated the difficulty of the role.' Yesterday at his Manchester home Mr Bayissa, who is now unemployed, said he did not accept the tribunal's conclusions but had run out of money to appeal or pay the police's legal costs. Greater Manchester Police (HQ, pictured) has now been left with a reported 20,000 legal bill after he said he was unable to cover its costs Greater Manchester Police said it was committed to ensuring it was representative of the communities it serves. It said under Operation Peel the scheme under which Mr Bayissa was taken on - it had recruited 235 officers from ethnic minorities. A spokesman added: We note the decision of the employment tribunal. The force declined to comment on the legal fees it had incurred. A bouncer at a party in one of Britains most exclusive student houses was stabbed to death yesterday as 2019 got off to a bloody start in London. The guard was trying to stop a group of gatecrashers from entering a private bash in the 12.5million Mayfair townhouse when he was knifed. Two other security staff, aged 37 and 29, and a 29-year-old woman who tried to help them close the 10ft solid oak door to the building were also stabbed during the incident at around 5.30am yesterday. Police in Park Lane, London after a security guard was stabbed to death and three others injured as they tried to bar a group of men from entering a New Year's Eve party The 3,540 sq ft luxury three-bedroom townhouse in London's Mayfair has eye-watering rental price of 4,000 a week The guard was trying to stop a group of gatecrashers from entering a private bash in the 12.5million Mayfair townhouse (pictured) when he was knifed The house (pictured) features views of Hyde Park, glass floors, its own 24-hour concierge and a roof terrace. It is one of the worlds most expensive student houses, costing 4,000 a week to rent Police believe revellers filmed the attack on their phones outside the luxury three-bedroom house (pictured) which had been hired out for a New Years Eve party Police officers were filmed holding an alleged suspect at the incident in Mayfair, London Police believe revellers filmed the attack on their phones outside the luxury three-bedroom house which had been hired out for a New Years Eve party. The house features views of Hyde Park, glass floors, its own 24-hour concierge and a roof terrace. It is one of the worlds most expensive student houses, costing 4,000 a week to rent. It is understood to have been used for swingers parties in the past. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Partridge said: It appears the deceased and the two injured males were working as security staff for the party. They were attacked by a group of males who were outside trying to enter. The female was also attacked as she assisted the security staff in closing the front door. This shocking incident happened just hours into a New Year, the area was particularly busy with people out celebrating and making their way home. In a night of bloodshed, a woman in her early thirties was also killed at a home in Camberwell, South London, in an unrelated stabbing at 4.20am. Police at the scene of the incident at 5.36am on Park Lane in Mayfair. They were called after reports of stabbing Police have been at the exclusive property all day today as they start yet another murder probe A 34-year-old man who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder was released on bail last night. The two unrelated murders followed London deadliest year in a decade. Scotland Yard released figures yesterday showing the number of people killed in the capital hit a ten-year high in 2018, with more than a fifth of victims being children and teenagers. Last year, 134 killings were recorded by the Metropolitan Police, which included 24 in which the victims were 19 or under. Of those, 18 were stabbed, five were shot and one woman died from head injuries. It was the highest total since 2008, when 155 were killed. The first murders in 2019 came amid a night of violence. A young woman was shot in east London at 5am. The victim, said to be in her mid-twenties, was blasted in the leg at Visions Video Bar in Hackney. Another woman was assaulted outside a nightclub in Clapham, south-west London, as she waited for a taxi at around 4am. Student Krystal Mission, 21, was punched several times. Police had to rescue a young mother after a drunken thug attacked her and her baby with a 2ft sword at a New Years Eve party at a flat in Walsall, West Midlands at 5am. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and possessing an offensive weapon. In Essex, a youth was stabbed in the stomach in Epping. Sussex Police Chief Inspector Roy Hodder said his force managed more than 100 emergency calls an hour between midnight and 3am yesterday morning. A senior officer claimed yesterday that police were having to tolerate more violence because of a lack of resources. Richard Cooke, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, tweeted: The absolute number of violent/aggressive drunken idiots who 10, 15 years ago feet wouldnt have touched ground on way to custody now simply tolerated. Reason we simply hadnt got the officers to do anything else. Jack Shepherd, 31, used his boat to woo at least ten women before the fatal trip with Charlotte Brown, 24 (above) A killer who let his date drown in a speedboat tragedy has won the right to appeal against his conviction and jail sentence despite being on the run. Jack Shepherd, 31, used his boat to woo at least ten women before the fatal trip with Charlotte Brown, 24. He was drunk and the craft was poorly maintained with no lifejackets to hand. However, he has not served a day of his six-year sentence because he absconded before the start of his Old Bailey trial last July. Miss Brown's father Graham, described the situation as 'incredible, absurd and disgusting'. The 55-year-old said: 'We all know what happened on the Thames and at the trial, but he's still sticking two fingers up. We thought this absurd appeal would be thrown out immediately. 'We don't know when the court date is yet, but I'll be going to it for sure. The idea that he could get his sentence reduced while he's still on the run is incredible. 'I'll be raising it with [Home Secretary] Sajid Javid when I meet him, as arranged, in a few weeks, and with my MP. I'll also be asking why Shepherd is still at large, what resources are being put into finding him, and whether representations are being made to countries where he may be.' Mr Brown said police had revealed that Shepherd was abroad but had given no further information. The family of Charlotte Brown (left to right) father Graham Brown, sister Katie and mother Roz Wicken arriving arriving at the Old Bailey, London, for the manslaughter trial of Jack Shepherd 'They told us initially that he'd flown to Georgia, but I think that was a red herring he'd told relatives and associates so they'd tell the police,' he added. 'It says a lot about the legal system that his legal team can be working to get him an appeal, but don't seem so good at telling him to hand himself in, or revealing his whereabouts. 'It's disgusting. There's no shadow of doubt in my mind that he must have people supporting him. How could he live abroad for six months without any income? He's getting help from somebody. Shepherd was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence over the incident 'Some people know where he is and have chosen not to say.' Shepherd's four-week trial was told that he called for help for himself when the boat capsized at high speed but did not say Miss Brown was also in the cold Thames waters. She died after being pulled unconscious from the river. He was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence over the incident, which took place in December 2015. The boat had sped past the Houses of Parliament at more than double the 12-knot limit before the crash near Wandsworth Bridge. The European Convention on Human Rights has established a legal precedent that being on the run from justice is no bar to mounting an appeal. Under client confidentiality rules, the lawyers of an absconding criminal do not have to help police find them. Shepherd's solicitors have already received almost 100,000 in legal aid to fight his case, and will get more for the appeal. The Mail has revealed that he is also on the run from charges of causing grievous bodily harm to a man in Newton Abbot, Devon. Faulty: Jack Shepherd's speedboat which capsized at high speed but the killer did not say Miss Brown was also in the cold Thames waters 'He's got a serious drink problem he can't handle it,' said Mr Brown. 'He's accused of glassing a bloke in the face, a stranger. 'When he does finally surface he'll have to face trial for that, as well as going to prison for manslaughter. He's totally irresponsible.' Miss Brown, who lived in Clacton, Essex, worked as a business consultant after gaining an English literature degree. Shepherd's lawyers blamed 'cowardice' for his disappearance. He married his fiancee just two months after killing Miss Brown, who he was dating behind her back. She is said to be raising their child alone. Shepherd, a web designer, had been living on a houseboat in Hammersmith. A Twitter account believed to be operated by Shepherd under a pseudonym has claimed that he had treated Miss Brown 'like a princess'. A female driver has been caught up in a terrifying carjacking in Sydney's south after a man threatened her with a knife. The woman, 52, had parked her black 2018 Toyota Yaris on Railway Parade in Kogarah when she was approached by the man on Tuesday at 10.25pm. A New South Wales Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the woman was threatened with a knife near the loading dock of a supermarket. A female driver has had her car stolen after a man allegedly threatened her with a knife to hand over the vehicle The woman was approached by a man near a supermarket loading dock on Railway Street near Regent Street (stock image) He drove the woman's vehicle, with New South Wales registration plates YIY-53C, north on Railway Parade towards neighbouring suburb Rockdale. The suspect with the knife has been described to be about 30 years old, 175cm tall, medium build with a short beard and tanned skin. Police officers from St George Police Command were notified of the incident and patrolled for the vehicle without success. The investigation is underway. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Melbourne commuters heading back to work this week will experience hour-long delays as three major train lines close down. From Wednesday, buses will replace trains from the busiest sections of Melbourne's south-east rail network, including the Pakenham/Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines. Public Transport Victoria warned travellers that delays of up to 75 minutes may be added to their journey time. Three of Melbourne's busiest train lines will be closed between January 2 to January 13 to make way for contstruction MELBOURNE TRAINS SHUTDOWN Pakenham/Cranbourne lines January 2-13: Buses replace trains between Flinders St and Westall Frankston line January 2-13: Buses replace trains between Flinders St and Moorabbin Sandringham line January 2-6: Buses replace trains between Flinders St and Elsternwick Advertisement The lines usually carry tens of thousands of commuters a day but authorities are hoping that the quieter period will mean less disruptions for the usual crowds, which will begin to return from January 7. The closures are to allow construction of the metro tunnel and infrastructure to support the introduction of new high capacity trains. The Pakenham, Cranbourne and Frankston lines will be closed until January 13 with the Sandringham line re-opening on January 6. Public Transport Victoria urge commuters to plan ahead and allow plenty of time. A US Marine has been accidentally shot and killed by a fellow serviceman just before dawn on Tuesday in Washington DC. The Marine Corps said in a release that the man, whose identity is still not being released, died from a gunshot wound just before 5am while on duty at the Marine Barracks. The release also stated that there is no threat to the community at this time. According to Fox 5, a D.C. police source told FOX 5's Evan Lambert that the incident was an accident. It happened during a shift change when weapons are supposed to be unloaded before being passed to the next shift. Barracks: A US Marine was shot and killed while on duty at the Washington DC Barracks on Tuesday morning (file photo of the Barracks) Release: The name of the victim is not yet being released and there is no threat to the community according to the Marine Corps (release above) 'The commands priorities are to take care of the Marines family and friends,' said Col. Don Tomich, who is the commanding officer of Marine Barracks Washington. 'We want to ensure these personnel are being provided for during this challenging time.' The Marine was on duty at the Barracks on 8th & I in the nation's capital, which are the oldest in the country. The victim was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds and died there. Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident. With their ears pricked back and coats ruffling in the wind, these magnificent seven dogs are spearheading scientific research giving hope to millions. The adorable mutts gorgeous qualities are matched by their incredible talents to detect a range of medical conditions and warn of impending health attacks. Their ability to sniff out microscopic particles of a disease's signature odour already helps thousands of patients. But fresh research involving the trail-blazing pooches could lead to potential treatments for Parkinson's Disease and early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Their skills make them more than loving pets as they are part of an 80-strong annual intake that are schooled in bio sensory detection by the Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) charity near Milton Keynes. Seven scent dogs.Freya (Malaria), Midas(Prostate cancer), Honey(PA), Eliza(Trainee Bio-dog), Asher,(Parkinson's) Magic(Diabetes) and Henry (PoTS) 'Henry has given me my life back,' says Elizabeth Draper, who suffers from Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), a heart condition that causes blackouts with no warnings. 'I became a virtual prisoner because of the fear of blacking out near a road or at a station. I had to stop my university studies and my life was just on hold until Henry came along.' Henry, a three-year-old Labrador, is a graduate of the MDD's remarkable academy which fine tunes dogs' ability to engage 300 million smell receptors in their noses to isolate scents down to the equivalent of recognising a teaspoon of sugar diluted by two Olympic-size swimming pools of water. He was trained on samples of sweat and breath taken from 23-year-old Elizabeth immediately after attacks and is now so familiar with the tell-tale scent that he alerts her up to seven minutes before her heart palpitations start. Scent dogs Freya (Malaria), being put through her paces in the training lab The dog's ability to sniff out microscopic particles of a disease's signature odour is already making a difference to thousands of patients The trail-blazing dogs could help to find potential treatments for Parkinson's Disease and spot an early diagnosis of prostate cancer The charity has been training dogs to sniff out cancers and define when their owners' blood sugars are heading to crisis levels for a decade. Their latest link-ups could revolutionise research in prostate cancer and Parkinson's. The progressive neurological disorder, which affects more than 127,000 people in Britain and is expected to double by 2025, is without cure or a definitive test and is often only diagnosed years into its destructive cycle. Research is being carried out with Manchester University in a bid to discover how dogs can detect the chemical indicators of Parkinson's. It is hoped their skills will help diagnose patients up to 10 years before their symptoms emerge. MDD, whose Patron is the Duchess of Cornwall, has also linked-up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University, in the US, to harness the power of five of its dogs to identify prostate cancer from patients' urine samples in a project to create an artificial biosensor. Dogs are trained by using a piece of sock from a malaria sufferer from the Gambia to sniff out the disease at Medical Alert Assistance Dogs near Milton Keynes Eliza, Asher, Midas and Henry are treated to walkies at Medical Alert Assistance Dogs as they take a break from their pioneering research work The charity has also joined forces with NHS units to train dogs to spot bacteria and pending infection in patients. It is hoped it will act as an early warning system for the presence of superbugs such as MRSA on hospital wards. 'These dogs are lovable animals with special abilities,' says Dr Claire Guest, who founded the charity in 2008. 'They can home in on the odour of disease with incredible accuracy and have already helped thousands of people regain their lives. 'They also have the power to revolutionise the future of diagnostics and save millions of lives. They really enjoy their work be it on research programmes or alerting their owners and keeping them safe.' The dogs have also had the royal seal of approval after the Queen was treated to a demonstration of their phenomenal talents earlier last year at The Royal Mews to mark the charity's 10th anniversary. They are both family pets and life savers and come to MDD's base at Great Horwood, Buckinghamshire, from a variety of sources including rescue centres. Basic training is given to the dogs and then they hone in on a specific disease in a programme, which lasts an average of nine months before being homed. Magic, a 6.5-year-old Labrador, has been trained to spot when owner Claire Pesterfield's blood glucose levels drop too low or rise too high and she estimates his alerting has saved her life more than 4,000 times over five years. The 45-year-old from Hitchin, who has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 13, has impaired hypo awareness which can spark dangerous attacks but Magic gives her at least 45 minutes warning so she can take action. Elizabeth Draper with her dog Henry who can detect when she is going to have a black out Freya, a two-year-old Springer Spaniel, who came from a rescue organisation, is nearing the end of her training to detect malaria and is able to do so with unerring accuracy. It is part of a research project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that could provide easy and effective screening in disease hotspots in place of the current finger-pricking and laboratory testing diagnostics. Having a medical detection dog has totally transformed Elizabeth's life as her condition had forced delays to schooling and university and medication had a patchy impact on controlling the condition. But she is right on track with her education and will complete an animal science degree at Writtle University College, near Chelmsford in Essex. 'I blacked out so frequently that I couldn't leave the house without someone and it wasn't wise for me to be alone because it was too dangerous,' says Elizabeth, from East Grinstead. 'I missed a year of Sixth Form and then had to stop university because of several attacks, including hitting my head on the washbasin in my room. I've had several falls and concussions. 'I've had to watch my friends leave school or graduate from university while I couldn't even pop to the shops on my own. I had a lot of anxiety and became secluded but Henry has changed my life completely. I feel like an adult. I don't feel like a child anymore. 'I can leave the house, go to the shops, go to the pub without any worries because he will jump up and let me know if an attack is coming. My confidence is back and I feel happier, he is a ray of sunshine.' Elizabeth has become more outgoing thanks to the support offered by Henry who can detect when she is about to fall ill Henry has given early warnings signs on multiple attacks over the last year since linking with Elizabeth, allowing her the chance to sit down or rest in a safe position when she passes out or waits for the palpitations to subside. Her brother James, 26, said the pooch had made a real difference to the way she lives day in day out and added: 'Elizabeth is able to get on with her life now. 'She is much more outgoing where as she had to sit and stay at home so Henry has been liberating for her. 'It was disturbing for us as a family and we had that horrible feeling that it was only a matter of time before it happened somewhere bad such as next to a road. 'I was a bit sceptical and then thought he may be able to catch one or two but Henry's been fool proof.' Kanye West has tweeted his support for President Donald Trump, wading back into politics months after he declared he would set the subject aside. 'Trump all day,' the rapper tweeted on Tuesday afternoon to ring in the New Year, followed by emoji depicting dragons. 'Just so in 2019 you know where I stand.' It came months after West's October declaration: 'I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative.' October, West and Trump held a famously bizarre meeting in the Oval Office Tuesday's tweet storm continued: 'They will not program me.' 'Blacks are 90% Democrats That sounds like control to me,' West continued. 'Love everyone,' and 'We will change the world. God is on my side. I am a Christian. I am a tax payer. I am myself. God is with us,' the musician declared. 'One of my favorite of many things that the trump hat represents to me is that people cant tell me who I should do because Im black. Thats real racism,' he added in another tweet. 'From now on Im performing with my mutherf**king hat on,' he said. 'One of my favorite of many things about what the Trump hat represents to me is that people cant tell me what to do because Im black.' West declared that he would perform in a MAGA hat from now on. He is seen wearing one of the iconic hats in the Oval Office in October The rapper also noted that he had spoken with podcaster Joe Rogan in an interview that would be released soon. West also hinted at his plans to run for president, writing simply: '2024'. In October, West and Trump held a famously bizarre meeting in the Oval Office. The rapper delivered a 10-minute monologue on various topics, and encouraged Trump to replace Air Force One with a concept aircraft he dubbed 'iPlane One.' Days later, West accused conservative activist Candace Owens of falsely claiming that he supported 'Blexit', her campaign to get black people to abandon the Democrat Party and support Republicans. Furious, West declared that he was done with politics and would stick to creative endeavors. Advertisement Polar Bear Plunges, where people take a dip in very cold bodies of water during the winter months when people aren't usually swimming outdoors, are often undertaken to benefit some type of charity, but they're also a way to ring in the new year. This January 1 saw people diving into the Atlantic Ocean on a relatively mild day in New York, from the beaches of Coney Island in Brooklyn, and also in much colder temperatures around the US, including Minnesota and Massachusetts. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is a members only organization that's been taking frigid dips in the salt water since 1903. Currently the club meets every Sunday between November and April at 1pm Eastern to frolic in the icy waves. Although membership roles are closed at the moment, 'everyone is invited to the annual New Year's Day Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge!' according to the group's website.' This year's event marks the 115th annual iteration of the frosty sea excursion. Across the globe, others took icy plunges of their own everywhere from Northern Ireland, Scotland and France to the Netherlands and Germany. Scroll down for images captured from all over the world of people diving in to 2019 with a splash. NEW YORK This January 1 saw people diving into the Atlantic Ocean on a relatively mild day in New York at the beaches of Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge participants at Coney Island in New York dress up as Elvis for festivities which are open to one and all Miss Coney Island (right) stands with a friend in a bikini that makes it look like her body is naked and covered in hair The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is a members only organization that's been taking frigid dips in the salt water since 1903. A groupl people are shown running into the water on Januar 1 at Coney Island, with a man at center wearing a lei holding a Kermit the Frog doll above his head Currently the Coney Island club meets every Sunday between November and April at 1pm Eastern to frolic in the icy waves. Swimmers hold hands in the water of the Atlantic Ocean during the Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Plunge on Coney Island Beach in the Brooklyn borough of New York on January 1 Although membership roles are closed at the moment, 'everyone is invited to the annual New Year's Day Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge!' according to the group's website. A man is seen jumping up from the water during the event on January 1 The temperature at Coney Island reached a high of 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) on the morning of January 1. Hundreds of swimmers are seen running into the water to take part in the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Plunge on January 1 in Brooklyn, New York A woman is shown shrieking from the cold with an American flag being held behind her by someone in a the crowd of hundreds who showed up on January 1 to partake in the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island A shirtless man wearing '2019' glasses jumps in the water with his mouth agape on January 1 during the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York Participants are seen playing volleyball in the Atlantic Ocean on January 1 during the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York A man dressed in a Scooby Doo costume and another man who fashioned an outfit out New York City MetroCards are show in the water on January 1 during the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York Young men in speedos run into the water on January 1 during the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York A woman in a full body wetsuit and holding a parasol is seen with her mouth wide from the cold on January 1 during the 115th annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York MINNESOTA To celebrate the New Year, Minnesotans braved the frigid temperatures and Lake Minnetonka for the 29th Annual ALARC Ice Dive from the shoreline at the public docks in Excelsior, Minnesota on January 1 A man in a Santa hat emerges from the water with his vision obscured by his costume during the 29th Annual ALARC Ice Dive from the shoreline at the public docks in Excelsior, Minnesota on January 1 Two girls jump in fearlessly to very cold water at the 29th Annual ALARC Ice Dive from the shoreline at the public docks in Excelsior, Minnesota on January 1, which raises a large contribution to wounded veterans support organizations. About 400 divers joined the event this year MASSACHUSETTS Swimmers enter and exit the water during the annual L Street Brownies New Year's Day Plunge at the Curley Community Center in South Boston, Massachusetts on January 1 People are seen smiling with glee as they partake in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Boston, Massachusetts on January 1 A man wearing face paint, a plaid toga-like ensemble and carrying a sword runs into 45-degree Fahrenheit (7-degree Celsius) water in South Boston, Massachusetts on January 1 Another fellow wearing blue face paint, this time with some smeared on his chest, runs into the water with as many as 600 locals in South Boston, Massachusetts on January 1 CANADA Revelers brave stormy conditions as they participate in the annual New Year's polar bear dip in Charlottetown Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on January 1 An organizer stands by with a ladder as people line up to take their turn with a dip in a frozen pond on Prince Edward Island in Canada on January 1 Organizer Cheryl Paynter (center) directs people participating in the annual New Year's polar bear dip in Charlottetown Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada on January 1 A young girl is assited by Paynter during the plunge in Charlottetown Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada on January 1 A man emerges from the water and makes a run for cover in stormy conditions at Charlottetown Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada on January 1 A woman reacts as she emerges from the water during the Perth Polar Bear Plunge in Perth, Ontario on New Year's Day Hundreds of intrepid bathers take part in the Courage Polar Bear Dip for World Vision in Oakville, Ontario on New Year's Day A woman in a shirt that reads 'Canada' across the chest leads the way iat the plunge in Oakville, Ontario on New Year's Day A Police Marine Unit officer keeps an eye on an intrepid swimmer taking part in the Courage Polar Bear Dip for World Vision in Oakville, Ontario on New Year's Day A man in an alligator costume takes part in the Courage Polar Bear Dip for World Vision in Oakville, Ontario on New Year's Day FRANCE A man in a Santa thong and others in costume take part in the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day swim in Dunkirk, France SPAIN People swim the first day of the year on Sant Sebastian beach during New Year's celebrations in Barcelona, Spain SCOTLAND Members of the public join more than 1,000 New Year swimmers, many in costume like the person dressed as Deadpool at left, in front of the Forth Rail Bridge during the annual Loony Dook Swim in the River Forth on January 1 in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, Scotland A man and woman wearing plaid hats participate in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, on January 1 A person in a Donald Trump mask and suit partakes in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 Ladies wearing cocktail dresses and tiaras partake in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 A fit woman in a brown one-piece swimsuit holds her mouth open in cheer, near a woman wearing a unicorn outfit, while participating in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 People in ponchos and hats participatie in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 Three women dressed as the 'three little pigs' participate in the Polar Bear Plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 A man and woman in matching plaid costumes participate in the plunge in South Queensferry, Scotland on January 1 NORTHERN IRELAND Meghan McClements joins other brave and hardy souls as she jumps into the icy waters of Carnlough harbour on January 1 in Carnlough, Northern Ireland The annual swim in Carnlough, Northern Ireland is organized to raise money and awareness by the Ballymena Spina Bifida Association and has been going strong for over forty years THE NETHERLANDS A crowd of people in matching hats take part in the New Year's Day 'the New Year Dive' in Scheveningen, Netherland People run back out of the water after taking a dip during 'the New Year Dive' in Scheveningen, Netherland on January 1 Hundreds run into the icy waters on January 1 during the 'the New Year Dive' in Scheveningen, Netherland to ring in 2019 GERMANY About 50 swimmers took part in the New Year's Day wade in the waters of the Steinhuder Meer lake, in Steinhude, Germany Swimmers run during the start of the traditional New Year's swimming event on January 1 in Norderney, Germany SLOVENIA Men jump into the water during a traditional New Year's swim in the Adriatic sea in Portoroz, Slovenia on January 1 People line up and jump off the pier as they partake in a New Year's swim in the Adriatic sea in Portoroz, Slovenia on January 1 A man dives and a woman and man plug their noses as they prepare to meet the icy water below them in Portoroz, Slovenia on January 1 Subhas Chandra Bose was a famous Indian separatist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renamed a series of islands in memory of a Indian separatist who worked with the Nazis to bring about the end of British rule in the country. Three of the country's island territories in the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal will be renamed after freedom fighter Subhash Chander Bose - who made friends with with Adolf Hitler in his bid for Indian independence. Modi announced the renaming of Ross, Neil and Havelock Islands in a visit to the region on Sunday. Ross Island, named after a Colonial marine surveyor will now be known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island island. While nearby Neil Island that commemorated a British military officer of the East India Company, becomes Shaeed or Martyr Dweep. Scroll down for video Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed three of the Andaman and Nicobar islands on a visit to the region on Sunday Bose was most famous for collaborating with the Nazis to raise an army to challenge British rule in India. Pictured meeting Hitler during the Second World War With the help of the Nazis, Bose is famous for raising a rebel army of Indian soldiers during WWII to fight the British. The so-called 'Free India Army' was defeated alongside the Japanese army advancing from Burma (Myanmar) into north eastern India - two years before Indian independence in 1947. Bose was killed in a plane crash soon after the defeat of his forces in mysterious circumstances. 'When it comes to heroes of the freedom struggle, we take the name of Bose with pride and that is why the government has issued a notification changing the islands names' Mr Modi said in a speech on the weekend. Modi claimed he was fulfilling a 75-year-old wish from Bose in renaming the islands, as the separatist demanded their named be changed on a visit in December 1943 - after the Japanese briefly captured them. New reports have revealed that the University of Utah track star who was killed by her ex-boyfriend called the police six times in the 10 days before her horrific murder. Lauren McCluskey, 21, was shot to death by Melvin Rowland, 37, in the backseat of a car in her dorm's parking lot. Rowland killed himself hours later inside a church. Rowland murdered McCluskey on October 22, three weeks after she broke up with him upon discovering he was a convicted sex offender and had lied about his name and age. In the weeks before her death, McCluskey repeatedly called campus police with her concerns about Rowland and revealed she was being blackmailed with their intimate photos, according to new reports by the University of Utah Department of Public Safety (UUPS) and the Utah Department of Public Safety. New reports have revealed that University of Utah track star Lauren McCluskey called police six times in the 10 days before she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend McCluskey, 21, was shot to death by Melvin Rowland, 37, in the backseat of a car in her dorm's parking lot on October 22. Rowland killed himself hours later inside a church Red flags were already raised before McCluskey broke up with Rowland when two of her friends contacted the resident adviser in their dorm with concerns about him on September 30. They their adviser that Lauren was 'very sad' and that Rowland wasn't letting her 'hang out with friends'. 'The friends feel Lauren does not sound right and they notice that week that Lauren's physical appearance had begun to change,' the UUPS report states. 'Both believe Lauren was too trusting and was being taken advantage of by Rowland.' 'They are very concerned about Lauren, that she is in an unhealthy relationship with an older man who was controlling her and is practically living with her. They are also concerned that this man had been talking about getting Lauren a gun very soon.' After conducting various reviews, University of Utah officials decided not to 'overstep' and assist Lauren 'unless she was seeking support'. Just days later, McCluskey discovered that Rowland had lied about his identity when they met at a bar on September 2 and began to date. Rowland had told the star athlete he was 28 years old and that his name was Shawn Fields. When McCluskey confronted Rowland about the lies and the fact that he was a registered sex offender, he said he had 'many identities'. Rowland murdered McCluskey three weeks after she broke up with him upon discovering he was a convicted sex offender and had lied about his name and age. In the weeks before her death, McCluskey repeatedly called the police with her concerns about Rowland and revealed she was being blackmailed with their intimate photos McCluskey asked Rowland to come to her dorm room on October 9 and broke up with him. But she allowed him to stay the night and borrow her car the next day to run errands. 'He was very good at getting people to trust him,' University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said in a press conference after McCluskey's murder. 'His skill and ability to do this and to con people has been evidenced in the past.' On the same day she broke up with him, McCluskey received a text message from someone claiming to be Rowland's friend saying she had broken her ex-boyfriend's heart. The friend told Lauren he would drop off her car. Another message told McCluskey to 'go kill yourself'. On October 10, McCluskey's mother contacted campus police. She was aware that her daughter had found out incriminating details about her boyfriend and wanted a campus escort to help retrieve her car. A dispatcher called McCluskey, who denied assistance and said Rowland was going to drop off her car at her apartment later that day. McCluskey then called campus police that night at 5pm and asked for a security escort to take her to her car at the stadium parking lot, where Rowland had dropped it off instead. On October 12, McCluskey called the police and said she received texts messages claiming Rowland had died in a car accident. McCluskey thought Rowland's friends were 'trying to lure her away from campus and into a trap', according to the UUPS report. 'Police tell Lauren not much can be done if the messages do not contain threats, but to contact UUPS if things escalate,' it reads. Rowland murdered Lauren at her dorm, the South Tower Medical Plaza Student Housing, before going on a date with a woman and visiting the State Captitol. Hours later, he killed himself at Trinity AME Church On October 13, McCluskey contacted campus police again, revealing she received texts and email addresses she believed belonged to either Rowland or his friends. She told police that the messages were demanding money in exchange for not posting 'compromising photos' of her and Rowland on the internet. McCluskey sent $1,000 to keep the photos private, and then called police. A University of Utah detective was assigned to screen for sexual extortion charges and on October 19 a formal investigation began. 'We now realize it was more than likely Rowland used his manipulative tactics to make it seem like his friends were involved,' Brophy said at the press conference. 'He had multiple cell phones, texting apps, and emails to cover his identity. We believe Rowland was behind all of this and using it as another tactic of manipulation to confuse Lauren.' McCluskey called Salt Lake City Police on October 19 and expressed concern that University of Utah police weren't doing enough to stop Rowland's harassment. 'I'm worried because I've been working with the campus police and last Saturday I reported and I haven't gotten an update,' she can be heard saying in a 911 call. 'They haven't updated or done anything.' McCluskey also said she feared there could be an 'insider' within UUPS because Rowland knew 'all about her contact with the police', the UUPS report reads. McCluskey repeatedly called police as she continued to receive text messages from numbers claiming to be Rowland's friends that she feared were trying to lure her out of her dorm Three days before her death, McCluskey called Salt Lake City Police and expressed concern that University of Utah police weren't doing enough to stop Rowland's harassment. Pictured is the dorm parking lot where McCluskey was murdered 'Dispatch advised her to contact UUPS and speak with the officer in charge of her case.' Police later discovered that Lauren had given Rowland access to her computer and accounts, so he was able to read every email she was sending to police in real time. During the next few days, from October 19 to October 22, Rowland was captured on security cameras at 'various locations on campus'. 'He was looking for Lauren, without her knowledge,' Brophy said. On October 22, McCluskey emailed the police department and said she received a message from an unknown number claiming to be the UUPS deputy chief and asking that she come to the police station. 'Can you come to the station as soon as possible. There is something you need to see. I will go over the details when you get here,' the message read. From the hours of 3pm to 6pm that day, Rowland spent the afternoon waiting for McCluskey with some of her friends in her dorm building. 'He had spent 30 days in a relationship with Lauren and became friends with many of her friends,' Brophy explained. 'They allowed him into the dorm at any time.' At 8.20pm Rowland spotted McCluskey as she was returning to her dorm from a night class and speaking on the phone with her mother. After murdering her, Rowland went on a date with a woman. He later ran into Trinity AME Church (pictured) after police spotted him and killed himself inside He confronted her and quickly dragged her into the parking lot, causing her to drop her phone and belongings. McCluskey's mother heard her yell 'No, no, no!' before the phone went silent. Rowland then forced McCluskey into the backseat of a car, where he shot her in the head. Right after murdering McCluskey, Rowland went on a date with a woman he had met on a dating website just days earlier. Campus police located Rowland by 12.46am on October 23, engaging him in a foot pursuit and following him into Trinity AME Church. Rowland broke in through the back door of the church and committed suicide. The UUPS concluded that Rowland was an 'evil, violent, manipulative, predatory sex offender who took the life of a promising young woman'. 'Rowland was controlling, manipulative, and coercive. When Lauren refused to go along with his manipulation and reported his actions to police, he stalked and killed her,' it reads. According to his jail records, Rowland was convicted on July 19, 2004 of attempted forcible sexual abuse and enticing a minor. He served nine years in prison Lauren, of Washington, was an accomplished student athlete and a star on the University of Utah's track and field team. She is pictured here signing her letter of intent in 2014 The university admitted there were 'several indications' that McCluskey was 'in trouble'. 'Had victim advocates been engaged, Lauren might not have been left to assess the dangerousness of her situation on her own. There were shortcomings both systemically and individually,' the report reads. 'While the University has developed systems and programs to respond to student welfare issues, those systems were not engaged nor utilized.' The report also noted that the UUPS detective who was assigned to McCluskey's case should have checked on Rowland's parole status after discovering he was a convicted sex offender. Rowland had in fact been on parole when he murdered McCluskey. 'In the final analysis we will never know that this tragedy could have been prevented without these deficiencies,' the report concluded. Lauren's parents look on as a vigil is held for their daughter at the university campus 'What we can say is that correcting the issues we have identified in this report might lessen the probability of such a tragedy occurring again.' McCluskey's parents wrote a rebuttal to the review, writing that they 'respectfully disagree with the conclusion that Lauren's murder could not have been prevented'. 'There were numerous opportunities to protect her during the almost two weeks between the time when our daughter began expressing repeated, elevating and persistent concerns about her situation and the time of her murder,' they added. McCluskey, of Pullman, Washington, was an accomplished student athlete and a star on the University of Utah's track and field team. Rowland was a resident of Salt Lake City and in 2004 was convicted of attempted forcible sex abuse and enticing a minor over the internet, according to court records. He was released from Utah State Prison in 2013 after nine years behind bars. Lord Norman Fowler (pictured above) is leading efforts to dramatically reduce the membership of the Lords The House of Lords should reduce the number of peers who are 'passengers' and contribute little or nothing to politics, Norman Fowler has said. Lord Fowler who as Lord Speaker chairs debates in the upper house insisted the majority of peers are actively involved. But in scathing remarks, the former Tory cabinet minister said there were cases where new peers decided after a few days they were 'in the wrong place doing the wrong thing'. Lord Fowler, who has been Lord Speaker for the past two years, is leading efforts to dramatically reduce the membership of the Lords. With nearly 800 members it is the second largest legislative assembly in the world, after China's National People's Congress. Members of the Lords can claim a 305 tax-free allowance each day just for turning up even if they do not contribute. In an interview with The Guardian, Lord Fowler argued the lack of screening of political appointees meant some new arrivals had little idea what to do. 'You do have extraordinary cases where people have come in and after a few days they've come to the conclusion that, actually they're in the wrong place doing the wrong thing, or rather not doing the wrong thing,' he said. 'And the last thing we want in the House of Lords is passengers.' He said it was 'completely crazy' there was no limit on the numbers in the Lords. He pointed to the mass creation of life peers under Tony Blair, who created 374, and David Cameron, who ennobled 260. Asked if this vast influx diluted the quality of the Lords, Lord Fowler said: 'It's partly unfair, because there were some good people who came in. 'What I think is fair to say is on that, as with other appointments, there was no process in which they came before a commission and it was explained to a prospective peer what was involved in the job.' Lord Fowler did not name the members of the House of Lords he regards as 'passengers'. Lord Fowler who as Lord Speaker chairs debates in the upper house (pictured above) insisted the majority of peers are actively involved Last year, the Daily Mail reported that lingerie company founder Michelle Mone had attended just 12 per cent of Lords sittings. Nicknamed 'Baroness Bra' when David Cameron made her a Tory peer, she then pledged to play a full and active role in the Lords. Baroness Mone (pictured above) was made a Tory peer by David Cameron But out of 457 sitting days since she entered the House, she attended just 89 up until last June. She spoke in the chamber just three times, including her maiden speech. Lord Fowler has led efforts to cut numbers by encouraging peers to retire and limiting the number of new arrivals. 'I do think it is completely crazy that we have a system at the moment where the size of the House of Lords is totally open-ended,' he said. 'I know of no assembly in the western world, or any other world for that matter, where there isn't a limit on the numbers. It isn't a revolutionary thing to say.' A poll last year found that 76 per cent of voters feel peers are 'out of tune with the will of the British people'. A large majority of them described the House of Lords as an 'outdated throwback'. Seven in ten voters said there should be fewer peers than the current 780. And eight in ten said too many were cronies or failed politicians. They are healthy, happy and looking forward to a promising future with dreams of Oxbridge. It is a far cry from the terrible uncertainty Zainab and Jannat Rahman faced when they were born joined at the chest and liver. Doctors had told their parents to consider aborting the conjoined twins, giving them a one in a million chance of survival. But the sisters defied the odds, and have now just celebrated their 16th birthdays. Jannat (in red jumper left) and Zainab (in yellow jumper right) defied the odds and have recently celebrated their 16th birthday (right: Jannat left and Zainab right) Jannat (left) and Zainab Rahman (right) celebrated their 16th birthday and wore matching outfits The twins were born co-joined and were pictured with their father Luther (centre) shortly before their separation surgery Their proud mother Nipa, 36, a nursery nurse, said: Everything we went through before feels like a distant nightmare now. At that time I never dared imagine this day. But to look at them now is amazing. They have achieved so much already and against the worst odds imaginable. The girls were separated at six weeks old in a pioneering four-and-a-half hour operation by a 20-strong surgical team at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Today they are promising A* pupils at the top of their school in east London, where they are both prefects. Jannat (left) and Zainab (right) were born co-joined from chest to abdomen, they are pictured above at six-weeks-old Parents Luther (left) and Nipa Rahman (right) with twins, Jannat and Zainab when they left Great Ormond Street Hospital Zainab hopes to go to Cambridge and become a paediatrician at Great Ormond Street. Jannat, who is studying three languages, plans to go to Oxford and hopes to become a lawyer. Their father Luther, 42, a business development director, beams with pride at his daughters achievements and ambitions, which he is certain they will achieve. I am the luckiest father in the world. When I see these two I feel that God gave me a gift. We are still cherishing it. Every day. They have made us both very proud, he said. They are a miracle. And I tell them that they are here for a greater need in this world. To achieve good things and to treat people with respect and kindness. Zainab (left) and Jannat (right) say they are best friends and constantly finish each other's sentences The sisters, who are full of energy and constantly finishing each others sentences, turned 16 on December 1. In all their lives the girls, who say they are best friends, have spent just one night apart. Jannat said: It was a school night and I wasnt well. I was quite young so I had to spend the night at my grandmothers house. It was only down the road though We dont have any reason to be apart. Zainab added: We have the same school and we have the same friends. We are best friends but sometimes we do fight just like any other siblings. Zainab (yellow jumper) and Jannat Rahman (red jumper) with their parents Nipa (left) and Luther (right) The sisters are due to be apart once more when Zainab, who is studying Latin, goes on a school trip to Rome next month. She said: It is the first time we are going to be apart properly. It is for two nights as well and in a different country. Weve had no reason to be apart before. I think it will be fine. Jannat added: We are more independent now but Ive told my mum and dad that they have to treat me as an only child while she is away. It will be good practice for the twins who plan to go to different universities, with Jannat hoping to live abroad after her studies. Jannat and Zainab Rahman said they have never spent more than a day apart from each other But their father joked: They will end up at the same university, same campus, same town and even the same dorm. They will always be together, Im sure of it. The news that the girls were conjoined was revealed to their parents at the first scan in 2002, when doctors advised Mrs Rahman to consider an abortion. She said: In the scan they could see there were two heartbeats, which was good, but that they were not moving independently. Zainab and Jannat Raham now have dreams of studying at university in the next couple of years Mr Rahman said: We were horrified when we were advised to abort them. But we said, whatever they are, they are our children. He added: They said it was one in a million chance of survival for both of them. If they did survive, there was a chance that one of the children could lose a limb or end up with an illness. Luckily the organ they shared was the only one that regenerates, the liver. They were more worried for Jannat. They said it was a slim chance of her surviving as Zainab had been keeping her alive in the womb. Jannat had a hole in her heart. Once separated, Jannat went into intensive care for further surgery. During this time Zainab, feeling the absence of her sister at her side, became restless, refusing food and being unable to sleep. Zainab was looking for her. She kept reaching out for her sister, said Mr Rahman. We didnt click what the problem was at first. But then one of the nurses had an idea and fetched a mirror. She put it in her cot and suddenly Zainab started looking at her reflection and smiling. She was content again. Eventually we were able to walk home with both our children. Thousands of frustrated passengers have been denied refunds after being forced to wait for hours as Sydney's failing public transport system was pushed to its absolute limits on New Year's Eve. The city's train network went into gridlock on Monday night as revellers queued for hours in chaotic scenes after celebrating the new year. The debacle had a devastating impact on some, including Mal Johnston, from Dee Why, and his friends visiting from China who lost $5,000 due to the delays, ruining their carefully-planned holiday. Scroll down for video Thousands of frustrated passengers have been denied refunds after being forced to wait for hours on New Year's Eve. Pictured: Wynyard Station in Sydney The train network went into gridlock early on Tuesday morning as revellers left queuing for hours after celebrating the new year Lightning strikes and a severe thunderstorm had hindered the network on New Year's Eve, according to Sydney Trains. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said travellers would not be compensated for the abysmal train cancellations. 'The weather conditions did make what should have been a smooth process not smooth and Sydney Trains are looked to rectify those ongoing issues this morning,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'Freak weather incidents did cause grief on the network and of course I appreciate how frustrated commuters were getting home.' Lightning strikes and a severe thunderstorm had hindered the network on New Year's Eve, according to Sydney Trains. 'We are now acting to restore regular services but last night's direct lightning strikes on equipment such as signal boxes will have flow-on effects on the network today, with some delays and cancellations,' a Sydney Trains spokesman said. Mr Johnston, 45, was hosting six friends visiting Sydney from Taiwan and China - all of which planned their holiday around the New Year's Eve festivities on Sydney's harbour. Each of them paid $725 for an all-inclusive six hour harbour cruise departing at 7pm. Despite leaving Chatswood - typically a 40-minute trip - 90 minutes earlier, delays and a complete network shut down left the group stranded for more than an hour-and-a-half. Mal Johnston, a 45-year-old Dee Why resident, was hosting six friends visiting Sydney from Taiwan and China - all of which planned their holiday around the New Years Eve festivities on Sydney's harbour Sydney's failing public transport system was again pushed to its absolute limits on New Years Eve, with extensive delays costing an international family $5,000 Mr Johnson was told a signal failure was delaying the train, and after 15 minutes of waiting, an announcement said the train would depart shortly. They were then forced to wait an additional 45 minutes. By the time the group realised they would be better off in a taxi, the roads in and out of the city had been blocked for the festivities. He told the Sydney Morning Herald they attempted to explain their situation to Vagabond Cruises, who would only delay leaving the port by 10 minutes. 'The lady at the front desk basically said to me from that point well you should have left earlier; we left 90 minutes [earlier] ... and we still didn't make it,' he said. Mr Johnston said he was then told the tickets were non-refundable. The group were unable to attend their $5000 cruise due to delays at Central station holding up their train for over an hour The group made a number of attempts to get onto the ship after it had departed, including trying to order a water taxi and contacting friends to see if they could get across, all to no avail. Instead, they were back at their Chatswood hotel by 10.30pm. 'Two of my friends stayed to kick on and faced massive delays again coming back home. The other four watched the midnight fireworks in their room and recorded the TV on their phones; it was really quite sad,' Mr Johnston said. Mr Johnston said the delays he and his friends faced occurred before the thunderstorm even began. 'We all felt so deflated last night and are still feeling it this morning, my friends could not believe a major city like Sydney could have such terrible public transport. It was an absolute disaster.' 'Next time NYE anywhere but Sydney.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Vagabond Cruises for comment. Netflix has removed an episode of a satirical comedy show that criticizes Saudi Arabia after officials in the kingdom complained. The streaming giant has taken down an episode of 'Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj' in Saudi Arabia because authorities have said it violates the Kingdom's cybercrime law. In the episode, Minhaj - an American-born Muslim of Indian descent - lashed Saudi Arabia after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The streaming giant has taken down the episode of 'Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj' (pictured) in Saudi Arabia Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at the Washington Post, tweeted Tuesday that Netflix's action was 'quite outrageous' He specifically criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and was also critical of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. It was taken down after the kingdom's Communications and Information Technology Commission said it violates a cybercrime law, as reported by The Financial Times. Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at the Washington Post, tweeted Tuesday that Netflix's action was 'quite outrageous.' Others took to Twitter also expressing their dismay and vowing to get rid of the streaming giant from their homes. The US Senate in December approved two symbolic resolutions blaming the prince for the killing, after intelligence reports pointed in that direction, and urging an end to US participation in the Yemen conflict. Requests for reaction to the Saudi information ministry and Netflix were not immediately returned. Netflix had defended its decision, saying, 'We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request - and to comply with local law' People took to Twitter to express their outrage over the streaming giant dropping the episode But the Financial Times said Netflix had defended its decision, saying, 'We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request - and to comply with local law.' The episode can still be seen in other parts of the world - and in Saudi Arabia on YouTube. Online platforms and tech companies have been facing increasing scrutiny and growing public skepticism amid controversies about data sharing and the steady erosion of privacy. Samah Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East Campaigns Director, said: 'Saudi Arabia's censorship of Netflix using a cyber-crime law comes as no surprise and is further proof of a relentless crackdown on freedom of expression in the Kingdom. 'Since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came to power in June 2017, many outspoken human rights defenders, activists and critics have been arbitrarily detained or unjustly sentenced to lengthy prison terms simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression. 'The authorities have previously used anti cyber-crime laws to silence dissidents, creating an environment of fear for those who dare to speak up in Saudi Arabia. 'By bowing to the Saudi Arabian authorities' demands, Netflix is in danger of facilitating the Kingdom's zero-tolerance policy on freedom of expression and assisting the authorities in denying people's right to freely access information.' The NGO Reporters Without Borders in October ranked Saudi Arabia as 169th out of 180 countries for press freedom, adding that 'it will very probably fall even lower in the 2019 index because of the gravity of the violence and abuses of all kinds against journalists.' The 33-year-old Minhaj has seen his profile rise steadily. His routines combine personal history and pointed political commentary wrapped in edgy topical humor. In 2014 he became senior correspondent on Comedy Central's popular 'The Daily Show,' and in 2017 he was the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. 'Patriot Act' debuted in October 2018. President Donald Trump has invited Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to the White House for their first in-person meeting since the partial government shutdown began Dec. 22. But the planned Wednesday meeting won't be a straight-up negotiating session. Senior Homeland Homeland Security officials would provide a briefing on the border wall something Democrats vehemently oppose. The president on New Year's Day dangled the possibility of a deal, despite the lack of visible progress over a dispute over his border wall and the ongoing shutdown. Trump on Twitter connected the shutdown to House minority leader Nancy Pelosi's likely speakership, which is set to begin Thursday. 'Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?' Trump wrote, ending his tweet with a question. His reference to the wall 'thing' was a likely shot at Pelosi for her own comment claiming Trump's push for a border wall was connected to his sense of 'manhood.' House Democrats unveiled bills on Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump's (above) border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington 'It's like a manhood thing for him. As if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing,' Pelosi privately told House Democrats after an explosive White House meeting before the shutdown. Those comments immediately leaked. The White House extended the invitation to congressional leaders on New Year's Eve, Politico reported. However they are not pitching it as a straight-up negotiating session. Rather, it is being described as a briefing on the wall. A senior Homeland Security officials will conduct it. Trump has previously called for Democrats to come over and make a deal. But his earlier tweets Tuesday attacked his potential negotiating partners, leaving doubt as to whether any immediate progress was likely. 'One thing has now been proven. The Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring!' Trump tweeted Tuesday. He also tweeted: 'The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!' Trump referenced Pelosi's 'manhood' comment about the wall after it was revealed congressional leaders have been invited to the White House The president claimed Democrats 'do not care' about open borders and crime and drugs Democrats will but forward a bill with $1.3 billion in border security but no wall funding House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for Trump's border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington. The House is preparing to vote as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday, as one of the first acts after Democrats take control, according to an aide who was not authorized to discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees, a union which represents federal employees, sued the Trump administration on Monday, according to USA Today. The union says it is illegal for the government to force workers to work without pay. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week. What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Republican from Kentucky, will consider either measure - or if Trump would sign them into law. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi (above) are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week 'It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,' Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement late Monday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The package does not include the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall on the southern border. The president told Fox News Channel in an interview Monday that he was 'ready, willing and able' to negotiate. He added: 'No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security.' McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart made it clear Senate Republicans will not take action without Trump's backing. 'It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign,' he said. Republican senators are refusing to vote on any bills until all sides, including Trump, are in agreement. Senators were frustrated that Trump had dismissed their earlier legislation to avert the shutdown. House Democrats did not confer with Senate Republicans on the package, but the bills are expected to have some bipartisan support because they reflect earlier spending measures already hashed out between the parties and chambers. One bill will temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels, with $1.3billion for border security, through Feb. 8, while talks continue. The other will be on a measure made up of six other bipartisan bills - some that have already passed the Senate - to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. They would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30. The House is planning two separate votes for Thursday. If approved, the bills would go to the Senate. What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (seen above), the Republican from Kentucky, will consider either measure - or if Trump would sign them into law Senate Democrats support the measures, according to a senior aide who was unauthorized to discuss the plan and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Rep. Mark Meadows, the Republican from North Carolina who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted that without funding for Trump's wall, the package is a 'nonstarter.' He said it 'will not be a legitimate answer to this impasse.' But as the shutdown drags on, pressure is expected to build on all sides for a resolution, as public parks and museums close, and some 800,000 federal workers are going without pay. Trump could accept or reject either bill, and it's unclear how he would respond. The president continued to insist Monday he wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite assertions otherwise of three confidants. 'An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED,' Trump tweeted Monday. 'Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides).' Later Monday, Trump tweeted, 'The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall.' Trump's comments came after officials, including his departing chief of staff, indicated that the president's signature campaign pledge to build the wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. 'It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,' Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (above) said in a statement late Monday White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of 'a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.' 'To be honest, it's not a wall,' Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and 'steel slat' barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that 'the wall has become a metaphor for border security' and referred to 'a physical barrier along the border.' Graham said Trump was 'open-minded' about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of 'Dreamers' - young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children - broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham told CNN before his lunch with Trump that 'there will never be a deal without wall funding.' The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking any funding for the wall, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. Richard Overton, the nation's oldest World War II veteran, has been honored by Google maps with a picture of him on his porch at his long-time address in street view, just days after passing way on December 27 in Texas at the age of 112 Richard Overton, the nation's oldest World War II veteran who was also believed to be the oldest living man in the US, has been honored by Google maps days after passing way on December 27 in Texas at the age of 112. An image of Overton in his favorite spot on the porch, dated June 2018, now shows up at the late service member's address of 2011 Hamilton Avenue in Austin on Google Street View. Overton is surrounded in the snapshot with proof of his pride over his service, including an American flag in the yard along with two signs that read, 'Proud WWII Veteran.' The Army veteran had been hospitalized with pneumonia but was released on Christmas Eve, a family member said. He died in the evening at a rehab facility in Austin. Scroll down for video Overton is surrounded in the snapshot, dated June 2018, with proof of his pride of his service, including an American flag in the yard along with two signs that read, 'Proud WWII Veteran' Pictured May 2018, aged 111, Overton was the nation's oldest World War II veteran when died on December 27 in Texas 'They had done all they could,' Shirley Overton, whose husband was Richard's cousin and his longtime caretaker. said. He once said that one secret to his long life was smoking cigars and drinking whiskey, which he often was found doing on the porch of his Austin home. His recent birthdays drew national attention and strangers would stop by his house to meet him. Overton, pictured while celebrating his 107th, said that one secret to his long life was smoking cigars and drinking whiskey, which he often was found doing on the porch of his Austin home Pictured April 8 (left), Overton was the third oldest man on Earth and a US Army veteran (right) He visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture - NMAAHC - in April, assisted by family friend Martin Wilford, and his third cousin Volma Overton, pushing chair Even well into his 100s, he would drive widows in his neighborhood to church. 'With his quick wit and kind spirit he touched the lives of so many, and I am deeply honored to have known him,' Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement on December 27. Overton was in his 30s when he volunteered for the Army and was at Pearl Harbor just after the Japanese attacked in 1941. Abbott called Overton 'an American icon and Texas legend'. 'Richard Overton made us proud to be Texans and proud to be Americans,' the governor added. 'We can never repay Richard Overton for his service to our nation and for his lasting impact on the Lone Star State.' Richard met President Obama at the White House for breakfast on November 11, 2013 In 2013, former President Barack Obama honored Overton at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. He is pictured with Earlene Love-Karo, in the Blue Room Vice President Joe Biden talked with the pair in Washington DC Overton was born in 1906 near Austin and served in the all-black 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion. In 2013, former President Barack Obama honored Overton at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. 'He was there at Pearl Harbor, when the battleships were still smoldering,' Obama said of Overton. '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."' Now, he's memorialized, at least for the time being, on Google Maps. His funeral has been set for January 12 at Shoreline Church in Austin, and will be open to the public. This is the state of a prison officer who was bushed to a pulp by a violent inmate - because he was told he would have to share his cell. Greg, a 45-year-old guard from the Woodford Correctional Centre on the outskirts of Brisbane, was airlifted to hospital with horrific facial injuries last month. He suffered multiple fractures to his eye sockets, nose and cheek, while he needed emergency surgery to piece back together his shattered jaw. The prisoner accused of punching and kicking the guard is serving a sentence for assault causing grievous bodily harm. This is the state of a Queensland prison officer after he was bushed to a pulp by an inmate 'This is the reality of what these men and women face every day,' Michael Thomas of Together Union, which represents prison staff, told The Courier Mail. 'They're husbands, they're wives, they're mums and dads and they go to work. No one deserves to go to work and go home via the emergency department. 'This is the reality of our prisons. They are overcrowded, assaults are on the increase and our officers aren't punching bags and shouldn't be punching bags.' In the wake of the attack, the Crime and Corruption Commission released a scathing report warning that overcrowding in prisons was increasing the risk of excessive use of force to control poor behaviour. The prison guard (pictured) was airlifted to hospital with horrific facial injuries last month Current figures show Queensland prisons are at 125 per cent capacity - all but one of the men's prisons and about half of the women's prisons are running above capacity. Woodford jail holds about 1,400 prisoners, despite being built for around 980. Mr Thomas previously told the ABC the union had serious concerns for correctional officers. 'Every day they [correctional officers] have to be hyper alert. Every day, it could be the day that that assault is a fatal one,' Mr Thomas said. Greg is a 45-year-old guard from the Woodford Correctional Centre (pictured) on the outskirts of Brisbane He said there were fears of potentially deadly consequences if overcrowding was not resolved soon, with officers saying it was just luck no-one had died yet. '[Overcrowding is] extremely alarming. The last few years, we've seen a massive increase in the number of prisoners that are being incarcerated that's led to overcrowding,' Mr Thomas said. Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said at the time his 'thoughts and prayers' were with the family, friends and colleagues of the 45-year-old prison officer. 'Attacks on people whose job it is to keep Queenslanders safe are the worst, and a reminder of just how challenging and dangerous their work can be,' he said. 'This will be treated like any other assault and has been referred to police.' Washington has become the fifth state in the US to ban under 21 from buying a semi-automatic assault rifle. The new law comes after voters passed a sweeping firearms measure in November, which has since drawn a court challenge from gun rights advocates. Washington's new ballot initiative seeks to curb gun violence by toughening background checks for people buying assault rifles. It increases the age limit to buy those firearms and requires the safe storage of all guns. Only the age-limit portion of the measure goes into effect on January 1. The rest becomes law on July 1. Washington has become the fifth state in the US to ban under 21 from buying a semi-automatic assault rifle Kristen Ellingboe, a spokeswoman for the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, said the initiative was one of the most comprehensive gun-violence prevention measures to pass in the United States. It specifically targeted 'semi-automatic assault rifles' in response to mass shootings across the country, she said. 'We've seen that assault rifles are the weapon of choice for mass shootings, and when they're used, more people are killed and injured,' Ellingboe added. Fifty-nine percent of Washington voters approved Initiative 1639 in the November 6 general election. 'We've see time and again that Washington voters want action to prevent gun violence in our state,' Ellingboe said. 'They showed that again by supporting 1639 by a wide margin.' But gun control detractors have sued to block it. 'Starting today, young adults between the ages of 18 to 20 will have their rights to purchase semi-automatic rifles stripped away,' said Dave Workman, a spokesman for the Second Amendment Foundation. The federal lawsuit says the measure violates the Second and Fourteenth amendments of the Constitution as well as gun sellers' rights under the Commerce Clause. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are firearms dealers in Spokane and Vancouver, a 19-year-old competitive shooter, a 19-year-old in the Army Reserves, a 20-year-old recreational shooter, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the National Rifle Association. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he 'looks forward to representing the people of the state of Washington in court against the NRA'. 'The gun lobby is trying to thwart the will of nearly 60 percent of Washingtonian voters who supported common sense gun reform in our state,' he said in an email. The new law comes after voters passed a sweeping firearms measure in November, which has since drawn a court challenge from gun-rights advocates The full measure, when it goes into effect later this year, will expand the background check process to ensure that vetting for rifle purchases is the same as it is for buying pistols. Currently, people in Washington who buy long guns are run through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. But background checks for handgun sales are done by local law enforcement agencies that can access NICS as well as more detailed records that might expose mental health issues or harder-to-find criminal records. You also must be 21 years old to purchase a pistol. 'This will update Washington state law so the requirements to purchase semi-automatic assault rifle will match handguns,' Ellingboe said. In most states, including over the border in Idaho and Oregon, you must be 18 to buy an assault rifle. But Republican-dominant Florida passed a law after a school shooting to increase the age limit to 21. Nikolas Cruz was 18 when he legally bought the assault rifle he used to kill 17 people at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last February. Four other states - Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and New York - also prohibit anyone under 21 from buying all firearms. A 15-year-old girl has been arrested following the death of her newborn son, who was found in a dumpster. A woman approached police on a street in Philadelphia around 10.30pm on Monday and said her daughter's friend had placed her baby boy in a dumpster. The woman told officers that she had retrieved the baby from the dumpster and then notified the authorities. A 15-year-old girl has been arrested following the death of her newborn son, who was found in a dumpster. Pictured is the street in Philadelphia where the baby boy was found The baby was taken to Temple University Hospital. It was pronounced dead shortly afterwards, according to WPVI. Authorities found the teen, whose name has not been released, and her mother at her home, where they believe she gave birth. The teen and her mother were first taken to the Special Victim's Unit. Authorities said the teen was then arrested before being taken to Temple University Hospital for precautionary medical treatment. Police are treating the death as a homicide. First Lady Melania Trump has marked the New Year by posting a rare, close-up selfie of herself. Mrs Trump posted the photo on social media on Tuesday after hosting a lavish New Year's Eve ball at Mar-a-Lago in Florida while her husband Donald remained at the White House. The First Lady's selfie had a glittery 2019 social media filter emblazoned across it. She posted just one photo to mark the New Year but several guests at the glamorous Mar-a-Lago party shared their own photos of the First Lady. First Lady Melania Trump has marked the New Year by posting a rare, close-up selfie of herself Melania was dressed in a long-sleeved sparkly v-neck black dress and her son Barron was spotted wearing a black tuxedo during the event. Amanda Ungaro, the model wife of United Nations Ambassador of The Commonwealth of Dominica, Paolo Zampolli, shared a photo of herself posing with Melania during the event. She also shared an Instagram story of Melania chatting animatedly at a dinner table before panning to a smiling Barron. Among the other attendees posting photos was conservative Charlie Kirk. He also shared a selfie with Melania and his Instagram story featured a series of videos with Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle. President Trump has spent most of his New Year's Eves over the last decade at Mar-a-Lago but opted to spend the end of 2018 at the White House instead. Instagram stories taken by party guests showed Melania chatting animatedly at a dinner table before panning to her smiling 12-year-old son Barron Amanda Ungaro, the model wife of United Nations Ambassador of The Commonwealth of Dominica, Paolo Zampolli, shared a photo of herself posing with Melania during the event Melania pictured with United Nations Ambassador Paolo Zampolli in a photo he posted to Instagram with the caption: 'NYE Mar a Lago. We miss you POTUS' He wished the country a happy new year in a Twitter video with a self-pitying reminder that he'll be ringing in 2019 at the White House instead of at Mar-a-Lago with Melania as was previously planned. 'While I'm at the White House working you're out there partying tonight, but I don't blame you,' Trump said in the 11-second video. 'Enjoy yourselves, we're going to have a great year. Have a really, really happy new year.' Trump followed that tweet up with a string of posts about the border wall - which is the reason he's spent the holidays alone. Conservative Charlie Kirk who was also attending the Mar-A-Lago bash shared this selfie with the First Lady on Twitter President Trump has spent most of his New Year's Eves over the last decade at Mar-a-Lago but opted to spend the end of 2018 at the White House instead. The Trumps and their son Barron are pictured at Mar-a-Lago in 2017 The president cancelled his trip to Mar-a-Lago amid the government shutdown that began December 21 when Democrats refused to put the $5billion Trump wants to fund the wall into the Congressional budget. The president was originally supposed to spend 16 days over the holidays at his Florida estate. Melania returned to the White House for Christmas Eve and to join her husband on his visit to see U.S. troops in Iraq. She flew back to Florida on Thursday to be with their 12-year-old son Barron. This year, tickets for the lavish New Year's Eve event cost $1,000 for club guests and $650 for club members, up from $750 and $600, according to the Palm Beach Post. A 17-year-old boy has died after a powerful firework he was trying to light during New Year's celebrations in Austria malfunctioned, police said Tuesday. Upper Austria police said the teenager had attempted to fire a 'ball bomb' from inside a metal tube when it exploded, inflicting serious head injuries. He was taken to a hospital in the town of Ried, but later died. Authorities in the Netherlands also said two people died in separate fireworks-related incidents overnight. Scroll down for video Revellers watch fireworks over Vienna on a hill in Perchtoldsdorf during New Year celebrations. The deadly incident took place in the Austrian town of Ried Police in the eastern town of Enschede said officers found a man apparently killed by a fireworks explosion lying on the street shortly after midnight. A 41-year-old man was reported killed as a result of fireworks in the North Sea town of Morra. Setting off fireworks to herald the New Year is a widespread tradition in Europe, despite the numerous injuries reported annually from misuse or faulty products. Revelers wanting to celebrate in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and in the center of Hannover were banned from bringing or lighting fireworks this year. Children watch the special children's fireworks display near the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam Footage shot in London last night shows a firework exploding just yards in front of a suburban house in the city. The 13-second clip shows a rocket bursting into flame in a driveway after it had fired off at an angle. The explosion sends light and sparks shooting off in every direction while cars and pedestrians go past. The footage is believed to have been filmed in Enfield, North London, as the country celebrated the start of 2019 last night. This is the terrifying moment in which a Gorky Park bridge in Moscow carrying dozens of people collapsed during New Year's celebrations. The video shows the packed bridge collapsing under the weight of park-goers, just minutes after the clock strikes midnight for 2019. While the Moscow mayor's office issued a statement saying that there were 'no serious injuries', 13 minor injuries have been reported. Before the incident occurs, there are signs that the bridge is under strain as it sinks in the centre. Suddenly, the bridge splits down the middle sending revellers three metres down onto an ice rink below. Screams follow as dozens of park-goers fall onto the ice before onlookers skate over to help. Before the incident occurs, there are clear signs that the bridge is under strain as it sinks towards the centre The Moscow city government said the collapse was caused by 'a technical fault in the skating rink's structural elements.' Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin immediately fired Marina Lyulchuk, the park's director, over the incident. 'I visited people who were injured in the Gorky bridge collapse,' he said. Suddenly, the bridge splits down the middle, sending revellers three metres down onto an ice rink below 'Thank God there were no grave injuries, yet it badly spoiled the festive moment. 'The responsible parties will be punished.' He added: 'I have instructed the Department of Culture to dismiss the park's director, though it was not easy for me to make this decision.' Screams follow as dozens of park-goers fall onto the ice as park-goers skate over to help According to a video posted on social media, the spectators were listening to the Russian national anthem at the time of the incident. Sobyanin also promised each person injured would receive half a million roubles - equivalent to 5,600 - in compensation. According to local authorities, medical workers were deployed at the site of the accident in Gorky Park. Sobyanin also promised each person injured would receive half a million roubles - equivalent to 5,600 - in compensation 'Minutes after the accident, doctors started treating everyone who sought assistance. 'As a result, 13 people were injured, none of them seriously. 'Their condition is estimated as satisfactory and moderate. 'No life-threatening injuries were reported.' A remarkable collection of Zulu artefacts including shields and weapons used at Rorke's Drift are set to go under the hammer for 50,000. Former council worker Michael Woodfield was inspired to start collecting after being taken to watch the film Zulu as a young boy and being struck by the bravery of both sides. The collection includes pieces that were used at both the Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, where a 140-strong British garrison defied all odds to successfully defend the mission station from 4,000 marauding Zulu warriors in 1879. Mr Woodfield is now selling his collection of 120 Zulu artefacts, which he has compiled over four decades, with C & T Auctioneers of Ashford, Kent. Michael Woodfield (pictured above) started collecting the items after watching the film Zulu as a young boy Michael Caine (left) in the 1963 film Zulu. A Zulu shield and weapons (right), estimated at 1,200 A large rare 1870s Zulu large battle shield covered in white fur, which measures 4ft by 2ft, is valued at 1,500. A group of Zulu weapons, including spears and knobkerries, bought back to Britain in 1886 by a Mr Mayers is expected to fetch 1,200. Battlefield relics recovered from Rorke's Drift, including cartridge cases, bullet heads and brass buckle fittings, are set to sell for 1,000. A close up photo of a shield and weapons which is part of the collection A leopard head headdress (pictured above), believed to have been worn by a tribal leader, estimated at 500 A menacing looking Zulu executioner's knobkerrie with a large bulbous head covered in metal hobnails which was used to club an enemy combatant's head is valued at 500. A traditional Zulu leopard headdress believed to have been worn by a tribal leader is expected to fetch 500, with an animal hide apron carrying the same estimate. Mr Woodfield grew up a short walk from Budbrooke Barracks in Warwick, the once home of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment who fought in the Anglo-Zulu War. An animal hide apron (pictured above) which was used as Zulu warriors clothing, estimated at 500 He travelled the length and breadth of the country to pick up artefacts and kept them in the attic of his home in Warwickshire. Now, he is parting with his artefacts to help fund his retirement. He said: 'As a young boy my father took me to see the original showing of the film 'Zulu' and it was then that I was immediately struck by the bravery of both the Zulu Warriors as well as the 24th Regiment of Foot. A Zulu warriors shield, estimated at 1,000 (left). A Zulu shield and weapons, estimated at 1,000 (right) 'When I was a young man, I started a collection of both Royal Warwick's and Zulu weaponry. 'I have enjoyed the years of collecting these items and the people I have met along the collecting journey. 'But now as retirement has come I feel now is the right time to let much of my collection go, so other collectors can get enjoyment of owning some of these items of history.' A Zulu executioners knobkerrie (pictured above), estimated at 500 Matthew Tredwen, specialist at C & T Auctioneers, said: 'The defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift was one of the most historic and recognised actions in British military history. 'The garrison which were hugely out numbered managed to withhold the Zulu armies who were full of confidence after the earlier victory over the British forces at Isandlwana. 'It is a high quality collection which will serve as Mr Woodfield's pension fund.' The sale takes place on January 9. A teenager who died following a collision with a car just days before she was due to celebrate Christmas with her family has been named. Police confirmed Shannon Lewis, 18, was in collision with a black Volkswagen Scirocco on Saturday, December 15. Shannon was understood to be crossing Wood Street in Doncaster, South Yorks., when the accident happened. The teenager died the following day at Northern General Hospital, Sheffield. Officers are still appealing for witnesses to the fatal accident at around 4.30pm near Yates' Bar. Shannon Lewis, 18, was in collision with a black Volkswagen Scirocco on Saturday, December 15, on Wood Street in Doncaster. She died a day later Doncaster-based beauty therapist Victoria Elizabeth Fraser paid tribute to Shannon and on Facebook said: 'So sad, my thoughts and prayers go out to her family.. RIP beautiful girl ' Mum Tracie Boothman added: 'She was a beautiful young girl. She went to the school I worked at and was in my daughters school year. such a tragic loss. RIP beautiful. Xxx' Steph Holder, also of Doncaster, called for action over the road in the wake of the teen's death. She said: 'RIP, poor girl. I've seen so many near misses on Wood Street. The buses ploughing up and down cars trying to get past when they stop and pedestrians trying to dodge them all. 'The speed is scary, I wonder if now the road will be reconfigured?' The accident happened in Wood Street in Doncaster leading to calls for action over the layout of the route In a statement, South Yorkshire Police said: 'An 18-year-old woman killed in a road traffic collision on Wood Street in Doncaster, has been named as Shannon Lewis. 'Investigating officers are still appealing for witnesses to the fatal road traffic collision, which happened on Saturday 15 December at approximately 4.30pm near to Yates bar. 'A black Volkswagen Scirocco was driving along Wood Street from Cleveland Street, towards the general direction of Waterdale when it hit Shannon who was believed to have been crossing the road at the time. 'Shannon sadly died the following day on December 16 at Northern General Hospital.' Shannon died the following day after the accident at Northern General Hospital, Sheffield Anyone who witnessed the incident should call 101 quoting incident 573 of December 15 and ask for PC 3955 James Durkin or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. One California man got his new year off to a rough start after he was arrested for falling asleep at the wheel of a Taco Bell drive-thru. Abel Macedonio-Gutierrez, 23, was arrested for suspicion of DUI at 1.24am after he passed out while trying to get food at a Sonoma Taco Bell on Tuesday morning. Authorities said that Macedonio-Gutierrez was uncooperative and showed visible signs of impairment when he was approached by officers from the Petaluma Police Department. Abel Macedonio-Gutierrez, 23, was arrested for suspicion of DUI after he passed out while trying to get food at a Taco Bell drive-thru in Sonoma, California on Tuesday morning Macedonio-Gutierrez denied that he had been drinking or using drugs before getting behind the wheel, according to the arrest report. He also refused to submit to any tests that would evaluate the presence of alcohol or drugs in his system. Macedonio-Gutierrez also refused to take a chemical test, which is used to determine a person's Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). Authorities said that Macedonio-Gutierrez was uncooperative and showed visible signs of impairment when he was approached by officers at the Taco Bell (pictured) Those who refuse to take a chemical test after being arrested for a DUI face increased penalties under California law in addition to the state's standard DUI penalties. Macedonio-Gutierrez's license will also be suspended for up to a year regardless of the outcome of his DUI case because he refused to take the test. The 23-year-old wasn't the only man who decided to take a quick snooze while waiting for his Taco Bell. Police were also called to a Taco Bell in Portland after a drunk man fell asleep at the wheel in front of the drive-thru window. Advertisement This is the $6 million Baltimore mansion where Kevin Spacey has been hiding out as he awaits his arraignment on sexual assault charges next week in Nantucket. It was purchased by his manager and constant companion Evan Lowenstein in 2017, when Spacey was still set to appear on the sixth season of House of Cards. Tax records show that the home was purchased by Clear Toaster LLC for $5.65 million after being listed at $6.25 million. The home boosts a number of luxuries and offers a secluded hideaway for Spacey, with few neighbors as the prices in the area have tumbled to record lows in recent months. DailyMail.com photographed Spacey outside the residence over the weekend, one were after the actor recorded a bizarre video about his comeback in the kitchen. Scroll down for videos Hideaway: Kevin Spacey is hiding out in a waterfront mansion in Baltimore that is owned by his manager and constant companion Evan Lowenstein Views on two: Tax records show that the home was purchased by Clear Toaster LLC for $5.65 million after being listed at $6.25 million Heating up: The home boosts a number of luxuries as well like the infared sauna seen above in a listing photo Rode hard: Spacey's manager purchased the property when the actor was still expected to be appearing on the sixth season of House of Cards Rest up: The pier home is over 9,000 square-feet and offers five levels, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and three half-baths The usual suspects: DailyMail.com photographed Spacey outside the residence over the weekend (above) after spotting him watching himself on television The home was listed at the time of its sale as a magnificent mansion on the water. 'Unprecedented in proportion and grandeur, this 9,000-foot + pier home offers 5 levels, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 3 half-baths with a sophisticated living experience rarely available in Baltimore's exclusive gated community,' reads one listing. 'This residence features many lavish upgrades: elevator, sauna, home theater, multiple verandas, rooftop terrace overlooking the Inner Harbor and four-car garage.' It was also stated that the home could easily entertain 300 people, though it is unlikely Spacey is having over many guests. Spacey will be in court next week to be arraigned on criminal charges for a 2016 sexual assault. Judge Thomas Barrett ruled on a motion submitted by the Oscar winner and his legal team last week, which argued that the actor's appearance would result in negative publicity. The defense team's belief that Spacey attending his arraignment would 'amplify the negative publicity already generated' and 'heighten prejudicial media interest in the case' ultimately failed to pass muster with the court. In the same filing, it was also revealed that Spacey would be entering a plea of not guilty. The young man who claims he was sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey back in 2016 at a Nantucket bar did not film evidence of the actor groping him or touching him in an inappropriate manner, according to court testimony. In a court hearing on December 20, the actor's lawyer tore apart one of the claims made in the police report filed by State Trooper Gerald Donovan. The claims in that report were all based on interviews with the alleged victim and eyewitnesses at the bar that night. In that report, Donovan writes: '[Redacted] said his girlfriend did not believe him so that's when he snapchatted the video.' That claim, which was submitted with the criminal complaint and filed in Nantucket District Court, led to multiple outlets reporting that there was evidence of the alleged assault, but as Donovan himself testified last week that is not the case. 'What the video shows is a person's hand make contact with the shirt, correct?' Spacey's lawyer Alan Jackson is heard asking in audio obtained by the Boston Globe. 'Yes,' responded Donovan. 'Okay. Not the -- any body part,' asked Jackson. Discreet living: The residence also features an elevator, sauna, home theater, multiple verandas, rooftop terrace overlooking the Inner Harbor and four-car garage Tumbling down: The price of the property has tumbled in the two years since it was purchased, and is now estimated to be worth less than $2 million Back and forth: Spacey traveled from this residence on December 20 to attend his hearing in Nantucket flight records suggest Harborside: Spacey will be heading out from the home again on January 7 to be arraigned on sexual assault charges Friends: The initial listing said that the home could easily entertain 300 people, though it is unlikely Spacey is having over many guests Familiar location: The kitchen where Spacey filmed his bizarre comeback video that was released on Christmas Eve 'Correct, you don't see any body parts,' confirmed Donovan. The case stems from an incident that allegedly occurred in the early morning hours of July 8, 2016 at The Club Car in Nantucket. The then-18-year-old-man accused Spacey of trying to 'jack him off' after the Oscar winner allegedly unzipped this fly, stuck his hand in his pants and began to rub his penis. Jackson questioned why the victim allowed himself to be assaulted by the actor for three minutes, stating: 'Thats an incredibly long time to have a strange mans hands in your pants.' He also used the hearing to address the fact that the alleged victim lied about his age, claiming he was 23, and was drinking heavily when the alleged assault took place. 'He may have been so drunk that he was black out drunk, but he didnt black out at the Club Car, he may have blacked out once he got home,' said Jackson while Donovan was on the stand. 'That's correct,' replied the trooper. Jackson may soon have a second case on his hands with Spacey as well, which would put him back on his home turf. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office revealed that a probe into Spacey's alleged criminal behavior that was launched back in August is still ongoing at this time. A previous investigation was ultimately dismissed by the DA. Jackson is familiar with the workings of that office, having spent close to two decades as a Deputy Assistant for the same office before going into private practice. A spokesperson for the organization spoke with DailyMail.com and said: 'A sex assault case was presented yesterday to our office by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department involving Kevin Spacey. It remains under review.' This news comes a year after the two-time Oscar winner was accused of sexually assaulting a then-underage Anthony Rapp at his Manhattan apartment. Spacey responded by coming out as gay and entering a rehab facility in Arizona, where he remained for weeks. The incident that spurred Spacey's downfall allegedly took place at Spacey's apartment in 1986 when the actor invited Rapp to a party while they were both appearing on Broadway. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Rapp said that he found himself alone in the apartment at the end of the night and that Spacey then began to make his move. 'He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don't, like, squirm away initially, because I'm like, 'What's going on?' And then he lays down on top of me,' said Rapp, who detailed being pressed up against the bed before being able to squirm away and ultimately leave the house without being assaulted by Spacey. Spacey made the decision to come out of the closet in a statement apologizing to actor Anthony Rapp, who said in an interview that the actor attempted to sexually assault him in 1986, an incident Spacey says he does not remember. Rapp was 14 at the time while Spacey was 26. It was in the aftermath of Rapp sharing his story that the mother of the victim in the Nantucket case, a former news anchor in Boston Heather Unruh, came forward on Twitter and later went public. President Donald Trump has reportedly agreed to allow the Pentagon four months to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. military troops from Syria. Trump had initially ordered the military to withdraw personnel within 30 days when he announced his abrupt Syria pullout last month. White House officials told the New York Times on Monday that Trump had softened the pullout schedule and was now allowing troops four months. The President also appeared to water down his shock plans for the immediate pullout in a series of tweets on Monday as he defiantly claimed his achievements in the conflict should make him a 'national hero'. President Donald Trump has reportedly agreed to allow the Pentagon four months to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. military troops from Syria The tweeted comment came the day after a senior Republican senator said Trump had promised to stay in Syria to finish the job of destroying the Islamic State group - days after he shocked allies, and his own military establishment, by saying troops were coming home. 'If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero,' Trump tweeted, using another acronym for IS. 'ISIS is mostly gone, we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants,' he said. About 2,000 US forces and other foreign troops are in Syria to assist local fighters battling IS, the jihadists who once controlled a 'caliphate' covering much of Iraq and Syria. The US-led coalition launched its first raids against IS in September, 2014, more than two years before Trump won the US election. US-backed forces seized the jihadists' de facto capital of Raqa on October 17, 2017. Trump announced his Syria pullout by saying 'We've won against ISIS,' even though thousands of the group's fighters are thought to remain in Syria after the collapse of their 'caliphate.' Military and security experts said Trump was overstating the case, and warned against a hasty withdrawal. In Afghanistan, Trump also wants to bring home about half of the 14,000 soldiers locked in a war against Taliban guerrillas, but no formal announcement has been made on that move. Trump's troop drawdowns triggered the resignation of his defense secretary, Jim Mattis, long one of the chaotic administration's steady hands. On Sunday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who had expressed concern about Trump's pullout, emerged from a two-hour lunch meeting with the president to say Trump 'understands the need to finish the job.' 'I think the president is committed to making sure when we leave Syria that ISIS is completely defeated,' Graham said. Another prominent critic of the pullout was retired US army general Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, who on Sunday warned on ABC's 'This Week' that a US pullout would likely cause 'greater instability' in the region. 'I campaigned on getting out of Syria and other places. Now when I start getting out the Fake News Media, or some failed Generals who were unable to do the job before I arrived, like to complain about me & my tactics, which are working,' Trump tweeted on Monday. A woman who is being questioned in the disappearance of a New York father-of-two told police her boyfriend 'killed somebody' and made her help get rid of the body. Authorities began questioning the woman and her boyfriend after Michael Stewart, 40, vanished on December 21. The last text Stewart sent was a chilling message to his mother at 2am which read 'Please help me mom'. Now police are treating his disappearance as a suspected homicide, with law enforcement sources revealing he may have been stabbed to death. A woman who is being questioned in the disappearance of New York father-of-two Michael Stewart (pictured with his daughter) told police her boyfriend 'killed somebody' and made her help get rid of the body Courtesy of Tribune The couple being questioned by police had a 'relationship' with Stewart, although it remains unclear exactly what that relationship was. 'It was a relationship between the three of them that ended with [Stewart] stabbed up,' a law enforcement source told the New York Post. The source said investigators are trying to 'flip the girl on the guy so they get one of them to admit to stabbing the victim to death'. Authorities began questioning the woman and her boyfriend after Michael Stewart, 40, vanished on December 21 'They're trying to get them to admit where they dumped the body,' the source added. The woman told police her boyfriend 'made me go with him to get rid of the body in New Jersey'. Officers took the woman 'down to the Jersey Shore to search locations' for the body on Sunday, a retired NYPD sergeant who is familiar with the case told the Post. The law enforcement source said the couple have not yet been arrested but that they're 'going to be charged eventually'. A New York Police Department spokesman confirmed that two people are being questioned in regards to Stewart's disappearance and that 'they have not been allowed to leave'. Stewart was last seen leaving O'Neill's Irish Pub in Staten Island around 6.30pm on December 20. After he left the bar, surveillance footage captured Stewart arguing with two men outside a nearby barber shop. The footage shows 'a slight altercation with people who entered the barber shop,' according to Jaclyn Tantao, a childhood friend of Stewart's. At around 1.55am on December 21, he then sent the text message to his mother. Stewart was last seen leaving O'Neill's Irish Pub (pictured) in Staten Island around 6.30pm on December 20 The couple being questioned by police had a 'relationship' with Stewart, although it remains unclear exactly what that relationship was Tantao believes that Stewart got drunk and may have left the barber shop with the man he got into a fight with. Stewart's family became worried after he never showed up to visit his two children - a four-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son - on Christmas. 'There's no way he would miss Christmas with his daughter,' Tantao said. 'He loves his daughter. They do everything together.' 'For him to not show up for Christmas or Christmas Eve was completely unheard of.' Stewart's family became worried after he never showed up to visit his two children - a four-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son - on Christmas Stewart is a union carpenter and construction worker who helped rebuild Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks that brought down the World Trade Center Tantao said that Stewart's four-year-old daughter doesn't know any of the details regarding her father, but that she has been asking for him. Stewart's aunt Roxanne said that the little girl has been crying for her father every night. 'She's starting to see that something's wrong,' Roxanne added. Stewart is a union carpenter and construction worker who helped rebuild Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks. A GoFundMe page has been started to raise money for a private investigator to help the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro gives the thumbs up during his inauguration, in the plenary of the Brazilian National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil, today Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to crack down on political corruption, violent crime and ignite a moribund economy with deregulation and fiscal discipline, after being sworn in as Brazil's president today. Huge crowds have gathered in front of Planalto Palace, in the country's capital Brasilia anticipation of the inauguration of the one-time paratrooper. The former Army captain and seven-term fringe congressman rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazil's first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago. Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain and admirer of the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship, vowed to adhere to democratic norms. He said his government would be guided by the promises he made to Brazilian voters fed up with graft, high levels of violent crime and a still-sputtering economy. 'I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny,' Bolsonaro said after being sworn in. 'My vow is to strengthen Brazil's democracy.' On the economic front, the new leader promised to 'create a new virtuous cycle to open markets' and 'carry out important structural reforms' to shore up a yawning public deficit. Brazil's new first lady Michelle Bolsonaro points at her husband, Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, after she gave her speech in sign language, during her husband's inauguration, at the Planalto Presidential palace Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro, wave to supporters as they drive past after his swearing-in ceremony Newly sworn-in Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during his inauguration ceremony at the Congress in Brasilia Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro lead the presidential convoy towards the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) gestures next to his wife Michelle Bolsonaro as the presidential convoy heads to the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (pictured centre) and wife Michele (pictured centre right) head to a Rolls Royce that will take them to the Planalto Palace, where Bolsonaro will receive the presidential band from his predecessor, Michel Temer, in Brasilia, Brazil The newly inaugurated President was congratulated on Twitter by US President Donald Trump. He said: 'Congratulations to President @JairBolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech - the U.S.A. is with you!' Bolsonaro, 63, has faced charges of inciting rape and for hate crimes because of comments about women, gays and racial minorities. Oopponents fear his policies will roll back rainforest protections and increase the use of deadly force by police. Yet his law-and-order rhetoric and plans to ease gun controls have resonated with many voters, especially in Brazil's booming farm country. Bolsonaro plans to realign Brazil internationally, moving away from developing nation allies and closer to the policies of Western leaders, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Bolsonaro often references and who sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to his inauguration. Outgoing President Michel Temer and his wife, Marcela Temer, wait for Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro at the Planalto Palace Brazilians with faces painted in the colours of the national flag turned out in their thousands to celebrate the swearing in of the country's first right-wing leader in 30 years Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during his swearing-in ceremony at Brazil's National Congress, in Brasilia today Despite often jarring right-wing rhetoric the former army captain has a broad base of support Crowds carried national flags, state flags and huge depictions of their leader-elect to the inauguration In the Brazilian capital, where temperatures reached a high of 26C (78F) there was a party atmosphere As a clear sign of that diplomatic shift, heplans to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with Brazil's traditional support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue. Who is Michelle Bolsonaro? Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo Bolsonaro, 38, is a former parliamentary secretary and the wife of new Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. She was born in Ceilandia, only 16 miles (26 kilometres) from Brasilia and previously worked in a supermarket before becoming working at parliament. She became Bolsonaro's parlimentary secretary in September 2007 and was promoted multiple times and her salary tripled in the space of two years. After Brazils Supreme Court ruled that nepotism was illegal in the public administration, Jair Bolsonaro was forced to fire her. The couple married in 2007 and now live in Barra da Tijuca, a wealthy area of Rio de Janeiro Advertisement Crowds of supporters, many with the Brazilian flag draped around their shoulders and with faces painted with its yellow and green, gathered before the Planalto palace, where the presidential sash was draped on Bolsonaro. Backed massively by conservative sectors of Brazil, including Christian evangelical churches, Bolsonaro would block moves to legalize abortion beyond even the current limited exceptions and remove sex education from public schools, opposing what he calls 'cultural Marxism' introduced by recent leftist governments. One-third of his cabinet are former army officers, mostly fellow cadets at the Black Needles academy - Brazil's equivalent of West Point or Sandhurst - and all are outspoken backers of the country's 1964-1985 military regime. In an interview with Record TV on the eve of his inauguration, Bolsonaro lashed out at Brazil's notorious bureaucracy, which makes doing business in the country difficult and expensive. He vowed to strip away the so-called 'Brazil Cost' that hamstrings private enterprise. 'The government machine is really heavy,' he said. 'There are hundreds of bureaucratic governing bodies across Brazil, of regulators as well. ... We have to untangle the mess.' Among the socially conservative policies which have found favour are Bolsonaro's almost-complete opposition to abortion and sex education in schools In the heat of the Brazilian summer, crowds were sprayed with water from fire engines' hoses to keep them cool Firemen drenched the crowds waiting in a sea of green and gold for the arrival of their new President His vow to follow Trump's example and pull Brazil out of the Paris Agreement on climate change has worried environmentalists. So have his plans to build hydroelectric dams in the Amazon and open up to mining the reservations of indigenous peoples who are seen as the last custodians of the world's biggest forest. Brazilian businesses are eager to see Bolsonaro take office and install a team of orthodox economists led by investment banker Paulo Guedes, who has promised quick action in bringing Brazil's unsustainable budget deficit under control. Guedes plans to sell as many state companies as possible in a privatization drive that he forecasts could eventually bring in up to 1 trillion reais ($257 billion). That would help restore order to government finances. The key measure, however, for reducing the deficit and stopping a dangerous rise of Brazil's public debt will be the overhaul of the country's costly social security pension system. A man displays national flag of Israel as supporters of Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to move the Brazilian Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and abandon the country's decades-old support for a two state solution People celebrate before the swearing-in ceremony of Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, Party all the way: Yesterday supporters of Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro traveled by bus from Sao Paulo to Brasilia to watch the inauguration ceremony, posing for photos in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Pension reform will be Bolsonaro's biggest challenge since he has yet to build a base in Congress, where he has eschewed the political horse-trading that has traditionally helped Brazilian presidents govern the nation of nearly 210 million people. Bolsonaro may find that lax protection of the environment and human rights could have negative economic effects, more so than those faced by other far-right leaders, given the spotlight on Brazil's Amazon jungle as a protection against global warming and because the country has more murders than any other nation. 'I think they will be good on the economy and they will probably be bad for human rights and the environment,' said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in New York. 'The key question is whether those things can be separated. Most of Wall Street says 'Yes.' I have my doubts.' (Reporting by Anthony Boadle Additional reporting by Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo Editing by Brad Brooks, Dan Grebler and Susan Thomas) Kathy Griffin revealed on Monday that she attempted to get herself back on the airwaves this New Year's Eve with a new co-host. The comedian said on Twitter that she had pitched 'New Years Eve live with Kathy Griffin and Stormy Daniels' but 'all of the Hollywood check signers were too scared' to greenlight the telecast. Griffin, 58, and Daniels, 39, became friends after meeting for the first time earlier this year. The porn star attended Griffin's show in Boston this past June, and the two women later posed for a photo that was posted on Twitter. '@StormyDaniels it was an honor to have you at my Boston show tonight. I support you 100%! #F***Trump,' wrote Griffin. Scroll down for video F*** that: Kathy Griffin revealed on Monday that she had pitched a telecast hosted by herself and Stormy Daniels (pair above in June) that was rejected by every network D-list: Griffin also shared some details about her contract for hosting CNN's New Year's Eve telecast with Anderson Cooper (Griffin and Cooper above in 2012) on Monday El Jeffe: 'The 8th year when I asked Jeff Zucker for a raise, he was so angry he docked me 30%' said Griffin (above) Griffin also went after Jefd Zucker on Monday for cutting her pay when she asked the CNN boss for a raise. 'I worked my way up by the 10th year at CNN to get a fee of $150,000. By the way, just as a point of reference, Anderson Cooper regularly bragged for years that his annual CNN contract was $10 million a year,' wrote Griffin on Twitter. 'The first two years I appeared on CNN, it didnt even occur to me to ask for a salary. The 8th year when I asked Jeff Zucker for a raise, he was so angry he docked me 30%. Im sorry to say I took the pay cut because I truly enjoyed making you all laugh.' CNN has yet to respond to multiple requests for comment. Griffin revealed this information in a thread about Leslie Jones, who will be appearing on NBC this New Year's Eve alongside Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen. The comedian, who was very publicly booted by CNN after posing for a photo with a prop of President Trump's decapitated head, decided to share her story after a number of fans commented on hos wmuch her presence is missed on the program. She was replaced by Andy Cohen, who will return again for his second stint as co-host this year. Griffin said that Jones had initially been set to co-host the CNN show, but was then downgraded to only a few segments, a notion that she found ridiculous. 'Im thrilled she is going to appear in the NBC New Years telecast with Carson Daly/Chrissy Teigen, but it's time for Leslie to co-host/host. That would be progress...it would have been a step in the right direction for all women if she got the CNN gig,' wrote Griffin. 'You have to admit, it didnt make sense that NBC Uni wouldnt have a problem with Andy Cohen, who also works for NBC Uni, appearing on CNN, but would have a problem with Leslie? Since Leslie didn't work out, CNN couldn't find one woman standup comic star to co-host? Jeff?' Zucked over: She also said that she did not 'even think to ask for a salary' during her first two years hosting the program (Griffin and Zucker in 2004) She then ADDED: 'I didnt hear anything about what Leslies fee will be on NBC, but I really hope it is AT LEAST $150,000 because that is a nice paycheck and its what she deserves.' Griffin posted at the end of her thread that this was all part of her resolutions heading into the new year. 'I have learned it is essential to stick up for others in ways I truly wish others would have stuck up for me. I have done that more than ever in the past year and will continue to do it no matter what, wrote Griffing. She then added: 'I will stay positive, be as brave as I can in my comedy, never quit, and never let the old boys club keep me silent or out of work.' The comedian closed out by noting: 'I may not be able to have a drink with you, but I have served up a pot of piping hot tea!' A mother who was wounded in a shooting that killed her seven-year-old daughter has spoken from her hospital bed, saying the gunman 'intentionally killed my child.' LaPorsha Washington 30, was shot in the arm and her little girl, Jazmine Barnes, was killed in the shooting on Sunday morning in Harris County, Houston, Texas. Another daughter, six, was injured by shattered glass and two teenage girls were also in the vehicle as they passed Walmart on the way to get coffee. A distraught Ms Washington said: 'He intentionally killed my child for no reason.' LaPorsha Washington 30, (left) was shot in the arm and her little girl, Jazmine Barnes, (right) was killed in the shooting in Houston, Texas, on Sunday She also revealed that it was one of her other daughters who had realised Jazmine had been hit by a bullet, reports the New York Times. Ms Washington said one of her children told her: 'Momma, Jazmines not moving. Shes not talking. The mother told KTRK-TV from her hospital bed that the man driving a red pickup truck fired a series of shots while driving alongside her car and then continued to fire as he pulled in front. She said he then pulled in front and slowed down before firing again. Jazmines father, Chris Cevilla, also appealed for anyone with information about his daughter's death to 'step up' and come forward. Ms Washington said a man driving a red pickup truck fired a series of shots while driving alongside her car, pictured in a police cordon after the shooting Jazmine's father Christopher Cevilla (pictured) has also appealed for people to come forward with information about his daughter's death He said: 'Please step up as if it was your own. Help me and my family get justice for my baby girl.' Harris County police said it's not known why the man opened fire and have released an image from a surveillance video of the suspect's pickup in an effort to find him. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez refused to speculate on what prompted the driver of the pickup to pull alongside and fire into Ms Washington's car but described it as 'totally unprovoked.' The driver of the pickup is described as a man in his 40s with a beard, wearing a red, hooded sweatshirt and his motive is not yet known. President Donald Trump has clapped back at Stanley McChrystal, days after the retired four-star Army general insulted the President as shady and immoral. ''General' McChrystal got fired like a dog by Obama. Last assignment a total bust. Known for big, dumb mouth. Hillary lover!' Trump wrote in a tweet on the morning of New Year's Day. McChrystal was in command of U.S. forces in Afghanistan when he was forced to resign in 2010, after he and his staff were quoted in a Rolling Stone article mocking civilian officials in the Obama administration. The former general appeared in an interview on Sunday with ABC's This Week, in which he heaped scorn upon the President. McChrystal (above) appeared in an interview on Sunday with ABC's This Week, in which he heaped scorn upon the President, calling him 'shady' and 'immoral' 'I think it's important for me to work for people who I think are basically honest, who tell the truth as best they know it,' he said of why he would not join Trump's administration. 'You think he's a liar?,' asked ABC's Martha Raddatz. 'I don't think he tells the truth,' McChrystal replied. 'Is Trump immoral, in your view?,' she asked. 'I think he is,' he responded. 'If we want to be governed by someone we wouldn't do a business deal with because their background is so shady, if we're willing to do that, then that's in conflict with who I think we are,' McChrystal continued. Trump's tweet blasting McChrystal also quoted a link shared by Fox News host Laura Ingraham, to an analysis piece in Lifezette titled 'Media Didn't Like McChrystal Until He Started Bashing Trump.' Trump clapped back at Stanley McChrystal, days after the retired Army general insulted the President as shady and immoral. Trump is seen above earlier this month Michele Blood wrote in the piece: 'Though the sacked general received considerable blowback from the public and the press following his sharp criticism of Obama and his administration back in 2010, many on the Left have welcomed McChrystals putdowns of the current commander-in-chief with open arms.' In the ABC interview, McChrystal said that the resignation letter from Defense Secretary James Mattis was 'valuable' and should cause all Americans to think about their commander-in-chief. 'I would guess that Secretary Mattis took a long time agonizing over writing a letter that was as direct about his feelings as that particular letter was. He knew it would be very public and it would make a very strong statement that was much broader than the Syria issue. It was about America's role in the world,' he said. He added: 'I personally think it was valuable. I think maybe it causes the American people to take pause and say, wait a minute, if we have someone who is as selfless and as committed as Jim Mattis resigns his position, walking away from all the responsibility he feels for every service member in our forces, and he does so in a public way like that, we ought to stop and say, OK, why did he do it? We ought to ask what kind of commander in chief he had that Jim Mattis that, you know, the good Marine, felt he had to walk away.' Mattis' resignation came in protest after Trump announced he was pulling out U.S. troops from Syria, which the two men disagreed about. McChrystal cautioned anyone who would join the president's administration to think carefully if they could be fully loyal to Trump. 'I would ask them to look in the mirror and ask them if they can get comfortable enough with President Trump's approach to governance, how he conducts himself, with his values and with his world view, to be truly loyal to him as a commander in chief and going forward,' he said. 'And we're all instinctively loyal. But the reality is, if there's too much of a disconnect, then I would tell him, I think it's - it would be a bad foundation upon which to try to build a successful partnership with that job,' he added. He said of Trump supporters: ' I would ask every American to do is, again, stand in front of that mirror and say, what are we about? Am I really willing to throw away or ignore some of the things that people do that are pretty unacceptable, normally, just because they accomplish certain other things that we might like?' Within quarter of an hour of the New Year being rung in, a man was shot and killed in Philadelphia. The deadly gun attack in the Pennsylvania city follows its bloodiest year for more than a decade, with 351 murders in 2018 in a city of just one and a half million people. The gunshots were heard on the 3200 block of Tampa Street in the city's Kensington are shortly at 00.12am today. Officers found a man, believed to be in his twenties, lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his head. Philadelphia PD cordoned off the street on the 3200 block of Tampa Street in the Kensington area after a man's body was found with a gunshot wound to his head More than 350 people were murdered in the city last year, its bloodiest year for 11 years The murder took place at 12 minutes past midnight today, and police do not yet have any suspects or idea about a motive The man was pronounced dead at the scene. In a brief press conference, Philadelphia Police Department Captain Tom Davidson said: 'There are cameras in the area. Hopefully, it was captured on these cameras.' Police do not yet have any suspects or a motive. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 215-686-TIPS. Philadelphia recorded 351 murders in 2018, the most in 11 years. Last month, after the year of increased bloodshed on the city's streets, police Commissioner Richard Ross said his force had identified a link between the deaths and America's ongoing opioid epidemic. In an interview recorded as the death toll hit 333 (a further 18 people would lose their lives before midnight on December 31), Mr Ross said: 'We got a 93 percent increase in motives that are related to drugs in homicide. 'That's significant. And so clearly for us, that's probably the biggest problem.' Both New York and Los Angeles had fewer homicides than Philadelphia last year despite significantly larger populations. Louis CK made a number of derogatory statements about Asians during his racist stand-up set last month at a New York comedy club. 'You know why Asian guys have small dicks? Because theyre women. Theyre not dudes. Theyre all women,' said the comedian. 'All Asians are women. And they have big cl**s, really big cl**s, and when they have sex they just stick their cl**s in each other's p*****s and then they procreate using math.' At the same time, a number of Parkland survivors and parents of the victims have responded to the comic's attack on them, saying they should be drinking rather than speaking in front of Congress. 'Louis C.K, although taking jello shots & eating mushrooms might have been ideal for you when you were 18, that is not the luxury that we have after having to see our friends and classmates in caskets because of preventable gun violence,' wrote Kyra Parrow. And Aalayah Eastmond wrote: Fred Guttenberg, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Jamie, wrote: 'To anyone who knows Louis CK, please deliver this message for me. My daughter was killed in the Parkland shooting. My son ran from the bullets. My wife and I deal with loss everyday. Why don't you come to my house and try out your new pathetic jokes?' Scroll down for videos More racism: Disgraced comedian Louis CK, 51, attacked Asians during his December set as well by saying that the men did not have 'dicks' but rather 'really big cl**s' (CK above in 2016) Celebrities were also quick to hit back at CK on Twitter after hearing his remarks. 'I hope Louis CK gets raped and shot at,' said Ellen Barkin. When called out for her response, Bakin replied: 'For all of you ready to jump on my back, think for a minute about how louis ck must talk about the women who outed him? what do you think he wishes on them? do you think he will assault a woman again? read up on serial sexual assault.' Gemma Chan reacted by writing: 'Masturbating in front of your colleagues and feigning remorse about it doesn't make you interesting either.' Judd Apatow was also bothered by the comedian, writing: 'This hacky, unfunny, shallow routine is just a symptom of how people are afraid to feel empathy. Its much easier to laugh at our most vulnerable than to look at their pain directly & show them love and concern. Louis CK is all fear and bitterness now. He cant look inward.' Andy Richter also went after the comic, writing: 'You know whats the worst, most boring kind of comedy? The kind where older white men are angry that older white men cant do or say whatever the f*** they want anymore.' CK sparked outrage for making fun of the Parkland High School shooting victims and saying he would rather live at the site of a former Nazi concentration camp than New York City during a stand-up set earlier this month. The audio that was leaked was recorded while CK was performing at a Long Island comedy club on December 16 in what was the comedian's sixth sold-out show at the venue. During the set, the comedian also told the crowd that he lost $35 million in a single day. The appearance showcased the brash and unapologetic personality the comedian has adopted since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple woman, and leaked at the same time DailyMail.com spotted a carefree Kevin Spacey in Baltimore. Spacey has also chosen comedy to undermine that accusations leveled at him, despite the fact that he will be arraigned on criminal charges next week. 'They testify in front of Congress these kidsWhat are you doing? You're young you should be crazy, you should be unhinged. Not in a suit saying 'I'm here to tell you' F**k you,' he said in the clip. 'You're not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot. Why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting. You didn't get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking.' All the while the audience can be heard laughing during what was the comedian's sixth sold-out show at the club. Students David Hogg, 18, and Emma Gonzalez, 19, became faces of the gun reform movement following the devastating Parkland shooting on February 14 where 17 people were killed at the hands of gunman Nikolas Cruz. The comedian also made fun of youngsters and belittled gender-identity terms in his set. THE RACIST, ABELIST, VILE JOKES OF CK'S LEAKED GIG AUSCHWITZ 'I live in New York. I f**king hate it now. I loved New York for 20 years. Now I'd rather be in Auschwitz, honestly. I mean Auschwitz now.' PARKLAND MASSACRE - '[The Parkland survivors] testify in front of Congress these kidsWhat are you doing? You're young you should be crazy, you should be unhinged. Not in a suit saying 'I'm here to tell you' F**k you. You're not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot. Why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting. You didn't get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking.' GENDER IDENTITY - '[Young people] are like royalty. They tell you what to call them. 'You should address me as they/them. Because I identity as gender neutral.' Okay. You should address me as 'there,' because I identity as a location. And the location is your mother's c***. It doesn't have to be that nasty, but it can be.' JEWISH DOCTORS - 'You need to stop eating ice cream.' I said, 'You need to go f**k yourself. And don't ever touch me again, you old fa**ot. You old f**king Jewish f*g. Get your f**king hands off me.' You're f**king with my ice cream, I get upset. STOPPING USING THE WORD 'RETARD' - 'But we started to feel shitty about it, so we changed it to 'intellectually challenged.' What the f**k, it'sdon't name the kid a thing he can't say out loud. An intellectual challenge is can you translate Shakespeare into Latin and make it rhyme. These kids are not intellectually challenged, they're intellectually f**kin' done. They are! It's not their sport! But we decided we didn't want to call them retarded because we call each other that, so we went back to Nelson and we said, 'Listen, Nelson, I have something to tell you. You're not retarded anymore.' 'You mean I'm cured?' 'No, not at all. We just don't call you that, 'cause it's a terrible thing to call somebody.' 'But you called me that with' 'Yes, but not anymore, because we shouldn't.' And he's trying to wrap his head around this, which is difficult for Nelson, 'cause he's f**king retarded. BLACK STEREOTYPES 'Whatre you, gonna take away my birthday? My life is over, I dont give a s**t. You can, you can be offended, its okay. You can get mad at me. Anyway. So why do black guys have big d**ks? Lets talk about that for a minute.' HIS OWN BAD YEAR - 'So what kind of a year did you guys have? I bet none of you had the same year that I had. You ever had a whole bad year. Did you ever have a year that sucks 365 s*** c*** days in a row. Did you ever have a time that it so sh**** that it starts to get funny? - 'I lost so much f***ing money. In a day. In one day I lost, I'm not going to tell you, but millions and millions of dollars. So you know it's at least four, because three is millions and million. It was $35 million. I don't give a f***, I'll tell you.' Advertisement 'I'm so disappointed in the younger generation honestly because I'm 51 years old and I was 18 and in my 20s we were idiots. We were getting high doing mushrooms and sh*tI was kind of excited to be in my 50s and see people in my 20s and be like these kids are crazy, these kids are nicebut they're not!' he said. 'They're just boring. F**king telling me you shouldn't say that. What are you an old lady?...You should address meas they/them because I identify as gender neutral. You should address me as therebecause I'm a locationand the location is your mother's c***,' he added. He compared them to royalty for demanding specific gender titles that they feel comfortable with. The video of his set was posted on YouTube. In his hour-long spiel he talked about his difficult year and how he lost $35million and alluded it to the sexual misconduct allegations against him. 'I live in New York. I f**king hate it now. I loved New York for 20 years. Now I'd rather be in Auschwitz, honestly. I mean Auschwitz now,' he said. In previous sets he said he feels that everyone hates him and was booed in public. The clip sparked outrage on Twitter with users calling him a 'monster'. Parkland shooting survivors Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg and Cameron Kaskey pictured above at a press conference for the March for Our Lives movement on June 4, 2018 'I'm listening to the leaked Louis set and it's very clear hes just going to tour red states for the rest of his life to rapturous crowds, like Trump,' one Twitter user said. 'There was always part of me that was hoping he'd turn things around, put out a better apology, and make a huge comeback...but I think that part of me just died listening to this,' another said. 'OMG, I just...I'm so embarrassed that I used to think he was funny. This isn't even doubling down. He just went full on monster,' one former fan tweeted. 'Why were people in the audience laughing? He was mocking child survivors who watched their classmates get slaughtered?' a critic wrote. 'Making fun of the Parkland' survivors/activists sure is a bold way to begin rebranding after sexual assault allegations. Yikes,' another added. The comedian returned to the comedy stage in August. There are no tour dates listed for him on his professional website. Five women accused Louis CK of sexual misconduct in November 2017, which he later admitted to. The women were mostly comedians who said he asked to watch them masturbate or forced them to watch him masturbate. For years rumors swirled that the comedian used his status and power to harass female comedians. After the allegations arose, the comedian immediately confessed they were true. 'These stories are true. What I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d*ck isn't a question. It's a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly,' he said in a statement released just a day after the allegations came forward. Despite his confession, he faced no legal consequences for the sexual misconduct. However, his stand-up special was cut from Netflix and his relationship with HBO and FX were also axed. Just nine months later he returned to the spotlight. Lady Hale (pictured) wants more diversity on the supreme court The country's top judge says her colleagues must become more diverse in order to better represent the public. Lady Hale addressed the issue as she marked the centenary of the act that enabled women to enter profession. The first female president of the supreme court called for the judiciary to increase its diversity to avoid the risk of being seen as 'from another planet'. This would include greater balance in gender representation at Britain's highest court and quicker promoting for ethnic minorities and those from less privileged backgrounds, the Guardian reports. There are currently three female justices on the 12-judge court, but Lady Hale says an 'ideal balance' of gender would be 'at least 60/40 either way'. She believes that it is important for the public to be able to to 'look at the judges and say "they are our judges". Lady Hale says diversity would bring different perspectives to discussions. Lady Hale (pictured) says that her own non-privileged background has been useful to her on the supreme court A quarter of judges are women in the high court, court of appeal and supreme court. About a third of district judges are female. Lady Hale said 'a gender pay gap' poses a problem and that sexual harassment has also stood in women's way. And she cited her own background, which she described as not privileged, as helpful to her work on the court. The 73-year-old opposes positive discrimination on the grounds that it risks people feeling they haven't got a job by their own merit. Lady Hall (pictured marking the opening of the legal year) spoke out against discrimination and said instead people should be encouraged to sign up of their own accord Instead she suggested better outreach to encourage candidates to sign up to the profession. The supreme court will this year sit in Wales, having also sat in Belfast and Edinburgh. Lady Hale, who was born in Yorkshire, wants the court to hear cases in the north of England as well as the West Country. She says one of her proudest moments was the court's involvement in the article 50 case brought by Gina Miller after the vote to leave the European Union. Advertisement Migrants faced tear gas once again as they tried to cross the US-Mexico border from Tijuana to San Diego on New Year's Eve. Around 100 Central American caravan migrants failed in their attempt to cross the border and enter the US on Monday. As night fell and people on both sides of the border prepared to celebrate New Year's Eve, the migrants tried to cross over. The US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) then hurled two smoke bombs at the migrants, holding them back. Migrants faced tear gas once again as they tried to cross the US-Mexico border from Tijuana to San Diego on New Year's Eve Around 100 Central American migrants failed in their attempt to cross the border and enter the US on Monday night As night fell and people on both sides of the frontier prepared to celebrate New Year's Eve, the migrants tried to cross over. A migrant is pictured here taking cover from a huge cloud of tear gas One migrant could be seen with his face covered in treatment after tear gas was thrown at the Mexican side of the fence in Tijuana. Other photos showed migrants trying to take cover as a thick wall of tear gas surrounded them, or crying out in pain after they were hit by the gas. The Department of Homeland Security accused the 'violent mob of migrants' of initiating attacks against U.S. border agents. Customs and Border Protection statement on illegal border crossings in the San Diego Sector 'The following is based on initial operational reporting. 'Last night, an approximately 150 migrants attempted to illegally enter the United States by climbing over and crawling under border fence in San Diego Sector. 'Due to CBPs increased presence, a first group of 45 turned back towards Mexico. 'Shortly thereafter, migrants began throwing rocks over the fence at the CBP agents and officers. 'Several teenagers, wrapped in heavy jackets, blankets and rubber mats were put over the concertina wire. 'Border Patrol agents witnessed members of the group attempt to lift toddler sized children up and over the concertina wire and having difficulty accomplishing the task in a safe manner. 'Agents were not in a position to safely assist the children due to the large number of rocks being thrown at them. 'To address the rock throwers assaulting agents and risking the safety of migrants attempting to cross who were already on the U.S. side, both smoke and minimal countermeasures were deployed. 'Agents deployed smoke, pepper spray and CS gas to a position upwind of the rock throwers and south of the border fence. 'The deployments were not directed at the migrants attempting entry on the U.S. side or at the fence line. 'The rock throwers were located south of the fence, in an elevated position both above the border fence area and the incursion attempt. 'These countermeasures successfully suppressed the rock throwers causing them to flee the area. 'Most of the migrants attempting the incursion, to include those with children, returned to Mexico via a hole under the fence and by climbing over the fence. 'No agents witnessed any of the migrants at the fence line, including children, experiencing effects of the chemical agents, which were targeted at the rock throwers further away. 'Twenty-five apprehensions, including two teenage migrants, were made. 'Under CBP use of force policy, this incident will be reviewed by CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility.' Advertisement 'Once again we have had a violent mob of migrants attempt to enter the United States illegally by attacking our agents with projectiles,' DHS spokesperson Katie Waldman said. 'As has happened before - in this and previous administrations - our personnel used the minimum force necessary to defend themselves, defend our border, and restore order. 'The agents involved should be applauded for handling the situation with no reported injuries to the attackers. 'Initial reporting indicates that once the attempted illegal entry was thwarted by agents, the mob began pushing women and minors to the front, forcing minors to climb dangerous concertina wire, and encouraged conveniently invited media to begin filming their illegal acts. 'Unfortunately, Congress continues ignore the professional advice from the men and women of the Border Patrol who have told them that walls work. 'Congress needs to fully fund the border wall, amend the TVPRA, and end the Flores Settlement Agreement that encourages and rewards this type of lawlessness by migrants at the border.' The incident comes a month after the Trump administration was heavily criticized for tear-gassing mothers and children at the border. US Border Patrol shot tear gas and rubber bullets at a group of migrants, including toddlers, as members of the caravan tried to storm the border in November. The US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) hurled two smoke bombs at the migrants, holding them back from the border A migrant can be seen crying out in pain after being hit by the tear gas on Monday night, while another tries to comfort them Children were screaming and coughing in the mayhem at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when American agents tried to push the surging Central Americans back. Donald Trump later defended the use of tear gas on the crowd, claiming that border agents were 'being rushed by some very tough people'. Trump also claimed the gas was 'very safe' and only a 'very minor form' of tear gas. The president has yet to comment on Monday night's tear-gassing, although his rant against the Democrats for refusing to fund his wall has only continued amid the ongoing government shutdown. 'One thing has now been proven. The Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring!' Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning. Monday's tear-gassing comes days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suddenly dropped off about 130 Central American migrants at an El Paso bus station with no food, shelter, or money. City officials were left scrambling on Christmas Day to provide a place to stay for the migrants, most of whom were planning to travel to another destination so they could stay with a sponsor while the government reviews requests for asylum. A migrant's face is covered in treatment after he was hit by the tear gas while trying to cross the border on Monday night One migrant tried to throw back the tear gas bomb as others took cover around him at the US-Mexico border on Monday The controversial move came on the same day CPB ordered medical checks on every child in its custody after an eight-year-old boy from Guatemala died, marking the second death of an immigrant child in the agency's care in December. The deaths of the two migrant children has sparked outrage over the administration's policies toward asylum seekers. Meanwhile, ICE has been releasing migrants from detention centers for weeks due to overcapacity, according to Texas Monthly. The released migrants, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, were found by asylum officers to have a credible fear of persecution if they were to be repatriated. A migrant can be seen here trying to run for cover as the tear gas surrounds them following the failed attempt to cross the US-Mexico border A migrant from Honduras, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the United States, jumps from the border fence to cross it illegally from Mexico into the US on Tuesday morning The president has yet to comment on Monday night's tear-gassing, although his rant against the Democrats for refusing to fund his wall has only continued amid the ongoing government shutdown They have been permitted to stay in the US while pursuing the uphill legal battle of obtaining asylum. ICE usually coordinates with local groups, charities, and nonprofits to arrange the orderly handover of migrants so that they could be housed in shelters. But the agency gave no explanation as to why it dumped scores of migrants on the streets of El Paso without any food or shelter in 40-degree weather on Christmas Day. Generous Good Samaritans have stepped up and provided food to the migrants while local groups have arranged for temporary shelter. Because of the government shut down, ICE would not comment. The incident comes a month after the Trump administration was heavily criticized for tear-gassing mothers and children at the border US Border Patrol shot tear gas and rubber bullets at a group of migrants, including toddlers, as members of the caravan tried to storm the border in November 'All of ICE's public affairs officers are out of the office for the duration of the government shutdown,' the agency said. 'We are unable to respond to media queries during this period because we are prohibited by law from working.' 'ICE gave us a heads up about an hour or two ago that we were going to get 200 folks Downtown,' Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, told the El Paso Times. 'This group right now is about 100, so we don't know if we are going to get another 100 or if this is it for the day.' The tear-gassing comes days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suddenly dropped off about 130 Central American migrants at an El Paso bus station with no food, shelter, or money (pictured) Democratic congresswoman Veronica Escobar called the government's actions 'unacceptable.' 'The federal government has an obligation to assist and not just leave people out in the cold, which is what they did yesterday and what they did the day before when they left people at and around the Greyhound bus station and that is what they did in October,' she told the Texas Tribune. 'That is unacceptable. Simply ridding itself of migrants is not a solution.' 'If they are able to create tent cities to jail children, then they should absolutely be able to construct the same kind of facilities as they did in 2016 to assist the migrants.' 'The federal government needs to step up and dumping people out on the streets is not stepping up.' Advertisement Prince Charles and Nicola Sturgeon led the mourners at a memorial service today marking 100 years since the Iolaire disaster, in which 201 sailors died on their way home from World War I. The naval yacht sank just yards from the Isle of Lewis coastline in Scotland on January 1, 1919, in one of Britain's worst maritime disasters in peacetime. Today Charles spoke of the 'indescribable grief' of the islanders after the tragedy, which Scotland's First Minister Ms Sturgeon called a 'cruel twist of fate' after the men had survived the war. Meanwhile relatives of the dead spoke of the 'blanket of grief' which covered the island community in the wake of the disaster, saying that 'virtually all those that died came from the same place'. Prince Charles and Nicola Sturgeon lead the mourners at a remembrance service for the victims of the Iolaire disaster, in which 201 people were killed as they returned from combat in World War I Prince Charles lays a wreath at a memorial for the victims of the Iolaire disaster, which took place 100 years ago today. He bronze depiction of a coiled heaving line which recalls the heroism of John Finlay Macleod What was the Iolaire disaster of January 1919? HMY Iolaire had been carrying sailors who fought in the First World War back to the island which most of them called home. She left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland late on the evening of December 31, 1918 - sine 51 days after the Armistice. At around 2.30am on New Year's Day she crashed into rocks known as The Beasts of Holm, a few yards offshore and a mile from Stornoway harbour. The HMY Iolaire, pictured in 1908, which crashed and sank on January 1, 1919, in a disaster which killed 201 people With the lights of the harbour in sight, the ship struck the rocks at full speed and immediately began to tilt, filling up with water. Although the stern of the boat was at one point just 20 feet from land, many of the men onboard were weighed down by their heavy uniforms and were unable to swim ashore. Only 82 of the 283 passengers are believed to have survived the disaster. Around half of them were saved by John Finlay Macleod, who swam out with a heaving line. The tragedy remains the worst peacetime British disaster at sea since the sinking of the Titanic. The last survivor of the Iolaire - which means 'eagle' in Gaelic - died in 1992. A public inquiry was unable to establish the reasons for the accident. Advertisement At the service schoolchildren from across the Outer Hebrides tossed 201 red carnations, one for each of the dead, into the sea near the wreck site. Charles, 70, unveiled a sculpture to commemorate the Iolaire, a bronze depiction of a coiled heaving line which recalls the heroism of John Finlay Macleod who swam ashore with a rope to help rescue 40 of the 79 men who were saved. He and Ms Sturgeon both laid wreaths at a Stornoway monument which overlooks the scene of the tragedy, as did representatives from emergency services and other organisations. Psalms were sang in Gaelic and English during the ceremony, as was the national anthem. The occasion ended with a diver taking a wreath to the site where the ship sank. Charles said: 'After miraculously surviving their military service during the First World War, they perished only a few hundred yards from their final destination. 'It is perhaps understandable that, until recently, the circumstances surrounding this most tragic of events in the history of the islands have not been widely discussed.' Charles has also written a foreword for The Darkest Dawn, a new book on the tragedy, calling it a 'deeply poignant tribute to all those who tragically lost their lives'. Writing in the official remembrance programme, Ms Sturgeon, 48, said: 'Sadly, the losses of the First World War did not end with the signing of the Armistice. 'There was a further cruel twist of fate for some on their journey home. 'Tragically, over 200 men drowned in sight of Stornoway harbour and the safety of their own homes. The impact on the tight-knit island community was beyond measure. The grief at that final moment must have been so very hard to take. 'That sadness is still felt today, as can be seen by the commemorations being organised for the centenary of this devastating accident. 'As anniversaries pass, it is ever more important that our commitment to remember those who fought and died for our future, remains.' Meanwhile descendants of men who died on board the ship spoke of the lasting impact the disaster has had on their communities. Sharon Smith's great-uncle Malcolm Thomson died in the disaster aged 27, but he was never supposed to be on the doomed ship. Charles bows his head during the memorial service in the Outer Hebrides today. He and Ms Sturgeon both laid wreaths at a Stornoway monument which overlooks the scene of the tragedy, as did representatives from emergency services Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the monument in Stornoway today. She said the Iolaire disaster was a 'further cruel twist of fate for some on their journey home' from fighting in World War I Charles - who spoke of the 'indescribable grief' of the islanders after the tragedy - at the memorial service on January 1 Nicola Sturgeon greets people at the memorial service in Scotland today, marking a century since the Iolaire tragedy Prince Charles, who turned 70 last year, leads mourners at the memorial service. Charles has also written a foreword for The Darkest Dawn, a new book on the tragedy which devastated the island community Charles and Nicola Sturgeon join other mourners at the centenary commemorative service for the victims of HMS Iolaire The able seaman was due to head back on an earlier sailing, but had bumped into two friends from the island's small community of Swainbost, and decided to return home with them on the HMY Iolaire. Ms Smith said: 'They were coming home at the end of the First World War, they were coming home in time for New Year celebrations, there was so much joy and happiness among that. 'For them to lose their lives so close to home, in such tragic circumstances, had a tremendous effect on the island. It was almost like a blanket of grief had covered the island.' The Darkest Dawn's co-author Malcolm Macdonald - whose own grandfather perished on board the Iolaire - said there were 'still more questions than answers' about the tragedy. He said: 'Many of the young women left behind ended up living out their days as spinsters. Like those that had died in the war, a number of those drowned on the Iolaire were engaged to be married or were going to get engaged when they arrived home. 'This island-wide phenomenon had been a wall of silence that descended on the entire community after the tragedy with people not wanting to talk about it at all. 'There was strong opposition initially towards erecting the Iolaire Memorial as it had stirred up painful memories for many. Around 250 children lost their father - eight children were born after their father died. 'Unlike the Titanic - where the victims came from all over the world - virtually all those that died came from the same place. The impact was unimaginable. They were all friends.' Ms Sturgeon bows her head after laying a wreath at the memorial site. At the service schoolchildren from across the Outer Hebrides tossed 201 red carnations, one for each of the dead, into the sea near the wreck site Charles prepares to lay his wreath at the service. A note he left said: 'In special remembrance of your service and sacrifice' President Donald Trump kept up his own tradition of extending New Year's greetings to his enemies, issuing an all-caps Tweet with tidings for the 'HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS.' 'Just calm down and enjoy the ride,' he urged critics. The president issued a four-line tweet without resorting to lower case letters, predicting a 'fantastic' 2019. He called out those who disagree with him as suffering from 'Trump derangement syndrome,' in yet another quip about the emotional state of opponents. On Monday, he made a joke about Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren when asked about her chances, saying 'ask her psychiatrist.' BUCKLE UP: Trump urged everyone to 'just calm down and enjoy the ride' Trump shared the same message to Instagram on Tuesday evening with this snap 'Just calm down and enjoy the ride,' President Donald Trump urged critics in a tweet that extended New Year's greetings to 'haters' Trump wrote from Washington just after 8 am on New Year's Day: 'HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!' About an hour later, the president sent out a more traditional greeting. He wrote: 'Happy New Year!' Trump's wishes for his perceived enemies keeps up a holiday tradition for him. In 2016, he wished a happy New Year to 'my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do." On New Year's Eve 2014 he wrote: 'To EVERYONE, including all haters and losers, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Work hard, be smart and always remember, WINNING TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING!' Hours earlier, Trump wished the country a happy new year in a Twitter video with a self-pitying reminder that he'll be ringing in 2019 at the White House instead of at a lavish Mar-a-Lago ball with Melania as was previously planned. 'While I'm at the White House working you're out there partying tonight, but I don't blame you,' Trump said in the 11-second video. 'Enjoy yourselves, we're going to have a great year. Have a really, really happy new year.' Trump followed that tweet up with a string of posts about the border wall - which is the reason he's spent the holidays alone. The president cancelled his trip to Mar-a-Lago amid the government shutdown that began December 21 when Democrats refused to put the $5billion Trump wants to fund the wall into the Congressional budget. As midnight approached on Monday night, Trump called in to Fox News' All-American New Year special for an interview with contributor Pete Hegseth. 'I'm sitting in the White House right now. I'm talking to you,' Trump said when asked what his plans were for the night. He quickly changed the subject and said: 'We need border security. Everybody knows it.' President Donald Trump spent New Year's Eve advocating his beloved border wall both on Twitter and in a phone interview with Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth (left) Hours earlier the president wished America a 'Happy New Year' in a Twitter video with a self-pitying reminder that he would be ringing in 2019 at the White House instead of at Mar-a-Lago with his family as was previously planned. 'While I'm at the White House working you're out there partying tonight, but I don't blame you,' Trump said in the 11-second video. 'Enjoy yourselves, we're going to have a great year. Have a really, really happy new year' Probing for more details about Trump's take on the shutdown, Hegseth said: 'You stayed in Washington, DC, We've seen Nancy Pelosi in Hawaii and Democrats not ready to come back. They want to see you stand firm. Are you willing to continue the shutdown if the money does not come?' Trump replied: 'We have to have border security. The wall is part of border security. I hear about the wall is old fashioned. It is not old fashioned. It is 100 percent foolproof. He continued: 'You look at the wheel. I guess they would say the wheel is old fashioned. It's been around for a long time. The wall is the only way to do it. 'Technology. Nobody knows more about technology than me. Technology is just the bells and whistles on the wall. If you don't have the wall, you are going to have people coming in. And my border patrol people they do a fantastic job. You know, they need the backup of the wall. They are the ones that want it more than anybody.' Hegseth then asked: 'How far are you willing to go, Mr. President? Where do you anticipate talks with [Senate minority leader] Chuck [Schumer] and [House minority leader Nancy [Pelosi]?' Trump responded: 'I'm assume when they get back. I'm in Washington. I'm ready, willing, and able. They could have come over right now. I spent Christmas in the White House. I spent New Year's Eve now in the White House. I'm here. I'm ready to go. It is very important. 'A lot of people are looking to get their paycheck. So I'm ready to go any time they want. We're not giving up. We have to have border security. The wall is a big part of border security. The biggest part.' While Trump rang in the New Year in Washington, First Lady Melania attended a lavish ball as Mar-a-Lago. She is pictured with United Nations Ambassador Paolo Zampolli in a photo he posted to Instagram with the caption: 'NYE Mar a Lago. We miss you POTUS' Writer Charlie Kirk who was also attending the Mar-A-Lago bash shared this selfie with the First Lady to Twitter Trump is pictured with Melania and son Barron at the 2017 Mar-a-Lago New Year's party Earlier in the day, Trump unleashed a string of tweets about the wall, including one that read: 'MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL through the many billions of dollars a year that the U.S.A. is saving through the new Trade Deal, the USMCA, that will replace the horrendous NAFTA Trade Deal, which has so badly hurt our Country. Mexico & Canada will also thrive - good for all!' It's not the first time that Trump has claimed that anticipated savings under the USMCA will cover the costs of the wall. He continues in two more tweets: 'The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall. You see, without the Wall there can be no Border Security - the Tech "stuff" is just, by comparison, meaningless bells & whistles... '...Remember this. Throughout the ages some things NEVER get better and NEVER change. You have Walls and you have Wheels. It was ALWAYS that way and it will ALWAYS be that way! Please explain to the Democrats that there can NEVER be a replacement for a good old fashioned WALL!' Trump later posted a string of tweets about the border wall, which is the reason he's spent the holidays away from his family amid the government shutdown. The tweets are pictured As Trump sits in the White House, his children and wife Melania had a much more glamorous New Years Eve at Mar-a-Lago. Among the many attendees posting photos was United Nations Ambassador Paolo Zampolli, who shared an Instagram photo alongside the First Lady, writing in the caption: 'NYE Mar a Lago. We miss you POTUS.' Trump has spent most of his New Year's Eves over the last decade at Mar-a-Lago. The president was originally supposed to spend 16 days over the holidays at his Florida estate. But he changed his plans when the government shut down the weekend before Christmas. Trump with Melania at Mar-a-Lago in December 2016 after he won the election The first lady returned to the White House for Christmas Eve and to join the president on his visit to US troops in Iraq. But she flew back to Florida on Thursday, and is now there with 12-year-old son Barron. Before she arrived at the White House for Christmas Eve, Trump took to Twitter to complain: 'I am all alone (poor me) in the White House.' Trump's children Donald Jr. and Eric and Lara Trump are believed to be in Mar-a-Lago. New Year's Eve is Donald Jr's birthday. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump also are believed to be in Mar-a-Lago. They were spotted there over Christmas. Kushner was seen in Washington D.C. over the weekend when he joined the president and Mulvaney at Vice President Mike Pence's home Saturday night for dinner. But Ivanka Trump's assistant emerged from the couple's Washington D.C. home on Monday to say the couple would return Tuesday night, indicating they are in Florida. The White House did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries for details on how the president will spend his New Year's Eve and with who. Trump has spend nearly every New Year's Eve for the past decade at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He is pictured above at a celebration in 2002 with Melania (whose last name was Knauss at the time, his son Eric and Eric's then-girlfriend (and future wife) Lara Yunaska Last year, the president hosted his family, celebrities and members of his Cabinet at Mar-a-Lago. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was there with his wife Louise Linton as were Fox Business host Lou Dobbs and former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez. Traditionally, Mar-a-Lago puts out a red carpet for its black-tie New Year's gala. 'We're going to have a fantastic 2018,' Trump told reporters as he strolled down the red carpet at the end of 2017. The president and his son, Barron, both wore tuxedos to the event and Melania Trump wore full length rose colored glittery gown. This year, tickets for the event cost $1,000 for club guests and $650 for club members, up from $750 and $600, respectively, according to the Palm Beach Post. Hundreds of guests usually attend the gala, which begins with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. That's followed by a four-course dinner that ends with a signature dessert - the meringue-topped baked Alaska. An Indian woman who was two months old when her father doused her in acid now runs her own survivor foundation and forges a career as a fashionista. Anmol Rodriguez was left with a melted face and neck in the horrifying attack, which also killed her mother who was breast-feeding her at the time. Despite her horrifying injuries, Anmol, now 23, proudly lives by herself in Mumbai in western India. She has not only overcome the physical and emotional pain, she has also become an inspiration to many women like her. She was barely two months old, curled up in her mother's lap and suckling on her breasts, when her father poured a can of acid on them, disfiguring her tiny face and blinding her in left eye. Indian woman Anmol Rodriguez, who was two months old when her father doused her in acid, now runs her own survivor foundation and forges a career as a fashionista Anmol Rodriguez was left with a melted face and neck in the horrifying attack, which also killed her mother who was breast-feeding her at the time The motive of the assault was to get rid of both the child and the mother for giving birth to a 'girl'. Anmol, which means priceless in Hindi, now unabashedly claims to be the happiest girl in the world and has developed into a fashionista, a trained salsa dancer and a creative brain for an online youth channel. She is also an inspiration for acid attack survivors and runs an NGO Acid Survivor Sahas Foundation, through which she has helped 20 such women into employment and organised a lavish wedding for a friend. Anmol says: 'I love my life as it is. Not even once have I felt that I am different. This could also be because I only remember seeing myself with one eye and wrinkled, burnt skin. 'I have very happily accepted myself and this has given me hopes and confidence to keep moving in life.' Anmol has an ultra positive attitude and demeanour which attracts whoever she meets. She has nearly 25,000 followers on Instagram where she keeps posting her latest dance moves or photoshoots. Anmol, which means priceless in Hindi, now unabashedly claims to be the happiest girl in the world and has developed into a fashionista, a trained salsa dancer and a creative brain for an online youth channel Anmol was left to die by her father Ashraf after the attack but neighbours had rushed her and her mother to hospital. While her mother Annu succumbed to injuries, Anmol was under care of doctors and nurses for five long years. Once her wounds healed to a certain degree, she was handed over to Shree Manav Seva Sangh, an orphanage where she was raised up among other children and given education. She said: 'My whole life was spent at an orphanage in Mumbai. 'I am told that I was only two months old when my father had attacked my mother and myself with acid. 'While my mother died due to the burns, I underwent treatment for five long years at the hospital. The doctors and nurses were taking care of the expenses and medicines. 'As I improved a little the doctors handed me over to Shree Manav Seva Sangh where I was raised up with love and affection. But Anmol confesses that growing up with a burnt face was not easy as was constantly reminded of the terrible attack. She relayed: 'I was too young and never understood why I looked different from others at the hospital but when I came in the orphanage I realised children were different than me. Anmol was left to die by her father Ashraf after the attack but neighbours had rushed her and her mother to hospital. While her mother Annu succumbed to injuries, Anmol was under care of doctors and nurses for five long years 'While no one hated me, initially they were scared of my face but gradually, as we grew older, I made many friends. But outside orphanage it was always difficult. 'In college I excelled in studies but had no friend. I was a loner who would eat lunch alone and have no one talk to. 'Girls would find it strange that I loved fashion and always wore trendy clothes. Some would keep staring at me while others would be curious to know what happened to my face. 'I wish my mother was alive. Not that I am not thankful for the orphanage for shaping up my life, I miss mother's love. I would have a friend in her who would love me unconditionally.' After she finished her college two years ago, Anmol moved out of the orphanage and has since been living on her alone. She makes 117 a month from giving her ideas to make creative sets for the shows and spends money on her stylish dresses and saves a little for her NGO. Anmol gets in touch with women leaders and politicians to arrange work opportunities for girls like her. She says: 'I have always loved fashion. I am quite trendy and love to dress up. Anmol confesses that growing up with a burnt face was not easy as was constantly reminded of the terrible attack After she finished her college two years ago, Anmol moved out of the orphanage and has since been living on her alone 'People see me and are surprised by my attitude but I want to tell the world that acid attack survivors have the zeal to live. We do not need pity. We need support. 'This is also why I have started my own NGO. My aim is to counsel the girls, get their confidence back and rehabilitate. 'My case is different. I have always seen myself like this so it really doesn't matter to me but for those girls who are attacked at a young age, the torment is beyond words. 'I counsel them that their lives are not over. Another factor is that because they are attacked while in school, they have to quit studies midway. But I was lucky enough to complete my studies. 'I now try to educate them, provide them with a means to hone up their skills so they can get a job to earn a living.' The young girl says she loves to dress up and wishes to become a model. She has already been offered model assignments by two designers to promote their jewelries in Instagram. She said: 'I want to become the first commercial acid attack survivor model who can not just promote fashion but also spread awareness that acid does not end life. 'This is really exciting and I am soon going to get the opportunity what I have been longing for. 'I hope my stint will inspire women like me to not cover their face in a veil, instead walk confidently with their face. 'Acid can only change our face but not ruin our soul. We are same inside out and we should accept ourselves who we are and live our lives happily.' Another 150 festival-goers have been arrested and four rushed to hospital as Field Day kicked off 2019 in Sydney. Two drug-related deaths in a matter of days at other New Years Eve festivals across Australia didn't deter revellers as they flocked to The Domain in Sydney in droves on New Year's Day. On Saturday, Joshua Tam, 22, became the fourth person in as many months to die of a suspected drug overdose at the Lost Paradise festival near Gosford. On Tuesday, that tally rose to five after a death at the Beyond The Valley festival in Victoria. Another 150 festival-goers have been arrested and four rushed to hospital as Field Day kicked off 2019 in Sydney The young man died of a suspected drug overdose at the music festival after two others other were rushed to hospital. The 20-year-old became unwell at the Beyond the Valley festival in Lardner, about 100km east of Melbourne, on Saturday. The man from the small town of Mansfield was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital in critical condition but died on Tuesday morning. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the man's death was before the coroners, limiting what they're able to say, however confirmed it was 'not being treated as suspicious'. Two drug-related deaths in a matter of days at other New Years Eve festivals across Australia didn't deter revellers Police are yet to determine the exact list of charges for those who were arrested at Field Day, but a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia 'approximately 150 people were detected for drug related offences.' Three of the four people from Field Day who were taken to hospital had to do so after ingesting drugs, while the fourth victim's condition is currently unknown, 7News reported. The recent spate of deaths has prompted further calls for pill testing across the country. Many revellers at the different festivals happening across the festive period believe pill testing is the only way to lower the number of drug-related deaths. Joshua Tam, 22, (left and right) died from a suspected drug overdose over the weekend - despite the event being labelled as 'strictly drug free' The new acting Secretary of Defense issued a statement hours after a transfer of authority from James Mattis that twice references President Trump and commits troops to the 'greatness of our nation.' The statement from Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan does not contain a reference to U.S. allies as a final farewell statement from Mattis did, as did his slashing resignation letter after he decided to walk away from the Trump administration. Shanahan, who spent decades as a top executive at Boeing, now steps in following the departure of Mattis, a highly respected Marine general who walked away following Trump's sudden announcement of an immediate troop withdrawal from Syria. 'Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation,' Shanahan's statement begins, acknowledging the commander in chief in the first sentence. 'Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation,' wrote 'As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,' said Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan in a statement 'We have deep respect for Secretary Mattis' lifetime of service, and it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary,' Shanahan continued. 'As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,' he added. His statement of carrying out Trump's 'vision' appeared to reflect the divergence that Mattis invoked when he concluded he could no longer work for Trump. In just one pointed line from his December 20 resignation letter, Mattis wrote Trump: 'Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.' Statement From Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation. We have deep respect for Secretary Mattis lifetime of service, and it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary. As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The Department of Defense continues to be one of our nations bedrock institutions. Our foundational strength lies in the remarkable men and women who volunteer to serve our country and protect our freedoms, while making immense personal sacrifice. It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team committed to the greatness of our nation. Advertisement Shanahan also wrote Tuesday in a letter that went out after 5 am: 'The Department of Defense continues to be one of our nation's bedrock institutions. Our foundational strength lies in the remarkable men and women who volunteer to serve our country and protect our freedoms, while making immense personal sacrifice. It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team committed to the greatness of our nation.' Just hours earlier, Mattis' farewell message once again invoked U.S. allies an area of disagreement Mattis identified with Trump. His own letter mentioned Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, but did not acknowledge Trump, who moved up Mattis departure after his cutting resignation letter came out. 'Our Department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult,' Mattis wrote hours before a phone call where direct responsibility was transferred to Shanahan. Shanahan's letter appears to be an early sign he intends to fall in line with the president's prerogatives as commander in chief, rather than serving as a check that Mattis considered himself. The Washington Times noted that during his confirmation hearing to his post, Sen. John McCain expressed concern about his corporate background from a major defense contractor. 'I have to have confidence that the fox is not going to be put back into the henhouse,' McCain said then. According to a blind quote from a former senior defense official in the New Yorker: 'Because he doesn't understand national security, and doesn't have the moral and ethical constraints that Mattis has, he's made no enemies. He hasn't taken a position on anything.' Mattis issued a farewell message to Defense Department employees New Year's Eve where he once again invoked the importance of alliances in a final dig at President Trump. Defense Secretary James Mattis referenced U.S. allies in his Farewell Message to Defense employees Mattis, who announced his resignation immediately after Trump announced he was withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria and proclaimed victory, penned a letter to all of his subordinates Monday. He began by quoting a brief message President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. 'Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder, or delay your Military movements, or plans,' Lincoln Wrote grant, in a message that was transmitted in a cipher on Feb. 1, 1865. The quote could well be a reference to Mattis' disagreement with Trump over his sudden Syria pullout, which was announced following a White House meeting that did not include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military. Mattis had an aide print 50 copies of his Dec. 20th resignation letter. He announced his departure after Trump's sudden Syria pullout, saying he had a right to a Defense Secretary 'whose views are better aligned with yours.' President Trump moved up Mattis' departure to Jan. 1 after his slashing resignation letter was revealed. Mattis final letter also referenced U.S. alliances a key feature of his earlier letter. President Trump moved up Mattis' departure after his slashing resignation letter was revealed Mattis announced his departure after Trump declared victory over ISIS. Military analysts have estimated 30,000 ISIS fighters remain 'So keep the faith in our country, and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes,' he wrote. The line echoed his Dec. 20th comment: 'One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. Mattis' farewell message also referenced the oath sworn by Army privates and the president alike to defend the Constitution. 'Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands. I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life,' he wrote. 'Our Department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult,' Mattis added. Trump on Monday defended his Syria pullout and called himself a hero, even as he signaled about 2,000 U.S. forces would come home 'slowly.' 'If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an ISIS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero,' Trump tweeted. 'ISIS is mostly gone, we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants,' he added. That was a departure from weeks ago when he announced the pullout, saying 'We've won against ISIS.' Conservative commentator and Trump critic Bill Kristol took the letter as a rebuke to the president. He tweeted about it, calling it: 'A quiet reminder that dignity in public life and honor in public service remain possible, and a silent rebuke to those lacking in dignity and honor.' Dashcam footage recorded yesterday morning shows a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway just minutes before two people were killed in a collision. A woman in her 70s and a taxi driver in his 40s died in the early morning smash on December 31 near the 'Witch's Hat' junction of the A-road at Dagenham, east London. The woman, who is thought to have been driving the car travelling in the wrong direction, and the taxi driver were both pronounced dead at the scene. Dashcam footage shows a car travelling the wrong way down the A13 in Dagenham just before police were called to the scene yesterday morning Footage recorded from inside another vehicle on the near-empty road shows a car going the wrong way at 1.41am. The driver of the car was travelling from east London to Basildon at the time and the headlights of the other car can be clearly seen on the right of the clip. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called to the Witch's Hat junction of the A13 in Dagenham at 1.45am on Monday, December 31, to reports of a car travelling the wrong way down the carriageway. 'Shortly afterwards, the car was involved in a collision with a taxi heading in the opposite direction. Next of kin have not been informed.' The driver of the car with the camera was travelling from east London to Basildon and the headlights of the other car can be clearly seen on the right hand side of the clip A car smashed into a London black cab at about 1.45am this morning near the 'Witch's Hat' junction of the A-road near Dagenham The road was closed yesterday morning as investigations and a clear up were carried out. A similar crash in October saw three people die, after driver John Norton, 80, and his partner Olive Howard, 87, took a wrong turn down the M40 northbound carriageway. Dozens of motorists swerved to try to avoid crashing into the car, with many attempting to attract the driver's attention by flashing their lights. Having travelling southbound along the northbound carriageway for about eight miles, Mr Norton eventually crashed head-on into an approaching Ford Mondeo. The driver of the Mondeo, former soldier Stuart Richards, 32, was also killed instantly in the collision. A British woman has been seriously injured after plunging more than 80 ft from a hilltop monastery in Majorca. The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital after the fall, which happened at the Sanctuary of Cura, a popular tourist spot in Majorca's interior, at around 3am. She had driven to the religious complex - situated at the top of a hill called the Puig de Randa, close to the town of Algaida - with her boyfriend and fallen in the darkness after crossing a car park wall, according to local reports. A British woman has been seriously injured after plunging more than 80 ft from a hilltop monastery in Majorca (file picture) Her partner is understood to have alerted the emergency services. Firefighters rescued her and took her to a waiting ambulance which ferried her to the island's Son Espases Hospital. The unnamed woman is believed to have suffered head injuries and multiple fractures. No-one was available for comment at the hospital this afternoon to speak about her condition, although she was 'very serious' when she was rushed from the scene. The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital after the fall, which happened at the Sanctuary of Cura, a popular tourist spot in Majorca's interior, at around 3am An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway. It was not immediately clear if the injured woman was on holiday or lives in Majorca. The history of the shrine where the drama happened dates back to the 13th century. It was restored in the early 20th century. Vistors flock to the popular spot to get a panoramic view of Majorca as it oversees the island and around 30 villages. Are you in search for an up-to-date business centric daily? Then Ottawa Business Daily is exactly what you need. 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Ottawa Business Daily is committed to affirming a sovereign Canada and defending the national public interest, by utilizing a critical approach to mass-media coverage. Patrick Frazee had been plotting the murder of his fiancee Kelsey Berreth for close to three months according to court documents that were filed on Monday. The three counts of Solicitation to Commit Murder in the First Degree all state that 'between and including September l, 2018 and November 1,2018, Patrick Frazee unlawfully and feloniously commanded, induced, entreated, or otherwise attempted to persuade another person to commit the felony of murder in the first degree.' That would have been just a few months after Berreth purchased a home in Woodland Park for her and infant daughter Kaylee. She spent $184,900 on a two-bedroom property about 15 miles away from the ranch where Frazee lived with his mother despite the fact that the two were engaged. That home is where authorities believe Berreth was murdered on or around November 22. A family member claimed soon after Berreth went missing that she had split with Frazee on the day she was last seen, but that has never been confirmed by investigators. Scroll down for video Shackled: Patrick Frazee (above leaving court on Monday) had been plotting the murder of his fiancee Kelsey Berreth for close to three months according to court documents that were filed on Monday. Moving on?: That would have been just a few months after Berreth purchased a home in Woodland Park for her and infant daughter Kaylee (Kelsey and Kaylee above with the New digs: She spent $184,900 on a two-bedroom property about 15 miles away from the ranch where Frazee lived with his mother despite the fact that the two were engaged (above) This was all revealed as her fiance Frazee was arraigned on five counts relating to her murder. Including the three Solicitation charges he is also charged with two counts of first-degree murder. This means that Frazee may have asked an individual to kill his fiancee on three separate occasions. Prosecutors on Monday revealed that there are two theories regarding how missing Berreth was murdered around Thanksgiving, including that she may have been killed as a result of a robbery. There was little else revealed about the case however, with prosecutors stating that it is important to keep much of the information they have obtained under wraps for the sake of the ongoing investigation. Frazee said nothing during the proceedings and will return to his cell at the Teller County Jail where he is being held without bond. The prosecution also revealed that the arrest warrant in the case must remain sealed, noting that publication of the details could 'seriously jeopardize the physical safety of potential witnesses in this investigation.' Frazee and his lawyers will see that warrant for the first time on Monday afternoon, and may after that decide to enter a plea in the case. Berreth's family was not in the courtroom on Monday, but Frazee's mother was seated in the front row as she is now fighting for custody of her son's daughter. A judge awarded custody of Kaylee to the maternal grandparents on a temporary basis. Court records filed after a hearing last week also revealed that a custody battle could be brewing between the families. 'Paternal grandmother file a motion to intervene. The parties agreed to reserve for later hearing paternal grandmothers motion to intervene and placement request,' read a summary of the hearing. 'The court continued the temporary custody of the minor child with maternal grandparents.' Court documents show that Frazee will be fighting the charge of first degree murder as he has asked that all evidence in the case be turned over to his legal team and filed a motion asking to limit pretrial publicity. Police have yet to find the body or any remains of Berreth. Sheila Frazee, the mother of the suspect, was also briefly detained by authorities but not placed under arrest at the time of her son's arrest. The divorced mother-of-four, who is a registered nurse, lives with her youngest son at the ranch, which she outright owns according to public records. She also owns two additional properties in the area. Her son meanwhile tends to the ranch and also breeds dogs. This now the second high-profile case to emerge from Colorado involving the murder of a partner in just the past six months. In August, Chris Watts killed his wife, unborn son and two young daughters just 150 miles north in Weld County. Mommy dearest: Sheila Frazee, the mother of the accused murderer, was also led off in handcuffs (right) when her son was arrested to be detained Last image: She was last seen at a supermarket on Thanksgiving with her daughter Kaylee, 1, (above) but Frazee previously told authorities he saw his fiancee later that day It was also revealed early on in the investigation that authorities believed Frazee was the last person to see Berreth before she disappeared on Thanksgiving. She was last seen on surveillance video entering a grocery store on Thanksgiving Day with her daughter. Frazee later told police that the couple met later that afternoon so that he could pick up the couple's daughter. The two did not live together despite being engaged, a fact that many on social media suggested was a bad omen after learning of the disappearance. It was Berreth however who had been hesitant to move in with her fiance because he still lived with his mother. She instead decided to get her own home after moving to Colorado from Washington to be with Frazee. There were a number of details that had puzzled the public in the wake of Berreth's disappearance, including the fact that she had just baked fresh cinnamon buns before she went missing. Frazee also failed to report her missing, despite have their daughter Kaylee that entire time. AI 'woebots' could be the answer to the growing demand for counselling in the UK, the head of Britain's largest relationship charity said today. A need for more human counsellors has also opened to door to emotional support offered by computers via online chat, text or WhatsApp. Aidan Jones, chief executive of Relate, says that AI chatbots can in some cases offer couples support in the same way a human can. Experts also claim that some people can 'open up' more away from a counselling room. Similar 'woebots' including one called 'Ellie' have already been tested on US Army soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder. AI 'woebots' like this one developed in America to support soldiers with PTSD could be the answer to the growing demand for counselling Mr Jones told The Times: 'We have to start to look at what can be done with a non-human interaction. [AI] can learn as it interacts with different clients and 'present the environment', which has value in the same way as with a real counsellor'. Relate has a live chat service that helps more than 15,000 people every year. Mr Jones said: 'Our counsellors tell me because it is more anonymous people will start to explain what their issue is faster than if they were in a counselling room'. Relate is looking for new ways to support people, including via webcam, but says it will not cut its 1,500 counsellors. But some are less convinced. Harry Benson, research director at the Marriage Foundation, said: 'No doubt machines could be programmed to use reflective listening and paraphrasing but in couples counselling it doesn't seem to matter very much what method one uses so long as there is trust in the therapist. It's hard to see how a machine can replace that.' The US Army is investigating the prospect of robot therapists for soldiers to discuss post-traumatic stress disorder. The idea was suggested by researchers at the University of South California, who have spent months analyzing how to connect with soldiers emotionally. While there are already post-tour surveys to assess mental health, military officers can be reluctant to divulge mental health issues. Experts suggest it is largely out of fear that their answers could affect their career prospects. The US Army is now seeking innovative new techniques to side-step that reluctance amid rocketing rates of PTSD-related suicides, shootings and anti-anxiety prescriptions. After a series of tests and interviews, they found that soldiers gave more detailed and honest answers when speaking to a computer than a human - and even more so when it was a 'humanized' virtual therapist - in other words, a robot. The robot - called Ellie - gave the appearance of humanity, to build a social rapport, without the feeling that they would be judged, the researchers concluded. She spoke with soldiers and veterans who served in war zones. The servicemen were up to three times more likely to reveal symptoms of post-traumatic stress to Ellie, the virtual chatbot, than on an official military survey called the post-deployment health assessment (PDHA). That was even after being assured the assessment would remain anonymous, researchers report in Frontiers in Robotics and AI. 'We believe this could be of value to veterans,' said study leader Gale Lucas, a research psychologist at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies in Los Angeles. A US Army unit deployed to an American military base in Germany rescinded an awkwardly specific and unnecessary order banning all types of sex, plus lap dances and cuddling in the barracks. The order was issued on December 17 through a memo signed by the lieutenant colonel of a unit within the 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, according to Stars and Stripes. The memo, which was apparently issued to keep the group focused on cleaning ahead of the end of their nine-month deployment, was deemed unnecessary on December 26, officials said. It was first published by the popular Facebook page, 'U.S Army W.T.F! moments' on the same day with was rescinded. A US Army unit deployed to an American military base in Germany rescinded an awkwardly specific and unnecessary order banning all types of sex, plus lap dances and cuddling in the barracks. In this file photo, paratroopers from the US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade and UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade take part in the Saber Junction 16 military exercises near the Hohenfels Training Area on April 12, 2016 near Grafenwoehr, Germany 'The intent of the policy letter was to ensure Soldiers remained professional and respectful of one another while they work and live in close, public quarters, like the barracks that house multiple Soldiers in an open bay,' Major Bonnie Conard, an Army spokesperson, said. The memo said it applied to all personnel attached to the unit at the base, where it was not immediately clear if any civilian spouses accompanied active soldiers, but the subject line seemed to limit the order to those residing in the barracks. 'Effective immediately, personnel are prohibited from engaging in sexual intercourse, acts that are sexual in nature, or acts that are done with the intent to sexually gratify any person in the Grafenwoehr Training Area,' the memo road. The memo went on to explicitly outline what was forbidden. Sexual intercourse includes, but is not limited to genital to genital sexual intercourse, oral to genital sexual intercourse, anal to genital sexual intercourse, and oral to anal sexual intercourse, it read. Acts that are sexual in nature include, but are not limited to, kissing, rubbing, humping, grinding, cuddling, and lap dancing. The order said that it applied to 'all Soldiers assigned to, attached to, and/pr under the tactical control of [blurred] stationed at Grafenwoehr Training Area (GTA) and residing in our unit footprint until rescinded.' According to MilitaryFactory.com, a 'footprint' encompasses all personnel present and occupying a space at a deployed location. Those found in violation of the policy were put on notice that such action may result in adverse administrative action or punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice [UCMJ]. The order said, The focus of the battalion is on agricultural cleaning and preparing our vehicles, equipment, and personal to return to Fort Hood, Texas. Conard said: 'The command decided that the policy is unnecessary, as good order and discipline may be enforced through existing administrative and UCMJ provisions. 'As a result, the policy letter was rescinded 26 December and soldiers were briefed on the importance of respecting others and maintaining good order and discipline.' The developer and builder of Sydney's troubled Opal Tower have locked themselves in a public blame game over who should be held responsible for the ongoing structural damage. Ecove, the building's developer, has revealed parts of a confidential contract with the builder, Icon, in a bid to point blame, The Australian reported. More specifically, Ecove aimed to establish the builder should be held accountable for both the building's design and construction. However, Icon was quick to defend itself - telling the paper residents' safety remained paramount. The developer and builder of Sydney's trouble Opal Tower have locked themselves in a public blame game over who should be held responsible for the ongoing structural damage 'Our priorities remain the safety and welfare of the residents and rectifying the issue, not on attempting to cover our backsides,' a spokeswoman said. However, the company also remained tight-lipped on when residents could move back into the building, which was first evacuated on Christmas Eve. 'Reoccupation will only occur after authorities can agree safety processes to ensure that residents are separated from potentially harmful equipment, and any required approvals are granted.' The revelations come as even more apartments are expected to be gutted as engineers attempt determine a cause for the structural damage. The 36-floor building was evacuated hours before Christmas, with at least 51 residents forced to leave. While some were initially let back in, it was later decided that structural engineers would require all residents to find temporary housing for at least 10 days while the cracks were repaired and the tower investigated. But 7News has since reported the 10-day deadline could be extended by months as engineers struggle to find a conclusive answer as to what caused the cracks - and more importantly - how to ensure the building is safe. Apartments have already been - or will be - gutted on levels four, six, seven and 10. This will include, but is not limited to, removing the walls to assess the structural damage. Residents were kicked from the troubled tower after hearing loud 'cracking' sounds which prompted them to notify emergency services New images show the interior of one such apartment that has already been assessed, showing a temporary metal wall in lieu of the plaster and exposed wires hanging from the roof New images show the interior of one such apartment that has already been assessed, showing a temporary metal wall in lieu of the plaster and exposed wires hanging from the roof. The cost of the metal props currently holding the building up is said to be in the hundreds of thousands, and more are currently on their way from international sources to due a shortage of supply locally. The ground level of the building has also been jackhammered and pavement ripped up. Engineers are allegedly calling for the further inspections to garner a more holistic understanding of the causes and impacts of the current debacle. They are also arguing it will allow them to assess the extent of the damage, amid rumours the engineers involved are currently at a loss as to how to go about repairing the building. The new details come just days after allegations surfaced that two new cracks on level four had been found. One of the cracks that was already found had allegedly grown from 3mm to 20mm wide in a little over a week. But Guy Templeton, the president and chief executive of engineering firm WSP Australia & New Zealand, dismissed the reports as 'completely untrue'. 'We've gone through the rest of the building, that (cracking) has been there for an indeterminate amount of time, not necessarily the same,' Mr Templeton said. 'It's been monitored and it hasn't moved at all. It's just a bit of cracked concrete, not very exciting.' Mr Templeton said there was no other areas of damage to the extent of level 10 and the building was still structurally sound. 'Units that are in the vicinity of required repairs, or are obstructed by propping, will not be able to be occupied until repairs are complete,' a statement from WSP said. Those evacuated have been put up in hotels, though a number of unlucky residents were relocated a second time due to pre-existing New Year's Eve bookings. The tower is subject to an internal and governmental investigation. Those evacuated have been put up in hotels with some unlucky residents being relocated a second time due to pre-existing New Year's Eve bookings The brother of an American who was arrested in Russia as an accused spy has spoken out to insist upon his innocence. Paul Nicholas Whelan, 48, is a Marine veteran who was visiting Moscow for a wedding when he was arrested on December 28 while allegedly participating in a 'spy mission'. Paul's brother David Whelan appeared on CNN on Tuesday to proclaim his brother's innocence, saying: 'He has a background in law enforcement, he was a Marine, he does corporate security and he travels regularly, so he's not the sort of person that would stumble into a strange environment or make poor choices that could cause him risks.' 'But particularly he wouldn't have made choices that would have gotten sideways of the Russian government and its espionage act,' the brother continued. Paul Whelan is seen in a 2006 photo taken outside the Kremlin in Moscow. He visited Russia regularly, and his brother says he was there for a wedding when he was arrested David Whelan (above) appeared on CNN on Tuesday to proclaim his brother's innocence David Whelan described his brother Paul as 'very loyal to family and friends.' 'Paul's a kind soul, he's very generous. He's notorious among my kids for his huge belly laugh and he often has stories that make your eye roll,' David Whelan said. Paul Whelan has been to Russia many times for work and personal business, and he flew to Moscow on December 22 to attend a wedding ceremony for a fellow ex-Marine and a Russian woman, David Whelan said. David Whelan told the Financial Times that his brother was staying in Moscow's Metropol Hotel, close to the Kremlin, with guests attending a party for the wedding. The brother said that Paul Whelan made frequent trips to Russia for both business and pleasure. Paul's old website, paulnwhelan.com, describes a 2006 visit to Russia, which appears to be his first trip to the country. An archived version of the site, which is no longer available, was reviewed by DailyMail.com. Whelan is seen on a prior trip to Russia. He visited regularly for work and pleasure 'Having grown up during the Cold War, it was a dream of mine to visit Russia and meet some of the sneaky Russians who had kept the western world at bay for so long!!' the website read. The website describe's a 'friend' named Maxim that Whelan made on his travels, who was 'currently serving with the Russian Army in Moscow' at the time. 'We met in Moscow and visited many interesting areas of the city together. We have stayed in touch with one another and have shared many interesting stories and experiences,' Whelan wrote. 'The Russian people were very polite and kind to a stranger who didn't speak the language and spent a lot of time wandering around the Metro without a clue as to where he was going!!' The website's photos have not been preserved, though the captions remain. In one, Whelan ironically notes: 'This is 'Lubyanka' where the KGB has our spies locked in the basement!!' Lubyanka is the popular name for the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the same agency that arrested Whelan on December 28. Paul Whelan is seen in a family photo provided by his brother. The Marine veteran from a suburb of Detroit was arrested in Russia on December 28 on espionage allegations Paul Whelan was born in Canada to British parents, but lives in Michigan now, his brother said. The State Department has said he is a U.S. citizen. Public records show that Whelan is a resident of Novi, Michigan, a small city on the northwest outskirts of Detroit. Whelan is a federally licensed firearms dealer, records show. His license lists his business as Kingsmead Arsenal in Novi, and is valid for dealing and repairing firearms. He has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's in business administration, he said in a 2013 deposition for an age discrimination suit that other parties had filed against one of his former employers. From 1988 to 2000 Whelan served as a police officer on the Chelsea, Michigan, force, and as a deputy in the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. His military service began in 1990. He was in the Marines reserves from 1990 to 2001, the year he joined Troy, Michigan-based staffing firm Kelly Services as an IT project manager. Two years later, in 2003, he took military leave to serve in Iraq, and didn't return to Kelly Services until 2008. In 2010 he was made senior manager of global security and operations at Kelly. Whelan focused on physical security for the company's headquarters, and in particular on preventing workplace violence, according to a 2013 interview with Security Magazine. His work would have brought him into contact with federal law enforcement and even foreign embassy staff. Whelan said in the deposition that 'Kelly Services is a global company, and we work with federal agencies all the time, whether it is OSAC or the LEGATT at the foreign embassies, or we work with HUD or DEA, FBI, ATF, whomever in the United States.' A spokeswoman for Kelly Services told DailyMail.com that Whelan was employed there until February 2016. She declined to comment further, citing company policy. Whelan joined automotive parts maker BorgWarner in 2017, a company source told DailyMail.com. Michigan-based auto parts maker BorgWarner confirmed in a statement to DailyMail.com that Paul Whelan is currently employed there overseeing facility security. 'We can confirm that Mr. Whelan currently serves as the company's director, global security. He is responsible for overseeing security at our facilities in Auburn Hills, Michigan and at other company locations around the world,' company said in a statement. 'BorgWarner has been in contact with the relevant U.S. Government authorities and has offered our full cooperation in order to help our employee and the U.S. government. We ask that any further inquiries regarding this issue be directed to the U.S. State Department,' the company added. Paul Nicholas Whelan, 48, (above) is a retired Marine and was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding when he was arrested on December 28, his brother said Earlier on Tuesday, David Whelan first came forward to address his brother's arrest in a statement. 'We have read reports of the arrest in Moscow of Paul Whelan, our son & brother. Paul is a retired Marine and was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding,' David Whelan said in the statement. 'We noticed that he was not in communication on the 28th, which was very much out of character for him even when he was traveling,' the statement continued. The brother added: 'We learned of his arrest on Monday morning after his detention was picked up on newswires and have contacted Congressional representatives, the U.S. Embassy, and the State Department. We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected.' Experts on the Kremlin quickly speculated that Paul Whelan's arrest was bogus, and an attempt to create leverage against America in the case of Maria Butina, a Russian woman who recently pleaded guilty in the U.S. to acting as an illegal foreign agent. Paul Whelan's twin brother, a legal librarian in Ontario, issued the above statement on Tuesday 'The arrest of American Paul Whelan in Moscow by the FSB as he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding looks increasingly like a hostage situation,' financier Bill Browder, who calls himself Vladimir Putin's 'Enemy Number One', wrote on Twitter early Tuesday. 'All foreign travellers to Russia should beware that anything could happen. The US government should intervene decisively in this case,' Browder wrote. Browder had previously speculated that Whelan was arrested because 'Putin wants a hostage for leverage purposes.' At a press conference last week, Putin denied that Butina was a Russian agent, saying that the 'law of retaliation states, 'An eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth,' but insisting 'we will not arrest innocent people simply to exchange them for someone else later on.' Whelan's arrest was announced on Monday in a terse statement from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). 'On December 28, 2018, in the city of Moscow, a US citizen Paul Whelan was detained by officers of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation during a spy mission,' the statement said. No other details about the allegations against Whelan were immediately available. Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Whelan could be facing 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted. Experts on the Kremlin quickly speculated that the arrest was bogus, and an attempt to create leverage against America in the case of Russian woman Maria Butina (above) Kremlin foe Bill Browder (above), who calls himself Vladimir Putin's 'Enemy Number One', accused Russia of wanting 'a hostage for leverage purposes' after Whelan's arrest In a statement to DailyMail.com on Monday, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: 'We are aware of the detention of a U.S. citizen by Russian authorities. We have been formally notified of the detention by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.' 'Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it,' the statement continued. Citing privacy considerations, the State Department declined to comment further. The State Department has not issued any new advisories to U.S. travelers in the wake of Whelan's arrest. The agency has a standing Level 2 warning in place for Russia advising 'increased caution' for travelers. 'U.S. citizens visiting or residing in Russia have been arbitrarily interrogated or detained by Russian officials and may become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion. Russian officials may unreasonably delay U.S. consular assistance to detained U.S. citizens,' the warning states in part. President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the mounting diplomatic crisis sparked by Whelan's arrest. In a tweet on Tuesday morning, as Whelan's brother confirmed his identity, Trump wrote in all caps: 'Happy New Year to everyone, including the haters and the fake news media!' The FSB revealed on Friday that Whelan had been arrested. Pictured above are the State Historical Museum (left) in Moscow and the towers of the Kremlin (right) Trump continued: '2019 will be a fantastic year for those not suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just calm down and enjoy the ride, great things are happening for our country!' Whelan's arrest dramatically increases tensions in a growing spy drama between the U.S. and Russia. On December 13, Butina in a deal with prosecutors pleaded guilty to working on behalf of the Kremlin to cultivate sources inside the Republican party before the 2016 presidential election. The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of 'conspiracy against the United States' when she appeared at federal court in Washington D.C. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the case is fabricated and that Butina entered the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence. Butina said she acted at 'the direction' of a Russian official, who was not named in court, but previously has been identified as Alexander Torshin, a Russian politician close to Vladimir Putin and who is now subject to U.S. sanctions as well as being an alleged mafia money-launderer. This is the shocking moment a man grabbed a fellow New Year's Eve reveller by her hair before repeatedly punching her and throwing her to the ground. The man threw at least seven punches in five seconds outside Lotus nightclub in Clapham, South West London, overnight as a security guard tried to intervene. The victim, youth justice student Krystal Mission, 21, told MailOnline she felt pain 'everywhere' after the attack and it sounded like the man was 'enjoying it'. The attack happened shortly before 4am today, four hours after a woman allegedly pushed one of Miss Mission's friends in the queue to get in around midnight. Miss Mission and her friends believe the women knew the man and encouraged him to launch the attack. Scotland Yard detectives have not yet made any arrests. The incident happened outside the club, which had last night hosted an event called 'Galaxy Gala 2019 - New Year's Eve at Lotus', with tickets costing up to 40. Miss Mission told MailOnline: 'My leg is scraped up, I think that's when I was being dragged on the floor. Both my arms are swollen from the punches. 'The side of my face is swollen. I just feel pain everywhere. To be honest I'm just putting everything together at the moment, I was all a bit of blur. 'I just got caught off guard - I wasn't expecting the guy to hit me. He attacked me out of the blue before the video. I don't even know what happened. 'I couldn't watch it until a little while ago, because he was making sound effects in the video - it sounded like he was enjoying it. The man threw at least seven punches in five seconds outside Lotus nightclub in Clapham 'Now I've watched it, I can't believe it's actually me. A lot of people have started to say they recognise the person. We think we have a name to go to the police with.' She added: 'I don't think I'm going to go out any more. I just keep thinking about it. It's probably going to take a while for me to get over this.' Her friend Tanya Matangaidze posted a video of the attack online in the early hours and said she was 'in shock' - describing the man as a 'coward' for running off. Miss Matangaidze, a dancer from Zimbabwe who uses the Twitter name 'Flower You Got To Protect', posted about the attack in a series of tweets after 5.30am today. She wrote: 'Guys this guy attacked my friend outside Lotus today. Please retweet, this needs to be seen. He is such a coward. See how he ran away after. The security guard was unable to intervene during the brawl in South West London overnight 'I couldn't record it obviously, but he attacked me too and punched me in the face when I tried to pull him off my friend so every retweet to identify him is vital. 'Honestly, I'm in shock. She didn't touch him. We don't know him. He literally came out of nowhere. Such a coward, honestly 'People can be so mad, honestly. I don't know how many times we have to say, she didn't do anything to him. He literally came out of nowhere.' Miss Matangaidze added that 'nothing justifies him attacking a female like that', and said he had 'already dragged her across the road' when she started filming. One friend of the victim posted a video of the attack online in the early hours of today Another of the victim's friends, Steph Dixon, tweeted: 'Everyone, please watch this as this was my friend last and was horrible to witness, people are disgusting. 'Please retweet because this guy needs to be arrested as he not only injured her but also another one of my friends. He has left my friend scared and bruised. 'Find him. This attack was unprovoked. There was a group of girls being rude to us so we tried to leave the scene and order an Uber. 'But whilst we were waiting, the guy in the video came out of nowhere and proceeded to drag and punch my friend. The club had last night hosted an event called 'Galaxy Gala 2019 - New Year's Eve at Lotus' 'We think that the girls knew the boy, hyped up the situation where he then attacked my friend. Disgusting. 'We hadn't seen him prior to the incident all night and was trying to leave because of what happened with the girls. 'Whether provoked or unprovoked, this is never acceptable. The club will have CCTV footage anyway which will prove that.' A Scotland Yard spokesman told MailOnline today: 'Police were called to Clapham High Street, SW4 at 4am following reports of an assault. Tickets for the New Year's Eve event at Lotus club in Clapham last night cost up to 40 each 'Officers attended and spoke to a woman who explained that she had been assaulted by a man outside a nightclub. 'A description of the male suspect was taken as part of a common assault crime report. 'No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue. The victim refused medical treatment at the scene.' Lotus nightclub has been contacted for comment today. Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call them via 101 quoting reference CAD2337/01JAN2019 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 Nine people are dead and dozens more remain missing after a landslide on the Indonesian island of Java. Tonnes of mud is said to have buried 30 house as it barreled down Sukabumi in West Java's surrounding hills late on New Year's Eve. Sixty people who were displaced have fled to a temporary shelter, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Nine people are dead and dozens more remain missing after a landslide on the Indonesian island of Java Tonnes of mud is said to have buried 30 house as it barreled down Sukabumi in West Java's surrounding hills late on New Year's Eve Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents were forced to dig through the debris with their bare hands, shovels and hoes as heavy rain hindered their efforts More than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital. A further 34 villagers are said to remain missing. Torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets and left it near-impossible to bring tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads. Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents were forced to dig through the debris with their bare hands, shovels and hoes as heavy rain hindered their efforts. More than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital (pictured) Torrential rains (pictured) sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets and left it near-impossible to bring tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads Compounding the landslide's effects was the country's terrain which sees millions live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers 'Lack of equipment, bad weather and blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead,' Nugroho said. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia. Compounding the landslide's effects was the country's terrain which sees millions live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. The latest landslide occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations less than two weeks after a deadly volcano and tsunami disaster. An air passenger stripped naked and started walking up and down the aisles on a flight to India - before being covered up by flight attendants. The man took his clothes off as the Air India Express flight - with 150 on board - was making its way from Dubai to the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Saturday. Cabin crew quickly covered the nude passenger - named only as Surendra - with a blanket and kept him seated until the plane touched down. An air passenger stripped naked and started walking up and down the aisles on a flight to India - before being hastily covered up by flight attendants The 35-year-old was then handed over to security, according to reports in India. A passenger told the newspaper: 'As soon as the aircraft crew saw him walking nude, they pounced on him and wrapped him in a blanket. 'Initially, the man resisted but the staff managed to overpower him.' The man took his clothes off as the Air India Express flight (file picture) - with 150 on board - was making its way from Dubai to the northern Indian city of Lucknow on Saturday According to the Times of India, airline officials say he was suffering from 'mental trauma' following alleged harassment at the hands of his employer in Dubai. However, the exact reason why he stripped remains unclear. A spokesperson for the airline told ANI: 'As per the direction of the Captain of the flight, the passenger was handed over to Airlines Security at Lucknow Airport where an investigation is underway.' NBC has been slammed for its New Year's Eve coverage in New York's Times Square with angry viewers describing it as a 'train-wreck' after the network failed to show the entire countdown and aired Chrissy Teigen talking about vaginal steaming. Baffled viewers flooded Twitter with complaints about NBC's coverage and its hosts as the countdown unfolded on Monday night. Some called the network's coverage a 'complete disaster' and others suggested it was the 'worst New Year's Show ever'. Many complained about NBC failing to broadcast a countdown clock or the ball drop in Time's Square. NBC has been slammed for its New Year's Eve coverage in New York's Times Square with angry viewers describing it as a 'train-wreck'. Pictured above are hosts Leslie Jones, Chrissy Teigen and Carson Daly 'Is it just me or did #NBC not show the actual ball drop?' one user tweeted. 'NBC when did hosta become more of a focal point than the ball drop? Better luck in 2020? #fail #NewYearsEve2019. 'We tuned in to see the ball drop. Explain where the hell THAT was,' another Twitter user complained. 'For those of you that didn't watch @nbc coverage of the 'ball drop'... they didn't show the ball or a countdown clock, but we did get this lovely gem of @Lesdoggg tried to take out @chrissyteigen with an umbrella.' Viewers also took aim at one of the hosts, Chrissy Teigen, after she briefly explained vaginal steaming to co-host Carson Daly about 15 minutes before midnight. The model shared photos on social media earlier this year of her carrying out the remedy, which is said to cleanse the vagina and help regulate menstruation and ease period cramping. It involves sitting or squatting over a bowl of steaming, herb-infused water for between 20 and 60 minutes. The remedy, which surged in popularity after Gwyneth Paltrow promoted the benefits back in 2015, can cost roughly $75 per 30 minutes in some spas. 'Watching NBC with my 12 year old 20 min before the ball drops and Chrissy Teigen starts talking about vaginal steaming. Really?! The host of NYE... vaginal steaming? Come on... have a little CLASS. Too many families watching honey. Not cute,' a Twitter user said. Viewers also took aim at one of the hosts, Chrissy Teigen, after she briefly explained vaginal steaming and NBC aired a photo of her carrying out the procedure 'Why is @chrissyteigen talking about vaginal steaming on the NBC New Years countdown? I hope she's just drunk but I'm almost positive she's just dumb and obnoxious. Poll Do you think NBC's New Year's Eve coverage was a train-wreck? Yes No Do you think NBC's New Year's Eve coverage was a train-wreck? Yes 9296 votes No 277 votes Now share your opinion Another Twitter user wrote: 'Whenever you think our society isn't making some kind of progress, remember the time a major network pre-approved a Chrissy Teigen to discuss a photo of her doing vaginal steaming on a NYE broadcast. What a time to be alive #2019Mood.' Chrissy Teigen also got a painful poke in the eye from co-host Leslie Jones' umbrella when they tried to hug during the broadcast when midnight struck. The model was seen taking a spoke right in the face as she leaned in for a hug with Leslie Jones on Monday night. Teigen later joked on New Year's Day that she was: 'heading back out to time's square to find my eyeball'. Elsewhere, NBC brought out some heavy hitters for it's New Year's Eve celebration. Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Diana Ross and Chrissy's hubby John Legend all performed during the special. Ouch: Chrissy Teigen got a painful poke in the eye from Leslie Jones' umbrella as they attempt to hug during NYE broadcast on Monday night Poked: Reeling in half-mock, half-actual pain, Jones than heightened the offending tool before going in for a second attempt, hugging her apologies successfully this time Meanwhile over on CNN, hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper butted heads with Times Square security after event organizers told them that CNN would not be invited back next year if they didn't relinquish their umbrellas. Early on in their CNN broadcast, Cohen and Cooper were huddled underneath a single umbrella before the Watch What Happens Live host went off-camera for a minute and returned to announce that someone with the Times Square Alliance, which organized the festivities, had told him to ditch his umbrella because it's a security risk. Cohen responded with a lengthy rant about how absurd it was that the person allegedly threatened to revoke CNN's credentials in 2020 if they don't comply, blasting: 'This is some grade A BS!' Times Square erupted with fireworks and cheers at the stroke of midnight as thousands of hardy merrymakers braved pouring rain and watched the glowing New Year's Eve ball complete its midnight descent to mark the start of 2019. For the multitudes who gathered in the famed midtown Manhattan crossroads, the thrilling moment was reward for enduring hours of standing in a steady downpour during the waning hours of 2018. Many donned plastic rain ponchos and sported colorful, oversized top hats handed out by organizers. Meanwhile over on CNN, hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper butted heads with Times Square security after event organizers told them that CNN would not be invited back next year if they didn't relinquish their umbrellas Times Square erupted with fireworks and cheers at the stroke of midnight as thousands of hardy merrymakers braved pouring rain and watched the glowing New Year's Eve ball complete its midnight descent to mark the start of 2019 Darlene Freitas, from Ontario, Canada, center, and others stand in the rain as they took part in the New Year's Eve festivities in New York's Times Square A baby boy has been miraculously found alive in the rubble of a Russian apartment block destroyed in a gas explosion. The 11-month old-child was found swaddled in his cot, having survived more than 24 hours in temperatures of minus 23C. Sniffer dogs alerted rescuers, after which they heard the child crying and were able to dig him out. The ten-month old-child was found swaddled in his cot, having survived more than 24 hours in freezing temperatures after a gas explosion explosion brought down the building he boy has since been named as Ivan 'Vanya' Fokin whose mother Olga, 31, had save herself and his three-year-old brother in the carnage but was unable to pull her youngest son from the collapsed apartment block. Health officials said the baby had suffered frostbite, two broken legs and a head injury, describing his condition as 'severe'. 'His mother is my cousin,' said a woman called Olesya. 'She was sleeping on the sofa with her older child, who is three years old, and Vanya slept in his cot. 'She escaped with the older one but Vanya was not found.' In an amazing revelation, Vanya's father Yevgeny Fokin told how he guided the rescuers over the rubble and helped them locate the baby. Sobbing in a phone call, he said: 'I was working alongside the rescuers. I showed them the area where he was. 'I helped to pull away the rubble, and showed where to look for him... and that was it, they pulled him out.' Saved! Rescue workers are seen pulling the little boy from the rubble on Tuesday Rescuer Pyotr Gritsenko said: 'We cut through linoleum and I saw a face of a baby. 'He was opening his eyes, and reacted to sounds. He was crying and calling for help. 'There was a huge danger of everything collapsing, but at that point we were not afraid for ourselves - we were scared for the baby. 'We cut through metal and we moved a sofa away and behind it we found a cot - it was almost completely broken. 'It was very hard to reach from above as there were concrete piles right above the cot.' The baby was rescued shortly before authorities decided to suspend the search for the estimated 35 people still missing after the catastrophe. The structure is too unsafe to continue rescue operations until parts of it have been dismantled, say emergency officials. It is not believed anyone is still alive under the debris after the fierce fireball explosion brought down the apartment block in Magnitogorsk in Russia's Ural Mountains region. Seven children are among those who perished in the building, it is feared, according to regional officials. The first film has emerged of the last man to be pulled alive from the mayhem - some seven hours after yesterday's 6am gas blast. Emergency officers inspect rubble as they take part in a rescue operation after a gas explosion rocked a residential building in Russia's Urals city of Magnitogorsk The resident was brought out on a stretcher yesterday and rushed to a waiting ambulance. Like several survivors he had suffered from frost bite, it is understood. Since then no-one has been found alive under the rubble, and operations to hunt for human remains are now suspended. Some 39 psychologists are working with victims, and the bereaved after the explosion which came hours before Russian Father Christmas delivered presents to children. The horror led to muted New Year celebrations across the country after Vladimir Putin visited the site in the Urals industrial city and urged Russians to think of those who has suffered in the disaster. Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev said today there was a threat to life of emergency workers to continue the salvage operation until unsafe walls had been dismantled. The operation could be halted for up to 24 hours, he indicated. 'There is a real risk that more sections of the building will collapse,' he said. 'A wall of the seventh entrance is losing balance. 'It is impossible to continue salvage operations in such conditions.' Dozens are missing after a high-rise block of flats collapsed in Russia when the building was rocked by a gas explosion A total of 48 apartments were damaged in the ten-storey building. A huge fire broke out after a suspected gas explosion His press service said: 'The debris cleanup and the search will continue only after the threat of collapse is eliminated.' The announcement followed the discovery on Tuesday morning of an eighth body - an adult - in the rubble. 'We have found an eighth body, but it has not been pulled out of the rubble yet. We don't know who it is but it is an adult, not a child,' said a source. Five were pulled alive from the collapsed building in which 35 flats were completely destroyed, and more than ten partially destroyed. A total of 35 people are unaccounted for, say emergency officials in Russia. Some 1,000 workers are at the site, said reports today. A day of mourning has been declared for 2 January, announced the governor of Chelyabinsk region Boris Dubrovsky. Rescuer have been digging through the rubble after the building collapsed in the wake of a gas explosion Vladimir Putin visited the scene on New Year's Eve and met a 13-year-old boy pulled from the debris. The boy was reported to have suffered from frostbite. The fate of his parents and relatives was not clear from Russian media reports. When Putin asked him what he wanted as a present for New Year - the traditional time when Russians exchange gifts - the boy lying in a hospital bed was unable to answer. The Kremlin leader told him to think, and he would ensure the gift was delivered later. Reports said it was delivered today. In televised comments in Magnitogorsk, Putin earlier said: 'First of all, I want to express my words of condolences to the families of those who died in the tragedy, to assure all the victims that we will do everything to help and support them.' After meeting survivors in hospital he called on Russians marking New Year to think about the victims of the tragedy. 'We need to remember those who died and suffered, in our hearts, because this is in the nature of our people,' he said. Harvest Salts Delivered for First SOP Production Perth, Dec 28, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australian Potash Limited ( ASX:APC ) (APC or the Company) is pleased to announce that its pilot processing facility in Canning Vale has recieved 3 tonnes of the final potassium rich harvest salts from the Lake Wells pilot evaporation program.Highlights:- 3 tonnes of potassium rich feeder salts delivered to Canning Vale pilot processing plant for production of SOP trade samples through January 2019- SOP trade sample verification work planned for Q1 2019, after December 2018 meetings held with Chinese MOU off-take partners.- University of Western Australia's School of Agriculture and Environment has developed a greenhouse research project into the efficacy of APC's Lake Wells SOP on Western Australian soil types to be initiated in Q2 2019- UWA research program developed in conjunction with field trials testing the effect of SOP versus MOP on yield, quality and soil biology commencing Q2 2019- Approximately 2.5 tonnes of magnesium chloride rich bitterns retained for road construction trial on the Lake Wells access road through Q1 2019This milestone marks an essential step for the Company and the sector, as APC is poised to become the first Australian producer of SOP from field evaporated salts.Managing Director and CEO, Matt Shackleton, commented: "One area of focus for APC's project team over the past 12 months has been to develop and refine the site evaporation model. Understanding the chemistry of the salts that are produced through the natural evaporation cycle is crucial to planning both the commercial scale development and SOP processing strategies."We are delighted to reach this important milestone in our development plans. In January 2019, we plan to produce Australia's first field evaporated sulphate of potash, which will be of enormous value to APC and our MOU off-take partners, as we will be able to detail the chemical composition of the SOP we can produce."2019 will be an exciting year for APC on several fronts, including the commissioning of a greenhouse SOP-MOP trial managed by the University of Western Australia's world class School of Agriculture and Environment. The trial will also be supported by field trials across at least 5 sites, examining the effect of SOP versus MOP. The robust analysis will also test broad acre crop yields and grain quality across several of the various Western Australian soil types."APC has always been focussed on developing an operation that can provide this enormously beneficial fertiliser to the local Western Australian, Australian and south-east Asian markets at a cost that promotes SOP use over MOP. Buyers acknowledge APC's Lake Wells Potash Project's superior logistical advantage concerning rail and port access, local government support and low-risk brine abstraction model, and the likely effect these advantages will have on operating cost."Running these research and trial programs through 2019 will allow us to further define the agronomic benefits of APC's Lake Wells SOP, and engage with the end-user farming sector on the cost of supply."About Australian Potash Ltd Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC) is an ASX-listed Sulphate of Potash (SOP) developer. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Lake Wells Potash Project located approximately 500kms northeast of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields. Following the release of a Scoping Study in 2017, APC has been conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the development of the Lake Wells Potash Project. The Company is aiming to release the findings of the DFS in H2 2019. The Lake Wells Potash Project is a palaeochannel brine hosted sulphate of potash project. Palaeochannel bore fields supply large volumes of brine to many existing mining operations throughout Western Australia, and this technique is a well understood and proven method for extracting brine. APC will use this technically low-risk and commonly used brine extraction model to further develop a bore-field into the palaeochannel hosting the Lake Wells SOP resource. A Scoping Study on the Lake Wells Potash Project was completed and released on 23 March 2017. The Scoping Study exceeded expectations and confirmed that the Project's economic and technical aspects are all exceptionally strong, and highlights APC's potential to become a significant long-life, low capital and high margin sulphate of potash (SOP) producer. A British holidaymaker died in the Caribbean on her 54th birthday after contracting a deadly blood disease similar to meningitis. Lynne Crouch from Essex died in a quarantine ward in hospital in the Dominican Republic on Sunday afternoon, after battling the illness for less than a week. Her husband Peter, 63, said his partner of ten years 'brought life, light and sunshine into the lives of everybody who had the honour of meeting her.' Mrs Crouch felt fine on the evening of December 23 which she spent with her husband at the bar of their hotel. But the following morning, she was unable to stand and when she tried to go for lunch, she vomited and collapsed. Mr Crouch, who is still on the island, said: 'It all happened so fast - one minute we were standing at the bar and the next morning Lynne couldn't get out of bed. Lynne and Peter Crouch on their wedding day last summer. The couple had been together for ten years Peter Crouch, 63, and wife Lynne, 54. Lynne Crouch died on her birthday on Sunday, in he Dominic Republic, after falling victim to a rare blood disease Peter said that he and Lynne has enjoyed magical times together and many holidays 'I was feeling 100 per cent but she became so ill so quickly - why did this happened to her and not me?' In diary notes made on the day before his wife's death, Mr Crouch said: 'Lynne does not know who I am and says she can't see - only bright lights. Her head drops and becomes limp and the vomiting and diarrhoea is constant. 'Lynne becomes covered in mauve blotches and I am told her health is a "grave matter". I stay with Lynne all night and watch as she can't hear or see me and I just hold her hand and wait for the morning.' She died at 5pm the following day. Mrs Crouch's skin became covered in mauve blotches as the infection spread rapidly Mrs Crouch was diagnosed with meningococcemia - a rare bacterial blood infection of the same type that causes meningitis. Mrs Crouch was initially taken to Punta Cana Medical Center and incorrectly diagnosed with entamoeba histolytica - a virus that infects 50 million people worldwide each year, killing around 55,000. When she was transferred to a larger hospital in the capital city of Santo Domingo, doctors changed her diagnosis to meningococcemia - a blood infection caused by a virus associated with meningtitis. Her husband said: 'It's just so confusing to think she is not with me anymore - I still have her suitcase and all her things with me. 'I think it will hit me when I finally get home and realise she is not there anymore'. He paid tribute to his late wife, saying: 'Our Lynne was the most beautiful, amazing and caring person. 'She brought life, light and sunshine into the lives of everybody who had the honour of meeting her. The couple were on a Christmas getaway to the Caribbean island of the Domincan Republic. Punta Cana on the island pictured above Mrs Crouch was initially taken to Punta Cana Medical Center then transferred to a larger hospital in the capital city of Santo Domingo 'She has cared for people all her life and we have lost somebody who is truly irreplaceable. She will be beyond missed and our lives will never be the same.' Mr Crouch, who has children from a previous relationship, said he does not know when he will be able to return to his family in the UK. His brother Jamie flew out to support him while he arranges for his wife's body to be repatriated. But with an autopsy yet to take place, the family do not yet know how Mrs Crouch contracted the bacteria or why it developed so quickly. The widower said: 'She is my wife, I can't just leave her here. 'I don't know when we will be back in the UK because we have to wait for the official paperwork and as it is New Year, many offices are shut.' He said he and his wife 'had an amazing life together' and 'enjoyed many holidays' during the ten blissful years together. The couple first met in their local pub in Loughton and quickly moved in together. They married last June on the Greek island of Kos, surrounded by friends and family. He said: 'We used to do everything together and had many wonderful holidays. 'We had a brilliant life together - at least I can say that.' Britain considered using chickens to trigger nuclear land mines in a bizarre scheme to shore up its defences during the Cold War. Military chiefs planned to use the explosives to devastate Soviet forces if they forced the western Allies into retreat during an invasion of Europe. But designers feared the bombs would become too cold if they were buried underground during a winter war, meaning they would not explode. Their improbable solution was to place chickens inside the mine - nicknamed Blue Peacock - using their body heat to keep the nuclear weapon working. The seven-tonne nuclear land mine, codenamed Blue Peacock, which Britain planned to use against a Soviet attack and for which a bizarre plan was developed using chickens A top secret document from 1957 discussing the nuclear land mine plans, spelling out the fears of military chiefs that the weapon might not work in the cold during a winter invasion of Europe The chickens would have enough food for eight days and would then starve, meaning they could function as a primitive timer. A 1957 document, not revealed to the public until 2004, said that 'chickens, with a heat output of the order of 1,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) per bird per day are a possibility.' The plan sought to hold up Soviet invaders if they breached the Iron Curtain and attacked West Germany. Research by David Hawkings, published in the journal Discovery, unearthed details of the secret nuclear land mine plan. Britain planned to make 10 of the mines and position them with the British Army in West Germany to counter a feared Soviet attack. Tests on the 16,000-pound weapon were to be explained away by saying it was an 'atomic power unit for troops in the field', the research found. Research by David Hawkings (pictured), published in the journal Discovery , unearthed details of the secret nuclear land mine plan known as 'Blue Peacock' The mushroom cloud after a nuclear explosion. Britain planned to make 10 of the mines and position them with the British Army in West Germany to counter a feared Soviet attack However the mine was scrapped in 1958 after just two prototypes had been manufactured, and was never used. Military chiefs are said to have been reluctant to place nuclear weapons in allied countries, fearing the possible fallout. The Cold War plans were hatched after the first UK nuclear bomb was detonated on islands off Western Australia in Operation Hurricane, in October 1952. The 1950s testing produced the Blue Danube bomb, Britain's first nuclear weapon, which was transported by RAF planes. Britain later switched away from air-launched weapons, introducing the Polaris submarine-based system in 1968. The final air-launched nuclear weapon was abandoned in 1998, according to the MoD, leaving Trident as the UK's deterrent. ISIS jihadist and recruiter Neil Prakash may be able to keep his Australian citizenship - despite Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton ordering it be stripped. The Melbourne-born 27-year-old was originally thought to have dual Australian and Fijian citizenship. However, the process of removing Prakash's Australian citizenship hit a wall on Tuesday after the Fijian immigration department director revealed Prakash never had Fijian citizenship, according to Reuters. ISIS jihadist and recruiter Neil Prakash (pictured) may be able to keep his Australian citizenship The Melbourne-born 27-year-old was originally thought to have dual Australian and Fijian citizenship The Australian Government understood Prakash had Fijian citizenship through his father. Yet the Fijian immigration department has reportedly claimed the jihadist never had Fijian citizenship, as he was born in Australia and never applied for Fijian citizenship. The revelation Prakash was not a dual national will render the Australian Government powerless. Under the 2007 Citizenship Act, Australia is unable to leave anyone stateless. Prakash was set to be the 12th dual national to have their citizenship revoked over associations with overseas terror groups. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the safety and security of Australian was his main priority. 'This government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible,' Mr Dutton said. 'Islamic State is opposed to Australia, our interests, values, democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.' Earlier this year, Mr Dutton said he hoped Prakash rotted in a Turkish jail after a court rejected the Melbourne-born terrorist's extradition to Australia to face justice. Prakash has been in custody near the border with Syria since 2016 after he attempted to enter Turkey with false documents. The Melbourne-born jihadi has spent two years and two months in a H-Type maximum-security prison in Gaziantep, Turkey Earlier this year, Mr Dutton said he hoped Prakash rotted in a Turkish jail after a court rejected the Melbourne-born terrorist's extradition to Australia to face justice He is facing charges of committing crimes against Turkey by being a member of Islamic State - which could result in him spending 15 years in prison. Prakash has previously admitted being a member of ISIS. The former rapper from Melbourne had featured in ISIS videos and has been linked to a failed Melbourne plot to behead a police officer. He is considered Australia's most wanted terrorist, with connections to a number of Australian jihadis. He is considered Australia's most wanted terrorist, with connections to a number of Australian jihadis He is facing charges of committing crimes against Turkey by being a member of Islamic State - which could result in him spending 15 years in prison Prakash has also been linked to another attack in which two officers were stabbed outside a Melbourne police station. The Muslim convert became radicalised at a Melbourne bookshop and moved to Syria in 2013. He fought with the caliphate for three years before paying a people smuggler to take him to Turkey. Yet he was caught crossing the Syrian border into Turkey and arrested by police after an Australian tip off in October 2016. Grace Marwick, 24, had a severe reaction to the pill which left her in hospital for a week A law student narrowly avoided death after she developed a blood clot in her lung - after taking the contraceptive pill for just three months. Grace Marwick, 24, of Ipswich, Suffolk, had a severe reaction to the Gedarel 30/150 pill which left her in hospital for a week and having to take blood-thinning medication for a year. The insurance claims handler, who was at Exeter University at the time of the clot, had started to feel breathless - four months after she started taking the tablets - but put it down to being unfit. But it was only when she collapsed that she sought medical attention and rushed to hospital. Medics told her she could have suffered a stroke or even died if she had not she seen a doctor when she did. Miss Marwick was admitted to an A&E unit where medics spotted the blood clot and saved her life. She said: 'My contraceptive pill almost killed me after I reacted badly to it and developed a blood clot in my lung. 'I'm lucky to be here today and I'm so grateful doctors spotted it when they did.' Miss Marwick, who first noticed symptoms in August 2015, said: 'I was really short of breath. I would run up the stairs and have to sit down, I would be huffing and puffing. Miss Marwick was in hospital for a week and had to take blood-thinning medication for a year 'Because I'd just been on holiday and had been eating loads of rubbish, I just thought I had got a bit unfit and that I needed to get back to the gym. I put it down to that and didn't worry too much.' But over the next few weeks Miss Marwick started noticing herself get worse and worse. She said: 'I was struggling with day to day tasks and felt like I needed to take everything a bit slower. 'I had to pause to catch my breath when walking around the supermarket doing my weekly shop.' Miss Marwick had gone to the doctor's surgery at her university campus in May 2015 and was put on the pill as a form of contraception. Medics told Miss Marwick, who was studying at Exeter University at the time, that she could have suffered a stroke or even died if she had not she seen a doctor when she did She said: 'It was the first time I'd been prescribed the pill. But it didn't cross my mind that I might have an adverse reaction to it. What is a pulmonary embolism? A pulmonary embolism is a blocked blood vessel in the lungs, which can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. Sufferers will have severe difficulty breathing, their heart will be beating very fast or they will have passed out. Patients at hospital are normally given an injection of anticoagulant medicine to stop blood clots getting bigger and prevent new clots forming. If tests confirm the patient has a pulmonary embolism, they will have at lesat five days of anticoagulant injections - and will need to take the tablets for at least three months. People who suffer a pulmonary embolism are normally expected to make a full recovery if it is spotted and treated early. Advertisement 'So many women take it and are absolutely fine, I was just one of the unlucky ones.' In August 2015, Grace collapsed after going to the train station to pick up a ticket for her journey to London where she was starting her new job. She said: 'My boyfriend, Ben, drove me to the station and he stayed in the car, whilst I popped out to buy my ticket. 'I wanted to avoid any stress on Monday morning when I planned to travel from Ipswich - where I lived - to London to start my new job at an insurance company. 'I went to rush into the station, but as I ran across the road to the entrance, I collapsed on the concrete. I woke up on the floor with a whole host of strangers around me. 'Ben didn't realise what was going on as he couldn't see me from where he was parked. When I came around, someone tried to call an ambulance. 'I sat up and insisted that I'd be fine, I thought I'd just taken a funny turn as I hadn't eaten any breakfast that morning and put it down to feeling a bit weak. Miss Marwick was admitted to A&E where medics spotted the blood clot and saved her life 'I asked someone to go and grab Ben and he came over. He helped me to my feet, but I couldn't walk without collapsing onto him. He drove home with me in the car. 'I wasn't sure what to do, I had hit my head on the concrete and that's why I thought I didn't feel good. When I got home, I couldn't walk up the stairs. 'Ben called the out of hours doctors and they said to get me straight to A&E at Ipswich Hospital. I was put in a wheelchair and started struggling to breathe.' Medics rushed Miss Marwick in and performed tests. When Miss Marwick collapsed, she sought medical attention and rushed to hospital She said: 'They told me it could be a blood clot on my lungs. After a few hours of waiting for results, they confirmed I'd suffered a pulmonary embolism. 'They asked for my medical history and any details of pre-existing medical conditions and I had no background in my family of anything like it. I was perfectly healthy. 'When I told them I was on the pill - and had been for a short while - they put it down to that.' Miss Marwick had to stay in hospital for a week whilst she recovered from the episode. An out of hours doctor said Miss Marwick should be taken straight to A&E at Ipswich Hospital She said: 'My heart rate was crazy, it wouldn't slow down. I was hooked up to a heart monitor and they started me on Warfarin - a blood thinning medication I needed to stay on for a year. I had bad concussion too which they gave me paracetamol for. 'The doctor told me it had all been caused by the pill and took me off it straight away. Thankfully I haven't had any problems since. 'Because the clot was on my lung, if I had waited any longer anything could have happened. 'I would have had a stroke if I had waited any longer and may have even died. I'm now taking a different pill which seems to be fine. 'I just want to warn other women and encourage them to be careful and to go straight to the doctors if they have any unusual symptoms at all.' Passers-by did a double take after spotting these fashion-conscious revellers all dressed in the same gear as they got ready to party into the New Year. The lads were mocked on social media for wearing identical tight-fitting grey trousers and matching black tops while queuing to get into a bar. The image was captured by Twitter user @TomPressPhotog outside Chemistry bar in Nottingham last night. He posted the humorous photograph to his followers along with the caption: 'Must have been a sale on tops and trousers at top man.' Passers-by did a double take after spotting these fashion-conscious revellers all dressed in the same gear as they got ready to party into the New Year The New Year revellers were mocked on social media for wearing identical tight-fitting grey trousers and matching black tops while queuing to get into a bar He wrote: 'More of the same, it's like attack of the f***ing clones.' Topman's buying director, Rachel Morgans says grey jeans are part of the latest fashion for 90s denim. She said: 'Classic grey wash jeans are back across a range of fits. The [wash] lends these designs an authentic, vintage feel.' Party-goers took to the streets across Britain to join lively celebrations to see in 2019, amid emergency services tackling one of the busiest nights of the year. The surprisingly mild December weather meant men and women were certainly dressed to impress as they strutted their stuff. In Cardiff a man was seen being wheeled in a buggy by his friend, while in another two women in pink fluffy bunny ears screamed into the night air as they saw in 2019. While in Birmingham a group of women wearing masquerade masks enjoyed the party atmosphere and 2019 balloons adorned the streets. The familiar ring of Big Ben ushered in the New Year in London as millions of revellers throughout Britain enjoyed spectacular firework displays. A Palestinian court on has sentenced a American-Palestinian man from east Jerusalem to life in prison with hard labor for trying to sell property in the Old City to an Jewish settler group. The court said Monday that Issam Akel, who has dual Palestinian and American citizenship, was convicted of 'attempting to cut off Palestinian land and sell it to a foreign country.' The ruling underscored an increasingly visible battle in the city's eastern sector that has emerged following President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital a year ago. Issam Akel, who has dual Palestinian and U.S. citizenship, was convicted of 'attempting to cut off Palestinian land and sell it to a foreign county' and sentenced to life in prison Since then, Israel has been taking steps to cement its control over the contested area while the Palestinians have attempted to push back to maintain their limited foothold. One of those steps has been trying to prevent Palestinians in east Jerusalem from selling their properties to Jews - a major taboo that the Palestinian Authority is largely powerless to prevent. The Palestinian Authority, which is barred by Israel from conducting political activity in Jerusalem, arrested Akel in Ramallah in October. Officials say he confessed to attempting to sell property in the Old City of Jerusalem to a Jewish settler group. Living in east Jerusalem, Akel has Israeli residency rights and is permitted under Israeli law to sell his property to whomever he wants. But the Palestinian Authority, which claims east Jerusalem as its capital, considers land sales to Israeli Jews to be treason and even punishable by death. Akel confessed to trying to sell a property in Jerusalem's Old City, pictured, to a Jewish group - a crime considered 'treason' by Palestinian authorities Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has never approved an execution, but he has punished Palestinians for selling land to Israeli settlers in the West Bank. He has never before attempted to apply the law in east Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed and considers an inseparable part of its capital. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined comment. But in the past, Israel has called for Akel's release and arrested Palestinian officials in retaliation. A U.S. official, meanwhile, said the U.S. was aware of the case. 'When a U.S. citizen is incarcerated abroad, the U.S. government works to provide all appropriate consulate assistance,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity under diplomatic protocol. The conflicting claims to east Jerusalem lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured the area, home to the city's most sensitive religious sites, in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it, claiming the entire city as its capital. But the annexation is not internationally recognized, and the Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Trump last year recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Although he said the declaration was not meant to determine the city's final borders, the move was interpreted by both sides as siding with Israel. The Palestinians severed ties with the White House in response. Marking the anniversary of his Fatah Party, Abbas on Monday said he would pre-emptively reject a peace plan the U.S. says it is preparing. 'Jerusalem is not for sale. We will never accept that,' he said. A woman separated from her mother at birth has today described the moment they hugged for the first time after they were finally reunited 61 years later. Norah Gibson, 63, never knew Margaret Campbell, now 85, because she was given up for adoption as a newborn in 1955. Her mother's parents chose to separate them and Margaret was not even allowed to hold her daughter before she was taken away in a Clydebank hospital. Norah did not want to upset her adoptive parents by trying to seriously trace her other family - but when her adoptive father John Gibson died in 1992, she began her search and they finally found each other two years ago. The hunt was made difficult because her mother Margaret Campbell was last listed as living in West Dunbartonshire - but in fact she used the name Rita as an adult and had emigrated to Canada. In November 2016 Rita flew to Scotland to be reunited with her daughter and the 4ft11in 85-year-old flung her arms around her child in Glasgow Airport's arrivals hall and told her simply: 'Here I am'. Norah Gibson with her mother Margaret 'Rita' Campbell, who were reunited after 61 years (pictured in Clydebank where she was born) Norah Gibson with her adoptive father John, who gave her a loving home, and whose death in 1992 inspired her to search for her birth mother Norah said today: 'I'd been looking for more than 50 years and got nowhere. I never wanted to give up looking for her'. In October this year, Norah flew to Canada to meet her 'second family' - and met the huge Campbell clan in their hometown, Campbellford, Ontario. She spent Thanksgiving with them and says she has a lot to be grateful for - including the love and affection shown to her by the family who raised her after she was adopted in 1955. Margaret Campbell actually went by the name Rita, making her daughter's search for her more difficult but they finally met in 2016 (pictured) Norah added: 'I'm eternally grateful - I told her 'if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my five grandchildren'. 'She created all these lives by going through what she did. 'I had to say that to her.' Grandmother-of-five Norah was finally able to get in touch with her birth mother after a TV production company helped with her research. Two years ago, Rita travelled all the way from Canada to Scotland to meet her daughter and they were reunited at Glasgow Airport. Norah, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire said: 'My mother was unmarried when she had me, and her parents took control. She never had a say in the matter.' Care worker Norah was inspired to seek out her birth mother after being told at a guest at her own wedding 'Your mother would be very proud of you'. The glamorous bride was aged 19 when she wed ex-husband Kenneth McMaster and was shocked when her ancestry was mentioned. But with the demands of raising four children, Andrew, Gregor, Ross and Lesley, and the tragic loss of her first child, Kenneth, her intentions of tracking down the woman who gave birth to her fell by the wayside. And Norah was afraid of upsetting her adoptive parents John and his second wife, Peggy, who he married after the death of his first wife, also named Norah. She described the couple as 'exceptional' and loving. After their deaths, she trawled through records in Edinburgh and discovered that when she was born, the name given to her was Anne. Rita Campbell meets four children of her long-lost daughter on a visit to Scotland Norah, pictured age 6, had always wanted to find her birth mother but also felt torn about upsetting the parents who brought her up as their own Her mother's name was listed as Margaret Campbell, who lived in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire. Norah knew about her past but waited until the 1990s to properly search for her mother - but success only came two years ago Norah pulled up the addresses of people named Margaret Campbell who still lived in the neighbourhood, but drew only blanks and even knocked on doors in the area but to no avail. But Margaret Campbell was actually known as Rita and living on the other side of the world in Canada. They were reunited with the help of television producers and began to exchange letters - eventually speaking for the first time on Mother's Day. Norah said: 'We look alike, we think alike - it is so similar, it's uncanny. My mum kept her secret all her life, there was only one of her brothers who knew. Their initial letters were short and pragmatic, addressing medical history. 'I think she was in shock and couldn't quite believe it. It was the most surreal feeling'. For the first time in 61 years, mother and daughter were able to embrace - as when the baby was born, she had been taken away from Rita immediately. Norah said: 'Her hands were tied, she didn't have any part in the decision. She literally saw me being taken out of the room.' Norah Gibson with mum Rita Campbell, who visited from Canada along with Norah's half-brother Ian Fair Poignantly, they visited the building where Norah had been born in Dumbarton - dubbed by her mother as 'the scene of the crime'. Over a two-week period, elderly Rita showed Norah the sights of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, where she had spent her youth. Norah said: 'I looked in records in Clydebank Town Hall and in Edinburgh, but all I had was her name and address, I didn't know she was using the name Rita.' 'She's just amazing, she's a lovely wee person.' ' Amy Keating told New Idea she had been texting the 43-year-old married man 'Sugar baby' at centre of sexting scandal tried to blackmail MP according to texts The father of the Irish 'sugar baby' who helped bring down a sex scandal MP has insisted his daughter didn't try to blackmail the politician. However, he did say she acted like a 'bloody eejit' - an Irish insult similar to idiot. Amy Keating, the 'sugar baby' at the centre of the sexting scandal with disgraced federal MP Andrew Broad, allegedly demanded he pay her more than $1,400 to keep her quiet. The father of the Irish 'sugar baby' who helped bring down a sex scandal MP has insisted his daughter didn't try to blackmail the politician (pictured: Andrew Broad) Amy Keating, the 'sugar baby' at the centre of the sexting scandal with disgraced federal MP Andrew Broad, allegedly demanded he pay her more than $1,400 to keep her quiet (pictured) Amy Keating met Mr Broad on a dating website for 'sugar babies' and he took her for dinner at the exclusive Aqua restaurant while he was at a fruit conference in Hong Kong in September. Mr Keating told the Sunday Independent his daughter had made a mistake. 'She has made many a mistake. She is as naive as they come, at times,' he admitted. However, he went on to say he was glad his daughter left her date with Mr Broad early after she began to feel uncomfortable in his company. 'But I am glad that she did what she did at the restaurant,' he told the publication. 'But do I think she covered herself in glory afterwards? Absolutely not. I thought she was a bloody eejit. An absolute idiot.' Earlier this month, Ms Keating told New Idea magazine Mr Broad, 43, had sent her a number of lewd messages, referring to himself as 'James Bond', while bragging about his 'important job'. But it has now emerged Ms Keating allegedly demanded the married politician to pay her 8000 HKD ($A1450) to keep quiet about their correspondence, the Herald Sun reported. Earlier this month, Ms Keating told New Idea magazine that Mr Broad, 43, had sent her a number of lewd messages, referring to himself as 'James Bond', while bragging about his 'important job' (pictured: Andrew Broad with wife of 19 years, Rachel) 'I have all your seedy messages and will go public with more story if you don't transfer the allowance of 8000 HKD ($A1450) into my PayPal account by the end of the day,' one message allegedly said. 'And believe me, I'm fully aware of how much more I could get if I went public to the papers with my story.' According to Ms Keating's texts, the Victoria MP gave off a 'good guy' image but was actually the opposite. The Herald Sun said it understood Mr Broad did not pay the woman and had accused her of blackmail. Five weeks before the controversial texts were leaked, Mr Broad told Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack he would be willing to quit the front bench. A conversation with Mr McCormack prompted Mr Broad to report the incident to the Australian Federal Police on November 8, but they decided they were unable to act as the case lacked jurisdiction. After the scandal was made public, Mr Broad announced his resignation from the front bench and later said he would not re-contest his seat at the next election so he could focus on his family - his wife of 19-years Rachel and their new foster child. In screenshots of what Ms Keating claims are text messages sent between the pair, Mr Broad, a former farmer, appears happy to capitalise on his Australian upbringing After Ms Keating tells him she thinks Australian accents are 'so sexy', he sends her back a sexually charged message In screenshots of what Ms Keating claims are text messages sent between the pair, Mr Broad, a former farmer, appears happy to capitalise on his Australian upbringing. After Ms Keating tells him she thinks Australian accents are 'so sexy', he sends her back a sexually charged message. 'I pull you close, run my strong hands down your back, softly kiss your neck and whisper, 'G'day mate',' he wrote. Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed he only learnt of the incident when the story broke on December 17 but many Coalition members believe the PM's office was notified earlier. The bodies of two teenage boys, missing from Albuquerque for two weeks, have been found. Collin Romero, 15, and 14-year old Ahmed Lateef, have been identified as the two bodies found this weekend in what police describe as a 'very violent scene' in a remote area west of Rio Rancho. Yesterday Ahmed's heartbroken mother Alabdulaziz said: 'I can't believe, I didn't believe [he had been killed]. Yesterday, [detectives] came and told me what happened. 'I've been crying in the morning. I can't eat. I can't drink. Im sad because my son, somebody killed him. 'He didnt die normally; he wasnt sick. My heart, its on fire. I have fire in my heart.' New Mexico teens Collin Romero, 15, and Ahmed Lateef, 14, went missing on December 16. Their bodies have now been found in the desert west of Rio Rancho after a video emerged of them being brutally beaten Amanda Kimbrel, mother to Collin, previously told a local TV channel she last saw her son and his friend in a Snapchat video, being beaten out on the mesa. 'I just want to know that he didn't suffer, and if he is out here, that it was quick,' she said. Police suspect the pair got caught up in a drug deal which went wrong. 'Late last week we got information that some clothes were out on the West Mesa, west of Rio Rancho,' Lt. Keith Elder of the he Sandoval County Sheriff's Office told KRQE Media. Lt. Elder confirmed that this weekend, following the tip about clothing, deputies found two bodies in a shallow grave west of Rio Rancho, which they have now identified as Collin and Ahmed. Police are unsure how long the bodies have been out there and would not reveal the location, saying it could compromise the investigation. 'The way things appear right now, it is a very violent scene. We're looking and waiting for OMI to determine cause and manner of death,' said. Lt. Elder. He said police do not have any suspects at the moment - but was clear the boys did not die of natural causes. 'We want to move forward with this investigation and bring to justice those that perpetrated the crimes,' he said. 'Our hearts go out to the family members that have lost their loved ones. We hope that they can begin to have some closure.' On social media some have already posted a name for the man seen beating the teens in the videos, but Albuquerque Police, who are also investigating the crime, have not confirmed whether the man is a suspect. SCSO are also working with Snapchat to see if they can get a copy of the video, to get a better idea of where the crime took place. The video allegedly shows them being brutally attacked in the West Mesa desert (above). Ahmed's Snapchat locations also last pinged in the desolate desert there Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Lateef was a refugee from Iraq who came to New Mexico with his mom and brother to escape the dangers of war. Collin Romero was a 15-year-old Albuquerque native who dreamed of working with animals and who, his mother says, was always looking out for friends and relatives. The pair, best friends since middle school, spent many days and nights at each others houses over the years, their mothers told the Albuquerque Journal. Last week Amanda Kimbrel spoke of the heartbreak of spending Christmas without her son. 'It's just not right to celebrate Christmas with them out here. Christmas doesn't matter to me right now it's not on my priority list,' she told KOB4. 'I had so many plans for this Christmas. This was the first Christmas I could really afford to do a lot. I had the Christmas tree up and lights, my son always wanted me to do stuff like that but money was always an issue. This is the first time it wasn't and he doesn't get to see any of it,' she added. The Snapchat video allegedly shows the boys being beaten up in the West Mesa desert. Ahmed's Snapchat location also last pinged in the Mesa. On Saturday dozens of volunteers combed through the desolate desert for signs of the boys. Kimbrel said she hasn't seen the video herself, but heard about its bloody and horrifying nature. In the clip the boys are allegedly covered in blood and are unconscious. 'They were being beaten very, very brutally, pistol-whipped. Snapchat has this information and they are refusing to hand it over,' she said, adding that she believed police have issued a warrant to Snapchat asking for the footage. According to Collin's grandmother Kelen Kimbrell, there's also a social media photo of the boys in the back of a car. On Saturday dozens of volunteers combed through the desolate desert for signs of the boys. Cops suspect Collin and Ahmed were involved in a drug deal gone wrong 'They were being beaten very, very brutally, pistol-whipped. Snapchat has this information and they are refusing to hand it over,' mother Amanda Kimbrel said before the boys' bodies were found 'We've been told there's a photo of the boys in the back seat of the car, with a man in the middle holding them as if they are trophies,' Kelen said to KRQE. The family asked people to call in anonymous tips. 'We're really asking for the younger community to take this seriously. We're concerned with their whereabouts, not who did this or why,' Kimbrel said. The worried mother is asking locals to check their neighborhoods and nearby deserts. 'I just can't stop, I won't be able to live with myself. I have to bring them home I have to have my son with me I want to return Ahmed to his mother Yazmin. If there are arroyos near your house or wash out things like that please just check,' she said. Crime stoppers is offering an $1,000 award for any information on the boys' whereabouts. As of Monday Police said there was no update in the case. A Facebook group has also been created to aid in the search. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help finance the search. Anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 505-843-7867 A stowaway migrant has been detained after being found by a coach driver hiding in his vehicle's luggage compartment at an Isle of Wight ferry port. Police were called to the island's ferry terminal where the man was discovered hidden on the coach, run by Kardan Travel, returning from mainland Europe. It emerged today that the vehicle had returned to the island from Austria, via the Channel Tunnel, and the migrant was found on Friday as passengers disembarked. An Isle of Wight Police spokesman confirmed a man was arrested on suspicion of an immigration offence, and the case was being handled by Border Force officials. It comes as police destroyed three makeshift camps outside Calais today as the deepening Channel migrant crisis forced Sajid Javid to perform a humiliating U-turn. Refugee charity Auberge des Migrants posted a picture of officers clearing three makeshift camps in France today, tweeting: 'On January 1, 2019, nothing has changed in Calais' Refugee charity Auberge des Migrants posted a picture of French officers clearing the sites, tweeting: 'On January 1, 2019, nothing has changed in Calais.' More than 120 migrants have been caught crossing from France over the festive period, as MPs called for more to be done to bring the crisis under control. It comes as the Home Secretary, already forced to cut short his safari holiday this week, bowed to pressure from Tory MPs to recall two ships to British waters. He had previously insisted the move was a risk and aides repeatedly rejected the idea, saying it might encourage more migrants to make the dangerous crossing. His about-face means that two Border Force cutters will be brought back from the Mediterranean to bolster the lone ship on patrol in the Straits of Dover. A stowaway migrant was detained after being found by a coach driver hiding in his vehicle's luggage compartment at the Isle of Wight ferry port of Fishbourne (file picture) Another 12 people claiming to be Iranians arrived on the Kent coast yesterday as it emerged anyone picked up in English waters will be brought to the UK. Meanwhile the Border Force cutter off the Kent coast deactivated its location beacon amid fears migrants have used a smartphone app to track - and avoid - the vessel. Migrants claimed that around ten people a night are still getting into Britain in the back of lorries crossing the Channel. Mr Javid yesterday held crisis talks in Whitehall after cutting short his family safari holiday in South Africa. Home Secretary Sajid Javid speaks at the Home Office in London yesterday about the crisis Speaking after a meeting with senior officials from the National Crime Agency and Border Force, he said: 'I have made a decision today to redeploy two of the Border Force's largest vessels, known as cutters, from abroad back to the UK, to south-east England, and they will be joining a cutter that is already there and two other coastal patrol vessels. How visa-free route through Serbia is why so many Iranians are crossing the Channel The proliferation of Iranian migrants crossing the English Channel to Britain is partly thanks to a new migration route to Europe opened in August 2017 when Serbia started offering visa-free travel to people from Iran. By the time the scheme was abolished in October following pressure from the European Union, more than 15,000 Iranians had visited Serbia. Many of these migrants then moved towards western Europe instead of returning home and many are said to have reached Calais before attempting to cross the English Channel to Britain. Advertisement 'This will help both with the human side of this situation but also to better protect our borders.' Mr Javid said about 230 migrants had sought to cross the Channel in December, although just under half of them were 'disrupted' by the French and never left the their coast. The Home Secretary said that as well as deploying the cutters, efforts are being stepped up to return migrants to France. He also promised that 'covert' action would be taken on the other side of the Channel to disrupt smuggling rings as part of improved cooperation with French authorities. However, Mr Javid confirmed that anyone picked up in English waters would, at least initially, be brought to the UK to have their asylum claim heard. Under international maritime law, the Channel is divided in half for search and rescue operations. If migrants are picked up in the UK half, then they are usually taken to Britain. But if they are picked up on the French side, then they are usually taken to France. An inflatable used by migrants to cross the Channel yesterday, which arrived in Lydd-on-Sea in Kent, was stocked with items apparently intended to help the passengers endure the crossing Appearing before a committee of MPs in November, the Home Secretary had said: 'I have thought about: do we bring back one of the cutters we have in the Mediterreanean and put it to work in the Channel? 'That becomes a humanitarian and rescue mission and we have seen the risk in other countries that that can encourage more people to try and cross the Channel.' Charlie Elphicke, the Tory MP for Dover and Deal, last night welcomed Mr Javid's announcement but warned more action must be taken. He said: 'This makes it even more important we put renewed pressure on the French government to play their role in tackling this crisis, preventing these crossings from happening at all. 'I have written to the Home Secretary asking him to visit me in Dover and meet those on the frontline in dealing with this issue.' Britain has only five high-speed cutters to patrol 7,723 miles of coastline, while Italy has 600 vessels to cover 4,722 miles Advertisement British Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson last night urged the Government to provide migrants with safe alternatives to risking the Channel crossing. He said: 'People only attempt perilous journeys like crossing the Channel because they are desperate. It is deeply concerning that men, women and children feel they have no choice but to put their lives at risk in their search for a safe place to live.' Exactly ten years ago I noted how burning what was bad in the past year is a tradition in Ecuador. Back then the two most popular images to burn were George W. Bush and Hugo Chavez. And now? It's still Venezuela, with Nicolas Maduro the most wanted to burn, followed by Lenin Moreno and Rafael Correa. Donald Trump is not mentioned, so Bush was actually more unpopular in Ecuador at the time. Pope Francis has ushered in the New Year with an ode to motherhood, reminding the faithful that a mother's example and embrace is the only antidote to today's disjointed world of solitude and misery. Francis celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Day to formally open 2019. In his homily, he urged Catholics to allow themselves to be led again, as children are led by their mothers. 'How much dispersion and solitude there is all around us. The world is completely connected, yet seems increasingly disjointed,' the pope said. 'We need to learn from mothers that heroism is shown in self-giving, strength in compassion, wisdom in meekness.' Wise words: In his homily on New Year's Day, Pope Francis urged Catholics to allow themselves to be led again as children are led by their mothers The New Year followed a disastrous 2018 for Francis, which opened with the explosion of the global sex abuse scandal and ended with the sudden departures of the Vatican spokesman and deputy in a sign of discord and dysfunction within the Holy See. The news that the Vatican spokesman and his deputy have both quit was announced yesterday, just weeks after the Pope appointed his close friend as an 'editorial director'. An official statement released on New Year's Day did not give a reason for the resignation of American former Fox News journalist Greg Burke and Spaniard Paloma Garcia Ovejero. Pope Francis greets three children dressed as the 'Three Wise Men' during the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Catholic leader: Pope Francis leaves after celebrating a new year Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday But it comes weeks after Pope Francis appointed Italian journalist and personal friend, Andrea Tornielli, to become editorial director of Vatican communications. In a tweet, Burke said he and his deputy had resigned effective January 1. Burke wrote 'At this time of transition in Vatican communications, we think it's best the Holy Father is completely free to assemble a new team.' This year will likely see the outcome of a canonical investigation into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, accused of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians, as well as the results of a Vatican investigation into McCarrick's rise through church ranks. A Ninja Warrior finalist admits she was 'reckless' to track down a teenage car thief and put him in a head lock - but would do it again. The 15-year-old and several other teens allegedly broke into Loki Kuroi's home in in Upper Kedron, Brisbane, last month and stole her beloved Nissan Skyline. They allegedly first stole her Christmas presents and electronics, before trying to make a getaway in a ute that was parked her garage - but couldn't drive manual. Scroll down for video A Ninja Warrior finalist has revealed how she pinned a teenager to the ground after he and his friends allegedly broke into her home and stole her beloved car 'We drove out there and saw the car down an area of nature reserve, and... people were outside the car. One of them was taking a leak,' the former Ninja Warrior star said After the ute slammed into the garage wall, the youths allegedly managed to flee in Ms Kuroi's Skyline. Incensed that her property was snatched, the former army recruit posted about it to Facebook - mobilising a small army to track the thieves down. Facebook sleuths narrowed down their likely location and in just a matter of hours Ms Kuroi ran into them while driving around on the hunt. 'We found them by chance hiding in a park smoking bongs out Samford after they had spent half the day joyriding, doing burnouts and hitting gutters,' she claimed. Ms Kuroi reunited with her beloved Nissan Skyline after tracking down the teens whole stole it Loki Kuroi, 29, tracked down the youths on Friday after they allegedly stormed into her house in Upper Kedron, Brisbane, and made off with her Nissan Skyline (pictured) 'I crash tackled the driver and ripped him out of the car, got him in a headlock and dropped him. His mate that fled got caught soon after at Ferny Grove Station.' Dramatic footage showed Ms Kuroi - a graphic designer and car enthusiast - pinning the boy on the ground while keeping him in a choke hold. 'Just crash tackled this f***er,' she told the camera. Ms Kuroi said she was determined to get her car back and not to let the alleged thieves get away with it. 'It was a bit reckless, but to me, my cars mean everything,' she told A Current Affair. When asked if she'd make another citizens arrest of a car thief, she said: 'Definitely. I don't appreciate people touching my cars. 'Regardless if it's a bomb, if it's a race car - if it's mine, my property, I'll defend it.' A Ninja Warrior finalist (pictured) pinned a teenager to the ground after he and his friends allegedly stole her car Pictured is the ute which the youths allegedly attempted to steal before crashing it The boy was charged with assaulting another man but not with theft. An 18-year-old man allegedly involved in the incident was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, burglary, entering a premises, and possession of a dangerous drug. Two further teenagers were questioned and one received a caution. Ms Kuroi is now calling for thieving teenagers to be forced to pay back to the community. She added that the youths should be made to do community service 'at the very least'. Kevin Walker, 47, (pictured) sued FDNY after he failed three physical tests to get a job A wannabe firefighter who failed a physical test three times has sued FDNY and the city to try and get a job despite his results. Kevin Walker, 47, from Jamaica, Queens, was a 'priority hire' when he applied for a job in 2013 as he'd already sued the fire department and been given $22,500. Although passing a qualifying exam, he failed the physical on three occasions as he didn't complete exercises and fell over several times, reports the New York Post. An FDNY source said: 'It's my understanding that he petitioned the court to just put him in. 'That's absurd if you've already proven . . . that you can't get it done.' Court documents revealed that Mr Walker failed the tests during May 2013 and his first attempt left him 'grasping at the wall or handrail' while on a stair machine. When he gave it another go a week later, Mr Walker is said to not have made it past the 20-second warm up on the stair machine as he 'fell' three times. The Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed Mr Walkers law suit on December 14 but the judge encouraged him to retake the test (stock picture) After this try Mr Walker said a mistake had been made and was given a final chance however he didn't finish the test in the required 10 minutes and 20 seconds. Mr Walker sued the city in the Manhattan Supreme Court in 2016 claiming that the proctor failed him as retaliation for the earlier law suit. He also said he had time to spare on the tests, although he wasn't wearing a watch. Mr Walker had already sued New York in the Vulcan Society's case accusing the fire department of discriminating against minority applicants. The case was settled in 2014 for almost $100 million and Mr Walker was given a $22,500 payout. Mr Walker was part of a lawsuit against NYPD which accused the department of discriminating against minority applicants and was settled for almost $100 million in 2014 (file picture) When the Center for Constitutional Rights filed the first charge in 2002, New York Citys fire department was 2.9 per cent Black, in a city where 27 per cent of residents are Black. After the case was settled in 2014 the number of Black firefighters at the FDNY jumper to 17 per cent and 24 percent Latino firefighters, reports the CCR. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carmen Victoria St. George dismissed Mr Walkers law suit on December 14. She said placing him in the department would be unconstitutional as his place on the Civil Service list had expired but said he could try again and retake the test. Advertisement Britain is braced for freezing temperatures as an Arctic blast looks set to kick off the cold year, ending the warm spell of recent days. Cloud and rain will today sweep the UK from north to south as the chill cross the country in a sign of things to come for 2019. The imminent return of the Beast from the East as well as a Russian Big Freeze mean months of freezing temperatures. Though the sun will be seen shining across the country today, temperatures are set to plunge and frost will spread tonight, with drivers advised to have ice scrapers ready tomorrow (pictured: This year's first sunrise over Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire Cloud covers the skies at the Hurst Spit in the New Forest as New Year's Day has its last light and the nation braces itself for freezing temperatures in the months to come People stroll along the Hurst Spit as the light fades on New Year's Day and the Beast from the East looms over the nation in the next few months Grey skies over the New Forest as people wrap up warm in the face of dropping temperatures that are expected to bring frost across the country tonight Met Office forecasters believe that midway through this month snow will have hit most parts of Great Britain, with low temperatures continuing until spring. Today lows of 2C will hit the highest points of the Scottish isles, with highest temperatures set be just 11C and concentrated in south-west England. Northern Ireland will experience highs of 8C and the north and midlands of England will hover around the 7C mark. Wales will have highs of 10C, but conditions are set to remain cloudy throughout the day, with southern parts the warmest. The cold spell dubbed 'the Beast from the East' was caused by a jump in temperatures high over the Arctic, known as 'sudden stratospheric warming'. This is where the temperature suddenly rises high up in the stratosphere, between six and 30 miles above the North Pole, and can result in a chain reaction that leads to very cold conditions from eastern Europe and Russia New Year's Day could see daytime temperatures fall, and drop below 32F (0C) at night - before remaining cold the next day Met Office spokesman Simon Partridge told The Sun the UK is on track for its coldest winter on record and warned that similar predictions about a freeze in the early months of last year were very accurate. Snow stretched across many parts of the UK last year, with the powder covering areas as late as March and this year forecasters say there is an even higher chance of colder spells than 2018. Although today will be cold, a deceptive sun will shine across many parts of Britain throughout the day. Drivers should have ice scrapers handy for Wednesday morning as frost is expected overnight. A woman who went to the aid of two victims of a terrorist knifeman in Manchester last night has been praised online. Two train passengers and a policeman suffered knife wounds when a man shouting shouting 'Allahu Akbar' went on the rampage at Manchester Victoria station yesterday evening. Pictures from the scene show two of the victims, who are both in their 50s, being helped by two women police officers and members of the public. Social media users praised one of the women helping, saying the good actions of passers-by should receive as much attention as those of the attacker. Social media users have praised a woman seen with her arm around one of those injured in the Manchester knife attacks last night Former prosecutor Nazir Afzal was among those praising the woman's actions Former top prosecutor Nazir Afzal tweeted: 'Awful news but Manchester has shown how it responds to those who try to divide us 'The woman with hijab helping victims is far more reflective of Muslims than the idiot with a knife.' Another Twitter user from Manchester added: 'Reading reports about the Victoria Station attack and got to say the only photo that should go viral is of the Muslim lady wearing a hijab helping the victims. 'Good people exist. We can't let the actions of a few taint our view of the many.' Police today confirmed they are treating the attack, during which the attacker shouting ISIS slogans, as terrorism. A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said: 'Despite unverified speculation, it is unclear what the motives are behind this horrible attack. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, including a brave policeman. 'We hope the perpetrator is brought to justice. We must not allow this act to overshadow our hopes for a positive year ahead.' A witness who considered jumping onto the tracks to escape the knifeman took this photo of the aftermath after two rail passengers and a policeman were stabbed last night In footage, said to show the suspect being put in the back of a police van after his arrest, he can be heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' Two commuters - a man and woman in their 50s - were taken to hospital with knife injuries and a British Transport Police (BTP) officer was stabbed in the shoulder. He has since been released from hospital. A GMP spokesman said: 'The police sergeant ... was taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder following the attack at the station. 'Within minutes, a man was arrested near to Metrolink platforms A and B on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in custody for police questioning.' The station is next to Manchester Arena, where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22. The spokesman said there would be a greater police presence around the station on Tuesday, but added that there was no increased threat to people's safety. A witness to the attack said they heard the assailant shout 'Allah' during the incident. Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: '(Monday night's) events will have understandably worried people but I need to stress that the incident is not ongoing, a man is in custody and there is currently no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time.' A British woman has been killed in a car crash which left her partner and daughter seriously injured on a notorious Costa Blanca death alley road. The woman, believed to be in her sixties and from Bedfordshire, died following a head-on crash with another car just minutes from Alicante airport. The family had just touched down in Spain for a New Year's break on Sunday, and had been driving to a holiday villa when the accident happened near Santa Pola. The woman, believed to be in her sixties and from Bedfordshire, died as she was travelling to a Costa Blanca villa with her daughter and partner after landing at Alicante airport Santa Pola is about a 12-minute drive from Alicante airport, and the stretch of the motorway where the crash took place has become known as a 'black spot' due to several fatal accidents. Sunday's crash saw the British woman killed and five other people injured, including her partner and daughter, who is thought to have been driving the car. It is feared her partner is critically injured and was in a coma when he was rushed to hospital. The British woman died at the scene, while the five injured were rushed to the General Hospital of Alicante, the General Hospital of Elche and the Hospital of the Vinalopo. According to sources from the Traffic Civil Guard, who are now investigating the cause of the accident, two of the injured were airlifted by a medical helicopter to the General Hospital of Alicante. The accident closed the N332 national highway for several hours, causing tailbacks for several kilometres at a very busy point on the coast. ISIS jihadists have urged extremists to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks on Big Ben, Manhattan and Moscow over New Year. One chilling online poster shows a jihadist with a sniper rifle looking out over New York while another features a hooded fanatic standing in a crowd in London. A third shows a knife-wielding militant with blood on the ground in Moscow's Red Square. ISIS jihadists have urged extremists to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks on Big Ben (pictured), Manhattan and Moscow over New Year One chilling online poster shows a jihadist with a sniper rifle looking out over New York In the image of London, blood can be seen on Big Ben while other buildings burn in the background. A jihadist with his face hidden holds a finger to his lips next to a caption saying: 'Welcome to bloody years - The lone wolf action'. The New York poster, meanwhile, features the caption: 'And hit them with the explosive belts and vehicle bomb, and shock them with adhesive explosives and packages, and harvest them with silencers and snipers, horrify and terrify the with the intrusions.' Further posters show fanatics attacking crowds as they watch fireworks. Jihadists also used encrypted apps to urge extremists to carry out a knife attack in Westminster over the New Year. They told closed groups on the encrypted Telegram messaging app yesterday to bring 'horror and misery' to non-believers. A third shows a knife-wielding militant with blood on the ground in Moscow's Red Square Further posters warning of New Year attacks show fanatics firing at crowds as they watch fireworks Jihadists have used encrypted apps to urge extremists to carry out attacks, it has emerged One image circulated showed a crowd watching fireworks with a man carrying a bloodied knife and blood splattered over Parliament, along with the words: 'Hunt them O Muwahid [a believer in Allah].' In a separate document posted on the app, known for its use by terrorists, ISIS extremists explained in detail who to target with a knife. The terror manual suggested a 'drunken kafir [non-believer]' or someone 'in an alley close to a night club or another place of debauchery'. Philip Ingram, a former colonel in British military intelligence and chairman of Global Intelligence Insight, which intercepted the documents, said: 'Extremist terrorism has not gone and threats to Europe and the UK through 2019 will remain extremely high.' Crime dramas such as CSI are leading to people being wrongly convicted, an expert in forensic evidence has claimed. Ruth Morgan said that television shows that glamourise the importance of DNA evidence was having a massive influence on juries in criminal cases. The professor added that it was 'concerning' that an 'entire verdict' could be made on a DNA profile, and that the misrepresentation of such data was widespread. A study by Professor Morgan found that misleading criminal evidence had been a factor in 22 per cent of successful Court of Appeal applications over seven years. Crime dramas such as CSI are leading to people being wrongly convicted, an expert in forensic evidence has claimed (stock image) Speaking about the issue to the Times, Prof Morgan, of the Jill Dando Institute at University College London, said it was important to be 'honest' about the limitations of DNA evidence. It's very concerning,' she added. 'To me it seems much better that we are really clear about what kind of answer evidence can give in a situation. 'We shouldn't be in a position where an entire verdict comes down to a DNA profile.' Last month saw Babes In The Wood killer Russell Bishop finally jailed with the help of DNA evidence after he murdered two nine-year-old victims more than 30 years ago. Last month saw Babes In The Wood killer Russell Bishop finally jailed with the help of DNA evidence after he murdered two nine-year-old victims more than 30 years ago The predatory paedophile was told he will serve a minimum of 36 years in jail for the 1986 murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. The former labourer was convicted of the two murders after an extraordinary battle for justice led by the families of his victims. He walked free from the dock in 1987 thanks to a litany of errors by police, forensic experts and prosecutors, who rushed the case against him. But a successful campaign for a change in the law of double jeopardy paved the way for a fresh trial once forensic scientists uncovered new and compelling evidence. Using 21st century forensic techniques they were able to recover a trace of Bishops DNA from an ageing taping of fibres taken from the forearm of one victim. This evidence combined with a careful jigsaw of fibres, car paint traces, hairs and even plant spores, combined with 32 years of his lies, closed the net around him. Additional apartments in Sydney's troubled Opal Tower are expected to be gutted as engineers attempt determine a cause for the structural damage. The 36-floor building in Sydney Olympic Park has been fraught with controversy after residents were evacuated from the crumbling building on Christmas Eve. While some were initially let back in, it was later decided that structural engineers would require all residents to find temporary housing for at least 10 days while the cracks were repaired and the tower investigated. But 7News has since reported the 10-day deadline could be extended by months as engineers struggle to find a conclusive answer as to what caused the cracks - and more importantly - how to ensure the building is safe. Additional apartments in Sydney's troubled Opal Tower are expected to be gutted as engineers attempt determine a cause for the structural damage Apartments have already been - or will be - gutted on levels four, six, seven and 10. This will include, but is not limited to, removing the walls to assess the structural damage. New images show the interior of one such apartment that has already been assessed, showing a temporary metal wall in lieu of the plaster and exposed wires hanging from the roof. The cost of the metal props currently holding the building up is said to be in the hundreds of thousands, and more are currently on their way from international sources to due a shortage of supply locally. The ground level of the building has also been jackhammered and pavement ripped up. New images show the interior of one such apartment that has already been assessed, showing a temporary metal wall in lieu of the plaster and exposed wires hanging from the roof Residents were kicked from the troubled tower after hearing loud 'cracking' sounds which prompted them to notify emergency services Engineers are allegedly calling for the further inspections to garner a more holistic understanding of the causes and impacts of the current debacle. They are also arguing it will allow them to assess the extent of the damage, amid rumours the engineers involved are currently at a loss as to how to go about repairing the building. The new details come just days after allegations surfaced that two new cracks on level four had been found. One of the cracks that was already found had allegedly grown from 3mm to 20mm wide in a little over a week. But Guy Templeton, the president and chief executive of engineering firm WSP Australia & New Zealand, dismissed the reports as 'completely untrue'. 'We've gone through the rest of the building, that (cracking) has been there for an indeterminate amount of time, not necessarily the same,' Mr Templeton said. 'It's been monitored and it hasn't moved at all. It's just a bit of cracked concrete, not very exciting.' Mr Templeton said there was no other areas of damage to the extent of level 10 and the building was still structurally sound. 'Units that are in the vicinity of required repairs, or are obstructed by propping, will not be able to be occupied until repairs are complete,' a statement from WSP said. Those evacuated have been put up in hotels, though a number of unlucky residents were relocated a second time due to pre-existing New Year's Eve bookings. The tower is subject to an internal and governmental investigation. Those evacuated have been put up in hotels with some unlucky residents being relocated a second time due to pre-existing New Year's Eve bookings Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not resign if prosecutors moved to indict him on corruption charges, as authorities probe several cases involving him ahead of April polls. Netanyahu said he would not step down in the event of being summoned for a hearing by the prosecutor general before the elections, a necessary step ahead of being formally charged. The veteran premier was addressing a press conference streamed online from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where he is on an official visit. And I am telling you: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not resign even if he is charged with corruption The prime minister will not be required to resign if charged in any of the three cases of alleged corruption, but he would likely face intense political pressure to do so. 'I have no intention to resign, firstly because there will be nothing (to come from the probes), secondly because the law does not oblige me to do so,' Netanyahu said in Rio, referring to the hearing process. 'That would be a serious breach of Israeli democracy,' he added. The attorney general's decision on any indictments is expected in the coming months and analysts say Netanyahu's decision to call early elections was a deft manoeuvre to fight any charges with a fresh mandate. The premier denies all charges against him and polls show he is likely to win the April 9 polls. I'm not going: Netanyahu will not be required to resign if charged in any of the three cases of alleged corruption, but he would likely face intense political pressure to do so In the most recent move by investigators, police recommended Netanyahu be indicted over regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage from a related media company. According to Israel media reports, there is sufficient evidence to charge him with corruption in the Bezeq case. In February, investigators recommended Netanyahu be indicted in two other cases. In one, allegations against Netanyahu include seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Another probe involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. Flight Lieutenant Bram van der Stok was one of only three out of 75 men who escaped from the notorious Stalag Luft III camp A gold 'Caterpillar' badge given to a Royal Air Force ace who made a 'home run' to Britain after taking part in the Great Escape has sold for 3,200. Flight Lieutenant Bram van der Stok was one of only three out of 75 men who famously escaped from the notorious Stalag Luft III camp, located in what is now Zagan in Poland, to evade capture. Of those recaptured by the Germans, 50 were summarily executed on the orders of an enraged Adolf Hitler to deter other prisoners from trying to escape. Their courage was immortalised by Richard Attenborough and Steve McQueen in 1963 film The Great Escape. Flt Lt van der Stok, who was Dutch, received the gold Caterpillar Club badge - the informal RAF club for airmen who had baled out of a plane over land - for parachuting from his stricken Spitfire over northern France in 1942. Flt Lt van der Stok received the gold Caterpillar Club badge - the informal RAF club for airmen who had baled out of a plane over land - for parachuting from his stricken Spitfire in 1942 An aerial reconnaissance photograph of Stalag Luft III, in 1944/5, in what is now Zagan, Poland He was captured by the Germans and sent to Stalag Luft III, but was the 18th man to emerge from the tunnel 'Harry' during the escape in March 1944. Flt Lt van der Stok made a daring dash across German-occupied Europe carrying forged papers, eventually reaching Gibraltar. How the Caterpillar Club is for airmen who successful baled out The Caterpillar Club was an informal club for any Royal Air Force airmen who had successfully baled out of a plane wearing a parachute made by the Irvin Air Chute Company. Production of parachutes at the firms factory in Letchworth, England reached a peak of nearly 1,500 parachutes per week during the Second World War. By the end of 1945 there were 34,000 members of the Caterpillar Club and 100,000 lives are thought to have been saved by Irvin parachutes. Members of the club received a gold badge shaped like a caterpillar from the firm - and the recipient's name was engraved on the reverse. The badge was worn on the lapel of civilian clothing rather than on uniform, and members also received a certificate from the company. More well known is the Goldfish Club for airmen who had survived a successful wartime ditching - which gets its name from 'gold' for the value of life, and 'fish' for the sea. Advertisement He was flown back to England where, such was his devotion to duty, he got back in the cockpit and took part in further Spitfire raids before the end of the war. The badge sparked a bidding war when it went under the hammer at auction house Lockdales, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It sold for 3,200, five times its estimate. Daniel Daley, managing director of Lockdales, said: 'The lapel pin awarded by The Caterpillar Club to Van Der Stok has real historical interest due to its personal connection to a wartime aviation hero who is also hugely admired for escaping from Stalag Luft III. We had lots of worldwide interest from collectors.' Flt Lt van der Stok escaped to Britain after Holland was invaded by the Nazis, reaching Scotland by boat in June 1941. He flew Spitfires in No 41 Squadron based at RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex, and claimed six kills before baling out over St Omer during an attack on a railway marshalling yard. He worked in the prison medical facility at Stalag Luft III while plotting his escape. He made two unsuccessful attempts to break out of the camp before taking part in the Great Escape on the night of March 24, 1944. Flt Lt van der Stok posed as a Dutch draughtsman on leave from engineering firm Siemens. He was even escorted to a local train station by a German civilian. The badge sparked a bidding war when it went under the hammer at auction house Lockdales The ticket office at Sagan railway station which, situated a few hundred yards north of the camp, was where a number of the escapees headed on the night of March 24-25, 1944 He was stopped at several checkpoints but managed to convince the German guards he was not one of the escapees. The path of 'Harry', the escape tunnel that was so successfully used in the 'Great Escape' He then continued on to Utrecht and met up with a member of the Dutch Resistance who directed him to another safe house run by the Belgian Resistance. After arriving there, he was given Belgian paperwork and he travelled by train via Brussels and Paris to Toulouse, where the French Resistance smuggled him across the Pyrenees to Spain. He made the journey all the way down to Gibraltar, arriving on July 8, and was flown to Whitchurch Airport in Shropshire three days later. Flt Lt van der Stok rejoined the RAF and was posted to No 91 Squadron flying Spitfires. He returned to the Netherlands in March 1945 and discovered his two brothers had been killed in concentration camps. After the war he was awarded an MBE and relocated to the United States where he joined Nasa's space lab research team as well as running a medical practice. He died aged 77 in 1993. This is the extraordinary moment two migrants emerged from inside mattresses during their bid to reach Europe from Africa. The sub-Saharan men were arrested after border guards found them at a check-point between Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the north African coast, and Morocco. It is understood to be the first time the method has been used to smuggle migrants and there are fears criminal gangs could increasingly use the tactic, according to Spanish media. Footage captures the extraordinary moment two migrants emerged from inside mattresses during their bid to reach Europe from Africa The sub-Saharan men were arrested after border guards found them at a check-point between Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the north African coast, and Morocco Men in Guardia Civil uniforms can be seen using a knife to cut through plastic wrapping and fabric after lifting the mattresses from the roof of a van Men in Guardia Civil uniforms can be seen using a knife to cut through plastic wrapping and fabric after lifting the mattresses from the roof of a van. Two men then emerge from inside as guards watch on in the footage, which was shared on the Twitter page of Spanish senator Jon Inarritu. The Basque senator: 'As long as there are no safe routes to request asylum, situations like this will continue to occur in the southern border of Europe.' Despite having been concealed in mattresses, the men appeared to be in good health and did not need medical help. The driver of the vehicle used to transport them is said to have fled into Morocco before he could be detained Despite having been concealed in mattresses, the men appeared to be in good health and did not need medical help The driver of the vehicle used to transport them is said to have fled into Morocco before he could be detained. Spain has become the main entry point for migrants and asylum-seekers looking for a better life in Europe as other EU countries tighten up controls at their borders. A smuggling route through Libya to Italy has also been complicated by conflict and violence there. Melilla, together with a second Spanish enclave, Ceuta, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Snoop Dogg has offered to take in a dog that shares his name, who was abandoned by his owner just days before Christmas. The rapper joins the legions of people who have offered a home to Snoop since the staffie was dumped in the street by an unknown man. Footage released by the RSCPA showed Snoop desperately chasing after a car as it drives off without him in Stoke-on-Trent. Rapper Snoop Dogg, pictured left performing in New York to celebrate the New Year, has offered a home to the dog that shares his name, right, who was abandoned in the street Snoop Dogg - who last night performed in New York to celebrate the start of 2019 - told the Daily Star the dog's fate was 'heartbreaking'. He said: 'There is always room for another dog in Casa de Snoop. If he really needed a home then he has one with us. 'But I don't think there is going to be any shortage of loving homes after all the exposure he has got.' BBC presenter Sue Perkins and political journalist Andrew Neil are among the other celebrities to have offered the dog a home with them. The pet was fussed over by ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins during an appearance on Good Morning Britain. RSPCA inspector Natalie Perehovsky revealed that the dog was in good condition and was an 'attention seeker' who loved to be stroked. Snoop the dog appeared in much better spirits during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, where the pet was fussed over by presenter Charlotte Hawkins Speaking about the owner, she said: 'This is heart-breaking, it's the way he runs after the owner; he clearly loved who was there. He was obviously distressed. 'I don't know what was going through their mind when they did that. It could be the expense, it could be family changes, there's hundreds of reasons. 'But there's places that help people, you can take him to charities or dog homes; there's no excuse.' Ms Perehovksy said the dog was 'not for rehoming yet but soon as he is we will let people know'. The world's oldest woman, who died at the age of 122, may have been a fraud according to Russian scientists. Jeanne Calment, from Arles, France, died in 1997, at the age of 122 years and 164 days, making her the oldest officially recognised person in history. However, Russian researchers claim she was in fact Yvonne Calment, Jeanne's daughter, and had assumed her mother's identity to avoid paying inheritance tax. Fraud? Jeanne Calment, pictured enjoying her daily cigarette at the age of 117, may not have been the world's oldest person - or even the woman she claimed she was - according to Russian scientists Doubts: Jeanne Calment, pictured left in her old age and right as a young woman, died in 1997, at the age of 122 years and 164 days, making her the oldest officially recognised person Mathematician Nikolai Zak and gerontologist Valeri Novosselov studied biographies, interviews and contemporary photos, and claim their circumstantial evidence supports their theory. 'The analysis of all these documents led me to the conclusion that the daughter of Jeanne Calment, Yvonne, took the identity of her mother,' said Mr. Zak told AFP. Yvonne Calment died of pleurisy - a lung infection - in 1934, according to official records. Mr Zak claims that this was a lie, and that it was Jeanne Calment who died, at the age of 59, and that Yvonne lived to the still-impressive age of 99. Among his 'evidence' is a copy of the identity card of Jeanne Calment dating from the 1930s where the color of her eyes, her height and the shape of her forehead do not correspond with her appearance of her in later life. Claims: Russian scientists claim Jeanne Calment was in fact her daughter Yvonne, pictured together at an unknown date, who they say assumed her mother's identity to avoid paying inheritance tax Jeanne Calment looks at her birthday cake upon turning 121 years old in February 1996 Mathematician Nikolai Zak and gerontologist Valeri Novosselov says a picture of Jeanne Clement, top right, when placed over a picture of Yvonne Clement, top left and overlay centre, is proof she was a fraud 'As a doctor, I have always had doubts about her age, the condition of her muscles was different from that of the others of her age, she was sitting without support, she had no signs of dementia,' said Novoselov, who heads the Gerontological Section of the Moscow Society of Naturalists. Mr Zak also claims that the fact that some of Ms Calment's photo archives were burned is proof that she was in fact Yvonne Calment. However, French demographer and gerontologist Jean-Marie Robine, who participated in Ms Calment's age validation by the Guinness Book of World Records in the 1990s, said she 'never had any doubt about the authenticity of the documents' of the 122-year-old. The mayor of Arles at the time of Ms Calment's death, Michel Vauzelle, says Mr Zak's theory is 'completely impossible and improbable'. Members of the Calment family did not respond to AFP's requests for interviews. Should Jeanne Calment's record be made invalid, the official oldest living person would be American Sarah Knauss, who died at the age of 119 in 1999. A New Year's Eve reveller had a hair raising start to 2019 after she was thrown to the ground for punching a police officer - before being tackled by a cop on horseback. The confrontation unfolded on Hindley Street in central Adelaide as diners in an adjacent pizza parlour watched on. Footage showed the woman, dressed in green, throw a punch at an officer standing behind a police horse. A New Year's Eve reveller has had a hair raising start to 2019 after she was thrown to the ground after swinging at a police officer standing behind a horse in Adelaide The mounted police officer then reaches down and grabs her, before throwing the woman to the ground as a third policeman moves in to arrest her. South Australian Police confirmed the intended target was the officer on foot. Despite lashing out at the officer, the woman is not believed to have been charged followed the altercation. South Australian police made 114 arrests across the state on New Year's Eve, but praised revellers for their good behaviour. A mounted police officer wrestled her to the ground before waiting officers put her in handcuffs. Despite the arrest, it is not thought that she was charged Elsewhere, millions poured into Sydney's streets on the last night of the year, resulting in more than 35 arrests in the CBD alone. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Walton commended revellers for their behaviour during the celebrations, with 35 people arrested and charged with 43 offences. 'New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney are widely regarded as some of the best in the world, so it was great to see Sydneysiders living up to that reputation and acting responsibly,' DC Walton said. 'There were minimal reports of alcohol-related violence, which is a true reflection of how well-behaved the crowds were.' Childless couples have been given fresh hope that 2019 will be the year where the NHS IVF postcode lottery will finally end. MPs will be asked to change the law to force all local health authorities in England to offer three free cycles of treatment. Currently only three areas give this assurance while the majority offer one course or even none at all, despite official guidance saying couples trying for a baby for two years should get three cycles. Emma and Lee Edey, 44, from Colchester, Essex, were about to start IVF three years ago but the funding was axed. They won an appeal only for the cash to be withdrawn again, and the couple, who married nine years ago, are still waiting for their chance. Mrs Edey said: 'The last three years has been hell. I am praying the law goes through Parliament quickly'. Emma and Lee Edey, 44, from Colchester, Essex, were about to start IVF three years ago but the funding was axed and are praying the law changes this year She added in an interview with the Daily Mirror: 'None of us is any younger. I could have a three-year-old child now. Instead I am full of anger'. The funding lottery in England forces couples to spend thousands on private treatment - but many more cannot afford to do pursue their dream in this way. WHO GETS FREE IVF? IVF is only offered on the NHS if certain criteria are met. In 2013, the NICE published new fertility guidelines that made recommendations about who should have access to the treatment on the NHS in England and Wales. However, individual NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups make the final decision about who can access it in their local area, and their criteria may be stricter. According to NICE, women aged under 40 should be offered three cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS if: they've been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years, or they've not been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination. If you turn 40 during treatment, the current cycle will be completed, but further cycles should not be offered. If tests show that IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred for IVF straight away. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement Birmingham Labour MP Steve McCabe hopes his private member's bill to change the law could be passed by the end of 2019. Mr McCabe told the Mirror: 'Infertility is a medical condition and it is time we started treating it like one. It is simply unfair that access to IVF is down to where you live and not your medical need.' The axing of IVF treatment comes despite guidance from the NHS group Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) that women under 40 should be offered three cycles if they have been trying to conceive for two years. The number of centres no longer offering any cycles has increased from four to seven in the past 15 months. Clinical commissioning groups offering the recommended three cycles has fallen from 16% (33) to 11.5% (24) in a year. Experts said patients now face a postcode lottery of services, with some families even moving across the country to find an area that offers three IVF treatment cycles. Others are travelling abroad for treatment The Fertility Network UK had also heard of one family moving 200 miles from Berkshire, in the south-east of England, to Bury in Greater Manchester so they could get three cycles of IVF. Anne-Marie Minter, 33, and her partner Craig, 34, made the move to maximise their chances of having a baby because they were only entitled to one cycle of treatment at their previous address. 'We were apprehensive at first as it is so far away from friends and family,' she said. 'But we are lucky the area is really nice and both our jobs are allowing us to work from home and be so flexible.' The IVF funding lottery in England forces couples to spend thousands on private treatment - but many more cannot afford to do pursue their dream in this way Since last year, Herts Valleys and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have removed all IVF services. Southend and west Essex have cut the number of cycles offered from two to one. Other CCGs have reduced the the age limit for prospective fathers and same-sex partners to 52. The CCGs will now fund treatment only for couples where neither partner has a living child. In a bid to save 836,000 annually, Croydon last year became the first London borough to stop funding for IVF, NHS Clinical Commissioners, the organisation that represents clinical commissioning groups, said: 'CCGs are led by GPs whose first priority is always to the patient. Wherever possible they want to give them what they need. Unfortunately, the NHS does not have unlimited resources ... there are some tough choices that have to be made.'With huge pressures being felt across the whole health and care system, the NHS has to review services to ensure they are sustainable and improve the health of the wider population.' A young man died of a suspected drug overdose at a music festival after two others other were rushed to hospital. The 20-year-old became unwell at the Beyond the Valley festival in Lardner, about 100km east of Melbourne, on Saturday. The man from the small down of Mansfield was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital in critical condition but died on Tuesday morning. A young man died of a suspected drug overdose at the Beyond the Valley music festival after two others other were rushed to hospital 'The circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be determined, however it is not being treated as suspicious,' police said. His death followed two other revellers at the same festival being rushed to hospital suffering from suspected drug overdoses. A man in his 20s was rushed by air ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition but was later upgraded to stable and discharged. A man in his 20s was rushed by air ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition but was later upgraded to stable and discharged Another man, also in his 20s, was fighting for life in Dandenong Hospital after being rushed there early on Sunday morning. Beyond the Valley, which began on Friday and ends on New Year's Day, was headlined by The Kooks, Tash Sultana and Pnau. A fourth suspected drug overdose at another festival in NSW over the weekend claimed the life of Joshua Tam, 22. He died from what was believed to be a mix of alcohol and ecstasy tablets taken at the Lost Paradise festival. Almost a quarter of revellers at a popular music festival where Joshua Tam, 22, (left and right on right) died from a suspected drug overdose over the weekend were found with drugs on them - despite the event being labelled as 'strictly drug free' A quarter of all those who attended the festival were found with drugs on them - despite the event being labelled as 'strictly drug free'. Mr Tam, from Toowong in Brisbane, was rushed to Gosford hospital at 8pm on Saturday after he ingested an unknown substance but died soon after he arrived. He attended the festival with a group of friends, some of which were forced to identify his body, police said. Sydney's failing public transport system was again pushed to its absolute limits on New Years Eve, with extensive delays costing an international family $5,000. Mal Johnston, a 45-year-old Dee Why resident, was hosting six friends visiting Sydney from Taiwan and China - all of which planned their holiday around the New Years Eve festivities on Sydney's harbour. Each of them paid $725 for an all-inclusive six hour harbour cruise departing at 7pm. Despite leaving Chatswood - typically a 40-minute trip - 90 minutes earlier, delays and a complete network shut down left the group stranded for more than an hour-and-a-half. Mal Johnston, a 45-year-old Dee Why resident, was hosting six friends visiting Sydney from Taiwan and China - all of which planned their holiday around the New Years Eve festivities on Sydney's harbour Sydney's failing public transport system was again pushed to its absolute limits on New Years Eve, with extensive delays costing an international family $5,000 Mr Johnson was told a signal failure was delaying the train, and after 15 minutes of waiting, an announcement said the train would depart shortly. They were then forced to wait an additional 45 minutes. By the time the group realised they would be better off in a taxi, the roads in and out of the city had been blocked for the festivities. He told the Sydney Morning Herald they attempted to explain their situation to Vagabond Cruises, who would only delay leaving the port by 10 minutes. 'The lady at the front desk basically said to me from that point well you should have left earlier; we left 90 minutes [earlier] ... and we still didn't make it,' he said. Mr Johnston said he was then told the tickets were non-refundable. The group were unable to attend their $5000 cruise due to delays at Central station holding up their train for over an hour The group made a number of attempts to get onto the ship after it had departed, including trying to order a water taxi and contacting friends to see if they could get across, all to no avail. Instead, they were back at their Chatswood hotel by 10:30pm. 'Two of my friends stayed to kick on and faced massive delays again coming back home. The other four watched the midnight fireworks in their room and recorded the TV on their phones; it was really quite sad,' Mr Johnston said. Sydney Trains claim a 'freak lightning storm' brought about the delays, and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed no refunds would be handed out. But Mr Johnston said the delays he and his friends faced occurred before the thunderstorm even began. 'We all felt so deflated last night and are still feeling it this morning, my friends could not believe a major city like Sydney could have such terrible public transport. It was an absolute disaster.' 'Next time NYE anywhere but Sydney.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Vagabond Cruises for comment. A speedboat owner who killed his date in a crash on the River Thames has been granted the right to appeal his conviction, despite going on the run. Jack Shepherd, 31, remains at large despite being found guilty of killing Charlotte Brown, 24, in a champagne-fuelled speedboat disaster in 2015. He fled the country before he was convicted of manslaughter in his absence in July, later filing an appeal against his conviction from a secret hideout. Despite being on the run for six months, appeal court judges have sensationally ruled that Shepherd should be granted leave to appeal his guilty verdict. Scroll down for video Jack Shepherd (left) remains at large despite being found guilty of killing Charlotte Brown (right) in a champagne-fuelled speedboat disaster in 2015 Reacting to the news last night, Ms Brown's father Graham told The Sun: 'We thought this absurd appeal would be thrown out immediately. 'But apparently the judicial system thinks its fair someone on the run can launch an appeal. 'To do that, Shepherd must be in contact with his lawyers. Its disgusting.' Web designer Shepherd had been trying to impress Ms Brown after meeting her on dating website OkCupid. Shepherd had been trying to impress Ms Brown (pictured) after meeting her on a dating site But the first date ended in tragedy when his boat flipped near Wandsworth Bridge when it hit a submerged log after Shepherd encouraged her to take the wheel. They were both thrown into the cold water and Ms Brown died after she was pulled from the river unconscious and unresponsive. Shepherd, of Exeter, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence in his absence over the incident in December 2015 after failing to attend his trial. Judge Richard Marks QC sentenced Shepherd to six years' imprisonment in his absence and said he had a 'totally cavalier attitude to safety'. Police have been unable to track him down after he skipped bail, and he was not in court to face sentence in July despite pleas from his victim's family. The court had heard how Shepherd bought the 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO from Gumtree to 'pull women'. In the months before Ms Brown's death, Shepherd had entertained up to 10 women on the 1980s model, having invited them back to his houseboat in Hammersmith. During that time, he had been caught speeding by marine police more than once and advised on the importance of wearing life jackets. On December 8, 2015, Shepherd treated Ms Brown to a 150 meal at Oblix in the Shard, where they drank two bottles of wine. In the months before Ms Brown's death, Shepherd had entertained up to 10 women on the 14ft Fletcher Arrowflyte GTO (shown), having invited them back to his houseboat in Hammersmith The couple took a taxi back to Shepherd's place where they took champagne aboard the speedboat for a trip past the Houses of Parliament. In mobile phone footage, Ms Brown could be heard shouting that they were going 'so fast' as Shepherd drove at more than double the 12 knot speed limit. On the return journey, Shepherd handed over the controls to business development consultant Ms Brown who followed suit and went 'full throttle'. The speeding boat hit a submerged log and tipped over near Wandsworth Bridge, sending both occupants into the water. Shepherd was found clinging to the hull and Ms Brown was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive. Paramedics battled in vain to save her as she was already in cardiac arrest and suffering from hypothermia. If you are running low on fuel, now might be a good time to fill up. Petrol prices have plummeted on Australia's east coast to the lowest level in more than 15 months, in a welcome New Year's surprise. Melbourne petrol prices are currently at $1.17 per litre, while average prices in Sydney and Brisbane are sitting at $1.16. If you are running low on fuel, now might be a good time to fill up Petrol prices have plummeted on Australia's east coast to the lowest level in more than 15 months The price of petrol is even lower in Perth, currently sitting at just $1.14, while prices in Adelaide prices plummeted to $1.11, according to price monitor MotorMouth. Pump prices have slowly been falling in recent months. Prices on unleaded, premium and diesel were gradually falling by one or two cents every few days. The low prices are due to the strengthening of the Australian dollar and a downturn in the petrol pricing cycle, 9News reported. The national dip in petrol prices follows a global trend whereby petrol prices worldwide have dropped to $60 per barrel, the lowest in months. The year 2019 marks changes in various areas of the country's life. Among other things, a slew of amendments to Russias Tax Code concerning both individuals and legal entities come into force starting from January 1, 2019. According to Russia's president Vladimir Putin, the increase in the VAT rate from 18% to 20% is due to the need to maintain the non-oil-and-gas deficit at a certain level. It is expected that the raise will annually bring to the federal budget additional 620 billion rubles (about $9.8 billion) since 2019. A 10% discounted VAT rate is to be retained as concerns socially important goods like foodstuffs, with the exception of delicacies; products for children; printed periodicals; books related to education, science and culture; and medicines. The cancellation of property tax for legal entities has become one of important amendments to the Code. Russia's First Deputy Minister, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov believes that will serve as a compensation measure for the business sector given the VAT (value-added tax) hike from 18% to 20%. According to Moscows department of economic policy and development, the tax exemption on organizations moveable property will diminish the debt burden on businesses in the Moscow Region by around 13%. The rules for control transactions have changed for legal entities starting January 1. Now the Tax Service will monitor deals if the income figures during the calendar year surpass 60 mln rubles (or $862,870) for transactions with foreign affiliated parties, and 1 bln rubles (or $14.38 mln) for domestic transactions. The measure is set to help the Tax Service keep track of companies amid cancelled transfer pricing and the abolished institution of the consolidated taxpayers group. Big agriculture enterprises will be obliged to pay the value-added tax instead of the unified agricultural tax starting January 1, 2019, unless they exercise the right to the exemption. A source in the Agriculture Ministry said that the new regulation enables agriculture producers with an aggregate income of less than 100 mln rubles ($1.4 mln) in 2018 to apply to the tax authorities for a VAT tax exemption. The ministry suggests that the measure helps ease red tape and mutual settlements between big and small producers. The law envisaging a gradual increase in the retirement age in Russia to 60 years for women and 65 years for men will come into effect on January 1, 2019. The transition period will last until 2028. The reform of the pension system became one of the most debated legislative initiatives of the past year. The initial draft law underwent significant changes. The amendments were made after President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to soften the original version and to introduce a number of additional benefits, as well as measures to support people of pre-retirement age. Eventually, the draft law was signed by the head of the state on October 3. It stipulates a gradual increase in the retirement age by 5 years - to 65 for men and 60 for women instead of 63, as it was initially proposed by the Cabinet. The amendments also reduce by three years the length of service that gives the right to early retirement: for men it was reduced to 42 from 45 years as it was originally planned, for women it was reduced to 37 from 40 years. In the first several years the retirement age will be raised by six month annually. Those citizens who were to retire under the old law in the next two years will be given the right to qualify for a pension six months earlier than the new retirement age. For example, if a person, according to the new retirement age, is due to retire in January 2020, he will be able to do it already in July 2019. The average pension in Russia in 2018 was 14,100 rubles ($202). In 2019, according to the new law, the average monthly old-age pension for non-working pensioners will increase to 15,000 rubles ($215), and by 2024 - to 20,000 rubles ($286) per month. The new law preserves the right to early retirement for people working in harmful and dangerous conditions, for those injured as a result of radiation or man-made disasters. Also, the law secures early retirement to one of the parents or the guardian of a disabled person from childhood. The law secures benefits for permanent residents in the Far North regions of Russia and equal areas, those who worked there as reindeer herders, fishermen and hunters. Under the new law disabled war veterans, persons with visual disabilities and other categories of disabled people are eligible to early retirement. Early retirement benefits will be given to women who gave birth to more than two children and have the experience of working in the Far North and in equal areas. The law still secures benefits for women who have given birth to five or more children and raised them up to eight years. The law also gives the right to early retirement to women with three and four children. They will be able to retire three and four years earlier than the generally established retirement age. Under the new law women who have 37 years of work experience and men who have 42 years of work experience also have the right to early retirement but not earlier than 55 years and 60 years respectively. A swimmer has died after being pulled from the surf at an unpatrolled beach popular with swimmers. The man, who was in his 40s, was swimming at North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane, on Tuesday. Paramedics were called to the Frenchman's Beach at Point Lookout at 12.30pm after Surf Life Savers pulled the unresponsive man from the water, Ten Daily reported. Despite performing CPR for an hour, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The man, who was in his 40s, was swimming at North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane, on Tuesday A Surf Lifesaving Queensland spokeswoman told the publication he was treated at the site by volunteer surf live savers before paramedics arrived to take over. 'The incident served as a timely reminder to always swim at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags,' the spokeswoman said. Prior to the New Years, SLSQ lifesaving services manager Peta Lawlor released a statement urging swimmers to be cautious in the water and to avoid swimming on unpatrolled beaches. 'Unfortunately people are continuing to put their own lives at risk by entering the surf at night or outside of the flags and the devastating reality is, not everyone makes it back safely,' he said. A Surf Lifesaving Queensland spokeswoman told the publication he was treated at the site by volunteer surf live savers before paramedics arrived to take over 'If anything, it's a heartbreaking reminder that anyone at anytime can get into trouble if they're not putting safety first.' Nine swimmers have already died on Queensland beaches between July 1 and the start of the Christmas period on December 15. Ms Lawlor called on beachgoers to also help out by exercising caution this summer. 'It doesn't matter how competent you are in the surf, the ocean can be extremely unpredictable at times and we've already seen that unexpected tragedies can and do occur,' she said. 'There have been plenty of drownings in the past that could have been avoided if the person involved had been swimming at a patrolled beach. A NASA craft is believed to have reached the solar system's outermost region early Tuesday morning, flying close to a space rock 20 miles long and billions of miles from Earth on a mission to gather clues about the creation of the solar system. The body is farther from Earth than any other that has had such a close encounter with a NASA probe, scientists believe. The New Horizons probe was slated to reach the 'third zone' in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 a.m. Eastern. Scientists will not have confirmation of its successful arrival until the probe communicates its whereabouts through NASA's Deep Space Network at 10:28 a.m. Eastern, about 10 hours later. Scroll down for video NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past the mysterious object at 12:33 a.m. Tuesday. The latest images of the object reveal an elongated shape Once it enters the peripheral layer of the belt, containing icy bodies and leftover fragments from the solar system's creation, the probe will get its first close-up glance of Ultima Thule, a cool mass shaped like a giant peanut, using seven on-board instruments. Nasa tweeted after the flyby that confirmation of the signal from the spacecraft will be made public at 9.45am The first image of Ultima Thule's shape was taken during the spacecraft's approach but clearer pictures are not expected for some time as it can take several hours for radio signals to reach Earth from that far away. Flight controllers said everything looked good for New Horizons' flyby of the tiny, icy object nicknamed Ultima Thule at 12:33 a.m. on Tuesday. The mysterious, ancient target is 4 billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) from Earth and is in the Kuiper Belt. Scientists wanted New Horizons observing Ultima Thule during the encounter, not phoning home. So they had to wait until late morning before learning whether the spacecraft survived. The green segment of the line shows where New Horizons has traveled since launch while the red indicates the spacecraft's future path With New Horizons on autopilot, Mission Control was empty at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. Instead, hundreds of team members and their guests gathered nearby on campus for back-to-back countdowns. The crowd ushered in 2019 at midnight, then cheered, blew party horns and jubilantly waved small U.S. flags again 33 minutes later, the appointed time for New Horizons' closest approach to Ultima Thule. A few black-and-white pictures of Ultima Thule might be available following Tuesday's official confirmation, but the highly anticipated close-ups won't be ready until Wednesday or Thursday, in color, it is hoped. 'We set a record. Never before has a spacecraft explored anything so far away,' said the project's lead scientist who led the countdown to the close encounter, Alan Stern of Southwest Research Institute. 'Think of it. We're a billion miles farther than Pluto.' New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern (C) of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO, celebrating with school children at the exact moment that the New Horizons spacecraft made the closest approach of Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Tuesday, January 1 Stern called it an auspicious beginning to 2019, which will mark the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's footsteps on the moon in July 1969. People celebrate above A handout photo made available by NASA shows New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern (4-R), New Horizons project manager Helene Winters (3-R), Fred Pelletier (2-R), lead of the project navigation team and New Horizons co-investigator John Spencer (R) attending a press conference prior to the flyby of Ultima Thule by the New Horizons spacecraft, in Laurel, Maryland Stern called it an auspicious beginning to 2019, which will mark the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's footsteps on the moon in July 1969. 'Ultima Thule is 17,000 times as far away as the 'giant leap' of Apollo's lunar missions,' Stern noted in an opinion piece in The New York Times. New Horizons, which is the size of a baby grand piano and part of an $800 million mission, was expected to hurtle to within 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) of Ultima Thule, considerably closer than the Pluto encounter of 2015. Its seven science instruments were to continue collecting data for four hours after the flyby. Then the spacecraft was to turn briefly toward Earth to transmit word of its success. It takes over six hours for radio signals to reach Earth from that far away. Scientists believe there should be no rings or moons around Ultima Thule that might endanger New Horizons. Traveling at 31,500 mph (50,700 kph), the spacecraft could easily be knocked out by a rice-size particle. It's a tougher encounter than at Pluto because of the distance and the considerable unknowns, and because the spacecraft is older now. The flyby was fast, at a speed of nine miles (14 kilometers) per second. Seven instruments on board recorded high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition 'I can't promise you success. We are straining the capabilities of this spacecraft,' Stern said at a news conference Monday. 'By tomorrow, we'll know how we did. So stay tuned. There are no second chances for New Horizons.' The risk added to the excitement. A guitar anthem recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May - who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics - will be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation of the flyby. Pictured, May at Mission Control. Queen guitarist Brian May, who also happens to be an astrophysicist, joined the team at Johns Hopkins for a midnight premiere of the rock 'n' roll song he wrote for the big event. 'We will never forget this moment,' said May who led the New Year's countdown. 'This is completely unknown territory.' Despite the government shutdown, several NASA scientists and other employees showed up at Johns Hopkins as private citizens, unwilling to miss history in the making. Ultima Thule was unknown until 2014, eight years after New Horizons departed Earth. It was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope and added to New Horizons' itinerary. Deep inside the so-called Kuiper Belt, a frigid expanse beyond Neptune that is also known as the Twilight Zone, Ultima Thule is believed to date back 4.5 billion years to the formation of our solar system. As such, it is 'probably the best time capsule we've ever had for understanding the birth of our solar system and the planets in it,' Stern said. In classic and medieval literature, Thule was the most distant, northernmost place beyond the known world. 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 NASA's 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 Scientists suspect Ultima Thule is a single object no more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) long, though there's a chance it could prove to be two smaller bodies orbiting each other or connected by a slender neck. 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 don't leave the Kuiper Belt until 2027, 2028. 'So after we get all the data, that's what we're going to do. Work on our next exploration phase. 'We're happy about this, it's an amazing piece of American workmanship this little spacecraft that's doing so well.' Advertisement It is thought to be potato-shaped and dark-colored with a touch of red, possibly from being zapped by cosmic rays for eons. The exact shape and composition won't be known until Ultima Thule starts sending back data in a process expected to last almost two years. 'Who knows what we might find? ... Anything's possible out there in this very unknown region,' said John Spencer, a deputy project scientist from Southwest Research Institute. 'We'll find out soon enough.' New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern told Dailymail.com: 'It's going to take us 20 months to get all the data back, because data transmission speed is slow from that distance. 'We'll 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. The drug dealer who supplied the pills that are believed to have killed Joshua Tam could face 20 years behind bars under new drug laws. The 22-year-old tragically died after drinking a mix of alcohol and ecstasy at Lost Paradise music festival on New South Wales' Central Coast on Saturday. On Tuesday, police interrogated Mr Tam's friends, scoured his social media and thoroughly checked phone records in an attempt to track down his dealer, The Daily Telegraph reported. The drug dealer who supplied the pills that are believed to have killed Joshua Tam (pictured) could face 20 years behind bars under new drug laws The 22-year-old tragically died after drinking a mix of alcohol and ecstasy at Lost Paradise music festival on New South Wales' Central Coast on Saturday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has introduced a 20-year prison sentence for anyone caught providing dangerous drugs after two deaths at Defqon.1 in September. 'Drug dealers who play with people's lives are warned they risk being locked up for many, many years,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'The drug peddler who was responsible for this tragic death faces up to 20 years in jail under our tough new laws.' NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley said since the tragic death, there's been more discussion about whether pill testing should be implemented at festivals. 'Just saying no is not the answer. Pill testing should not be off the table,' Mr Daley said. However, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has fears more lives will be lost if pill testing is introduced. On Tuesday, police interrogated Mr Tam's friends, scoured his social media and thoroughly checked phone records in an attempt to track down his dealer Mr Perrottet believes pill testing could cause more people to think they can take drugs as they're being checked by the government. Mr Tam is the fourth person to die due to a drug overdose at a NSW music festival this season. It was revealed that a quarter of those who attended Lost Paradise were found with drugs on them, despite the event being 'strictly drug free'. NSW Police acting superintendent Rod Peet told reporters drugs were found in aerosol containers, Vegemite jars and inside the stuffing of a barbecue chicken. A teenage girl from Sydney's north shore also said she was able to get drugs into the festival by hiding them in a jar of Vicks VapoRub. President Donald Trump says the American people and the military were the biggest winners of 2018 while Democrats were the year's biggest losers. The president was asked to reflect on the year during a phone interview with Fox News correspondent Pete Hegseth on New Year's Eve as he waited to ring in 2019 at the White House. Speaking from Times Square during Fox News' All-American New Year special, Hegseth said: 'New Year's Eve, for a lot of our viewers, is a time for reflection. You look back on 2018 and look forward to 2019. Who are your big winners and who are the big losers in the last year? Trump replied: 'I think the winners are the American people. We've gotten them tax cuts and jobs. Jobs like they've never had before. We've taken care of the military and rebuilt large portions and very shortly all of our military which was depleted. I think that the big winners are the people of the country. That makes me very happy.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO President Donald Trump broke down his biggest winners and users for 2018 in a phone interview with Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth (left) on New Year's Eve. 'I think the winners are the American people. We've gotten them tax cuts and jobs. Jobs like they've never had before,' Trump said. 'We've taken care of the military and rebuilt large portions - and very shortly all - of our military, which was depleted.' He said that he thinks Democrats planning to oppose him in the 2020 presidential race are - or will be - the biggest losers He continued: 'The one that has lost, you know, I don't want to really say. You have certainly a lot of people that wanted to do things that it didn't work out.' Likely referencing the 2020 election, Trump said: 'I think when you look at some of the candidates that are announcing right now, I think they'll end up being the losers. You have a lot of people. Thirty-two people could be with the Democrats. Let's see what happens. 'I'm really more interested in the winners. And the winners are the people of the United States.' Hegseth went on to ask about Trump's 2019 resolutions and predictions, to which the president replied: 'I think we're going to have a great form of wealth. We've created a lot of wealth for our country. That's very important. That means jobs, it means prosperity, it means we can afford to do what we're doing with the military. 'We're working on tremendous trade deals where other countries have taken advantage of us so badly. I complained on all of the stuff. I'm producing better [deals] than I said during the campaign. I think we're going to have tremendous success with trade deals. 'I think we're going to have tremendously rebuilt military for strength and hopefully we'll never have to use our military. It will be so strong we'll never have to use it. That would be a good thing.' Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos turned heads when he hopped on a horse and rode it through a western store in Aspen, Colorado. Photos and videos of Bezos' jaunt through Kemo Sabe quickly circulated on social media as users were stunned to see how comfortable the tech magnate appeared in such rustic circumstances. Bezos, who saw his net worth increase by more than other billionaire peers in 2018, flashes a big smile as he enters the store wearing a large cowboy hat in a clip shared by the store. 'Now thats how you make an entrance! You look pretty damn good on a horse, @jeffbezos,' the caption says. 'Thank you for sharing a wonderful afternoon with us! Happy New Year, y'all!' The Amazon CEO increased his wealth by $24billion in 2018. He ended the year with a net worth of $123billion, according to Business Insider. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos turned heads by taking a horseback ride through a western store Kemo Sabe in Aspen, Colorado, while on holiday with his family A video on Kemo Sabe's Instagram shows Bezos waving his hat in the air as he enters the store atop shop owner Tom Yoder's quarter horse named Bean A source told Page Six: 'Jeff just got on horse and rode it in. Customers loved it. Hes good on a horse.' The Texas quarter horse he was riding, named Bean, is said to belong to shop owner and Bezos pal Tom Yoder. Bezos reportedly learned to ride while working on his grandparents' ranch in Texas when he was a kid. The world's richest man, who was in Aspen on vacation with his family, also has horses of his own. John Howard has revealed what went through his mind when lone gunman Martin Bryant killed thirty-five people at Port Arthur, Tasmania on the afternoon of April 28, 1996 As the enormity of Australia's worst ever massacre unfolded in 1996, Prime Minister John Howard thought to himself: 'Heavens above, what's the point of having a huge majority if you can't do something with it.' The result was the National Firearms Agreement, hammered out over the strong opposition of some states and gun owners, banning semi-automatic rifles and shotguns and imposing strict national licensing requirements. Thirty-five people died and 23 were wounded when lone gunman Martin Bryant opened fire on visitors at Port Arthur, Tasmania on the afternoon of April 28, 1996. At that time Mr Howard's Coalition had been in power for just under two months. Cabinet documents for 1996 and 1997, released by the National Archives of Australia, reveal some of the mechanics of implementing the NFA and buying back more than half a million banned guns from their owners. Weapons collected during Australian firearms amnesty and handgun buyback programs are pictured above Mr Howard has been widely praised for his action on gun laws amid regular mass shootings in the United States Cabinet historian Paul Strangio said the actual cabinet documents were not as illuminating on the gun law changes as he had hoped. 'A lot of it was done out of Mr Howard's private office and the big arguments were in the party room rather than the cabinet. 'The tensions were particularly around the National Party,' he said. Guns laws then and now remain the responsibility of states and territories. Pre-1996, firearms laws varied widely, though following a series of gun attacks, Victoria and NSW had tightened up their laws and there was a growing movement for standardised national laws. Among the holdouts was Tasmania whose lax laws allowed Bryant to acquire the two military rifles he used at Port Arthur. The cabinet documents show Tasmania was quick to agree to tighten its laws. A cabinet minute of April 29 - the day after the massacre - cites an oral report from Tasmanian senator and Social Security Minister Jocelyn Newman who said the Tasmanian state government, opposition and Greens had agreed to ban all military style semi-automatic rifles and to introduce registration of all guns. Mr Howard was at Kirribilli House in Sydney when he was informed of the tragedy. 'Tony Rundle, the then premier of Tasmania, rang me. Pictured above are the remains of the Broad Arrow Cafe, where 20 of the Port Arthur victims were killed 'I went down to Canberra that night and we had a meeting at The Lodge. 'It was then I started about the idea of national gun laws,' he said. 'It was one of these things where there was overwhelming support for what we did in the cities and in most of regional Australia. 'People in the bush... felt they had been deprived and handicapped through the behaviour of a madman (Martin Bryant above)' 'But in certain areas of the bush, people felt aggrieved. They felt they had been deprived and handicapped through the behaviour of a madman.' Mr Howard said he could understand how some of them felt. 'But I just believed overwhelmingly that if you couldn't do this and you weren't prepared to chance your arm on something like this, well what's the point of being in government,' he said. Mr Howard said this was a very difficult time for his colleagues, deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Tim Fischer and his deputy John Anderson. He believed a referendum to transfer gun law powers to the Commonwealth would have been carried but it became an unnecessary option. Mr Howard met some of those impacted by the shooting, such as Walter Mikac who lost his wife and two young daughters. 'It was a very early reminder to me that one of the jobs of the prime minister is to comfort and console and embrace and hug people who have had immense tragedy,' he said. A heavily-tattooed man who allegedly punched a police officer during a violent brawl at a beach recently predicted on Facebook that he would be back in jail before long. Tyson Dellosta, 21, has been charged over the shocking assault of a policeman as he and four others were being arrested at a packed Dee Why beach on New Year's Eve. Video captured by a bystander at the packed beach showed Dellosta trying to resist arrest by launching himself at police, before being subdued with pepper spray. The run-in with police comes just weeks after he posted on social media about how he was 'definitely going back to jail', having only walked free in early 2018. Scroll down for video Tyson Dellosta (pictured), 21, has been charged over the shocking assault of a policeman as he and four others were being arrested at Dee Why beach, in Sydney's north, on New Year's Eve At the time of his release in February 2018, Dellosta posted a status to Facebook that read: 'Home sweet home'. In late-November he again took to social media, this time sharing a photo of himself drinking a can of Jack Daniel's pre-mix whiskey. 'You know why they call it JD. Cause there's a 95% chance you're going back to jail definitely,' he captioned the photo. Almost exactly a month later and he was back in custody, despite allegedly trying to resist arrest on Monday afternoon. Dellosta and his companions - two men aged 27 and 21, and two women aged 19 and 24 - were intercepted by police after a check revealed they were driving a stolen car. A bystander captured the moment Dellosta allegedly assaulted a police officer (pictured) Just a few weeks earlier Dellosta posted had a photo to Facebook in which he mentioned how he would 'definitely' be going back to jail But when police tried to stop the Volkswagon Amarok they attempted to flee through the carpark at Dee Why beach, only to crash into a parked car moments later. Dellosta then allegedly attacked police, with video of the incident showing him run at an officer before appearing to strike him in the face. Several other officers at the scene then used pepper spray and taser guns to subdue him and the other 21-year-old man, who also allegedly assaulted police. Dellosta was charged with five offences including one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of assaulting a police officer. Dellosta (pictured in a photo taken inside prison) was charged with five offences including two counts of assaulting a police officer He and his three companions were remanded in custody and are due to face Manly Local Court on Tuesday. The police officer who was injured in the brawl was rushed to hospital for treatment. The 24-year-old woman was charged with two counts relating to the incident and is due to face Manly Local Court on January 30. Nine people have been injured, one seriously, after a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street. A man identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku just after midnight. Police say he acted with an 'intent to murder'. Local media said the suspect had initially described the incident as an 'act of terror' but later said the attack was in retaliation for capital punishment without giving more precise details. Nine people have been injured, one seriously, after a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street A man identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku just after midnight A car has slammed into pedestrians on a street where people had gathered for New Year's Eve festivities in downtown Tokyo Footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. Local media said a container with kerosine inside was found in the rental car, where the attack occurred. The attacker reportedly drove the vehicle from the western region of Osaka. One witness told NHK it was a 'ghastly scene.' 'I saw some guys collapsed on the street. As I walked closer toward the scene, many more people had fallen on the ground. By the time I reached the exact place, paramedics were already there helping people,' he said. Another witness who runs a clothing shop in the area said: 'I am shocked that something like this happened on Takeshita Street.' Police immediately cordoned off the street, which during the day is usually packed with tourists trying to get a taste of Japan's extravagant youth and food culture. Footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman told AFP. Local media reports said the student was in a coma One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman told AFP. Local media reports said the student was in a coma. Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. According to local media, Kusakabe hit a total of eight people and assaulted another on the street, which was closed to car traffic at the time before visitors would pack the area to celebrate New Year. The vehicle hit its first victim about 30 metres into the narrow street before knocking down seven more over the next 100 metres, according to the Sankei Shimbun newspaper. There is no information so far to suggest foreign tourists were among the injured, the police spokesman said. TV Asahi said officers were investigating whether the suspect is fit for trial. Takeshita Street is packed with small shops and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan, attracting tens of thousands of international tourists every day. Unlike in other major cities, New Year in Tokyo is a relatively muted affair. There is no major fireworks display and no central point where drunken revellers gather to see in the New Year. Instead, Japanese people tend to see in the New Year with families and quietly go to the shrine to pray for good fortune in the year to come. By midday Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of tourists had returned to the street filled with bright pink ornaments, although blue tarps covering the scene of the case remained. The Pentagon's principal spokeswoman abruptly stepped down on New Years Eve following a misconduct investigation launched by the Defense Department. Dana White, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in April 2017 and worked as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' public affairs chief, was probed for abuse of power and forcing federal employees to run her errands in August. She announced her resignation on Twitter on Monday. 'I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by this administration to serve alongside Secretary Mattis, our Service members and all the civilians who support them,' she tweeted. Dana White, the Pentagon's chief public affairs officer, resigned on Monday after she was under investigation for misconduct and abuse of power by the Defense Department She announced her resignation on Monday via Twitter. She was appointed to the post in April 2017 by President Donald Trump and worked directly under Defense Secretary Jim Mattis 'It has been my honor and privilege. Stay safe and God bless,' she added. She also sent out a message of resignation to the Defense Department staff on Monday. 'It is with a heavy heart that I have submitted my letter of resignation to Secretary Mattis. I am grateful to the administration for giving me the opportunity to serve alongside Secretary Mattis, the brave men and women in uniform, and all of the civilians who support them,' she wrote in a letter obtained by CNN. Mattis also notably resigned on December 21 after Trump announced that he'd pull American troops out of Syria. On Tuesday Charles Summers Jr will step into her shoes as the principal deputy assistant to the secretary of defense. White was investigated after she was accused of making staff members run her personal errands and complete her business matters. When they complained, she allegedly retaliated by transferring them to different departments. Multiple complaints were filed against her alleging she asked workers to fetch her dry cleaning, go to the pharmacy for her and complete her mortgage paperwork. She also allegedly had a staff member drive her to work on a snowy day and when they complained she wrote them a check to cover the cost of the trip. Former and current staffers told NBC in August that White had staffers buy her pantyhose and other personal items at the CVS in the Pentagon. On Tuesday Charles Summers Jr will replace her as principal deputy assistant to the secretary of defense She had them bring her meals and schedule grooming appointments and plan her personal trips. She even reportedly them contact a foster are facility about adopting a child. Officials said White is also accused of retaliating against staff and transferring employees out of their jobs without cause. Investigators were looking into accusations that she removed at least four Department of Defense employees who complained about her. There has been frequent staff turnover in her office, and she's had four different military assistants - usually a colonel in rank - in the last 16 months. The use of staff for personal tasks is prohibited. She used to regularly speak in televised press briefings but hasn't done one since May. After a few months Mattis selected Burke Whitman to act as uniformed spokesman for the Defense Department. Prior to her Pentagon appointment she worked as strategic communications director for the Renault-Nissan Alliance in Paris and was an adviser on the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain and Sarah Palin. She's fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French and published a book called 'Leader Designed: Become the Leader You Were Made To Be'. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would 'love to run' against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, though one would have to 'ask her psychiatrist' if she has a chance to win. It was unclear what Trump meant by the comment, which he made during an interview on the Fox News Channel on Monday. 'I wish her well, Id love to run against her,' the President told Fox News after Warren announced that she was forming an exploratory committee - the first step which indicates a plan to eventually run for the White House. Trump then mentioned the controversy over a DNA test which Warren took to prove that she is of Native American origin. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Fox News Privacy Policy President Donald Trump conducted a phone interview with Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth (left) on New Year's Eve 'She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage,' Trump said. 'That didnt work out too well. I think [Fox News reporter Pete Hegseth] ha[s] more than she does, and maybe I do too, and I have nothing. 'So well see how she does.' When Trump was asked if she can win, he replied: 'Well, I dont know, youd have to ask her psychiatrist.' Warren dodged questions on Monday about her biggest political liabilities as she jumped headfirst into the 2020 Democratic presidential primary process. In announcing the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, Warren staked out the first significant territory in what will likely be a crowded field of Democrats itching for a swing at Trump. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would 'love to run' against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, though one would have to 'ask her psychiatrist' if she has a chance to win But she showed no sign she's ready to overcome the self-inflected scandal that has dogged her for years: her questionable claim of American Indian ancestry. The result was an unsteady performance that none of the three major cable news networks broadcast live from beginning to end. Asked in her first question as a candidate-in-waiting how she will respond to Democrats who worry that her slow-motion ancestry gaffe had left her too vulnerable to be electable, Warren defaulted to talking points. 'I'm in this fight because I understand what's happening to working families,' she said outside her home near Boston, standing alongside her husband Bruce Mann. Warren spoke to reporters with her husband Bruce (left) at her side, after announcing she has formed an exploratory committee to run for president in 2020 The first question from a reporter as she entered the 2020 fray was about her electability given her Native American DNA scandal and she avoided answering it Trump has long been critical of Warren for claiming to have Cherokee ancestry, a move the president claims gave her preferential treatment in university hiring at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. Warren conceded this month that she is 'not a person of color,' following her embarrassing October release of DNA test data that concluded her proportion of American Indian blood might be as small as 1 part in 1,024 lower than average European-Americans. She sidestepped a separate question on Monday about whether her far-left brand of populism will polarize American voters, denying her meaningful support outside the liberal northeast U.S. and California. Instead she acknowledged only that CEOs and investment bankers won't like her. 'The problem we've got right now in Washington is that it works great for those who have money, to buy influence,' said Warren, 69. 'And I'm fighting against that, and you bet it's going to make a lot of people unhappy.' The 69-year-old Democrat would not, however, rule out accepting help from super PACs built with their political contributions. 'Would you take support from super PACs,' a reporter asked. Despite a crush of TV cameras covering Warren's announcement and her short Q&A with reporters, none of the three big cable TV news networks broadcast the entire event live Warren, pictured walking away after the short press availability, said she's no fan of super PACs or the billionaire who fund them, but didn't rule out accepting their help in 2020 How she announced: Elizabeth Warren used New Year's Eve morning to make her presidential move in a video recorded in her kitchen but slickly produced A flustered Warren said only that 'I don't think we ought to be running campaigns that are funded by billionaires, whether it goes through super PACs or their own money that they're spending.' That fell short of a pledge to shun their help as she runs for the White House. 'I've already received donations from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico,' she boasted, before revealing that she would spend New Year's Eve with her husband doing what they always do: watching the 1942 film 'Casablanca.' Trump aides licked their chops and laughed as they anticipated a battle between the president and the ultra-liberal swashbuckler he regularly mocks as 'Pocahontas.' A Trump administration official with knowledge of the president's thinking said Monday that Warren 'will go down in flames,' and cracked a subtle Native American joke. 'She's going to somehow ride her far-left platform into the White House?' the official asked. 'How?' 'It's a dream come true,' said a second official, adding a fond hope that Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal would follow Warren into the race. 'Can we get Blumenthal to run too? More phony Democrats, please,' said that official. She's (almost) running: Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren used New Year's Eve to announce she is setting up an exploratory committee for a 2020 bid President Donald Trump has said he would love to face Warren, and has already spent two years publicly mocking her to soften the ground Trump has similarly weaponized Blumenthal's past missteps, turning his military career into a case of stolen valor because he has falsely claimed to have fought in Vietnam. Blumenthal served in uniform as a U.S. Marine reservist for six years but spent the war thousands of miles from harm's way. Warren's New Year's Eve launch guaranteed she had the nation's political spotlight largely to herself. 'Americas middle class is under attack,' the 69-year-old Massachusetts Democrat said in a launch video. 'How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie. And they enlisted politicians to cut them a bigger slice.' She tried to strike a uniting tone, declaring that 'no matter what our differences, most of us want the same thing: 'to be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules and take care of the people we love. That's what I'm fighting for.' The Republican National Committee blasted out a scathing reply. Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that Warren 'couldnt be more out of touch. With her lack of support from voters including in her home state on top of her phony claim to minority status, now that she is formally running Americans will see her for what she is: another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud.' Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal is another liberal Democrat who Trump aides would like to see enter the 2020 contest, because of his false claims to have fought in Vietnam On the blocks: In an email to supporters, Warren said she'd more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019. She can now raise money for a run Warren burst onto the national scene a decade ago during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protections. She quickly became one of the party's more prominent liberals even as she sometimes fought with Obama administration officials over their response to the market turmoil. Now, as a likely presidential contender, she is making an appeal to the party's base. Her video notes the economic challenges facing people of color along with images of a women's march and Warren's participation at an LGBT event. In an email to supporters, Warren said she'd more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019. Warren is the most prominent Democrat yet to make a move toward a presidential bid and has long been a favorite target of President Donald Trump. In mid-December, former Obama housing chief Julian Castro also announced a presidential exploratory committee, which legally allows potential candidates to begin raising money. Outgoing Maryland Rep. John Delaney is the only Democrat so far to have formally announced a presidential campaign. But that's likely to change quickly in the new year as other leading Democrats take steps toward White House runs. Greatest hits: Trump is likely to make use of his previous assault on Elizabeth Warren's claims of Native American roots, which he stepped up in the wake of her DNA test Warren enters a Democratic field that's shaping up as the most crowded in decades, with many of her Senate colleagues openly weighing their own campaigns, as well as governors, mayors and other prominent citizens. One of her most significant competitors could be Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who is eyeing another presidential run harnessing the same populist rhetoric. She must also move past the widely panned October DNA test stunt meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage. Instead, the use of a genetic test to prove her ethnicity emboldened Trump's taunts of her as 'Pocahontas.' There was no direct mention of the controversy, or of Trump, in Monday's video. It did include images of the president and his inner-circle current and former aides who her base most loves to hate: Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon. Warren has the benefit of higher name recognition than many others in the Democratic mix for 2020, thanks to her years as a prominent critic of Wall Street who originally conceived of what became the government's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She now faces an arduous battle to raise money and capture Democratic primary voters' attention before Iowa casts its first vote in more than a year. She has an advantage in the $12.5 million left over from her 2018 re-election campaign that she could use for a presidential run. Warren's campaign is likely to revolve around the same theme she's woven into speeches and policy proposals in recent years: battling special interests, paying mind to the nexus between racial and economic inequities. 'America's middle class is under attack,' Warren said in the video. 'How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie. And they enlisted politicians to cut them a fatter slice.' The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said it is evaluating the possibility of national carriers resuming flights to the Syrian capital of Damascus. GCAA made the comment in a statement, following the UAEs reopening of its embassy in Damascus. UAE airlines Etihad and Emirates suspended flights to Damascus in 2012 because of security concerns. When asked for comment, Etihad airways said it "does not have immediate plans to resume services to Damascus," but added that it was "constantly monitoring the situation." Emirates also said in a statement it was monitoring the situation but did not have anything to announce at this time, Reuters reported. A shocking leaked reports claims soldiers are living in 'death trap' barracks which could become the next Grenfell Tower. Findings in the report by the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) have been covered up, Army insiders told the Sun, despite thousands of troops reportedly living in unsafe conditions. The 33-storey Hyde Park Barracks in central London, which is home to thousands of the Queen's personal troops, is said to be one of the most at-risk properties. A source claimed young soldiers are at risk of 'burning to death in their beds' if the Army fails to rehouse them. The 33-storey Hyde Park Barracks, which is taller than Grenfell Tower, is said to be one of the unsafe buildings The buildings were said to be at risk of a disaster like the Grenfell Tower fire (pictured) which killed 72 people last summer 'Everybody knows that it won't be long before things get so bad that people are killed,' the source claimed. 'Young soldiers are going to burn to death in their beds. 'It's sheer cowardice and a betrayal of every man and woman serving in uniform.' The DSA report was ordered after two blazes at Aliwal barracks in Tidworth, Wilts, and Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, which uncovered fire safety failings. Inspectors were said to have compared Army buildings to the Grenfell Tower blaze which killed 72 people last summer. The report said there was 'unacceptable degradation' of barracks, 'faulty equipment' and 'broken or unserviceable infrastructure'. Wellington Barracks (pictured) had to be closed in March after it failed a fire safety examination The report into fire safety was ordered after two fires in 16 months, one of which happened at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn (pictured) It concluded that there was significant risk of 'a fire resulting in significant loss of life, loss of capability and damage to Defence's reputation'. The damaging dossier was handed to defence chiefs on August 14 and had been due to be published on the independent watchdog's website in September - but it has mysteriously failed to appear. A series of high-rise blocks were built within barracks in the 1960s. The 308ft Basil Spence tower at Hyde Park Barracks, London, tops 221ft Grenfell. An MoD spokesperson told the Sun: 'All occupied buildings owned by the MOD meet national building and fire regulations and we regularly inspect our sites to ensure they meet safety standards. 'We are making improvements to fire safety across our sites, including bolstering our resources for fire assurance.' A manhunt has begun for a man who indecently assaulted a young girl as she was enjoying New Year's Eve festivities in the heart of Melbourne. The girl who police could only confirm was under the age of 13, had been watching the fireworks display with her parents in the CBD when she was attacked by the stranger just after midnight at busy Flinders Street Station. Deputy Commissioner Patton said the sexual crimes squad was investigating the incident but were yet to identify a suspect. Investigators are expected to trawl through CCTV in the hope of identifying the pervert. A child was assaulted in the company of adults at Flinders Street Station last night 'Obviously it's something we're very concerned about,' Mr Patton said. Police could not provide an exact age or further details about the attack as the investigation was ongoing. 'That type of criminal offending is horrendous and we will investigate it as fully as we can with the view of apprehending the offender,' Mr Patton said. 'She was with adults at the time. The offender was unknown to them.' Mr Patton described the attack as 'horrendous'. 'We will continue to pursue and see if we can apprehend that offender,' he said. Across the state, a small child enjoying a New Year's Eve fireworks display was treated for facial injuries after being struck in the face by an out-of-control firecracker. The seven year-old child sustained minor injuries in the incident that happened last night in the coastal town of Loch Sport - in Victoria's east. It was one of several disturbing incidents to occur across the state on New Year's Eve. Mr Patton said the child was struck when part of a plug from one of the explosives fell outside the fallout zone. 'In addition to that as well there were some small amount of fireworks that dropped outside that fallout zone later that contacted on another person,' he said. The safety watchdog is investigating the incident. Fireworks displays saw several people injured across Victoria on New Year's Eve Mr Patton said police were generally pleased with the way Victorians behaved on New Year's Eve. Preliminary figures saw police make 59 arrests across the state, with 37 being for people being drunk. Thefts, assualts and drug offences made up the tally. Six people were charged at the Beyond the Valley music festival for dealing drugs in Victoria's east. 'I suppose my message is overall a fantastic New Year's Eve - everybody has came in they've enjoyed themselves ... we had a small number of people do the wrong thing. They were dealt with swiftly, so a few people were locked up. They'll wake up with sore heads.' A child was among those injured in a fireworks display on the coastal town of Lock Sport In other fireworks incidents, a man, aged in his 60s, was taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition after he was hit by fireworks in Altona Meadows just after midnight. A man, also aged in his 60s, also suffered significant facial burns after a bonfire exploded in Yarck in the Goulburn Valley. Ambulance Victoria responded to 1000 emergencies during New Year's Eve celebrations with calls including a serious injury at the Falls Festival in Lorne. The festival-goer was airlifted in a critical condition after falling and hitting his head The man, aged in his 20s, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and remains in a serious condition. John Howard's immigration minister proposed a plan that would push migrants to live in the regions rather than Sydney and Melbourne more than twenty years ago, confidential Cabinet documents have revealed. And even though the plan was savaged by bureaucrats at the time, similar policies could be considered by the current Liberal government after Australia's population topped 25 million last year. The secret documents, released by the National Archives of Australia on Tuesday, revealed how the country came close to a plan that would encourage migrants to settle in regional areas, rather than big cities. A trove of Cabinet papers from Prime Minister John Howard's government was released on January 1, including discussion of a plan to push migrants to live in the regions The country's population rocketed past 25 million last year, surpassing previous official population estimates for 2018 The plan was proposed by longtime Howard government immigration minister Philip Ruddock In a submission to Cabinet in 1997 that echoed concerns about congestion, crammed public transport and property prices in the country's major cities in 2019, Mr Ruddock wrote: 'I am concerned about the extent to which new arrivals settle in Sydney and Melbourne rather than regional Australia and the lesser populated states/territories. 'I am also concerned about the skill shortages that are evident in some regions,' he said, describing his discussions with the South Australian and Northern Territory governments. He proposed establishing a migrant intake that would give new arrivals who lived in a designated area for more than 12 months extra rights to sponsor family members migrating to Australia. But several government departments were sceptical, with the Industry Department telling Cabinet it did not believe 'attempting to artificially 'prop up' regions' with overseas migrants would be effective. The Prime Minister's Department said it was 'sceptical of the likely success of the new regional component'. The Australian newspaper reported that Mr Ruddock's plan was given 'short shrift' by Cabinet, but he was allowed to maintain a pilot program for regional settlement started by the Keating government. Mr Ruddock said he was 'concerned about the extent of which new arrivals settle in Sydney and Melbourne', the country's two biggest cities There is growing debate about how to manage the country's growing population. Pictured, New Year's Day at Bondi Beach In the present day, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made 'congestion busting' one of his top priorities and his population minister has said it will encourage migrants to head to the regions. 'We are working on measures to have more new arrivals go to the smaller states and regions and require them to be there for at least a few years,' minister Alan Tudge said in a speech in October. Mr Tudge claimed migrants would then make the regions their home in the long term. His boss, Mr Morrison, has sought the help of the states in lowering Australia's migration rate. The National Archives releases Cabinet records on New Year's Day every year, with this year's trove including high-level government documents from the Keating and Howard governments in 1996 and 1997. Kim Jong Un has warned the United States not to test Pyongyang's patience with sanctions and pressure in a televised New Year's speech today. Foregoing his traditional Mao-style buttoned-up black shirt, the North Korean dictator dressed in a Western business suit and tie to deliver his annual speech, sat beneath two huge portraits of his father and grandfather. Kim said he hopes to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019 and produce an outcome 'welcomed by the international community' on denuclearisation. However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States 'continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure.' Ma-Kim a point: Kim Jong Un warned Washington not to 'break its promises and misjudge the patience' of North Korea in his New Year's speech The speech was filmed in what appears to be a presidential library, with Kim sitting in a Chesterfield-style leather armchair. Two smaller portraits of his father Kim Jong-Il and grandfather Kim Il-Sung can be seen on a mantlepiece behind him, flanked by the flags of North Korea and the country's Workers' Party. Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean cooperation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed. Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. Pyongyang over the past months has accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the North's unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12. Kim Jong-un said he hopes to meet with Donald Trump, pictured yesterday with his son Barron and wife Melania on New Year's eve, in 2019 and produce an outcome 'welcomed by the international community' on denuclearisation. 'If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (U.S.-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures,' said Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and gray-blue tie. 'It is the unwavering position of our party and the republic's government and my firm will that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement ... take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime and push toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,' he said. 'Therefore, we have already declared domestically and internationally and took various actions showing our commitment that we will no further create or test nuclear weapons and will not use or spread them.' Adam Mount, a senior analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, said Kim appears to be hinting at an agreement that falls short of a full disarmament, but could still represent a major limitation of the North Korean threat - a cap that essentially freezes the North's rudimentary nuclear capability from growing or advancing further. In exchange, the United States would have to offer major inducements, including sanctions relief. 'U.S. negotiators should move decisively in the new year to find out how far Kim is willing to go toward a verified cap on his arsenal. Discussions on reducing or eliminating that arsenal come later,' Mount said in an email. However, Kim's statement could prove problematic if there's ongoing evidence the North's nuclear and missile facilities continue to run. Private analysts have accused North Korea of continuing nuclear and missile development, citing details from commercial satellite imagery. Kim delivered the televised New Year's speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and gray-blue tie, in front of the flags of North Korea and the country's Workers' Party As the camera panned out, it showed two large portraits of his father Kim Jong-Il, right, and grandfather Kim Il-Sung, left, on the wall behind him, as well as the flags of North Korea and 'Over the last year, signs of continued work on the arsenal were alarming but not duplicitous, because there was never a commitment to stop those activities,' Mount said. 'That may no longer be true, raising the risk that the White House feels cheated rather than just stonewalled.' Kim's speech also points toward a difficult year for the U.S.-South Korean alliance with their military cooperation coming under pressure from Pyongyang, Seoul's process for inter-Korean engagement, and Washington's current inability to reach an agreement on cost-sharing for the U.S. military presence in South Korea. It will be critical for the allies to develop a firmer policy as it's clear the issue of joint drills is coming to a head, Mount said. In the speech, Kim hailed the results of the North's diplomatic activities in 2018, including his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim said an inter-Korean military agreement reached in their last summit in September to reduce conventional military threats was 'realistically a non-aggression declaration.' Kim also emphasized the development of the North Korean economy and, without elaborating, mentioned nuclear power as part of the country's plans to boost electricity production. Artistes from the Mansudae Art Troupe, the Phibada Opera Troupe, the National Folk Art Troupe, Kim Won Gyun University of Music and the art squad of the Korean People's Internal Security Forces and artistes of the Moranbong Electronic Ensemble performed at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to celebrate the new year last night A New Year performance is held at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on New Year's Eve Happy new year: Revellers pose for photos before an ice sculpture during a New Year's eve countdown event and fireworks display on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang Huge crowds had gathered in the square in central Pyongyang on Monday evening South Korea's government in a statement welcomed what it described as Kim's commitment toward peace and said Seoul plans to work closely with the international community for the denuclearization of the peninsula while also advancing inter-Korean relations to an 'irreversible level.' North Korean leaders traditionally use New Year's statements to issue major policy goals for the year ahead. Kim used his New Year's speech a year ago to start a newfound diplomatic approach with Seoul and Washington, which led to his meetings with Moon and Trump. Kim also met three times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which boosted his leverage by reintroducing Beijing - Pyongyang's main ally - as a major player in the diplomatic process to resolve the nuclear standoff. But nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled in recent months as they struggle with the sequencing of North Korea's disarmament and the removal of U.S.-led sanctions against the North. The North has also bristled at U.S. demands to provide a detailed account of nuclear and missile facilities that would be inspected and dismantled under a potential deal. The hardening stalemate has fueled doubts on whether Kim will ever voluntarily relinquish the nuclear weapons and missiles he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival. In his meetings with Trump and Moon, Kim signed vague statements calling for the 'complete denuclearization' of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. The North used a blunt statement last month to reiterate its traditional stance on denuclearization, saying it will never unilaterally give up its weapons unless Washington removes what Pyongyang describes as a nuclear threat. The statement jarred with Seoul's claim that Kim is genuinely interested in negotiating away his nukes and suggested that the North will potentially 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. Washington and Pyongyang have yet to reschedule a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean officials after the North canceled it at the last minute in November. There are views that North Korea wants a quick second summit because it thinks it can win major concessions from Trump that they probably couldn't from lower-level U.S. officials, who are more adamant about the North committing to inspections and verification. A California Walgreens security guard has been charged with murder after he fatally shot a homeless man he accused of shoplifting at the store. Security guard Donald Vincent Ciota II, 28, was charged with a count of murder for using a firearm as a deadly and dangerous weapon on Monday after he shot Jonathan Hart, 21, in the back of his neck on December 2. Ciota accused Hart of shoplifting at the Los Angeles store and the two allegedly argued over a $2.99 water flavoring product. When Hart tried to run out of the store, Ciota fired a single fatal shot. Stomach-churning video footage from inside the store shows Hart sprawled on the ground and bottles of broken and spilled red wine on the floor. Ciota is seen making a phone call while standing over Hart's body. Walgreens security guard Donald Vincent Ciota II, 28, was charged with murder on Monday after shooting dead homeless man Jonathan Hart, 21, on December 2 at the store Shocking video taken by Hart's friend at Walgreens on December 2 shows Ciota on the phone standing over Hart's fallen body and spilled bottles of red wine, not blood The video was shared by Hart's family's lawyer Carl Douglas as they launch a $525million wrongful death lawsuit against Walgreens The video was recorded by a man who entered the store with Hart. Hart's heartbroken family is now suing Walgreens in a $525million wrongful death lawsuit, according to the New York Daily News. Their lawyer Carl Douglas, who was a part of OJ Simpson's defense at his 1995 murder trial, says that Ciota and Hart got into an argument that turned physical. 'The guard feels the man push him one time. The guard pushes the man back one time. The guard watches as the man turns to run toward the back door. The guard raises his gun and points at the man,' he said at a press conference on December 11. 'The guard says, "Freeze" as the man travels toward the door. The guard fires one shot, striking the man in the back of the neck,' he added. Cops and family members clarified that Hart was not armed. Los Angeles Police arrived to Walgreens at the store located on the 1500 block of Vine Street. Hart was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Hart and Ciota allegedly got into a fight over a $2.99 water flavoring product and pushed each other. Ciota accused him of shoplifting and when Hart tried to run away, Ciota shot him in the back of the neck Hart's family said he was also went by the name Sky Young and was homeless and suffered from mental illness. He had hopes to one day be a hairdresser 'Jonathan Hart was profiled because he was homeless. He was harassed because he was gay, and he was shot because he was black,' Hart's family lawyer Douglas said. Lawyer and Hart's family pictured above on Monday after Ciota was charged with murder Hart's family said he was also went by the name Sky Young and was homeless and suffered from mental illness, according to Heavy. He had hopes to one day be a hairdresser. His lawyer Douglas says that Hart was not shoplifting and instead was targeted because he was gay, homeless and black. Douglas said: 'I gave this family a pledge that Jonathan Hart will not have died in vain. Walgreens, the blood of Jonathan Hart is on your hands.' Ciota is currently being held on $3million bail and if convicted could serve life in prison 'Jonathan Hart was profiled because he was homeless. He was harassed because he was gay, and he was shot because he was black,' Douglas said. Hart's heartbroken mother Psychesia Hart is a security guard herself, according to KTLA-TV and says Ciota did not follow protocal. 'This mistake of a human being, because he had a badge and a gun, felt like he had every right to pull a weapon on my child,' she said. 'First off, youre security. Our job as security officers: observe and report. But dont pull no gun on nobody and shoot them in the back. What kind of coward are you?' she added. Walgreens issued a statement in light of the incident saying: 'We have extended our deepest and most sincere condolences to Mr. Hart's family. As a result of the tragic incident, we immediately terminated the security company, and we continue to fully cooperate in the ongoing police investigation.' He's being represented by famous attorney Mark Geragos, who represented big time clients like Michael Jackson and Winona Ryder, the two pictured above on Monday Ciota was not hired directly by Walgreens but by a security company contracted by the pharmacy. Walgreens has since ended its contract with the company. Ciota is currently being held on $3million bail and if convicted could serve life in prison. He's being represented by famous attorney Mark Geragos, who represented big time clients like Michael Jackson and Winona Ryder, according to NBC. Ciota did not enter a plea on Monday and his arraignment was moved to Thursday. He's being held at Los Angeles County Jail. 'There is no way in the world this should be a murder case,' Geragos said, requesting video of the shooting and asking the judge to view it. 'We are heartened that justice will be on the way,' Douglas said on Monday after the murder charge was announced. All plastic bags could be banned from shopping centres in a bid to crackdown on the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill, but people aren't happy about it. Months after single-use plastic bags were banned at supermarkets, the Queensland government is looking to also ban heavier plastic bags. The Victorian Government has also confirmed they would look into banning all plastic bags if the reusable bags keep ending up in landfill. All plastic bags could be banned from shopping centres in a bid to crackdown on the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill, but people aren't happy about it 'As with any reform in any other state, we will monitor the reform closely, should it go ahead,' a State Government spokesman told the Courier Mail. 'As part of Queensland's broader waste strategy, a Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan is being developed to identify how government, business and the community can work together to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution.' The thicker reusable bags need to be used at least four times in order to offset the increased amount of energy it takes to make them. The ban is also being extended into the retail sector, with the idea shoppers will also have to bring their own bags when buying clothes. Policy manager of the National Retailers Association David Stout said it's still too soon after the initial ban to determine what the best course of action is. 'Definitely the next steps need to be carefully considered. The retailers really need clear, succinct direction. (It's) definitely a conversation worth having,' Mr Stout said. Months after single-use plastic bags were banned at supermarkets nationwide, the Queensland government is looking to also ban heavier plastic bags A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they've found most of their customers are forming new habits and bringing their own shopping bags into stores. 'This is reflected at the check out where we are seeing less and less transactions from customers having to buy new bags,' the spokesperson said. '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. 'We're delighted more than 1,200 Australian schools have applied for our first round of Junior Landcare grants, which are funded by sales of our Bag for Good. Many people aren't impressed with the idea and think it 'punishes the consumer', with many saying it should be up to the supermarkets to provide incentives and recycle the bags 'We know signage in our car parks and store entrances have been helpful for many customers as a final reminder. 'We're grateful for our customers' patience and support during this transition to a more sustainable way of shopping.' Many people aren't impressed with the idea and think it 'punishes the consumer', with many saying it should be up to the supermarkets to provide incentives and recycle the bags. 'We replaced plastic bags with more plastic bags,' one user wrote on Facebook. Others were quick to point out it doesn't stop the supermarkets from packaging fresh food in plastic: 'What about ALL PLASTIC PACKAGING!!!' 'I wonder if people realise it was just to monetize plastic bags?' another person said. 'Really? This is the first question of the year? Oi vay,' another wrote. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coles for comment. More than 2,500 kind-hearted volunteers signed up to be part of the NHS army in the final day of the Daily Mail's Christmas campaign. The late surge means the new year will see more than 32,500 readers give up their time to help others, following an astonishing month. The last-minute pledges before the midnight deadline mean patients and staff will benefit from more than 1.8million hours of extra help in 2019. Readers will now be matched with a local NHS trust to fulfil one of hundreds of possible volunteer roles, from patient befrienders to hospital guides, starting in spring. Theresa May hailed it as an 'overwhelming success' on Monday and described the response as 'really heartening' The Mail launched the campaign with the charity Helpforce on December 1 and the response was overwhelming from the start, with more than 10,000 signing up within just five days. By last night, 32,674 people had vowed to carry out 1.84 million hours of unpaid work to comfort patients and ease pressure on the health service. Of these, 18,443 have pledged to help for three hours a week while 14,231 people will spend one day a month in their roles, for a minimum of six months. The incredible response which will see volunteer numbers within the NHS swell by more than a third has won praise from everyone from the Prime Minister to members of the Royal Family. Theresa May hailed it as an 'overwhelming success' on Monday and described the response as 'really heartening'. She said: 'Something as simple as having a cup of tea and a chat with someone recovering from an operation can make a big difference, and it's those small but crucial things that will happen far more often all over the country in future. 'It's something your readers can be very proud of and it's a tribute to everyone who has pledged to give up their time for a noble cause.' It followed a rare joint statement by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in which they said it was an outstanding example of the British spirit that will make a 'real difference' to people's lives. WHAT IS THE DAILY MAIL'S NEW CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT THOUSANDS OF NHS VOLUNTEERS? The Daily Mail launched a major campaign at the end of November to recruit thousands of NHS volunteers. We asked our readers to find time to help patients and take pressure off frontline staff. Vital hospital roles include mentoring patients, providing friendship and even being a blood courier. The recruitment drive the biggest in Britain since the 2012 Olympics and backed by health unions is a partnership between the Mail and the charity Helpforce. The Daily Mail is asking readers to find time to help patients and take pressure off staff Vital hospital roles include mentoring patients, providing friendship and even being a blood courier Those who sign up for the Christmas appeal will be asked to pledge as little as a day a month, or three hours a week, for a minimum of six months. An estimated 78,000 volunteers already contribute to the NHS, yet the growing complexities of delivering health and social care for an ageing population mean the need for help is greater than ever. Hospital consultations have doubled in a decade from 11million in 2008/9 to more than 20million last year. And last week a report identified a sharp rise in emergency admissions, while there are more than 100,000 staff vacancies in the service. This puts frontline staff under immense pressure, creating the need for volunteers to step in with practical support and a helping hand. Prospective volunteers can register their interest by filling out a simple form online. They will be matched with an NHS trust, with placements running from the spring, depending on availability and subject to the necessary checks. Volunteer roles could include befriending patients, collecting prescriptions and even running singing groups. Others may use their own experiences of cancer or mental health to comfort others. Surplus volunteers could be referred to charities such as Marie Curie and the British Red Cross. hospitalhelpforce.com Advertisement Health bosses say the vast numbers of people offering a helping hand was a 'major boost' to the NHS as it heads into its most testing period. The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both paid tribute to the extraordinary response over the past four weeks. Mr Hancock said: 'It is wonderful to see people from all walks of life giving up their time to help support staff, support patients and support our NHS. 'I pay tribute to the Daily Mail and to Helpforce for a hugely successful campaign it has been truly inspirational.' The campaign has seen the likes of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Harry Potter author JK Rowling and music legends Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Tom Jones offer their support. Celebrities including Claudia Winkleman and Ralph Fiennes were so inspired that they went into their local hospitals to show their support to staff, patients and existing volunteers. It has led to dozens of volunteers sharing their inspirational stories and saw others such as Samantha Cameron sharing their personal experience of NHS volunteers. Last night, Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, founder of Helpforce, said: 'As this extraordinary Christmas campaign hits the New Year, Helpforce salutes the amazing Daily Mail readers with the simple words keep on going, you have shown that you care. 'The whole of Britain is proud of you. You shine as a wonderful light of compassion at a difficult and uncertain time.' Although this is the last chance to join our campaign, readers can still become NHS volunteers. They can register interest on the Helpforce website or contact their local hospital or health trust about volunteering opportunities. An American-based airline did not allow a disabled husband board a return flight home with his cancer-stricken wife who was reduced to tears just before she began chemotherapy. Kathy and Terry Podraza were preparing to return home to Omaha, Nebraska after spending a few days visiting their new grandchild in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Terry is disabled, while Kathy has been diagnosed with stage 4 liver and colon cancer, according to Fox 5 DC TV. They flew into the Washington, D.C. area to spend Christmas with their six-month-old grandbaby - the first time they had ever seen the child. Scroll down for video Kathy (center) and Terry Podraza (right) were preparing to return home to Omaha, Nebraska after spending a few days visiting their new grandchild in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They are seen with their son, Andrew Podraza (left), of Fredericksburg, Virginia They flew into the Washington, D.C. area to spend Christmas with their six-month-old grandbaby - the first time they had ever seen the child They were initially hesitant to travel due to their health predicaments, but made the trip nonetheless They were initially hesitant to travel due to their health predicaments, but made the trip nonetheless. Then it was time to drive to Reagan National Airport for the return flight home on Saturday, according to USA Today. Terry was allowed to pre-board, but he needed his wife to accompany him because of his disability. But Southwest Airlines personnel at the gate would not allow her to board with her husband. He told us that me having pre-boarding and being handicapped, that it was against the law for her to board at the same time as me, Terry said. He needed to board on his own with the help of his cane. Even though Kathy wasnt allowed to board, her boarding ticket was accidentally scanned and taken by the ticket agent. Then it was time to drive to Reagan National Airport for the return flight home on Saturday, according to USA Today. Terry was allowed to pre-board, but he needed his wife to accompany him because of his disability This caused problems later, when she had to wait until all the other passengers were invited to board. "All he had to do is ask me my name and he would have seen that he had already scanned my boarding pass," said Kathy. Having had her boarding pass already scanned and taken from her, there was no way for Kathy to board. Finally, the stress of the situation - compounded by the fact that she was two days before intense chemotherapy - led her to break down in tears. But Southwest Airlines personnel at the gate would not allow her to board with her husband. The above image is a stock photo of a Southwest Airlines jet taking off from Newark Airport in September 2018 After a few moments, the agents managed to resolve the issue and Kathy was allowed to board. Needing something to take the edge off, a kind flight attendant brought over a mimosa. Southwest Airlines released a statement when asked about the incident. 'Its our hope that every journey leaves our Customers feeling they had a great experience and so were disheartened to learn that wasnt the case here,' Southwest told USA TODAY in a statement. 'Our people are well versed in our published preboarding policies, and they work hard to enforce the integrity of those procedures specifically designed to ensure care and attention to unique travel needs of customers with disabilities. 'Weve reached back to this customer to learn more about his concerns and experience. 'If there were any missed opportunities, wed have those conversations internally.' There was, of course, no chance that Prince Philip would take things easy. Putting his feet up after retirement was never likely to be his style. It is why, most Mondays in the run-up to Christmas, he could be seen, reins in hand, carriage-driving in the grounds of Windsor Castle or, on other days, motoring around the estate to deliver festive greetings to staff. Even so there cannot be many men in the land taking on a new enterprise well into their 98th year. But this week it emerged that after 12 fruitless years trying to coax black truffles from the soil at Sandringham, Philip has become the first person in England to cultivate a successful crop. This has been more than a labour of love. Ever since he was introduced to the eccentric pursuit of truffle-hunting by his uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma on a trip to Italy, Philip has been fascinated by the idea of growing the delicacies himself. Duke of Edinburgh has finally succeeded in growing a crop of black truffles after 12 years of trying He began the exercise in 2006 when he planted more than 300 saplings of hazel and oak impregnated with truffle spores at 15 apiece. He knew that the royal estate in Norfolk was well suited for the fungi because of its abundance of alkaline soil. His attempts to create a truffiere in the Royal Fruit Farm, which yields apples and gooseberries as well as having a 100-acre blackcurrant plot much of whose crop is destined for Ribena had become something of an in-house joke, as year after year truffle-sniffing dogs failed to root out a thing. Four years into his experiment, Philip drafted in Italian experts, who warned that the first crop might not be harvested until 2021, the year of Philip's 100th birthday. A basket of Perigord black truffles pictured at a French market. Prince Philip now has his own crop of the delicacies Their pessimism was misplaced. And the plantation, tucked away in the Organic Zone on the Sandringham Estate, is proving the doubters wrong. The black truffles it is suddenly producing are so prized by gourmands that they are nicknamed 'black diamonds' and are valued at very nearly 1,000 per kilogram. They also have a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Adrian Cole, a director of Truffle UK, which supplied the Duke of Edinburgh's trees, said he believed Sandringham was the first place to harvest black truffles in the UK. The truffles, known as 'black diamonds' can change hands for as much as 200 for 3.5oz 'The majority have been Tuber melanosporum: the French Perigord black truffle as good as you can get,' he said. The plan had been to sell the crop to raise money for the running of the Estate, which has been managed by the Duke since her accession to the throne in 1952. But Mr Cole said he understood the early crop had been consumed within the Royal Family. 'From what I gather, none have been sold. They have gone to the house or members of the family.' Philip has become the first person in England to cultivate a successful crop Truffles are an important component of some haute cuisine dishes in French and Italian cuisine However, a peek at the Sandringham cafe menu suggests otherwise. For 7.95, visitors can sample a Sandringham game and Norfolk truffle terrine, served with pickled vegetables. So what fired Philip's passion for a pastime which requires more than the usual store of patience and perseverance? And why should a man not known as an epicure want to grow such a pungent delicacy anyway? The answer, it seems, was because he could not resist a challenge. Since the early Sixties when he and Mountbatten visited Italy, where truffles are considered as luxurious as the finest caviar, Philip has been intrigued. On some of these expeditions they are understood to have had a youthful companion, Sacha Phillips, later to become the Duchess of Abercorn and who died three weeks ago. Many years later, the Earl's former aide John Barrett claimed in a memoir that Mountbatten was much taken by the glamorous Sacha. '[Mountbatten] told me that if he ever married again, it would have to be Sacha or someone very like her,' he wrote. Sorellina, considered one of the finest restaurants in Boston, USA, makes the fungi look rather more appetising in this halibut, potato gnocchetti, leek brodo, and black winter truffle dish Of her relationship with Philip, the Duchess later described it as 'a passionate friendship, but the passion was in the ideas'. It is easy to imagine their enthusiasm for the pursuit of the fungi. At Buckingham Palace, there was, for years, a haughty disdain for the truffle. Too ostentatious by far, was the royal refrain. 'We were never allowed to buy fresh truffles at the palace. Always deemed too expensive a luxury,' recalls former Palace chef Darren McGrady. 'We'd get them in a can for occasions such as state banquets and diplomatic receptions but never fresh. 'The only time we saw fresh black truffles was at Christmas. They would be included in the 'gift' hampers supplied by Harrods. 'We used them grated over scrambled egg. Prince Philip loved them. The Queen would eat them but the only truffles she really liked were chocolate ones from Charbonnel et Walker!' They were certainly on the menu on royal visits to Italy. During an official tour to Rome in 1980, the Queen and Philip were served crepes with truffles and cheese, and their hosts reported nothing was left on their plates. How fortunate, then, that Sandringham is said to be an ideal growing area for truffles. Their aromatic, earthy smell is most attractive to female pigs, once used to snort them out. Nowadays, truffle hunters use dogs, favouring the rare Italian Lagotto Romagnolo breed. It was two of these hounds that Philip arranged to have a sniff in his orchard. The royal fruit farm at Sandringham (pictured) also produces apples, gooseberries, and blackcurrants - including some used in the manufacture of Ribena Truffles' eye-watering price tag doesn't come because they are endangered. They're just hard to find and they have a very short shelf life. The annual worldwide demand is 50 times higher than the amount produced. The best are the black ones from France, the variety that Philip has cultivated, and the Italian white. The French novelist Balzac described them as having the ability to 'make one's loins smoulder like those of randy lions . . .' Philip is unlikely to have been carried away by such flights of fancy. Just how abundant his Sandringham crop is, no one is saying. 'You will never get that information out of a truffle plantation owner,' says Mr Cole. He did, however, reveal that the Italian embassy in London had offered to help Philip several years ago after reading reports that his 5,000 investment had not yet yielded any truffles. Experts from Italy visited the plantation and found areas devoid of vegetation, known as brules, caused by an enzyme associated with truffles, which indicated that a crop would soon come. The Duke was not downhearted. Innovative and restless, he has a reputation for trying out new things on the royal estates. Indeed, he installed some of Britain's first solar panels and drove an electric van years before they became fashionable. He opened the Royal Family's first farm shop at Windsor and set up one of the earliest desktop computers at the Palace. The list of firsts goes on and on. During a life just three years short of a century, there has seldom been a moment when Philip has not been thinking about what to do next. He is blessed with the virtue of patience so a matter of truffles not developing as quickly as hoped was hardly going to be troubling. This, remember, was the man who played a central role in the creation of the World Wildlife Fund, paving the way for organisations such as Greenpeace and helping to kick-start an entire environmental movement. But perhaps his greatest quality is his optimism. 'He takes a similar approach to people who plant trees knowing they won't see them grow,' says a friend of the Duke. 'He will have taken that view over his truffle plantation. After all, he was in his mid-80s when he started it and knew it might take ten years to come to fruition.' In years to come, his orchard may become so bountiful that Philip will have enough to be able to sell the truffles to the Hind's Head in Bray, Berkshire, now owned by Heston Blumenthal. In 1947, the prince held his stag night there. On the menu, at 35, is braised ox cheek, black truffle and parsnips. Town and villages are being offered millions of pounds as an incentive to become Britains nuclear dustbin. Hundreds of tons of radioactive nuclear power station waste needs to be stored a kilometre roughly 3,000ft deep in the ground. The facility will need to hold 750,000 cubic metres of waste enough to fill three quarters of Wembley stadium and will cost an estimated 8billion to build. Town and villages are being offered millions of pounds as an incentive to become Britains nuclear dustbin. A Government document on how it find a site said the dump was likely to have a positive effect on the local economy [File photo] To provide an incentive to hosting the dumping ground, the selected area will be given between 1million and 2.5million a year for community projects, the Government said. The sweetener comes after the last attempt to find a nuclear burial ground flopped in 2013 following five years of consultations when Cumbria county council rejected the plan. It is expected the process to find a site will take 20 years, and it will take ten years to build. It will then need to remain safe for up to 200,000 years. To provide an incentive to hosting the dumping ground, the selected area will be given between 1million and 2.5million a year for community projects, the Government said In the new scheme, rather than a council deciding, a final decision will rest on a local referendum. Waste is currently stored at 30 sites, mostly at Sellafield in Cumbria. It includes around 112 tonnes the worlds biggest stockpile of plutonium, the most poisonous substance ever created. In 2016 the House of Commons Office of Science and Technology warned that plutonium is so dangerous it can even self-sustain a nuclear chain reaction under certain conditions. Other radioactive materials include uranium. A Government document on how it find a site said the dump would need 600 skilled staff and was likely to have a positive effect on the local economy and will provide jobs and benefits to the economy for more than 100 years. However, there is so much waste that Whitehall warns it may be necessary to split it between two sites. Energy minister Richard Harrington said finding a site is a responsible public service to future generations. He added: The UK Government ... believes the safest option is to dispose of this higher activity radioactive waste in a geological disposal facility, where the waste is packaged and isolated in a series of vaults and tunnels deep underground. This will ensure that no harmful amount of radioactivity ever reaches the surface. Locations could be under the sea although the surface access would be on land. Waste is currently stored at 30 sites, mostly at Sellafield in Cumbria. It includes around 112 tonnes the worlds biggest stockpile of plutonium, the most poisonous substance ever created [File photo] Neil Hyatt, professor of radioactive waste management at Sheffield University, said: Its good to see Government planning for a realistic time frame of 20 years to select a site, to enable confidence in the long-term safety of the project to develop. But Greenpeaces Doug Parr said: The whole rigmarole ministers are proposing simply enables nuclear enthusiasts to hijack the process and push their will on communities. Nuclear affairs author Fred Pearce said: Round the world nobody wants this stuff. Not in my backyard. They have tried the brick fields of Bedfordshire, under the Irish Sea, abandoned Teesside mines, beneath the Lake District National Park almost anywhere you care to name. Still nobody wants the neighbour from hell. A 50-year-old man targeted several people with his car in the German city of Bottrop on New Year's Eve, injuring at least four people, law enforcement said. Police reported that the driver repeatedly tried to hit passers-by in different areas first in the city of Bottrop, then in Essen; both are situated in the North Rhine-Westphalia federal state. In Bottrop, the suspect drove towards a pedestrian, before targeting a group of migrants from Syria and Afghanistan. According to law enforcement, the attack took place shortly after midnight. The driver tried to flee to Essen and ram his vehicle into a crowd there as well, but was stopped and arrested by police before he could inflict further damage. As the authorities specified, the attacker was making anti-foreigner comments during his arrest. They believe the attack was premeditated. However, according to police, there are some indicators of the attacker suffering from mental illness, Sputnik reported. Most nanas and grandpas would argue that spoiling grandchildren is in their job description. But their 'outdated beliefs' and generosity with the biscuit tin means youngsters looked after by grandparents are more likely to be obese. Experts warn that the rising trend of grandparents helping raise their grandchildren could be fuelling the UK's obesity crisis. Grandparents were found to be more 'lenient' and often gave sweet treats to be 'kind'. They were more likely to rely on screens or TVs to entertain children while carrying out day to day activities like housework, which would not happen in nurseries [File photo] A study of families in Birmingham and Edinburgh found these children were more likely to be given sweets and chocolates and less likely to be taken out to play. Grandparents were also more likely to give in to children's demands such as playing on iPads or watching TV. But parents did not feel in a position to criticise because they were reliant on free childcare, researchers found. They say grandparents could accompany expectant mothers to midwife appointments, or go along to health visitor checks where they could be given up-to-date advice from health professionals. Dr Bai Li, of the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham, who led the study, said a quarter of working parents were relying on grandparents. She added: 'They are doing important work and we are not here to criticise them, but to help them. 'They want to do what's best for their grandchildren. We know that children who are mainly cared for by their grandparents are more likely to be obese and consume more snacks.' NHS figures show about 190,000 of the half a million plus children who left primary school last year were overweight to some degree. Of these, more than 22,000 children are severely obese with pupils twice as likely to be dangerously obese at age 11 as when they started in reception aged four. Experts warn that the rising trend of grandparents helping raise their grandchildren could be fuelling the UK's obesity crisis [File photo] Working parents who rely on childcare are putting up with 'constant pressure' to bottle feed or wean early, which was once the norm but are now known to put youngsters at risk of gaining too much weight. Grandparents were found to be more 'lenient' and often gave sweet treats to be 'kind'. They were more likely to rely on screens or TVs to entertain children while carrying out day to day activities like housework, which would not happen in nurseries. Grandparents might also still be working themselves and looking after 'demanding' children could lead to exhaustion, according to the findings published in the journal BMC Public Health. Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: 'The experts are right and today's grannies should get lessons in what food is now recommended for their little darlings and what is not. The first health visitor appointment gives plenty of time to do it.' Doctors say rising childhood obesity is a health timebomb and storing up major issues for the future, including cancer and heart disease. It is also behind a surge in cases of type 2 diabetes, a disease previously only seen in adults, with nearly 7,000 under-25s receiving treatment for the condition in England and Wales in 2016/17. Mahabis called in administrators last night despite boss Ankur Shah (pictured) boasting only two months ago that he was building the 'Nike of downtime' A luxury maker of 70 'slippers for hipsters' has collapsed after racking up millions of pounds in debt. Mahabis called in administrators last night despite boss Ankur Shah boasting only two months ago that he was building the 'Nike of downtime'. The firm did not give a reason for its collapse, but accounts show it owed 2.6million last year. Mahabis was known for its slippers that had detachable rubber soles, meaning they could be worn both outside and inside. Mr Shah, who has described his family's story as 'rags to riches', is the son of Indian parents who arrived in England during the 1970s as fully qualified doctors. He studied law at King's College London and later passed the bar exams to practice as a criminal barrister, but quit the profession after making a bet in a pub that he could start a marketing agency and make it successful. The 38-year-old went on to found Techlightenment, a firm that won business from Vodafone, Sony and Paramount, before selling a majority stake for millions of pounds in 2010. Mr Shah set up Mahabis four years ago while living in Islington when he realised more people searched online for slippers than they did for flip-flops. In a later newspaper interview, he said: 'I thought, 'I'm going to become the slipper baron of north London'.' The firm advertised widely online through social networks such as Facebook and Instagram in a bid to attract younger customers. The slippers were sold in 44 countries, with Mahabis claiming to have shifted millions of pairs. A luxury maker of 70 'slippers for hipsters', including the Mahabis Classic for 72, has collapsed after racking up millions of pounds in debt It also expanded to other loungewear, watches, backpacks and items such as candles. Mr Shah said it reported 20million in sales in its third year. He was so confident of his company's success that in October he told The Times that he planned to run it from a Spanish holiday resort for a month. 'I have checked,' he said at the time. 'There is meant to be good wifi.' But two months on the firm has collapsed. A statement on its company's website now states: 'We are very sorry to report that Mahabis limited entered administration. 'We have, for the moment, ceased trading as the administrators take over the business. We are all desperately disappointed at this outcome.' It also warns customers they may not get refund if they return their goods because of the administration process. A string of foreign embassies owe the taxman more than 1.5million of unpaid business rates, official figures reveal. Those representing countries including Sudan, Iran and Zimbabwe have been accused of dodging bills. Diplomatic representatives from foreign countries are exempt from national, regional or municipal taxes. But embassies are encouraged to pay a portion of their bill, equating to just 6 per cent of what a normal firm would fork out. The Foreign Office has now named and shamed 23 foreign embassies and diplomatic organisations that each owe more than 10,000 in business rates which should have been paid 12 months ago. Embassies representing countries including Sudan, Iran (pictured in London) and Zimbabwe have been accused of dodging bills Robert Hayton, head of UK business rates at property firm Altus Group, said: 'Many of these embassies operate from prime central London real estate and are actively dodging their tiny tax contributions.' He added that the revelation that foreign embassies are not paying up is likely to anger companies which have seen major hikes to their bills. Business rates are based on the estimated rental value of a property. Traditional retailers are often subject to sky-high bills due to the size of stores. Struggling Debenhams paid out 80million in business rates last year, while John Lewis paid 174million. Zimbabwe is one of 23 countries named and shamed by the Foreign Office for dodging business rates worth more than 10,000 each The amount owed by foreign diplomatic missions and embassies has rocketed by 43 per cent compared with a year earlier. The bills were due to be paid on December 31, 2017.More than 73,000 of the debt is owed by Syria, which the Government is unable to collect because the country is currently not represented in the UK. The embassy run by Sudan was the biggest culprit for failing to pay its business rates bill, according to a written statement to Parliament by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon. The embassy, which is situated between Green Park and St James's Park in London, owes 137,122 in business rates to the Government. Iran is next on the list with 123,570 in business rates debts, followed by Zimbabwe, which owes 101,694. Embassies from Qatar, Ukraine and Egypt all have so far refused to pay their business rates, as have the High Commissions of Malaysia and Pakistan, despite demands from officials at the Foreign Office. The Archbishop of Canterbury has echoed the Queens call for the nation to heal its differences. The Most Reverend Justin Welby called for people to find common values with those whose views they despise. The archbishop hailed Britain as a country wonderfully much more diverse than we used to be. The Most Reverend Justin Welby has called for people to find common values with those whose views they despise as he called for the nation to heal its differences Yet we disagree on many things. And we are struggling with how to disagree well, he said. Hope lies in our capacity to approach this new year in a spirit of openness. Archbishop Welbys New Year message from Lambeth Palace, follows the Queens Christmas speech in which she warned over the dangers of falling victim to tribalism. In a carefully worded call for calm in the Brexit arguments, the Queen said that treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step. A heartbroken single mother says her life has never been the same after she was wrongfully convicted of stabbing her 10-year-old son to death, despite being later exonerated. October 13, 1997 was the worst day of Illinois mother Julie Reas life. She was awoken in the dead of the night by her young son Joel Kirkpatricks screams. She bolted out of bed and found an intruder wearing a ski mask in her Lawrenceville home, but no sign of her son. She told cops that she was a black belt and struggled with the man. Eventually the intruder fled the home, leaving her with a bruised eye and gash on her arm. Then she discovered her son stabbed to death. Cops found the child suffering from 12 stab wounds to the chest and his T-shirt bloodied. Despite her account of fighting with an intruder, in 2000 Rea, now 50, was charged with killing Joel and sentenced to 65 years in prison. 'Surviving your childs murder, only to find out that youre being accused of murdering your child, is a kind of trauma that I wouldnt wish on any living being. I wouldnt wish it on a snake,' Rea said to the New York Times Magazine. Julie Rea, 50, is speaking out after she was exonerated of her son's murder saying her life has never been the same following her wrongful conviction. She says she was branded a child killer and it 'separated me from society' Rea's 10-year-old son Joel was murdered on October 13, 1997. She was at first convicted of the crime in 2002. Then in 2004 serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, who targeted children, confessed to killing a little boy in Illinois and fighting with his mother that same year, clearing her name Prosecutors said a forensic practice called bloodstain-pattern analysis linked her to the crime and led them to believe no intruder even entered the home. The practice analyzes drops and trails of blood found at crime scenes that detectives use to reconstruct how murders and assaults unfolded. Her case was based on a small amount of blood that stained her T-shirt that she wore the night of the crime. Most of it was hers, but a tiny smear belonged to her son. In 2002 she was convicted of first-degree murder, largely based on the testimony of two bloodstain-pattern analysts. However, she was exonerated in 2006 and acquitted at a retrial thanks to the work of a legal team from the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Law in Chicago. They challenged the states forensic evidence. They also presented new evidence that a serial killer who targeted children across the country had committed a nearly identical slaughter two years later on New Year's Eve in 1999. That man, Tommy Lynn Sells, was a drifter who was on Texas death row for 13-year-old Kaylene Harris' slaughter after he broke into the house while her family was asleep and stabbed her. In 2004 he told Illinois investigators he had broken into a house in 1997 and stabbed a boy using a knife he got from a butcher block in the kitchen. He said he fought with a woman in the house and left. An Illinois appellate court then overturned Rea's conviction due to a legal error and ordered a new trial. Joel, 10, was stabbed 12 times with a steak knife in his Lawrenceville, Illinois home. Despite his mother Rea's claims that she fought with an intruder wearing a ski mask, a forensic science called bloodstain-pattern analysis linked her to the crime Rea and her son pictured at a birthday party in their Lawrenceville, Illinois home Prosecutors and bloodstain-pattern analysts argued she did kill her son but failed to determine a motive. The defense said that the injuries Rea sustained could not have been self-inflicted and that investigators missed clues about an intruder. They even played Sells' confession for the jury. Investigators found the murder weapon, a steak knife, in the butcher block in Rea's kitchen but no prints. Investigators never dusted Joels home or preserve trace evidence from Joels bedding. Instead they looked for remnants of Rea's and Joel's blood in her septic tank and sink and shower drains, where she could have potentially washed it away. They also sprayed luminol which is a chemical that detects the presence of blood, but it yielded no results. Rhea had no criminal record nor history of mental illness. Her behavior the day of the murder did not suggest anything unordinary or bizarre. She had divorced her ex-husband Leonard Kirkpatrick three years prior and lived alone with the boy. Rea took the stand at her retrial and said she had 'absolutely not' killed her son. The jury deemed her not guilty on July 26, 2006, leading Rea to release a scream and drop to the floor. 'I thought everything would be better. I thought I might go to law school, or finish my doctoral degree. I thought Id be strong and able to help other people and give back to my family and friends who had given so much to me. I just had no idea what it would be like,' she said. Rea was finally officially exonerated in 2010. Reas shocking case isn't unique. A total of 362 people have been exonerated based on DNA tests in the U.S. after they were wrongfully convicted based on flawed forensics. For the people wrongly convicted at the hands of shoddy science, the damage to their lives is irreparable. Rea received $87,057 from the state of Illinois after she was exonerated. But that hasnt been able to help her overcome the PTSD and trauma from abuse she endured during her nearly four year in prison, where she was vilified by inmates and guards. 'What I had supposedly done was considered to be the one unforgivable sin,' she said. She couldn't sleep and eventually moved to Bloomington, Indiana to continue her students at Indiana University's PhD program. 'To fall asleep, I had to have someone on either side of me and the lights on,' she said adding that friends stayed with her around the clock. She also struggled to find a job as her conviction always came up. 'After the person interviewing me picked their jaw up off the floor the job would be offered to someone else,' she said. A retrial was ordered in 2006 and the jury deemed her not guilty on July 26, 2006. However she was never able to get her life back as she suffered PTSD and debilitating anxiety from her time in jail. She was unable to hold a job and has no income today. Rea pictured left in 2011 and right after she was acquitted She got a German shepherd service dog to guard her and after landing a teaching position at the university, she suffered panic attacks and anxiety. Rea says told the Magazine was branded a child killer and it 'separated me from society'. 'Ill always have a scarlet letter. Nothing will ever make that go away,' she said. In 2011 Rea moved to Tennessee where her parents live hoping to start again. However, none of her various jobs have been successful. Today Rea is unemployed and is still reeling from the wrongful convictions that continues to haunt her everyday life. 'I have no income right now. I dont know what to do,' she said. Some experts are demanding reform in forensic sciences used in criminal cases as prosecutors continue to use bloodstain-pattern analysis in cases and judges keeping allowing it to be used in the courtroom. The accuracy of bloodstain-pattern analysis was questioned in a report published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2009, just a year before Rea was exonerated. It said that analysts conclusions were often 'more subjective than scientific' and 'open to context bias'. The report also criticized the reliability the analysis of hairs, fibers, bite marks, and shoe and tire impressions. However, little has changed. In 2016 the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology declared that bite-mark analysis had no scientific validity yet its still used in criminal prosecutions. Microscopic hair comparison also has a questionable reputation as it's led to a whopping 74 wrongful convictions. Today a group of forensic scientists and bloodstain-pattern practitioners are calling for stronger standards and are creating new guidelines for bloodstain-pattern analysts. The Texas Forensic Science Commission is leading the front. 'Joel still needs justice. Hes never seen a day of it. My acquittal just got us back to level ground,' Rea said, touching on the fact that Sells, who she believes killed her son, was never charged with his murder. Sells was executed in Texas in 2014. She told the magazine that she regrets not waking up earlier to be able to help her son. She says she wishes she could have either saved him or died trying to. It is designed to limit how much energy companies can charge customers Theresa May today pledges to clamp down on overcharging by big businesses. The move comes as the Governments price cap on energy finally starts to take effect potentially saving 11million households an average of 75 a year. The cap was a centrepiece of the Prime Ministers general election campaign and is designed to limit how much energy companies can charge customers on a standard variable tariff. But now Mrs May wants to take action in other areas where families, pensioners and others face unfair bills and exploitation. Targets include energy firms, banks, insurers and telecom and broadband companies. The Prime Minister said Brexit was not the only issue facing the country over the coming months. She is pictured picking up litter in her constituency of Maidenhead It is thought that long-standing customers may pay 4billion a year too much for insurance, mobile, broadband and mortgages. The Competition and Markets Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority have both confirmed there are situations where loyalty is punished. Just before Christmas, the CMA said it wanted new powers to impose large fines and price caps. And, in her New Year message, Mrs May declares the Government is prepared to change the law to give watchdogs the teeth needed to force big business to cut bills. She says: Our energy price cap will cut bills for millions of families and people across the UK who have been ripped off by energy companies for far too long. Mrs May pledged extra funding for the NHS and for homebuilding if MPs get behind her deal From today, money will go straight back into the pockets of loyal consumers, including the elderly and those on lower incomes who feel the pinch more acutely. But work to tackle this issue doesnt stop there. 'Were working with regulators and industry to ensure that consumers are not unfairly overcharged in the future whether on their phone bills or their insurance premiums. The Conservatives derided the idea of an energy price cap when it was proposed by former Labour leader Ed Miliband. However Mrs May advanced her own version and appears ready to go much further. The energy regulator Ofgem has set the price cap level at 1,137 per year for a typical dual fuel customer paying by direct debit. Energy minister Claire Perry said: For too long, suppliers have failed to pass on any savings to their customers, who deserve to pay a fair price for their gas and electricity. Switching supplier is still the best way to find a better deal, but that doesnt mean customers should be punished for their loyalty. Bill payers can now be confident that any change to the price cap will be a fair representation of the actual costs of energy, rather than suppliers passing on inefficiencies to their customers or as excess profits. Mrs May said during her New Year address that 2019 would mark a 'new chapter' for Britain Ministers claim the move will save hard-pressed households 1billion over a full year. However, industry experts warn that the real saving is likely to be much lower and the reduction will be short-lived because the cap is widely expected to rise from April 1. Ofgem boss Dermot Nolan said: Consumers can have confidence that any rise in prices in the future will only be down to genuine increases in energy costs rather than supplier profiteering while falls in energy costs will always be passed on. Citizens Advice has led efforts to highlight the penalty for loyalty. It claims that on top of the energy rip-off a household can be overcharged by as much as 877 a year across insurance, mobile, broadband, mortgages and savings accounts. Alex Neill of the consumer group Which? said: The energy price cap can only be a temporary fix what is now needed is real reform to promote competition, innovation and improved customer service in the broken energy market. A Panamanian car carrier traveling from Japan to Hawaii suddenly caught fire in the middle the Pacific Ocean, leading crew members to abandon ship on Monday. The fire broke out on the ship the Sincerity Ace on New Years Eve at 1:04am Hawaii time, leading the Coast Guard and several commercial ships to rush to its aid about 2,000 miles off Oahu. The Coast Guard said that the 'significant vessel fire' was so bad crew members were planning to abandon ship. Of the 21 crew members aboard the 650-foot ship, four were able to safely get on a life raft and abandon the vessel. Panamanian car carrier the Sincerity Ace caught fire on Monday at 1:04am Hawaii time, leading four members to abandon ship and several other commercial ships and the Coast Guard to come to its rescue The 17 remaining crew members stayed on board to fight the fire, according to the Coast Guard. The ship the Green Lake, a 655-foot U.S. car carrier arrived to the scene to help tackle the flames. The Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew also sailed to the Sincerity Ace's aid. Rescuers are facing menacing 17-foot waves and 27mph winds. The Coast Guard has not shared what exactly caused the fire on the Sincerity Ace, which was built in 2009, according to Hawaii News Now. The Coast Guard has not specified what started the fire, the Coast Guard pictured in action in a file photo 'The distance involved here requires any and all available support, we thank the crews of the commercial vessels for volunteering to assist and have Coast Guard air support en route,' Petty Officer 1st Class Les Elliott said in the statement. 'We are thankful no injuries have been reported but are cognizant a lot is happening, and that may change at any time,' Petty Officer added. The Coast Guard said the U.S. Navy will also help with search efforts. A Coast Guard spokesman in Honolulu said it was unknown how many cars the ship is carrying. Mounted police had their work cut out for them over New Year's Eve, being forced to intervene in a series of vicious brawls as celebrations descended into chaos. A spectacular fireworks display lit up Sydney Harbour like a kaleidoscope on Monday as the city marked the end of 2018. Not all of those out and about were in a festive mood however, with 35 people arrested and violence breaking out in the CBD. Officers on horseback rushed into the middle of a fracas which broke out when a pack of young men began punching and kicking each other during the celebrations. In Adelaide, an officer was forced to grab a woman by the hair as she attempted to punch another reveller underneath a horse's head. Mounted police were forced to intervene as New Year's Eve celebrations descended into chaos during a vicious brawl in a packed street A group of men were seen dancing and playing a cymbal in Sydney on Monday night before their mood quickly changed as they charged towards two others involved in a fight. Wild swings were exchanged as one man copped a series of blows to his head. Mounted police rushed to break up the brawl, dispersing the crowd by shepherding them away off the road and onto the footpath. In Adelaide, a woman was seen arguing with another partier in close proximity to a police officer mounted on horseback. The woman tried to punch the other person underneath the horse's head, and the police officer grabbed her in an attempt to restrain her. She then took a hard fall to the ground as other officers moved in to assist. The majority of charges in Sydney on Monday were drug-related. But six people were charged with affray, while another six were charged with offensive behaviour. Four people were charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest, while two were charged with common assault. In Adelaide, a woman was seen arguing with another partier in close proximity to a police officer mounted on horseback The remaining four charges were for a traffic offence, stealing offence, possessing a prohibited weapon, and unlawfully deploying fireworks. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Walton commended revellers for their behaviour during the celebrations, with 35 people arrested and charged with 43 offences. 'New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney are widely regarded as some of the best in the world, so it was great to see Sydneysiders living up to that reputation and acting responsibly,' DC Walton said. 'There were minimal reports of alcohol-related violence, which is a true reflection of how well-behaved the crowds were.' A group of men were seen dancing and playing a cymbal before their mood quickly changed as they charged towards two others involved in a fracas There were almost 2,500 calls to emergency services across NSW between 4pm and 3am, with 291 alone between 1am and 2am. 'Many of those calls are related to violence or for patients suffering extreme intoxication and alcohol-related injuries,' NSW Ambulance New Year's Eve Commander Evan Clark said in a statement. Chief Inspector Clark said paramedics treated a number of patients for fractures sustained falling from walls, fences and wharves. Scores more were treated for injuries sustained in assaults and others who were suffering drug and alcohol intoxication. But Chief Insp Clarke praised the 'overwhelming majority' who welcomed in 2019 safely. Mounted police rushed to break up the brawl, dispersing the crowd by shepherding them away off the road and onto the footpath Meanwhile in Victoria, a man at the Falls Festival in Lorne was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition while a man in his 60s was hit in the face with fireworks in Melbourne just after the clock struck 12am. Ambulance Victoria paramedics attended 1089 calls for help across the state between 6pm and 3am. Five people were arrested and a male police officer was taken to hospital after he was allegedly punched in the face several times on Sydney's northern beaches. Police attempted to stop a ute in a car park at Dee Why about 2pm on Monday when checks revealed it was allegedly stolen. The ute then sped away and crashed into a parked car, injuring a woman sitting in the driver's seat, police said. When police attempted to arrest the five people in the ute, they allegedly resisted and assaulted two officers who had to use capsicum spray and a Taser to subdue the group. A police officer in Adelaide was injured during a New Year's Eve hit-and-run at a breath-testing station just before 1am. The officer was taken to hospital and treated for leg injuries. Some unfortunate regional NSW towns have had to cancel their New Year's Eve plans after thick clouds of red dust swept through the area. An enormous twenty-metre tall wall of dust left a 400km trail of destruction from Nyngan to Young in rural NSW leaving the area looking like a Mars landscape. In addition to the red haze, the region was hammered with damaging 90 km/h winds during a scorching 40C New Year's Eve. Regional towns have had to cancel their New Year's Eve plans after thick clouds of red dust covered parts of New South Wales Looking like something from another planet, the thick blanket of dust swept across the state's regional towns The Bureau of Meteorology told Daily Mail Australia there was a large line of thunderstorms forming to the west and south-west of Dubbo on Monday afternoon. As the state's central west has been enduring a very dry drought season, the storms picked up the dust with strong 92.6km/hour winds and swept it across the region. Organisers of the much-anticipated 9pm fireworks were forced to cancel the festivities at the last minute due to safety concerns. The wild weather hit Dubbo about 6.30pm on Monday, with organisers being forced to cancel the event at 7.30pm. Nine News reported that Dubbo was also suffering through blistering temperatures of up to 40C. Organisers of the fireworks took to Facebook to apologise for the cancellation, but couldn't go through with it as the weather was too dangerous. 'Event cancelled due to dangerous weather. Really sorry, we put our order for good weather... but seriously, we need to put safety first,' the post read. The Bureau of Meteorology told Daily Mail Australia there was a large line of thunderstorms forming to the west and south-west of Dubbo on Monday afternoon In addition to the red haze, Dubbo and surrounding regions were being hammered with damaging winds The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for regional towns including Dubbo, Parkes, Nyngan and Young in the Central West on Monday afternoon. The wild weather comes after a daunting dust storm blanketed the outback and parts of Sydney in November. NSW Health has previously warned the air quality of a dust storm is hazardous and potentially unhealthy. A man and woman have been charged after a paramedic was assaulted while trying to treat an injured family member. Emergency authorities were called to a residence on Leura Road in Auburn, west Sydney to treat an allegedly drug-affected man, 35. Seven police cars from Auburn Police Station arrived at the home at about 5.45pm and tried to calm distressed relatives so paramedics could treat the patient inside. The injured man's mother, 67 was charged after allegedly shoving the female paramedic treating her son before another of her children, 38, was charged with impeding police. Scroll down for video A mother and son have been charged after a paramedic was assaulted while trying to treat a collapsed family member Police rushed to scene to calm distressed family members who waited 15 minutes for ambulance to arrive In A shirtless man was held down by three police officers. Chief Superintendent Evan Clark from New South Wales Ambulance said paramedics tried to get to the scene as quickly as possible, given the circumstances and demands they were experiencing. 'We'll do everything to get to you as quickly as possible but when we get there we ask that you really let us get to your loved one as quick as we possibly can,' he said. The 35-year-old family member has returned home from hospital after he suffered a reaction from medication. The patient's mother and brother were both released on conditional bail. The mother was charged with obstruct or hinder an ambulance officer in providing a service to another. The son was charged with hinder the apprehension of another person who has committed a serious offence. The pair will fight the charges when they front Burwood Local Court on January 31. Year 2018 was a successful year for Azerbaijan, the republic's president Ilham Aliyev said in his message of congratulation on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and New Year. The Azerbaijani president noted that the republic made very serious steps in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2018. "As you know, the regime of criminal and corrupt junta, which remained in power in Armenia for 20 years, has collapsed and this represents a complete failure of Armenia's aggressive policy against Azerbaijan," he said. At the same time, the Azerbaijani leader stressed that the republic will remain committed to its principled position on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Our position is fair. It is fully consistent with the norms and principles of international law. Nagorno-Karabakh is ancient Azerbaijani land. The whole world recognizes the territorial integrity of our country. The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved only within the territorial integrity of our country. The resolutions of the UN Security Council must be fully implemented and the occupying forces must unconditionally withdraw from our lands," Ilham Aliyev stressed. According to the president, Azerbaijan's strong military potential is a key factor for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "In recent years, we have significantly enhanced our military power. Today, the Azerbaijani army is among the strongest armies in the world... The Azerbaijani army has the most modern weapons and equipment, a very high combat potential, and we proved this again this year. The Azerbaijani army has carried out a successful operation in the Nakhchivan direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and is now in control of 11,000 hectares of land. The takeover of strategic heights enables us to exercise full control over important communications and routes passing through Armenia," he added. He also noted that a great deal has been done for the IDPs this year. Ilham Aliyev noted that new homes and apartments for 5,800 IDP families were built and made available to them. "This is a record figure in recent years. A total of 626 apartments were given to martyr families and those handicapped in the Karabakh war, and we will continue this policy next year," AzerTAc cited the Azerbaijani head of state as saying. A tropical storm is set to batter Queensland, making for an extremely wet and wild start to the New Year including the threat of devastating flash floods. The Bureau of Meteorology expects a tropical low over the Gulf of Carpentaria in Far North Queensland to form into a category one cyclone on Tuesday. Heavy rainfall and howling winds of more than 125km/h are expected to lash parts of the state. The region's rivers and creeks are already swollen after heavy rain over Christmas, with parts of the far north receiving more than 400mm in the past week. A tropical storm is set to batter Queensland, making for an extremely wet and wild start to the New Year with the threat of devastating flash floods The region's rivers and creeks are already swollen after heavy rain over Christmas, with parts of the far north receiving more than 400mm in the past week The Bureau of Meteorology expects a tropical low over the Gulf of Carpentaria in Far North Queensland to form into a category one cyclone on Tuesday Mother-of-two Ebony King, 34, disappeared in a fast-flowing creek near Cooktown on Thursday, while the body of 28-year-old Rowan Kahn was found on Monday morning. Mr Kahn's body was found several kilometres downstream from where he entered a flooded canal close to Cairns on Sunday. If it forms, tropical cyclone Penny is predicted to cross the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula late on Tuesday. BOM meteorologist Sarah Fitton said the system was a tropical low on Tuesday morning but was continuing to intensify. 'If it does spend a bit of time over water there's a chance it could reach category two,' Ms Fitton told Sunrise. A cyclone warning has been issued for communities from Kowanyama north to Cape York, taking in Weipa, Aurukun and Mapoon. A cyclone warning has been issued for communities from Kowanyama north to Cape York, taking in Weipa, Aurukun and Mapoon BOM meteorologist Sarah Fitton said the system was a tropical low on Tuesday morning but was continuing to intensify Mother-of-two Ebony King, 34, disappeared in a fast-flowing creek near Cooktown on Thursday Further north, a severe weather warning for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and abnormally high tides has also been issued for the Torres Strait Islands. A heavy rainfall warning has been issued for the east coast of the peninsula, south of Lockhart River to Cairns. Totals in excess of 150mm are possible and could lead to flash flooding, the bureau warns. Queensland police chief superintendent Brian Huxley urged people to use 'common sense' during the heavy rainfall, the ABC reported. 'Creeks and rivers are expected to rise very quickly now so you just cannot afford to be crossing any creek or any flooded causeway or road system at all - it's just far too dangerous,' he said. House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington. The House is preparing to vote as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday, as one of the first acts after Democrats take control, according to an aide who was not authorized to discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees, a union which represents federal employees, sued the Trump administration on Monday, according to USA Today. The union says it is illegal for the government to force workers to work without pay. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week. House Democrats unveiled bills on Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump's (above) border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Republican from Kentucky, will consider either measure - or if Trump would sign them into law. 'It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,' Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement late Monday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The package does not include the $5 billion Trump wants for the wall on the southern border. The president told Fox News Channel in an interview Monday that he was 'ready, willing and able' to negotiate. He added: 'No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security.' McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart made it clear Senate Republicans will not take action without Trump's backing. 'It's simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign,' he said. Republican senators are refusing to vote on any bills until all sides, including Trump, are in agreement. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi (above) are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that's now in its second week Senators were frustrated that Trump had dismissed their earlier legislation to avert the shutdown. House Democrats did not confer with Senate Republicans on the package, but the bills are expected to have some bipartisan support because they reflect earlier spending measures already hashed out between the parties and chambers. One bill will temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels, with $1.3billion for border security, through Feb. 8, while talks continue. The other will be on a measure made up of six other bipartisan bills - some that have already passed the Senate - to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. They would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30. The House is planning two separate votes for Thursday. If approved, the bills would go to the Senate. What's unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (seen above), the Republican from Kentucky, will consider either measure - or if Trump would sign them into law Senate Democrats support the measures, according to a senior aide who was unauthorized to discuss the plan and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Rep. Mark Meadows, the Republican from North Carolina who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted that without funding for Trump's wall, the package is a 'nonstarter.' He said it 'will not be a legitimate answer to this impasse.' But as the shutdown drags on, pressure is expected to build on all sides for a resolution, as public parks and museums close, and some 800,000 federal workers are going without pay. Trump could accept or reject either bill, and it's unclear how he would respond. The president continued to insist Monday he wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite assertions otherwise of three confidants. 'An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED,' Trump tweeted Monday. 'Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides).' Later Monday, Trump tweeted, 'The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall.' Trump's comments came after officials, including his departing chief of staff, indicated that the president's signature campaign pledge to build the wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. 'It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,' Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (above) said in a statement late Monday White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of 'a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.' 'To be honest, it's not a wall,' Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and 'steel slat' barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that 'the wall has become a metaphor for border security' and referred to 'a physical barrier along the border.' Graham said Trump was 'open-minded' about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of 'Dreamers' - young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children - broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham told CNN before his lunch with Trump that 'there will never be a deal without wall funding.' The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking any funding for the wall, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. Jhon Jairo Velasquez told of plot to kill a Colombian presidential candidate Known as 'Popeye' he described how passenger jet blown up on Escobar's orders Told of how young man was duped to take bomb on board Avianca flight in 1989 Popeye was in Escobar's inner circle and confessed to more than 300 murders Since release he's been active political YouTuber, sharing conservative opinions A hitman for Pablo Escobar has told how he was part of a plot to assassinate a Colombian presidential candidate by blowing up a plane and killing 110 people in 1989. Jhon Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, nicknamed 'Popeye' due to his time in the navy, previously confessed to murdering 300 people and ordering hits on another 3,000 targets during his time as the drug lord's top enforced in the 1980s. ADVERTISEMENT After serving 22 years in prison he was released in 2014 and then re-arrested this year as part of an investigation into extortion. During the 56-year-old's time as Escobar's top sicario, or hitman, Velasquez was part of the operation to assassinate presidential candidate, Cesar Gaviria, over his support for extraditing Colombian cartel members to the U.S. to face prosecution. In November of 1989, the cartel blew up an Avianca airlines plane in mid-air travelling from Bogota to Cali, killing all 107 people on board and three more victims on the ground by falling debris. 'Popeye' Vasquez (right) killed more than 300 people and ordered the death of 3,000 to enforce Pablo Escobar's (left) reign of terror The site where an Avianca jet liner crashed in the unpopulated outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, after exploding in the air, November 27, 1989 Gaviria was supposed to be on the flight but after his chief of security raised concerns about him travelling, the politician was stopped from boarding. As president Gaviria became a thorn in the cartel's side, allowing the U.S to extradite drug traffickers and clamping down on Escobar's operation. For decades low-ranking sicario, Dandenys Munoz Mosquera, known as 'The Fat Girl', was sentenced to multiple life sentences for the bombing, until Velasquez's testimony to the Colombian District Attorney led to Mosquera being exonerated. Velasquez has now told how the cartel's plan to smuggle the device in a briefcase using an unsuspecting young man who thought he was merely recording some DEA agent's conversations on board. As he opened the briefcase the bomb detonated, which Velasquez described as a 'work of art'. Cartel member Carlos Urquijo, lnown as 'El Arete' or The Earring, worked with Carlos Castano Gil and the bomb was set by their explosives expert, Cuco Zabala, according to Velasquez. Jairo Velasquez, known more famously as Popeye, is considered to be the world's most notorious assassin from his time as one of Pablo Escobar's most trusted lieutenants He told the Daily Beast from inside prison: 'That briefcase was a work of art. Castano deceived a young man and told him that he should open his briefcase in the air when the plane took off and began to climb. ADVERTISEMENT 'He told him that the briefcase held a tape recorder and that when he opened it the device would be activated to grab the conversations of certain passengers. 'That there were some Americans aboard, and the mafia needed to know about an extradition case they were carrying out. 'The dupe had already held a briefcase with a complex recorder in his hands and saw how it worked. 'Castano had already given him several examples, to deceive him more easily. When the briefcase opened in the air, the bomb was activated. Velasquez also described how the cartel used bomb-making experts from Britain, Israel and Spain as well as paramilitaries to instruct their hitmen. He told the Daily Beast: 'Cuco, an electronics engineer, had learned that trick from an explosives designer of the [Basque separatists] ETA. 'Carlos knew Id bought the ticket for the duped young man and got him just the right seat. 'We were all aware that if the bomb exploded in the wrong place it wouldnt ignite the planes fuel tanks, and the captain could save the plane. 'So we created a domino effect with the fuel stored in the wings of the plane, the dynamite in the briefcase and the pressurisation of the aircraft - a lethal composition. Jhon Jairo 'Popeye' Velazquez in handcuffs and escorted by armed guards on his way to appear before a judge earlier this year Velazquez, seen here at a court hearing on Friday, served 22 years in prison before his release in 2014 'The plane was totally destroyed, but the candidate lived. Maybe his guardian angel saved him that night.' Colombian police re-arrested Velasquez as part of an investigation into extortion in July. The chief prosecutor's office said Velasquez was arrested in Medellin after he was paroled in 2014 after spending 22 years in jail for plotting the assassination of the former Colombian presidential candidate. Click here to resize this module While working for the Medellin Cartel, Velazquez, by his own confession, killed over 300 people with his own hands, and helped to plan the murders of some 3,000 more, including the woman he loved who was also seeing Escobar. ADVERTISEMENT While he has since said he regrets killing so many people, he has always stayed very loyal to Escobar, the drug kingpin who died in 1993. As he was getting out of prison he told El Tiempo that 'If Pablo Escobar were to be reborn I'd go with him without thinking.' Since his release from prison, Popeye has gained notoriety as a YouTube star who espouses conservative political views and hate-filled diatribes against leftist rebels and Venezuela's socialist government. Velazquez, seen here visiting the tomb of Pablo Escobar, has said he regrets the killing, but not working for the drug kingpin He has criticised Colombia's leftist presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, warning that his 'rifle will speak for me.' In his channel description he writes: 'I started this channel in order to tell the day to day process of reintegration into society. 'I have had the opportunity to be born again after 23 years and three months of the worst punishment a human being can afford.' Velasquez previously told the New York Times that he wasn't cashing in on his notoriety and said: 'Its not about monetizing my life story but about telling the stories, the things that happened Pablo Escobar, seen here in a file photograph was killed in 1993 in a shootout with police 'Ive been famous for 30 years. I only want to have an opinion because I am an activist. 'I am against the Venezuelan and Colombian government. I am against Donald Trump because of his hatred of Latinos. I just want my opinion heard.' Velasquez was given his 30-year sentence in a maximum security jail in Bogota for plotting the murder of a former presidential candidate. The slaying of the cartel-fighting politician Luis Carlos Galan during the 1990 presidential campaign he was heavily favoured to win marked the apex of drug violence that engulfed Colombia two decades ago. In a bid to fight extradition to the United States, Escobar ordered scores of assassinations - of judges, cabinet ministers and journalists. The cartel waged a bombing campaign across Bogota, Medellin and Cali, with many of the explosive devices planted by Velasquez. ADVERTISEMENT Escobar downed the Avianca commercial jetliner in 1989 because he believed Galan's political heir, then President Cesar Gaviria, was aboard as part of this escalation of violence. Advertisement On the night of March 2, 1998, Suzanne Lyall finished a shift at her part-time job and headed back to her dorm room at the University of Albany. It was just a five minute walk from the bus stop to her room. But in those five minutes, 19-year-old Suzanne vanished without a trace. Twenty years have passed since Suzanne was last seen on that fateful winter night, but her memory lives on thanks to her heartbroken - but unrelenting - family. Photographer Virginie Rebetez has captured Mary and Doug Lyall's two-decade mission to find their daughter in a heartbreaking photo series titled Out of the Blue. On the night of March 2, 1998, Suzanne Lyall finished a shift at her part-time job and headed back to her dorm at the University of Albany. It was just a five minute walk from the bus stop to her room. But in those five minutes, 19-year-old Suzanne vanished without a trace Photographer Virginie Rebetez has captured Mary and Doug Lyall's two-decade mission to find their daughter in a startling photo series titled Out of the Blue One photo included in the collection is Suzanne's bedroom, which has remained untouched since she disappeared. Suzanne had just left her part-time job at a software store when she caught a bus and headed back to her dorm room around 9.20pm on that March night. Witnesses saw the teen get off the bus around 9.40pm on the university's uptown campus. Her father Doug, who passed away in 2015, reported Suzanne missing on March 4. Authorities immediately believed that foul play was involved. Suzanne's ATM card was used at a convenience store the day after she disappeared around 4pm. It was just three miles away from where she had last been seen. Two months later, Suzanne's work ID card was found in a parking lot near the campus bus stop where she had gotten off to walk back to her dorm. One such photo is Suzanne's bedroom (pictured), which has remained almost completely untouched since she disappeared Rebetez chose not to include any full-face photos of Rebetez from when she disappeared (left). The only such photo included in the series are three composites that a US forensic artist made to show how she might look today (right) The cover of Rebetez's project, Out of Blue, is actually a scan that Suzanne had made of her face and saved in a drawer All the other photos of Suzanne show only some of her youthful features, such as her bright blue eyes in an early school portrait, or a photo of her looking down Suzanne's case is now being investigated as a homicide. She would be 40 years old today. The only photos that completely show Suzanne's face in Rebetez's collection are three composites that a US forensic artist made to show how she might look today. All the other photos of Suzanne show only some of her youthful features: Her bright blue eyes in an early school portrait, a portion of her profile, the back of her long red hair topped with a flower crown. 'We don't know how Suzanne looks like today, so I didn't want to freeze her at the time of her disappearance in 1998,' Rebetez told DailyMail.com. 'I also wanted to propose another angle to her story, which is not the angle of the press, neither the police.' Rebetez, whose past work has focused on how police reports depict missing and unidentified people, began working on Out of the Blue in 2014 while she was doing a six-month art residency in New York. 'I decided to work on the story of a missing person and create a sort of portrait of her. Make her invisibility present,' Rebetez explained. The 'invisible' is a common theme in Rebetez's work. The space that is created by loss and the 'traces left after a death or an absence' have always fascinated her. 'We don't know how Suzanne looks like today, so I didn't want to freeze her at the time of her disappearance in 1998,' Rebetez told DailyMail.com The 'invisible' is a common theme in Rebetez's work. The space that is created by loss - the 'traces left after a death or an absence' - have always fascinated her 'When a person dies or is missing, this absence leaves a space,' she said. 'All my work is about that space. I try to understand and immerge myself into that territory.' 'I'm fascinated by our need, as humans, of physicality in order to get closure. People often tell me that I am like a bridge between the living and the dead, between the visible and the invisible.' Rebetez wanted to find a person who had gone missing in New York so that she could work with their family, and quickly stumbled upon Suzanne's name. 'Doug and Mary Lyall were quite present on the web because of their organzation The Center of Hope, which provides assistance to others affected by a similar loss,' she said. 'I contacted them and met them a few days later in their home. Straight away, I was very touched by their story.' Rebetez began to meet with the couple regularly, talking to them about Suzanne, looking at her pictures, and sharing memories. Rebetez wanted to find a person who had gone missing in New York so that she could work with their family and quickly stumbled upon Suzanne Rebetez began to meet with the couple regularly, talking to them about Suzanne, looking at her pictures, and sharing memories that would later influence the project They showed her all the materials that had been related to the investigation, including the portraits of Suzanne they sent to the police, press, even psychics. There were also police images from the first search, research maps, and police files. Every image in Out of the Blue comes from Doug and Mary. While Rebetez was used to dealing with personal stories and missing people in all of her projects, this was the first time she had ever worked with a missing person's family. 'All these ethical questions were even more present,' she said. 'But at the same time, it helped me to find the right balance. It is for sure very touching to deal with such subject and go into such intimacy, but this is what I love.' 'Suzanne became very important in my life. I have the feeling I know her a little after these two years on the project. And I find it really beautiful the fact that I never met her, but still she is every day in my mind.' Rebetez was especially touched by Suzanne's bedroom as she was making Out of the Blue. Suzanne's clothes, jewelry, personal diary, and letters all still remain. The only thing that has been changed is the bed, which her parents donated to a young girl in need and replaced with a double bed. One photo in the series is a portrait of Suzanne in a wedding that has been turned around. Another shows her photos cut out of a picture frame collage, only a part of her visible One photo in the series shows a note Suzanne had written, describing how she looks. She signs the note 'Love Always, Suzy' 'I've never really touched it,' Mary Lyall told DailyMail.com of her daughter's room. 'It's the same things that she hung, that she collected. We pretty much kept it exactly the way she left it.' But Mary said she didn't leave the room untouched as a shrine to her missing daughter. 'I know a couple who go into [their child's] room every night to long for their child, I don't know if I could do that,' she said. 'I left her room the same not because I want to enshrine it, but because it was easier to leave it that way.' For Mary, the most special image in Rebetez's collection isn't the room. It isn't any photograph in the book. It's the cover. At first glance, the black and white cover seems almost abstract. It is a stark black and white photo, one that seems completely indiscernible. Look closer, though, and you can see a few wisps of bangs. The distinction between skin and locks of hair. The kind of creases and crinkles that are only made when you fold up a piece of paper. A scan of Suzanne's face. 'Virginie didn't know what to put on the cover and I recalled that, when scanning machines first went out, Suzanne had scanned her face and folded the scan up,' Mary told DailyMail.com. Mary Lyall, 75, decided to let Rebetez do the project because, as she has learned in the last 20 years, the more publicity - the better for her daughter's case Mary (right) and Doug (left, who died in 2015) channeled their pain into change, establishing a nonprofit for missing persons called the Center for Hope and then creating 'The Investigative Guide for Missing College Students' 'I was in one of her drawers and I said, "Well, what do you think about this?" Suzanne actually made that picture, so that was an interesting thing to put on the book. She did her own cover basically.' Mary, 75, decided to let Rebetez do the project because, as she has learned in the last 20 years, more publicity is always better for her daughter. 'If you don't sit back and you don't talk about what's going on, the case is just going to go cold,' she said. 'My husband and I were very vocal about what we wanted to do to try and find our daughter and I think this is how we kept the case going. I think if we sat back and we did nothing, we would have been in worse shape.' Mary and Doug channeled their pain into change, establishing the Center for Hope and then creating 'The Investigative Guide for Missing College Students'. They designed the New York State Missing Persons Remembrance monument in Albany, a 20ft tall statue that has a perpetual flame at the top. Mary and Doug have even helped push through new legislation such as Suzanne's Law, which President George W Bush signed in 2003. Pictured is a landscape in Rebetez's project In 2008 Bush signed the Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act, which requires colleges to have policies outlining the role of each law enforcement agency - campus, local, and state - in investigating a violent crime on campus The inscription reads: 'A symbol of our eternal hope, may this flame light our way home.' Mary and Doug even helped push through new legislation such as Suzanne's Law, which President George W Bush signed in 2003. The federal law requires local authorities to immediately notify the National Crime Information Center if someone between the ages of 18 to 21 goes missing. In 2008 Bush signed the Suzanne Lyall Campus Safety Act, which requires colleges to have policies outlining the role of each law enforcement agency - campus, local, and state - in investigating a violent crime on campus. Mary has also been working with New York state senator Jim Tedisco to try and build a cold case unit in the state and has since been connected with the Cold Case Analysis Center at the College of Saint Rose in Albany. 'I have shared my case with them and they're amazing,' she said. 'These are young women and one young man that are in their twenties, they were toddlers when Suzie went missing, and they have really been investigating the case and coming up with a lot of things I didn't know and I'm sure the state police didn't know.' 'Things are really perking along with this thing, and it's not just going to be my cold case - it's going to be others as well.' 'My husband was very interested in getting something like this going, we talked about it almost every single year, and it's finally hit somebody.' While Mary feels Suzanne's case is at a 'standstill' right now, she remains hopeful that a new investigator will be able to find more information. In the meantime, she will continue to speak out to try and find her daughter When someone calls The Center For Hope, searching for advice and answers after their loved one goes missing, Mary always tells them to keep telling their story. 'You can't let it sit and hope the police are going to keep up on it,' she said. 'They'll get the case and work as long as they can. Then when a new case comes in they work on that and your case goes in the bottom of the drawer until something happens.' 'Every time my name or something about Suzanne goes into the paper, somebody makes a phone call. We encourage people to be proactive in their own case - that's the only way you're going to get anything done.' While Mary feels Suzanne's case is at a 'standstill' right now, she remains hopeful that a new investigator will be able to find more information. And she hopes that someone, somewhere, will finally say something. 'I say it every time. I know there's somebody who has information on Suzanne and knows what happened to her 20 years ago,' she said. 'I really wish they would contact the New York State Police. That's my plea, every time.' Virginie Rebetez can be found at www.virginierebetez.com. She published Out of the Blue with Meta/Books. Darren Nicholson doesn't really want to see child molesters hanged, despite the image of one swinging from a tree on his 'Paedophile Execution Squad' T-shirt. Instead, the 52-year-old grandfather thinks they should all be shot dead. 'They're the lowest form of life on this earth,' Mr Nicholson says. 'I'd rather have 10 taipans in my backyard. At least I know if the kiddie gets bitten there's a cure for it.' Mr Nicholson proudly donned his well-worn T-shirt for the recent court appearance of a man charged with sexually abusing a Queensland girl. Grandfather-of-15 Darren Nicholson wearing his 'Paedophile Execution Squad' T-shirt. 'They're the lowest form of life on this earth,' he says. 'I'd rather have 10 taipans in my backyard' This T-shirt design is available online from Redbubble.com. Sizes from small to XXXL 'I just can't cop 'em mate,' says Darren Nicholson of paedophiles. 'I can't handle 'em. Women, kiddies, old people, animals, you just don't do it. It's wrong. There's a line there. It's not human' The former labourer woke up the morning the man was due to face a magistrate near his home at Petrie, in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane, and felt he needed to send a message. 'I just got sick of it,' Mr Nicholson says. 'I just got up, I thought bugger this, I'm going to the court house. You know, enough's enough.' Mr Nicholson's T-shirt, which he bought in Victoria about 14 years ago from a woman whose daughter he believed had been molested, attracted plenty of attention. 'Next minute everyone's saying "look at this, look at this [T-shirt]",' he says. 'People saying, "what a champion", "legend", "buy him a beer", all this sort of stuff. 'Then some bloke tried to put a camera up a young girl's dress the other day and then next thing it's "where's that bloke with the shirt? We need him down here." All this sort of s***. 'I just went up there to support that little girl. That little girl, she's the hero. 'She's the one that's gotta go through all this stuff mate, eh. I'm just a nobody. I'm just somebody who cares and does me own thing mate.' 'It's not about me, it's about that little girl.' Darren Nicholson, from Petrie in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane, believes paedophiles cannot be rehabilitated. 'That money should be spent on a .22 bullet,' he says Mr Nicholson had never before gone to court to show such support for an alleged victim of crime in his 'Paedophile Execution Squad' T-shirt. He was initially reluctant to discuss the slogan with Daily Mail Australia because he did not want to be seen as a vigilante but the Queensland Police Service confirmed wearing the shirt was not a crime. 'Unless there's a criminal offence being committed there's nothing we can do,' a police spokesman said. Mr Nicholson had been a labourer and done landscaping as well as 'a bit of rubbish removal' but was now on a disability pension due to a 'stuffed back'. He loves the outdoors, particularly fishing, and spending time with his daughter, his wife, her four children and the couple's 15 grandchildren. What he doesn't like is seeing children neglected or hurt. 'I'm just sick of getting up of a morning, turning the tele on and seeing all this filth and it's just, mate, when's it gonna stop? 'Mate, I've got kids mate. You see this s*** on TV and I think what if that happened to my kid? Oh, mate, no, no, no, no... Them and these terrorists, mate, they're in the same boat to me' 'Back in the day if it did happen they'd be flogged. They wouldn't be about no more. 'Armed robbers do more time than paeodophiles mate. And then they spend all this money on something that can't be rehabilitated. 'That money should be spent on a .22 bullet and the rest of the money should be spent on those kiddies that have got to carry that for the rest of their life mate. This T-shirt is available online for $23.84 'I just can't handle it. I can't fathom it. I can't get me head around things these days.' Mr Nicholson had not been molested as a child and neither had any of his family. 'I've got kids mate. You see this s*** on TV and I think what if that happened to my kid?' 'You see this stuff and its just maaaate I've got granddaughters, grandkiddies. Oh, mate. My skin's going goosebumps now.' Mr Nicholson would one day like to take his message of revenge inside a court. 'I'll stand up in court and I'll tell the judge,' he says. 'I'll look him in the face mate and I'll tell him, "mate, they're the filthiest thing that God's ever created". 'There's no rehabilitation. A .22 bullet is the cheapest way. And I'll gladly do it for you mate, if you give me permission.' 'I just can't handle it,' Darren Nicholson says of paedophiles being out in the community. 'I can't fathom it. I can't get me head around things these days'. Mr Nicholson has five children Mr Nicholson has no intention of ever retiring his T-shirt, which he wears whenever he feels like it. 'As long as my belly still fits in it I take it out,' he says. 'I won't walk into schools with it, things like that, but I'll walk out everywhere else. 'One fella one day said to me, he goes, "oh, that's a bit out there, don't you think?" 'And I just looked at the dog and said "why - are you offended by it in some way?" Mr Nicholson plans to spend Christmas with his wife, their children and grandchildren, aged four months to 11 years old. 'We all get together mate, and it's just good. Nothing better than sitting back and watching the kids happy mate, you know?' Chinese students are choosing Australian universities in record numbers, with more than 150,000 enrolled across the country. This marks a huge increase from 2013, when only 85,111 studied tertiary education in Australia. Undeterred by high fees, middle-class Chinese people believe an overseas education will give them an edge in a competitive domestic job market, and now the country supplies 39 per cent of Australia's foreign university students. Qualifications from developed English-speaking nations such as Australia are highly respected, often more so than degrees from Chinese universities. Despite having a population of over 1.38billion, China only has seven universities in the top 200 in the world, compared to Australia's nine. Competition for the extremely limited number of places at China's elite institutions is intense, and for those who can afford it, studying abroad can be a better option. The US, the UK and Canada are seen as the most attractive destinations, with many Chinese students only choosing Australia after failing to find a place elsewhere. But although many Chinese students do want to connect with Australian culture, they are often disappointed once classes begin and they struggle to adapt. International student numbers in Australia in October 2018, according to Australian Government Department of Education and Training Undeterred by high fees, students from China's rapidly growing middle class believe an overseas education will give them an edge in a competitive domestic job market Arriving with high hopes of being surrounded by English speakers and a unique cultural experience, they instead find campuses packed with people from their home country. As Australia is often only a practical selection, with many students having no intention of settling permanently or learning more about their host country and its way of life. Culture shock can make it hard for international students to adapt, and many Chinese students find it difficult to branch out and make local friends. Cliff Fan, 25, who is studying a masters in Journalism and Communications at the University of New South Wales, admitted Australia was not his first choice. 'To be honest, Australia was an alternative choice, not optimal for me,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'But when it seemed that I was unable to get an offer from top 100 universities worldwide in the US, however, Australia was possible - I decided to come here.' UNSW ranked 45th in the 2018 QS World University Rankings - but Mr Fan is concerned the language requirements are generally low. Mr Fan, who said he cherishes the opportunity to study abroad, arrived in February this year after spending half a year studying English to meet the course's IELTS (International English Language Testing System) requirement. Cliff Fan (pictured), who is studying a masters in Journalism and Communications at the University of New South Wales, admitted Australia was not his first choice AUSTRALIAN AND CHINESE UNIVERSITIES IN THE TOP 200 AUSTRALIA (population 24.6million) 1. The Australian National University (Ranked 24th in the world) 2. The University of Melbourne (39) 3. The University of Sydney (42) 4. The University of New South Wales (45) 5. The University of Queensland (48) 6. Monash University (equal 59) 7. University of Western Australia (91) 8. University of Adelaide (114) 9. University of Technology Sydney (equal 160) CHINA (population 1.38billion) 1. Tsinghua University (Ranked 17th in the world) 2. Peking University (30) 3. Fudan University (44) 4. Shanghai Jiao Tony University (equal 59) 5. Zhejiang University (68) 6. University of Science and Technology of China (98) 7. Nanjing University (equal 122) Source: QS World University Rankings Advertisement 56 per cent of international students are from five countries, with 30 per cent from China 'What's worse, some Chinese students are still poor at English when they graduate [the course] which shocked me,' he said. Mr Fan, who said he has improved his English since studying in Australia, admitted he still had difficulties with life abroad. 'Listening troubled me a lot during the first two months, and I even used my phone to record every lecture in the first two weeks,' he said. 'I tried many ways to improve listening ability, like asking my roommate who's good at it, learning from websites, forcing myself to talk with local people.' Mr Fan added that being a Chinese student in Australia can lead to loneliness, as many struggle to relate to the local culture and make friends with their local peers. 'As an international student, especially who is from the east world, I feel so hard to be integrated into the mainstream of Australian life,' he said. Mr Fan believes that the language barrier is the main factor inhibiting a smooth integration. 'For instance, I've met some cool classmates who are from English-speaking countries and personally I do love them,' he said. 'But what weird is that we barely have communications after classes.' In other instances, Mr Fan says he feels the burden of the cultural differences between China and the western world. 'I know what they say, but cannot understand what they mean,' he said. 'As a result, I feel isolated somewhat even though I'm physically together with them.' Yvette Liu (pictured) who is also studying at UNSW, chose to move to Australia for postgraduate education because her boyfriend was also studying in Sydney International students visiting Australia for higher education is most prominent Yvette Liu, who is also studying at UNSW, chose to move to Australia for her postgraduate education because her boyfriend was also studying in Sydney. Ms Liu plans to work in Australia for a time before settling back home. 'But I don't want to work here forever because I am going to go back to China after a while,' she said. Ms Liu passed the IELTS test with a score of 6.5 and studied in UNSW's University English Entry Course (UEEC) for 15 weeks before commencing her masters. 'UEEC's class is mostly Chinese people, occasionally has some Korean or Japanese [people],' she said. Ms Liu, who is typically awarded distinctions and high distinctions in her assessments, said moving to Australia was difficult at first because the lifestyle is so different. 'You guys take the left side of the roads, speaking different languages, having different cultures,' she said. 'But language is not the biggest issue, culture is a bigger issue than language.' Ms Liu (pictured) plans to work in Australia for a while before settling back home American international student Becca Strauss, 23, from Brentwood, California, recently completed her Public Relations and Advertising masters at UNSW. 'Being an international student in Australia was definitely very different than I expected,' she said. Ms Strauss noticed a lack of domestic students in her course and was instead sharing classrooms with non-English-speaking internationals. 'I felt like they don't even try to get Aussies to grad school, like 99.9 per cent of the people in my classes were international students and there were numerous classes where I was the only English-speaking student. 'It was cool and challenging to be in such a diverse educational setting but it also would have been nice to meet some more Australians and have a more "Australian" uni experience rather than just an "international student experience".' Chinese international students enrolled in higher education in Australia in October 2002 - 17,198 2003 - 24,706 2004 - 34,197 2005 - 45,575 2006 - 51,911 2007 - 55,868 2008 - 62,368 2009 - 75,582 2010 - 88,991 2011 - 93,076 2012 - 88,364 2013 - 85,111 2014 - 88,425 2015 - 96,034 2016 - 111,755 2017 - 132,772 2018 - 152,060 Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training: International Student Data 2018 Advertisement Local students Mahnaz, 20, and Samantha, 21, of western Sydney were shocked by the number of Chinese international students at UNSW when they started their masters this year. 'When I first started my masters, I expected to see a lot of mature-aged students but was extremely surprised to see that more than 90 per cent of the class is international students,' Mahnaz said. 'I was taken aback by the amount of international students that were taking my same degree, at first it took time adjusting to the language barrier and patience that it took to get through lectures and classes,' Samantha said. But both students said the number of international students didn't bother them. 'It never really affected my learning drastically,' Mahnaz said. 'I was more inclined to participate in class since a lot of international students (the ones in my class at least) weren't very comfortable contributing and I didn't really want to see teachers being left hanging all the time. 'In spite of the language barrier, I've noticed they are very hard-working and are able to excel in their studies.' Similarly, Samantha said the students were both intelligent and welcoming. 'It really encouraged cross-cultural comparisons and discussions among students,' she said. International education is Australia's third-largest export, injecting $31.9billion into the Australian economy during the last financial year (stock image) Chinese international students are seen as a cash cow for Australian universities, which have increasingly adopted a business mindset to attract students from around the globe. International education is Australia's third-largest export, injecting $31.9billion into the Australian economy during the last financial year. Data from the Australian Government Department of Education revealed there were 839,784 international students enrolled in Australia in October 2018 - an 11 per cent increase from a year earlier. The majority - about 380,000 international students - are visiting Australia for tertiary education, with China, India and Nepal providing the highest numbers. A total of 152,060 Chinese students were enrolled in Australian universities in the same time period, compared to 68,404 students from India and 26,665 from Nepal. The 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census found Australia is home to 1.2million people of Chinese ancestry. The ABS noted that Chinese people are enticed by Australia's competitive universities with 22 per cent of Chinese-born people in Australia enrolled to study. Many Australian universities are adopting a business mindset to attract foreign students in order to improve their bottom line (pictured UNSW campus entrance) Universities Australia Deputy Chief Executive Anne-Marie Lansdown said the record amount of foreign students isn't just a boon to the education sector. 'Our world-class universities attract students from all over the globe, bringing vast benefits to Australians and the nation,' Ms Lansdown said. 'And the buck doesn't stop with us that $32billion flows on into the entire Australian economy, generating jobs, supporting wages, and lifting the living standards of Australians. 'International education is a modern Australian success story built from the ground up over six decades to become the nation's third-largest export and the envy of the world.' Ms Lansdown added that a majority of international students return to their home country. 'Australians develop powerful personal and professional relationships, and long-lasting cultural, diplomatic and trade ties when students from overseas spend their formative years here,' she said. 'And when international students return home from their studies which the vast majority do this creates a powerful network of global alumni with great affection for Australia.' Advertisement Today's Lotto entrants long for the multi-million pound jackpot: but how about a set of sparkling gold jugs, a tapestry and freedom from arrest for seven days? (Small print - pirates and traitors excluded). That - and more - was on offer to entrants of England first ever national lottery, which was drawn 450 years ago on January 11, 1569. Announced by Elizabeth I three years earlier, it was intended to raise much-needed funds to build up the Royal Navy, sponsor adventures to far-away lands and patch up England's coastal defences against the Spanish and French. Everyone was guaranteed a prize, but at a hefty ten shillings tickets were way out of reach for ordinary citizens. The jackpot - a whopping 5,000 (850,000 in today's money) - would be paid partly in cash, with the rest in gold and silver tableware and 'good linen cloth'. These sparkling wares were printed on garish advertisement posters put up across the land. The first ever national lottery in England was announced in 1566 to raise money for the Royal Navy, foreign exploration and England's shabby coastal defences against the Spanish and French. This advertisement - issued at the time - shows some of the glittering prizes on offer, including chests of gold and silver tableware Elizabeth I (left, in a painting c.1575) wrote the instructions for her draw in a letter (right) to Sir John Spencer in 1566, ordering him to produce books of tickets to be sent to major towns and cities across the land. There would be 400,000 lots, she said, and the prizes should be entrusted to 'persons of good trust' until the winners were able to claim them Holding a country-wide lottery had not been done before in England, so Elizabeth had to look abroad for inspiration. Similar draws had been held as far back as the ancient Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC220 AD) and caught on 15th-century Europe among Low Countries traders looking to sell their excess wares. Elizabeth wrote the instructions for her draw in a letter to Sir John Spencer, ordering him to produce books of tickets to be sent to major towns and cities across the land. There would be 400,000 lots, she said, and the prizes should be entrusted to 'persons of good trust' until the winners were able to claim them. The letter states: 'Where we have com[m]anded a ceratine carte of a Lotterie to be published by our Shirif of Countie in the principall townes of the same...' It continues: '...it is expedient to have somme persons appointed of good trust to receave such particular sommes as our subjects shall of their owne free disposition be ready to deliver upon the said lotterie.' Money raised, it states, shall be 'employed to good and publique acts and beneficially for o[u]r Realme and o[u]r Subjects.' The letter states that out of every pound sterling, Spencer was allowed sixpence to pay the collectors. As an incentive to Spencer, for every 500 pounds sent to London, a further 50 shillings was promised to him. To understand why the lottery was needed we must understand the political context of the time. Elizabeth, by 1566 already on the throne for eight years, faced a Europe that was overwhelmingly Catholic and determined to destroy her newly-formed Protestant church. A sign of the increasing threat from Catholic powers came in 1570, a year after the lottery draw, when the Pope Pius V issued a Bull (or decree) declaring Elizabeth a heretic and excommunicating anybody who obeyed her orders. This perilous atmosphere required the immediate renovation of England's poorly coastal defences (which were tested by the Spanish Armada in 1588). Everyone was guaranteed a prize, but at a hefty ten shillings tickets were way out of reach for ordinary citizens. The sparkling prizes were printed on garish advertisement posters put up across the land (pictured left, c.1566). Elizabeth's lottery was a way to raise money without going to Parliament (seen right in a 1559 woodcut) This advertisement, issued c.1566, outlines how the lottery will work. This includes a list of the prizes (the prices in Tudor spelling). There would be a jackpot of 5,000 (around 850,000 in today's money) and expenses tableware for the runners-up. In the end the value of the prizes was reduced when only 10 percent of the tickets were sold There was another even more pressing reason for Elizabeth to feel threatened. Her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, was a Catholic with a strong claim to the English throne. Forced to abdicate the Scottish throne, the plucky Mary fled across the border in 1568. She was imprisoned but continued to inspire plots from Elizabeths foreign and domestic enemies. There was yet another drain on the treasury: England's status as a burgeoning imperial power. Opening up new trade routes required new expensive ships, as did the voyages of discovery that would enjoy their crowning moment in 1580 with Sir Francis Drake's successful circumnavigation of the earth. With all these demands on the royal coffers its no surprise Elizabeth's secretary of state, Sir William Cecil, complained that a lack of money was 'the principal sickness in this Court'. Raising taxes would spark the ire of Parliament, so a lottery seemed the ideal solution. The initiative wasn't going to pull in a quick buck, however, as there were a whole three years before it being announced and the draw actually being held in 1569. Shivering against the winter cold, ticket holders gathered by St Paul's Cathedral in London accompanied by a beer-guzzling crowd of onlookers keen to see the flashy prizes on offer. The draw was held on January 11, 1569 by St Paul's Cathedral in London (which is depicted as it appeared in Tudor times in a 1916 engraving). To amuse the audience, ticket-holders were allowed to hide their identities by writing jokey remarks on their tickets. These messages included anti-Catholic quips such as 'In God I hope and a far for the Pope' Elizabeth (depicted on the left by an unknown artist) desperately needed money to protect England against foreign invasion and domestic rebellion. Also, she needed new ships for the voyages of discovery that would enjoy their crowning moment in 1580 with Sir Francis Drake's (depicted by Marcus Gheeraerts The Younger in 1591) successful circumnavigation of the earth To amuse the audience, ticket-holders were allowed to hide their identities by writing jokey remarks on their tickets. These messages, according to the History Press, included anti-Catholic quips such as 'In God I hope and a far for the Pope' and the slightly less prosaic 'The head of a snake with garlic is good meat'. Despite the fun of the draw itself the lottery was a failure, with fewer than 10% of the 400,000 tickets sold - and the prizes reduced by a similar proportion accordingly. Naive criminals who had brought tickets under the promise of seven days freedom from arrest for all but the most serious crimes also appear to have been disappointed. One London debtor cited his pardon as an excuse not to be sent to jail but was immediately 'made a jest of'. Elizabeth never held another lottery, although there were similar draws held off and on between 1750 and 1826. The modern British National Lottery was established by Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major and the first draw held in 1994. The lottery was not the money-raising success it might have been and was never repeated by Elizabeth. England was increasingly becoming a global power in the latter years of her reign. Pictured: A map of Drake's Great Expedition in 1585 by Giovanni Battista Boazio Peter, Lecturer-in-Charge of Managing and Leading People and Career Management Skills at the University of New South Wales, explains techniques to achieve your goals Every year most of us make New Year's resolutions. Eat healthier. Exercise regularly. Invest more in valued relationships. Learn a language. And so on. Often they are the same resolutions as last year. Why do our resolutions often so swiftly wither away? A prime culprit in this annual rollercoaster of optimism and disappointment is overconfidence in the power of our intentions. Read more: A behaviourist's guide to New Year's resolutions The excitement of a new year (and perhaps the fruit of celebrating a little too hard) cloud remembering a hard fact of life: good intentions readily evaporate without a trace in the face of everyday experiences such as exhaustion, temptation and long-standing habits. Fortunately, academic research on goal-setting can help. Studies over several decades have identified some effective ways to overcome these common obstacles to realising your plans. Beyond SMART goals It's well-known (and also true) that New Year's resolutions are more likely to be attained if they are 'SMART': Specific (about exactly what you want to achieve) Measurable (with clear indicators of progress) Achievable (given your available resources, constraints and other priorities) Relevant (to what you most value) Time-bound (with the specific date by when you aim for mission accomplished). Crafting SMART goals is a good start. But the odds of realising your resolutions will be improved by building what I call 'goal infrastructure' that is, resources that enable goal attainment. Below are three powerful ways to build goal infrastructure. 1. Link your goals to your cherished values Useful insights about how to do this may be drawn from a study of how a goal-setting program could help struggling students improve their academic performance. The research involved 85 students at McGill University in Montreal. Participants given the goal-setting intervention answered questions about their ideal future, qualities they admired in others, things they would like to do better, things they would like to learn more about, and habits they would like to develop. They then developed and prioritised the goals they were excited to pursue, before writing about the specific positive impacts they thought achieving each goal would have on their lives and the lives of those they cared about. Compared to students in the control group, those who participated in this goal-setting intervention significantly improved their academic results four months later. Why not brainstorm your own responses to the questions addressed by the study participants? Then develop a compelling rationale for working persistently to achieve your highest priority goal(s), by answering the following questions: what benefits do I expect to flow from reaching my goal? how might achieving my goal enhance my life and/or the lives of those I care about? Write down your answers and put them where you will see them often. 2. Create implementation intentions Implementation intentions supplement SMART goals with details of when and how you will act to attain your goals. Two types of implementation intentions are: if-then-plans ('If situation X arises, then I will Y') when-then plans ('When situation X arises, then I will Y'). For example, 'If I feel upset by an email, when possible I will wait until the following day before sending my response.' Or, 'When it is 5.27pm, then I will have left the office for the gym within the next three minutes.' Several hundred studies have shown that deciding ahead of time when and how you will act in accordance with your goals helps you get started and avoid being derailed by tiredness or other distractions. As a result, goals are far more likely to be reached when paired with implementation intentions. 3. Establish peer accountability What gets measured gets managed! This maxim is particularly valid when you feel accountable for acting in accordance with your goals. The Agile software development methodology features mandatory morning stand-up meetings where team members publicly answer the following two questions: 'What did you do yesterday?' 'What will you do today?' Knowing that tomorrow you will answer the first question helps brings focus to what you do today. Why not try this for a week so see if it works for you? Another way to harness the power of peer accountability is to partner with someone else (ideally other than a life partner) who is also serious about adhering to their resolutions. Text or email each other what you commit to do each day for a month (for example, swim 1 km, not open email after 8 pm, no screens after 10 pm, call a friend, do 50 pushups, pray for 10 minutes). Then in a brief phone chat at the same time each week, ask each other whether you adhered to each of your daily commitments during the past week. Make no excuses and provide no explanations. Simply answer 'yes' or 'no' regarding whether you kept each commitment. The anticipated satisfaction in saying 'yes' to those scheduled questions, as well as the powerful drive to avoid having to admit failure, can be a powerful motivator to keep yourself on track. Of course, there's no magic wand to materialise your New Year's resolutions. But if you are serious about making a change, play with the possibilities to discover what 'goal infrastructure' works for you. An unlucky reveller's failed attempt to get a New Year's Eve kiss has gone viral after being caught on live TV. The unnamed man tried his luck with a blonde woman while being filmed on Top 2000 Live on NPO Radio 2, a Dutch station. In the cringeworthy clip, he leans in for a kiss as her expression changes from a smile to utter bewilderment. Pulling away, she closes her eyes and looks disgusted by his attempts to woo her. Undeterred, he opens his mouth and goes in closer, before shutting it again and smiling at her when he realises she's not going to kiss him. In the clip, the unnamed man leans in for the kiss, provoking this bewildered expression Undeterred, he even opens his mouth for a poor attempt at French kissing in the excruciating video, from last night's Top 2000 Live on NPO Radio 2, a Dutch station The clip was shared on Twitter by user 'Rex' who pitied the unlucky in love man The excruciating video ends with the pair staring at each other before she looks to the ground in embarrassment. Rex, an American student living in the Netherlands, shared the clip on Twitter, captioning the 14-second clip: 'I hope your 2019 starts off better than this guy's.' Social media users found the painfully awkward clip hilarious, and the post racked up more than 13,000 retweets and nearly 40,000 likes. Plenty commented on the man's poor idea of French kissing, with one joking: 'My dude, it's a kiss not a meal.' She closes her eyes as he leans in further. The clip was shared on Twitter, where it racked up more than 13,000 retweets and nearly 40,000 likes The excruciating video ends after he finally gives up, leaving the pair staring at each other in embarrassment Some criticised the man for his poor kissing technique, while others praised the blonde woman for not giving in to his advances Kaleb Earls said: 'Why did he open his mouth like that at :04 cringe worthy.' Another added: 'Is he trying to eat her?' Others felt sorry for the poor man, with one individual tweeting: 'Welp, there is always 2020.' Another said: 'This is easily the most awkward thing I've seen all year!' One user added: 'Here - if you slow it down and go frame by frame, you can see the exact moment he wished he was dead.' Some social media users praised the woman for not giving in despite his intense attempt. Ash said: 'Good for her. She didn't want to be kissed and even though her body language was v clear, he foolishly proceeded. The brutal burn is of his own making.' The Duchess of Sussex's half-sister Samantha Markle has told the royal her New Year's resolution should be to 'be honest' and thank her father. Samantha, who also sent Meghan a Christmas card begging her to 'end the rift' with father Thomas Markle, has reportedly been placed on a 'fixated persons' list by protection officers which she has since described as 'fake news' on Twitter. Meghan's estranged sister has made a series of public snipes at the pregnant 37 year old after she was not invited to the royal wedding in Windsor in May and is now urging Meghan to reach out to her father. Samantha, who lives in Florida, told the Daily Star the former Suits star should thank Thomas, who has also given a string of interviews, for 'building every stage you set foot on'. Samantha Markle, pictured, has told her half-sister Meghan that her New Year's resolution should be to 'be honest' and thank her father Samantha, who has been placed on a 'fixated persons' list by police officers, also said the royal, pictured with Prince Harry in Sandringham on Christmas Day, should eat more chocolate 'to sweeten your disposition for the new year' She said: 'Your New Year's resolution should be to be honest and pay tribute to those who have helped you the most such as your dad. 'Thank him for your college education, your career, building every stage you set foot on, but really appreciate the people that care about you.' It comes as The Duchess's protection officers are understood to have briefed Scotland Yard detectives over the damage Samantha could cause to the royal family's reputation. Samantha has shot down those reports as 'fake news', tweeting Saturday that labeling her as 'fixated' is 'ridiculous' as she's only 'advocating for doing the right thing by our dad', Thomas Markle. Scotland Yard's Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) is a police unit which works with the NHS to identify risks posed by 'lone individuals' who stalk or harass public figures. Samantha has made a number of public swipes at the Duchess of Sussex after she was not invited to the royal wedding in Windsor in May (pictured) Samantha said: 'Thank him for your college education, your career, building every stage you set foot on, but really appreciate the people that care about you.' Pictured: Thomas Markle on Good Morning Britain last month A Scotland Yard source told The Sunday Times: 'Someone like Samantha presents a risk rather than a threat. She is not committing criminal offences, but she is causing concerns for the royal family. 'There is big potential for some major embarrassment for the royals. Samantha could make a scene and create headlines with her actions and let's face it she's kind of already done that.' Last month Thomas Markle made a direct appeal to the Queen to intervene in the family feud. In an interview on Good Morning Britain, he said: 'I would be grateful for anything she can do. 'I would think she would want to resolve any family problems. All families, royal or not, need to be together, especially in the holidays'. Samantha also made a dig at her half-sister, adding: 'And of course I would add to eat more chocolate to sweeten your disposition for the new year.' A great-grandson of revered historic Islamic leader Sheikh Batal-haji Belkharoyev has been killed after his car was sprayed by gunfire in Russia's Ingushetia, according to local law enforcement authorities. The car of Ibragim Belkharoyev, who had survived assassination attempts in 2008 and 2016, came under fire shortly after midnight on December 31 in Ingushetia's Nazran, the local branch of Russia's Investigative Committee said. Belkhareyov's driver was wounded in the attack. The local Ingushetian branch of the Investigative Committee has opened a probe into the killing, Interfax reported. Belkharoyev's great-grandfather, Batal-haji Belkharoyev, founded one of the Sufi Islamic teachings in the beginning of the 20th century and is held in high regard in Ingushetia and other parts of the North Caucasus. This adorable video shows the moment a tot didn't recognise her own father - after he shaved off the beard he'd worn for her entire life. Amelia Batiz's dad Jeremy, a 32-year-old contracting officer, has donned a beard for most of his adult life, and even his wife Sofia had only seen him without it once before. 'I didn't know that he was going to shave it off that day either,' said Sofia, 36, a professional photographer who lives with Amelia, Jeremy and their son 11-year-old Adyan in Tucson, Arizona. 'He just asked me to get the camera rolling on my phone and then he walked out of the bathroom. A hilarious video has captured the moment Amelia Batiz failed to recognise her own father Jeremy after he shaved off his beard for the first time since her birth 'It was a big shock for Amelia and for me. 'Ever since Amelia was born daddy always had a beard, so when it was gone she had absolutely no idea who he was. 'The expression she made was priceless, it was a disgusted face, like, 'eeew get away from me.'' After the big reveal 14-month-old Amelia remained very skeptical of the 'strange new man' in her house. 'It took about half a day before she realized that this strange new man was actually daddy,' said Sofia. Jeremy has sported a beard for most of his adult life with his wife Sofia only seeing him once without facial hair Little Amelia continued to ignore her father for half a day before she finally realised who he was 'She kept ignoring him and running over to me, my mom or my brother instead, he was a complete stranger to her for a while. 'He was trying to do all the things that he always does with her, like he takes her out to get the mail with him every day, but she was suspicious. 'It wasn't until he read her favorite book to her that she finally caught on, he always reads it to her in this special way, so she twigged.' Now the rest of the family are trying to adjust to a beardless Jeremy. Sofia (pictured with Jeremy, Amelia and their son Adyan) said that the rest of the family have had to adjust to Jeremy's lack of beard too The mother-of-two say that the father and daughter (pictured when Amelia was younger) are back to being best pals again 'Jeremy always has a beard, he had a beard when I met him so it was a big change for all of us,' said Sofia. 'He looks ten years younger, my son says he looks like a college student now, my mom said he looks like a teenager.' Thankfully Amelia and Jeremy are back to being friends again. Sofia added: 'Once she realized it was daddy under there they went right back to how they always are, it just took her a while.' Meghan has banned Prince Harry from drinking tea and coffee, a royal insider has claimed. The reformed party animal had already reportedly given up alcohol out of sympathy for pregnant Meghan, but now he's drinking mineral water instead of caffeine, the Sunday Express reports. The Duke of Sussex's new health kick meant he looked fitter and bright-eyed at Sandringham for Christmas - and it hasn't gone unnoticed by the royal family. A source told the Express: 'Considering he's been a pretty brutal drinker since he was a young teenager, it's quite an achievement.' The Duchess of Sussex, 37, has also introduced Harry to yoga and has encouraged him to exercise more, showing him an alternative way to live claims the source. Meghan Markle has reportedly banned Prince Harry from drinking caffeine and booze. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex toasting at a summer party in Dublin in July Instead of cocktails or tea, Harry, pictured at a Block Party in 2012 in Belmopan, Belize, is drinking mineral water The new exercise regime and lack of booze has meant that friends think the 34 year old is 'more chilled and relaxed'. A source said: 'All she did was show him there's another way to live and he's become a huge fan. 'He eats well, doesn't poison his body, exercises, does a bit of yoga and is a lot happier.' MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for a comment. Back in October, Harry was spotted toasting with water at a state dinner at the Grand Pacific Hotel - and was praised for supporting his pregnant wife. The Duke of Sussex's new health kick meant he looked fitter and bright-eyed at Sandringham for Christmas (pictured) - and it hasn't gone unnoticed by the royal family The new healthy Harry is a far cry from the party-loving Prince who was photographed naked in a Las Vegas hotel room after playing 'strip billiards' back in 2012. Pictured: Harry in Belize in 2012 Meghan has been shaking up the royal family since marrying Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May, and even made some changes before joining the firm. She reportedly convinced Prince Harry to give up smoking in March, and the royal has been working out at the exclusive KX private members health club in Chelsea to 'get his soldier body back'. The new healthy Harry is a far cry from the royal who was photographed naked in a Las Vegas hotel room after playing 'strip billiards' back in 2012. His partying antics are infamous, with the young royal partying the night away with a close group of friends. In 2011, he was caught on camera jumping into a pool fully clothed while drinking in Hvar, Croatia. As 2018 drew to a close many social media users have been sharing their highlights of the last year and it seems that Princess Eugenie is no exception. The Princess of York took to her Instagram account on Monday where she posted a story of her best bits of 2018. Unsurprisingly her wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October featured heavily, however, the 28-year-old didn't give a mention to the other royal nuptials of the past year. Eugenie's cousin Prince Harry, who married Meghan in May at St George's Chapel in Windsor - the same venue as Eugenie and Jack, was noticeably absent from her story. Princess Eugenie has shared some of her highlights from 2018 on her Instagram story, including the moment that her husband Jack Brooksbank popped the question Her older sister Princess Beatrice also featured heavily with Eugenie remembering her landmark birthday in August Unsurprisingly the princess' wedding featured heavily with Eugenie describing it as 'the best moment of 2018' The first image on the story captured the beaches of Nicaragua at sunset where Eugenie and Jack holidayed last January. She captioned the image: 'As 2018 draws to a close I wanted to share some of my favourite moments... '1st January 2018 - Jack asked me to marry him.' She did of course include plenty of images of their wedding which she described as 'the best moment of 2018'. She shared a snap of the official engagement photos of she and Jack taken in January The royal also celebrated some of her charity achievements in 2018 including her and Betarice's appearance at the We Movement talk She paid tribute to her father Prince Andrew who became Colonel of the Grenadier Guards in early 2018 She shared a snap of her visit to the Soldier's Charity back in April where she met 'heroes' Some of the snaps included on the story featured the windswept guests arriving at her ceremony, with one seen losing his hat. Other memorable moments for the royal included her sister Beatrice's birthday when she turned 30 in August. Proud daughter Eugenie also paid tribute to her mother Sarah Ferguson's charity work and her father Prince Andrew become Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. And 2018 saw Princess Eugenie speak out about her scoliosis, sharing images of her X-rays for the first time with her followers on Scoliosis Awareness Day, something that she considered a key moment in her past year. She celebrated her sister meeting adventurer Bear Grylls at Windsor Castle to honour the Scouts And 2018 saw Princess Eugenie speak out about her scoliosis, sharing images of her X-rays for the first time with her followers on Scoliosis Awareness Day Eugenie also gave a mention to some of her own charity work, highlighting a visit to Serbia on behalf of the UN Trust Fund to end Violence Against Women Eugenie also gave a mention to some of her own charity work, highlighting a visit to Serbia on behalf of the UN Trust Fund to end Violence Against Women. The princess became one of the few royals on social media when she joined Instagram in March. She has posted regular updates in the months since, building up a devoted following with her candid and casual posts. She has thus far amassed more than 631,000 followers despite following just 19 accounts herself. Princess Beatrice also believed to has an Instagram account under the handle @beayork which was exposed when her model pal Karlie Kloss tagged her in a story following her engagement, however, the account is private. Their mother Sarah Ferguson is also on Instagram. The newlywed shared close up details from her second wedding dress designed by Zac Posen She may only be 15 but Lady Louise Windsor appears to have already nailed the sophisticated style of the older royal women. Prince Edward's daughter stepped out in a Hobbs coat while attending church at Sandringham on Sunday, a favourite brand among the royals. The teen opted for a funnel-neck style knee-length burgundy coat as she joined the Queen at the St Mary Magdalene Church. This isn't the first time the royal has chosen a design by Hobbs, with Lady Louise wearing a navy dress by the brand in June for the Trooping The Colour. Her smart coat today could be a sign the Queen's youngest granddaughter is taking cues from style icon Kate Middleton. Choosing items from the 'quintessentially British' brand is a wise option for Lady Louise and Kate, according to celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage. Lady Louise Windsor opted for a burgundy funnel-neck coat from Hobbs for a Sunday church service in Sandringham yesterday The choice by the Queen's youngest granddaughter may be a sign she is taking cues from style icon Kate Middleton - pictured here in a Hobbs coat on Christmas Day in 2016 He said: Few brands are as quintessentially British as Hobbs, so really it's no wonder why it's coveted so frequently by the Royals. 'We know that the royals are prohibited from loaning or receiving gifts from fashion brands so every style choice they make is their own.' By choosing to wear the label, the Duchess of Cambridge supports British brands who see a boost in sales almost immediately. Two years ago the Duchess of Cambridge, 36, chose the Hobbs unlimited Celeste wool coat with a slim belt at the waist for a Christmas Day service at St Marks Church in Englefield, Berkshire. Hobbs then saw a 14.3 per cent rise in sales in the weeks after her appearance, thanks to the 'Kate effect' which sees any item of clothing she is pictured in flying off the rack. Kate has worn Hobbs a number of times, and most recently donned one of its emerald suits for a visit to a children's hospice in January 2017. Back in 2014, she wore a pine green Persephone trench coat from the brand while handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guard at the Mons Barracks in Aldershot for St Patrick's Day. Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage believes royals may choose the label because it is 'quintessentially British' - and has lower price points than many similar competitors. Pictured: left, Kate in a Hobbs pine green trench coat on St Patrick's Day 2014, and right, Kate in a Hobbs emerald green suit during a visit to a children's hospice in 2017 Lady Louise, 14, previously wore this Hobbs dress at the Trooping The Colour in June this year The Duchess of Cambridge's love affair with the label goes back a number of years, with Kate wearing a coat by Hobbs during a visit to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in 2012 (pictured) Her love affair with the attainable label goes back a number of years, with the mother-of-three wearing another brown coat by Hobbs during a visit to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool six years ago. Kate's perfectly demure wardrobe has already been emulated by plenty of other royals - including the Duchess of Sussex, who joined the royal family in May. Both Lady Louise and Kate could also be choosing pieces from the brand because the prices are far more reasonable than other labels. Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage said: 'Hobbs may be a popular choice because while its quality and design always excellent, its price points are much more reasonable than other similar brands. 'Royal clothing budgets are not modest - but they do still have to make all their spending public, so there is some scrutiny. 'A few years ago other middle market brands, such as Reiss, were far more popular while Hobbs, at one point, looked tired and dusty compared to its younger counterparts, but it has recently reinvented itself. 'Hobbs is now a destination for chic contemporary womenswear and its favour with the Royals will only boost its new found appeal.' Readers of a certain age will remember the famous Eighties TV commercial for an insurance company that promised: We wont make a drama out of a crisis. The advert was intended to reassure customers that no matter what calamity might befall them, their problems would be solved calmly, speedily and efficiently, with the minimum of fuss. Sadly, its a message that has been lost on our modern generation of politicians, who are guaranteed to turn any minor hiccup into a full-blown, multi-million-dollar Hollywood production number. Not that theres anything minor about the current cross-Channel traffic in illegal immigrants coming ashore on the Kent coast in increasing numbers. Since the story exploded on a slow news day over Christmas, the Government has gone into full headless chicken mode. The latest group of migrants landed shortly after 8am today at Greatstone, near Lydd-on-Sea With great fanfare, Home Secretary Sajid Javid cuts short his family holiday in Africa to fly home and take control of the situation. Everything is going according to the script. Javid arrives back in the middle of the night and changes from jeans and zipper jacket into his Im In Charge blue suit. Hours later, he leaves his London home through a scrum of television reporters shouting inane questions, which they know perfectly well he has no intention of answering. He convenes emergency meetings in Whitehall, then announces a plan of action, despite admitting in a newspaper article that, actually, theres very little he can do to stop the influx of Iranians and other assorted foreign nationals making their way across the Channel. Sajid Javid may be taking the flak right now, but he wasnt Home Secretary in March 2016, when this problem first came to light Javid could order the Navy to turn back any dinghy bound for Kent and return any passengers to France. But hes already rejected an offer of naval assistance from Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson because he doesnt want Williamson to gain any political advantage at his expense. Still, he has to be seen to be doing something, anything, to justify his dash back from his safari holiday. How long before Javid is filmed heading out to sea on the prow of a coastguard boat, like George Washington leading his troops across the Delaware River during the American Revolution only in a hi-viz jacket, rather than a generals uniform and tricorn hat. Mind you, given this Governments track record of dealing with illegal immigration, a better analogy would be Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the Titanic. All that matters is that Javid creates an impression of frantic activity, with him at the centre of it. Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured outside his home in London this morning) has battled through a chastening fortnight including the Gatwick drone fiasco and the migrant crisis None of this would be necessary, of course, had the Government not ignored the problem of illegals crossing the Channel when it first surfaced more than two-and-a-half years ago. Its not as if they didnt know it was happening. Between March and May 2016, there were at least eight recorded incidents of Border Force officials intercepting attempts to enter Britain by boat, via beaches in Kent and Sussex. On May 31 that year, after 18 Albanians were picked up in a rubber dinghy off Kent, I wrote a spoof Shipping Forecast, illustrated by a Gary cartoon, of a country under siege from foreign nationals on a variety of inflatables. Heres a flavour of it. Forties, Dogger. High chance of Iraqis, pretending to be Syrians, seen clinging to lilos near North Sea oil rig, bound for Bridlington . . . You get the idea. And still they kept coming, unhindered, throughout the summer. In September 2016, the Mails Sue Reid hired a small inflatable boat in France and sailed across the Channel to Dover. She passed a French coastguard vessel, a naval patrol and landed safely without anyone challenging her or asking to see her passport. The French Patrolman of Gendarmerie boat, the Athos, rescues 11 migrants 15 miles off Calais Six days earlier, a group of illegal immigrants had jumped off a private boat near Felixstowe, in Suffolk, and simply vanished. In November 2016, I returned to the subject, when a man who claimed to be Iranian, but probably wasnt, was found rowing towards Britain in an inflatable kayak. I wrote at the time: Instead of towing him back to Calais, he was rescued and given a lift to Croydon, where his asylum claim was processed. If the authorities arent going to deport them to France, it will only encourage even more desperate illegals to attempt the hazardous journey in everything from childrens paddling pools to inflatable armbands. I dont know if anyone has yet landed in Margate clinging to one of Del Boys blow-up sex dolls, but, at this rate, it can only be a matter of time. Garys cartoon featured a family in an inflatable dinosaur and one man on a giant banana. While I played it for laughs, Sue Reid stuck doggedly to the story. In a brilliant dispatch in last Saturdays Mail, she revealed how illegal immigrants from Iran are making their way here via Serbia, where they were allowed in on tourist visas. Once there, they were free to travel across open-borders Europe. In France, she reported that local police were pointing immigrants camped out at ports towards Britain. Part of Javids new emergency plan to halt the flow is to rely on increased co-operation from the French. Good luck with that. Iranians living rough in Calais, many of whom took advantage of temporary tourist visas to Serbia, before fleeing North towards the English Channel One thing weve learned over the years is that our French partners cant be trusted. If they were serious about stopping immigrants heading for Britain, they would turn them back at the border when they attempted to enter France. Under international law, migrants allegedly fleeing oppression are supposed to seek asylum in the first safe country in which they arrive. In this latest case, that means Serbia. None of them should have any right to settle in Britain. But the reason this country remains their No 1 destination is the same as it ever was. Were not just perceived as a soft touch, we are a soft touch. In Calais last week, Sue Reid spoke to a 33-year-old Iranian, who told her: My friend reached England from here in a boat and is now in a three-bedroom flat in Birmingham. He likes it very much. I bet he does. Whats not to like? There are plenty of people born and bred in Birmingham who have been on the council waiting list for years and would just love a three-bedroom flat. Yet an Iranian can jump out of boat on a beach in Kent, make his way to Brum and move in straight away. While we roll out the welcome mat, immigrants will continue to make the dangerous Channel crossing, secure in the knowledge that, once they set foot in Britain, the chances of them being deported are less than zero. Despite the current song-and-dance at the Home Office, the numbers will go on rising. In no time there will be so many small boats heading our way that it will be like Dunkirk all over again. Incidentally, the funniest story Ive read this week was the announcement by Kent Police that, as part of the emergency response, they will be sending up a drone to monitor activity in the Channel. Given the fiasco at Gatwick before Christmas, the first sight of a drone off the coast will immediately close every airport from Southampton to Stansted. Sajid Javid may be taking the flak right now, but he wasnt Home Secretary in March 2016, when this problem first came to light. What he has inherited is merely the culmination of more than two-and-a-half years of incompetence, indifference and inaction. So who was Home Secretary back then? Let me think . . . Oh, yes. It was the same Home Secretary responsible for the Windrush scandal, for which her successor had to carry the can. The same Home Secretary who abandoned stop and search, leading to an explosion of knife crime in London. The same Home Secretary whose reputation as a safe pair of hands propelled her into 10 Downing Street after Call Me Dave resigned, even though she voted Remain and spent the referendum campaign hiding behind the sofa. The same Home Secretary who, as Prime Minister, ordered Javid to cut short his holiday to deal with something she should have nipped in the bud two-and-a-half years ago. And still some people wonder how she has managed to make such a complete Horlicks of Brexit. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Theresa May, someone who can always be relied upon to make a drama out of a crisis. Happy New Year. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit Photo courtesy of Gary Guglielmo HAMDEN A 25-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries early on New Years Day after the car he was traveling in spun out and struck two cars stopped at a light. State police said around 2:17 a.m., a Honda Pilot reported stolen from New Britain was pursued by Hamden police when the vehicle spun out on Dixwell Avenue near Woodin Street. A Nissan Armada and a Chevrolet Silverado were stopped at a traffic light when the drivers side of the Honda Pilot collided with those vehicles rears. Police said the pursuit began on State Street when the driver of the Honda Pilot did not stop for police when signaled near State Street in North Haven. The victim was in the vehicles rear on the drivers side and was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital. Whether you call them "Digital Babies," "Generation iPad" or "The iGeneration," there's no arguing that Generation Z is growing up. Born in 1997 and later, this cohort's members already are playing valuable roles in society. They're also extremely savvy, which means marketing to them is a challenge. After all, they've been raised with smart devices in their hands and a world of information literally at their fingertips. Several distinct characteristics describe this age group. The biggest truth, though, might be this: Social media is a huge and defining presence in the lives of most Gen Z members. That prevalence, in turn, has driven other trends in marketing and commerce. Brands find themselves needing act more like humans and less like a carefully scripted position statement. Related: How Millennials Are Marketing to Gen Z Todays young buyers have more options than ever before in terms of how and where they spend their money. Businesses must future-proof their offerings by factoring Gen Z into their social-media strategies for 2019 and beyond. Help them answer the question, Why should I choose you over the next brand? and youll create a devoted base within the next big generation of consumers. Here are several ways to can play to this crowds preferences as you tailor new messages and craft new campaigns. Prioritize Instagram. Instagram is arguably the epitome of visual branding in the age of social media. Of the three major platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), Instagram is the clear-cut winner among Gen Z. This trend contributes to the universal shift toward a more visually oriented online experience. Brands that want to connect with young people must understand how to engage people and build an Instagram following. Instagram is a natural pairing for some brands, such as clothing and restaurants. Other industries don't have it so easy. Financial-services providers don't initially appear to have much visual appeal. Yet PayPal used Instagram to reinvent its image in a highly relatable way. In 2013, the brand launched a social campaign that depicted real stories from PayPal users. Adopting a format similar to that of Humans of New York, PayPal posted visual representations of individual users and detailed how the service solved a problem or made their lives easier. The campaign led to a 327 percent increase in engagement. PayPal recognized how to inject everyday realism into its image. Unfortunately, many business make the mistake of creating posts for themselves instead of their followers and potential broader audience. You've seen these images time again, often in the form of visuals that mimic coupons or flashy discounts. Businesses should concentrate instead on content that connects with people on a personal level. Related: 4 Unconventional Ways to Better Market to Gen Z A few, direct questions -- answered honestly -- will tell you if your messages are failing to relate to customers: Do people use your product or service in everyday life? How does your offering improve those lives? How are you making the world a better place? Once you refine your core message, you can consider partnering with an Instagram influencer to promote your brand. This strategy can do wonders to gather more interest and conversation. The content and the person presenting it work together to humanize your brand, solidifying your values in a visual representation. Invest more in video. The introduction of Facebook Live in 2016 and IGTV in 2018 all but guaranteed video content is the future of the internet. Studies reveal Gen Z watches an average of 68 videos per day on five different platforms. The key to capitalize on this viewership? Properly investing in the right kinds of video and distribution channels. Brands need to work to understand how video content can be used to create a unique brand persona, educate audiences and tell a story that relates to target customers. Related: The Future of Video Advertising Is Artificial Intelligence First and foremost, businesses need to invest in strong personalities. Many brands put their resources into formats such as Q&As, explainers, demonstrations and webinars. Even the most stellar information can be rendered useless if the person delivering it is bland or uninviting. Thats especially true with younger videos. Before you can start building a video personality that fits your brand, youll need to create a few archetypes for your target audiences: What do they look like? How do they talk? What are their personal interests? What issues do they feel strongly about? What are their biggest dislikes? Gen Z values brands that support causes. In todays world, social issues are front and center nearly every time you look at your social-media news feeds. To truly resonate with younger customers, you cant be afraid to take a stance on certain issues. Pick your battles. For example, the topical menu on Ben & Jerrys YouTube channel covers much more than ice cream. Hosts and guests talk about issues related to climate change and democracy. They also show how their people put company values into play by making a positive difference in the broader community. Related: 5 Incredibly Simple Strategies to Help You Win With Video Marketing Commit to authenticity. Smart devices and social media have spawned an intense culture of constant connectedness. Humans are exposed to more brand messaging than they know what to do with. As a byproduct of this phenomenon, people have developed an extremely precise radar for BS. Gen Z was raised in this reality, so its safe to say its members began developing this sense from the day they were able to lift a smart phone. Brands must take authenticity on social media very seriously. Otherwise, they risk losing potential sales and sparking backlash. Related: What a Crazy Year It's Been! Lessons from the 2018 News Cycle. Earlier this year, big-data group IRI released findings from two studies of Gen Z shopping attitudes, purchasing behaviors and emotional drivers. Bob Tomei, the companys president of Consumer & Shopper Marketing and Core Content Services, summarized the results in a to-the-point public statement: Gen Z is deeply motivated by authenticity and a brands emotional DNA, which we define as how completely a product or brand aligns with the values shoppers attribute to it. Because Gen Z shoppers rely more on brand recognition to make purchase decisions than their millennial counterparts, it is critical that manufacturers and retailers create transparent and authentic relationships with the Gen Z population early on to build loyalty as their purchasing power grows. Related: How to Use Authenticity to Capture the Attention of Generation Z If your company aims to support a cause, you must be able to draw strong parallels to your brand values. Outdoor-clothing brand Patagonia uses its social channels to promote a commitment to environmental awareness and conservation. Its company blog, The Cleanest Line, announced last months $10 million donation to grassroots environmental groups in a post titled Our Urgent Gift to the Planet. Brands no longer can get by with overly promotional, played-out sales tactics. Companies and their spokespeople instead need to focus on building relationships. Social media enables a direct and immediate communication with customers. Humanizing your messages helps cement your core values. Ultimately, its this sense of authenticity that makes people care. With this in mind, brands should use social media as an avenue to present their backstory, purpose and overall uniqueness. Related: How to Structure Your 2019 Social-Media Campaigns to Appeal to Gen Z 10 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2019 5 Ways to Turn Your LinkedIn Connections Into Paying Clients in 2019 Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved A classic New Year's Eve fireworks display lit up the midnight sky in Funchal (Madeira) as 34,000 guests from 10 different cruise ships welcomed the New Year. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20182-new-year-s-eve-wows-with-10-ships-in-funchal.html#sigProId6d5d240750 View the embedded image gallery online at: Photos: Sergio Ferreira To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Please click here to learn how. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. 100% Website forum.wonaruto.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Php. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 45902 bytes (44.83 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-09-27, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website cercapasseggini.it uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Asp. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 54870 bytes (53.58 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-02-02, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The phrase is John Kerrs or, to use his title, Baron Kerr of Kinlochards. Lord Kerr is a former Ambassador to the EU, as is the way of these things. He is also by his own account the author of Article 50 of the Treaty of European Union. Kerr is so fond of the image that he used it twice, almost a year ago, during a debate in the Upper House. We will huff and puff but, in the end, we will basically come to heel, he said. He has been proved right about money (he said that the Government would agree to pay up) but wrong about a bespoke deal (which Theresa May has achieved, like it or not). He later applied the phrase to the prospect of No Deal, claiming that the Government will come to heel in the end, probably quite quickly, in order to avoid it. We will discover this year whether, on this third count, he is correct. Implicit in his last claim was the assumption of a Withdrawal Agreement that is roughly the shape of the present one. It is imaginable that the EU will eventually offer a significant concession on the backstop rather than face the consequences of No Deal, which would impact both sides of the negotiation severely. But time is running out, and we doubt it. If such a change is not forthcoming, the Commons may eventually swallow Mays deal none the less. However, it didnt have enough support to pass last month the Government didnt dare even to put it to a vote and there is no sign that anything much has changed since. So if MPs vote it down instead, the likelihood is that MPs will have to choose between No Deal, No Brexit or a compromise option such as Norway Plus. The spirit of Kerrs remark animates the campaign for a second referendum, which has been striving to kill off Norway Plus first, before turning its attention to No Deal. The stage is therefore set for a confrontation between perhaps five-sixths of the Commons, most of which was against Brexit and much of which abhors No Deal andwho exactly? Vote Leave wound itself up after the EU referendum. The Government is weak and under-prepared for No Deal deliberately so, overall. The ERG and its allies are a minority. Each New Year invites the claim that it will be different even decisive, in a way that its predecessors were not. In one sense, this is unlikely to be true about 2019. Brexit may happen, and Britain none the less find itself back in the EU within ten years. Or it may notand the long-anticipated Italian banking crisis take place later this year, leading to the reworking of the Union as we know it, with the UK in some new outer tier. There is no way of anticipating these known unknowns, let alone the unknown unknowns. Britains history of engagement with the European project stretches back over 50 years and may reach forward for another 50 or more. None the less, we must be ready for a face-off between the default setting, No Deal; the hostility of most MPs to itand the ticking away of the clock. What may well prove decisive is Parliamentary procedure, and the precise means required to delay or obviate Brexit. (A second referendum would require an extension of Article 50, plus a Bill.) We close our opening to 2019 by reflecting on Kerrs favourite phrase. Into those mere three words is packed a universe of assumptions: about the supposed inevitability of Britain remaining in the EU despite the British people deciding otherwise, in the biggest popular vote in our history; about the relationship between rulers and ruled; about the omniscience of an ascendancy class that crosses national boundaries, and so cant be held accountable at all. Coming to heel means knowing your place. The implications for even a country as historically stable as Britain are baleful. Kerr has whistled, clicked his fingers, and now expects us the rest of us to fall into line behind the class of which he is a member, conceding our place in the natural order of things. If we do so, we cannot simply blame the absence of Vote Leave, the ascendancys sense of ownership and entitlement, or even the Governments failings (not to mention those of Jeremy Corbyn). Ultimately, its up to those who believe that the referendum pledge must be honoured to ensure that it is, by every democratic means available. The mass of voters which is so minded includes many who voted Remain in 2016 as well as most of those who voted Leave. Are we lapdog, bulldog or something else entirely? This year, we will find out. Michael Fabricant is MP for Lichfield. One of the many old jokes in the Carry On films is: where is all your get up and go? The answer comes: it got up and went. It seems, sometimes, that half the population feels that way, when I read some of the more depressing letters and articles about Brexit in the national press. I travel to the United States three or four times each year not for fact-finding at taxpayers expense, I hastily add but with and to see friends. I was part-educated at the University of Southern California (Go Trojans!) and still have a home on the east coast near where my business had a base in New Haven, Connecticut. So before I became an MP I travelled a lot to the US on business, too. Im there right now in San Diego, southern California. But thanks to the internet, I was able to hear Woody Johnson, the US Ambassador to the UK, on the Today programme yesterday. He was clear that the present terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration will prevent the US (or any other major economy, come to that) from entering into a Free Trade Agreement with the UK. But the main issue expressed by Johnson and Americans that I meet over here is the surprise at Britains reluctance to let go of the apron strings that seem to tie us to the EU. Its a lack of self-confidence that might be appropriate in a developing country, but in not the fifth-largest world economy, which can boast more Nobel Prize winners than any other country apart from the US; intelligence services which match those anywhere in the world, three of the worlds top ten universities, with the top two places being British, and a major centre for biotech and space research. Why are we so timid in our dealings with Europe? In Prime Ministers Questions a few weeks back, Jeremy Corbyn claimed that the UK has no leverage with the EU. No leverage? We are the biggest export market in the world for the German automotive industry bigger than the US and Chinese markets combined. And Emmanuel Macron knows that the ranks of the gilets jaunes would be increased tenfold if French farmers could not export to their number one market the United Kingdom. So why all this timidity by government and civil servants in dealing with the EU, and the fear of leaving the EU by so many in the British population at large? Friends of mine working in the City for large American banks admit that they explored the possibility of moving to Paris, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt after the referendum. But they soon realised that continental Europeans neither have the financial work pool nor the work ethic to keep long hours deep into the night when the need arises. Those plans to move were soon abandoned. Johnson can see the opportunities open to the UK in leaving the UK and from being unshackled from the ball and chain of rules so beloved of European regulators. My American friends over here say to me Why are you guys so lacking in self-confidence? We just dont get it. Just leave! Having been in business and travelled abroad extensively exporting broadcasting systems to some 48 countries worldwide, I can see the huge opportunities that will be open to us after a clean break with the EU. It is unfortunate that many commentators on Brexit, including journalists and some politicians, never had the get up and go in the first place. The gung-ho spirit eludes them. We should not allow their lack of aspiration and gloom to frustrate the opportunities that are there if only we have the confidence to seize them. 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. SHOWS February 22, 2021 10.00 am Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Jair Bolsonaro, far-right lawmaker and presidential candidate for the Social Liberal Party (PSL), gives thumbs up to supporters during the second round of the presidential elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 28, 2018. Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as Brazil's president on Tuesday, and immediately called on Congress to combat endemic corruption and promised to "work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny." Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain and admirer of the country's 1964-1985 military dictatorship, vowed to adhere to democratic norms. He said his government would be guided by the promises he made to Brazilian voters fed up with graft, high levels of violent crime and a still-sputtering economy. "I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny," Bolsonaro said after being sworn in. "My vow is to strengthen Brazil's democracy." U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Bolsonaro's speech in a tweet, saying "the U.S.A. is with you!" Trump tweet The new Brazilian president promptly replied on Twitter, thanking Trump for his encouragement and saying, "Together, under God's protection, we shall bring prosperity and progress to our people!" Bolsonaro tweet On the economic front, Bolsonaro promised in his inauguration speech to "create a new virtuous cycle to open markets" and "carry out important structural reforms" to shore up a yawning public deficit. Bolsonaro, 63, was a seven-term fringe congressman who rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazil's first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago. Bolsonaro plans to realign Brazil internationally, moving away from developing nation allies and closer to the policies of Western leaders, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump, who sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to his inauguration. As a clear sign of that diplomatic shift, Bolsonaro plans to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking with Brazil's traditional support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue. Crowds of supporters, many with the Brazilian flag draped around their shoulders and with faces painted yellow and green, the national colors, gathered before the Planalto palace, where later Tuesday the presidential sash will be draped on Bolsonaro. Backed massively by conservative sectors of Brazil, including Christian evangelical churches, Bolsonaro would block moves to legalize abortion beyond even the current limited exceptions and remove sex education from public schools, opposing what he calls "cultural Marxism" introduced by recent leftist governments. One-third of his cabinet are former army officers, mostly fellow cadets at the Black Needles academy, Brazil's West Point, all outspoken backers of the country's 1964-1985 military regime. Bolsonaro has faced charges of inciting rape and for hate crimes because of comments about women, gays and racial minorities. Yet his law-and-order rhetoric and plans to ease gun controls have resonated with many voters, especially in Brazil's booming farm country. In an interview with Record TV on the eve of his inauguration, Bolsonaro lashed out at Brazil's notorious bureaucracy, which makes doing business in the country difficult and expensive. He vowed to strip away the so-called "Brazil Cost" that hamstrings private enterprise. "The government machine is really heavy," he said. "There are hundreds of bureaucratic governing bodies across Brazil, of regulators as well. ... We have to untangle the mess." His vow to follow Trump's example and pull Brazil out of the Paris Agreement on climate change has worried environmentalists. So have his plans to build hydroelectric dams in the Amazon and open up to mining the reservations of indigenous peoples who are seen as the last custodians of the world's biggest forest. Brazilian businesses are eager to see Bolsonaro take office and install a team of orthodox economists led by investment banker Paulo Guedes, who has promised quick action in bringing Brazil's unsustainable budget deficit under control. Guedes plans to sell as many state companies as possible in a privatization drive that he forecasts could eventually bring in up to 1 trillion reais ($257 billion). That would help restore order to government finances. The key measure, however, for reducing the deficit and stopping a dangerous rise of Brazil's public debt will be the overhaul of the country's costly social security pension system. Pension reform will be Bolsonaro's biggest challenge since he has yet to build a base in Congress, where he has eschewed the political horse-trading that has traditionally helped Brazilian presidents govern the nation of nearly 210 million people. Bolsonaro may find that lax protection of the environment and human rights could have negative economic effects, more so than those faced by other far-right leaders, given the spotlight on Brazil's Amazon jungle as a protection against global warming and because the country has more murders than any other nation. "I think they will be good on the economy and they will probably be bad for human rights and the environment," said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in New York. "The key question is whether those things can be separated. Most of Wall Street says 'Yes.' I have my doubts." Urjit Patel gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016. Former Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel had personally written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons, several months before stepping down from the office in December, Modi said in an interview with Reuters partner ANI. "The governor himself requested (to resign) because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Modi told ANI in an interview on Tuesday. Patel resigned after a months-long tussle over policy with the government that raised concerns about the bank's independence as the next general election nears. When asked if there was any political pressure on the governor to resign, Modi denied that was the case. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor." Netflix is expected to announce in the next few days that it has poached media finance veteran Spencer Neumann from Activision Blizzard to be its chief financial officer, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Neumann will start at Netflix in early 2019, the source said. Earlier on Monday, Activision Blizzard said in a regulatory filing that it intended to fire Neumann for an unspecified reason. The video game company declined to comment on this report. Neumann has served in a variety of finance roles including at Walt Disney. He replaces David Wells, who in August said he planned to step down after 14 years at the streaming media giant. The source said Netflix, which is making more of its own films and series, would like its next CFO to be based in Los Angeles with a focus on production finance. Wells is based northern California. Activision in its regulatory filing said that it intended to terminate Neumann "for cause unrelated to the company's financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures." It said that Neumann had been placed on paid leave. CNBC contributed to this report. 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 U.S. service members walk off a helicopter on the runway at Camp Bost on Sept. 11, 2017 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan's neighbors, caught off-guard by reports of U.S. plans to withdraw thousands of troops, have begun preparing for the risk that a pullout could send hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing across their borders, diplomats say. Alarmed by the possibly of a chaotic withdrawal, diplomats from neighboring countries who have been in talks with U.S. officials in Kabul said they were reassessing policies and would ramp up border preparations. "At this point there is no clarity about the withdrawal, but we have to keep a clear action plan ready," said a senior Asian diplomat based in Kabul. "The situation can turn from bad to worse very quickly." A White House spokesman last week said U.S. President Donald Trump had not issued orders to the Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. But the administration has not denied reports that the United States plans to pull out almost half of the 14,000-strong force currently deployed. The reports come amid an intensification of moves towards peace negotiations in Afghanistan. U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met Taliban representatives last month and discussed issues around a future troop withdrawal as well as proposals for a ceasefire. But even among regional powers such as Iran, Pakistan or Russia that have long been suspicious that the United States wants permanent military bases in South Asia, there is no appetite for a sudden U.S. withdrawal, say analysts. "While the news of a potential U.S. drawdown may be a reason for cautious optimism in the region, they don't want an abrupt withdrawal," said Graeme Smith, a consultant for the International Crisis Group. "All sides recognize that a precipitous pullout could spark a new civil war that destabilizes the region. The neighbors do not enjoy surprises, and the uncertain signals from Washington are causing anxiety." The United States, which sent troops to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington and at the peak of the deployment had more than 100,000 troops in the country, withdrew most of its forces in 2014, but still keeps around 14,000 troops there as part of a NATO-led mission aiding the Afghan security forces and hunting militants. The top U.S. general in Afghanistan said 2019 was going to be an interesting year. "The policy review is going on in multiple capitals, peace talks out there, regional players pressing for peace, the Taliban talking about peace, the Afghan government talking about peace," said General Scott Miller, the U.S. commander of Afghanistan's NATO-led force, at the Resolute Support mission headquarters in Kabul. Less than a year after taking the helm as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Brian Niccol is still scoring big with investors, fueling the burrito chain's best year since 2013. Shares of Chipotle soared nearly 50 percent in 2018 the stock's best performance since its 80 percent surge in 2013. But it's struggled to regain customer trust after a series of foodborne illness outbreaks nearly three years ago. Ahead of those events, the stock peaked at $758.61 a share on Aug. 5, 2015. While Chiptole's stock is currently almost half of that price at about $431 a share, Niccol's presence has reinvigorated confidence in the restaurant's ability to turn itself around. The former Taco Bell CEO's appointment has resulted in a more than 67 percent bump in the company's stock since it was announced in February. Since joining Chipotle in March, Niccol has championed upgrades to the company's mobile app, its internal software and in-restaurant technology. His goal has been to remove friction in all aspects of the ordering and making process, so that food gets to customers faster. Niccol's strategy is as much about driving sales as it is about reminding customers who have left the brand what made them fall in love with Chipotle to begin with. "It takes time to build a culture of accountability," Niccol said on an earnings conference call in July. "We know that when the food is delicious, the feel of the restaurant is great and we remove the friction from the flow of the order processes, no matter the channel, we delight customers." While the Chipotle has been testing new menu items in limited markets across the U.S, it plans to be more focused in other areas of the business like improving its digital capabilities. Chipotle has been updating its kitchens with a second-make line. These are buffets similar to the one at the front of the store, but are just for digital orders. The company is also rolling out digital order pick-up shelves, which are meant to prominently display online orders once they have been filled. Additionally, Chipotle is testing drive-up windows just for guests to pick up digital orders. These efforts, along with pricier burrito bowls and new marketing campaign which began in September, have bolstered sales. In the third quarter, same-store sales grew 4.4 percent. Ahead of Chipotle's food safety issues, same-store sales have skyrocketed as much as 19.8 percent as consumers flocked to the restaurant. For most people, a hangover after a night of drinking is a painful few hours you don't want to remember. But for one man, finding a cure for the hangover turned into a career. Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall embarked on a decade-long quest and traveled to over 35 countries to find a cure for the hangover, and he wasn't just popping Advil or chugging Pedialyte. Bishop-Stall, a journalist, went to extreme lengths from jumping off the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas (the resulting adrenaline spike, he says, 'blew the hangover' right out of him) to diving into frigid glacier water (in which a 'fight of flight' response led to sobering effects) and interviewed dozens of experts in various fields to find a remedy. The result was his new book, "Hungover: The Morning After and One Man's Quest for a Cure." While dehydration is commonly believed to be the root cause of a hangover which is often accompanied by pounding headaches, nausea and the shakes Bishop-Stall says it's a bit more involved than that. "If the problem was dehydration, you'd be able to wake up the next morning and guzzle down a pint of water, and be fine. But that doesn't really seem to happen," Bishop-Stall tells CNBC Make It. "That's because there are other underlying things that are causing the dehydration...all of the cells in your body are inflamed, and they're inflamed because of your body's immune system response. So much of a hangover is your body's own immune system kicking into high gear." Bishop-Stall came up with a very specific concoction of vitamins and supplements that he says cures hangovers (more on that later), but he also says he came across some easy things you can do to help. Eat eggs for breakfast the morning after, he says. There's an amino acid inside eggs called n-acetyl-l-cysteine, which Bishop-Stall says is as close to a "magic ingredient" that he could find for a hangover cure. The amino acid cysteine in eggs can help break down acetaldehyde, which is a byproduct of alcohol. "If you look through almost every culture, eggs for breakfast seem to be a commonality for thousands of years, right up to an American bacon and eggs breakfast or the British proper fry-up, or whatever you have," he points out. Consider ordering your eggs with a side of cabbage, another food that Bishop-Stall recommends for hangovers. "There have been recipes, songs and poems about cabbage, dating back hundreds if not thousands of years, referring to it as a morning after concoction," Bishop-Stall says. "And it turns out, cabbage has what we call a 'chelating effect,' which means it goes into the body and kind of latches on to toxins, and pulls it out when it leaves your body." On his quest, Bishop-Stall also explored what he calls "the old Victorian chimney sweep method." In Victorian England, he explains, chimney sweeps used to make money around the holidays by selling extra soot from the chimneys; people would mix the soot with a hot cup of milk before drinking to help with hangovers. While that might seem unappetizing, Bishop-Stall notes that today, charcoal tablets are used to help filter toxins from the body. CNBC Make It ran Bishop-Stall's suggestions by Tania Elliott, MD at NYU Langone hospital in New York City. While Elliott says that eating eggs can help break down acetaldehyde and that eating cabbage might help with the absorption of alcohol, she says charcoal tablets won't help with a hangover. "Charcoal tablets are used for acute alcohol intoxication, to absorb alcohol from the stomach in the setting of alcohol poisoning," says Elliott. However, "it would not have a role in helping with a hangover, where alcohol has already been absorbed into the bloodstream and is being broken down." So what's Bishop-Stall's formula for a hangover cure? In his book he suggests taking the following supplements after drinking and before you go to sleep: n-acetyl-cysteine (NAC); frankincense (boswellia); milk thistle; and vitamins B1, B6 and B12. "Once you fall asleep, and the mechanism of hangover begins, it is practically impossible to stop it, and you don't necessarily want to stop it," he says, "because it is primarily an immune system response." For her part, Elliott says there is anecdotal evidence that NAC and frankincense can help ease hangover symptoms, but there's a lack of evidence that milk thistle, B1, B6 and B12 will help. Plus, says Elliott, "remember that herbal supplements are not FDA-regulated and could contain harmful contaminants," she says of Bishop Stall's concoction. "Regarding vitamins, it is better practice to eat those nutrients versus take them in pill form." To help a hangover, Elliott recommends hydrating and eating before you start drinking. "Having food in your belly helps slow alcohol absorption," she says. Don't miss: People are going wild for these boozy baked goods Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook! By Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net A few months before Telangana elections, many voters found their names deleted from the voters list. Those who checked their names and found them missing applied once again, but there were still thousands of voters who had not checked for their names in the voters list and were disappointed when they found they could not vote even though they had their voter IDs. And still there were some whose names were in the electoral rolls and also had voter ID cards but could not vote because when they went to the polling booth they did find their names in the list but against it was written the word deleted. Support TwoCircles Dr. Lubna Sarwath, former MP contestant in 2014 had also found her name deleted in the voting list and in 2018 she contested again for the assembly seat after re-applying for her voters Id from Socialist Party (India). Her name was found in the electoral list in Bhopal. She has been on a warpath ever since seeking an explanation from the Chief Election Officer (CEO) for deleting her voter Id without any valid reason. Of late, she has brought to the notice of the CEO and all citizens of Telangana whose names were deleted and who are re-applying for fresh voter identities instead of demanding for restoration, that the Form 6 which is the application for new voters has a self-declaration in it that says: I have not been issued any EPIC (Electoral Photo Id Card) at any time in the past in any constituency Now, this is untruthful because these are people who had been issued EPIC earlier. Further the same form says that Making false declaration related to electoral rolls is an offence punishable under the Representation of Peoples Act and also Indian Penal Code. Thus the people are unwittingly giving false declarations and committing offences or rather being forced to commit an offence. Dr. Lubna told TwoCircles.net, The deleted names have not been restored despite several demands from us. And now instead of issuing a separate form for those whose names have been erroneously deleted, we are being asked to fill in a form meant for fresh voters. She has had a series of meeting with the CEO demanding for segregation of deleted re-registration of voters and fresh voters, but both fresh as well as old voters are being made to fill in the same form, Form No 6. Petitions in this regard have gone to the CEO from Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey, Lubna Sarwath, Chakri S, and Guru Moorthy all from the Socialist Party (India) but not heeded. On December 31st Sarwath met the Chief Election Officer Rajat Kumar once more at his office, she sought an explanation on this blunder wherein lakhs of voters whose names have been illegally deleted not just in Telangana but all over India are invoking upon themselves criminal proceedings. In the press release of the Socialist Party released on January 1st 2019, the General Secretary of the party mentions that Rajat Kumar, CEO had no answer to this question and apologised for the same. He also said that the CEO cannot be held responsible for everything. And asked them to approach the court of law against the Election Commission of India for these irregularities. The Socialist Party members have contacted a supreme Court lawyer to file a case against the ECI. They have also contacted Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) who work to improve governance and strengthen democracy by continuous work in the area of Electoral and Political Reforms. And Prof Jagdeep Chokkar has assured support from ADR saying that this is a very serious point. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three people were killed in a shooting in Clevelands Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, police said. The shooting happened about midnight Tuesday on Denison Avenue near Fulton Road, police said. Cleveland police officers were called to the scene just after midnight and found two people dead. The third person was pronounced dead at MetroHealth, police said. A Cleveland police spokesman did not release any additional information about the shooting or the three people who died. Homicide detectives are investigating. To comment on this story, visit Tuesdays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Clevelands most famous couple is ringing in 2019. Khloe Karadashian and Tristan Thompson will host a New Years Eve party at Rumor Cleveland. The event starts at 9 p.m. at the Warehouse District Club, 1266 West Sixth Street, Cleveland. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward and Kardashian are expected to arrive at the club at 10:30 p.m. and will preside over a midnight balloon drop. The event includes DJs, dancing and a champagne toast. I dont think Cleveland has hosted stars of this capacity for New Years Eve, says Terrell Garr, co-owner of Rumor. Khloe is one of the biggest celebrities in America and Tristan has become the leader of the Cavaliers this season. Tickets run $40-$125, depending on the package. For tickets and more info, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/khloe-and-tristan-host-rumor-new-years-eve-tickets-54017058476 A dense fog advisory is in effect until 8 a.m. today for the Houston-Galveston area, according to the National Weather Service. Fog played a factor in an early morning wreck on Interstate 59 Eastex Freeway. A woman driving an SUV slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler traveling southbound at slow speed about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday. Houston Fire Department's rescue units thought the wreck would involve a fatality, and were amazed when the woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to Metro Video reporters on the scene. Houston TranStar recorded a three-vehicle wreck at 5:10 a.m. Tuesday that shut the left shoulder, left lane, five center lanes and six opposing main lanes on westbound North Sam Houston Tollway near Veterans Memorial Parkway. That pileup involved a heavy truck and two other vehicles. Today's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies later in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Patchy dense fog is expected to return later. Highs will be in the upper 50s, with north winds 5-10 mph. Tonight should be cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the evening, then showers likely after midnight. Lows will be in the mid-40s, with north winds 10-15 mph. The chance of rain is 20 percent in the evening, increasing to 70 percent after midnight, according to the NWS. Wednesday should see showers in the area, with cooler temperatures. Highs are expected to be in the upper 40s. An 80 percent chance of rain extends throughout the day and into Wednesday night, forecasters said. Ram Puniyani The index of health of democratic society is gauzed by the feeling of security experienced by the minorities. Similarly one can say that the degree of democracy in a society is reflected by the degree of freedom of expression in the society. In India we see that both these indices have been slipping down during last few years. There are observations that the religious minorities are being relegated to the second class citizenship. Muslims on one side and Christians on the other have been feeling more insecure during last few years, to be particular. Even before this its not that the things were too good for them. The feeling of security of religious minorities and freedom of expression have been constantly being undermined for decades, the acme of this is being witnessed since BJP led NDA has come to power in the center. As such both these, security of minorities and freedom of expression run parallel to each most of the times. This fact came to surface yet again when Naseeruddin Shah, one of the legends of Indian cinema, poured his heart out in the backdrop of the murder of Sobodh Sing in the violence related to Cow in Bulanshahr, UP. Shah was talking to Karvan-E-Mohabbat. This group, led by the indefatigable activist Harsh Mander, has been a humane response to the rising Hate crimes. The group has taken upon itself to visit and show solidarity with the families of the victims of Hate crimes, to try to put soothing balm on their wounds of having lost their dear one. This remarkable gesture is steeped in compassion and love for the members of our diverse society. Support TwoCircles Shah told them that In many areas we are witnessing that the death of a cow has more significance than that of a police officer. I feel anxious thinking about my children. Because they dont have a religion tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks are you a Hindu or a Muslim? they will have no answer. It worries me because I dont see the situation improving anytime soon. These matters dont scare me, they make me angry, He also said that the hate prevalent in the society is like a djinn which has been released from the bottle and now it may be difficult to put it back. He observed that the people have became emboldened to take arms and do violence as they know that they can get away with it. In any society where love and amity are the norm this statement from a citizen would have made the society introspect. Some of our progressive organizations like from Progressive Writers Association in a statement did come forward to show solidarity with him. Some others like Ashutosh Rana stood with him in this anguish of his, but a bigger section came down pouncing on him. His co star of many films Anupam Kher ridiculed him saying that there has been freedom to throw stones on the army and freedom to bad mouth the top military officers, so how much freedom Shah wants? Uma Bharati, the Cabinet Minister in Modi Government said that people like Shah are part of the conspiracy of the divisive politics. Baba Ramdev, the Baba cum business tycoon, called him anti-national and some others went on say that he can go and stay where he feels secure! While the UP state BJP Chief called Shah a Pakistani agent. To cap it all Shah was booed in the Ajmer Literary Festival and was prevented from speaking. It is not the first time a Muslim actor has been treated so shabbily. We recall that when Shah Rukh Khan in 2015 commented on growing intolerance in society, he was compared to Hafiz Sayeed of Pakistan. In the year next in the face of growing intolerance due to which large number of prominent people were returning their national awards, Aamir Khan shared his wife Kiran Rao fears about their child. He was also dubbed in the similar vein. What has been happening during last few years? Its true that there has not been any violence of the scale of post Godhra Gujarat or Kandhmal 2008 or Muzzafrnagar 2013. What has been happening is that chronic violence is becoming endemic and some ghastly individual incidents of horrific nature are coming to the fore. These frighten the Muslim community. Attacks and disruptions on prayer meetings of Christians are making them more insecure than before. The issue of Cow related violence starting from Mohammd Akhlaq to Juned and Rakbar Khan has given the signals that food habits will be dictated by the foot soldiers of communal politics. To cap it all those accused have been given recognition by those in power like central ministers Mahesh Sharma draping the body of accused in Akhlaq case with tricolor and Jayant Sinha honoring the accused in lynching case. Love Jihad related violence of Afrazul in Rajasthan by Shambhulal Regar showed the extremes to which the humanity can degenerate. Regar not only killed Afrazul in horrific manner but went on to get the video of the ghastly crime made by his nephew. To cap it all a committee to honor Regar was formed. What is divisive politics of which Shah is being accused by the worthies like Uma Bharati? What is divisive: raising the communal issues like Ram Temple, Holy Cow or stating ones fears in the light of these massive violations of human rights? What must have irked Shah most was that in the wake of murder of police office primacy was given to the killing of Cow. The mobs which have got emboldened over a period of time are imbued with Hate ideology, hatred for the religious minorities. Shahs anger should be a wakeup call for the democratic spirit of our society to try put back the djinn of hatred back in the bottle, the bottle which needs to be discarded for good. One of the last homicide victims of 2018 died early Monday morning shot to death in southwest Houston. Police officers arrived at the Lundren Park Apartments and found her lying outside the complex, bleeding from several gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. Residents reported hearing a verbal altercation between a female and an unknown male just before shots rang out, police said. The still-unidentified womans death marked the 279th homicide in Houston in 2018, although the tally is not official. The toll was a slight increase from 2017, when 269 people met violent ends within the city limits. Local law enforcement leaders attributed many of the fatalities to domestic violence, gangs and robbery-related killings. Its too many, Police Chief Art Acevedo said Monday. If we got rid of domestic violence deaths, we would be dozens lower than where we are right now. Acevedo said that although more people died violently in 2018, he believed 2017s body count 269 homicides was artificially low because Hurricane Harvey depressed criminal activity in late August and September. Were still having too many people killed in our city, the chief said. Having said that, when you look at the three-to-five year time frame, were tracking in the right direction. BY THE NUMBERS 279 the unofficial tally of people killed in homicides in Houston in 2018. 269 the number of people killed in homicides in Houston in 2017. 90 the number of people killed in homicides in Harris County in 2018. 96 the number of people killed in homicides in the county in 2017. 608 The number of Houstonians killed in homicides in 1991. Source: Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office See More Collapse Houston Police Officers Union President Joe Gamaldi said he believed persistent gang violence and the departments lack of police staffing or other resources figured in the citys increase in homicides. The Bayou Citys 2018 unofficial homicide tally of 279 represented a 3.7 percent increase from 2017. But it is 22 fewer than 2016, when 301 people died violently in Houston. At the same time, the 90 homicides recorded in unincorporated Harris County dipped slightly from the 96 people killed in 2017, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the department had focused on enhancing its violent crime unit, while prioritizing the investigation of non-fatal shootings as well. We feel thats been a helpful tool, said Gonzalez, who previously served as a Houston homicide investigator. The sheriffs department also focused on high-crime areas, with hot spot enforcement in some areas in north Houston, Gonzalez said. About 40 percent of the countys homicides were related to domestic violence cases, said Lt. Christopher Sandoval with the homicide unit. An additional 27 percent were robbery-related. Unlike the city, county investigators have determined that only two of the countys homicides were gang-related, he said. The county was hoping targeted patrols in northwest Harris County the site of many of last years homicides would help further reduce such crimes in 2019. The department was also trying to focus on reducing domestic violence homicides with the departments recent implementation of a Safe Surrender program, in which the department would temporarily store firearms turned in by people who have protective orders filed against them in domestic violence cases. Law enforcement and advocates for victims of domestic violence note that relationships often turn fatal when the abused partner leaves. Were hoping the safe surrender will drop some of those domestic violence-related murders, Sandoval said. Advocates for victims of domestic abuse cited anecdotal evidence indicating that dozens of victims mostly women died from domestic violence in the city in the past year. Its been a troubling year of domestic-violence homicides, said Amy Smith, with the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, noting that 29 women died in 2017 from such incidents. Were not sure what has been driving it. Despite 2018s rise in homicides, independent experts pointed out that the citys crime remains far below the violence that plagued Houston in the early 1990s, when more than 600 people died in one year. The states homicide rate has likewise plummeted over the last three decades. Youre talking a figure half the number of the 1991 homicides, yet the population of Houston has continued to climb over those years, said Larry Karson, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown. Thats the real story. These little fluctuations, I suspect, are not statistically significant. A Lowe's employee was hospitalized in stable condition Tuesday morning after an armed shoplifter shot him while stealing a drill from the store at 1000 Gulfgate Center Mall, police said. Chief Deputy Lillian Lozano said shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. when the suspect was about to walk out with the drill. RELATED: Houston ends year with slight uptick in homicides She said the 59-year-old employee met the suspect at the door and was shot in the abdomen. The victim eventually underwent surgery at Memorial Hermann hospital and is expected to be OK, she said. The suspect, meanwhile, fled the scene on foot toward Telephone Road. He wasn't seen getting into a vehicle, she said. She said she didn't know the type of weapon he used, but deputies are asking residents not to approach the man if they see him. "It's very important for the public to contact us if anyone can identify the person of interest," she said. The Harris County Precinct 6 Constable's Office did not provide a detailed description of the suspect pictured in the released surveillance images on Tuesday. Anyone with information can call the office at 713-274-3400. 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 Magnolia man was charged with felony murder after a suspected drunken driving crash that killed his 11-year-old daughter in eastern Harris County on New Year's Eve. Jorge Ledezma Echavarria was driving a 2002 Chevy Tahoe in the 14200 block of Crosby Freeway around 8:30 p.m. when he allegedly flew through the intersection at the East Sam Houston feeder, disregarding a traffic control device. TCN News with inputs from IANS January 1:Veteran actor-director Khader Khan has died at a hospital in Toronto, Cannada, a family member told IANS today. Khader Khan was an actor, director, screenwriter and a comedian and has acted in nearly 300 movies. And wrote dialogues and dialogues for 250 films. Support TwoCircles Born in Kabul, Afghanistan Khadar was educated in India. He graduated from Ismail Yusuf College affiliated to Bombay University. Before entering the film industry in the early 1970s, he taught at M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai as a professor of Civil Engineering. He debuted with the film Daag in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna. His film career began when the famous superstar of yester years Dilip Kumar spotted him acting in a play at the Annual Day of the college and signed him up for his film. He began with small roles and went on to play versatile roles that of a brother, father, husband, main supporting character, comedian, villain, lawyer, and so on. He has acted with almost all the top stars of his time and gained immense popularity for both his witty and emotional dialogues. But he was best loved for his comedy. He was suffering from age related health problems and undergoing treatment in Canada. He breathed his last at the age of 81 on 31st December, evening 6 pm. His last rites will be performed in Canada as all member of Khans family reside there. Khader Khan is survived by his wife, three sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Right at the stroke of midnight, Houston welcomed its first baby of 2019. Weighing 5 pounds and 4 ounces, Elijah Goodman was born at Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center to Veneshia Eaglin and Morris Goodman. He's the couple's fourth child. MCSO / MCSO A 48-year-old Houston man out on parole is in jail after Montgomery County Sheriffs Office deputies on Sunday pursued his vehicle for allegedly robbing a purse in New Caney and finding him in possession of bags with multiple identifications that were not his own. Around 2:30 p.m., deputies responded to a call from a woman who said a suspect approached her vehicle and forcefully took her purse, fleeing toward U.S. 59 in a dark-colored Nissan Maxima. Deputies observed suspect Robert Paul Cantrell speeding in a vehicle matching the description and tried pulling him over with him leading them on pursuit. Shortly after, the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier near the FM 1314 and Loop 494 intersection. Cantrell fled on foot and was apprehended by deputies. Texas Childrens Hospital The Woodlands is spearheading a task force to help promote safe sleeping habits for babies and address Montgomery Countys leading cause of preventable child deaths. The Montgomery County Safe Sleep Coalition is an ongoing effort to discourage infant bed-sharing between a parent and baby, which is linked to accidental suffocation and crushing deaths. A lot of people dont seem to understand the dangers, Safe Sleep Coalition member Karen Thomas said. People are going to make whatever decisions they choose, but its our responsibility that they have all the information before they make that decision. Thomas, who is a certified neonatal intensive care nurse, and Dr. Lisa Owens, neonatologist, both of Texas Childrens, along with Montgomery County District Attorneys Office Special Victims Bureau Chief Tyler Dunman, recently started the coalition. As members of the Montgomery County Child Fatality Review Team, they decided to take action after they found sleep-related deaths exceeded fatalities from illness, motor vehicle crashes, suicide and drowning. Since 2014, 30 to 40 percent of child fatalities in the county are sleep related, compared to 5 percent statewide, according to the Montgomery County CFRT data. Cutting through racial, gender, parental status and income demographics, there have been a total of 49 sleep-related deaths in Montgomery County in the past five years. The data from the CFRT found the most prevalent age of victims is less than one year and the most prevalent site of death is an adult bed. People need to be aware that this is a risky place for your child, Owens said about having babies sleep with their parents. Thomas explained most parents can afford a crib, but opt to not use it, leading to tragedy. She said as moms co-sleep with their babies on the recliner after breastfeeding, the baby then falls between the mom and the recliner and then suffocates. Owens understands the information gap stems from skepticism borne out of long-held bed-sharing and co-sleeping practices. The 55-year-old compares the safe sleep environment initiative to automobile safety measures that are now commonplace. When I was a kid, nobody used a seat belt, she pointed out. The coalition is trying to reach a varied spectrum and inform everyone about safe sleep environments from parents after baby delivery at the hospital, to daycare workers and to pediatricians. We want to standardize the education thats going out. Make sure everybody is saying the same thing and everybody has the info, Thomas said. To help finance community events and educational signage, Owens said the coalition is seeking grant money or donations from chain retailers in the area. Any opportunity that we have, Owens added. People get their information from other places besides the medical providers. Thats also part of the reason why to go through the community. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx The holidays have officially come to an end, and with the New Year typically comes some new goals. Whether you stayed strong and avoided that second helping of apple pie, or went all in on the holiday food, chances are you might be among the millions of Americans hoping to lose weight or just be more healthy in 2019. Travel to and from Dubai is expected to reach another peak towards the end of this week, as Emirates anticipates yet another busy period of outbound travel after New Years celebrations and inbound travel for the Dubai Shopping Festival. More than 180,000 travellers will be making their way to Emirates dedicated Terminal 3 facilities from 1-5 January 2019. Roughly the same number of travellers will be arriving into Dubai from 31 December until just after New Years Day. The busiest day in the first week of 2019 is expected on Wednesday 2 January. With road works happening around the main airport highways and roads during this time, Emirates urges customers to build in extra time for their journeys to avoid potential delays. Customers are reminded to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departures. Passengers can physically check in at the airport as early as 24 hours before flight departure, and are requested to check in no later than 2 hours prior to departure, regardless of class of travel. Customers who check in less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel. Customers can also check in online on both their desktops and mobile devices from 48 hours to 90 minutes before flight departure. In addition to online check-in services, Emirates also offers convenient car park check-in facilities in Dubai with 16 check-in counters located in Zone C. Customers can use these to check in and drop off their luggage. Alternatively, customers heading to Emirates Terminal 3 can choose to drop their luggage at one of the 46 dedicated bag drop counters in Economy Class or separate counters in First Class and Business Class from six hours to 90 minutes prior to departure. Families travelling with small children can use dedicated Family counters in Check in Zone 2. After checking in, passengers are also advised to make sure they get to their boarding gate on time. Gates open 90 minutes before departure, boarding starts 45 minutes before each flight and gates close 20 minutes before departure. If passengers report late Emirates will not be able to accept them for travel. Check-in and gate closure timings will be strictly followed to ensure flights depart on schedule. These time checks will ensure minimal flight delays out of Dubai. TradeArabia News Service As a tween, whenever my dad wanted me to do something for him, like deposit a check or write a letter or call customer service, hed stop midinstruction, give me a stern look and ask, Are you writing this down? Imagine a 12-year-old eye roll here. To my mind, I had an airtight system in place, relying on made-up medleys with a simple beat: check, letter, call Time Warner; check, letter, call Time Warner. If this sounds like a terrible strategy: Youre right, and it rarely worked. My dads instincts were on point. We now know that the brain truly cant be trusted to hold or remember more than a few thoughts at a time. Thats why I decided to pick up bullet journaling, a system created by Ryder Carroll that organizes your to-do list, your schedule and your journal in one notebook while giving you free rein to design it according to your lifestyle. It has become a social media sensation over the last few years, with more than 3 million related posts on Instagram alone and a dedicated following inspired to create blogs and innovations to the original system. I was drawn in by its flexibility and the beautiful spreads created by others, but in practice, I couldnt keep up the momentum. In his new book, The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future, Carroll goes back to basics, explaining the practice and his reasoning behind each element, which includes an index or table of contents, a future log for upcoming events or tasks, and daily and monthly logs for more granular planning. One can create custom collections, blank pages that can take any form, even just a simple list. Its not about how your journal looks, its about how it makes you feel and how effective it is, writes Carroll in The Bullet Journal Method. He clarifies ways to use the bullet journal for every step of project management: brainstorming, determining the desired outcome (he even recommends writing a mission statement at the top of the projects collection page), defining subcollections and doing necessary research. For longer-term projects or those that contain many moving parts, like learning to cook, Carroll recommends breaking them down into sprints independent, self-contained projects that can be completed within two weeks or a month and creating collection pages to track your progress. I decided to nix the elaborate spreads and give bullet journaling another try, this time with the help of another book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen, which taught me to clarify and organize my tasks more effectively. Ask yourself: Is this actionable? The vast majority of people have been trying to get organized by rearranging incomplete lists of unclear things, wrote Allen in Getting Things Done. Most to-do lists tend to contain a mix of projects, notes and reminders, which muddles its contents and simply remind you that you are overwhelmed. According to Allens system, we should categorize information into three categories: next actions, which by his standards must be descriptive of a physical behavior; projects, broadly defined as anything with more than one action step; and reference material, such as those articles saved in your Bookmarks tab or the nail art ideas on your Pinterest board. One major challenge was reckoning with all the projects on my list. Meal prep, for instance, which I often list but rarely do, is actually a project in disguise because it requires more than one action to be marked as complete. My subpar cooking skills require that I look up a recipe and mentally prepare for the task. Creating a grocery list and shopping for food also precede the act of cooking. By simply writing meal prep, I was forcing my brain to keep working to fill the space between the outcome and how to get there. Thinking in a concentrated manner to define desired outcomes and requisite next actions is something few people feel they have to do (until they have to), wrote Allen. Make more than one to-do list. According to Allen, Once you know how to process your stuff and what to organize, you really just need to create and manage lists. Yes, plural. Allen recommends grouping items according to the conditions under which they must be completed. It may be useful, for instance, to group errands together, so that if youre out, you can refer to the list for other places you need to go. Similarly, if you have a regular meeting with your boss, its helpful to have an agenda with topics to cover. With this foundation, I returned to set up my new bullet journal. Getting Things Done and The Bullet Journal Method work well together because the bullet journals flexibility allows for the type of ad hoc lists that Allen recommends. I created lists like Calls or At Home for tasks I couldnt do anywhere else. My daily log, which is integral to the bullet journaling system and Carroll describes as a catchall, designed to hold our thoughts until were ready to sort them out, had always been my de facto to-do list in my previous bullet journaling attempts. Instead, it became a temporary holding space until these tasks, projects, ideas or reminders could be sorted into their appropriate lists or collections (or in my calendar). OK, now what? In an ideal world, an app would feed me tasks like a Pez candy dispenser, one-by-one and only when I have the time and energy to do them. Instead, both Allen and Carroll insist on reflection and trusting your gut. Ugh. You mean I cant just go on autopilot? Both writers encourage engaging regularly with your tasks, projects and thoughts. The goal is getting into the habit of checking in with yourself, asking small whys. Over time, you get better at answering these questions. Youre refining your beliefs, your values, your ability to spot your weaknesses and your strengths, wrote Carroll. Im still new to this, so I cant say that Ive experienced mind like water or flow (Allens words) or any other euphemism for not feeling like your mind is spilling over with thoughts and ideas. But if, as Allen wrote, The key is to feel as good about what youre not doing as about what you are doing at that moment, I guess Ive achieved a certain kind of clarity. Fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel know that the shows clothes deliver eye-popping color 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 1 of the hit show to Season 2, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in December. Zakowska started out studying painting at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, which instilled a very strong response to color, 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 color 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 colors. 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 colors. 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 color, 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 1, 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 2. And so it was really important to heighten her palette and to work with those colors, 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 colors 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 percent 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. Nearly 200,000 people expressed interest on Facebook in attending the Fredericksburg Hot Air Balloon Festival and Victory Cup Polo Match over the weekend, but many of the 1,900 who made it were less than thrilled with what they saw. Only two of the advertised 20 hot balloons were out, and neither of them made it into the sky a problem caused entirely by windy weather conditions that could not be prevented, Victory Cup Manager Joe Bachmeier said in a message. Bachmeier's response did little to comfort disgruntled attendees, who took to Facebook to gripe about the lack of tethered balloon rides and launchings, to say the parking system was poorly managed and to complain about minimal organization and lackadaisical staff. Many said they wasted hundreds of dollars. At least one talked about filing a lawsuit. RELATED: Date set for 2019 taco and music festival Bachmeier expressed regret that the balloons couldn't be launched, but said the polo match and other parts of the festival ran as scheduled. "The pilots, crews and balloons were on site as scheduled but simply could not inflate due to dangerous winds," Bachmeier said in a message. "The expense to house 20 pilots and (their) crews was formidable. Nobody wanted the balloons to launch more than us, for sure." Given the deadly 2016 hot air balloon crash in Lockhart, Bachmeier said, it especially wasn't worth the risk. "Friday was cut short due to dangerous winds," Bachmeier said in a message. "Had we launched balloons in that weather the implications would have (not could have) been fatal. (Our) safety protocols require safeguarding lives first. Balloons are beautiful, but can be dangerous." The rest of the event, Bachmeier said, was "phenomenal," drawing 1,900 people, dozens of vendors and musicians, and food to satisfy the disgruntled crowds. The picture he painted was vastly different picture than the one attendees described in a Facebook group about the event. "8 of us came from Houston, San Antonio, NY and Seattle with high expectations. This didn't last long as we experienced this sorry event," one man posted in the group. "To the event organizers - shame on you. Worst run event I have ever been to." RELATED: Organizers promise January's San Antonio Coffee Festival won't be a disaster Many said they had been looking forward to the event for months and had spent hundreds of dollars in event fees and travel expenses. One person threatened a class action lawsuit and said many people expressed their support to him. Victory Cup's complimentary dinner Saturday and its offer to guarantee free attendance to a future event were too little, too late, according to Facebook posts. I just love ending a great week with getting scammed, Anthony Bernardelli said on Facebook. I understand that there was probably a lot they couldnt control like mud covering the parking lot (a horse pasture) and winds that made hot air balloons unable to activate, but they CAN control how they treat the 2000+ people who made the driveWhat a freaking waste. Ryan Vestil told mySA.com in a message that he and his girlfriend planned to attend the event as a romantic getaway. They arrived and purchased $60 worth of food and drink tickets, but were so unimpressed with the few options that they returned to the check-in booth to file a complaint. They eventually spoke to former New York State Sen. Greg Ball, a partner of the company that organized the event, but Vestil said Ball was very dismissive and condescending and ultimately asked security to escort Vestil and his girlfriend out less than 45 minutes after arriving on the property, Vestil said. (For a few hours Monday, someone changed Balls salary on Wikipedia to say $79,500 + scammed victory cup profits.) The moment we jumped in shuttle along with a few other patrons the bus driver asked how it was, Vestil said. All 8 passengers in the bus responded with well that was a waste of money. RELATED: San Antonio's Barbacoa & Big Red Festival finds new home for 2019 installment Guests complained about a parking lot covered in mud, tents too cold, and no warning that the hot air balloon launch might be canceled. Bachmeier said they did everything they could to warn guests to dress for cold and wet grounds. He said they added roads, additional staff and a complimentary shuttle. Attendees said the meal was unimpressive for the price. Bachmeier said three chefs on site were making full steaks, chicken, mussels, vegetables and more. This event was not only disappointing, poorly managed, and a waste of money, but ultimately turned out to be a true scam, Isaiah Manning said on Facebook. He was there with a group of 20 people to celebrate his recent engagement. Heres what our $135 VIP tickets provided us: A table outside in the cold with no view of the polo field, a school cafeteria level meal, no included beverages, and a slew of angry people trying to steal our table. This event truly was a scam and everyone needs to be aware of the lies and empty promises supplied by the Victory Cup. None of their comments, however, were on the event page itself. Negative comments there were deleted, attendees said. So they started their own Facebook group instead, which quickly garnered hundreds of members. When asked for more information about their experiences, multiple people declined to comment, saying event organizers had threatened legal action. Bachmeier said the organization would take action if necessary to defend themselves from "scurrilous claims." "We run a professional operation and will deal with respectable complaints properly," Bachmeier said in a message. "There were foul and profanity saturated posts that will not be tolerated. We are monitoring slanderous and libelous activity and will take action against lies, and personal attacks." S. M. Chavey is a breaking news and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | @smchavey Pope Francis appeals for peace and unity in New Year's message Pope Francis has expressed his regret over a lack of unity around the world in his first message of the new year. In his traditional New Year's Mass at St Peter's Basilica, he lamented continued divisions between people despite having more tools than ever before to connect with each other. 'How much dispersion and solitude there is all around us. The world is completely connected, yet seems increasingly disjointed,' he said. He warned that while mankind's pursuits may make money, this could come at the cost of human relationships and dignity. 'It may well increase its profits, but it will no longer see others as children. It will make money, but not for everyone. We will all dwell in the same house, but not as brothers and sisters,' he said. His appeal for unity also extended to the Church as he told the Catholic faithful that 'unity counts more than diversity'. He also appealed to them to keep the faith and never stop being 'amazed' by the Lord. In his New Year's Day Angelus delivered to a crowded St Peter's Square, the Pope emphasised peace as one of the gifts from God to humankind that came through Jesus Christ. January 1 is observed by Catholics each year as the World Day of Peace. Reflecting on this year's theme of 'Good politics at the service of peace', the Pope said the responsibility for peacemaking lay not only with political leaders but with every individual. 'We do not think that politics should be reserved only to political leaders: everyone is responsible for the life of the "city", for the common good; and even politics is good in the measure in which each one does his or her part "in the service of peace",' he said. The Pope prayed that people would be 'artisans of peace'. 'And that begins at home in the family,' he added. Community is 'joy and blessing', says Archbishop of Canterbury in call for national unity The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Britain to overcome the 'divisions' of recent years in a New Year sermon. The sermon at his Lambeth Palace residence, to be broadcast this afternoon by the BBC, reflects the themes of his Christmas broadcast in which he also called for national reconciliation. In today's message he will say, in an implicit reference to the continuing acrimonious debate about Brexit: 'We're wonderfully much more diverse than we used to be. Yet we disagree on many things. And we are struggling with how to disagree well. Turn on the television, read the news, and you see a lot that could tempt you to despair.' He will call for a new attitude in 2019 reflecting the 'joy and blessing of being a community', saying: 'Hope lies in our capacity to approach this new year in a spirit of openness towards each other. Committed to discovering more of what it means to be citizens together, even amid great challenges and changes. 'That will involve choosing to see ourselves as neighbours, as fellow citizens, as communities each with something to contribute. It will mean gathering around our common values, a common vision and a commitment to one another. 'With the struggles and divisions of recent years, that will not be easy. But that difficult work is part of the joy and blessing of being a community.' Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to call a parliamentary vote on her proposed Brexit deal this month, with many doubting whether it will pass. Bishop of Lichfield makes discipleship, vocation and evangelism the priority for 2019 The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave, has said he will be focusing on discipleship, vocation and evangelism this year. In a letter to the diocese, Bishop Ipgrave encouraged Christians to follow the example of the magi who made a difficult journey to a foreign land and were rewarded by a life-changing encounter with Christ. He admitted it was tempting to curl up and hibernate in the dead of winter, but he challenged the faithful to instead move out of their comfort zones to share the Good News of Christ. 'Like the magi of old, we begin our year as those drawn out of the familiarity and comfort of our everyday lives places to meet with the transforming light of Christ; this is our summons to discipleship, and it takes courage and determination for us to respond,' he said. He said the magis' encounter with Christ would have left them 'forever compelled' to tell others about the change they had experienced after coming face to face with Christ. Likewise, he said today's believers must also reflect on their own calling, adding that each person had a part to play in evangelism. 'Each must share with others the greatest story ever told, the story of Jesus the Son of God telling that story is what we call evangelism,' he said. He concluded by inviting Christians to reflect on what discipleship, vocation and evangelism might look like within their own communities. 'Discipleship, vocation and evangelism came together at Epiphany for those three magi. Discipleship, vocation and evangelism were threaded through the life of Chad, our first bishop, in whose footsteps we seek to follow Christ,' he said. 'Discipleship, vocation and evangelism are the three priorities which I want our diocese to embrace at every level as we set out afresh in the depths of winter through our journey into a new year.' New Mexico bill would lead to assisted suicide tourism, activists warn Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment [Update: Jan. 7, 2019] Alex Schadenberg, chair of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, updated his remarks in a January 4 blog post, saying that he had misread the New Mexico legislation as it was awkwardly worded and that his previous analysis was wrong. It does not promote suicide tourism, he now says. "All assisted suicide bills include a list of requirements to approve a person for a lethal prescription. That list always includes ... a residency requirement," he said. "HB 90 has a list of requirements but it does not include a residency requirement. But HB 90 does define 'Adult' as a resident of the state who is eighteen years of age or older." A problem exists, he went on to say: "Section 3 in HB 90, describes the qualifications for assisted suicide, but it does not use the term 'Adult,' it uses the term 'individual.' The only time the word "adult" is used is in the form requesting medication to end life. [Original story below] A proposed bill in New Mexico would essentially make assisted suicide possible in all 50 states and make the southwestern state a tourist destination for those wanting to end their lives, some say. Recent reports indicate that Bill HB 90 in New Mexico, which will be taken up for consideration in 2019, permits assisted suicide for psychiatric conditions, allows it to be done to someone with an undefined terminal prognosis, and can be administered by nurses and physician assistants. The bill even allows the practice to be approved via telemedicine. Contained in the provisions of the proposed legislation is the loosened and subjective phrase foreseeable future as opposed to a fixed amount of time, like six months, when defining "terminal illness," grounds that could lead to state approval for an assisted suicide. The bill does not require the person seeking to end his or her life to self administer, thereby permitting euthanasia. People who are not doctors, such as nurses and physicians assistants, are among those allowed to prescribe lethal drugs. Pro-life advocates and observers of the movement to allow such practices are decrying the bill as among the worst they have seen. "Assisted suicide advocates pretend they just want a very limited death license, a safety valve, as they put it, for suffering in the terminally ill that cannot otherwise be alleviated (almost always, a false premise)," noted the Discovery Institutes Wesley Smith, in a National Review blog post Thursday. "The problem is, their laws and proposals never actually read that way. And now a legalization bill in New Mexico shows the true radical heart of the assisted suicide/euthanasia agenda." Writing at LifeNews, Alex Schadenberg, chair of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said that the bill does not contain a residency requirement, allowing those who do not live in New Mexico to procure the services, and is the most dangerous assisted suicide legislation he has ever seen. "Therefore, if legalized, Bill HB 90 will allow suicide tourism and legalize assisted suicide in all 50 U.S. states," he explained. Opponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia have often argued that once extreme cases are allowed, it will only continue to grow, abuses will occur, and that a nefarious goal underpins the push to see the practice embraced in society. "Lets not be innocent, legalizing assisted suicide leads to the further degradation of people with disabilities and other people who are medically vulnerable while creating new paths for elder abuse and the perfect legal defense for deaths not considered by the assisted suicide debate," Schadenberg continued Wednesday. Likewise, Smith concluded: "The assisted suicide movement is akin to a death cult. The ultimate ideological point isnt to provide a last resort escape for the imminently dying, but to enable more people to get dead more quickly. That is why the protective guidelines constantly expand sometimes, as here, even before legalization. Everything else is subterfuge." Michelle Lujan Grisham, the governor-elect of New Mexico who will take office in January, said during the 2018 election cycle that she supports the legalization of assisted suicide. In 2017, the New Mexico Senate narrowly defeated a bill that would have legalized the practice in that state, legislation current governor Susana Martinez, a Republican, had promised to veto. Urbana 2018: Students warned against spreading 'tainted Gospel' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Thousands of students attending the popular Urbana Missions Conference in St. Louis were warned against spreading a tainted Gospel. Were at a missions conference. Were learning what it takes to follow Jesus as we carry the Good News about this new government and this new king and this new economy to others, said Scott Bessenecker, director of missions at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, at Urbana over the weekend. Should we not first divest ourselves of Babylon? Otherwise, we end up bringing a Babylon-tainted Gospel to the world like blankets with smallpox given to our indigenous neighbors. Were offering an infected Gospel laced with racism, hyper-individualism, patriarchy, environmental abuse, greed, consumerism. Preaching from Revelation 18, Bessenecker contended that Christians today are supporting a modern-day Babylon that represses, exploits and marginalizes people through their consumerism and love of stuff, among other things. The missions director admitted his own guilt, noting that he realized some of the funds in his retirement portfolio went toward energy companies that paid governments in Syria and Sudan for drilling rights. And these governments were using these funds to commit genocide in order to secure those oil fields, he noted. My retirement was funding genocide, he acknowledged. I was invested in Babylon. The purchases many Christians make, including the latest smartphones and clothing, support an economy that thrives on cheap labor, produces enormous wealth for a few and plunders the earths resources, he continued. Rather than being salt and light in this world, as Jesus exhorted, Christians have become part of the world, living off of the profits of empire. While Christians are quick to distance themselves from bad Christians involved in sex scandals, apartheid and greed, they need to acknowledge the subtly different shades of those very same sins that are resident in us. What if we are the bad Christians? he asked. As Revelation states, the time had come for someone to spell out the danger of Gods people investing in Babylons political and economic machinery so they did not take part in her sins or share in her plagues, Bessenecker said. Christians need to not only withdraw their allegiance from Babylon but they also need to exorcise Babylon out of themselves, he exhorted. Referencing the Gospel of Mark, Bessenecker noted that Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything he owns and give the money to the poor and then follow Him. "Before he could be a disciple, before he could be a missionary, the rich young ruler had to divest of Babylon," the director said. You and I need to be exorcised of the Babylonian worldview occupying our witness before we witness to others. That means, learning the grace of contentment with a simple lifestyle, Bessenecker noted. That means, championing the marginalized, the incarcerated, the asylum seekers and the poor. That means addressing abuse and patriarchy in the church. Urbana Student Missions Conference is InterVarsity's triennial event where tens of thousands of college students and others are encouraged to seek Gods voice and join the global missions movement in spreading the Gospel. This year's event took place on Dec. 27 and concluded Monday. Pro-choice activist tells kids: abortion is 'part of Gods plan,' like dentist appointment Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The co-founder of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement was featured on a popular YouTube channel for children telling kids that abortions are part of Gods plan and that they are much like going to the dentist. Abortion activist Amelia Bonow fielded questions from children of various ages when she participated in an episode of Kids Meet, a program run by the Seattle-based HiHo Kids. Bonow was the star of an episode called Kids Meet Someone Who Has Had an Abortion. In the episode, a child talking with Bonow in a one-on-one setting tells her that he wrote a paper on abortion in the fifth grade in which he surmised that abortion was acceptable as long as the person getting the abortion was not being reckless. Bonow smirked at the thought of a potential restriction to abortion and questioned the kids belief. I dont know. I just dont agree, she said. Do we want people to just have all those babies? As the kid shakes his head to indicate no, Bonow asks the child what should be done with all the babies that are being born instead of aborted. He answered with adoption. But that response was not to the liking of Bonow. I feel like if I am forced to create life, I have lost the right to my own life, responded Bonow. I should be the one to decide if my body creates a life. Even if you are giving a kid up for adoption, you still like have a kid out there somewhere. Bonow questioned if the child was religious. When he said that he believed in God, she asked what he thinks is Gods view on abortion. The child reasoned that God supports abortion because there are plenty of other babies being born into the world. The boy then asked Bonow what she believes God thinks about abortion. I think it is all part of Gods plan, she stated. In another scene, Bonow is shown talking with two girls. One of them asks her: what exactly do you do to have an abortion? Bonow explained: You go to the doctor and they put this little straw inside of your cervix, and then inside of your uterus and they just suck the pregnancy out. It was like a crappy dentist appointment or something. It was just like, blah a body thing that was kind of uncomfortable but then it was over and I felt really just grateful that I wasnt pregnant anymore. In another scene, Bonow is shown talking with a boy and a girl on when life begins. Bonow explained that she believes that life begins at birth, while the teen boy goes on to compare a human fetus to a sea cucumber. It is not thinking, it is just living. It is like your arm is not capable of complex thought. Neither is a baby inside your womb, the boy says. Bonow followed up by stating, I like your take. In the video, Bonow admits that she had unprotected sex and aborted her child because she did not want to have a baby. She was asked if there ever was a point she was considering not getting an abortion. No. For me it was like an instant feeling. I was like, I am pregnant and I am having an abortion, she said. Bonow was also asked if she has ever been attacked by pro-life people. She went on to criticize the pro-life effort and implied that the only people looking to restrict abortion are white males who want to control womens bodies. She went on to accuse some pro-lifers of not caring about life once the baby is born, saying that they want to deprive people of access to healthcare. Yes, but I dont call them pro-life. I call them anti-choice. Because who would disagree with that statement [of] being pro-life, Bonow said, adding that the pro-life mantra is just propaganda. Those guys arent pro-life. I am pro-life, she quipped. Contrary to Bonow's assertion, several of the prominent pro-life advocacy groups lobbying for restriction to abortion are led by females, such as Susan B. Anthony List, Concerned Women for America, March for Life and National Right to Life. The Christian Post reached out to SBA List for a reaction to Bonows comments. A response could not be received by press time. The video received several negative reactions from users on Twitter, with some accusing it being indoctrination. One user who claimed to support a right to abortion worried that Bonow and the #ShoutYourAbortion campaign are advertising abortion as a form of birth control. Kris Williams, a pro-life reformed rapper turned YouTube commentator, responded to Bonows segment. In his own YouTube video, Williams played the Kids Meet clip and refuted many of the claims Bonow makes in the video. God is not pleased with the killing of children, Williams said. I dont know what she means by part of Gods plan as if he commanded it to happen or if He is OK with what happened. She would have to define that a little more. But no, God is not OK with your murdering your child. God is pretty clear in the law with what He thinks about murder. Williams and refuted Bonows use of the phrase suck the pregnancy out. She is making it seem like there is some kind of nebulous thing going on and we really dont know what happened, said Williams. You suck the pregnancy out? No, you suck the child that you are pregnant with. Williams accused Bonow of playing down to the childrens ignorance on the issue. The child in the womb is still a child. The fetus in the womb, what do you think it is? It is a child. It is developing, he said. After you are born you are still developing. So the argument is if you are still developing, you are not really human. If that is the case, you might not be really human until you are 30. You are still developing. Earlier this year, Bonow was featured in Oprah Winfreys O Magazine in an article she wrote titled How One Woman Became an Activist With the Hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion. While Bonow has launched a movement of women praising their abortions in an attempt to destigmatize the act, there are countless women who have opened up about their regrets of having an abortion over the last several years through a movement called Silent No More. Although women who shout their abortions are being heralded by left-leaning media outlets, those outlets have largely turned a blind eye to women who regret their abortions. "It's my experience that most of these liberal magazines won't give us the voice," said Silent No More cofounder Janet Morana in an interview with CP earlier this year. "We'd love to have it. Can we have some equal time? Can we have a fair and honest debate? Can I bring a few women who can talk about the physical damage and you can bring a few who think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and let's have an open and honest conversation? But they don't want to do that. Mass grave of 34 Ethiopian Christians executed by ISIS found in Libya Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Libyan authorities have announced that a mass grave containing the remains of 34 Christians murdered by the Islamic State in 2015 has been found. The interior ministrys Criminal Investigation Department revealed that the bodies of 34 Ethiopian Christians were found on what drone images show is a farm near the coastal city of Sirte, according to Reuters. Sirte was controlled by the Islamic States Libyan offshoot in 2015 but the terror group was later pushed out of the city by United Nations-backed forces in 2016. In April 2015, however, the Islamic State released a video showing two groups of Ethiopian Christians in Orange jumpsuits being killed on a Libyan beach. One group was shot to death while the others were beheaded. The murdered Christians were in Libya looking for jobs as migrant workers. In the 30-minute video, the Islamic State warned the nation of the cross that more killings were to come in revenge for the shed [of] Muslim blood. The Libyan government said that the discovered bodies will be repatriated to Ethiopia after domestic and international legal procedures are completed. A video released showing the killings of the Ethiopian Christians led to tens of thousands of Ethiopians attending a rally in the capital of Addis Ababa to condemn the Islamic States violence. The mass murder of the Ethiopians came just about two months after the Islamic State beheaded 21 Coptic Christian migrant workers from Egypt on a Libyan beach. That mass killing was also broadcast in a propaganda video produced by the terrorist groups media arm. The mass grave containing the bodies of the 21 Coptic Christians was found in Sirte by Libyas Interior Ministry in October 2017. According to the government, the bodies were found with their heads decapitated and hands bound behind the backs. The Islamic State, which was has held territory in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, quickly became known worldwide through its appalling execution videos. In 2014, the group released a video showing the beheading of American journalist James Foley and threatened to kill another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, if then President Barack Obama didnt halt airstrikes against the Islamic State. Sotloff was beheaded in September 2014 and the Islamic State also released the video of his beheading. Other execution videos released by the Islamic State include one in which a victim was run over with a military tank, and another where several victims are hogtied and slaughtered in a slaughterhouse. Other videos showed victims being burned to death. The Islamic State has largely been pushed out of its territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the Islamic State is still active in Libya. The Islamic State took credit for a Christmas Day attack on a Libyan foreign ministry office in Tripoli that left three dead and 10 injured. The terrorist group also claimed responsibility for an attack on a Christmas market in Germany last month where one of its "soldiers" killed five people and injured 12 others. According to the Daily Mail, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayalah called on the international community to lift a U.N. arms embargo imposed since 2011. We need weapons to combat terrorism, Sayalah said. The Libyan people are fighting terrorism on behalf of the world. Libya is being run by the interim Government of National Accord, which was formed by a United Nations-led initiative signed in December 2015. Unrest in Libya has caused the delay of a much anticipated presidential election that was supposed to take place in December. Former President Obama has said that his decision in 2011 to authorize a military intervention in Libya that led to the execution of Muammar al-Qaddafi and the destabilization of the country was his worst mistake as president. Dubai Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H.I.S. Co., Ltd., one of Japans leading travel agencies, to collaborate on promoting the emirate as a destination of choice to Japanese travellers. The agreement was signed in Tokyo by Issam Kazim, chief executive officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), and Tatsuya Nakamori, president of H.I.S. Japan, and outlines plans to deliver an enhanced visitor experience for Japanese tourists in Dubai by providing increased ease of access to marketing collateral for the emirates variety of travel products, tailored information through localised campaigns and retail store promotions in major cities across Japan. Furthermore, the MoU will see both entities work together to promote Dubai as a 2019 H.I.S. Preferred Destination. Commenting on the importance of this partnership, Kazim said: H.I.S. is a significant partner for Dubai with its considerable reach across the Japanese market and longstanding history in the travel sector. Our future focused collaboration allows us to promote Dubai as the destination of choice for Japanese travellers, as we work together to drive our efforts in the market. We have seen continued positive growth in the number of Japanese guests visiting the city, and we look forward to working closely with H.I.S to further increase interest and visitation from our target segments in Japan to Dubai. Dubai experienced sustained growth in visitor numbers from Japan during 2018, with the latest tourism arrival figures showing an increase of 18 per cent in the first three quarters of the year (January to September 2018) when compared to the same period last year, reaching a total of 76,900 visitors. We have seen consistent growth in the demand for travel to the emirate from Japanese tourists and are expecting this to continue from target segments including female and senior travellers. With the support of Dubai Tourism, and by strengthening our nationwide marketing strategy, we hope to support further increases in Japanese visitor numbers to the city. Nakamori said. - TradeArabia News Service With all the people leaving the White House during Donald Trumps presidency it can be hard to keep track of who still works there. Sean Spicer? Out. Omarosa Manigault Newman? Shes gone. Jeff Sessions? Trump pulled out his old line from The Apprentice and said, Youre fired! What were saying is, theres been a lot of personnel turnover the most famous house in the United States. Through it all, however, Sarah Huckabee Sanders has survived, and it doesnt seem like shes going to be out of a job any time soon. How much does she make as Press Secretary, and whats her personal life like? Lets find out. How did she get to be Press Secretary? Sarah Huckabee Sanders has the know-how, but it was still a case of the right place at the right time when she became Press Secretary. She spent a lot of time on the campaign trail in 2016 since her dad, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, was making a run at the presidency. She joined the Trump campaign in February 2016, according to The Kansas City Star, and she was part of the White House staff when Trump took office in 2017. At first, Sanders was Deputy Press Secretary under Sean Spicer, but when he announced his resignation in July 2017, she moved up to be Press Secretary. Sarah Huckabee Sanders may seem like a political newbie, but she has the experience needed for her high-profile job: Field director: Mike Huckabees 2002 Arkansas gubernatorial re-election campaign National political director : Mike Huckabees 2008 presidential bid Campaign manager: John Boozmans successful 2010 Senate campaign Campaign manager: Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys 2011 presidential campaign Adviser: Arkansas Senate candidate Tom Cotton in 2014 Campaign manager: Mike Huckabee in the 2016 GOP presidential race What is Sarah Huckabee Sanders salary? She sometimes makes cringe-worthy comments. People accuse of repeatedly lying, and shes been known to fumble her social media posts. Those are just a few reasons Sarah Huckabee Sanders is so often viciously burned by comedians. However, were guessing shes heard it all before, and she probably doesnt care. As the White House Press Secretary, shes well compensated. Sarah Huckabee Sanders salary was $165,000 when she was Deputy Press Secretary, and it increased to $179,700 when she got promoted, according to NJ.com. Is she married, and does she have any children? Such a great night at the White House Congressional Ball. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS! pic.twitter.com/sagBbSYkYy Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 16, 2018 As you might have guessed from her name, Sarah Huckabee Sanders isnt single, and she hasnt been for a while. She met consultant Bryan Sanders when he joined her dads 2008 presidential campaign, and they married each other in 2010. Sarah Huckabee and Bryan Sanders have three children: A daughter named Scarlett, and two sons named William and George. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa) have partnered for strategic water interconnections between the two parties and the exchange of potable water in case of emergencies, or other purposes. The memorandum of understanding MoU was signed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, and Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, director general of Fewa. This is part of both entities efforts to ensure sustainable water security and maintain the UAEs strategic water reserves. The MoU sets a practical framework for strengthening cooperation between the two entities to achieve common goals. It also includes joint efforts to develop, operate, and maintain strategic water interconnections. The two water systems will be directly linked in specific locations to allow for water transfer in case of emergencies. This agreement supports our joint efforts to promote water security in the UAE and achieve the objectives of UAE Vision 2021 to ensure a sustainable environment and preserve water resources in the UAE. We also seek to achieve our strategy to enhance the efficiency of our water network as part of the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036. We are pleased to sign this MoU with Fewa, as they are the main authority for the supply and development of the electricity and water infrastructure, in addition to the implementation of strategic projects to meet the growing needs of the Northern Emirates, said Al Tayer. This agreement comes within the framework of Dewas efforts to continue the implementation of water interconnection projects with various relevant entities. Similarly, Dewa signed an MoU with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) in August 2017 to implement strategic water interconnections between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, improving the reliability of water network in both Emirates. The MoU comes in line with our joint efforts in the field of water connections to water networks within the UAE, and in light of the directives of our wise leadership to implement the recommendations of the water security strategy, respond to emergencies, ensure the comfort and happiness of all citizens and residents, and provide high-quality services, said Mohammed Mohammed Saleh. Fewa has completed many interconnection points with the utilities operating in the UAE, through Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Companys (Transco) water connections since 2003, covering all areas of the Northern Emirates being supervised by Fewa. We also implemented and supervised several interconnecting projects between the Emirates, including the interconnections projects between Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, the city of Al Dhaid in Sharjah and Umm al Quwain, and between Ras Al Khaimah and the Central and Eastern Region. Fewa plans to implement large-scale projects through high-capacity transmission lines that ensure interconnection between the Emirates under its supervision to meet the growing needs until 2036. This comes in conjunction with the seawater desalination plants that Fewa plans to establish in the next two years, he added. This cooperation will help prevent water shortages or crises, strengthening the efforts of both entities to secure the various needs of their ambitious development plans by increasing the efficiency and operational capacity of their water networks. This in turn, will contribute to the sustainable development of the UAE. TradeArabia News Service With the 228,000 dose of Pfizer vaccine arriving yesterday, the government has announced various locations where people over the age... The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi has announced new public transport services and improvements to the existing services to establish an integrated and modern transport network and achieve a sustainable living environment. The new services include the launch of Express Bus Services in four routes as well as four new routes to improve connectivity in the city of Abu Dhabi and its suburbs. Furthermore, the second phase of the "Hail and Ride" service was launched in Khalifa City. It is a free mini bus service which was introduced earlier this year in Mussafah to transport travellers from different places to the main bus stations hubs within specific routes. Ahmed Ateeq Al Mazrouei, advisor to the chairman of the DoT and head of Buses and Water Ferries Team, stresses on the importance of developing the public transport services in the city of Abu Dhabi and the whole Emirate in order to meet the public demand and increase their level of satisfaction. He said that the launch of the new Express Service in four routes that have limited stops will result significantly on the level of service offered by DoT. A special logo has been created for the service that will help the commuters distinguish the Express Bus Service. Under the theme Experience the Change, it aims to encourage the residents and visitors to use public transportation. These new services will be implemented in the areas with high density of the city which will result in reducing travel time by 30 per cent and the number of stops by 50 per cent. The new Express Bus Service includes X2 and X3 services from Al Khalidiya to Al Maqta, and X4 and X5 services from Al Zahiya to Al Maqta. On the other hand, the four new routes came as a response to the public demand after a comprehensive study based on their feedback, needs, and travel behaviour. The four new routes will cover service 74 from Al Reem North to Al Rowdha, service 71 from Al Reem North to Marina, service 26 from Marina to Khalifa Park, and service 20 from Marina to Al Rowdha. These new services came as part of DoTs effort to improve connectivity among different areas in Abu Dhabi in which resulted significantly in reducing the travel time between stations in the same routes during peak hours, leading to an improved traffic movement and public road safety. Al Mazrouei also pointed out that the development of Abu Dhabi International Airport bus services will improve the travel experience for both arrivals and departures as there were three new services added, as well as changes to existing bus airport services to provide cost-effective travel for both residents and visitors. These services which connect the passengers to the Abu Dhabi International Airport are:(A1)service from Al Zahiyah passenger terminal, (A2) service from Al Dana Khalifa street, (A10) service from Dalma Mallin Mussafah, (A20)service from Al Shahama, and (A40) service from Al Wathba. All of these services lead to Abu Dhabi International Airport. He said that the initiative of Hail and Ride phase 1 which was launched as a free experiment earlier this year in Mussafah has now been complemented by the launch of the second phase in Khalifa City by providing five services that operate from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm, with 1hour trip interval, which totals to 18 passenger trips per day. This service transports travellers from different places to feed and connect the main station hubs within specific routes and aims to provide the public with ease and comfort which has significantly increase their satisfaction with the public transport. He also said that the new initiative and improvement which has been ongoing in the recent years resulted in an increase in the public transport users in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as the total number of passenger trips from January to October 2018 reached 53.6 million compared to 42.6 million in 2017, an increase of 26 per cent which is considered as a strong and positive indicator of public transport usage. The new initiatives will also contribute to the success of the strategy of the DoT and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to reduce traffic, increase safety, reduce pollution, and achieve the targeted performance indicator in these areas. TradeArabia News Service Andhra Pradesh PSC has released a notification calling for recruitment of 308 government lecturers in degree colleges to be appointed across various zones in the state. The application process for the same will commence from 22 January 2019 to 12 February 2019. The candidates seeking application must be 18 years and not exceeding 42 years as on 01 July 2018 with a relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST & OBC candidates and 10 years for differently-abled citizens. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Lecturers In Government Degree Colleges Organisation Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Educational Qualification Post Graduation degree in relevant subject/NET/SLET qualified Job Location Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Salary Scale Rs.15,600 Rs. 39,100/- per month with Rs 6000/- AGP Industry Civil Services/Teaching/Education Application Start Date January 22, 2019 Application End Date February 12, 2019 Candidates applying for various posts must pay a prescribed fee of Rs. 250 (application fee) and Rs. 120 (examination fee). However, SC/ST/OBC/PWD and ex-servicemen candidates are exempted from paying the examination fee, but are supposed pay the fee towards the application. All payments must be made through online mode only using multiple payment gateways - net-banking/credit/debit payments. Also Read: BHEL Recruitment For 443 Trade Apprentices Posts 2019 The recruitment drive is for 161 Carried Forward (CF) vacancies and 147 Fresh vacancies out of the total 308 vacancies under various academic disciplines/subjects such as History, Economics, Political Science, Commerce, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Computer Science, Computer Application, Statistics, Micro-Biology, Bio-Technology, Geology including language subjects like English, Telugu, Hindi, Urdu and Oriya. Subject-wise Vacancy Details Under Carried Forward (CF) And Fresh Categories Subject/Discipline No of (CF) vacancies No of Fresh Vacancies English 07 07 Telugu 01 04 Hindi 03 01 Urdu 05 NA Oriya 01 NA History 05 04 Economics 09 03 Political Science 20 04 Commerce 15 05 Mathematics 14 01 Physics 14 12 Chemistry 07 38 Botany 08 12 Zoology 06 11 Computer Science 27 23 Computer Application 07 13 Statistics 05 06 Micro-Biology 04 03 Bio-Technology 01 NA Geology 02 NA Total CF + Fresh Vacancies 308 Educational Qualifications Desirous candidates seeking application for the lecturers post under various disciplines/subjects must have secured a master's degree from a recognised University, with least 55% marks in the post graduation in the relevant subject of application. Candidates should have qualified National Eligibility Test (NET)/State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) for lectureship conducted by UGC, CSIR and Osmania University. Mode Of Selection And Pay Desirous candidates will be selected based on a screening test and written examination followed by an interview details of which can be found in the notification. Selected candidates will be paid in the scale of Rs.15,600 - Rs. 39,100/- with Rs 6000/- as Academic Grade Pay (AGP) Also Read: APSC Recruitment For 148 Assistant Engineers, Agriculture Officers And Research Assistants How To Apply All application must be submitted through online mode only in a prescribed format available on the official APPSC website@ https://psc.ap.gov.in/. Candidates must register through One Time Profile Registration (OTPR) prior to applying for any post by filling all the necessary details. Candidates can then proceed towards the "Online Application Submission" or click here For more details about the eligibility/exam pattern/syllabus/ and other queries, candidates can click here. New layer... 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. whats-on, music-theatre-arts Old Parliament House's neglect and a plan to expand the National Portrait Gallery prompted the Coalition to rethink two of Canberra's national institutions in John Howard's first term, newly released documents reveal. Criticism of poor maintenance at the provisional parliament's historic chambers and central hall prompted the government to change how the building was managed, cabinet papers show. Mr Howard also asked his arts minister Richard Alston to consider a plan from Gordon and Marilyn Darling for an enlarged National Portrait Gallery, then hosted by Old Parliament House. The arts minister told cabinet in September 1997 Mr Howard had written to him noting criticism that King's Hall and the chambers in Old Parliament House had not been properly maintained. "The critical issue is the appropriate balance between public access to - and use of - Old Parliament House, and its preservation as a significant part of the nation's political and social history," Mr Alston said. "The prime minister asked for advice on 'the best way to establish an appropriate management structure for Old Parliament House which ensures the involvement of parliamentarians and others with relevant expertise'." Cabinet agreed to a new management structure for Old Parliament House and the National Portrait Gallery, and $6 million more funding in 1997-98 for the institutions. The cabinet papers, released on Tuesday by the National Archives of Australia, flag work to improve safety at the building. Cabinet agreed to expand the portrait gallery, established in 1994, and remove it from the National Library's control. An Australian tourist's words to Mr Howard in Washington, DC are said to have influenced the Coalition's gallery expansion project in 1997. At the US national portrait gallery, the tourist told the prime minister there should be 'one of these at home'. The gallery later moved into its own building after the Howard government won its last federal election victory in 2004 and met a promise to fund one, contributing $87.8 million. It was opened in 2008 by prime minister Kevin Rudd. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/7494555a-b831-41d8-98b7-e5bef7cc3460/r0_86_1791_1098_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, business, On a rainy night in 2009, 24-year-old Pakao Sorn fled her hometown in Mon State, Myanmar, in search of a life free from war. The days that followed were the longest of her life. After a two-hour trek to the Thai border, she rode a bus to a town near the border of Malaysia, a country which had taken in almost 70,000 refugees from Myanmar at the time. There had been accounts of border officials being bribed to send Myanmarese refugees back, and other refugees being taken into crowded detention centres without food. For Sorn, the stakes were high. And then there was the rain. After her bus ride, she endured a night of rough terrain and heavy rainfall, nearly drowning in the process. But the next day, she had made it to Malaysia. Nearly a decade later, the memories of this journey still make her cry. "It was not easy, she says. She is soft in the way she speaks and cries, but shes clearly made of something fierce. Before leaving for Malaysia, Sorn had lived in Mon land with her family. She fondly recalls the owls which would roost peacefully in the trees behind her house, birds friendly enough for she and her sister to play with. When asked why she decided to leave, she says: "I don't know how to say it, what the word is for it. There was ... violence?" The violence she speaks of includes sexual violence against women and children. This has allegedly been rampant for years due to flaws in the countrys judicial system and an oppressive military presence. The military junta was granted immunity from prosecution for crimes against the civilian population under Myanmars 2008 Constitution. This means allegations of rape were rarely investigated, and to this day still aren't. She had to leave. After her turbulent journey, Pakao Sorn settled in Kuala Lumpur as a refugee with the Mon Womens Refugee Organisation. It was here that she learned how to sew. Over time, she watched as her friends were sent away to lead new lives in Canada and the United States. She was the only one in her group going to Australia. "I was very worried and scared, but excited. I didn't speak much English. I didn't know how to ask questions and how to tell people how scared and worried I was, Sorn says. In October 2012, she arrived in Canberra. She developed her language skills at the Canberra Institute of Technology for the following months and went on to study business administration. "I went to Lincraft every week to see if they had special prices for sewing machines. I saved my money for months," she says. She eventually founded Red Owl, her homemade toy business. Red is the colour of Mon State. "When people from Burma see the red of the owls, they know where I come from," she says. Due to Sorn's limited language skills and education, it's difficult for her to find work. But after completing a course, she is pleased to say she's found a job working full-time in childcare at the ANU. In April this year, after gaining Australian citizenship, she returned to Myanmar for the first time in almost a decade. When everyone saw her, they cried. When she tells this story, she cries too. Sorn was also one of the first "sisters" of Global Sisters, an organisation founded in 2013 which provides free business education to refugee women across Australia. It runs Sister School, which has nine training modules and is run through community partners. In Canberra, their current program at the Canberra Institute of Technology has 16 sisters. Sorn has loved seeing the number of sisters grow over the years, and she loves helping out the new arrivals. We all start from zero, Sorn says. Im not stopping, Im still going. This is what makes me happy. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/671ad3a1-51bb-4239-948d-70c073440585/r0_210_4130_2543_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Some suicidal patients felt worse after being admitted to Canberra and Calvary hospitals, often due to a lack of emotional support, a support program has found. The ACT's Health Care Consumers' Association and Mental Health Consumer Network have told the government in a budget submission that more needs to be done to train hospital staff to deal with patients who have experienced trauma. Canberra participants in a suicide prevention program, The Way Back Support Service, told of their almost universally poor experiences at Canberra Hospital and Calvary Hospital emergency departments, according to the submission. One participant who was interviewed said there was a lack of social interaction which made them feel worse. "I believe if you bring someone who is suicidal, someone who is hopeless, they just dont need to be left there alone," the participant said. "They feel more alone and it is making the situation even worse. If you take me to the hospital and leave me there and not check on me, it makes everything worse. It doesnt help me. Just try to make someconversation. Chat with the patient." Some patients said they felt stigmatised by staff in the hospitals and their condition was not taken seriously. "Ive had people [nurses] tell me that you have to be thankful because you dont have a physical illness," a patient said. The submission said staff at the short stay mental health unit at Canberra Hospital had little to offer people who had attempted suicide and the environment itself made some people feel worse. A participant said they were offered nothing except medication when they were upfront about their condition. "So, I was just like, 'yeah, Im fine'," the participant said. Another participant said they were made to feel stupid for wanting to die and felt isolated and alone. The experience was similar at Calvary Hospital's mental health unit, with a woman telling the program she was effectively ignored for a couple of days until her parents advocated on her behalf to see a psychiatrist. She said she was also treated as a drug addict because she needed pain relief for a long-term physical complaint. "It's that thing of being treated like you're just after medication, which I'm sure they come across as well," the patient said. The submission said the patients' experiences at hospital arguably contributed to their trauma instead of helping. The consumer groups said services would be improved by staff taking a trauma-informed approach to care, encouraging the government to fund training for all emergency department and mental health unit staff. They also want trauma-informed care embedded in the adult mental health day service. A Canberra Health Services spokesman said the submission would be considered as part of the budget process and it would not be appropriate to comment further. Canberra Health Services will continue to work closely with the association on a range of matters," he said. We are committed to continually looking at ways to improve staff training as one component of providing a trauma-informed approach for all consumers. If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636. In an emergency, call triple-0 /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/1b464c9f-717f-4e60-a84c-195c8942093c/r0_226_3662_2295_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), a leading provider of Sharia compliant integrated financial solutions, has appointed Eman Ali Abdulla Ebrahim as the head of the banks Central Operations department. The move makes her the first Bahraini female to occupy this role since BisB was first established. Hassan Jarrar, chief executive officer of BisB, said, We would like commend our colleague Eman Ali as the first Bahraini woman to take on this critical role. This is a milestone, especially when Eman takes on this challenging role during a critical period in the Banks history during which BisB is transforming itself into a leading digitally oriented organisation. We wish Eman the best, and look forward to her key contributions in the Banks digital transformation journey. Eman Ali Abdulla Ebrahim has over 20 years of experience in banking operations, including coordination between support operations in Trade Finance, Treasury and Islamic Finance. Having joined BisB in 2006 after working for eight years at Ahli United Bank in various functions including the Retail Banking department; she has experience in both conventional and Islamic banking operations, as well as financial product and services. TradeArabia News Service The government has cut import duties on crude and refined palm oil effective Tuesday to comply with preferential trade pacts with Southeast Asian nations. The import duty on crude palm oil, originating from Malaysia, Indonesia and other members of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been cut to 40 per cent from 44 per cent, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said in a notification. The duty on import of refined palm oil has been lowered to 45 per cent from 54 per cent if it is imported from Malaysia, and to 50 per cent if it is imported from members of the ASEAN, which includes Indonesia. While India is the largest importer of palm oil, Indonesia is a major producer of edible oils, particularly palm, followed by Malaysia. Palm oil accounts for the bulk of the total edible oils imported annually. The duties have been cut, CBIC said "to provide deeper tariff concessions in respect of specified goods" when imported from ASEAN under the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and Malaysia under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (IMCECA). The duty cuts are effective from January 1, 2019. Also Read: Government to achieve 100% household electrification ahead of Republic Day, says official Paytm Payments Bank has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to restart banking operations from December 31. This comes as a major relief for the bank, which was barred by the apex bank from opening bank accounts in June after it failed to stick to the RBI norms. It was reported at that time that Paytm Payments Bank had failed to maintain Rs 100 crore net worth limit. The RBI's action was also attributed to the bank's "close proximity" with One97 Communications, run by founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Now after the green signal from the RBI, Paytm Payments Bank has again initiated the Know Your Customer process for its e-wallet and bank account customers. Also read: Paytm partners with Visa, allows users to pay credit card bill via app The latest development is significant for the bank considering Paytm's ambitious plan to expand the customer base from the current 42 million accounts to 100 million in 2019. The latest announcement also marks good news for Satish Gupta who took charge as the bank CEO a few months back. Paytm Payments Bank had earlier removed Rennu Satti from the chief executive's position after conducting an audit post the RBI order. Satti now heads the company's new retail business. Gupta, a veteran banker and former NCPI senior executive, believes connecting people with smaller banking institutions like payments bank will ultimately lead to the "real financial inclusion". Also read: After mutual funds, Paytm Money to offer share trading on its platform In a written statement to the Economic Times, he said: "Paytm Payments Bank is on a mission to facilitate the last-mile delivery of banking services to every Indian. It also envisions catalysing the digital adoption and acquainting more people with the touch-of-a-button experience. I believe it is going to help in the formalisation of our economy and bring about the much-needed real financial inclusion." The financial year 2018 was not a good year for Paytm Payments Bank in terms of overall profit. While the bank's total income accounted for Rs 654 crore, its revenue grew to Rs 720 crore. The company posted a net loss of Rs 20 crore in the FY18. Paytm Payments Bank was started in May 2017. Its CEO-designate and former RBI executive Shinjini Kumar had stepped down before the launch of the bank. Also read: Paytm records over 179 million UPI transactions in October, gains 600% rise in six months Edited by Manoj Sharma EY, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, has launched its inaugural Corporate Finance Woman of the Year (CFWY) competition in Saudi Arabia. The initiative encourages Saudi women to pursue careers in the private sector, particularly within transaction services and corporate finance. The competition is open to university students and offers them the opportunity to consider different ways of thinking while empowering them to achieve success in their professional-related endeavours in the future. Rana Sanyoura, partner, Transaction Advisory Services (TAS), KSA CFWY Sponsor, EY, said: The CFWY competition was developed by EY to support the next generation of female Saudi business leaders, especially those interested in pursuing a career in corporate finance. There is a breadth of untapped potential among the female youth and they will play a pivotal role in developing the local economy. It is a testament to our continued commitment to providing young Saudis with a platform to expand their knowledge, network and opportunities in the workplace. Female Saudi nationals completing their undergraduate degree or a minor in accounting, finance, economics, or political science who are interested in participating must be graduating in or before January 2020. Students who are enrolled in a postgraduate program or masters degree should have graduated in or before January 2020 with six months or less of work experience. After submitting an individual case study and group activity, the group of finalists will compete at the national level in Saudi Arabia in January. The winning applicant will then go on to compete at the global CFWY competition in London in February. The CFWY competition is also taking place in the United Arab Emirates, where one female Emirati business student will be announced as the country winner. She, along with the Saudi Arabia winner, will compete against the 15 other winners from countries such as: Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, the UK and the US. TradeArabia News Service The Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) stock has made considerable gains during the last three trading sessions after the infrastructure developer raised Rs 497.6 crore through a rights issue on December 27. The small cap stock has logged 30.59% gains during the period taking into account today's intra day high of 14.29 on the BSE. On December 28, the stock stood at 10.95 level. The stock has lost 63.04% during the last one year. Currently, the stock is trading 5.89% higher at 14.02 level on the BSE. The stock is trading above its 50 day and 200 day moving average of 11.68 and 12.34 level. Also read: 2018's biggest wealth destroyers: These stocks fell over 90% since January 1 The rights issue was oversubscribed with HCC getting applications worth Rs 551.38 crore for sale through which it would issue up to 49.75 crore equity shares, the company said. With this, the paid-up equity capital of the company will go up Rs 151.30 crore from Rs 101.55 crore while the promoters' shareholding will increase to 33.12 percent from 27.80 percent now. ICICI Securities was the lead manager to the issue. On September 5, the HCC board approved the issue of equity shares by way of a rights issue to the existing shareholders of the company as on the record date for an amount not exceeding Rs 500 crore. A rights offering is a group of rights offered to existing shareholders to purchase additional stock shares, known as subscription warrants, in proportion to their existing holdings. Rights are often transferable, allowing the holder to sell them in the open market. Hindustan Construction Company is engaged in engineering and construction activities. The company's segments include engineering and construction, infrastructure, real estate, comprehensive urban development and management, and others. The company provides engineering and construction services for projects across sectors, such as power, transportation, water and industrial projects. Its operations include construction of dams, barrages, tunnels, underground power stations and surface power stations, along with water conductor systems, such as surge shafts, pressure shafts and penstocks. The HCC Group, with a group turnover of Rs 10,132 crore, comprises HCC Ltd, HCC Infrastructure Co Ltd and Steiner AG in Switzerland. In a separate development, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest rail-cum-road Bogibeel bridge, on December 25 last week. The prime minister opened the 4.94-km-long double-decker strategic bridge, built by HCC, over the Brahmaputra river at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh in Assam. This is the country's first fully welded steel bridge and the world's longest incrementally launched steel bridge, infrastructure major HCC said. Edited by Aseem Thapliyal DUBAI (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Tuesday he remains optimistic about achieving a market balance during the first quarter of 2019.He said his view was in light of the production cut recently agreed by OPEC and its allies, according to his official Twitter account.OPEC and its Russia-led allies agreed in December to slash oil production from January by 0.8 million barrels per day versus October levels while non-OPEC allies contribute an additional 0.4 million bpd of cuts. (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Adrian Croft)(This story has not ... MUMBAI (Reuters) - Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel had personally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons, several months before stepping down from the office in December, Modi said in an interview with Reuters partner ANI."The governor himself requested (to resign) because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Modi told ANI in an interview on Tuesday. Patel resigned after ... By Tanvi Mehta(Reuters) - Indian shares began the year on a negative note on Tuesday as investors stayed away from making bets, with the corporate earnings season slated to begin next week.With trade optimism bringing some cheer, Indian markets posted their third consecutive annual gain in 2018 and outperformed most Asian indexes, according to Refinitiv data. However, global stock indexes ended in the red for the year. This year is expected to be a crucial one for India as it heads into a general election that must be held by May. "We're looking at a flattish market with a target of 10,400 - ... By Andrew TorchiaDUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai expects to almost halt the growth of state spending this year as revenues expand more slowly because of the emirate's efforts to stimulate business investment, according to the 2019 state budget released on Tuesday.State spending will total 56.8 billion dirhams ($15.5 billion), the plan showed. That would be only a marginal increase from last year's original budget plan of 56.6 billion dirhams, which was a 19.5 percent rise from 2017.Last year, budgeted infrastructure spending shot up by close to 50 percent, to 11.9 billion dirhams, as Dubai made ... Yemen's Houthi rebels on Tuesday said they were surprised by accusations from the United Nations food agency that they are stealing "from the mouths of hungry people" by diverting food deliveries. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, said in a statement that the rebels were taken aback by the World Food Program allegations. "We were surprised by the statement of the WFP Executive Director, which included threats to stop supplying food for large numbers of needy people in Yemen," he said. The World Food Program on Monday threatened to suspend some aid shipments to Yemen if the Houthi rebels do not investigate and stop theft and fraud in food distribution, warning that the suspension would affect some 3 million people. Al-Houthi said WFP "did not communicate officially" with the rebels regarding the alleged theft of aid, adding that making the critical comments to the media is considered "a major deviation in the work of the program." He called on the WFP to back up its accusations with proof. Al-Houthi also accused the UN agency of sending "rotten food" to the war-torn country, saying Yemen refused to allow that food in because "it violates standards and regulations and is not suitable for human consumption." The rebel leader also accused U.N agencies of being biased. "The work of these organizations is mostly politicized ... and this situation reflects that their work has shifted from independent to subordinate to the United States and Britain," he said. The World Food Program's ultimatum was an unprecedentedly strong warning, pointing to how corruption has increased the threat of famine in Yemen, where a four-year civil war has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. In a letter sent to rebel leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, WFP director David Beasley said that a survey done by the agency showed that aid is only reaching 40 percent of eligible beneficiaries in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Only a third are receiving aid in the rebels' northern stronghold of Saada. "If you don't act within 10 days, WFP will have no choice but to suspend the assistance ... that goes to nearly 3 million people," the letter said. "This criminal behavior must stop immediately." The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been at war with a US-backed and Saudi-led coalition since March 2015. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, and has driven the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine, with millions suffering from extreme hunger. The U.N. calls it the world's worst humanitarian disaster. The Associated Press reported Monday that armed factions on both sides of the conflict are stealing much-needed food aid, diverting it to their fighters or reselling it for profit. Some groups are blocking deliveries to communities they view as enemies. The WFP said it obtained photographic evidence showing rebels seizing food and manipulating lists of aid recipients. The UN agency helps about 8 million hungry people in Yemen and has been working to increase its scope to reach a total 12 million. It wants an overhaul of the relief system, including biometric registration, but says the rebels resist such measures. WFP's accusation came as a UN team led by a Dutch officer has been monitoring a cease-fire in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida since late December, which ended months of fierce fighting between the two sides for control of the city. Some 70 per cent of Yemen's imports come through Hodeida. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kader Khan, the rare Bollywood artiste who straddled the twin worlds of writing and acting with equal prowess, died in Toronto after prolonged illness on the last day of the year, his son said. He was 81. Khan, who left an indelible imprint on commercial cinema of the 1980s and 1990s, slipped into a coma on Monday in a Toronto hospital. He is survived by his sons Sarfaraz and Shahnawaz. "My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks," Sarfaraz told PTI. The last rites of the veteran actor, who was a civil engineering professor before going on to act in more than 300 films and writing over 250, will be held in Canada. "We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it. We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers," he said. of the death of the actor-screenwriter, known for writing blockbuster hits such as "Amar Akbar Anthony" and "Coolie No 1" as much as for his many character roles, came a day after his son dismissed media reports of his demise. According to reports, he was suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Khan's death. "His versatility, from comic to negative roles, and the films he embellished as a writer are still remembered. Condolences to his family, friends and fans," the President's official Twitter handle tweeted. The prime minister remembered Khan for his unique sense of humour. "Kader Khan ji brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills and lightened it thanks to his unique sense of humour. He was also a prolific screenwriter, associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers," Modi tweeted. Back home in Mumbai, his colleagues and well-wishers from the Hindi film industry expressed their profound grief at the death of the Kabul-born Khan. Khan played a key role in shaping Amitabh Bachchan's career, writing some of his career defining films like "Muqaddar ka Sikandar" and "Coolie" and acting along side him in many others. "Sad depressing My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. "A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician," the actor wrote. Khan's other frequent collaborator Govinda, for whom he wrote "Shola aur Shabnam" and "Coolie No 1", described him as a father figure. Khan played his father in "Hero No 1". "He was not just my 'ustaad' but a father figure to me, his Midas touch and his aura made every actor he worked with a superstar. The entire film industry and my family deeply mourns this loss and we cannot express the sorrow in words," Govinda said. Khan made his writing debut in 1972 with the Jaya Bhaduri-Randhir Kapoor starrer "Jawani Diwani" and his acting debut the following year with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag". As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include "Dharam Veer", "Desh Premee", "Suhaag" and "Parvarish", and films with Mehra include "Sharaabi" and "Lawaaris". Bollywood celebrities from across generations recalled the genius of the man. Rishi Kapoor remembered him as a great teacher. "R I P. Kadar bhai Khan sahab! Bahut lamba rishta tha aapka hum sab Kapoors ke saath. Bahut kaam kiya bahut seekha aapse. Jannat Naseeb ho aapko. Ameen (RIP Kader Khan sahab. We Kapoors shared a long-lasting relationship with you. Worked a lot and learned a lot with you. Godspeed)," he said. Former co-star Prem Chopra also remembered him great fondness. "He was not only a great actor but a supremely talented writer. We all have thoroughly enjoyed his comic timing on screen and off screen too. Working with him has been a very enriching experience," Chopra told PTI. Farida Jalal said her heart goes out to his family. "It is very sad... He was a very talented man. He was a thorough professional," Jalal said. Others too expressed their condolences at the passing away of Khan. Akshay Kumar wrote, "Saddened to learn about the demise of Kader Khan saab, had the good fortune of working with him in quite a few films... A fine actor and an even better comedian. My thoughts and prayers with his family." Ajay Devgn shared a picture of him and his wife Kajol with Khan and described him as a "good human being". Anil Kapoor said working with Khan was an inspiring experience and he would always remain in heart as a "forever shining star in the sky". Varun Dhawan, whose father, director David Dhawan, worked with Khan in several hit comedies from the '90s, said the veteran actor's contribution to cinema was "limitless". "RIP Kader Khan saab. One of my inspirations and a truly iconic actor, writer and stage artist. His contribution to my father's cinema was limitless just like his talent. You will truly be missed by everyone," he wrote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The Women's Wall was attacked, allegedly by some BJP-RSS workers, at Chettukund in Kasaragod district Tuesday as they lined up at the National Highway here to form the human chain. The workers hurled stones at the women and policemen, injuring three personnel, police said. Police fired in the air and burst teargas shells to disperse the workers. The incident occurred just as the human wall initiative was coming to a close Tuesday evening. Media personnel of two television channels were also attacked by the activists, who reportedly forced them to delete the visuals of the incident. Adbul Kareem, District Police chief in charge, told PTI that the BJP-RSS workers first set fire to some dried grass and shrubs near the National Highway where the women were standing. When police tried to chase them away, they pelted stones at the women and police, he said. Chettukund is a BJP stronghold. In another incident, some pro-wall activists damaged the window panes of a private bus at Palakkad when it refused to ferry women to participate in the event. The 620 km-long human 'wall' was formed from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip here as part of a state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of women here on Tuesday expressed solidarity with protesters in Kerala who formed a 'Women's wall', demanding gender equality and justice for all. The demonstration was held outside Kerala House here in Jantar Mantar where members of National Federation of Indian Women held placards saying, "Equality and Justice is Women's Constitutional Right". The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. The participants consider the campaign as an expression of unity against 'Brahmanical Patriachy'. Lakhs of women from various walks of life participated in the 620 km-long state-sponsored 'Women's wall' campaign, stretching from the northern tip of Kasaragod to the southern end in Thiruvananthapuram to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The 'Women's wall' was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government, following massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : In a compassionate gesture, a woman constable breastfed an infant, crying uncontrollably after her mother in an alleged inebriated state, abandoned it with a stranger here. Priyanka, who was on maternity leave, fed the 18-month old baby girl at the Afzlgunj police station on the request of her constable husband posted there. Soon after the child was fed, it stopped crying following which it was shifted to the Government Maternity Hospital, Petlaburz, police said in a release. The baby was handed over to the police station by a man, to whom the woman had given the baby on Sunday night and vanished, telling him she would be back after drinking water. Earlier, the man had taken the child to his house and vainly tried to feed it milk from a sachet. He then informed his relatives and friends and they took the baby to the police station and handed it over to the constable. The woman, who was later located by police, told them that she handed over the baby to the man at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) here Sunday night after telling him she would soon be back after drinking water. But she could not remember the spot where she handed over her baby as she was 'drunk' at that time, police said. The woman was later taken to the Maternity hospital, where she identified her child and it was handed over. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US on Tuesday expressed concern over reported harassment, intimidation and violence which made it difficult for many opposition candidates to hold rallies and campaign freely ahead of polls in Bangladesh and asked the country's election commission to address the claims of alleged irregularities. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and its allies won the general elections on Sunday, bagging 288 of the total 299 seats which went to the polls. The jailed ex-premier Khalida Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which won five seats in the 300-member Parliament, has rejected the poll outcome as "farcical" and demanded fresh election. The opposition Jatiya Oikya Front - National Unity Front (NUF) - comprising the BNP and some smaller parties, criticised the Election Commission (EC) and accused its chief of being biased. The EC, however, ruled out holding fresh polls. "The US commends the tens of millions of Bangladeshis who voted in Bangladesh's 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018, as well as the decision of all major opposition political parties to participate, a positive development after the boycotted election of 2014," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said. The Trump administration, in its first reaction to the December 30 parliamentary poll results in Bangladesh, said that the US remains deeply invested in the future of Bangladesh and its democratic development. He asserted that the US was the Bangladesh's largest foreign investor, largest single-country market for Bangladeshi exports, and a home to a large community of Americans of Bangladeshi origin. "In this light, we note with concern credible reports of harassment, intimidation and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely," Palladino said. Expressing concern that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, he said this undermined faith in the electoral process. "We strongly encourage all parties to refrain from violence and request the Election Commission work constructively with all sides to address claims of irregularities," Palladino said. "Bangladesh's impressive record of economic development and respect for democracy and human rights are mutually reinforcing, and we look forward to continue working with the ruling government and opposition towards advancing these interrelated goals," the State Department spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President on Monday signed into law a legislation aimed at enhancing America's leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening multifaced ties with India and calling out Chinese actions that "undermine" the rules-based international system. Recognising the vital role of the strategic partnership between the United States and India in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, Section 204 of the Act calls for strengthening and broadening of diplomatic, economic, and security ties between the two countries. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. In a statement, Trump shared the objective of the Congress with respect to maintaining the strength and security of the United States, but did not guarantee to abide by the effort of the Congress to dictate the policy of the US in external, military, and foreign affairs, or to require the executive branch to undertake certain diplomatic initiatives with international partners. The Act reaffirms its commitment to the New Framework for the 2005 US-India Defence Relationship, Defence Technology and Trade Initiative launched in 2012; the 2015 Joint Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, and 2017 Joint Statement on Prosperity Through Partnership. Describing India as a major defence partner, the Act says this designation institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing between the two countries, elevates defence trade and technology cooperation to a level commensurate with the closest allies and partners of the US. It also facilitates technology sharing including license-free access to a wide range of dual-use technologies, after taking into account national security concerns; and joint exercises, coordination on defence strategy and policy, military exchanges, and port calls in support of defence cooperation between the two countries, the Act says. The Act, which was introduced in April by Senators Cory Gardner and Ed Markey, who are chairman and member of Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, along with Senators Marco Rubio and Ben Cardin, endorses quadrilateral dialogue between the United States, Australia, India and Japan. Such a quadrilateral dialogue, it said, is vital to addressing pressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region in order to promote a rules-based order; respect for international law; and a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Act says. According to the Act, it is the policy of the US to develop and commit to a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region that secures its vital national security interests and its allies and partners; and promotes American prosperity and economic interests by advancing economic growth and development of a rules-based Indo-Pacific economic community. "The core tenets of the US-backed international system are being challenged, including by China's illegal construction and militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea and coercive economic practices; North Korea's acceleration of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities; and the increased presence throughout Southeast Asia of the Islamic State and other international terrorist organisations that threaten the United States," it says. (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.) Central trade unions (CTUs)Tuesday sought rescheduling of medical and engineering entrance examinations to be held in the second week of January in view of a nationwide strike called by them. In September, 10 trade unions decided to organise nationwide general strike on January 8-9, 2019 to protest against the government's policies for workers. The CTUs have written a letter to Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar in this regard asking for rescheduling the exams to avoid any inconvenience. "The preparations by the unions almost in all sectors of economy are on. The strike notices are also being served by the respective unions to the concerned managements. The issue is in public domain for three months now," the letter read. It further said:"The CTUs got to know that the government has scheduled central joint entrance examination for selection in both medical and engineering courses in the second week of January." These dates clash with the general strike dates and could cause inconvenience to the aspiring students and in view of this, the exam dates should be rescheduled, the CTUs said. The 10 CTUs that called the strike include INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : In a bizarre incident, residents of a village near here have approached the police asking them to trace a drinking water well that went missing about 50 years ago. The well, though appears on the village map of Seshappa Naidu Kottai, cannot be found in the village, said the local people in their complaint they preferred days ago. Asked about the complaint, a senior police officer said the well became a garbage dump over a period of time leaving no trace of the well and nobody bothered for the last 50 years. "When people approached us to trace the well, we told them that the matter does not fall under our domain. Police cannot do anything about it...it is not police work," he told PTI. Local authorities, assisted by the people, have ''now found the location of the well," that got buried under heaps of garbage. Some encroachment in that location was also identified by the local authorities and they are working to remove it as well, the officer said. Steps were being taken to clear the garbage mound, demarcate the location so that the well could be put to use in the village, he said. The village falls under Karimangalam Town Panchayat in the district. The incident is a scene straight out of a popular comedy track of the Tamil film 'Kannum, Kannum'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal turned 21 on Tuesday and used the occasion to project party chief and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a possible prime ministerial candidate of any grand opposition alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party also vowed to work to ensure a secular and progressive India under the leadership of 63-year-old Banerjee. Describing 2019 as the "year of change", senior TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said the party is "standing at a historic juncture where it wants to play a vital role in New Delhi in favour of the working class". Abhishek, who is the nephew of the TMC supremo, said the year will bring good days (achche din) in the country. "The year of 2019 is a year of change and struggle. We should fight hard in order to ensure that we are able to gift the people of this country a secular and progressive India in New Delhi under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee," he said in a video message on TMC's 21st foundation day. "Our party has turned 21 today. The number 21 assumes immense significance as it signifies struggle, youthfulness and change," he added. TMC was founded on January 1, 1998 by Mamata Banerjee, who was herself baptized into by the Congress. At present, the TMC has 34 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal. Banerjee congratulated party workers on the occasion. "The journey which began on January 1, 1998 has been full of struggles, but we have been steadfast in our resolve to fight for the people #Trinamool21 ... We are thankful to Maa-Mati-Manush for their constant support. And the workers who work hard 365 days a year for the people. A big salute to you," she said. The TMC, which has been eyeing a wider political space for the last few years, has been at the forefront of forming an anti-BJP opposition alliance and convened a rally of opposition parties in Kolkata on January 19. Banerjee has been touring the country and met leaders of several opposition parties in a bid to forge opposition unity to take on the BJP. The TMC observed the day in the state in every block and subdivision and also at the panchayat level. The party flag was hoisted at Trinamool Bhavan by party general secretary Subrata Bakshi. Blood donation camps, blanket distribution and cultural events were also held across the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trinamool Congress Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying BJP should stop lecturing it on "democratic rigts" as BJP itself has destroyed democracy and institutions in the country. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee took a dig at BJP"s defeat in three Hindi heartland states by saying that the BJP has got a taste of "democracy" in last few elections. "The BJP should not lecture us on democracy and democratic rights. As BJP itself has destroyed democracy and institutions in this country. The BJP itself don't have any respect for democracy or constitution," Chatterjee said. Chatterjee's commnet comes in the backdrop of the Prime Minister's Office tweet, quoting Modi, "What has happened in West Bengal. A political party (the BJP) is being denied a basic democratic right. Our workers are brutally killed in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka. of violence has to end. All parties have to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful politics,". Quoting from Modi's interview, broadcast by various TV channels, the PMO tweets covered a wide range of issues, including demands for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Urjit Patel's resignation as RBI governor, demonetisation, mob lynching and BJP's defeat in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. The BJP is lecturing us on democracy when they themselves has destroyed the economy by implementation of GST and demonetization in the country, Chatterjee said. The BJP and TMC, which is a ruling party in Bengal, are at loggerheads over BJP's proposed Rath Yatra in the state. Modi's commets comes at a time when the Bengal BJP unit has been unable to take out any of its three-phase Rath yatra rallies, being called the Save Democracy Rally in Bengal after the state government denied permission to the party to hold it. The BJP has moved court and the matter is presently subjudice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three people were injured, one of them seriously, when a country-made bomb exploded near Kuttiyadi police station limits, police said Tuesday. The explosion occurred at around 12 last night at the compound of one Abdulla Musaliyar and his son, Sali, was among the injured, they said. A country-made bomb has been recovered from the blast site, they added. Police were informed about the incident this morning. A case has been registered and investigation has begun. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday plugged her controversial Brexit deal in a customary New Year message, describing 2019 as a "new chapter" for the UK. "New Year is a time to look ahead and in 2019, the UK will start a new chapter," she said. "The Brexit deal I have negotiated delivers on the vote of the British people and in the next few weeks, MPs will have an important decision to make. If Parliament backs a deal, Britain can turn a corner," she noted in her message. May said the referendum in 2016 had been divisive but 2019 could be the year to put differences aside and move forward together, into a strong new relationship with the UK's European neighbours and "out into the world as a globally trading nation". In her video message to the nation, the prime minister also stressed on the importance of other issues over and above Britain's impending exit from the European Union (EU) in March 2019. "Important though Brexit is, it is not the only issue that counts," she said, hailing a new "skills-based immigration system" to replace the EU's freedom of movement rules and creating a level playing field for migrants from around the world. "We have all we need to thrive and if we come together in 2019, I know we can make a success of what lies ahead and build a country that truly works for every one of us," she concluded. Brexit was at the heart of the New Year messages from other leading political leaders in the UK, with opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn using the opportunity to condemn Theresa May's deal. He accused the Conservative Party government of having "plunged the country into crisis over the complete mess they've made of Brexit, trying to drive through a bad deal and letting people down all across the country whether they voted Leave or Remain". "Labour is ready to deliver a radical alternative to rebuild and transform our country. We'll stand up to the powerful few so that the wealth you create is shared fairly not hoarded by a privileged elite. We'll work to create a society where the talent of everyone is unleashed. That's how we'll unite our country," Corbyn said in his video message. The Brexit uncertainty found echoes in Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable's speech as well, who said a second referendum was "the only way forward". "Are the British people, in the final hours, going to be given a chance to reconsider in light of all the facts which have come to the surface in the last two years? The only way forward is to have a People's Vote, with the option to Remain," he said. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her devolved government would work "to protect Scotland's place at the heart of Europe" in 2019. The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader said her country's reputation for hospitality "has never been more important" and that EU nationals who made homes for themselves in Scotland would always be welcome. "I want to make that especially clear to the hundreds of thousands of nationals from other European Union countries, who have done us the honour of choosing Scotland as their home," she said. Britain is set to formally leave the EU on March 29, 2019, and needs a Parliament-backed withdrawal agreement in place before then to ensure an orderly exit. With Theresa May's negotiated deal not finding favour across all sides of the House of Commons, the fate of the agreement hangs in the balance in the lead-up to a vote scheduled for the week beginning January 14, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has given its approval for the modernisation of seven bus terminals in the national capital, aiming to provide a world-class transit experience to commuters. The Transport department had already floated tender for the modernisation of the Nehru Place bus terminal and tenders for two other bus terminals at Najafgarh and Azadpur were expected to be floated within a week, a government statement said Tuesday. The tenders for the remaining four terminals were expected to be released in February, it added. "Bus commuters should get the same experience that airport and Metro commuters get at transit points," Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said. The Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) is the project consultant for the modernisation of the Nehru Place bus terminal. The Space Matters has prepared the architectural design of the terminal. The futuristic Nehru Place bus terminal will have an aerodynamic canopy, held up by tree-like columns. The canopy will serve as a shelter and help in rainwater harvesting. The public plaza of the terminal will have space for kiosks, shops and hawkers with a round-the-clock anchor store. It will also have all civic amenities, besides ramps for specially-abled persons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tuesday reported an 8 per cent decline in domestic sales to 50,440 units in December as compared with 54,627 units in the same month last year. The company's sales in the domestic market rose 1 per cent to 14,260 units last month, compared with 14,180 units in December 2017, the company said in a statement. "In December 2018, we have strived to maintain our growth trajectory during what was a rather sluggish period for the entire auto industry," President Passenger Vehicles Business Unit Mayank Pareek said. The company said its commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market stood at 36,180 units in December, down 11 per cent from 40,447 units in the same month last year. Total exports during the month stood at 3,999 units, against 6,293 units in December last year, showing a dip of 36 per cent, the firm said. Clashes between jihadists and rebels in northern Syria have killed at least 19 people, a war monitor said Tuesday. The fighting, pitting Al-Qaeda-linked coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against an alliance of rebel groups, flared in western Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. HTS had on Monday accused rebel group Nureddine al-Zinki of killing five of its fighters, and launched an offensive against rebel positions close to the country's last opposition bastion in the northwestern province of Idlib. Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based Observatory, said 12 HTS fighters and five from the Zinki group had been killed, along with two civilians. A further 35 people were wounded, he said. Nureddine al-Zinki is a major player in the National Liberation Front (NLF), a Turkish-backed rebel alliance. HTS and other jihadist groups dominate more than half of Idlib province, while the NLF holds most of the rest. The two have regularly clashed over control of territory. Syria's conflict flared with anti-government protests in 2011 that were brutally repressed, sparking a complex multi-front civil war involving a myriad of jihadist groups and foreign powers. It has left more than 360,000 people dead and displaced millions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudhir Bhargava took oath as the chief information commissioner in the Central Information Commission (CIC) Tuesday, a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Bhargava was administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan, it said. Bhargava was working as the Information Commissioner in the CIC. Former IFS officer Yashwardhan Kumar Sinha, the then chairperson of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Vanaja N Sarna, former IAS officer Neeraj Kumar Gupta and the then law secretary Suresh Chandra have recently been chosen as information commissioners in the CIC, officials said. Sinha is a 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service (retired) officer who was the Indian high commissioner in the United Kingdom. An alumnus of St Michael's High School in Patna and St Stephen's College in Delhi, Sinha had served a number of important postings in the Ministry of External Affairs, including the crucial Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division, which he headed for four years as the additional secretary. The only woman in the CIC will be Sarna, a 1980-batch retired Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central excise) officer. Neeraj Kumar Gupta, a 1982-batch IAS officer, retired as a secretary from the department of investment and public asset management. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after four rifles belonging to the personal security officers of a Congress MLC went missing from his official residence in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir Police shunted out the SSP (Security) Kashmir for "dereliction of duty on supervision". "Maqsood-ul-Zaman, SSP (Security) Kashmir, is hereby attached to security headquarters with immediate effect," Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said in an order. Sajad Hussain, SSP Commandant of the 3rd battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, has been given the additional charge of SSP (Security) Kashmir till further orders, the DGP said. The weapons of Congress leader D Muzaffar Parray's personal security officers (PSOs) went missing from the guard room of his official residence in Jawahar Nagar area of the city on Sunday. Four police personnel, posted as PSOs at Parray's residence, were dismissed from service on Monday for dereliction of duty and unauthorized absence. Police on Sunday had said there was no armed intrusion into the official quarters, but called it a negligence on part of the security personnel. Parray was not at his official residence at the time of the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special CBI court that recently acquitted all 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati has said in its detailed judgement that the investigating agency failed to attribute the motive behind the killings. Special CBI Judge S J Sharma's 358-page judgement was made available on Monday. On December 21, the court acquitted all the 22 accused in the case citing insufficient evidence and the prosecution's failure to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to prove any nexus between the officers and local politicians, some of whom were also accused in the case. It said the CBI also failed to attribute any motive behind the killings and, therefore, there was no chance that the senior officials could have been part of any conspiracy. The court also cited the testimony of Amitabh Thakur, who was the CBI's chief investigating officer in 2010, and was probing the killings of Sohrabuddin and Kausar Bi. The judge noted that while Thakur alleged in the charge sheet that some senior officers and politicians, including BJP chief Amit Shah, made "political and monetary" benefits from the killings, but during his questioning in court, he (Thakur) said he "did not have any evidence to prove the accused facing trial" had got such benefits. "The charge sheet drafted by PW 209 Shri Amitabh Thakur, the chief IO, has said that the motive of the accused was political and monetary benefit. In his cross examination, he has said that none of the 22 accused facing trial was political beneficiary or monetarily benefited and none of them have motive to kill Sohrabuddin. This is also one of the circumstances which favours the Defence," the judge said. "There was no material before me showing that any of the accused was monetarily benefited in the alleged killing," the court said. Judge Sharma, who retired from service Monday, said in his judgement that the initial probe by the local police in Gujarat into the killings of Shaikh and his wife Kausar Bi made it out to be a case of fake encounter. During subsequent probes by the CID and CBI, the prosecution witnesses "improved" upon their testimonies and the probe agencies, particularly the CBI, added the narrative of their existing nexus between senior police officials and local politicians, the judge said. The CBI also claimed that Sohrabuddin and Prajapati had been extorting money from local marble traders on behalf of the police and politicians, the judge said. However, when their relationship soured, the police and the politicians wanted Sohrabuddin and Prajapati out of their way, he said. Judge Sharma, however, said, "On the basis of improved version of almost all witnesses, who in their earlier statement had not said anything about politicians and political nexus, somehow after a year came out with such a nexus theory". "I have no hesitation to conclude that the evidence which has been laid and adduced and as discussed and appreciated vividly, the prosecution has tried but has failed to prove any such politician-police nexus. Further, there is no material proving even prima facie element of extortion from marble lobby of Rajasthan by politicians who were initially arraigned as accused by CBI investigators," he said. While the special court judge noted that the medical evidence in the case proved that the deaths of both Sohrabuddin and Prajapati were homicidal in nature, the CBI failed to prove that the accused persons had anything to do with it. The judge dismissed the entire narrative created by the CBI, beginning with the theory that in November 2005 Sohrabuddin, Kausar Bi and Prajapati were travelling from Indore to Hyderabad to celebrate Eid, and then, from Hyderabad to Sangli, when on November 22, they were abducted by the Gujarat ATS. Judge Sharma said the CBI failed to provide any evidence to establish that the three had been travelling in the bus, and that they were abducted, and subsequently killed by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police. "Having so examined the entire investigation and conducted the trial, I have no hesitation in recording that during the investigation of these offences, the CBI was doing something other than reaching the truth of the offences. "It clearly appears that the CBI was more concerned in establishing a particular preconceived and premeditated theory rather than finding out the truth," he said. "I have also noted the negligence of the CBI towards the material part of investigation which clearly indicate that they hurriedly completed the investigation by using replica of the earlier recorded investigation and have implicated the police persons who had no knowledge of any conspiracy. Rather they appeared innocent," the judge added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor Junaid Mattu on Tuesday rubbished the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a woman corporator, demanding her disqualification. He said he had the support of an overwhelming majority of the corporators of the municipal corporation and have written to Jammu and Kashmir Governor S P Malik, seeking disqualification of the woman corporator for levelling "baseless allegations". "I want the whole issue to be investigated. God is witness that I am clean and I have not done anything wrong. The accusations are baseless and I want the truth to come out," Mattu told reporters here. "I have around 45 corporators with me. We have written a letter to the governor, saying we will not go to office till the said corporator is disqualified," he said. The SMC mayor claimed he has evidence that the woman corporator was working at the behest of Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran. "We want action against him also. They want to indulge in corrupt practices which I will not allow. I will not allow Imran to sell the SMC," he said. Asked about allegations of making illegal appointment in the SMC, Mattu said he would resign if any such charge was proved. The SMC mayor said he would file a criminal defamation case against the woman corporator. The woman corporator, belonging to the Congress, Monday accused Mattu of sexual harassment and assault and registered a police complaint against him and his personal assistant. She accused the mayor and his assistant of manhandling and abusing her in presence of other corporators. "The mayor has been continuously asking me to come along with him for enjoyment. He has harassed me a number of times and not just once," the woman corporator from one of the municipal wards of the city told reporters on Monday. "I had submitted an estimate for Rs 25 lakhs for developmental works, but he concealed that estimate and didn't approve it asking me to accompany him to some place for enjoyment. This is sheer sexual harassment," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On a day ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar attended office after a gap of four months, the Shiv Sena Tuesday said "inefficient" ministers should learn from the CM's example. Earlier in the day, Parrikar, 63, attended his office in the state secretariat for first time since August this year. "Parrikar's arrival at the secretariat should be taken as an inspiration by rest of the inefficient ministers who have failed to govern the state," said Sena's Goa unit spokesman Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik. Naik demanded that the government find a solution to the plight of the mining dependent people in the New Year and settles doubts on quality of fish for once. "Sena also expects that doubts over presence of formalin in fish be cleared once for all and the government certify that the fish being sold in Goa markets is free from formalin," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa on Tuesday assumed the seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, where it said ending the conflicts on the African continent will be its key priority. South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said that the silencing of guns in Africa, attending to the plight of women and children in conflict areas and coordinating a response to the rise of extremist groups on the continent would be the key priority. "We go to the UNSC carrying an African mandate. The people of Africa have sent us to highlight their issues and to work with other nations to find solutions to their challenges. We are ready and our diplomats are ready," Sisulu said in a statement. "Among key issues we want to attend to as a non-permanent member of the UNSC is the rise of extremist groups in Africa. "The fact that South Africans are alleged to be involved makes this a very important and urgent matter for our law enforcement agencies in the SADC region and on the continent," she said. Sisulu also expressed concern over a report of a South African national facing the charges of alleged support and aid to an extreme jihadist group in the northern Mozambique, which led to the death of over 100 people. "The people of South Africa and Mozambique share a very deep political history and very strong economic relations. It is not acceptable that a South African citizen is in court for alleged involvement in extreme jihadists activities that resulted in loss of life," she said. Sisulu also said she was concerned that more than 800 South Africans were in prisons across the world for different crimes including fraud, drug possession and violent crimes, with the majority in the Americas for drug-related convictions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Romania takes over the EU's rotating presidency on Tuesday at a tumultuous time for the bloc and just days after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker voiced doubts about the country's ability to do the job. Brussels is already at loggerheads with the increasingly populist government in Bucharest on multiple fronts and Juncker's comments highlight some of the strains. Romania will be in charge for the next six months as the European Union faces a series of key tests -- Brexit, parliamentary elections in which eurosceptics will vie for increased influence, and wrangling over the next budget. Romania, which takes the presidency for the first time as it succeeds Austria, has been one of the EU's most consistently europhile member states since it joined in 2007. But its left-wing government has recently begun to adopt the sort of nationalist rhetoric expounded by nearby Hungary and Poland. All three are embroiled in disputes with the EU over controversial reforms that critics say undermine the rule of law. Liviu Dragnea, head of the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) and widely seen as Romania's most powerful man, has slammed the EU as "unfair", claiming Brussels is seeking to deny Bucharest the "right to hold its own opinions". In remarks to Die Welt on December 29, Juncker said that even if Romania was "technically well prepared" for the presidency, the "Bucharest government has not fully understood what it means to preside over the countries of the EU." 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," Juncker said. One of the main reasons for the cooling of relations between Bucharest and Brussels is the PSD's planned overhaul of Romania's judiciary, which the government says is aimed at clamping down on "abuses" by judges and magistrates. But the European Commission wants the reforms scrapped, saying they undermine the fight against corruption in one of the EU's most graft-prone states. EU officials "have the feeling, perhaps justifiably, that these reforms are for the benefit of Dragnea," said political scientist Andrei Taranu. The government has proposed a criminal amnesty for politicians including Dragnea, who was given a suspended jail sentence for electoral fraud in 2016 and is being investigated in two other criminal cases. In this context, Dragnea's switch to a more populist tone could be more opportunistic than ideological, Taranu said. "He is copying the illiberal rhetoric of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban without understanding the concepts involved," Taranu said. There are no signs that the government will put its plans on hold during its EU presidency. The amnesty decree is expected to be issued soon, with a European source warning that such a step would cross a "red line". If the decree goes ahead, Romania would be distracted from pan-European problems and instead have to devote energy to defending itself to its partners, the same source said, adding that the country "already suffers from a lack of credibility". Moreover, Romania may find it difficult to speak with a united voice, given the tug-of-war between the government of Viorica Dancila -- the third PSD prime minister since 2016 -- and centre-right President Klaus Iohannis. Iohannis, a keen pro-European who has frequently clashed with the government, represents Romania on the European Council. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reacting to BSP supremo Mayawati's demand to withdraw cases lodged against innocent Bharat Bandh protesters last April, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Tuesday said his government will examine them. Mayawati's demand is natural, He told reporters. Cases were lodged against the Dalits and how many of them were guilty is a matter of investigation, he said. Sometimes, those who are innocent are booked. She might be right in her perspective and the government will look into it and will examine the cases. The innocent should not be framed, he said. Gehlot also there should be rule of law in the country and the government should function on that basis. Mayawati had Monday said she would reconsider her party's outside support to the new Congress governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh if cases against "innocent" people in connection with the April 2 Bharat Bandh are not withdrawn. She claimed cases against innocent people were registered due to political and caste considerations in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states. The Congress wrested power from the BJP in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the December 7 assembly polls. But it needed outside support from allies and independents after failing to make it to the halfway mark in both state assemblies. Bahujan Samaj Party had offered this support. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. The Railway ministry has decided to take disciplinary action against Union minister Jitendra Singh's OSD for casting aspersions against its minister Piyush Goyal and questioning the wisdom of senior government officials in an article, according to official documents. Railway Board Secretary Ranjanesh Sahai has written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) asking for the immediate repatriation of Sanjiv Kumar, a 2005 batch officer of the Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) for "breach of official decorum and misconduct". Kumar is the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Jitendra Singh, who holds multiple portfolios, including minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office and for Development of North Eastern Region. A case of breach of official decorum and misconduct of Sanjiv Kumar, IRPS, has been brought to the notice of railway board. Sanjiv Kumar has authored an article, published by www.railsamachar.com and www.nationalwheels.com, Sahai wrote in his letter to the DoPT. The article, besides being in bad taste, questions the wisdom of senior functionaries of the level of secretary to the government of India and also casts aspersions on the Minister of Railways (Piyush Goyal), it said. it is proposed to take up the officer under the Railway Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1968. You would appreciate that a misconduct of this nature and that too in the public domain would send a wrong message all around and encourage indiscipline in the service, the letter dated December 28, 2018, said. Sahai asked DoPT Secretary C Chandramouli to consider immediate repatriation of Sanjiv Kumar, IRPS, to this ministry for taking action as deemed appropriate. It added that the issue had the approval of the Railway Board chairman. Ashwani Lohani retired as Railway Board chairman on Monday. Kumar has been vocal in raising concerns related to the alleged wrong functioning of some wings of the Railway ministry. The article written by Kumar clearly mentions that all is not good in the Railway ministry. It needs immediate intervention of the Prime Minister's Office, said an officer requesting anonymity. The Railway ministry has internally transferred another officer for allegedly raising concerns on cadre related issues. Chetan Prakash Jain, a 1994 batch IRPS officer, executive director, Establishment (GC) has been appointed executive director, Establishment (G), which officials say is a less significant charge. Anand Singh Khati has been appointed in his post, officials said, citing an order. On December 14, Jain, along with some other officials, presented a memorandum to Singh, who is also minister of state for Personnel, saying the Railway Board has not agreed with the recommendation of Cadre Review Committee (CRC) for keeping the post of 'member staff' exclusively for IRPS officers. IRPS officers and senior Railway Board functionaries were at loggerheads after the letter, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greeting everyone on the New Year, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday said he hopes 2019 will be good for farmers and small shopkeepers of the country. Gandhi also said he hopes that the year goes good for businessmen, youth and the country's women. "My best wishes to the entire country for 2019. I hope that the new year will be good for the country, farmers and youth, businessmen, small shopkeepers and mothers and sisters. Love to you all," he said in a tweet in Hindi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a special package for the border state and a major industrial project for Gurdaspur during his visit to the district on January 3. "Despite the poor track record of the BJP and the Prime Minister in keeping their promises, people still expect Modi to announce something substantial for the state," the Gurdaspur MP said in a statement here on Tuesday. "We have over 1,000 acres of land at Kalanaur, Gurdaspur, which we are willing to give for any industrial project that can generate employment for the youth of the border district," Jakhar said, adding that the prime minister should also consider announcing some industrial concessions for the border districts, on the lines of the freight equalisation policy. Modi is scheduled to address a rally at Gurdaspur on January 3. Jakhar further demanded the prime minister to announce the settlement of the Rs 31,000 crore of "Food Account" on procurement of wheat and paddy, "which was wrongly taken over by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government, instead of being adjusted between the state and central governments". "The state government has been pursuing the issue for long and it was high time that Punjab and its people were freed from this unjustified debt burden," he said. While thanking the prime minister and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for the decision to open the Kartarpur Corridor, Jakhar hoped that the Union government would have all the necessary infrastructure in place before the celebrations of the 550th "Prakash Parab" (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev in November. Targeting former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Congress leader asked if, before stepping on the stage for welcoming and praising Modi, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would question the prime minister "over going back on his word on the issue of extending help to the Sikh farmers of Gujarat, whose landholdings had been frozen by the Gujarat government". "Modi had promised to help these farmers during his 2014 rally in Bathinda, but the Gujarat government had filed an SLP in the Supreme Court against the 'unanimous' stay granted by a triple bench of the state high court against the evacuation of the Sikh farmers from their land," he pointed out. Jakhar also asked Badal to question Modi on why the Union government had imposed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on "langar". "It took us a year of struggle to convince the Centre to withdraw this GST," he said, while challenging Badal to ask Modi why the tax was even imposed in the first place. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his interview was full of rhetoric and there was no mention of ground realities or any concern for promises made by him to the people. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister should have spoken about the suffering caused to the people from note ban and GST, bank frauds, black money, national security and farmers woes. "Summary of Modiji's monologue' interview -- I', Me', Mine', Myself'. The country is suffering your I's and lies'," he tweeted. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the people of the country cannot be "fooled" through a "fixed interview" and dared him to face Parliament and a press conference. The former Union minister said the prime minister did not spare the people of the country from his penchant for "false promises, hollow claims and propaganda". Sharma also attacked the prime minister over his claims on surgical strikes, saying "it is a national shame that the Prime Minister seeks to politicise the surgical strike and divide the country." "PM Modi did not spare our people of his penchant for false promises, hollow claims and propaganda even on the New Year day. The habitual peddler of untruths and lies has signalled a nasty narrative for the 2019 election campaign. "People cannot be fooled through a fixed interview. Have the courage to face us in Parliament or address a press conference. Having betrayed the people, do not beg Lord Ram to save you. He did not ask you to lie in the first place," Sharma tweeted. He said the country is proud of its armed forces, their courage and sacrifice and they belong to and defend India and do not belong to any political party. "Let me remind you that PM Modi did not acknowledge the historic contribution of Smt Indira Gandhi in the liberation of Bangladesh and the surrender of Pakistani Army. The task of guiding troops is best left to our brave commanders," he said. Surjewala said, "Bereft of ground reality, 'jumlas' (rhetoric) galore, Modiji's interview looks like a parody." "Nation suffers - DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, Rs 15 Lack in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and 'acche din'," he said on Twitter. In another tweet in Hindi, Surjewala said that neither is there any talk of ground realities, nor is there any concern for promises made in the PM's interview. In the interview broadcast by various television channels, Modi talked about a host of issues including surgical strikes, the Ram temple construction and personal attacks on him by the Congress. Modi also accused the Congress leadership of politicising and delaying the legal process in clearance of Ram temple construction. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal CID has arrested a person for posing to be the secretary of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and taking money from people promising profitable returns, a senior official of the agency said Tuesday. The man would visit the ISKCON international headquarters at Mayapur in Nadia frequently, the official said. He was arrested following a complaint by a ISKCON follower lodged at Nabadwip police station in Nadia district , he said. As per the complaint, the accused used to travel in a blue beacon fitted vehicle and had taken money from several devotees by luring them to invest in his so-called projects and land ventures, the official said. The man had said that he will be the next district magistrate of Nadia district, where the ISKCON headquarters is located and had got several facilities from the religious organisation, he said. An investigation was initiated into the incident, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The RSS on Tuesday said people expect the Modi government to fulfil its promise of building the Ram temple within its tenure as the BJP was elected to power in 2014 for committing to all possible efforts to do so. The reaction from the Hindutva organisation's joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabole came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said any government action on the temple construction can happen only after judicial process is over. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Ram temple case on January 4, even as Hindutva organisations, including the RSS and its affiliates, as also the BJP ally Shiv Sena, have been pitching for an ordinance to pave the way for an early construction. "Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto had promised to make all possible efforts within the ambit of the Constitution to build the Ram temple. People of India gave the BJP a majority, trusting their promise," the RSS tweeted. People of India expect the government to fulfil the promise within its tenure, it added. The government's term will end in May. In an interview broadcast on various TV channels, Modi said, "Let the judicial process take its own course. Don't weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as government, we are ready to make all efforts." The prime minister was asked about demands for an ordinance. The RSS also described Modi's comments as a "positive step" towards the temple construction. It recalled that the prime minister's remarks are in line with the 1989 BJP resolution passed in its Palampur convention, in which the party had committed itself to building the temple in Ayodhya with either consultation among different stake-holders or by bringing an enabling legislation. In a dig, Shiv Sena's spokesperson Sanjay Raut wondered if law is bigger than Lord Ram for Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a first, over 35 lakh women stood shoulder-to-shoulder across the national highways in Kerala, creating a 620 km-long human 'wall' from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip here Tuesday as part of a state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality. The event comes days after thousands of devotees lit 'Ayyappa Jyothis' (lighting of sacred lamps) and lined up from Hosangadi in Kasaragod to Kanyakumari, vowing to protect the age-old customs and traditions of Sabarimala. On Tuesday, women from various walks of life -- writers, athletes, actors, politicians and techies, government officials and homemakers -- stood across the highways crisscrossing through the 14 districts in the state as the event commenced at 4 pm. Expressing solidarity, thousands of men also lined up parallel forming a second human 'wall'. The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. Representatives of Universal Record Forum (URF) which records amazing feats across the globe declared the human wall as the "longest women's wall in the world" with participation of over 35 lakh women. However, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan claimed 55 lakh women lined up for the 'wall'. CPI(M) polit bureau member Brinda Karat, who was the last member of the human wall at Thiruvananthapuram, said women in Kerala have scripted history by erecting a "human wall of resistance" against the dark forces. She also lashed out at the saffron party, saying it was using women for its "toxic, divisive, anti-women political goal" and asked women not to be the pawns in the hands of those who have no thoughts about the future of women. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues and Communist veteran V S Achuthanandan were among those who were present at the public meeting here after the formation of the wall. Vijayan garlanded the statue of Ayyankali, a social reformer, before the start of the event. The wall has become a movement against gender discrimination faced by women and to protect their Constitutional rights, he said. The initiative also witnessed a group of the Jacobite faction of the Christian community lining up in support of the wall along with members of the Muslim community. Former firebrand communist leader and Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy supremo, 100-year-old K R Gowriamma also took part in the event near her home at Alappuzha. Jhonson V Idikula, chairman of the monitoring panel of the URF Adjudication Committee, told PTI they had over 600 volunteers across the state to monitor the event. "We have recorded the event, clicked pictures and captured videos to prepare a comprehensive report," Idikula said. However, the main Opposition Congress, which all through had expressed their ire against the wall, said "Kerala society has dismissed the government's much-hyped event." The BJP state leadership dubbed the wall a "total failure" and waste of government funds and machinery. G Sukumaran Nair, heading the Nair Service Society (NSS), which kept away from the event, said 'God's Own Country' will turn into 'Devil's Own Country' after formation of such walls. Violence also marred the initiative as participants of the women's 'wall' at Chettukund in Kasaragod district were attacked, allegedly by some BJP-RSS workers, as they lined up at the National Highway there to form the human chain. The workers hurled stones at the women and policemen, injuring three personnel, police said, adding that they had to fire in the air and burst teargas shells to disperse the attackers. Media personnel of two television channels were also attacked by the activists, who reportedly forced them to delete the visuals of the incident. ccording to K Sreekanth, BJP Kasaragod district president, the violence was allegedly a handiwork of CPI(M) as the 'Women's wall" was a failure in the northernmost district. CPI(M) district secretary, M V Balakrishnan, slamming the BJP, alleged that BJP workers had burnt grass and shrubs after sprinkling chilly powder and 13 women were hospitalised inhaling the fumes. A group of women in New Delhi Tuesday also expressed solidarity with their counterparts in Kerala by holding a demonstration outside Kerala House at the national capital's Jantar Mantar road where members of National Federation of Indian Women held placards saying, "Equality and Justice is Women's Constitutional Right". The 'Women's wall' was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government, following massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai Police have registered 455 cases of drunk driving during New Year celebrations till Tuesday morning and will be sending a proposal to temporarily suspend licenses of the errant drivers, officials said. Police have also booked 1114 drivers for over-speeding and rash driving, an officer said. According to police, the number of drunk driving cases dipped this time from 615 cases which were registered during New Year celebrations in 2017. "Traffic police have booked 455 cases comprising car drivers and motorcycle riders who were driving under influence of alcohol (between 10 PM Monday and 6 AM Tuesday)," an official said. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amitesh Kumar said the police checked at least 9800 vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, between 10 PM Monday and 6 AM Tuesday. "Amongst them, we found 455 drivers under influence of alcohol," he said. The JCP said a total of 1114 drivers were booked for over speeding and rash driving. Additionally, 9121 cases were registered against these drivers. "A proposal to suspend license of the 455 drunk drivers for a period of six months will be sent to RTOs concerned," Kumar said, adding that a decision will be taken on a case-to-case basis in case of others. Ahead of New Year celebrations, Maharashtra Transport Minister Divakar Raote had issued an order stating that if caught drinking and driving, it may lead to suspension of the driver's license for a period of six months. Raote had held a meeting Monday with officers of Traffic police, Regional Transport Office (RTO) and other stake-holders. Simultaneously, traffic police in neighbouring Thane city booked at least 2071 drunk drivers. Similar action was taken against around 350 drunk drivers in Mumbai' satellite town Navi Mumbai. A large number of police personnel manned various parts of the megapolis to ensure smooth conduct of celebrations to ring in 2019, and to prevent rash driving as well as accidents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Arab countries viewed Israel as an "indispensable ally" fighting Iran and the Islamic State group. That evaluation, he told Brazil's Globo TV during a visit to Rio on Monday, has caused "a revolution in relations with the Arab world." The comments came as Israel has stepped up air strikes on Iranian positions in neighbouring Syria, and as Israel digested an abrupt decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria. Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons to destroy his country. Israel, he said, had shown itself to be active in battling "radical Islam, violent Islam -- either the one led by radical Shiites led by Iran, or the one led by the radical Sunnis led by Daesh (IS) and Al-Qaeda." "Unfortunately we have not made any advance with the Palestinians. Half of them are already under the gun of Iran and of radical Islam," Netanyahu added. Asked if he could ever contemplate sitting down with an Iranian leader to talk peace, Netanyahu replied: "If Iran remains committed to our destruction the answer is no." The only way, he said, would be "if Iran undergoes a total transformation." Netanyahu was in Brazil to attend Tuesday's inauguration of the Latin American country's new, pro-Israel president, Jair Bolsonaro. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would not resign if prosecutors moved to indict him on corruption charges, as authorities probe several cases involving him ahead of April polls. Netanyahu said he would not step down in the event of being summoned for a hearing by the prosecutor general before the elections, a necessary step ahead of being formally charged. The veteran premier was addressing a press conference streamed online from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where he is on an official visit. The prime minister will not be required to resign if charged in any of the three cases of alleged corruption, but he would likely face intense political pressure to do so. "I have no intention to resign, firstly because there will be nothing (to come from the probes), secondly because the law does not oblige me to do so," Netanyahu said in Rio, referring to the hearing process. "That would be a serious breach of Israeli democracy," he added. The attorney general's decision on any indictments is expected in the coming months and analysts say Netanyahu's decision to call early elections was a deft manoeuvre to fight any charges with a fresh mandate. The premier denies all charges against him and polls show he is likely to win the April 9 polls. In the most recent move by investigators, police recommended Netanyahu be indicted over regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage from a related media company. According to Israel media reports, there is sufficient evidence to charge him with corruption in the Bezeq case. In February, investigators recommended Netanyahu be indicted in two other cases. In one, allegations against Netanyahu include seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival. Another probe involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts from wealthy individuals in exchange for financial or personal favours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ABC/Randy HolmesHere are a few more notable things that happened in the rock world in 2018: MJK: APC, but no Tool Well, at least one Maynard James Keenan band delivered a long-awaited new album in 2018. A Perfect Circle released Eat the Elephant, a full 14 years after its predecessor eMOTIVe arrived in 2004. However, Tool still did not release the much-anticipated follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days, though Keenan promised that new music would arrive in 2019. Meanwhile, Keenan was accused of rape by an anonymous Twitter user. He denied the allegations as a "despicable false claim that only does damage to the #MeToo movement." Greta Van Fleet's Army invades the chart After putting their name on the map in 2017 with singles like "Highway Tune" and "Safari Song," Greta Van Fleet became one of the hottest and most-debated rock bands of 2018 with the release of their debut album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army. The rising young rockers turned heads with their Led Zeppelin-esque sound, which was met with equal part adoration and criticism. The Grammy voters seemed to like them, though: They're up for Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance for "Highway Tune," Best Rock Song for "Black Smoke Rising," and Best Rock Album for the double EP, From the Fires, at the 2019 ceremony, scheduled for February 10 in Los Angeles. Hard rock, alt-rock & metal album mania Many of the biggest names in hard rock and metal released new albums in 2018. The releases included Five Finger Death Punch's And Justice for None, Breaking Benjamin's Ember, Shinedown's ATTENTION ATTENTION, Disturbed's Evolution, Godsmack's When Legends Rise, Halestorm's Vicious, Ghost's Prequelle and Three Days Grace's Outsider. Each of those albums spawned at least one number-one hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart: Five Finger's "Sham Pain," Breaking Benjamin's "Torn in Two," Shinedown's "DEVIL" and "GET UP," Disturbed's "Are You Ready," Godsmack's "Bulletproof" and "When Legends Rise," Halestorm's "Uncomfortable," Ghost's "Rats" and Three Days Grace's "The Mountain" and "Infra-Red." If you're tastes were more on the alternative side, Muse's Simulation Theory, Thirty Seconds to Mars' AMERICA, Arctic Monkeys' Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino and AWOLNATION's Here Come the Runts all arrived in 2018. ID, Metallica, tours & more Imagine Dragons' 2017 album Evolve was still making an impact through 2018, as the band led Billboard's year-end Top Rock Artists chart for the second straight year. They also released another album called Origins, a so-called "sister album" to Evolve. Meanwhile, frontman Dan Reynolds released a new documentary called Believer, which explored the relationship between his Mormon faith and the LGBTQ community. Metallica continued to tour in support their 2016 album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. In between, the metal legends continued their reissue series with a remastered, expanded edition of 1988's ...And Justice for All, and they were honored with Sweden's prestigious Polar Prize, often called the "Nobel Prize of Music." Members of Blink-182 and Avenged Sevenfold suffered health issues that caused their bands to cancel or postpone tour dates. Blink drummer Travis Barker battled blood clots in both of his arms, forcing the punk trio to postpone dates on their Las Vegas residency, while A7X scrapped their summer tour due to frontman M. Shadows battling damaged vocal cords. Slayer announced they'd be launching a final world tour. The run began in May, and will stretch to at least October 2019. Even more dates are expected to be added. Warped Tour launched its final cross-country run in 2018. The festival plans to return in some capacity in 2019 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The NCP Tuesday termed Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Ramdas Kadam's comment on NCP corporators supporting the BJP in the Ahmednagar mayoral poll as inappropriate. 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. Kadam had earlier called the BJP-NCP 'tie-up' in the mayoral poll as an "illicit" one. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Shiv Sena should mind its own business rather than making inappropriate. comments against us and our ties with the BJP. Instead, the Shiv Sena should be bothered about its own ties with the BJP." Malik said NCP has already issued a show cause notice to the 18 corporators who defied party whip in the Ahmedanagr civic body. "Despite being told not to support the Shiv Sena and BJP, the local (NCP) leadership took a decision which was against the state leadership directive. Action will be taken against them," Malik said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's jailed ex-premier Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday filed an appeal against his conviction in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case, a week after an accountability court sentenced him to seven years in jail in the graft case. Sharif, 69, also filed an application seeking suspension of his sentence. On December 24, 2018, Accountability Court II Judge Arshad Malik sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison along with a fine of Rs 1.5 billion and USD 25 million in the Al-Azizia corruption case, concluding a series of three court cases against the Sharif family in the high-profile Panama Papers scandal. The three-time former premier is serving his term in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. In the appeal filed through his lawyer Khawaja Harris in the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, Sharif argued that he was convicted on the basis of presumptions and his sentence should be set aside. He said the trial court verdict was based on misunderstandings as it failed to properly evaluate the objections by the defence. He also sought suspension of sentence until decision on the appeal to set aside his conviction in the case. Three cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case in July last year. In July, 2018 Sharif, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law Captain (retd) M Safdar were sentenced to 10 years, seven years and one year respectively in prison in the Avenfield properties case related to their purchase of four luxury flats in London through corrupt practices. However, the three were bailed out by the Islamabad High Court in September. Sharif was acquitted in the Flagship case due to insufficient evidence. His two sons - Hasan and Hussain - were accused in all the three graft cases. Sharif has maintained that the cases against him were initiated on the basis of allegations levelled by his political rivals and the report of a joint investigation team in the Panama Papers case was biased. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar Monday gave a monetary award of Rs 1 lakh to the food delivery boy who saved lives of 10 persons during the fire incident at Mumbai's ESIC hospital. Gangwar honoured Siddrameshwar Siddharam Humanabade, a food delivery boy who has acted as a saviour in helping the fire victims of the tragic fire accident at ESIC Hospital at Andheri, Mumbai on December 17, 2018, the labour ministry said in a release. He saved lives of 10 persons beyond the call of his duty, it further said. "It is also praiseworthy to mention that Siddrameshwar contiuned his selfless service for rescuing the victims until he started feeling uncomfortable due to inhaling of toxic gases due to the fire. In recognition of his courage, selfless nature and missionay zeal, I am also pleased to reward Siddrameshwar a sum of Rs 1 lakh," Gangwar said. Though not an employee of ESIC, Siddrameshwar has set an example for the whole ESIC team working in hospitals and other units and to the country as a whole in times of such crisis, the minister added. The massive fire at ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri killed nine people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Mumbai Police Crime Branch inspector was Tuesday caught along with with his driver while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 22 lakh in return for not acting against a wine shop owner, a Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau official said. An ACB official identified the accused as inspector Anand Sitaram Bhoir of Unit X (Andheri) of the Crime Branch. He said Bhoir had demanded Rs 25 lakh from the complainant for not arresting him in a case under Maharashtra Prohibition of Liquor Act. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 22 lakh, following which a complaint was made with the Mumbai unit of the ACB, he said. On Tuesday, Bhoir and his driver were nabbed from a private vehicle while accepting the money in a trap laid at MIDC Andheri, he said. Incidentally, Bhoir had in 2011, as sub-inspector with the Thane Rural police, assisted Mumbai police in cracking a sensitive kidnapping case, officials said. Then Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik had praised him for his investigation skills. Bhoir was earlier in the midst of a controversy for posing on social media with his service revolver. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police personnel in Madhya Pradesh will get a weekly off with immediate effect, a circular issued Tuesday by Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla stated. The weekly off would be for all personnel posted at police stations as well as in special armed force units deployed in the districts, it said. The weekly off initiative was earlier announced by Chief Minister Kamal Nath on December 19 after a meeting with senior police officials. This was also one of the promises in the Congress manifesto for the November 28 Assembly polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely demolished the "motivated agenda" of opposition parties with his comprehensive interview broadcast Tuesday by television channels, the BJP said. Hitting back at the Congress after the opposition party dubbed the interview as "fixed" and dared Modi to face a press conference, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said it is not surprising that it was "desperately working overtime" to negate the positive message of prime minister's comments. "It is a comprehensive, detailed and candid interview in which the PM has spoken on a wide range of issues that have been in the media space for some time. This interview completely demolishes the motivated agenda of opposition parties and vested interests that seek to malign the sterling performance of his government," Kohli said. Kohli's reaction came after the Congress attacked Modi for his interview, broadcast by several TV channels, claiming that it was full of rhetoric and there was neither mention of the ground realities nor any concern for promises made. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Militants shot dead a special police officer (SPO) in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday night, police said. Militants fired upon SPO Sameer Ahmad near his residence in the Hanjan area of Pulwama in south Kashmir, a police official said. Ahmad was rushed to a hospital, he said, adding that however, the SPO succumbed to his injuries. The police had lodged a case in this regard, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The governor of Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca is condemning the slaying of a local mayor shortly after he took office. Governor Alejandro Murat confirmed the killing of Tlaxiaco Mayor Alejandro Aparicio Santiago via his Twitter account Tuesday. He promised a thorough investigation and said a suspect was already in custody. The state prosecutor's office said in a statement that Aparicio had just been sworn in and was headed to a meeting at city hall when an unknown number of gunmen opened fire at him. He was taken to a hospital, but died there later. Four other people were wounded in the attack. Tlaxiaco is the hometown of Yalitza Aparicio, star of the film "Roma." It was not immediately known if she was related to the victim. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MEP Infrastructure Tuesday said it has achieved financial closure for the Rs 1,183-crore Thane-Vadape road project in Maharashtra by arranging project finance of Rs 567.78 crore. The remaining funding will be done by NHAI grant of Rs 473.15 crore and equity contribution from a subsidiary company, it said. "MEP Longjian VTR Private Limited subsidiary company of MEP Infrastructure Developers Limited, has achieved financial closure as per the Concession Agreement executed with the NHAI... for the project of Construction of 8 (eight) laning of existing 4 (four) lane Vadape to Thane... by tying up of project finance of Rs 567.78 crore," the company said in a statement. It said Vadape-Thane stretch on NH-3 (new NH 848) in Maharashtra will be executed on hybrid annuity mode (HAM). "The bid project cost is Rs 1,182.87 crore out of which project finance will contribute Rs 567.78 crore and the remaining contribution will be funded by grant of Rs 473.15 crore from NHAI and an equity contribution of Rs 141.94 crore of the subsidiary company," the statement said. The construction period of the project is 2.5 years, while concession period is 15 years, it said. The company operates one of the largest OMT (operate, maintain and transfer) contracts at five Mumbai entry points, for 16 years until 2026. The company has a pan-India footprint in operation, maintenance, transfer and tolling operations in road infrastructure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manufacturing of items of aerospace and warships will now be covered by Industries (Development and Regulation Act) and will not require any licence from the commerce and industry ministry, a government notification said Tuesday. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the ministry, has issued a notification clarifying the products' list requiring compulsory licence under Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951 (IDRA), and Arms Act, 1959 in consultation with and Department of Production. "Items of defence aerospace and warships now do not require licence under Arms Act. Such items shall now be covered by IDRA," the department said in a tweet. In May 2017, the DIPP was allowed to process applications for grant of licence for manufacture of defence items. Earlier, the home ministry was carrying out this exercise. The department, under the commerce and industry ministry, is mainly responsible for formulation of polices with regard to promotion of foreign investment and manufacturing industries. The stabbing of three people - including a police officer - at a busy railway station in the heart of Manchester in the UK on New Year's Eve is being treated as a terror related incident by Britain's counter-terrorism officers, police said on Tuesday. A 25-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder remains in custody after two knives were recovered at the scene. The knife-wielding man was caught on camera being tackled by security officials at Manchester Victoria station before being arrested. Some eyewitnesses reported hearing him shout "Allah" during the attack on Monday night. "We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester Police," said Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of Greater Manchester Police (GMP). "They were working throughout the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested," he said. The police chief said that officers are conducting a search at a property in Cheetham Hill area of north Manchester, believed to be the most recent address of the suspect tackled and arrested by officers at the scene. He said the proximity of the latest terror attack site to Manchester Arena, where a suicide bomber had killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, made the latest incident all the more dreadful. "Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place," Hopkins added. The force had declared the attack a "critical incident" in the immediate aftermath but added there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time". British Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted her gratitude to the emergency services for their response to the attack. "My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response," she said. A man and woman, in their 50s, sustained "serious" but non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the woman had injuries to her face and abdomen and the man had injuries to his abdomen. Earlier, British Transport Police (BTP) had said it is keeping an open mind on the motive behind the incident at a busy railway station in the north-west of England. In an update, BTP's Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said the GMP had now taken over the investigation and expressed his pride in the four BTP officers who were immediately on scene to detain the man who was wielding a knife. He said: "They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. Unfortunately, however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious. It is good that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery." He reassured the public that incidents like these are incredibly rare and that BTP officers remain on duty throughout the national rail network. Officers first on the scene used a Taser gun to control the screaming knifeman and also a pepper spray before restraining and leading him away. The New Year fireworks display at Albert Square nearby went ahead as scheduled for midnight. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 29-year-old man has been arrested from Thane in Maharashtra with ganja worth Rs 3 lakh which was meant to be sold to New Year revellers, police said Tuesday. Ganja weighing 9.700 kgs was seized from possession of one Arun Kumar Chourasia near Bethany Hospital in Shastri Nagar, a police officer said. A case has been registered under provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Politicians in Maharashtra Tuesday remembered Bollywood actor-writer Kader Khan as a "cinematic legend" who made lakhs of people laugh through his silver screen performances and dialogues. Khan, 81, who was best known for penning some of the most powerful dialogues and comic timing as an actor, died on December 31 due to prolonged illness in Canada. Maharashtra Culture Minister Vinod Tawde said an "era of brilliance" in Indian cinema has come to end with the passing away of Khan. "My condolences are with his family and loved ones," he said. Former chief minister and state Congress unit president Ashok Chavan said he was deeply saddened by Khan's demise. "My heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace," he said. Maharashtra Congress twitted: "Kader Khan will be remembered for being the reason behind limitless laughter through his brilliant comedy". Mumbai Congress leaders have also condoled Khan's demise. "We are saddened by the passing away of veteran actor-writer Kader Khan who made his debut in 1973 and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues of over 250 movies. Our thoughts and prayers with his family and followers at this hour of grief," the Mumbai Congress twitted. Former Mumbai University (MU) Vice-Chancellor and Congress leader Bhalchandra Mungekar also mourned Khan's death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government will stand guarantor for loans worth Rs 325 crore extended by Central agencies to four corporations under the state Social Justice department. The decision was approved by the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. An official in the Chief Minister's office said the state government will stand guarantor for a Rs 135 crore loan given by the National Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation to the state-run Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation. It will similarly guarantee two loans, of Rs 70 crore each, extended to Maharashtra Handicap Finance and Development Corporation and the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation respectively. A Rs 50 crore loan given to the Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Charmakar Development Corporation will also get a state government guarantee. The official said the decisions were taken in view of the demands of these corporations, adding that the state would intervene in case they failed to repay the loans. The decision will benefit people in the leather industry and help the handicapped and deprived sections of the society to avail loans as well as boost implementation of various schemes for social justice. A state government release said this decision would help expedite 19,224 proposals which are being looked into by these corporations. In another move, the cabinet approved a three-month local body tax amnesty scheme for 27 villages included in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) limits. As part of the scheme, if the original tax is paid, the interest and penalty will be waived off, a release said. A CMO functionary said an amnesty scheme implemented for these 27 villages between June 3 and August 31 in 2015 did not benefit them much. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leader of Opposition in the Ghulam Nabi Azad has moved a motion in the House for referring the "triple talaq" bill to a select committee. The motion is likely to be taken up on Wednesday when the House takes up the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018. The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. In the motion, Azad has also proposed the names of 11 Opposition members to be part of the Select Committee of the House. Anand Sharma of the Congress, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party, Manoj Kumar Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal are among those whose names have been proposed by the Leader of Opposition. The Opposition members have also given notices for amendments in the bill. AAP member Sanjay Singh said he had recommended four amendments in the clauses of the bill. Once a fulcrum of opposition alliances, the CPI(M)-led Left Front with its reduced strength now seems to be a shadow of its past with regional parties stepping into its shoes in national to fight the BJP. The Left Front, which once did hand holding for various regional parties in its non-Congress non-BJP 'Third front', now neither has the numbers nor the influence it used to wield. CPI(M) politburo member Hannan Mollah said on several occasions in the past the Left had played a major role in uniting opposition forces, but in the present situation it does not have the numerical strength to do so. "There is no denying the fact that numbers are an important factor in parliamentary The strength we presently have in Parliament... it is not possible for us to play that role. Various regional parties are now trying to do it," Mollah, also general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, the party's peasants' wing, told PTI. "The more the number of MPs you have the more you command respect from others. We can just say that we would play a positive role with whatever strength we have in order to ensure that a secular government comes to power," he said. The Samajwadi Party, which had always been a trusted ally of the Left in national politics, said its role in stitching nationwide opposition alliance has become "insignificant and irrelevant". "The Left's role now is insignificant and irrelevant. The regional parties which once functioned (at the national level) under the shadow of the Left have now become major political entities. And the Left does not have a charismatic leadership to lead such as alliance," vice-president Kiranmay Nanda told PTI. The CPI(M) had played a pivotal role when the Left parties had over 50 MPs in the Lok Sabha, he said, adding that the situation is not in "our favour". During the United Front rule in 1996 and the UPA-I in 2004, the CPI(M)-led Left Front had 52 and 61 seats in the Lok Sabha respectively. During the V P Singh government in 1989, the LF had 52 seats in the Lok Sabha. But the number of its MPs in the Lok Sabha in 2014 was vastly reduced to 11 after the LF lost its main bastion West Bengal, which sends 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha, to the Trinamool Congress. The CPI(M) is now in power only in Kerala, which has 20 Lok Sabha seats. The party also misses the leadership of Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Jyoti Basu. Surjeet served as the General Secretary of the party from 1992 to 2005, while Basu was chief minister of West Bengal between 1977 and 2000. "The present leadership is trying, but the present situation and circumstances are not in our favour. Various regional parties such as the TMC, the TDP, the SP, the RJD are at the forefront of anti-BJP alliances," he said. "Our present leadership neither has that vision nor the charisma of Surjeet-Basu," another senior CPI(M) leader said on condition of anonymity. Under the leadership of the two, the party had not only played a pivotal role in the formation of the V P Singh government in 1989, the United Front government in 1996 and the Congress led UPA-I government in 2004, but has also helped in bringing together various regional and national parties opposed to the BJP and the RSS under one umbrella. Such was their acceptance across party lines that Basu was offered the post of prime minister in 1996, though it was turned down by the CPI(M). Surjeet was also described as "king maker" in parliamentary for his ability in mending and assembling broad coalitions. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said one of the reasons behind the fall of BJP governments in three Hindi heartland states was the massive farmer agitation led by the Left. "Issues such as farm loan waiver were accepted by the Congress and other parties. They are forced to come on a single platform. Farmers' agitation proved to be the Achilles heel for the BJP," Chakraborty said. However, a section of CPI(M) leaders feel that when other opposition parties are busy touring the entire country in uniting the opposition, the Marxist have been playing a second fiddle to the Congress on many occasions. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu have been touring the country, meeting leaders of various parties to unite the opposition against the BJP with the hope of playing a major role in government formation after the 2019 general election. CPI(M)'s ally All India Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said the Left's role in Indian politics cannot be determined by only the numbers of MPs in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. CPI state Secretary Swapan Banerjee said the Left is still relevant as only it can provide an alternative common minimum programme against the policies of the BJP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan Army chief Lt General Mahesh Senanayake said on Tuesday that the military would commit itself to activate the national reconciliation mechanism in 2019 by helping redress the issues of the victims of the three-decade long civil war. In his New Year message, he pledged that civilian lands held by the state in the country's Northern and Eastern provinces would be legally handed back to their owners this year, further demonstrating the army's commitment to achieve long lasting peace. Sri Lanka witnessed three-decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during which the military occupied civilian lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces for military purposes. Since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, a considerable part of private lands were released to the original owners. However, Tamils demand that civilian lands held for military purposes be fully released to their original owners. General Senanayake also recalled the relief work undertaken by his troops in last month's floods in the former conflict areas as examples of the army's commitment to serve the war affected area and its people. Due to heavy rains and floods in five districts of the Northern Province on 22 December, 75,000 people had been affected. The army and the navy were deployed to provide relief and they rescued a number of people. The army's conduct during the floods came in for high praise from the Tamil civilians in the North while some Tamil politician branded its action as an effort to justify their occupation of Tamil areas. The army has faced criticism for the alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the military conflict with the LTTE. The LTTE's military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland collapsed in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader V Prabhakaran. The UN Human Right Council has passed resolutions calling for war time accountability blamed both on the army and the former rebels. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A year after caste clashes marred the event to celebrate the anniversary of Koregaon Bhima battle, at least five lakh people, including political leaders, paid tributes amidst heavy police presence at the memorial here, which has come to be known as a symbol of Dalit pride. What set apart Tuesday's event from last year is prevalence of cordial atmosphere and active participation of local villagers who welcomed visitors with roses and water bottles since Monday, besides offering free food. Security agencies we keeping a tight vigil with CCTV and drone cameras in view of caste clashes that erupted last year leaving one person dead and several others injured. Police are probing the alleged Maoist links in the violence, which they suspect was triggered by provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017. At least 5,000 police personnel, 1,200 Home Guard jawans, 12 companies (comprising around 100 personnel each) of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and 2,000 Dalit volunteers are deployed in and around Perne village where people are paying tributes at the 'Jay Stambh' memorial. As a precautionary measure, internet services have been suspended in the area, police said. Besides large-scale police deployment, 500 CCTV cameras, 11 drone cameras and 40 video cameras are monitoring the area, a senior police officer said this morning. Police check posts have been set up along the border of Pune district. The 'Jay Stambh' memorial was erected by the British in Perne village in the district for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818, which has attained legendary stature in Dalit history. According to local police, a significant number of people have come this year from far-off places in Marathwada, Vidarbha and districts of neighbouring north Maharashtra. The visitors also comprised people from various parts of the country. "This is for the first time in history that such a large number of people from the Dalit community have come to pay their tributes at the 'Jay Stambh'," claimed a Perne village resident. Ranjeet Khandare, who has come from Navi Mumbai, said the number of visitors has doubled this year. Around 40,000 people visited nearby Vadhu Budruk village where samadhi of the 17th Century Dalit figure Govind Mahar is located, a police officer said. Among thepoliticians, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of dailt icon B R Ambedkar, was the first to offer his tributes at the memorial this morning. Maharashtra Minister of State (Home) Deepak Kesarkar, dalit leader Anandraj Ambedkar, Radhika, the mother of Hyderabad University student Rohit Vemula, and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Amar Sable also paid tributes. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale visited the war memorial in the evening. A police officer said parking arrangements are made at a distance of 3 kms from Perne village. "Internet services in and around Perne village have been suspended," Special Inspector General of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil said. Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPML) is operating buses to transport people to the village without charging any fare. Various arrangements including medical facility, water and toilets are also made in the area. Unlike January 1, 2018, eateries and hotels in the area are being kept open for visitors. In the Dalit narrative, the 1818 battle is the victory over casteism as the British Army comprising a large contingent of Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas - -the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom. Earlier in the day, Ambedkar laid a wreath at the war memorial and hoped that the commemoration event will pass off peacefully. "Unlike last year, local people of surrounding villages have extended all help during the commemoration. Locals are lending a helping hand. I hope peaceful completion. However, the police should not act in haste," he told reporters. Ambedkar said the number of visitors is likely to swell this year. "The reason behind the surge is because the likes of retired SC judge P B Sawant, retired HC judge B G Kolse Patil and some students (Kabir Kala Manch) took the history of the Koregaon Bhima battle to rural Maharashtra," he said. "Unfortunately, the same students who bridged the gap between the Marathas and the OBCs using the Elgaar Parishad platform were labelled as Naxals by the government," he claimed, adding the government should find real perpetrators of last year's violence and bring them to justice. In the wake of the clashes, police had booked Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide on charges of inciting violence. Ashok Athawale, a resident of Sanaswadi whose house and a fabrication unit were torched during the violence last year, said his entire family is offering food to visitors and ensuring that they are not inconvenienced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Kevin Spacey will have to attend his arraignment on sexual assault charges in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a judge decided Monday. According to People magazine, in papers filed with the court last week, attorneys for Spacey had asked a Massachusetts judge to waive the Oscar winner's mandatory appearance at the January 7, 2019 proceeding. "Presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case," an affidavit from Spacey noted. The actor indicated his lawyers would enter not guilty pleas on his behalf at the arraignment. In the supporting documents his attorneys claimed that if Spacey attended the hearing, it would "only serve to heighten prejudicial media interest in the case and will increase the risk of contamination of the pool of jurors available for the trial". Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino had opposed Spacey's request. The 59-year-old actor has been charged with felony indecent assault and battery for his alleged role in a 2016 incident inside a Nantucket restaurant. According to the allegations in Massachusetts, Spacey touched an 18-year-old man against his wishes in a sexual manner inside an eatery in July 2016. The charges comes more than a year after former Boston TV anchor Heather Unruh publicly accused Spacey of assaulting her son in July 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a first, lakhs of women stood should-to-shoulder across the national highways, creating a 620 km-long human 'wall' from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip here on Tuesday as part of a state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality. The event comes days after thousands of devotees lit 'Ayyappa Jyothies' (lighting of sacred lamps) and lined up from Hosangadi in Kasargod to Kanyakumari, vowing to protect the age-old customs and traditions of Sabarimala. On Tuesday, women from various walks of life -- writers, athletes, actors, politicians and techies, government officials and homemakers -- stood across the highways crisscrossing through the 14 districts in the state as the event commenced at 4 pm. Expressing solidarity, thousands of men also lined up parallel forming a second human 'wall'. The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. The event is part of an initiative to protect secular values, gender equality and to spread a message against those trying to push society into the dark ages, organisers of the programme said. Before the formal start of the event, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan garlanded the statue of social reformer 'Ayyankali'. CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat and CPI leader Annie Raja also paid floral tributes at the statue. Vijayan had earlier expressed confidence that women, cutting across lines of caste and religion, would join the 'wall' to save Kerala from being "dragged back into the era of darkness." CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had earlier said that 50 lakh women were expected to take part in the event. Health minister K K Shylaja led the 'Women's Wall' at Kasaragod and Karat was the last person at the end at Vellayambalam here. School students were given half-day holiday, while universities postponed exams scheduled for Tuesday. The government employees and Technopark employees were allegedly asked to take part in the event, which the main opposition Congress-led UDF dubbed "caste wall" and "wall of contradictions". The participants began lining up at the designated centres since 3 pm. A rehearsal was also held. The 'wall' was formed at 4 pm, with participants taking a pledge to uphold gender equality and renaissance values. The campaign was suggested at a meeting called by the LDF government following massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The Karnataka government Tuesday decided to review and take up a multi-billion steel bridge project here, which it had scrapped owing to massive public protests in the city. The previous Siddaramaiah government had cleared the steel bridge from Chalukya Circle to Esteem Mall at an estimated cost of Rs 2,200 crore, but abandoned it after a public outcry over allegations of lack of transparency. "Earlier, the Siddaramaiah government had given the nod to the steel flyover...The project was brought to a halt for various reasons. Now again we have decided to review and take up the project in the public interest," Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said. However, this time the government has decided to move cautiously as it intends to seek public opinion before starting the project work. He said all information would be put in the public domain so that people can analyse the project, give suggestions and provide other information. "There is a dire need for the bridge. That's why the detailed project report, design of the plan, estimates and all that will be put in the public domain for their perusal. "I will also invite suggestions and information on it. Then only we will table the proposal before the government for final decision," Parameshwara said. Parameshwara said the steel bridge would reduce travel time from the city to the Kempegowda International Airport from 40-45 minutes to 20-22 minutes. He said many people miss their flights due to traffic on the Ballari road that leads to the international airport. Calling it a 'steel monstrosity', critics of the project have said that the government would end up spending more on painting the structure to avoid it getting rusted. They also said the flyover would take away the aesthetics of Bengaluru. However, the deputy chief minister said there were political reasons too behind opposition to the project and he was ready to sort out all the problems and shortcomings in it. Meanwhile, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa took strong objection to the 'arbitrary' decision of the government to go ahead with the project, when environmentalists, urban experts and even H D Kumaraswamy, as state JD(S) president, had objected to it "The environmentalists and urban experts had opposed the steel bridge. They had said it was unviable and would not solve the traffic problem. Even Kumaraswamy had objected to this project in the past when he was JD(S) president," he told reporters here. "Taking up projects that will not solve the peoples problems and without taking the public into confidence will not solve their problems and is nothing but a mockery of democracy," he said. The BJP was not against development of infrastructure per se, but was opposed to 'misuse' of public funds in the name of development, Yeddyurappa said. Meanwhile, BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar-run Namma Bengaluru Foundation Director N R Suresh alleged that the revisit to the controversial matter was nothing but an attempt to divert attention from key issues plaguing Bangalore. "Lack of transparency, non disclosure of DPR and the governments misleading attempt to downplay the environmental impact with claims of only 800 trees when an independent survey found out that over 2000 trees were to be cut and was the reason why the public opposed this move," he said in a statement. The government must focus on alternative modes of transport like enhancing metro and suburban railway connectivity to the airport, Suresh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Rakesh Aggarwal assumed charge as director of the Centrally-administered JIPMER here Tuesday. Earlier, Aggarwal was professor of gastroenterlogy in the Sanjay Gandhi PG Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, since 1991, a press release from JIPMER said. He has done a MBBS course and was an MD in medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and a DM in gastroenterlogy in the PG Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, the release said. He has obtained a masters degree in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and undergone training in research at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A 23-year-old worker of the Indian Union Muslim League lost both his palms and suffered injuries all over his body when a country bomb exploded at the compound of his house at Kakkuni in the district, police said. Two others, who were also injured in the explosion on Monday night, are absconding, they said, adding that a bomb had been recovered from the spot. Police suspect that the incident occurred when country bombs were being manufactured. Police were informed about the incident this morning. A case has been registered under the Explosive Sbstances Act, police said. They said the IUML worker's statement could not be recorded as he is in a semi-conscious state in a private hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An accused in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case and another who was recently discharged in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case were among the six IPS officers promoted by the Gujarat government on Tuesday, according to a notification. G L Singhal, one of the seven IPS officers chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ishrat Jahan case, has been promoted to the rank of inspector general from deputy inspector general of the Commando Training Centre in Gandhinagar. Vipul Aggarwal, who was recently discharged by the Bombay High Court in connection with the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake encounter case, has been promoted to the post of the joint commissioner of police (administration), Ahmedabad. Singhal was arrested in February 2013 in connection with the Ishrat Jahan case. He was granted bail by a CBI court, following which the state government had reinstated him in May 2014 as the superintendent of police of the State Crime Records Bureau. Ishrat, a 19-year-old girl from Mumbai, and three others were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. A special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the Gujarat High Court, had concluded that the encounter was fake, following which the case was transferred to the CBI. Aggarwal was reinstated in November 2014 after being granted bail in the alleged fake-encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife, Kausar Bi, and his aide, Tulsi Prajapati. All the 38 accused in the case have been acquitted, including the 22 accused who were discharged last month. As per the notification issued by the state Home Department, six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in all were promoted. Surat Commissioner of Police Satish Sharma has been promoted to director general of police rank and will continue to be Surat top officer, the state government notification said. Surat Additional Commissioner of Police D N Patel has been promoted as the joint commissioner of police (JCP), Surat, while M A Chawda has been promoted as the inspector general of police, Gandhinagar range. IPS officer J R Mothaliya, additional commissioner of police (traffic), Ahmedabad, has been made the JCP. The pay scale of another 22 IPS officers has been changed, the notification said. A separate notification said eight Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials have also been given promotions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has once again refused to issue an arrest warrant against Pakistan's former envoy to the United States Husain Haqqani, who is wanted by the country's in connection with cases of treason and embezzlement of funds. The had issued warrants to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce Haqqani, a prominent critic of Pakistan's military, before it in January last year, but the had refused to issue an arrest warrant against him in April last. Following, Pakistani authorities once again approached the Interpol, but again they refused to act against the dissident ex-Pakistani envoy. According to Interpol, it has responded to Pakistan's warrants by pointing out that criminal charges have been initiated against Haqqani seven years after he resigned as ambassador and after earlier rejection of political charges. That still reflects political motives, it said. The government of is now considering asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the for Haqqani's extradition after second refusal by the Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Monday held an in-camera hearing of the case so that the embarrassment of rejection of its warrants is not reported, sources familiar with the matter said. Pakistani authorities have so far not approached US authorities directly but if they do, according to US legal experts, there is no legal basis for the former envoy's extradition. When contacted in Washington DC, Haqqani said he has always been confident that false charges will not hold up outside of "This entire matter has only been for the benefit of Pakistani media from day one and is part of the effort to persecute and harass dissidents," he added. Haqqani also said the attitude of Pakistani authorities towards him was against the norms. "Governments normally do not hound former ambassadors just because they disagree with their policies," he said, adding that the harassment would not silence him. Indian and Chinese troops jointly celebrated the New Year's Day on Tuesday 15,000 feet above the sea level in snow clad mountains and sub zero temperatures of Bumla in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, a defence communique said. Both sides greeted each other warmly and reaffirmed their commitment in maintaining peace and tranquillity along the line of actual control as per the various agreements between the two nations. The celebration was organised by Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on the Chinese side of Bumla and led by Col Hu Tang Sheng, it said adding the Indian delegation was led by Col Prasenjit Karand. Bumla, situated about 32 Km from Tawang, is one of the five Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) venues for Indian and Chinese troops guarding the sensitive border. In the last 28 years, the BPM mechanism has evolved into a vital platform for resolving local issues and fostering mutual confidence with a view to enhancing peace and tranquillity in the sector, the communique added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The armies of India and China met at Nathu La in Sikkim on Tuesday and exchanged pleasantries on New Year's Day. "To enhance mutual trust and faith amongst troops of Indian Army and Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), (they) jointly celebrated New Year on 01 Jan at Nathu La by greeting each other and extending best wishes. The delegation was led by Colonel level officers @adgpi @SpokespersonMoD," the Eastern Command of the Army said in a tweet. The armies of the two countries were locked in a stand-off at Doklam in 2017. A ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) to celebrate the New Year was also held on Tuesday at Chinese BPM hut at Chushul-Moldo and DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie)-TWD (Ten Wen Den) meeting points in eastern Ladakh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey Tuesday said Indian banks should not adhere to international capital adequacy norms as it is leading to more provisioning of capital and is one of the reason for mounting non-performing assets. Dubey, who is a member of Parliament's standing committee on finance, said he has raised the issue with the Finance Ministry. Blaming Basel norms for poor condition of the country's banks, Dubey said,"Basel committee is a private entity and India started implementing its norms during UPA regime. And it is one of the reasons for mounting NPAs." He also suggested that India should come out of International Financial Reporting Standards, usually called IFRS. As per the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of companies are required to comply with IFRS-convergent Indian Accounting Standards. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), based in Basel in Switzerland, is the primary global standard setter for the prudential regulation of banks and provides a forum for regular cooperation on banking supervisory matters. Its 45 members comprise central banks and bank supervisors from 28 jurisdictions. Global capital to risk norms, called Basel III capital regulation, are being implemented in phased manner by Reserve Bank of India since April 1, 2013. They are to be fully implemented as on March 31, 2019. As per the norms, banks have to maintain a minimum common equity ratio of 8 per cent and total capital ratio of 11.5 per cent by March 2019. Over the last few fiscals, India's banking sector has been troubled by mounting non-performing assets and bad debts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India would welcome as many as 69,944 babies on New Year's Day, the highest in the world, the UNICEF said Tuesday. India would be followed by China which would welcome 44,940 babies, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund said in a report. In Nigeria, 25,685 babies will be born, it added. The year 2019 also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which UNICEF will be commemorating with worldwide events throughout the year. Under the convention, governments committed to, among other things, take measures to save every child by providing good quality healthcare, the UNICEF said. "This New Year Day, let's all make a resolution to fulfill every right of every child, starting with the right to survive," said Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. "We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every newborn is born into a safe pair of hands," she added. The report also noted that on January 1 around the world, families will welcome countless Alexanders and Ayeshas, Zixuans and Zainabs, but in several countries, many babies will not even be named as they would not make it past their first day. In 2017, about 1 million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survival, the UNICEF said. An estimated 3,95,072 babies, including 69,944 babies in India, will be born around the world on New Year's Day, the UNICEF said. Of those, a quarter will be born in South Asia alone, it added. Pakistan (15,112 babies) has been placed fourth in the list and Bangladesh (8,428 babies) eighth. Globally, around 18 per cent of total baby births are estimated to take place in India only, said the report. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Pakistan Tuesday exchanged details of civilian prisoners and fishermen lodged in each other's jails. The Ministry of External Affairs or MEA said India handed over to Pakistan lists of 249 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in its custody. Pakistan has shared lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed-to-be-Indians. The lists were exchanged in keeping with the provisions of a 2008 agreement under which such lists of prisoners are shared on January 1 and July 1 every year. The MEA said India has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats. "In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 17 Indian civilian prisoners and 369 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed," it said. "Immediate consular access has also been sought for the remaining prisoners and fishermen to facilitate their early release and repatriation," it said. India has also asked Pakistan to expedite response in the case of 80 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. To take forward the understanding reached to address the humanitarian issues, especially with respect to elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners, India has already shared the details of the reconstituted Joint Judicial Committee and that of the Indian medical experts team to visit Pakistan to meet the prisoners. The MEA said India has also asked Pakistan to expedite the visit of the panel. "Pakistan has also been requested to expedite the visit of a group of fishermen representatives to facilitate the repatriation of Indian fishing boats, presently held in Pakistan's custody at the earliest," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged for the 28th consecutive year a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral agreement that prohibits them from attacking each other's atomic facilities. The two countries also exchanged details of civilian prisoners and fishermen lodged in each other's jails. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India handed over to Pakistan a lists of 249 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in its custody. Pakistan gave India lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed-to-be-Indians. The two countries, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan. The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 27, 1991, says that the two countries will inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 of every calendar year. This is the twenty eighth consecutive exchange of such list between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992. The two countries exchanged lists of prisoners and fishermen in keeping with the provisions of a 2008 agreement under which such lists are shared on January 1 and July 1 every year. The MEA said India has also called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats. "In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 17 Indian civilian prisoners and 369 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed," it said. "Immediate consular access has also been sought for the remaining prisoners and fishermen to facilitate their early release and repatriation," it said. India has also asked Pakistan to expedite response in the case of 80 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. To take forward the understanding reached to address the humanitarian issues, especially with respect to elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners, India has already shared the details of the reconstituted Joint Judicial Committee and that of the Indian medical experts team to visit Pakistan to meet the prisoners. The MEA said India has also asked Pakistan to expedite the visit of the panel. "Pakistan has also been requested to expedite the visit of a group of fishermen representatives to facilitate the repatriation of Indian fishing boats, presently held in Pakistan's custody at the earliest," it said. The two countries have adhered to the practice of exchanging the lists of prisoners and nuclear installations despite recurring tensions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has cut import duties on crude and refined palm oil effective Tuesday to comply with preferential trade pacts with Southeast Asian nations. The import duty on crude palm oil, originating from Malaysia, Indonesia and other members of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been cut to 40 per cent from 44 per cent, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said in a notification. The duty on import of refined palm oil has been lowered to 45 per cent from 54 per cent, if it is imported from Malaysia, and to 50 per cent, if it is imported from members of the ASEAN, which includes Indonesia. While India is the largest importer of palm oil, Indonesia is a major producer of edible oils, particularly palm, followed by Malaysia. Palm oil accounts for bulk of the total edible oils imported annually. The duties have been cut, CBIC said "to provide deeper tariff concessions in respect of specified goods" when imported from ASEAN under the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and Malaysia under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (IMCECA). The duty cuts are effective from January 1, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Armies of India and China held border personnel meetings in Eastern Ladakh Tuesday to mark New Year's day, officials said. During the meetings, both sides resolved to maintain peace and tranquility along the line of actual control (LAC), besides agreeing to work on confidence building measures. The ceremonial border personnel meetings were held in the backdrop of successful conduct of hand-in-hand exercise at Chengdu in China last month wherein troops of both countries interacted and participated in joint exercises and shared on-ground experiences. "At the invitation of the PLA, a ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) to celebrate the new year was conducted at Chinese BPM hut in Chushul - Moldo and DBO-TWD meeting points in eastern Ladakh", a Defence Spokesman said. The Indian delegation was led by Major General Sanjiv Rai and Colonel S S Lamba and the Chinese delegation by Senior Colonel Liu Hou Jie and Colonel Song Zhang Li, he said. The ceremonial BPM commenced with saluting the national flags by the delegation members. This was followed by the ceremonial address comprising of exchange of greetings, wishes and vote of thanks, the spokesman said. "The address reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border. Thereafter, a cultural programme showcasing Chinese culture and tradition was organised", he added. The spokesman said both the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. "The delegations parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the border. Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to maintain peace and tranquility along the border", he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tuesday allowed the corporate affairs ministry to reopen the books of the crippled Group and its subsidiaries for the past five years under Section 130 of the Act, to ascertain financial mismanagement. For the first time, the government on December 21, 2018, had invoked the powers under Section 130 of the new Act of 2013 to reopen the books of a company. The government wants to check the balance-sheets of the crippled group and its two listed subsidiaries--ITNL and Financial Services for the past five years (FY13-FY18) and the move comes after the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) and ICAI reports indicated that the accounts were prepared a fraudulently and negligently in the last five years by the previous management. The statutory bodies including, the Reserve Bank, the markets watchdog Sebi and the Income Tax Department gave their no objection for restating the accounts. However, the auditors Ernst & Young owned SRBC & Co, Delloitte Haskins & Sells and KPMG affiliate BSR Associates opposed the move citing that they had no role in the alleged frauds. The financial accounts are made by the company and not the auditors, they argued. To this, the government informed the tribunal that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) had sent a show cause notice in relation to the alleged frauds to the to the auditors. The auditors argued that the ICAI probe is at a nascent stage and cannot be the basis of recasting of financial accounts. Hearing the petition, the two-member bench of judges VP Singh and Ravikumar Duraisamy observed that based on the ICAI and SFIO reports though it cannot be concluded that the auditors and former directors had any role in preparing of the financial accounts, lets reopen it in the interest of fairness. After allowing the reopening and recasting the books of account of IL&FS, ITNL and IL&FS Financial Services, the tribunal clarified that the order is without any prejudice and will not affect the proceedings before ICAI and SFIO probe. The government also wants to appoint an independent chartered accountant to restate the accounts and revise the balance-sheets and wants three months to do the job. The group owes over Rs 94,000 crore to lenders, mostly banks. It can be noted that this is the first instance of the government invoking Section 130 of the Act, which empowers it reopen accounts only on a court/tribunal' order. The law states that "a company shall not re-open its books of account and not recast its financial statements, unless an application is made by the Central government, income-tax authorities, Sebi, any other statutory regulatory body or authority or any person concerned and an order is made by a court of competent jurisdiction or the tribunal to the effect that i) the relevant earlier accounts were prepared in a fraudulent manner; or (ii) the affairs of the company were mismanaged during the relevant period, casting a doubt on the reliability of financial statements. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of Himachal Pradesh on Friday and Saturday. Heavy rain and snowfall are likely to occur in most places of high, middle, low hills and plains on Friday and Saturday due to western disturbances, said Manmohan Singh, director, Meteorological Centre, Shimla. Issuing an 'orange warning' of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of the state on Friday and Saturday, the Met director asked the authorities concerned to be prepared as heavy rain and snowfall may lead to blockage of roads and landslides, especially in regions of high and mid hills. The Kangra administration has asked its officials to take all possible precautionary measures following the advisory, a district official said. The lowest temperature was recorded in Keylong, the administrative centre Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre at minus 6.8 degrees Celsius. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP government in Gujarat has asked schools to ensure that students respond with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' during roll call instead of customary 'Yes Sir', which it feels will instill "a feeling of patriotism". The move has drawn flak from opposition parties which said the government should rather work towards improving the "deteriorating quality of education". As per notifications issued Monday (December 31) by the Directorate of Primary and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB), students of class 1-12 of the government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to attendance call with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat', starting January 1. The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood", the notifications stated. Defending the move, Gujarat Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said Tuesday that the government should be open to accepting "good suggestions". "'Jai Bharat' and 'Jai Hind' are much better than 'Yes Sir'. Saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' creates a feeling of patriotism, which is why I have decided to make the change," he told reporters. The minister said schools affiliated to the CBSE and other boards have also been asked to follow the new guidelines. "Even local private schools have said that this is a good decision of the state government," he claimed. Criticising the Gujarat government, state Congress unit president Amit Chavda said the new practice "will not change the quality of education" in the government and affiliated schools. "The BJP government has made several efforts to instill patriotism among school students. Altering a certain practice will not improve the standard of education," he said. Chavda alleged that the quality of primary education is going down in Gujarat. "The quality is even worse than many other under-developed states," he said. "The standard of primary eduction in Gujarat has gone down significantly over the last several years. The BJP government engages only in talks and programmes in the name of improving quality," the Congress leader alleged. He asked the Gujarat government to focus on improving school infrastructure, recruiting teachers to fill huge backlog of vacancies and "not forcing teachers to do non-teaching jobs for the government". Patidar leader Hardik Patel said the children and youths of Gujarat should not be forced to express their patriotism, "as that feeling runs in their blood". He said the government should prioritise improving the "significantly deteriorated" quality of education in the state. "Instead of improving the quality of education, the education minister is talking about teaching patriotism to Gujarat's youth and children. He should know that everybody here is born with the feeling of patriotism," Hardik Patel said. Nobody has the right to force anybody to say something he/she dislikes, he said. "This is an attempt to deflect from the right issue. Schools are getting closed. Shortage of teachers is also an important issue," Hardik Patel said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly elected Jasdan MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya Tuesday took oath as a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Bavaliya was administered the oath by Speaker Rajendra Trivedi in his office at Gujarat Assembly building in Gandhinagar. Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama was present along with other BJP leaders during the oath taking ceremony. Bavaliya recently defeated Congress candidate Avsar Nakiya in Jasdan Assembly bypoll by over 19,000 votes. He had yesterday met prime minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, where the latter congratulated him. "I will accept any responsibility given to me by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah regarding the 2019 elections," Bavaliya told reporters after taking oath. Bavaliya, a five-time Congress MLA from Jasdan and one time MP from Rajkot, had quit the party and joined BJP in July last year. He was made cabinet minister in chief minister Vijay Rupani government on the same day that he quit the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A political row broke out on Tuesday over the Gujarat government's directive to schools to ensure that students respond with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' during roll call instead of the customary 'Yes Sir'. The opposition Congress as well as Patidar leader Hardik Patel slammed the move and instead asked the BJP government to improve what they said was the "deteriorating quality of education". But state Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama defended the directive, saying it will instill "a feeling of patriotism" among students. As per the notifications issued on December 31 by the Directorate of Primary and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB), students of class 1-12 of the government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to attendance call with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat', starting January 1. The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood", the notifications stated. The state Congress unit president Amit Chavda said the new practice "will not change the quality of education" in the government and affiliated schools. "The BJP government has made several efforts to instill patriotism among school students. Altering a certain practice will not improve the standard of education," he said. Chavda alleged that the quality of primary education is going down in Gujarat. "The quality is even worse than many other under-developed states," he said. "The standard of primary eduction in Gujarat has gone down significantly over the last several years. The BJP government engages only in talks and programmes in the name of improving quality," the Congress leader alleged. He asked the Gujarat government to focus on improving school infrastructure, recruiting teachers to fill huge backlog of vacancies and "not forcing" teachers to do non-teaching jobs for the government. Hardik Patel said the children and the youth of Gujarat should not be forced to express their patriotism, "as that feeling runs in their blood". He said the government should prioritise improving the "significantly deteriorating" quality of education in the state. "Instead of improving the quality of education, the education minister is talking about teaching patriotism to Gujarat's youth and children. "The minister should know that everybody here is born with the feeling of patriotism," Patel said. Nobody has the right to force anybody to say something he/she dislikes, he added "This is an attempt to deflect from the real issues. Schools are getting closed. Shortage of teachers is also an important issue," Patel added. Education Minister Chudasama said the government should be open to accepting "good suggestions". "'Jai Bharat' and 'Jai Hind' are much better than 'Yes Sir'". "Saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' creates a feeling of patriotism, which is why I have decided to make the change," he told reporters. The minister said schools affiliated to the CBSE and other boards have also been asked to follow the new guidelines. "Even local private schools have said that this is a good decision of the state government," he claimed. As rival parties engaged in a slugfest, some students appeared to have no issue with the new directive. "The concept (of saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat') is very good. Being an Indian, saying 'Jai Bharat' fills us with a sense of pride for our great country. It reminds me of the glorious history of our country's struggle for Independence," said a student of a local school. "We are proud of our country's struggle for freedom. The concept is very good and should be accepted by all the schools in the country," said another student of a private school. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP-led Gujarat government has come under fire for asking schools to ensure that students respond with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' during roll call instead of the customary 'Yes Sir', with the Opposition arguing the move will "not change the quality of education". While state Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama Tuesday said the step would "instill a feeling of patriotism", the opposition Congress asked the government to improve the "deteriorating quality of education". Criticising the state government, Gujarat Congress unit president Amit Chavda said the new practice will not change the quality of in state-run and affiliated schools. According to a notification issued on Monday by the Directorate of Primary and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), students of class 1-12 of the government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat', starting January 1. The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood", it said. Chavda said the BJP government had made several efforts to instill patriotism among school students. "Altering a certain practice will not improve the standard of education," he said. The Congress leader alleged that the quality of primary education was going down in Gujarat. "The quality is even worse than many other under-developed states. The standard of primary eduction in Gujarat has gone down significantly over the last several years. The BJP government only engages in talks and programmes in the name of improving quality," he said. Chavda asked the state government to rather focus on improving school infrastructure, recruiting teachers to fill the huge backlog of vacancies and "not forcing teachers to do non-teaching jobs for the government". Patidar leader Hardik Patel said, "The children and youth of Gujarat should not be forced to express their patriotism, as that feeling runs in their blood". He said the government should prioritise improving the "significantly deteriorated" quality of education in the state. "Instead of improving the quality of education, the education minister is talking about teaching patriotism to Gujarat's youth and children. He should know that everybody here is born with the feeling of patriotism," Patel said. "This is an attempt to deflect from the right issues. Schools are getting closed. Shortage of teachers is also an important issue," the Patidar leader added. Even as the BJP and opposition parties engage in a verbal duel over the propriety of the move, students PTI spoke with seemed to have no issues with the new directive. "The concept (of saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat') is very good. Being an Indian, saying 'Jai Bharat' fills us with a sense of pride for our great country. It reminds me of the glorious history of our country's struggle for Independence," a student said. "We are proud of our country's struggle for freedom. The concept is very good and should be accepted by all the schools in the country," said another student of a private school. Meanwhile, the state education minister said the government should be open to accepting "good suggestions". "Jai Bharat and Jai Hind are much better than 'Yes Sir'. Saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' creates a feeling of patriotism, which is why I have decided to make the changes," he told reporters. Chudasama said schools affiliated to CBSE and other boards have also been asked to follow the new guidelines. "Even local private schools have agreed that it is a good decision (of the state government)," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government may impose anti-dumping duty for 18 months on a Chinese synthetic rubber used in automobile and other industries. The recommended duty ranges between USD 0.078 - 7.31 per kg. Commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said imposition of the duty on imports of 'fluoroelastomers' from China would help minimise impact of dumped imports. "The authority considers it necessary to recommend imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty on imports...for 18 months," DGTR said in a notification. The finance ministry would take the final decision to impose these duties. DGTR initiated the probe in January 2018 following a complaint from Gujarat Fluorochemicals which alleged dumping of the product. The directorate said the product has been exported to India from China at below its normal value, which has resulted in dumping. "The domestic industry has suffered material injury and material retardation due to dumping of the product under consideration from the subject country. The injury has been caused by the dumped imports," it added. There are various applications of fluoroelastomers such as in hydraulic seals, check valve balls, electrical connectors, automotive use in shaft seals, fuel injector, and aerospace use and fuel tank bladders. Countries carry out anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports. As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of WTO. The duty is also aimed at ensuring fair trading practises and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters. India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to check cheap imports from countries including China, with which India has a major concern of widening trade deficit. The deficit has increased to USD 63.12 billion in 2017-18 from USD 51 billion in the previous fiscal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has exempted rupee payments made to Iran's national oil company NIOC towards the purchase of crude oil from payment of any tax, according to a Gazette notification. The finance ministry in a December 28, 2018 Gazette notification said the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) will not have to pay any withholding tax on payments it gets from Indian refiners. India had on November 2, 2018, signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees. Any income a foreign company receives in an Indian bank account is subject to a withholding tax of 40 per cent, which together with sundry cesses totals to 42.5 per cent. Exempting payments received by NIOC for crude oil it sells to Indian refiners, the notification said the Iranian firm "shall not engage in any activity in India, other than the receipt of income under the aforesaid arrangement". It said, "the notification shall be deemed to have come into force from the 5th day of November 2018". This will help clear close to USD 2 billion of payments Indian refiners are holding for oil they bought from Iran during November and October. The rupee pact was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on November 5, 2018. Sources said Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of NIOC. Iran can use these funds to pay for imports of foodgrains, medicines and medical devices from India, the cost of its missions in the country, direct investment in Indian projects, and financing of Iranian students in India. It can also invest the funds in Indian government debt securities. India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, India is allowed to import a maximum of 3,00,000 barrels a day of crude oil. This compares to an average daily import of about 5,60,000 barrels in 2018. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonnes or 15 million tonnes in a year (3,00,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonnes (4,52,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year, sources said. Two of its refiners -- Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) -- bought 1.25 million tonnes of oil from Iran in November and December. India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of total needs. US President Donald Trump in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, re-imposing economic sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Some sanctions took effect from August 6, 2018, while those affecting the oil and banking sectors started from November 5, 2018. Prior to this, India paid its third largest oil supplier in euros using European banking channels. These channels got blocked from November. During the first round of sanctions when EU joined the US in imposing financial restrictions, India initially used a Turkish bank to pay Iran for the oil it bought. Beginning February 2013, India paid 45 per cent of the oil import bill in rupees, while keeping the remainder pending till the opening of payment routes. It began clearing the dues in 2015 when the restrictions were eased. Sources said New Delhi may export goods, including wheat, soybean meal and consumer products, to Iran during the exemption period. Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but Western sanctions over the Persian Gulf nation's suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the seventh spot in the subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonnes and 10.95 million tonne crude, respectively from Iran. Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonnes in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, the Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonnes to catapult it to the third spot. Iranian oil is a lucrative buy for refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crudes -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria, and the US. Besides blocking of banking channels from November, shipping firms are unwilling to transport Iranian oil. To get around this, Iran is using its own ships to transport crude to India. Its insurance companies are also providing insurance cover for such shipments, sources added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thursday onwards, only those vehicle which have RFID tags will be exempted from paying environment compensation charge (ECC) at eight toll plazas in Delhi, the south corporation said Tuesday. In a statement, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said EPCA has directed to issue a general public awareness notice that "January 3 onwards, only those vehicles that have obtained RFID tag after pre-registration will get exemption from paying ECC at operational toll plazas". EPCA or Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority is a Supreme Court-appointed body that takes decision on measures to be taken for curbing pollution in Delhi. RFID or radio frequency identification devices enable vehicles to electronically pay charges at toll plazas and ensure seamless movement. The eight toll plazas are located at Aya Nagar, DND Flyover, Shahdara Main, Shahdara Flyover, Tikri Border, Kapashera Border, Rajokri Border and Kundli Border, the SDMC said. Vehicles which are over 10 years old will not be registered and not be allowed to enter Delhi, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A foreign national and his Nepalese wife have been arrested here for allegedly duping people online on the pretext of delivering parcels. A special team deployed by Kathmandu's Metropolitan Police Circle on Monday arrested Ivory Coast's Obotar Alkagni and his wife Kusum Kayastha, both 32 years old, from their rented apartment in Pepsicola area on the outskirt of Kathmandu. The couple was found possessing an Indian mobile number used to con people in the name of parcel-delivery and lottery, police said. It is believed that they had duped eight people and amassed more than Rs 1.4 million through online cheating which involved using fake IDs on Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber among other social networking sites, police said. The couple used to make calls to people and ask them to deposit a certain amount in various bank accounts on the pretext of delivering parcels to them, police said. Police have lodged a criminal case against them and initiated further investigation into the case, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Domestic passenger vehicle sales continued to be in a slow lane in December with major players Tuesday reporting either marginal increase or decline in offtake during the month on account of adverse macro-economic conditions. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) and Tata Motors posted single digit growth during the period under review while Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) reported decline in sales. The country's largest carmaker MSI reported 1.8 per cent increase in domestic sales at 1,21,479 units last month as against 1,19,286 units in the year-ago period. Sales of the company's mini cars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 27,661 units as compared to 32,146 units in December 2017, down 14 per cent. Similarly, sales of compact segment models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were also down 3.8 per cent at 51,334 units as against 53,336 units in year-ago period. However, sales of utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were up 4.9 per cent at 20,225 units last month. Rival HMIL reported 4.6 per cent increase in domestic sales at 42,093 units in December 2018 as compared with 40,158 units in the year-ago period. Honda Cars also posted 4 per cent increase in domestic sales at 13,139 units in December 2018. It had sold 12,642 units in the domestic market in the year-ago month. "The market continued to remain challenging in December. However, with lucrative year-end offers on many of our models and strong performance of new models Amaze and CR-V, the company recorded 4 per cent sales growth in December 2018," HCIL Senior VP and Director-Sales and Marketing Rajesh Goel said. Tata Motors reported 1 per cent increase in domestic passenger vehicle sales at 14,260 units last month as compared to 14,180 units in December 2017. "In December 2018, we have strived to maintain our growth trajectory during what was a rather sluggish period for the entire auto industry," Tata Motors President Passenger Vehicles Business Unit Mayank Pareek said. On the other hand M&M saw passenger vehicle sales decline 3 per cent during the month at 15,091 units as against 15,543 units in the year-ago period. Commenting on the sales performance, M&M President, Automotive Sector Rajan Wadhera said in the "domestic market, challenges relating to tight liquidity and low buying sentiment continue the de-growth for December". "We hope to see good performance in March quarter, owing to the anticipated rural demand because of the harvesting season and the launch of our new XUV300 in February 2019," he added. In the two-wheeler segment, niche bike maker Royal Enfield saw its domestic sales decline 14 per cent to 56,026 units last month as compared with 65,367 units in December 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has notified the amendments to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, a move that will allow differently-abled people here to avail concessions in education, health services and loan facilities. The notification was delayed since Delhi does not fall in the category of a "state" as mentioned in the rules. The government had to obtain a clearance from the lieutenant governor to approach the Home Ministry in this regard, a Delhi government statement said. The notification will enable differently-abled people to avail concessions in education, health services, loan facilities, and get jobs and other benefits under various government schemes. The Section 101 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, confers power upon a state government to make such rules. However, the term, "state government" has not been defined in the RPwD Act, 2016, for Delhi, it said. Therefore, for clearance it was sent to the lieutenant governor. The statement said as the National Capital Territory of Delhi is considered an Union Territory, a specific delegation of powers is required. The government is working to form a dedicated department for Persons with Disabilities. Public consultation and suggestions are invited from the stakeholders in this regard, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Tuesday accused the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government of increasing the debt burden on the state and asked how it increased by over 1.70 lakh crore in just five years. The debt burden on the state was Rs 1.29 lakh crore when the BJP came to power in 2013, but it increased to Rs 3 lakh crore in five years, he said. Our former (Congress) government had left a debt of Rs 1.29 lakh crore (in 2013). It was a debt of the last 30-40 years, but it increased to Rs 3 lakh crore in the last five years. The debt increased by close to Rs 1.75 lakh crore in the five years, Gehlot said. How did this happen, he asked, saying former chief minister Raje should answer. Gehlot was responding to a question on the financial challenge before the government after it announced farm loan waiver, which will have a burden of Rs18,000 crore on the state exchequer. The chief minister also demanded from the NDA government at the Centre to waive farm loans across the country like the Congress had done after coming to power recently in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He also said a big rally of farmers will be organised in the state soon to put pressure on the Modi government to waive loans. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will again call upon the PM to waive farmers' loan and the details will be finalised after a discussion with the state Congress president, Gehlot added. "The Congress has fulfilled its promise to waive farmers' loan in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after coming to power and work on it has begun. The NDA government should also waive farm loans," he said. He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had waived bad loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of select industrialists when loans of farmers should have been the priority. "The former UPA government (at the Centre) had waived farmers' loans worth Rs 72,000 crore and the Congress (governments) in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have also announced to waive loans," Gehlot told reporters here. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, he said there are only two persons ruling the country. "It is not the BJP that is ruling, but two persons, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, are ruling the country. The BJP and the RSS people, too, have understood this. There is an environment of hatred, violence and insensitivity. "Fake promises were made to the public in the last Lok Sabha elections but things are going to be changed after the (2019 general) elections," he said. Gehlot said Modi will not become the prime minister again. He said the BJP used to talk about a Congress-free country, but now that party is going to be "freed". "Things will change in the country after May (Lok Sabha polls), he said. Gehlot also criticised the decisions of demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax, saying a number of people died due to note-ban. The chief minister also targeted the BJP for making an issue on the delay in the announcement of the chief minister's name, formation of cabinet and in the allocation of portfolios in Rajasthan. Why do they forget that it took seven days in Uttar Pradesh and nine days in Maharashtra to declare their chief ministers. They have no answer to this, he said. Asked about his remark that his government will review the decisions taken by the previous dispensation in the last six months, Gehlot said there will be no vindictive action. He said the law will take its own course. We have no prejudice. The former government had vendetta and framed people in false cases, suspended officials and people were sent to jail. We will not do that. But if anyone has done something wrong and is caught, then action should be taken against the person, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has congratulated Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her landslide victory in the parliamentary elections. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led grand alliance won 288 seats in the 300-member Bangladesh Parliament. "Congratulations to Sheikh Hasina ji and her party for securing a massive victory in Bangladesh elections. Spoke to her and extended best wishes for her third straight term as the prime minister," Deb tweeted on Monday night. He said the Bangladesh prime minister has invited him to visit her country. "Deeply honoured to be invited by her to visit Bangladesh. Look forward to the same." Highly placed sources in the Chief Ministers office said, Hasina during her telephonic talk with Deb assured to extend all cooperation for development of Tripura. "The Bangladesh Prime Minister assured me that she would extend all cooperation for development of the ongoing projects between Bangladesh and the north eastern state," the sources said quoting Deb as saying. Tripura is looking forward for a new waterway between Gumati river in Sonamura in Sipahijala district of the state and Meghna in Brahmanbaria district of the neighbouring country to connect with Ashuganj port for transportation of goods. The state is also building a bridge on the river Feni to connect with Chittagong port of Bangladesh in Sabroom sub-division of South Tripura district, from where the port is only 70 km. Around 15-km of railway track is being built by Indian railways to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh for connecting North-East with Bangladesh railways. Earlier on several occasions, the Tripura chief minister has appreciated the Bangladesh prime minister for her cooperation to the state and stated that "Sheikh Hasina is like my mother." The ancestral home of Deb is in Chandpur district of the neighbouring country and his mother had migrated to Tripura just before the liberation war. Deb was born in Tripura in 1971 during the war. Tripura has 856-km long border with the neighbouring country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker David Dhawan Tuesday remembered veteran writer-actor Kader Khan as the "king of writing emotions" and a performer who believed in improvisation. Khan and Dhawan delivered some of the biggest hits of '90s and early 2000s including "Shola aur Shabnam", "Hero No 1", "Coolie No 1", "Aunty No 1", "Haseena Maan Jayegi" and "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" among numerous others. "He has done such a great work. He was a fine writer and an actor as well. He played his innings very well. I have enjoyed working with him. He was so talented," Dhawan told PTI. Khan passed away Monday evening after prolonged illness in Toronto, Canada, where he was hospitalised. He was 81. Recalling his first meeting with Khan during the making of "Bol Radha Bol" in 1992, the director said the actor-writer was a professional par excellence. "I remember going and meeting him first in 1992 during 'Bol Radha Bol' and he was such a big star then. When he used to hear the story and discuss scenes he was so professional and humble. He used to give suggestions and improvise a lot. He contributed a lot in my journey," he added. Dhawan said, as a writer Khan had the flair of penning emotional and dramatic sequences. "I remember when I used to get stuck with a scene, he would write the scene and perform it spectacularly. He used to write lovely lines especially for emotional and dramatic scenes. He was the king of writing emotions." The director said, even though people in the film industry loved Khan, he never got the credit he deserved. "...He has played a great innings and I salute him. I feel the credit he should have got, he did not get. Film industry people have always loved him. He used to believe in enjoying his work to the fullest," he said. Dhawan's son, actor Varun also paid homage to Khan saying his contribution to his father's cinema was "limitless". "RIP Kader Khan saab. One of my inspirations and a truly iconic actor, writer and stage artist. His contribution to my father's cinema was limitless just like his talent. You will truly be missed by everyone," he wrote on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has proposed a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore on entities that violate the provisions of the Act, with an additional fine of up to Rs 10 lakh per day in case of continuous non-compliance, sources said. Amid privacy concerns over Aadhaar, amendments have been planned in the Act, under which the government also proposes to arm the Unique Identification Authority of (UIDAI) with more powers, similar to that of regulators, sources said. The Act, at present, does not empower the body to take enforcement action against errant entities in the ecosystem. Children, holding Aadhaar, will have the option of cancellation of the 12 digit biometric identifier within a period of six months of attaining 18 years of age. The consent of a parent or guardian will be must for enrolling a child, while no child will be denied any subsidy, benefits or services for lack of Aadhaar, as per the proposed changes. The proposed amendments also make provision for 'Virtual ID' and voluntary and offline modes of using Aadhaar. A bill to amend the Aadhaar Act, the Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Besides, the government also plans to set up a UIDAI fund under the Aadhaar Act and has proposed that the authority be exempt from taxes on income. Mooting fines for violation of the Aadhaar Act, the draft provisions say that a new section will be added to provide for civil penalties which may extend to Rs 1 crore for each contravention on failure to comply with provisions of the Act, rules, regulations and directions by any entity in the Aadhaar ecosystem. The Aadhaar ecosystem includes enrolling agencies, registrars, requesting entities, offline verification seeking entities and any other entity or group as may be specified by regulations. It further mooted an additional penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for each day of continuing non-compliance after the first contravention. Punishment for unauthorised access to the Central Identities Data Repository as well as data tampering is proposed to be extended to 10 years each from the current three years. According to sources, the government is keen to give UIDAI regulatory powers, considering the fact that over 122 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued across the country but the authority does not currently have powers to take enforcement actions against errant entities. There will be a provision to file appeal before the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal), and against the orders of TDSAT an appeal can be made in the The government also plans to amend the Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to provide for voluntary use of Aadhaar for obtaining SIMs and opening The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in September last year, had upheld the constitutional validity of 'Aadhaar' but limited the scope of the controversial biometric identity project, ruling it is not mandatory for bank accounts, mobile connections or school admissions. Holding there was nothing in the Aadhaar Act that violates right to privacy of an individual, the SC had cleared the use of Aadhaar (world's largest biometric ID programme) for welfare schemes. The court had held that Aadhaar will remain mandatory for filing of Income Tax (IT) returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN) but struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 that permitted private entities like telecom companies or other corporate to avail of the biometric Aadhaar data. Following this, the Cabinet last month approved amendments to Aadhaar Act, the Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. An elaborate three-day coronation ceremony for Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be held in early May, more than two and half years after the death of his revered father Bhumibol Adulyadej. The 66-year-old ascended the throne following his father's death in October 2016, which ended a tumultuous seven-decade reign over the Southeast Asian kingdom marked by coups and rounds of violent street protests. Maha Vajiralongkorn, formally known as Rama X of the Chakri dynasty, has since dramatically reorganised palace affairs. He has bolstered his own security detail and granted himself personal stewardship of the crown's multi-billion dollar assets, which include swathes of prime real estate and major investments in banks and companies. Thailand's monarchy - one of the world's richest - is shielded from criticism by a harsh royal defamation law punishing any transgressors with up to 15 years per charge. It is also butressed by the conservative, ultra-royalist army which has ruled Thailand since seizing power in 2014, banning protests and political rallies, but which has pledged to restore elections early this year. In a televised announcement, the Royal Household Bureau said the coronation will take place between May 4 and 6. "It's a suitable time to hold the coronation in accordance to the tradition and for national celebration and joy of the people," the bureau said. The "coronation ceremony" will be held on May 4 with an audience granted to "the royal family, privy councillors and cabinet members", it explained. The following day a ceremony will "bestow the royal name" according to traditions governing the monarchy, then on May 6 the king will hold a "grand audience" with members of the public and diplomats. This year is poised to be pivotal for Thailand. The country is also set to hold elections, with the junta teasing the date of Febuary 24. If polls are held then, it would be just shy of five years since the junta - led by army chief turned premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha - seized power from the elected civilian government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The junta, which portrays itself as the defender of the monarchy, says it toppled her government to end corruption under successive civilian administrations. Its critics say it acted only to push out the Shinawatra clan, led by Yingluck's older brother, the billionaire and ex-premier Thaksin, and uproot their political networks. Despite two coups and multiple legal challenges the family and its affiliates have won every Thai general election since 2001, relying on support from the poor but populous north and northeast. It is not clear whether the Shinawatras' support is still as strong as it was, with the military-linked parties successfully luring over some their erstwhile allies. Thaksin, booted from office by 2006 coup, has lived in self-exile for a decade over a corruption conviction. Yingluck joined her brother in self-exile in 2017 to avoid jail for criminal negligence linked to a rice subsidy scheme aimed at her base. The military has written a new constitution that experts say dilutes the power of elected governments and embeds its role in and policy for the next 20 years. A fully-appointed senate and a reduction in the number of lower house seats is expected to offset any strong electoral showing by the Shinawatras and their allies. Prayut is widely tipped to return as the country's next premier. He needs the endorsement of just 126 lower house legislators plus the junta-appointed senate. Frank discussion of Thailand's monarchy is off-limits in Thailand, where all Thai-based media must self-censor to avoid falling foul of the broadly interpreted lese majeste laws. Convictions under the law soared during the initial years of military rule but have eased since Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended to the throne, with charges in several high-profile cases also dropped. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress leadership of using the CBI to manufacture evidence in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case to "politically destroy" its president Amit Shah who, it said, has come out of this "trial by fire" unscathed. The ruling party fielded Smriti Irani to attack Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, whom the Union minister accused of supporting terrorists in his tweet that said "nobody killed" Shaikh and he "just died". Rahul Gandhi had tweeted this after a special CBI court in Mumbai on December 21 acquitted all 22 accused in the case of killing of Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati in alleged fake encounters by Gujarat police between 2005 and 2006 citing insufficient evidence. Shah, who was the minister of state for home in Gujarat at that time, was also arrested briefly in 2010 in the case before being discharged in December 2014. Irani said Shah was targeted by the CBI as a part of a "political conspiracy" of the Congress and its then president because Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, and Shah were seen as political rivals by the party. "The Congress and its president used the CBI to manufacture evidence to politically destroy Shah. It is one of the finest examples of the length to which the Congress will go to destroy its political opponents," she said. She described the case as a trial by fire for Shah and said he came out unscathed, as the country's verdict had shown that "truth cannot be destroyed". There was no immediate response from the Congress to her allegations. The Congress is always willing to trample upon justice and the Constitution to finish off its political rivals, Irani alleged. Targeting Rahul Gandhi, she said his tweet was an expression of frustration that Shah came out of the case unscathed despite eight years of harassment. Following the courts order acquitting the accused, Gandhi had tweeted, "No one killed Haren Pandya. Tulsiram Prajapati. Justice Loya. Prakash Thombre. Shrikant Khandalkar. Kauser Bi. Sohrabuddin Shiekh. They just died." Irani alleged that the Congress will not spare anybody who comes in the way of its pursuit of power which it uses not to serve people but "one family". She noted that activist Harsh Mander, who she claimed was a member of Sonia Gandhi's "kitchen cabinet", had moved the Supreme Court against Shah's discharge. Irani read from the Mumbai court's order that criticised the CBI probe and said the agency created evidence to suit its "preconceived and premeditated" theory to implicate political leaders. The BJP leader alleged that Shah was arrested in 2010 on the "order" of the Congress leadership and left to "rot" in jail before he was granted bail by court. "The court has admitted that these cases were slapped against Shah for purely political reasons. Not only in the Mumbai High Court but also in the Supreme Court, the Congress' conspiracy got defeated, " Irani told reporters. To a question about AgustaWestland case accused Christian Michel's speaking of "Mrs Gandhi" and making other references which the BJP has linked to the Gandhi family, Irani said sarcastically that she was not in a position to explain it as she is neither Italian and nor her son's name begins with 'R'. She alleged that the Congress had dispatched its lawyers to help Michel whose "historical relations" with the Gandhi family are established. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Tuesday described theSohrabuddin Shaikh case as an example of the length to which the Congress will go to "destroy" its political opponents, and alleged it had used the CBI as part of a "conspiracy" to target Amit Shah when it was in power. BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani hit out at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi,alleging Shah,who was then a minister in the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi,was harassed by the CBI at the behest of the Congress leadership as Modi and Shah were identified by it as main rivals. She alleged that evidence was "manufactured" in an attempt to "destroy" Shah politically. She also accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of supporting a terrorist, a reference to his tweet on the verdict in Sohrabuddin Shaikh case that "nobody killed" him and he "just died". "On the orders of the Congress leadership, the CBI tried to frame Amit Shah as part of a political conspiracy. "The court has admitted that these cases were imposed on Shah for political reasons.Not only in the Mumbai High Court but also in the Supreme Court, the Congress' conspiracy got defeated, " Irani told reporters. All 22 accused in the alleged 20o5-2006 fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted on December 21 by a special CBI court in Mumbai because of insufficient evidence. BJP president Amit Shah, who was the minister of state for home in Gujarat at that time, was also arrested briefly in 2010 in the case before being discharged in December 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh government Tuesday said it was going to withdraw all "politically motivated" cases filed by the previous BJP government. The saffron party ruled the state for 15 years since 2003 before being unseated by the Congress in the November 28 Assembly polls. The move comes a day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati threatened to reconsider her party's support to the Congress in the state and neighbouring Rajasthan, if cases in connection with Bharat bandh on April 2 last year were not withdrawn. The shutdown was called by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act due to a Supreme Court order. The April 2 protest had crippled several parts of Madhya Pradesh and the subsequent violence left eight persons, mainly from the Dalit communities, dead. "We are going to withdraw the politically motivated cases filed by the previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in past 15 years against the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP, Left parties, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists, farmers, employees and journalists," state Law and Legislative Affairs Minister P C Sharma told PTI. Asked whether Mayawati's threat had prompted the MP government to go for the withdrawal of such cases, he said, "No, it is not the case". "The new (Congress) regime was already considering the withdrawal of politically motivated cases. Majority of these matters are against the Congress," Sharma said. "Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath ji, our senior leaders and Mayawati ji were in talks for quite some time on the issue. "Nath had already announced that all politically motivated cases in MP would be withdrawn," the minister said, but did not give details on when the chief minister had made such a statement. In a hard-hitting press release issued in Lucknow on Monday, Mayawati had said, "If the newly-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against the innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the BSP may have to reconsider extending the outside support to the Congress governments". The BSP is supporting the Congress in both MP and Rajasthan, where the latter had fallen short of the majority mark. The Congress won 114 seats in Madhya Pradesh, short of the 116-majority mark in the 230-member House, while in Rajasthan it stopped at 99 seats in the 200-member House. In MP, two MLAs from the BSP, one from the SP and four Independents are supporting the Congress. In August last year, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, overturning a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the SC/ST law, was passed by Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is using his annual report on the federal judiciary to highlight the steps the branch has taken to combat inappropriate conduct in the workplace. In December 2017, Roberts asked that a working group be put together to examine the judiciary's workplace conduct policies. His request followed reports about prominent federal appeals court judge Alex Kozinski, who retired following accusations by women, including former law clerks, that he had touched them inappropriately, made lewd comments and shown them pornography. The working group of judges and judiciary officials that Roberts asked be convened issued a report in June, finding that inappropriate conduct is not widespread among the judiciary branch's 30,000 employees but also is "not limited to a few isolated instances." The group offered a range of recommendations for further action. Roberts, in his New Year's Eve report, endorsed those recommendations, which focus on revising the codes of conduct the judiciary has for judges and employees, streamlining the process for identifying and correcting misconduct, and expanding training programs aimed at preventing inappropriate behaviour. Roberts did not say anything in the report about the sexual assault allegations that nearly derailed the confirmation of the court's newest justice, Brett Kavanaugh. In testimony before senators in September, psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford alleged that a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party decades ago when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denied the allegations. Roberts noted that the working group did not give the judiciary branch "a completely clean bill of health" and that it concluded that when misconduct happens it is "more likely to take the form of incivility or disrespect than overt sexual harassment" and "frequently goes unreported." Roberts noted that since the working group's report was issued, changes to the judiciary's code of conduct and disciplinary procedures have been proposed, including enlarging the definition of workplace misconduct. Other changes include lengthening the time that employees have to report misconduct. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which oversees the day-to-day operation of the federal courts, has also created an Office of Judicial Integrity to monitor workplace conduct issues. Individual federal courts have also been studying their workplaces and adopting changes, and Roberts said the Supreme Court would also add to its existing policies and training programs. The working group Roberts instituted will remain in place for the next year to monitor progress. "The job is not finished until we have done all that we can to ensure that all of our employees are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect," Roberts wrote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chad's President Idriss Deby said Monday that repeatedly postponed legislative and local elections in the central African state will be held in the first half of 2019. It will be the poor, oil-rich state's first legislative elections since 2011. The vote had originally been scheduled for 2015, but due to delays, the sitting parliament's mandate was extended by a constitutional law. "The year 2019 will be marked by the holding of legislative and local elections," Deby, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1990, said in his New Year's address. However, opposition leader Saleh Kebzabo said it was not up to the president to decide the date of the vote -- that was the responsibility of the national election commission (CENI). "Idriss Deby has also not spoken about constantly-violated freedoms or of a desire to improve electoral transparency," Kebzabo told AFP. The President has requested 30 billion CFA francs ( USD 52 million) from the international community to help pay for the elections. During a visit to Chad on December 23, French President Emmanuel Macron promised funds to help the vote go ahead. The support of Chad's allies is "indispensable in this new electoral process, which requires significant financial and logistical resources," Deby said in his address. He is hoping for an end to the country's financial crisis, which was caused mainly by the slide in the price of crude oil in 2014-2015. "The coming year will be pivotal in the battle to structurally transform our economy," Deby added. Despite its oil resources, the country's population is among the poorest in the world. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Panamanian car carrier heading from Japan to Hawaii caught fire in the Pacific Ocean, with some crew members abandoning the ship and the US Coast Guard and other vessels heading to its rescue Monday. The Coast Guard said in a statement that crew members launched a life raft and four of the 21 mariners aboard left the Sincerity Ace wearing life jackets. The agency could not confirm if they reached the life raft. The remaining 17 crew members stayed on board to fight the fire. The Coast Guard said other commercial vessels were helping with the rescue 1,800 nautical miles (3,333 kilometres) northwest of Hawaii. The statement doesn't say what caused the fire on the 198-metre ship. "The distance involved here requires any and all available support, we thank the crews of the commercial vessels for volunteering to assist and have Coast Guard air support en route," Petty Officer 1st Class Les Elliott said in the statement. One commercial vessel had arrived and was assessing possible rescue options, the agency said. Three additional commercial vessels and Coast Guard airplanes were heading there. "We are thankful no injuries have been reported but are cognizant a lot is happening, and that may change at any time," Elliott said. The Coast Guard said the U.S. Navy will help with search efforts. A Coast Guard spokesman in Honolulu said it was unknown how many cars the ship is carrying. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chhattisgarh government has decided to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged financial irregularities in the state's Civil Supplies Corporation. The decision was taken on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at Mantralaya in Atal Nagar, Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Ravindra Choubey said Tuesday. "The Cabinet has decided to constitute a SIT for a high level probe into financial irregularities in Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation. The probe will be headed by an Inspector General of Police rank officer," he added. "The state's Anti-Corruption Bureau had probed the scam. In the raids conducted by ACB during the investigation (in 2015), it had recovered a 113-page diary (in which names of beneficiaries of the scam were mentioned). The content of only six pages of the diary were covered in the probe while remaining 107 pages were skipped," he said. In an application to the state government recently, IAS officer Anil Tuteja, who was made an accused in the case by the ACB, had demanded a detailed probe into the matter, he said. After seeking a report in this connection from ACB, it was decided that a SIT should be set up to examine and probe the remaining contents of the diary, he added. "The civil supply scam was of about Rs 36,000 crore and several high profile people were involved in it. The SIT probe will reveal the truth," he added. The alleged scam was exposed in February, 2015 when ACB and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted simultaneous raids at 25 premises of Civil Supplies Corporation and its officials. Later, the ACB made 18 people, including two Indian Administrative Service (IAS)officers, Tuteja and Alok Shukla, accused in the case. The Congress had earlier alleged that then Chief Minister Raman Singh, his wife and other high profile people were named as beneficiaries in the diary which was recovered during the raid, a charge refuted continually by the BJP leadership. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has termed the decision as " of revenge". "The case is already in the court and if there is any evidence related to it, it should be produced in the court. It is a sign of of revenge by taking help of an accused in the case," state BJP chief Dharamlal Kaushik alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vishnu Phatangade was one of the several thousand police personnel on duty at Bhima Koregaon to ensure that peace prevailed while a sea of people flocked Tuesday to the Jay Stambh victory memorial there to commemorate the 1818 battle between East Indian Company forces and the Peshwa Army of the Maratha Empire. What made him stand apart was the fact that exactly a year ago, violence at the very same spot during the same annual ritual, a proud facet of the Dalit narrative of valour, led to the death of his brother Rahul. Standing a few metres away from the spot where his brother fell to a brutal assault with sticks and stones, Phatangade said the call of duty was greater than the thought of taking the day off to mourn a beloved sibling. The 25-year-old policeman is attached to the Pune Rural police's Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and is one of the 5,000 police personnel, 1,200 Home Guard jawans and 12 companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) who are on duty at the spot. "Though it is my brother's first death anniversary, I thought it is my duty to be present here to ensure safety and security of the people", he told PTI after this correspondent spotted him near the BDDS van. "Had I applied for leave, I would have easily got a day off. However, I decided to be on duty today and observe the first death anniversary of my brother later," he said, a cop's unflinching resolve coming through in his words. The hurt is deeper, he agrees, as it was Rahul, elder to him by five years, who not only encouraged him to become a policeman but also accompanied him through the recruitment procedures. The policeman added that he was also preparing to appear for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams even as he plays sole breadwinner for the family now comprising his wife and mother besides himself. Rahul Phatangade (30), a resident of Sainath Nagar near Sanaswadi in Shirur tehsil here, was attacked and killed by a mob armed with stones and sticks near Bhima Koregaon on January 1 last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Women in Kerala have scripted history by erecting a "human wall of resistance" against the dark forces, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said here Tuesday as she hit out at the BJP and RSS for exploiting women to achieve their 'toxic political goals.' Addressing women who had gathered at Thiruvananthapuram, where she was the last link of the 620 km-long wall,she lashed out at right-wing political parties and said those who had opposed social reformers like Ayyankali,Sree Narayana Guru and Mannath Padmanabhan have 'reincarnated' as BJP-RSS workers. "Those who opposed the social reformers, those who stoned reformers like Ayyankali and Padmanabhan and Sree Narayana Guru have reincarnated in the form of RSS and BJP. They want to derail the social secular society of Kerala," Karat said. She alleged that the saffron party was using women for its "toxic, divisive, anti-women political goals' and asked women not to be the pawns in the hands of those who have no thoughts about the future of women. "If you worship Ayyappa and you believe in a particular form of worship, we respect that. But if some other women want to have a direct darshan of Lord Ayyappa, the Supreme Court has said that to prevent them was unconstitutional. How can you stop them? We respect your beliefs, but please understand that today the RSS and BJP are using you. They are using you, not because of their religious sentiment. They are using you for their toxic, divisive, anti-women political goals," she said. The CPI(M) polit bureau member also questioned the stand of right-wing parties on women's protection and upliftment and hit out at RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. "The RSS and the BJP and all the reactionary forces who are being mobilized by them, what is their record on women's rights? Who is Mohan Bhagwat? He says women are responsible for crimes against them. Who are these people to talk of women's rights? They go to the courts and meet the Godmen who are accused and guilty of raping women", she said. "They are those people who, when young women are sexually assaulted, blame them for the dress, for the way they eat, the way they make friends. This is the force that is coming here today in Kerala and exploiting the beliefs", she said and appealed to women to rethink and reconsider. "Hold on to your beliefs if that is what you want, but do not become the pawns in the hands of those who have no thoughts about you or your future generation," she said. Patting the state government for taking a strong stance on women's rights,Karat said Kerala was showing the way to the rest of the country on various human development indices. She also lashed out at the main opposition Congress, saying it was speaking the language of the RSS in the morning and changing it to that of the Muslim League in the evening. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. The former paratrooper and longtime lawmaker was starting his four-year mandate on January 1 as required by the constitution, after a night of New Year's celebrations across the country. He was taking office with a sky-high approval rating, fueled by public expectations that he will be a new broom sweeping away chronic crime and corruption, and boosting an economy still limping after a record recession. "I will bring in completely different from that which brought corruption and inefficiency to Brazil," he said late Monday in an interview with Record TV. The 63-year-old comfortably won an October election against Fernando Haddad, a candidate from the leftwing Workers Party that was in power between 2003 and 2016 but is now reviled after a series of graft scandals. The Workers Party icon, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is serving prison time for corruption. And his chosen successor Dilma Rousseff was impeached for cooking the government's books. In a ceremony marked by pomp and high security, Bolsonaro will formally take over from center-right Michel Temer, who succeeded Rousseff but made little headway with needed fiscal reform and ended up Brazil's most unpopular leader ever. Bolsonaro voters hope their man will do better. He has promised to govern for all of the country's 210 million Brazilians, and campaigned on vows to eradicate graft, crack down on crime, open up Brazil's protectionist economy to the free market, and put business interests ahead of environmental protection. In his interview, he said "we will debureaucratize to the maximum possible" and "clean out" the government so its "weight" is cut back. But there has been no sign of him dropping the bluff, shoot-from-the-lip style that has earned him comparisons with US President Donald Trump, whom he admires. Even before taking office Bolsonaro tweeted he will issue a decree easing gun laws so "good" citizens can possess weapons to deter criminals. That worries many, who fear it could aggravate Brazil's rampant violence. The country saw nearly 64,000 murders in 2017 -- the highest number of any country. A poll by the Datafolha survey firm found 61 percent of Brazilians against Bolsonaro's decree. Bolsonaro also said his education minister will stop "Marxist trash" being taught in schools and universities -- a swipe at Workers Party ideology. Bolsonaro's track record of waxing nostalgic for Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship has stirred some concerns, as have his past disparagements of women, gays and blacks. A more forceful foreign policy is on its way, with the new leader saying he will do all he can to challenge leftist-ruled Venezuela and Cuba. The leaders of those countries, and their ally Nicaragua, were excluded from the guest list to Boslonaro's inauguration, although Bolivia's leftwing President Evo Morales did get invited. Other foreign dignitaries attending include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Hungary's national Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Bolsonaro and Netanyahu talked up their budding "brotherhood" ahead of the inauguration. And Netanyahu said Bolsonaro had assured him that it was a question of "when" and not "if" Brazili was to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the city claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital. Bolsonaro has already said he will pull his country out of a UN global pact on migration, and he is considering whether to keep Brazil in the Paris climate accord. But the new leader's supporters, more than 250,000 of whom were expected in Brasilia on Tuesday, expressed full-throated backing for Bolsonaro. "We are counting on him to free Brazil from the boot of the criminals. Today, criminals are freer to go about armed than good people who respect the law," said one, Ze Ivan, a businessman from Brazil's northern state of Para. "This inauguration is a turning point," said another, 36-year-old teacher Mauro Penna. "We are very optimistic - this time our country is going to change. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP's women's wing on Tuesday marched towards the chief minister's residence here and scuffled with security personnel in their bid to meet Naveen Patnaik over the acquittal of the accused in the Pipili gang rape and murder case. BJP Mahila Morcha workers were demanding expulsion of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy and handing over the case to the CBI, the organisation's president Pravati Parida said. The state Crime Branch police failed to deliver justice to the rape and murder victim and that was why the accused were acquitted, she claimed. The Mahila Morcha activists carried bangles during their march to 'Naveen Niwas' and wanted to gift those to the chief minister for his silence over the "objectionable remarks" made by Maharathy, organisation Secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar said. The police detained many Mahila Morcha activists. Patnaik, however, was not at home during the commotion as he is at Puri to visit Lord Jagannth's temple there. The Chief Minister's Office on Monday said Patnaik will not be able to meet well wishers on the New Year's Day due to health issues. A court in Bhubaneswar on December 24 had acquitted the two accused in the case due to lack of evidence. Soon after their acquittal, Maharathy said the victim and her family got justice. The agriculture minister, however, apologised later. A 19-year-old woman was found unconscious and semi- naked in a paddy field at Pipili in Puri district on November 28, 2011. She succumbed on June 21, 2012 after remaining semi -comatose in SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Maharathy had to resign from the ministry in 2012 in the face of a statewide hue and cry for allegedly sheltering the accused persons. He again became minister in 2014. BJP Mahila Morcha activists on Monday demonstrated near Crime Branch Headquarters in Cuttack demanding justice for Pipili gang rape and murder victim and alleging that the prosecution botched the investigation into it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that a decision on an ordinance on the Ram temple in Ayodhya could only be taken after the completion of the judicial process, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Tuesday said the assurances given by the BJP had very little credibility. He also alleged that sharpening communal polarisation was the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) only plan. In a televised interview on Tuesday, Modi suggested that any decision on an ordinance on a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh could be taken only after the completion of the judicial process, while asserting that the government was ready to make all efforts to fulfil its responsibility. The prime minister's comments came amidst heightened demands by Hindutva organisations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for an ordinance for an early construction of the temple. Reacting to Modi's remarks, Yechury said, "We heard the BJP CM in 1992 give false assurances on protecting the Babri Masjid. After the demolition, it was claimed as a success by them. These assurances by the BJP have very little credibility." "After having destroyed the economy and ruined people's livelihoods, sharpening communal polarisation is the BJP's only plan. This will not be allowed to succeed," he added. In 1992, BJP's Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. On Modi's comment that the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be about the "janta" (people) versus the "gathbandhan" (alliance), Yechury said the battle lines of the contest were clear -- it was the ruinous policies of the Modi government versus the people of India. Slamming the prime minister over demonetisation, he said Modi's claim that the move had eliminated black money was "preposterous". "Modi facilitated black money hoarders to whitewash illegal cash holdings. People who ought to have been penalised were rewarded at the expense of destroying livelihoods of crores of Indians," Yechury tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday said the BJP is not bothered about the proposed 'Mahagatbandhan' (Grand alliance of opposition parties) and oozed confidence that the party would provide a stronger government at Centre and in Jharkhand in the approaching elections. The BJP and its cadres are efficient enough to face the opposition in the next elections, Das said while addressing a press conference here. "We will provide much more stronger government at the Centre and in Jharkhand in the next general and Assembly elections," Das said. "We (BJP) are neither staring at the proposed 'Thug Bandhan' or 'Mahagatbandhan' (Grand alliance) of opposition parties ahead of the next elections nor we are bothered about it," he added. The possible 'Mahagathbandhan' in the state is supposed to be between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The people of the country accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader and voted him to power with a thumping majority in the 2014 elections as they were fed up with the UPA government, which had miserably failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people. While the BJP won 12 out of a total of 14 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JMM had bagged two seats only. The matured people of the country had rejected the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh, which was in paralysis during its tenure as it badly lacked as far as "decision making" was concerned in the interest of the country, Das said. The country got a strong government during the last four years under Modi jis leadership, Das said, adding, the Congress during their 68 years of "misrule" had failed to provide basic amenities like electricity and irrigation facilities. Presenting the report card of his four-year tenure in the state, Das said a major achievement of the government was that the Naxalism in the state was breathing its last due to to massive anti-Naxal operations launched by the state police. "The situation has improved in the state to such an extent that people are now freely moving around at night, in the once Naxal-affected districts of Palamau, Latehar, Simdega, Garwah and Chatra," Das claimed. Das also claimed that criminal activities have been checked. He also said a lot of things have to be done in order to eradicate poverty and unemployment, and ill-practises such as witchcraft and migration. Das also claimed that the road network and infrastructure improved during the tenure of the BJP-led government in Kharkhand. Around 32,000 villages of the state had been electrified in 2018 while efforts were on to supply 24x7 uninterrupted electricity in 2019, Das said. In and attempt to fulfil the dream of the Prime Minister Modi to double the income of the farmers by 2022, Das said his government will launch a scheme "Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana in 2019. He said the agriculture sector and rural development would the priority of his government in the New Year 2019. Das claimed that the agriculture sector had recorded 14 per cent growth during the last four years of his rule against minus 4.5 per cent growth rate before the 2014. Besides, the government will also launch 'Mukhyamantri Sukanya Yojana' to check school dropouts and maternity mortality rate. Altogether 27 lakh women will be benefited from the scheme, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Tuesday accused the BJP of making a fresh bid to topple the JDS-Congress coalition government in the state, asserting that it would not succeed. As the war of words between the BJP and Congress over the alleged toppling game intensified, Parameshwara claimed that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting of his party's disgruntled MLAs with BJP president Amit Shah. "BJP is an expert in horse trading. They have already proved it last time. This time also they tried (to unsettle the government) but they failed in their attempt. Again, they are making a fresh bid," the deputy chief minister alleged. Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara charged that there were efforts to woo 'some MLAs' from his party, Congress, but he refused to divulge their names. "Some MLAs are there and attempts are being made to arrange their meetings with the BJP national president. "We have information that they are making attempts (to topple the government) but they will not succeed," he said. "Government is safe and there is no need to panic," he asserted. Parameshwara's charge comes amid reports that disgruntled Congress MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped from the ministry in the recent reshuffle, has been camping in Delhi. He has remained incommunicado since he was removed from the ministry. His brother Satish Jarkiholi, a minister in Kumaraswamy government, Tuesday said he too came to know that Ramesh was in Delhi. He did not rule out the possibility of some other miffed MLAs being with him. The BJP on Monday had maintained that it was not trying to dislodge the coalition government in Karnataka while the Congress had claimed it has evidence of 'horse trading' of its MLAs, alleging that they were each 'offered' Rs 25 crore to 30 crore. State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa had demanded that Congress produce proof to substantiate its claim. Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah had responded, saying he would produce evidence at the "appropriate time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst criticism that the surgical strike failed to check Pakistan's support for terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that it would be a "big mistake" to think that Pakistan will mend its ways after just "one war". "Pakistan will never improve on the basis of one war.That nation will still take some time to improve. All PMs of India, across all parties never opposed dialogue with Pakistan," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted, quoting Modi. "But, can we hear anything in the midst of bombs?Today, terror supporting Pakistan is isolated," Modi said according to the PMO's tweets. Quoting from Modi's interview, broadcast by various TV channels, the PMO tweets covered a wide range of issues, including demands for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Urjit Patel's resignation as RBI governor, demonetisation, mob lynching and BJP's defeat in three Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. On demands from Hindutava organisations, including the RSS, for a government ordinance to allow construction of a Ram temple, Modi said,"Let the judicial process take its own course. Don't weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as government, we are ready to make all efforts." Rejecting opposition charges that his government was anti-farmer, the Prime Minister said,"there is a small segment of farmers who take loans from banks. A majority of them take loans from money lenders. When governments make such announcements, those farmers do not become beneficiaries of waivers. The farmers who are dying are out of the purview of such schemes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government-appointed two-member judicial commission probing the Bhima Koregaon violence has examined 35 out of the total 360 witnesses of the incident that took place exactly a year ago, social activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil claimed Tuesday. The commission, headed by Justice (retired) J N Patel, was set up on February 9 last year and had eight sittings in Pune and Mumbai so far, he told PTI. Apart from Justice Patel, a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court, the other member in the judicial commission is Sumit Mullick, Maharashtra Chief Information Commissioner. A sum of Rs 62 lakh has been provided so far for expenses incurred by the commission, Patil said. While it was given four months time to probe the incident, its tenure was later extended by a year. On January 1 last year, the event to mark the 200th anniversary of the 1818 Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune district was marred by violence, allegedly provoked by right-wing groups, resulting in the death of one person and extensive damage to public property. Dalit groups commemorate the British victory as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community -- then considered untouchable -- were part of the East India Company's forces which defeated the Peshwa Army of the Maratha Empire. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fresh turf war, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Tuesday said he has returned a file on Pongal gift hamper scheme to Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, protesting her 'arbitrary' decision to restrict it's coverage, a charge rejected by her. He also said the Lt Governor had "no authority" to take a decision contrary to the proposal of the government to extend the benefits of the scheme to all ration card holders. "She is only misusing her authority and acting to the detriment of the people by taking a decision contrary to the proposal of elected government," Narayanasamy, who has been at loggerheads with Bedi on various administrative matters, told reporters here. Joining issue, Bedi charged Narayanasamy with using public platforms to spread 'false information' and said he was party to a decision taken last year that the scheme would be limited to BPL families only and not applicable to the APL (above poverty line) families. On December 28, while addressing Congress workers at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office here, Narayanasamy had said though the government decided to distribute Pongal gift hampers for all ration card holders, Bedi returned the file insisting that only BPL families should be covered. The chief minister Tuesday said his cabinet did not accept the 'modification' made by Bedi to the government's proposal. "When she sent the file to the government with specific contention that only BPL families should be handed the Pongal gifts and those coming under above poverty line (APL) and AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) categories would not be eligible for it, I had returned the file to her registering our protest against her arbitrary decision," he said. The gift hamper comprises essential items like rice, jaggery and cashew nuts required for making 'Pongal' (a sweet delicacy,) offered to Sun God on the occasion of harvest festival, which falls on January 15. Narayanasamy said the Congress government wanted the benefits of the scheme to reach all categories as done in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Bedi's contention that implementation of the scheme would mean heavy expenditure for the government was "misleading and is an utter lie," he alleged. Noting that any difference of opinion between the Lt Governor and the government on implementation of welfare schemes should be referred to the Council of Ministers, Narayanasamy said the former had no authority to adopt a totally "improper and arbitrary approach." Charging Bedi with hiding facts to justify her stand, he said she "does not deserve" to be the incumbent of the gubernatorial post. Puducherry would witness a "big change" sooner than later and all "current sufferings and embarrassment" of the people would come to an end, he claimed without elaborating. Reacting to the chief minister's comments, Bedi in a message to the media later said the gift hamper was "limited to the BPL and red card holders as per the notification published in the state Gazette in January last year. "...the Chief Minister is part of the agreed decision - that the scheme is limited to BPL families and red colour card holders only and that the benefit of the scheme is not applicable to the APL families," she said. Bedi also said the expenditure for this scheme would be met from out of the funds earmarked for free rice scheme. When full allocation was not available for the rice scheme, the Chief Minister would blame the office of Lt Governor for not providing the fund, she added. "The Chief Minister is regrettably using his public platforms to spread false information all the time. He is violating his own gazette schemes when he demands Pongal gift forthe above poverty line categories also," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The newly-elected leaders of the BNP, headed by imprisoned former premier Khaleda Zia, will not take oath as they have rejected the results, the party announced Tuesday, hours after the government said the MPs-elect will be sworn in to Parliament on January 3. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which rejected the poll outcome as "farcical" and demanded fresh election, won five seats in the 300-member Parliament. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling alliance swept to a landslide victory in the 11th general elections, securing a third straight term. The opposition alliance, comprising the BNP and some smaller parties, criticised the Election Commission (EC) and accused its chief of being biased. The EC, however, ruled out holding fresh polls. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the newly-elected lawmakers will be sworn in to Parliament on January 3 (Thursday), Dhaka Tribune reported. A gazette notification will be issued on Wednesday, he said. The BNP, alleging irregularities including ballot stuffing and ouster of opposition polling agents from voting centres, said the party's MPs-elect will not take oath as they have already rejected the results, Daily Star reported. The party took the decision in principle at a meeting of its standing committee at its chairperson's Gulshan office, it said. BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: "We have rejected the polls results. We will also continue our legal battle and action programmes". Fakhrul, who won from the Bogura-6 constituency, said it has been proved that a credible election is not possible under any partisan government. "The government using state machinery conducted such a farcical election that I think is the most stigmatised election in the country ever," he told reporters, alleging that most of the new voters were denied their right to vote. BNP's ally Gonoforum, which has won two seats, said all the opposition candidates will submit a memorandum to the Election Commission on Thursday demanding fresh polls. "Countrymen witnessed and perceived it well how a farcical drama was staged in the name of election on December 30. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League and its loyal Election Commission have shown the world how to destroy the election system of an independent and sovereign country," Gonoforum chief Kamal Hossain said in a statement. He said though the results show the Awami League as the winner, 17 crore people of Bangladesh have lost. "Through it our much expected democracy has been buried," Hossain claimed. Fakhrul accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) K M Nurul Huda of being the most biased person. "He (Huda) is a partisan person and his activities were questioned.... his view reflects the government's. He represents the government," he alleged. Fakhrul said the party is now collecting all the evidence of vote rigging and then "we will move forward after talking with alliance partners". CEC Huda, however, ruled out any scope of holding fresh election as demanded by the opposition alliance, saying the allegations of ballot stuffing on the night before election is "completely untrue." The Awami League-led Grand Alliance won 288 seats in the 300-member Parliament. The ruling alliance, which got nearly 82 per cent of the total votes polled, bettered its previous best performance of 2008 when it bagged 263 seats. While Hasina was seeking re-election for an overall fourth term as the prime minister, her 73-year-old arch-rival Zia, who is reportedly partially paralysed, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail where she is lodged after her conviction in corruption cases. The BNP has been out of power for 12 years. It boycotted the 10th general elections in 2014. At least 18 people, including a member of a security agency, were killed and more than 200 others injured in poll-related violence, making it one of the deadliest polls in the country, according to media reports. Over 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed across the nation for the election in which 10.41 crore people were eligible to vote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The chief priest of a temple in Ayodhya was arrested Tuesday for allegedly holding a woman devotee hostage and raping her several times, police said. The 30-year-old woman had come to the temple from Varanasi on December 24 to take lessons on spirituality from Krishna Kantacharya, the temple's mahant, Ayodhya police circle officer A K Sav told reporters here. Kantacharya allegedly offered the woman to stay at the temple premises where he held her hostage and raped her several times, the officer said. He said the woman somehow managed to call police on Tuesday following which she was rescued. The woman was sent for a medical examination and the mahant arrested, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Academician and author K S Bhagawan has been booked for allegedly insulting Lord Ram and Mahatma Gandhi in his book, police said Tuesday. The case was filed under IPC Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), a police official said. The Kannada book "Rama Mandira Yeke Beda" (Why Ram temple is not required) claims Ram was not a God and he suffered from weaknesses just as any other human being. Right-wing organisations had on Friday staged a demonstration against Bhagawan, accusing him of depicting Lord Ram in poor light in his book and making derogatory references. A complaint was lodged by Hindu Jagaran Vedike Mysuru district president K Jagadish Hebbar on Saturday against Bhagwan's alleged derogatory references to Lord Ram and Gandhi in his book, the police official said. Bhagawan, who had courted controversy by making certain references to the Bhagavad Gita that are termed as "offensive" by right-wing outfits, has made unflattering observations about Ram's character in his book. The author, however, had defended his work, saying it was based on Valmiki's Ramayana. Pro-Hindu activists had staged a demonstration in front of his house Friday and courted arrest. BJP's Karnataka unit also had targeted Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy over his "silence" on the issue and demanded that Bhagawan be arrested immediately. State senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar had said in a Facebook post that the state government had two choices "either it should jail Bhagawan or send him to mental hospital". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat spent the first day of 2019 with troops in the Kashmir Valley and reviewed the prevailing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and the hinterland, a spokesman said Tuesday. The Army chief, accompanied by Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt, visited the frontier district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, where he interacted with the troops and was briefed about the recent counter-infiltration operations. "The Army chief was appreciative of the sharp vigil and alertness along the Line of Control and high morale of the troops, and further exhorted them to remain alert for any eventuality," the spokesman said. Later in the day, Gen Rawat interacted with senior police officials and discussed the prevailing internal security situation in the valley. The Army chief also appreciated the seamless cooperation and synergy being maintained among all the agencies, the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan Tuesday paid homage to his frequent collaborator veteran actor-writer Kader Khan, who passed away on December 31 due to prolonged illness. Bachchan, who has worked with Khan in blockbusters such as "Do Aur Do Paanch", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Mr. Natwarlal", "Suhaag", "Coolie" and "Shahenshah", took to Twitter to remember the multifaceted personality. "Kader Khan passes away. Sad depressing My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. "A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician," Bachchan wrote. Khan was admitted to a hospital in Canada and his actor son Sarfaraz confirmed the of his demise. He had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. Actor Manoj Bajpayee also paid respects to the actor-writer. "Rest in peace Kader Khan saheb," Bajpayee tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With its Bengal 'Rath Yatras' stuck in legal tangles, the BJP's state unit is planning two-three rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January and February. Ahead of the national polls, the party planned the 'Rath Yatras' that would have touched all 42 constituencies in the state. However, it got stuck in legal battles after the state government denied permission. "We are hopeful that prime minister's first rally might take place on January 29. We have sent the schedule to Delhi. Nothing has, however, been fixed so far," state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said. The prime minister's first rally is expected to be held at the Brigade Parade ground in the heart of city. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also hold a rally at the same venue on January 19 and has invited leaders of all opposition parties in the country. BJP has identified Bengal as a priority state and party chief Amit Shah has set a target of 22 seats from here in the upcoming elections. Over the last few years, the party has emerged as the main opposition in the state with a significant show in rural polls and by-elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief of Air Staff B S Dhanoa Tuesday completed his three-day tour of the Air Force Station Naliya in Kutch district, a defence release said here. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa, accompanied by his wife Kamalpreet Dhanoa, who is also president of Air Force Wives Welfare Association, visited major establishments of Air Force Station Naliya and Mothala, both in the state's Kutch district, the release informed. He also visited Lakhpat as part of 'Forward Area' familiarisation, it said. "While interacting with station personnel, he appreciated the good work put in by the station personnel and called upon them to uphold the glorious traditions of the Air Force," it said. "The CAS shared his views on operational preparedness and his vision of IAF for the future," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan special forces launched a new offensive against the Islamic State group in eastern Nangarhar province, killing 27 militants, officials said Tuesday. Meanwhile, Taliban attacks in northern Afghanistan killed 15 members of the country's security forces. According to provincial council member Ajmal Omar, the special forces, backed by helicopter gunships, targeted IS in Achin district of Nangarhar on Monday. The province has been an IS stronghold and the site where the militant group's regional branch first emerged a few years ago. The militants' media arm, the Aamaq agency, claimed IS repulsed a joint Afghan-U.S. operation in the area. Omar, who could not confirm whether US troops took part in the operation, said two local IS leaders, Sediq Yar and Syed Omar, were among those killed. The remoteness of the area makes it impossible to independently investigate conflicting reports. In the north, the Taliban launched two blistering attacks on police outposts in Sar-e-Pul province on Monday night, killing 15 policemen and wounding 21, the latest in near-daily assaults by the insurgents against Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces. Fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul, the provincial capital. In the attack on the outskirts of the city, heavy artillery fire by Afghan forces trying to repel the Taliban sent local residents fleeing for safety, said provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi claimed responsibility for both attacks in Sar-e-Pul province. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country's 17-year war. The size and strength of the IS affiliate in Afghanistan, which emerged in 2013, is estimated at anywhere between several hundred and several thousand fighters. The group comprises mostly of disgruntled Taliban fighters and Uzbek militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, as well as Pakistani militants who were driven out of Pakistan's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan. The relentless violence and deteriorating security battering Afghanistan comes as President Donald Trump is expected to order the withdrawal in the summer of 7,000 U.S. soldiers. There are currently about 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, mostly carrying out training and assisting the Afghan forces who took over the defense of their country in 2014. There are also 7,100 soldiers from other NATO and partnering countries still stationed in Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Afghan official says the Taliban launched two blistering attacks in northern Sar-e-Pul province, killing 15 members of the country's security forces. In one attack, on the outskirts of the provincial capital, heavy artillery fire by Afghan forces trying to repel the insurgents sent local residents fleeing for safety. Provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani says that along with 15 policemen killed, 21 were wounded in the two attacks, which took place late on Monday. He says fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul, the provincial capital. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi claimed responsibility for both attacks. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country's 17-year war. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least four soldiers and an equal number of terrorists were killed on Tuesday in an attack by militants at a paramilitary training camp in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. Army said that four terrorists tried to storm the Frontier Corps training center in Loralai area of the province but they were challenged by the troops. After failing to achieve the primary target, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate fire and entered a compound close to the check-post, it said. The terrorists were pinned down in the check-post by the security forces in the subsequent operation, it said. "Four terrorists were killed including one suicide bomber who blew himself up during the final stage of the clearance operation," the army said. Four security personnel were killed and two others injured in the attack, it added. "The valiant and timely action of the security forces denied the terrorists entry into the residential area which would have resulted in more casualties," it said. Nobody took responsibility of the attack but Baloch nationalists and the Taliban militants often carry out such attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Tuesday shared with a list of 537 Indian prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement. They include 54 civilians and 483 fishermen, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement here. "The Government of today (Tuesday) handed over a list of 537 Indian prisoners (54 civilians and 483 fishermen) in to the High Commission of in Islamabad," it said. The step was taken under the Consular Access Agreement of May 21, 2008 between Pakistan and India, the FO said. According to the agreement, both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year, on January 1 and and July 1. will also share the list of Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails with the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi, the FO said. The two countries have adhered to the practice of exchanging the list of prisoners despite recurring tensions. It is one of the enduring Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) agreed upon when the two sides were trying to disentangle the complex relationship with the help of the composite dialogue process. Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters since the does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away. Thirty-seven civilians were killed when armed men believed to be traditional Dogon hunters attacked a village of Fulani herders in central Mali Tuesday in the latest clash between the warring communities, the government said. The attack on Koulogon village near Bankass in the Mopti region was carried out by "armed men dressed like traditional dozo hunters" allied to the Dogon ethnic group, said an official statement. "In addition to the 37 recorded deaths, all civilians, the casualty toll includes several wounded and many burned homes", it added. Earlier, a security source and a man who said he had witnessed the attack also blamed the Dogon, and put the number of dead at 33. Allaye Yattara, a Fulani, told AFP: "Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack along with old women, (and) a girl, all members of his family." France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012, but since the death in November of Fulani jihadist figure Amadou Koufa, inter-group conflict has increased. The violence is fuelled by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. The UN recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018. In June, 24 members of the Fulani community were killed in an attack a UN probe blamed on the Dogon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Traditional Dogon hunters massacred 33 Fulani herders in central Mali Tuesday in the latest clash between the warring communities, a lawmaker and a security source told AFP. "There were 33 deaths, civilians, and others wounded" in the assault on Khoul Hogo Peul village, MP and chairman of the national defence committee Karim Keita told AFP. A security source, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the number. The source and a Fulani man who said he had witnessed the attack, blamed it on Dogon hunters known as "dozos", who in June killed 24 members of the Fulani community, according to a UN investigation. Violence has increased in central Mali between nomadic Fulani herders and Bambara and Dogon farmers, sparked by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. Several houses were set on fire in Tuesday's attack some 117 kilometres from the regional capital Bankass. "The attackers were gunmen wearing traditional dozo clothing," and they struck at around 5:00 am local time, the same as GMT, the security source in Mopti said. Allaye Yattara, a Fulani herder who said he had witnessed the killings, told AFP: "Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack along with old women, (and) a girl, all members of his family." Keita, son of Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, condemned what he termed a "criminal act," and added: "Only the investigation will reveal the reasons" for the killings. He was in the area after passing New Year's Eve with Malian soldiers in Mopti. France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012, but since the death in November of Fulani jihadist figure Amadou Koufa, attacks have increased between the Fulani and ethnic Babara and Dogon peoples. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man wielding a knife stabbed three people - including a police officer - at a busy railway station in the heart of Manchester in the UK on New Year's Eve, police said on Monday. The man and woman, in their 50s, sustained "serious" but non-life-threatening injuries. police said. The woman had injuries to her face and abdomen and the man had injuries to his abdomen. Britain's counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation into the stabbing incident. The suspect has been arrested. British Transport Police (BTP) said it is keeping an "open mind" on the motive behind the incident at Manchester Victoria station in the north-west of England. "Within minutes, a man was arrested near to Metrolink platforms A and B on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in custody for police questioning," a BTP statement said. "The officer injured in a stabbing at Manchester Victoria has been released from hospital. The police sergeant a man in his 30s was taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder following the attack at the station," the BTP said. It said that officers from Counter Terrorism Policing are leading on the investigation, with support from Greater Manchester Police, British Transport Police and other agencies and that the public will witness heightened police presence in Manchester as a precautionary measure. "While we don't yet know the full circumstances and are keeping an open mind, officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are leading on the investigation. This is to ensure we have all the expertise available to us and progress our investigation as soon as we possibly can," Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts from Greater Manchester Police said. A BBC producer present at the scene heard the knifeman shouting "Allah" during the attack, along with a slogan criticising Western governments. "I just heard this most blood curdling scream and looked down the platform and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear," said Sam Clack, who works for the BBC in Manchester. Greater Manchester Police declared the attack a "critical incident" but added that there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time". The New Year fireworks display at Albert Square nearby went ahead as scheduled for midnight. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two alleged inter-state narcotic smugglers were arrested and over 27 kilogram of poppy seized from their possession in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Tuesday, police said. The accused were identified as Jeevan Jyoti and Surjeet Singh, natives of Himachal Pradesh, they said. Acting on a tip off, a police party intercepted a truck in Chenani area, the police said. During a search, 27.3 kilogram of poppy was recovered from the vehicle and the two occupants were arrested, they said. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian government is accelerating its programme of blending ethanol with petrol for two reasons: Our petroleum import bill is continuously increasing (we import more than 85 per cent of all our requirements) and two, we have surplus of sugar in India, which has no takers in the export market. The government is also encouraging the use of other sources of sugar from which ethanol could be produced, for instance, sweet sorghum (SS). Sweet sorghum is a multipurpose crop. It produces grain from its earhead for human consumption; sweet juice from its stem can either produce syrup or could be fermented to produce ethanol; and the bagasse and leaves make good fodder for animals. Thus from the same piece of land it can simultaneously produce food, fuel and fodder. Sweet sorghum is a dryland crop and uses 40 per cent less water than sugarcane to produce sugar. Besides it is a three-four month crop and can be harvested twice a year. We can say that the use of ethanol for running automobiles is a total waste of high quality fuel. The automobile is an extremely inefficient mobility device. Its efficiency is a mere one-two per cent; the total amount of energy used in transporting a passenger a certain distance at a certain speed divided by the energy input of petrol is less than two per cent. And yet we persist in using a high-quality chemical like ethanol and other biomass-based fuels like biodiesel for this purpose. A much better alternative to use of biofuels for automobiles is to develop electric mobility. Electric vehicles are three times more efficient than internal combustion (IC) systems. This is because of the very high efficiency of DC motors (80-90 per cent) as compared to 25-30 per cent efficiency of IC engines. Since biofuels are biomass and land-based, it is instructive to compare their solar efficiency to electricity generation by PV (photovoltaic) systems. The electric vehicles in this comparison are more than 100 times more efficient than biofuels-based IC engines. This is because of average photosynthesis efficiency of crops of about 0.1 per cent as compared to 10 per cent solar efficiency of PV modules. These efficiencies also take into account the charging and discharging of batteries for electric vehicles. Currently, around 35 per cent of the energy is lost during the charging/discharging cycle. With ultra-capacitors being rapidly developed and their use in place of batteries, the whole system will become even more efficient and economical. Ultra-capacitors are basically charge-storage systems and, coupled with smart electronics, release the charge to the electric motor like a battery does. Since no electrolytes are used in them they can go through millions of charging/discharging cycles. Batteries on the other hand fail after 5,000-10,000 cycles. Also the ultra-capacitor systems can be charged in a matter of minutes while batteries take almost overnight to charge. The world over countries are turning away from biofuels, since it competes with food production and is neither sustainable nor economical. I feel land should be used either for producing food for humans or fodder for animals. The residues and other farm waste should be added back to the soil, either with or without composting, to improve its quality. Good land and precious water should not be wasted for producing biofuel for automobiles. Similarly, a better usage of sweet sorghum is in the production of syrup rather than ethanol. Sweet sorghum syrup is very high in antioxidants and is being used by nutraceutical industries in their formulations. This fetches good prices for the syrup which can translate into increased remunerations for the farmers. Whenever petroleum prices start climbing, a plethora of articles appear in the Indian press regarding how ethanol from sugary biomass like sugarcane, sugar beet or sweet sorghum can be a solution to the fuel price crisis. But nobody gives a thought to the fact that for the last at least 40-50 years this solution has been tried again and again all over the world without any success. Even in India, many distillery units failed in their attempts at producing ethanol economically from sweet sorghum; one being a distillery in Telangana and other a plant in Nanded, Maharashtra. One of the main reasons for the failure is that a majority of the crop was diverted as fodder as generally there is a perpetual shortage of good quality fodder and the factories could not offer a competitive price to the farmers. Secondly, the availability of good quality seeds is a bottleneck as none of the seed companies have entered into large-scale seed production of any of the dozen or so released sweet sorghum varieties and hybrids in India. The only success story of ethanol use in the world is that of Brazil, which has been producing ethanol from sugarcane since the 1970s. The ethanol produced is used in flex-fuel cars which can run on any concentration of ethanol. The programme is not without hiccups. As the price of fossil fuels fluctuates, the ethanol programme also goes through cycles of ups and downs. However, we believe the sugar industry can become the hub of a chemical revolution. Though the consumption of sugar is reducing all over the world, both sugar and ethanol can be excellent feedstock for the chemical industry. Besides, the bagasse can produce electricity. So taluka-based industrial plants for producing electricity and chemical feedstock from sugarcane can be a viable and sustainable enterprise in rural areas. (Anil K. Rajvanshi and Nandini Nimbkar are with the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in Phaltan, Maharashtra. The views expressed are personal. They can be reached at anilrajvanshi@gmail.com) --IANS anilr/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People of Uttar Pradesh rung in the New Year in style, with parties, dancing and on-the-road celebrations till the clock ticked to midnight on Tuesday. In some cities including Lucknow, Kanpur, Moradabad, Aligarh, Agra, Varanasi and Allahabad, people took to streets to celebrate the arrival of 2019. While the winter chill continued across the state, people braved the fog and icy winds to celebrate. In Lucknow, eateries, especially bakeries, were jam-packed and roads were choked as people stepped out of their homes to bid adieu to 2018. Most malls here, and the Lucknow zoo were bustling with people throughout the day on Monday. Heavy security arrangements had been made to control the crowd and to ensure proper parking in most markets in Kanpur and Lucknow. Temples and religious places were also flooded with visitors as people prayed for a prosperous year ahead. --IANS md/mag/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States has expressed concern over reports of violence and irregularities during Bangladesh elections that it asserted "undermined faith in the electoral process". "We note with concern credible reports of harassment, intimidation and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said Tuesday. "We are also concerned that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, which undermined faith in the electoral process," he added. Palladino urged all political parties to refrain from violence and requested the Election Commission to "work constructively with all sides to address claims of irregularities". Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami Party scored a landslide victory winning 288 of the 300 seats it contested. The opposition alliance, Jatiya Oikya Front, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is in prison on corruption charges, called the elections "faracial" and demanded a repoll. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is the main constituent of the Front, which won just seven seats. At least 17 people were killed in clashes between the ruling and opposition parties on Sunday. Palladino said that the participation of all the major opposition parties in Sunday's parliamentary election was a positive development after their 2014 boycott. He also commended the tens of millions of Bangladeshis who voted in the election. Palladino added: "Bangladesh's impressive record of economic development and respect for democracy and human rights are mutually reinforcing, and we look forward to continue working with the ruling government and opposition towards advancing these interrelated goals." The BJP hit back on Tuesday at the Congress for its charge that government was misusing its agencies to target Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the UPA regime had misused CBI to "destroy" its President Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter killing case. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani attacked the Congress, saying it would not spare anyone who comes in the way of their pursuit of power. "The (encounter killing) case was nothing but a political conspiracy by the Congress party. For in 2010, they ascertained that the then Gujarat Chief Minister (Narendra Modi) and then Home Minister (Amit Shah) were nothing but purely their political adversaries. This case against Amit Shah is one of the finest examples of the length to which the Congress party can go to destroy... as they destroyed political opponents," she said. Her attack came in the wake of a recent CBI court judgement in Mumbai in the encounter killing case which had acquitted all the 22 accused saying "witnesses and proofs provided were not satisfactory" and that there was a political angle in filing the case. She was apparently fielded by the party to turn the tables on the Congress which has been accusing the government of targeting Sonia and Rahul by misusing its agencies in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case. "One can say that this was not the lone challenge faced by Shah. It was a struggle endured by his family and this is what we want to highlight to the nation that the Congress will not spare anyone who comes in their pursuit of power. Power, not so that Congress can serve the people, but power so that the Congress leadership can serve for one family," Irani said. She also hit out at UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi saying her "kitchen cabinet" waged wars against their political opponents. "And in the process of its zeal to anyhow implicate political leaders the CBI created evidence. This is an example how Congress pursue political opponents. Create evidence, ensure that a person is arrested for no other purpose, just that they want the person behind bars," she said. She said that the entire investigation was carried out according to a set script to achieve certain goals. "Truth has finally won in a case that was nothing but a conspiracy by Congress," Irani said quoting from the judgement of the Court. "The judgment clearly said that the CBI was more concerned about establishing a particular pre-conceived and pre-meditated theory, rather than finding out the truth to implicate political leaders," she said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too attacked the Congress over the issue on Monday. The verdict delivered last week acquitted all the 22 remaining accused, including 21 policemen from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, drawing curtains on the 12-year-old high-profile case. --IANS aks-bns/vsc/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to levy a 2 per cent 'cow welfare cess' on the excise department, an official said. Although the love of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for cows has been known since he took charge of the state in March 2017, this decision has outmatched everything else in the past. At a cabinet meeting presided by him on Tuesday, a proposal was ratified to open cowsheds in all districts, gram panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations and other local bodies. An official said that temporary cow sheds (gaushalas) will be opened in all the village, regional, district panchayats, municipalities, nagar panchayats and municipal corporations. Through MNREGA, these cowsheds will be constructed. The government has already sanctioned Rs 100 crore to the local bodies. In every district, both urban and rural areas, a cowshed of minimum 1,000 stray animals will be built and for this the excise department will levy a cess of 2 per cent. This will be called 'cow welfare cess'. The cabinet okayed a proposal to provide financial assistance to police personnel and firemen who are maimed during duty, an official said. Personnel handicapped to an extent of 70-79 per cent will be given Rs 15 lakh and those handicapped between 50-69 per cent will draw Rs 10 lakh. The personnel getting 80-100 per cent disability during duty will be given Rs 20 lakh. In case of death, the widow are entitled to get Rs 40 lakh as per existing rules. The cabinet also cleared a proposal to change the vigilance department sections in 10 sectors - Lucknow, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Bareilly and Meerut into police stations. --IANS md/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of people bid farewell to 2018 and welcomed 2019 amid rain at the emblematic Times Square in New York, accompanied by a colourful cloud of confetti and the drop of the iconic crystal ball. The ball, which is more than three and a half meters in diameter, slid down during the last 60 seconds of 2018 in the midst of shouting and applause from the crowd, after which Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" boomed out, reports Efe news. Up to 1 million people, according to the organisers, gathered to celebrate the arrival of the new year in a final climax of confetti, lights and fireworks, after witnessing a six-hour dance and music show during which there was a fine but persistent rain. Traditionally, part of the confetti used is filled with the wishes that many visitors to Times Square write in the last days of the year. Some of them were read out by celebrities such as American comedian Steve Harvey. Dressed in hats, with purple and yellow balloons and red scarves distributed by the organisers, many participants welcomed 2019, as tradition dictates, with a "midnight kiss", a ritual that, according to the superstition, avoids 365 days of solitude. From before noon and with strong security measures, participants gathered to celebrate the event, which they were not allowed to enter with backpacks, large bags or umbrellas. The long wait of the attendees, who were not provided with public restrooms - some go with diapers - was livened up by the performances of Paulina Rubio, Sting, Christina Aguilera, New Kids on The Block and Snoop Dogg as well as the appearance of some celebrities and television hosts like model Jenny McCarthy. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remraks on construction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya as "positive" and hoped that his government will fulfil its promise during this tenure. In a series of tweets, RSS's Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said: "Today's Prime Minister's remarks on the construction of Ram temple seems to be a positive step. And the Prime Minister remembering his promise of constructing temple in his interview is in line with the 1989 BJP resolution in its Palampur Convention." "In its resolution, the BJP had said that to construct the temple in Ayodhya it will try its best by either consulting or by bringing an enabling legislation," he said recalling the 1989 resolution where the BJP said that it shall discuss the matter with all the stakeholders. Reminding Modi of his party's poll promise, Hosabale said: "Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP in its 2014 poll manifesto has promised to construct a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya under the constitutional ambit. The people believed the promises made by the BJP and gave it a huge mandate." "People of India expect the government to fulfil the promise within its tenure," he added. His remarks came soon after Modi in his interview said that an ordinance on Ram temple will be considered only after legal process gets over. The demand for construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya gained momentum late last year with the BJP's ideological mentor the RSS, VHP and the NDA allies demanded the government to bring a law for the construction of temple. --IANS bns-aks/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan government will revoke cases registered against Dalits during the Bharat Bandh of April 2 last year after reviewing them, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday. He made the announcement a day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati threatened to withdraw her party's support to the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan if the cases were not withdrawn immediately. Speaking to the media at the Congress office, Gehlot said: "Our government will review all such cases to ensure that innocents are released." He said that Mayawati's demand was valid. The previous government had framed cases against many people "and hence our government will review all such cases". "In fact, I am thankful to Mayawati for giving support to our party. She herself took the initiative to extend support to the Congress and hence I am thankful to her." --IANS arc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's positive approach has set a "good example" for cancer patients, Dr Shekhar Salkar, Head of the Oncology Department at Goa's Manipal Hospital, said on Tuesday after the former Defence Minister, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, visited the State Secretariat for the first time in four months. "In Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, we see a strong man with tremendous willpower to win against the deadly BIG C! In the fight against cancer, there can be only one winner. It's either the patient or cancer! He has set a good example for all cancer patients that they have to be positive in their approach which can help (them) tide over the crisis!" Dr Salkar said in a statement issued here on Tuesday. Parrikar is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi since February. Over the last few months, the Opposition has been demanding his resignation, claiming that the administration had come to a standstill due to his prolonged absence from office, on account of his illness. On January 1, Parrikar, still looking gaunt due to the illness, surprised his critics as well as supporters, by visiting the State Secretariat and meeting his ministers, MLAs and others. Dr Salkar said, that cancer patients need to keep themselves busy, despite the low count of white blood corpuscles (WBC). "In cancer, bed rest does not help patients except when their WBC counts are low due to chemotherapy! If WBC counts are ok then it's better for patients to keep themselves busy which gives them confidence!" Dr Salkar said. --IANS maya/oeb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wishing citizens a Happy New Year, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on Tuesday requested the people of the national capital to "devote some thought to security" of their homes and residential areas and help the police make the city safer. "As we, in Delhi Police, focus on improving our visibility, response and service-delivery, we request the citizenry also to devote some thought to security of their home and colony. With police and public partnership, we can make Delhi a lot safer. Wish you a very Happy New Year 2019," Patnaik tweeted. Patnaik, a 1985 batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre officer, took office on January 30, 2017. --IANS rak/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Northern Army Commander, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on Tuesday briefed state Governor Satya Pal Malik on the latest security situation in the state. An official statement said the Army Commander, who recently visited the forward areas and the hinterland in both Valley and Jammu region, called on Governor Malik at the Raj Bhawan in Jammu on Tuesday. "Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh briefed the Governor about the prevailing security situation along the forward areas and the hinterland, operational preparedness of the Army for anti-militant activities and measures being taken for ensuring safety and security of people living along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB)," the statement said. --IANS sq/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh government will withdraw all the "political cases" filed by the previous BJP government against workers of political parties and Dalit activists, Law Minister P.C. Sharma said on Tuesday. The announcement came a day after BSP chief Mayawati issued an ultimatum to new Congress governments in the state and in Rajasthan that her party will withdraw support to them if they do not revoke cases filed against "innocent people" during the April 2 Bharat Bandh of last year called by Dalit groups. "We (Congress) have been fighting (against the BJP government). Irrespective of any party those who have been fighting the BJP government which had sent people to jail... those political cases will be withdrawn," Sharma said. On Monday, Mayawati issued a statement saying if the newly elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the Bahujan Samaj Party may have to reconsider extending outside support to the Congress governments. Last week, Sharma had indicated that the government was drafting a proposal to withdraw "politically motivated" cases against political and trade union leaders filed during the BJP's rule during the last 15 years. The BSP has two members in the 230-member Assembly in which the Congress has 114 MLAs and is two short of the majority mark. The Samajwadi Party has one MLA and has also extended support to the government. There are four independents. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 99 members and its pre-poll ally Rashtriya Lok Dal has one MLA. There are six BSP MLAs and 13 independents. The Congress had supported the protest in April 2018 against the changes to the SC/ST Act brought in by the Supreme Court which were later nullified by a legislation passed in Parliament. --IANS ps/vsc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Items of mass consumption items got cheaper from the New Year on Tuesday after the government notified the reducted GST rates decided by the GST Council at its meeting here late last month. At its 31st meeting on December 22, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley agreed to cut tax rates on 23 goods and services. Computer monitors, TV screens, video games, lithium-ion power banks, retreaded tyres, wheelchair accessories and cinema tickets are among products that have been removed from the highest 28 per cent bracket of the GST regime. Among the items consumed by the common man, only cement continues to remain, alongwith luxury and 'sin' goods, in the 28 per cent bracket as the GST Council brought down the rates of all other categories of goods in a further rationalisation that left only 27 items in the highest tax slab. Second-hand tyres, video games, digital cameras, video camera recorders, monitors and TV screens up to 32 inches and lithium battery power banks will now attract 18 per cent GST. The GST on wheelchair accessories has been brought down to 5 per cent from the existing 28, which will also allow the payment of input tax credit that is not possible with zero tax, Jaitley told reporters here following the Council meeting. Airconditioners, dishwashers and large screen TVs have been left untouched at the highest rate. While the GST on third party insurance on goods-carrying motor vehicles has been cut from 18 to 12 per cent, cinema tickets up to Rs 100 have also been granted a similar reduction. Movie tickets costing more that Rs 100 have been brought down from 28 to 18 per cent. Items which will attract lower GST rate of 5 per cent include marble rubble, natural cork, walking sticks and fly ash blocks. Music books and forzen and preserved vegetables have been exempted from GST. Bank services to Jan Dhan Yojana account holders will also not attract the GST. Nearly 1,250 goods and services have been categorised under the four tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent under the GST regime. A total of 17 items and six services have been reduced which will result in a revenue impact of Rs 5,500 crore for the full fiscal. Taking cement and automobile parts away from the 28 per cent slab would mean a combined revenue loss of Rs 33,000 crore, which the Council felt is "too steep" to be considered at this juncture, Jaitley said. This major tax rationalisation ahead of the 2019 general elections comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently promised to bring 99 per cent the goods under the 18 per cent or lower GST slab. --IANS bc/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Valetta, Jan 1 (IANS/AKI) Maltese armed forces said they had successfully saved 180 migrants from two boats off the coast of Malta. A total of 28 migrants were plucked from a dinghy 71 nautical miles southwest of Malta, while a further 152 were picked up from a wooden boat southeast of the Mediterranean island, the Navy said on Monday. Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency UNHCR and two German NGOs, Sea Watch and Sea Eye, called on European states to take in a group of 49 migrants who have been stuck at sea for days after they were stranded in the Mediterranean. The migrants include women and children. In a statement, UNHCR said governments need to agree on a system in 2019 that gives rescue ship captains "clarity and predictability" on where migrants can disembark. Italy is among southern European countries that have closed their ports to migrants amid a clampdown on NGO rescue boats, sparking standoffs that have left hundreds of migrants stranded at sea for days as EU states clashed over who should take in the migrants. --IANS/AKI mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French President Emmanuel Macron used his traditional New Year's eve speech to sound a warning to extreme elements among anti-government protesters. He promised to keep order "without complacency" and decried self-appointed "spokespeople for a hateful mob", BBC reported on Monday. At least six persons have died and around 1,400 have been injured since protests over fuel tax rises erupted last month. Earlier, in her annual address, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country would play a greater international role in 2019. She said that old certainties about international co-operation had "come under pressure", alluding to strained US-German relations, and Germany must "take on more responsibility". The French President suggested that the anger at the root of the "yellow vest" unrest, so named because of the high-visibility vests worn by protesters, showed France was "not resigned" and wanted to "build a better future". However, without naming them, he went on to condemn extreme elements who sought to speak "in the name of the people". "In fact they are only the spokespeople of a hate-filled mob and they target elected politicians, the security forces, journalists, Jews, foreigners and homosexuals," President Macron said. "It is quite simply the negation of France." Warning French citizens to be wary of fake news, he asked them "not to forget that you can build nothing on lies". The government, he said, should be allowed to continue its work to carry out reforms. "In recent years, we've engaged in a blatant denial of reality," he said. "We can't work less, earn more, cut taxes and increase spending." However, he also accepted that more work must be done to make some citizens feel more valued. As the French leader's speech was broadcast, reports came in of new protests. "Yellow Vests" could be seen gathering on the Champs-Elysees in Paris and setting up camp by the A28 motorway, south of Le Mans, but there were no immediate reports of trouble. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A five-member ministerial committee headed by Kerala Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan was set up on Tuesday to resolve the ongoing row between the Orthodox and Jacobite church factions. The development has come a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government would do its best to bring an end to the dispute. The committee led by Jayarajan, the number two in Vijayan's cabinet, also includes A.K. Saseendran, E. Chandrasekheran, K. Krishnankutty and Kadanapally Ramachandran. The Syrian Orthodox Church has two factions -- the Orthodox, which forms the majority and has its headquarters in Kottayam, and the Jacobites, who consider the Patriarch of Antioch, based in Beirut, as their supreme leader. Last month, tension prevailed at two prominent churches at Vaikom and Kothamangalam when angry supporters of the rival factions clashed. After a court ruling handing over the control of these churches to the Orthodox faction, Jacobite faction members took out mass protests and demonstrations to stop the verdict from being implemented. On Monday, Vijayan promised that the government would make necessary interventions to sort out the issue. According to a source in the committee, they are first going to talk to the rival factions separately and then will invite both the factions and will try to iron out the difference between them. During a brief period, between 1958 and 1970, following a Supreme Court ruling, both factions had remained under one roof with Kottayam being their headquarters. However, since 1970, they have been at war over the church's control. Trouble has been simmering since 2017 when, after decades of trial, the apex court in its final verdict said there were no grounds for Jacobites to claim any of the churches of the Orthodox section. --IANS sg/pgh/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Producer Pahlaj Nihalani, who worked with the late actor-director-writer-comedian Kader Khan, says it's a pity his health began to fail in the last 10 years and that he had so much more to give. "Meeting him was always like running into an embodiment of the Hindi film industry. He could do anything, and he did everything. It's a pity his health began to fail in the last 10 years. Kader bhai had so much more to give," said Nihalani. Nihalani had worked closely with Kader Khan, who died after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto in Canada on Tuesday. He said: "I don't know of any talent in Bollywood who was as in-demand as Kader Saab. He used to be writing and acting in five to six films at the same time in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. He was so busy that he would dole out dates in hours." "For my 'Aankhen', I wanted him in a double role. He pleaded off. But I insisted. I told him to just give me four hours for one day and then I'd manage. My trick was to get him on board. Once he was signed he'd have no choice, but to give me more dates. And that's what happened." If Nihalani had his way he would have worked in several other films with Kader Khan. "We did some films like 'Aankhen' and 'Andaz'. In fact, I wanted him for the role that went to Anupam Kher in 'Shola Aur Shabnam'. But he just didn't have time." As a human being and a professional, Nihalani rates Kader Khan next to none. "I've rarely met anyone in the film industry who was as helpful, supportive and committed as Kader bhai. He was never just an actor or a writer in a project. He jumped into it the whole hog. "A part of the success of Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda must go to Kader bhai for his writing. He used to drop in at my restaurant, Nagina, on Grant Road (Mumbai) before his shooting in that locality." --IANS skj/nn/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian and Chinese armies held a ceremonial new year meeting on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region. Defence Ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said here: "At the invitation of the Chinese Army, a ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) to celebrate the New Year was held at Chushul-Moldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Eastern Ladakh." The Indian delegation was led by Major General Sanjiv Rai and Colonel S.S. Lamba and the Chinese team by Senior Colonel Liu Hou Jie and Colonel Song Zhang Li respectively. The ceremonial saluting of the national flags was followed by exchange of greetings and vote of thanks. "Both the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. The delegations parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the border," an official added. "Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to maintain peace and tranquility along the border." --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat arrived here on Tuesday to start the new year among the soldiers in the Kashmir Valley. Defence Ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Gen Rawat would interact with the troops and review the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and hinterland. "Accompanied by the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and the Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen A.K. Bhatt, the Army chief visited the frontier district of Kupwara where he interacted with the troops and was briefed about counter-infiltration operations. "The Army chief was appreciative of the sharp vigil and alertness along the LoC and the high morale of the troops and exhorted them to remain alert for any eventuality." Later, the Army chief interacted with senior Jammu and Kashmir Police officials and discussed the internal security situation in the Valley. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of devotees thronged the Golden Temple complex in Punjab and other shrines in the region despite the biting cold to offer prayers early on Tuesday to usher in the New Year. At the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, around 250 km from here, hundreds of devotees queued up since midnight to offer prayers. Long queues could be seen on Tuesday morning with people waiting for their turn to offer prayers inside the 'Harmandir Sahib', the sanctum sanctorum. Some devotees could be seen taking a dip in the holy 'sarovar' around the holiest of Sikh shrines braving the bone chilling cold in the region. Amritsar had recorded a minimum temperature of 1.3 degrees Celsius on Monday. "We are blessed to be here for the New Year. This place gives you such a nice spiritual feeling," Sushma Rani, a devotee from Solan in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, said. Around the Golden Temple complex also, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the New Year 2019. People thronged Mata Mansa Devi shrine in Panchkula near Chandigarh to offer prayers on the first day of the New Year. Elsewhere in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, people offered prayers at various shrines to mark the New Year. --IANS js/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Tuesday alleged that the Gandhi family had "historical" relations with the family of British National Christian James Michel, reportedly a middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, which it said has been established. "The very fact that the Congress dispatches its own lawyers to help Michel shows that the Congress is extremely perturbed that the truth will come to light," she told reporters at the party headquarters. She said the matter is sub judice, and as a Cabinet Minister she does not want to express her personal feelings about it. "But one can only say that historical relations between the Michel family and the Gandhi family are established and the rest is left for the investigative agencies and the court of law," she said. Asked about Michel allegedly passing a slip to his lawyers with questions relating to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Irani said, "It should be put to those who became restless (about his interrogation)." "Neither am I an Italian nor do I have any son whose name starts with R," she said. Asked about the Gujarat government's notification directing students to answer roll calls with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the current 'yes sir' and 'present sir' from January 1, Irani said, "If the opposition contention is by saying Jai Hind, you are being regressive, then I would rather embrace my nation and celebrate its prominence and say Jai Hind prominently and proudly." "The fact that the opposition finds it ridiculous to hail your country just shows their mentality and not that of the Gujarat government," the BJP leader added. --IANS aks/vsc/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bizarre incident, a father was arrested on Tuesday for trying to bury an infant alive in Srinagar. Police said people in the old city of Nowhatta caught a person identified as Manzoor Hussain Banyari of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district while he was trying to bury his infant child who was not dead. "People handed over the accused to the police station in Nowhatta. He stated that the infant was suffering from some congenital disease for which he did not have the means to treat the child," a police officer said. "The accused was arrested, a case registered against him and later he was released on bail. The child has been shifted to hospital for treatment. "The mother of the child is also in a hospital where she delivered the baby," he added. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the most prominent faces among Democrats, announced the formation of a committee to weigh a bid for the party's 2020 nomination for president of the United States. "America's middle class is under attack," she said in a video on Monday declaring her intentions. "How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie. And they enlisted politicians to cut them a fatter slice." Warren, a 69-year-old Oklahoma native, was a professor at Harvard Law School known for her expertise in bankruptcy law when she was named in 2009 to chair a congressional panel monitoring the massive bailout of Wall Street following the financial crisis, EFE news reported. Subsequently, she helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before winning election to the Senate in 2012. "No matter what our differences, most of us want the same thing. To be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules and take care of the people we love. That's what I'm fighting for and that's why today I'm launching an exploratory committee for president," Warren said in the video. The Massachusetts senator becomes the second Democrat to form an exploratory committee, joining Julian Castro, who served as housing secretary in President Barack Obama's 2008-2016 administration. Warren took the first step toward a presidential bid two months after an attempt to put to rest a controversy over her claim of Native American heritage appeared to backfire. Citing "family lore," Warren has long said that her mother's ancestors included members of the Cherokee and Delaware tribes. It became an issue during her 2012 senate campaign, when Republicans accused Warren of having identified as Native American to advance her academic career, seizing on the fact that Harvard listed her as a faculty members with Native American ancestry in a national directory of law professors in the 1990s. Responding to the accusation in 2012, Warren said she had not been award of the listing until then, while Harvard and the other law schools that employed her issued statements insisting that she had been hired strictly on merit. Donald Trump revived the issue during the 2016 presidential contest, mockingly referring to Warren as "Pocahontas" when she criticized him while campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Since becoming president, Trump offered to donate $1 million to charity on Warren's behalf if she could substantiate her claim of Native American heritage. In October, the senator released results of a DNA test. The testing concluded that "while the vast majority of (Warren's) ancestry is European, the results strongly support the existence of an incomparable Native American ancestor in (her) pedigree, likely in the range of 6-10 generations ago." But the revelation did not defuse the criticism and the Cherokee Nation rejected reliance on DNA to determine Native American heritage as "inappropriate and wrong." --IANS vin (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has notified The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, giving access to lakhs of disabled in the city to the means of grievance redressal and concessions in many sectors. The act came into force on December 27 through an official entry in the gazette of Delhi. The Social Welfare Department of the state termed the notification a "New Year gift" and attributed the delay in its implementation to Delhi not being a full state. "Section 101 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, confers power upon the state government to make such rules under the said act. "However, the term, 'state government' has not been defined in the RPwD act 2016. The NCT of Delhi being considered a Union Territory, a specific delegation of the powers is required for exercise of such powers," the Department said in a statement. The government said that it is now looking forward to establishing a dedicated department for persons with disabilities. --IANS vn/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Metro on Tuesday blocked exits with immediate effect at four of its stations in central part of the city upon request by the Delhi Police. The exits for commuters at Pragati Maidan, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan and Mandi House were blocked with immediate effect till further notice. Although no reason was given for the restriction, it is apparent that authorities decided to block exits at these stations in order to ensure that there would be no heavy rush of people in Central Delhi. The Delhi Traffic Police had on New Year's eve issued an advisory blocking movement of commuters at many roads in central Delhi. -- IANS vn/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A yellow band, tied to the arms of visitors and organisers of the 15-day Dastkari Haat Crafts Bazaar that opened here on Tuesday, represents the silent protest of Indian craftspeople against substitution of the hand-made, and their demand for a dedicated bazaar in the capital. The 33rd edition of the Bazaar, which hosts traditional hand-made crafts, art and textiles by over 180 artisans from the country, is taking place in Dilli Haat here -- a space long-contended for its occupants and sellers. Jaya Jaitly, former Samata Party president, handicrafts curator, and founder of the Bazaar's organiser Dastkari Haat Samiti, reiterated the demand that Dilli Haat be retained as a "genuine marketplace for craftspeople". "There are many layers of attack on the handmade sector, not just by the mills but also digital technology. Craftspeople need spaces like Dilli Haat to protect themselves. "Malls are branded places. There are all kinds of bazaars and mandis. Why not one genuine bazaar for craftspeople, in the face of so much mechanisation, globalisation, synthetics, and imitation?" the 76-year-old Jaitly asked, while speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the Bazaar. The fortnight-long event has given out 158 stalls to artisans and craftspeople from many states of India, who are selling a diverse set of merchandise. A strip of yellow cloth demarcates the Bazaar from the Haat's other sellers -- often traders. On sale are carpets, durries and pashmina shawls from Kashmir, Kalamkaari works from Andhra Pradesh, ceramics from Mumbai and Himachal Pradesh's Andretta, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, Gond art and khajur (date) crafts from Madhya Pradesh, and handwoven textiles from Gujarat and Rajasthan. While they occupy a significant number of stalls, Jaitly lamented the presence of traders in the Haat, who serve as big competitors to actual craftspeople. Highlighting Delhi Tourism's "strange policies", Jaitly pointed to 62 stalls that undergo an e-bidding process and are taken up by Delhi-based traders. "They have 62 of what they call brand promotion stalls, where you have to bid online. It starts at minimum Rs. 1 lakh, and goes up till Rs. 3.4 lakh. Craftspeople don't know what online bidding is. They don't own laptops. They come here with their bundles with great difficulty. "Stalls are given to traders who sit here permanently breaking the rule of rotational occupancy," she explained. "There are 162 stalls which are handled by the Ministry of Textiles. As such, there should be only those many stalls. But over the years, Delhi Tourism added more stalls, first at the same rent as the MoT ones, but it increased by two, three, even 20 times of the original rent." She underlined the need for Dilli Haat remaining a marketplace for just craftspeople. "The infrastructure was built more than 25 years ago, it's more than paid for. The craftspeople pay rent, pay for their travel, pay for decor. What they need is a level playing field," she argued, while "appealing to the conscience of governments -- state and central, and all agencies responsible for job creation and skill development". "We talk of job creation. These are not jobs, but livelihoods. They are not asking for jobs, but for places to promote their livelihoods," the politician-activist said, her yellow band gleaming in the winter sun as a silent symbol of craftspersons' rights. --IANS sj/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Heeding to BSP chief Mayawati's ultimatum, the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Tuesday said they will withdraw cases filed against Dalits during the 'Bharat Bandh' last year that witnessed largescale violence. The decisions were announced by the two governments a day after Mayawati threatened to take back the BSP's support to them if they did not withdraw the cases filed against the Dalits during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit groups. The Madhya Pradesh government will withdraw all the "political cases" filed by the previous BJP government against workers of political parties and Dalit activists, Law Minister P.C. Sharma said. "We (Congress) have been fighting (against the BJP government). Irrespective of any party, those who have been fighting the BJP government which had sent people to jail... those political cases will be withdrawn," he said. Last week, Sharma had indicated that the government was drafting a proposal to withdraw "politically motivated" cases against political and trade union leaders filed during the BJP's rule during the last 15 years. In Jaipur, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said his government will revoke cases registered against Dalits during the Bharat Bandh of April 2 last year after reviewing them. Speaking to the media at the Congress office, Gehlot said: "Our government will review all such cases to ensure that innocents are released." He said that Mayawati's demand was valid. The previous government had framed cases against many people "and hence our government will review all such cases". "In fact, I am thankful to Mayawati for giving support to our party. She herself took the initiative to extend support to the Congress and hence I am thankful to her." The BSP has two members in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly in which the Congress has 114 MLAs and is two short of the majority mark. The Samajwadi Party has one MLA and has also extended support to the government. There are four independents. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 99 members and its pre-poll ally Rashtriya Lok Dal has one MLA. There are six BSP MLAs and 13 independents. The Congress had supported the protest in April 2018 against the changes to the SC/ST Act brought in by the Supreme Court which were later nullified by a legislation passed in Parliament. --IANS arc-ps/vsc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days ahead of the "Kumbh Mela", the Union Home Ministry has approved the Uttar Pradesh government's proposal to rename as A no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Home Ministry will now ensure that names of other institutes in the district, including railway station, high court and university, are also changed. In October last year, the Yogi Adityanath-led government had proposed the change in the name of A government statement cited "board researched documents" behind the name change and found that "there were 14 Prayags in the country but only one here, also known as King of all Prayags". ALSO READ: Railways to add 800 special trains for Allahabad for Kumbh Mela pilgrims Confirming the move, a senior Home Ministry official said: "There are some central institutions, high court, railway station and organisations named after Letters have been sent to other Central ministries informing that the Home Ministry has approved the proposal of the UP government. The state government will now get approval from other Central ministries and change the names accordingly." Under the government guidelines for the renaming of railway stations, villages, towns and cities, it is mandatory to obtain a NOC from the Union Home Ministry by the state government. The Home Ministry had earlier approved the renaming of the British-era railway station Robertsgang as Sonbhadra, Farah Town railway station near Mathura and iconic Mughalsarai junction after Deen Dayal Upadhyay -- both in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition parties had criticised the government's move to change the name of Allahabad. At least 100 Central American migrants illegally tried to cross into the US through the Playas de Tijuana zone after dark on New Year's Eve but were unable to do so, human rights entities reported. The officials said the crossing attempt sparked an intense mobilization of US Border Patrol agents, who fired at least two tear gas grenades to repel the migrants, EFE news reported. According to a report, on Monday night, the migrants gathered on one side of the wall separating the two countries at the Playas de Tijuana and in the laurel canyon along the border. Border Patrol units deployed at those two spots could be seen waiting for the migrants. US border agents launched the tear gas at the Playas de Tijuana. Young people, women, children and whole families of migrants remained at the site for some time but finally left the area when they noted the presence of the border agents, who told them that if they tried to cross they would be arrested. So far, no official report has been issued on the matter and it is not known precisely how many migrants - if any - managed to cross the frontier and were then detained. --IANS vin (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of the prime accused in the killing of police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during a mob violence in December in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr was arrested on Tuesday, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chowdhary told IANS the accused -- Kalua, was arrested from a far-flung village of Bulandshahr in the early hours of Tuesday after the police received information about his presence there. Kalua, who is being interrogated, is accused of hitting Singh with an axe on the head. The police Inspector was later shot by Prashant Nat, who is already in police custody. --IANS md/mag/pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to interfere with the judicial process in the Ram temple case by pressing the court to hold an early hearing. "What are they trying to do? To insist that the Supreme Court should hear the matter on day-to-day basis, decide it at the earliest? Is this not interference?" Sibal said. His response came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview aired on Tuesday said that "Congress should stop its lawyers" from "interfering with the judicial process" in the Ram temple case. Sibal had appeared in the case on behalf of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board but later parted ways with his client. "What they (BJP) are doing is telling the court to decide a particular case in a particular manner," Sibal said, adding that the judicial process should go on unhampered and it should be left to the apex court to decide when and how it concludes the case. --IANS mak/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Now that ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is back in office, it is time for Congress leaders to perform their own 'shradh' (funeral ceremony), Goa's Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said on Tuesday. "Today, the Chief Minister met us (in office). There were some who wanted to perform his shradh. They said he is not well, we will perform (his) shradh. Now these Congress people will have to perform their own shradh," Cabral said. The Minister was responding to a jibe by state Congress spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu in October, after Parrikar returned from New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences where he was being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer, and remained confined to his private residence. "Either show that he (Parrikar) is alive or offer his shradh," Deshprabhu had said, while paraphrasing a Marathi idiom. Cabral also said, that Parrikar on New Year's Day visited the State Secretariat and had a meeting with several ministers and party workers during his brief one and a half-hour visit, the Chief Minister's first trip to his office since September. "The CM met Cabinet Ministers and key supporters. He also signed files and he is expected to call a Cabinet meeting soon," Cabral said. Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi since February. Over the last few months, the Opposition has been demanding his resignation, claiming that administration had come to a standstill due to his prolonged absence from office, on account of his illness. --IANS maya/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Raazi" actress Alia Bhatt celebrated New Year's Eve with beau Ranbir Kapoor and his family here. Veteran actress Neetu Kapoor on Tuesday took to social media and shared a perfect family dinner photograph which saw Alia having quality time with Ranbir and his father Rishi Kapoor, also an actor. Alia, Ranbir, Rishi and Neetu were also joined by Riddhima Kapoor, her husband Bharat Sahni and daughter Samara for the celebration. As Rishi is currently undergoing a medical treatment here, wife Neetu wished for "good health" and hopes "Cancer to be only zodiac sign". "Happy 2019, no resolutions, only wishes this year! Less pollution traffic! Hope in future, cancer is only a zodiac sign. No hatred, less poverty, loads of love togetherness happiness and most important good health," Neetu captioned the photograph. The "Chandni" actor also wished his fans a very "happy new year" on Twitter. Riddhima, sister of Ranbir, also shared photographs and videos from the celebration on Instagram in which Ranbir and Alia can be seen having fun time with each other. On the work front, both the actors will be seen sharing screen space in Ayan Mukerji's upcoming film "Brahmastra". --IANS sim/nn/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday urged the Rajya Sabha not to pass the Triple Talaq bill - scheduled to come up in the Upper House on Wednesday - in its present form and instead send it to a Select Committee for better scrutiny. Calling the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 as "inhuman" and "faulty", the Board said it would only break marriages rather than empowering women and was a "direct blow on the family system and the institution of marriage". "The bill is being brought apparently for 'empowering Muslim women', but its provisions defeat its very purpose. On mere allegation of the wife, the husband is jailed. This is against criminal jurisprudence," AIMPLB's women wing convenor Asma Zohra said in a statement. She said the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 was much more empowering to women where a woman gets the right to reside in the same home. "How can there be two different yardsticks of benefits/privileges for divorcee women - one for those divorced by talaq-e-ahsan and those divorced by talaq-e-biddat? "The custody of children of women divorced by standard procedure decided on 'welfare of child' basis as per Parents and Guardians Act but women divorced through talaq-e-biddat shall be entitled to the custody of their children as per the new bill. Is this not against right to equality and children rights?" she said. "We oppose and reject this bill and appeal to the Rajya Sabha members to send it to a select committee for legal scrutiny," she added. --IANS mak/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police penalised a total of 509 people on New Year's eve for drunk driving, an official said on Tuesday. "We issued 509 drunk driving challans on the eve of New Year. Majority of them were youngsters," Delhi Police Deputy Spokesperson Anil Mittal told IANS. The number is, however, less compared to the drunk driving cases of last (2018) New Year's eve, when at least 765 people were challaned. Thousands of police personnel were deployed across the national capital to ensure New Year celebrations go off smoothly. Special traffic arrangements were made to regulate the movement of revellers, police said. To prevent drunk driving in the national capital on Monday, Delhi Police had earlier conveyed the message of safe driving with warning that any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving would be dealt with strictly. --IANS rak/pgh/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FM says scheme is a game changer in healthcare The finance minister Arun Jaitley in a Facebook post titled '100 days of Ayushman Bharat' has said that 6.85 lakh patients have been provided free hospital treatment in its first 100 days after launch on 23 September 2018. About 5.1 lakh claims have availed of the scheme, for which payment has been released. This averages 5000 claims per day for the first 100 days. No patient have had to pay a single Rupee. Thus, once awareness of the scheme increases, It is anticipated that in the next few years, almost 1 crore plus families will benefit each year. The total number of hospitals covered by this scheme are both Government hospitals and private hospitals presently numbering 16,000 and increasing steadily. More than 50% of the implementing hospitals are in the private sector. Thus, a patient can enroll himself in empanelled hospital and get himself hospitalised upto charges of Rs 5 lakh in a totally cashless and paperless manner. This scheme is a game changer in healthcare. Many people from the weaker sections avoided hospital treatment in order to avoid the burden of an unbearable payment. Today 40% of India's poorest are assured of a treatment in a hospital at the cost of public expenditure. This scheme also supports the hospitals as an institution by ensuring patients for them. This will lead to more hospitals (especially in Tier II and III cities), and those with better equipment. Health sector jobs are set to increase. PMJAY will help create an accountable health system because beneficiary feedback is an integral part of its implementation. From infrastructure creation, to rural roads, to building houses for the poor, providing them with electricity, toilets, gas connection and now healthcare has only been possible after initiatives taken by the Prime Minister and the Government have resulted in a higher tax base and greater revenue collection. This scheme covers 10.74 crore poor families, i.e., over 50 crore people. 40% of India's population is covered by this scheme. These weaker sections can avail of a medical scheme which covers hospitalisation charges spread over 1350 hospitalisation packages for a sum of Rs 5 lakh per year for the whole family. Thus, if any member of the family requires to be hospitalised, his charges upto Rs 5 lakh will be picked up by the financial management under Aayushman Bharat. The scheme is paperless and cashless. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The and have formally quit the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Tuesday. The Times of reported that the move came following alleged allegations that the Paris-based organisation criticised Israels policies of East Jerusalems occupation and the grant of full-time membership to Palestine in defiance of the American and Israeli pressure. is a body that continually rewrites history, including by erasing the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, Israels to the UN Danny Danon was quoted as saying. It is corrupted and manipulated by Israels enemies, and continually singles out the only Jewish state for condemnation. We are not going to be a member of an organisation that deliberately acts against us, Danon added. initiated the withdrawal process after the US declared to step out of in 2017. We hope that the organization will change its ways but we are not pinning hopes on this; therefore, my directive to leave the organisation stands and we will move forward to carry it out, Israels Prime Minister said. The Jewish state, which is home to six heritage sites including Masada, the Old City of Acre, the Bahai Temples in Haifa and the White City of Tel Aviv, had joined the organisation on September 16, 1949. However, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in confirmed that these sites will continue to remain as heritage sites even after Israel formally quits from the UNESCO membership. However, Al Jazeera further stated that the withdrawal from both the countries would not affect the UN organisation financially as both Israel and the US had stopped funding it since Palestines membership was granted in 2011. (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 United States has expressed concern over the reported incidents of harassment, intimidation, and violence during the electoral campaign and on election day in Bangladesh. In a press statement released by the US Department of State here on Monday, Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said, "We note with concern credible reports of harassment, intimidation, and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely." "We are also concerned that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, which undermined faith in the electoral process," the statement further read. The US also congratulated the Bangladeshi people and the opposition parties for voting and participating in the general elections. It also encouraged all parties to refrain from violence and requested the Bangladeshi Election Commission to work constructively with all sides and address claims of the irregularities. "Bangladesh's impressive record of economic development and respect for democracy and human rights are mutually reinforcing, and we look forward to continue working with the ruling government and opposition towards advancing these interrelated goals," the statement mentioned. At least 19 people, including a law enforcement official, were killed and around 200 others sustained injuries in poll-related violence in Bangladesh on Sunday. Earlier on Tuesday, the United Nations (UN) called for restraint in Bangladesh while stressing that "violence and attacks on people and property are not acceptable". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Urjit Patel stepped down as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor because of personal reasons and had been telling the Prime Minister for some time about his decision to resign, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "I am revealing for the first time, he (Urjit Patel) was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Prime Minister Modi revealed. Patel resigned in December from his post citing "personal reasons" amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. Prime Minister Modi, after Patel's resignation, tweeted that the RBI Governor left behind a "great legacy." The Prime Minister further dispelled the opposition's criticism that Patel was made to leave. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor," Prime Minister Modi added. Stressing that institutions like CBI and judiciary are paramount to his government, the Prime Minister stressed that the opposition Congress party has no right to criticise the BJP by saying that the government weakened such institutions in the country. "Congress has no right to speak on this issue. Against the PM and PMO, the NAC ( Advisory Council) was formed. What kind of empowerment of the PMO was this? Cabinet takes such a big decision and a big leader tears that Cabinet decision at a press conference. What kind of respect is for an institution?", questioned PM Modi. "Coming to judiciary, they openly said that we will decide judiciary on the basis of ideology and senior judges were shown the door and junior judges were promoted. And you are talking about institutions? In the same RBI, several times Governors were forced to leave before their term expired. You called Planning Commission people a bunch of jokers," the Prime Minister added. Prime Minister Modi cleared the air over the government removing the two men at the top of CBI. In October, CBI Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, were relieved of their duties pending an inquiry, after each accused the other of corruption, following which the government sent them on leave, calling it an "extraordinary and unprecedented" situation. "When CBI internal personal matter came to light, they were both asked to go on leave legally. Because institution is paramount for us," stressed the PM while speaking to ANI. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have in recent times, criticised the BJP-led Narendra Modi government of misusing the Enforcement Directorate for political vendetta, often dubbing it as Embarrassment Directorate. Prime Minister, however, allayed the criticism. "How are these people saying this? Recently, Sohrabuddin judgement came. Just read that judgement. See how institutions were misused. Accusations on us is that Modi is not taking action against these people. And you are saying this is vendetta. ED is doing is job professionally. From a foreign country, a razdaar (confidante) has been brought in custody of India. Should not every Indian be proud of it?", said the Prime Minister, while referring to Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Michel, a UK citizen, was extradited to India from the UAE last month in connection with the case and was respresented by lawyer Aljo K Joseph, who happened to be a Congress party leader but was shunted after controversy over his affiliation erupted. "If a Congress worker turns up to be Christian Michel's lawyer, then it is a cause for worry. The countrymen should be proud that razdaar has come, now there will be proper inquiry under legal scrutiny and the truth will come out. Instead of that, you are sending lawyers from your party to support him Michel. This is a matter of concern," Prime Minister added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that while Triple Talaq is a matter of gender equality, entry of women in Sabarimala is related to tradition. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister tried to clear the air on BJP's apparent contradiction in its stand on the controversial Triple Talaq Ordinance and the ban on entry of women between the age group of (10-50 years) in the Sabarimala Temple by saying the Ordinance against Triple Talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and social justice and it should not be seen as interference in religious issues. However, on the entry of women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala Temple and protests by Hindu groups, Prime Minister Modi said that the issue relates to tradition and the Supreme Court judgement that saw a dissent by a lady judge should be read carefully. "Triple Talaq Ordinance was brought after Supreme Court verdict. We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the Constitution," Prime Minister Modi said. "Most Islamic countries have banned Triple Talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in Pakistan, Triple Talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, matter of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate," he said. Reacting to a question on the BJP's stand on the Sabarimala issue, PM said: "India is of one opinion that everyone should get justice. There are some temples, which have their own traditions, where men can't go. And men don't go... In this, Sabrimala, a woman judge in the Supreme Court has made certain observations. It needs to be read minutely. There is no need to attribute those to any political party. As a woman, she has made some suggestions. There should be a debate on that as well sometimes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Triple Talaq Bill that makes the practice of instant divorce among Muslims a criminal offence with a provision of three-year jail term for the erring husband is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Amid a walkout by some opposition parties, the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with the support of 245 votes against 11 on December 27, 2018. Both the Congress and the BJP have asked their members to be present in the Upper House of the Parliament during the discussion and debate on the contentious Triple Talaq Bill, which is likely to be put to vote as well. As per the Business List, Aadhaar and other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 will be tabled in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing. New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018, the Medical Commission Bill '17, the Companies (Amendment) Bill '18 will also be taken up in the Lower House. The discussion under Rule 193 on the issues relating to Rafale deal is also to be taken up in the Lok Sabha. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When Australian skipper Tim Paine offered Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant to babysit his kids during their sledging session in the recently concluded Melbourne Test, nobody would have ever thought that this could be true. Seems like the on-field banter was taken way too seriously as Paine's wife Bonnie posted a picture of Pant with their kids and captioned it as 'Best Babysitter.' It was during India's second innings in the Melbourne Test that the banter between the two players started. India was struggling at 47 for 5 when Paine saw a perfect opportunity to intimidate the batsman. "Tell you what big MS is back in the one-day squad. Should get this bloke down to Hurricanes. They need a batter. Fancy that extends you Aussie holiday, beautiful town Hobart too... get him a waterfront apartment. Have him over for dinner. Do you babysit? I can take my wife to the movies while you watch the kids," Paine told Pant. The Indian player responded back by calling Paine a "Temporary captain." On Tuesday, members of the two teams met the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at his official residence in Sydney. India and Australia are slated to play their final Test of the series from January 3 to 7. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces. He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that country's security is not compromised. "Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country's needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country's security. I won't leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," Mr Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal. When asked why he was silent on the Congress accusation of crony capitalism and alleged favouring of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Mr Modi replied, "This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom." "In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken. ..Media should have the courage to ask (the Congress) where is the evidence for these allegations? Don't throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it)," he added. The Prime Minister said that there should be debate in the country on why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and on need for middlemen in defence purchases. "Why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and our forces weakened. Who is doing it? What is the reason? Also, what is the need for middlemen in the defence deals? Can't defence deal not be done without middlemen? Had Make in India been initiated 70 years back, the malai khane wala raasta from outside would have been closed. My crime is that I am trying to Make In India. My crime is that whatever our defence forces need, that should be made in India, so that dealings outside the country end. I am trying to get technology transfer," Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister sought to dispel the Congress allegation that the purchase would harm his Make in India initiative. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambani's Reliance group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied vehemently by both the Indian government and Dassault. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On her 44th birthday, Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre has received a heartwarming wish from BFF Sussanne Khan. Along with some pictures from the midnight birthday bash, Sussanne shared a lengthy note on social media in which she called Sonali a 'warrior princess' and her inspiration. "Happy happiest birthday to our most precious, gorgeous warrior princess @iamsonalibendre sonzyyy..may we all continue to enhance and motivate each other, while we change the meaning of 'play'..and so in pursuit of our own unique diverse state of 'curation'....Amen 2019 is finally here." Bendre revealed in July last year that she had been diagnosed with high-grade metastatic cancer. After staying in New York for six months - where she was getting her treatment done - the actor returned to Mumbai in December. The 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' actor ringed in her special day with her close friends, including Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne Khan, and husband Goldie Behl among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI) "Come back before sunrise, irrespective of the success or failure of the mission". This was the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Indian Army Special Forces' commandos who went across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28, 2016 to carry out surgical strikes at terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Modi, while revealing details of the military action for the first time, told ANI in an interview that the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. The strikes were carried out days after terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, killing 20 soldiers. The Prime Minister said the surgical strikes were planned as there was a "rage" building up within him as well as the Army after soldiers were burnt alive in the terror attack in Uri. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don't think about that but come back before sunrise. Don't fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," he said, turning a bit emotional while discussing that operation. Emphasising that he was determined to see that none of the soldiers died in the operation, he said he had told them that they must return before sunrise even if they fail. The Prime Minister revealed that he was keeping tab of the risky operation throughout the night and was getting live information. "I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," he said. He said he didn't want any harm to come to the commandos who were "willing to sacrifice their lives on our word." The Prime Minister disclosed that the commandos for the operation were chosen carefully and then imparted special training. Whatever equipment was required, it was arranged for them, he said. He said he was "anxious" throughout the time the soldiers were on the other side of the LoC and the moments became "extremely difficult" when the information flow stopped for about an hour in the morning. "In the morning, information flow stopped, for an hour. My anxiety increased. Even one hour after sunrise. That time was extremely difficult for me... Then came the information that they have not reached back yet but two-three units have reached the safe zone, so don't worry. But I said I won't be fine till the last man returns," Modi said. On politicisation of the surgical strikes, the Prime Minister said it was not done by the government but by opposition parties, which "raised questions" over the military action and cited the Pakistani version to "lend weight to their doubts". The Prime Minister said that even before the country was informed about the strikes, Pakistan was told about it. "An Army officer apprised the nation (India) of the operation. That information was given to Pakistan as well... But it is unfortunate for the country that the same day (of the surgical strike), leaders of some parties raised doubts over the surgical strikes," Modi said. "It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (to deny), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing Pakistani version. Politicisation started from that point," he added. Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in a series of tweets post surgical strikes raised doubts over the veracity of the Government's claims. Kejriwal said that Pakistan had invited foreign journalists to view their side of the border to ascertain claims of a surgical strike. "BJP I believe you. But international media publishing Pak propaganda that no strike took place. Lets expose Pak propaganda," tweeted Arvind Kejriwal on October 4th, 2016. PM Modi added that the opposition leaders were speaking "rubbish" and "those who raised doubts over the Army action, were wrong and such politicisation should not have happened". Modi said lauding the valour of soldiers from all operations including the 1962 war with China was the duty of the government and citizens. "If we don't hail the valour of those who stake their lives for the country, then who will? So praising the Army should not be considered as politicisation," he said. The Prime Minister was asked whether the objectives of the surgical strikes were met, considering that cross-LoC attacks still continue in Kashmir. In response, he said he would not like to discuss the issue in open domain. But then he went on to add, "Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving). Talking about the Uri attack, Modi said, "That incident made me restless and there was rage within me. I had gone to Kerala and made a mention of this. Because I could not stop myself. Modi said that while talking to the Army, he realised that they wanted justice for their martyred soldiers and the government gave them the "free hand" to plan and execute the surgical strikes. Special training was imparted to the commandos and secrecy was maintained. "The topography and obstacles were kept in consideration... It was a learning experience for me as well," Modi said. In September 2016, terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed entered the Army camp in Uri near the Line of Control and killed 20 soldiers in the attack. In retaliation, the Indian Army troops including the commandos from various units of the Para (Special Forces) units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir carried out raids across the border on multiple targets. All these targets were launch pads for terrorists for infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out attacks against military and civilian targets. Though the security forces are not sure about the exact number of casualties on the Pakistan side but based on post-operation intercepts and movements, it is believed that it had suffered around 50 casualties including its regular Army soldiers who were deployed for protecting the terror camps. From the Indian side, only one soldier had suffered injury due to a personnel mine explosion while returning from the operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The decision of Gujarat government to replace traditional 'Yes Sir' or 'Present Sir' norm with 'Jai Hind' and 'Jai Bharat' to be said in response to the roll call in classrooms has gone down well with students and teachers, who say that the move invokes "the feeling of nationalism and patriotism." "By saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' we show our respect to our nation and soldiers, who are guarding our borders. It inspires us to work for the nation," said Shivesh Sharma, a student, while talking to ANI. "The new rule by the government is very inspiring. It makes us feel that the whole day and the whole year will pass happily," said Gohail, a student of Class XI. "When we say 'Jai Hind' and 'Jai Bharat,' we feel that we are doing something for our nation. We have never gone to the borders where our soldiers are protecting our nation but we feel that we are also doing something for our nation as our soldiers are doing," said Divya Parmar, Class XI student. "The latest decision will invoke a feeling of nationalism among students and will bring a new change in the students as they will say 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' daily while responding to their roll call," said Bindi Upadhyay, a teacher. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State Mansukh Lal Mandavia on Tuesday said that it was necessary for every Indian to say 'Jai Hind' and 'Jai Bharat' as these words "connect us to our nation," "It is necessary for every Indian citizen to say 'Jai Hind ' and 'Jai Bharat.' This is not a political issue. There is nothing wrong in saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat.' These words connect us with our nation," said Mandavia, while talking exclusively to ANI. Mandavia's statement comes close on the heels of the notification of Gujarat government on Monday, mandating the school children to say Jai Hind or Jai Bharat in response to their roll calls. "Nationalism should be taught to everyone from the very childhood so that when they grow up they become citizens, who are dedicated to the cause of nation and interest," further said Mandavia. A notification regarding the use of Jai Hind and Jai Bharat in the schools of Gujarat was issued by the state government on Monday, which is applicable to the students from Class I to XII. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the Ram temple issue that "a solution to this issue would be found within the ambit of the Constitution" and "an ordinance can be considered only after the judicial process gets over." "We see the Prime Minister's statement on Ram Mandir as a positive step towards building the temple. His statement is in accordance with the Palampur resolution of BJP in 1989," said the RSS in a statement. "In that proposal, the BJP had said that for building Ram temple at Ayodhya, they will have wider consultation and will bring enabling legislation," RSS added in the statement. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court over the Ram temple issue. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," Prime Minister Modi said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. Senior RSS functionary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said that everyone who is living in this country wishes that the Ram Temple should be made. "We have put forth our demand to make a law in this regard. Every person in our country wants Ram temple to be constructed. Even those who are in power have said that the Ram temple should be constructed," said Joshi. BJP leader Vinay Katiyar said the Ram temple issue is a sentimental issue connected with the people. "People have made sacrifices for the Ram temple. Many got martyrdom. Unless the Ram temple is built, the families of those who got martyrdom are not going to sit quietly," said Katiyar while talking to ANI in Lucknow. On Prime Minister Modi's statement on the construction of Ram temple, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told a presser in New Delhi, "PM Modi is confused and is trying to sidestep the issue. Congress strictly believes that whatever decision the Supreme Court gives on the issue should be accepted by all. There is no need for an ordinance in this regard." "Today, Prime Minister Modi rejected his own party and RSS demand. We are happy the PM said the Supreme Court will decide the issue but he is trying to derail and confuse the people by saying that the government will bring an ordinance after the Supreme Court decision," he said. Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the BJP is pressurising the Supreme Court to decide Ram temple issue at the earliest. "Why all leaders of BJP including party president Amit Shah are making public statements that the Supreme Court should do this and that," Sibal said while talking to ANI. "They say that the Supreme Court judges should decide the matter at the earliest or else they should resign. The Law Minister creates pressure on the Supreme Court and says that SC should hear the matter as early as possible," added Sibal. Congress party also alleged that there are personal allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Modi in Rafale jet deal. "Prime Minister Modi has once again spoken a lie that there are no personal allegations of corruption against him," said Surjewala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Minister Mamta Bhupesh said that working for the development of her caste is her priority. Bhupesh, who is the women and child development minister in the Rajasthan cabinet, made the remark while addressing a public event in Alwar district's Reni town yesterday. " My first duty will be to work towards development of people of my caste and then towards the larger society. I intend to work for everyone," Bhupesh said on Monday. In Rajasthan, where the Assembly polls were held in 199 seats out of 200, the Congress bagged 99 seats, and the BJP 73. BSP got 6, CPM 2, Bharatiya Tribal Party 2, Rashtriya Lok Dal 1, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party 3, and Independents 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered the filling of 1.2 lakh vacant posts in various government departments in a phased manner. Chief Minister Singh gave this directive during a high-level meeting called to review the progress of the state government's flagship 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar and Karobar Mission' scheme. In the first phase, vacancies in the departments of Health, Education and Medical Education and Research would be filled. The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh to work out modalities for filling the government vacancies. The Chief Secretary has also been directed to hold a meeting of Administrative Secretaries to work out the requirement of posts to be filled in various departments. "During the meeting, the Chief Minister underscored the need for better coordination and synergy between the Skill Development Mission and the Department of Employment Generation & Training (DEGT) to bridge the gap between skill training and job profile," said an official statement issued after the meeting. Chief Minister Singh also called for more special technical training and vocational guidance programmes to equip the local youth to be gainfully employed in the domestic industry, and asked the Commissioner DEGT to devise special training modules in sync with the Skill Development Mission for imparting result-oriented training to both the semi-skilled and the unskilled, in line with the emerging requirements of the job market. The Chief Minister has also directed the Finance Department to immediately release funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore for the execution of various schemes and projects under 'Ghar, Ghar Rozgar and Karobar Mission' and make a budgetary provision of Rs 23 crore in the next fiscal. "The Chief Minister was also informed that 4.53 lakh youths have been provided various jobs under the government's ambitious 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar and Karobar Mission' till now. Of these 37,000 youths have got jobs with the government, 1.30 lakh with the private sector and 2.86 lakh were provided help under various self-employment schemes," further stated the press release. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Singh hailed the Congress victory in the Panchayat polls in the state as a victory of democracy and a clear vindication of his government's policies. "The Panchayat polls indicated the palpable pro-Congress mood in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections," quoted Chief Minister Singh, as saying in an official statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of veteran Bollywood actor Kader Khan. Taking to his Twitter handle, President Kovind remembered Khan for his impeccable contribution towards the Indian film industry. "Sad to learn of the passing of veteran actor and dialogue writer Kader Khan. His versatility, from comic to negative roles, and the films he embellished as a writer are still remembered. Condolences to his family, friends and fans #PresidentKovind" Prime Minister Modi also expressed grief and remembered the celebrated actor for his stupendous acting skills, unique sense of humour and prolific screenwriting. "Kader Khan Ji brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills and lightened it thanks to his unique sense of humour. He was also a prolific screenwriter, associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers," he wrote. The veteran actor passed away on Monday at the age of 81, due to prolonged illness. According to various media reports, Khan was admitted to a hospital overseas, after complaining of breathlessness. He was put on a BiPAP ventilator for the same. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 22, Kader Khan was known for his impeccable comic timing, and his nonpareil work as an actor and a writer in several films. He has been part of numerous blockbusters including 'Bol Radha Bol', 'Khoon Bhari Maang', 'Biwi Ho To Aisi', 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', 'Judwaa', 'Dulhe Raja' and 'Haseena Maan Jayegi'. He was last seen in 2015 in 'Ho Gaya Deemag Ka Dahi'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after the opposition parties thwarted the central government's attempt to push the instant Triple Talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman of the Upper House, Harivansh appeared unpeturbed over the matter, expressing hope that all of the parties would come together to find solutions and face challenges in this new year. Speaking to ANI, Harivansh said: "Yesterday, I gave my message to all the parties in the House that they should forget their issues and leave them behind as we approach 2019. We should collectively discuss the real issues plaguing the nation." He underlined that both the Opposition and the BJP-led central government should come in unison to tackle every challenge and get the legislations and bills passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. "In the last two decades, there has been a challenge before us, how to strengthen institutions of the country and retain people's trust in them. We try to find solutions and face these challenges together, it is the essence of India. Both the Houses of Parliament should stand together to face every type of challenge and I hope it prevails," he added. The Opposition, led by the Congress, has been insisting that the Triple Talaq bill should be sent to the select committee of the Parliament. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018, which proposes to criminalise the practice of Muslims men giving divorce to their wives by uttering the word "Talaq" thrice in quick succession, was passed by Lok Sabha few days back. It was needed to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law. The bill was slated to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha on Monday afternoon for consideration and passing. However, as soon as an effort was made to take the bill up, an uproar erupted in the House as the Opposition was adamant in sending the bill to the select committee and Harivansh adjourned the House for a brief while. When the House resumed post-lunch, the raging debate over the bill showed no signs of abating, following which Rajya Sabha was adjourned till January 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, Jan 1 (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. In an interview to ANI, he also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," the Prime Minister said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. The BJP, as articulated in its manifesto, wants building of a majestic Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, there has been a renewed pitch within the party as well as by its sister organisations in the Sangh Parivar for expediting the process of construction of the temple. The Sangh Parivar organisations have expressed unhappiness over the delay in resolving the matter and there are demands for promulgating an Ordinance, similar to the one issued on Triple Talaq, to facilitate construction of a temple. The demand for Ordinance has been articulated even by BJP's ally the Shiv Sena. Asked whether the government could consider issuing an Ordinance on Ram temple, the Prime Minister pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages. "Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he added. The matter is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 4. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court for day-to-day hearing in the case. The Prime Minister was asked why an Ordinance cannot be promulgated to facilitate Ram temple construction when a similar step was taken to ban instant Triple Talaq. In response, Modi said, "the Triple Talaq ordinance was brought after the Supreme Court verdict, in the light of Supreme Court verdict." He was referring to the Supreme Court's ruling in 2017, banning the practice of Triple Talaq among the Muslims. Subsequently, the government issued an Ordinance and brought a bill in Parliament. The bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is before the Rajya Sabha. "Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this (Ayodhya) issue," Modi said. Targeting the Congress, he said it should "not create obstacles" and should let the judicial process to take its own course. "Don't weigh it in political terms," Modi said, addressing the Congress. "I beseech the Congress, for the sake of peace and amity, they should stop its lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in the court," he added. The Prime Minister said all lawyers, including the Congress ones, should jointly head to the court and ensure that there is an early judicial verdict. "In the court, Congress lawyers, who are creating obstacles, should stop. Let the judicial process take its own course," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beginning from Australia and New Zealand located in the southern hemisphere to Russia, France and Athens in Europe, people all around the celebrated the arrival of the new year with joy and festivities. With spectacular fireworks show, people in Moscow bid goodbye to 2018 and welcomed 2019 with joy and fervor as the clock struck midnight on the last day of the year. Amid a chilling environment, the Russian capital witnessed a large number of festive revelers enjoying the firework show and sharing best wishes on the occasion. Fireworks also lit up the night sky in Greece where millions of people enthusiastically ushered in 2019. France also welcomed the New Year with heavy fireworks at the Champs-Elysees along with a light show as well as fireworks at the renowned Arc de Triomphe in the French capital. In addition, London too welcomed the New Year 2019 by displaying dazzling fireworks around iconic Big Ben tower. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At the same time, he appeared to reject the contention of actor Naseeruddin Shah that minorities were feeling unsafe in India due to lynchings, saying "some people" sense insecurity around the time of elections because of "agenda." In an interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi questioned whether such incidents had started only after his government came to power in 2014. He said everybody's sentiments should be respected and for creating such an environment, everyone will need to contribute. "Any such incident does not reflect well on a civilised society. No voice ever should support such incidents. This is totally wrong and totally condemnable," he said when asked to comment on incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection. On actor Naseeruddin saying that minorities were feeling unsafe in the country, the Prime Minister said, "before elections, some people do see insecurity. Some people have an agenda." He went on to add, "Did it (mob lynching) start after 2014? This is a result of ills within society. For improving this situation, we should all work collectively." Prime Minister Modi said his government believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation with all, development of all). In this context, Prime Minister Modi said that when his government went on electrifying 18,000 remaining villages of the country, it did not ask the villagers which religion they belonged to. Similarly, when the government implemented the Ujjwala scheme to provide subsidized LPG connections, it did not discriminate on the basis of religion, Modi said. He said he did not want get into a debate that such things happened during any particular government as "even one incident is condemnable." "There should be no such incident in the society. But we should understand what the main fabric of the society is," he added. The Prime Minister said people should listen to what sentiments Mahatma Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave had expressed or take note of the sentiments enshrined in the Constitution. "It is the responsibility of every citizen to respect those sentiments. If you honour those sentiments, our sentiments are also respected. To create this environment, everybody should contribute," he said. Talking about harmonious existence in India, he said a Muslim scholar based in the Gulf had written about India's harmony in diversity whereas in their region people of the same faith attacked each other. "India should take pride in this compliment. India should take pride that we have been living in harmony for ages," he said. The Prime Minister also decried political violence that has been taking place in some parts of the country, apparently referring to West Bengal and Kerala. "As a worker of the BJP, I strongly condemn it. We have suffered a lot," said Prime Minister Modi. "In West Bengal, BJP is not even allowed to exercise its democratic rights. During elections, the way our workers are killed, it does not reflect well on democracy. In Kerala, our workers are killed every day," Prime Minister Modi added. He said BJP workers have been also killed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir. "The question is not whether our workers are killed or not, but this political violence is not good for our democracy and all political parties will have to think about it," he said. "I want to assure BJP workers and their families that the government does not tolerate any form of violence, be it by any party. We are committed to ensuring justice to everyone," the Prime Minister added. "We appeal to the state governments also ....Some day the truth will come out. Today, some people may be enjoying protection but someday the truth will come out. Political parties should train their cadres how to behave in a democracy," the Prime Minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terrorists on Monday evening shot dead a policeman in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Terrorists barged into the residence of the cop at Hanjan-Payeen in Pulwama district and fired upon him, leaving him critically injured. The policeman identified as Sameer Ahmad Mir, son of Wali Mohammad, a resident of Hanjan-Payeen, Pulwama district, was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. "Sameer sustained critical gunshot wounds in the firing and was evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries," police said. Police have registered a case and initiated investigations in the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): Two days after the Indian Army foiled a fresh attempt by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) to push infiltrators through the LoC (Line of Control) in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will make all efforts to keep pressure on Pakistan, but it will be huge mistake to believe that the country will mend its ways anytime soon. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that whether it is surgical strikes or action at other levels, the Indian government is working out various strategies to keep up the pressure on Pakistan to check terrorism. Prime Minister Modi said that while India favours a dialogue and good friendly relations with Pakistan, it is also wary of the fact that the neighbouring country is not going to mend it ways of promoting cross border terrorism any time soon. When asked why cross border attacks have not stopped after the surgical strikes PM Modi replied, "Whatever strategy is to be adopted, how to do, is ongoing at appropriate levels, has been happening. 1965 war, war during partition ...Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. (It will be a huge mistake to believe that Pakistan will mend its ways after a war. It will take a lot of time for Pakistan to mend its ways.) His statement comes two days after the Indian Army foiled a fresh attempt by Pakistan to push infiltrators via it's BAT (Border Action Teams) proxies in Kashmir. Two infiltrators were killed while forcing others to retreat. The Pakistani Army had provided heavy cover fire, using mortars and rockets, to the intruders who were wearing combat fatigues like that of Pakistani regulars army soldiers and tried to sneak into Naugam sector in Kashmir. "India, whether under UPA or NDA government, has never opposed dialogue. It is our consistent policy that we are in favour of dialogue. It is the consistent policy of the country, not Modi government or Manmohan Singh government. It is our consistent policy that we are ready to talk on all issues, not this issue or that issue. Because India's argument is strong. We only say one thing that amid the noise of bombs and guns, the dialogue cannot be heard. Cross-border terrorism must end. And we are persistently maintaining pressure on this," Prime Minister said. He added that India has created an environment that terror-supporting Pakistan stands isolated in the world. On a question whether he will go to Pakistan if invited by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for SAARC, Prime Minister said: "We will cross the bridge when we reach there." On his government's foreign policy with regard to China, Prime Minister said India should be judged on the basis of what it did in Doklam. He asserted that nothing has happened with India since then that can be considered as deceit. "Our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours," he added. During the interview, Prime Minister also responded to the criticism of his much publicised foreign tours being too many and more photo opportunities rather than substantial, saying his travel schedule has been more or less similar to that of his predecessors but his visits are noticed more because he interacts with people, takes decisions and makes India's voice heard. "If you count, there are number of multi-lateral forums, Summit level meetings. If the level is lower than Prime Minister, the voice is not heard. Manmohan Singhji also had to do these summits. It has become mandatory. I try that India's voice reaches the world. Earlier, when PM used to go, nobody used to notice at the place they arrived in, even the place from where they departed no one noticed. My visits are noticed because I interact with people and take decisions," Prime Minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that he would not resign even if he is indicted by the attorney general under one or any of the corruption charges leveled against him. The Times of Israel quoted the Israeli Prime Minister on the issue who while addressing a press conference during his ongoing visit to Brazil said that "The law does not require him to do so". Denying the three corruption charges levelled against him, Netanyahu cited the legal procedure while asserting that the law doesn't require him to step aside before any hearing. "Israel is a country of law, and the law does not require that a prime minister resigns during the process of a hearing," the Prime Minister added. "The hearing doesn't end until my side is heard. And therefore it is not logical to open a hearing process before elections if you can't finish it before elections," he said. "Imagine what happens if you oust a prime minister before the end of the hearing process, and at the end of the hearing, it is decided to close the case. That would be absurd, and a terrible blow to democracy," Netanyahu added. Meanwhile, if Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit of Israel's High Court of Justice indicts Netanyahu in graft charges, the later would still be entitled to defend himself at a hearing before formal charges are filed. However, the attorney general is yet to confirm whether he would be acting upon the graft case before the general elections scheduled to be held in April. The Israeli Police had confirmed charges of two graft cases against Netanyahu, one, whereby the Prime Minister accepted gifts from billionaire friends and the second, over trading positive media coverage for advantageous legislation for a newspaper. The third time, the Israeli Prime Minister was accused by the authorities of allegedly favoring the country's largest telecom giant 'Bezeq' in return for more positive coverage of him and his wife, on Bezeq's subsidiary news website, Walla. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Students across Gujarat will now answer their mandatory roll call by saying 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat', instead of 'Yes Sir' or 'Present Sir'. Gujarat Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Tuesday confirmed the same. A notification regarding this matter was issued by the Gujarat government on Monday, which would be applicable for the students from Classes I to XII. Responding to the same, Chudasama told ANI: "Gujarat government released a notification yesterday, stating that during the roll call in schools students will say 'Jai Bharat' or 'Jai Hind' instead of 'Yes Sir'." The main objective of the new move is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood", the notification said. All officers have been instructed to ensure the compliance of the order with effect from January 1, 2019. Notifications were issued by Directorate of Primary Education, Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board. As per the notification, the decision was taken by the Gujarat Education Ministry during a review meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress party on Tuesday said that 'good days' would come only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are ousted from power in the coming Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Addressing to media persons after Prime Minister Modi's exclusive interview to ANI on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Good days are about to come as Prime Minister Modi is about to go." On Prime Minister Modi's statement on the construction of Ram temple, Surjewala said: "PM Modi is confused and is trying to sidestep the issue. Congress strictly believes that whatever decision the Supreme Court gives on the issue should be accepted by all. There is no need for an ordinance in this regard." "Today, Prime Minister Modi rejected his own party and RSS demand. We are happy the PM said the Supreme Court will decide the issue but he is trying to derail and confuse the people by saying that the government will bring an ordinance after the Supreme Court decision," he said. Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the BJP is pressurising the Supreme Court to decide Ram temple issue at the earliest. "Why all leaders of BJP including party president Amit Shah are making public statements that the Supreme Court should do this and that," Sibal said while talking to ANI. "They say that the Supreme Court judges should decide the matter at the earliest or else they should resign. The Law Minister creates pressure on the Supreme Court and says that SC should hear the matter as early as possible," added Sibal. Congress party also alleged that there are personal allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Modi in Rafale jet deal. "Prime Minister Modi has once again spoken a lie that there are no personal allegations of corruption against him," said Surjewala. "Then French President Francois Hollande said that a condition was put forward before France that the deal would only be finalised if it is given to Anil Ambani's Reliance company and not to Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL)," added Surjewala. Surjewala said that after Prime Minister Modi came back from Pakistan, terrorists attacked Pathankot. "Our soldiers have lost their lives in the return gift that Prime Minister Modi brought along with him after returning from Pakistan. He invited ISI for the first time in 70 years' history of this country for Pathankot attack investigation," he added. Congress spokesperson further said that demonetisation was the biggest scam in the history of India by the incumbent government. "When the evidence comes out, everybody in this government including Prime Minister Modi will prove to be a part of this scam," said Surjewala. Former Union Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the BJP and Prime Minister Modi are "cultureless." "All democracies have different ideologies and they clash with each other but that doesn't mean you vanish one ideology that is different to yours," said Khurshid. Meanwhile, Sharad Yadav of Loktantrik Janata Dal said that mob-lynching in the name of cow, demonetisation, farmers, Mandir-Masjid issue, unemployment and so on are the real issues and Prime Minister Modi-led BJP government has no answers for all these issues. "Prime Minister Modi has failed to fulfill the promise on black money, cleaning of Ganga, and bringing the absconders back. Only three months are left for the elections. The BJP government has failed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen, through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad. The exercise was undertaken in adherence to the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 every year. Pakistan shared a list of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians, while New Delhi handed over to Islamabad a list containing the names of 249 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen. The Indian government has called for early release and repatriation of their prisoners and fishermen with their boats. Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 17 Indian civilian prisoners and 369 Indian fishermen, whose nationality has been confirmed. Immediate consular access has also been sought for the remaining prisoners and fishermen to facilitate their early release and repatriation. India also asked Pakistan to expedite response in the case of 80 Pakistan prisoners who have completed their sentences and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. To take forward the understanding reached to address the humanitarian issues, especially with respect to elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners, India has already shared the details of the reconstituted Joint Judicial Committee and that of the Indian medical expert's team to visit Pakistan to meet the mentally unsound prisoners and asked to expedite their visit. Pakistan has also been requested to expedite the visit of a group of fishermen representatives to facilitate the repatriation of Indian fishing boats, presently held in Pakistan's custody at the earliest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He told ANI in an interview that the government is using all means, including diplomatic channels, to ensure that fugitives are back in the country to face the law. "...those who have fled the country earlier, they have not returned. But those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow," Modi said when asked whether fugitives like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya will ever be brought back. "Those who have stolen India's money, they will have to compensate for each and every penny," he added. "Why did they need to flee after all? Had there been governments like earlier, the same friendship would have continued, 'if you want to loot, loot, if you want to grab, grab'. There would have been no need to flee," the Prime Minister said. He said they had to flee because they would have to adhere to the laws here. "Those who have fled, there are international laws to bring them back. Those are being implemented. For such fugitives, we have made stringent laws. Seizure of property is happening even in foreign countries. Therefore, we are using all tools available with the government," Modi said. He also added that India had entered into agreements with various countries and after 2019, "we will get real-time information from different countries. So black money will be brought back. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Traffic police issued a total of 509 challans for a drink and drive cases on New Year eve late on Monday evening. The Delhi traffic police including women officers were out in full force to keep an eye on the drivers breaching traffic and safety rules. More than 15,000 policemen were deployed across the capital to ensure celebrations go off smoothly on 31st December. The Delhi traffic police had restricted vehicular movement from 8 pm onwards to the city's famous commercial hubs. Moreover, the exit of passengers from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station was also not permitted from 9:00 PM onwards in the view of security measures. Not only that, the forces placed barricades at several places such as Delhi University, Pitampura, Connaught Place to control hooliganism. The women commuters were also adviced to book taxi of those firms registered with the Government of India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress party misused CBI to frame BJP president Amit Shah in the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, claimed Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday. Addressing media persons here, Irani said: "At the behest of the Congress government in 2010, the CBI arrested Amit Shah." "Congress misused the CBI in 2010 to frame Amit Shah. There is a clear proof of a political conspiracy by the Congress against our party president," she added. Union Minister Irani said that the BJP wanted to tell to the people of the country that the Congress would not spare anyone, who becomes a hurdle in their pursuit of power. CBI arrested Shah in July 2010 in connection with the encounter of Sohrabuddin but was released by the Gujarat High Court on bail in October that year. In December 2014, he was discharged by the CBI court. Continuing her tirade against the Congress, Irani further said: "Even the court had admitted that these charges were imposed on Amit Shah for political reasons. He fought for eight years and his family was harassed. But the judiciary delivered the truth." In 2005, Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi were killed in alleged fake encounters by a joint team of the Gujarat Police and the Rajasthan Police near Ahmedabad. In 2010, the CBI took over the case from the CID. Special CBI public prosecutor BP Raju submitted that most of the evidence was procured by the Central investigating agency. He also said the trial was hampered because of 92 witnesses turning hostile. The CBI had filed a charge sheet in 2012, which had named Shah as well as former Rajasthan Home Minister and BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria as accused in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress party thinks only of Italian women's interest and not interest of Muslim women of India, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy, a day after united Opposition thwarted the government's attempt to push the instant Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha as it insisted on referring it to the select committee of Parliament. The revised bill to make instant Triple Talaq a punishable offence got stalled in Rajya Sabha yesterday. After opposition pressed for a select parliamentary committee to further scrutinize the bill. The house was adjourned till January 2 "Now it is a numbers game. Let us see. The opposition is making noise not to have the thing (triple talaq bill). AIADMK were blocking the proceedings so the Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned otherwise you could've had it, now it has to be a day after. But we are sorry that the Congress party thinks only of Italian women's interest and not Muslim women's interest in India," Swamy told ANI. "It is a shame on them that they want to postpone it by taking it to select committee. Why? We have debated it enough. The whole country has been debating it," he added. The Bill, which proposes to criminalize the practice of Muslims men giving divorce to their wives by uttering the word "Talaq" thrice in quick succession, was passed by Lok Sabha three days back. It needs to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018 was slated to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha yesterday for consideration and passing. However, as soon as an effort was made to take the Bill up, an uproar erupted in the House. TMC leader Derek O Brien said all opposition parties unanimously want the Bill to be sent to a select committee for proper scrutiny. Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, "This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can't be passed just like this without going to a select committee." Congress leader Anand Sharma also said that a legislative scrutiny was critical of the Bill before it could be taken up by the house. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The entire country is expressing grief over the demise of veteran actor Kader Khan. Condolences poured in from all quarters for the actor, who passed away on Tuesday due to prolonged illness. Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Vicky Kaushal, Arjun Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Madhur Bhandarkar and Anees Bazmee, among many others from the Bollywood industry remembered the actor. Taking to his Twitter handle, Amitabh Bachchan expressed grief and wrote, "Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence ; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician." Big B has worked with the actor in blockbuster films like 'Do Aur Do Paanch', 'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar', 'Mr. Natwarlal', 'Suhaag', 'Coolie' and 'Shahenshah'. Akshay Kumar also remembered the celebrated actor and wrote, "Saddened to learn about the demise of #KaderKhan Saab, had the good fortune of working with him in quite a few films...a fine actor and an even better comedian. My thoughts and prayers with his family." Akshay has worked with the later actor in movies including 'Mr & Mrs Khiladi', 'Mujhse Shaadhi Karogi', 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', among several others. Anupam too posted a tribute for the actor-screenwriter on his Twitter handle and wrote, "#KaderKhan Saab was one of the finest actors of our country. It was a joy and a learning experience to be on the sets with him. His improvisational skills were phenomenal. His humour was eternal and original. He was a wonderful writer. We will miss him & his brilliance," he also attached a video message along with his post. Vicky also extended his condolences with a sweet message for the late actor. "If there's 1 film I have seen the most no. of times its 'Baap numbari Beta dus numbari'. Bachpan mein iss film ki vhs lagakar hamesha dekhta. #KadarKhanSaab has been a delightful part of my childhood. His contribution to hindi cinema will always be remembered. May his soul RIP." Actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani too offered her condolences, "If you were a late 80s-90s kid who watched Hindi films, chances are you encountered the magic of Kader Khan. Never had the privilege of meeting him but if I ever had I would say 'thank you for the laughter, thank you for your craft' #RIPKaderKhan." Apart from Smriti Irani, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Randeep Singh Surjewala also expressed grief over the actor's demise. The veteran actor passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81, due to prolonged illness. According to various media reports, Khan was admitted to a hospital overseas, after complaining of breathlessness. He was put on a BiPAP ventilator due to the same issue. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 22, Kader Khan was known for his impeccable comic timing, and his nonpareil work as an actor and a writer in several films. He has been part of numerous blockbusters including 'Bol Radha Bol', 'Khoon Bhari Maang', 'Biwi Ho To Aisi', 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', 'Judwaa', 'Dulhe Raja' and 'Haseena Maan Jayegi'. He was last seen in 2015 in 'Ho Gaya Deemag Ka Dahi'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Northern states of India continues to reel under the cold wave with minimum temperatures plummeting to single digit in several regions. A thick blanket of fog has enveloped Delhi and its surrounding regions resulting in poor visibility on Tuesday. As Delhi battles with cold wave, the overall air quality index (AQI) dropped to 430 on Tuesday, which falls under the 'severe' category. At Dhirpur, the AQI was 724 at 8:30 am, while in Mathura Road area it dipped to 'hazardous' category at 484. Furthermore, AQI near Pitampura, Airport, Terminal 3 and Delhi University stood at 459, 453 and 502 respectively. The haze and smog will continue to persist during the early morning and late evenings for the next couple of days. As per Skytmet, a private forecasting agency the only ray of hope is the slight possibility of scattered rains over Delhi-NCR around January 6 which may wash away the pollutants. Apart from Delhi, severe Cold Wave conditions occurred at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh. "Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada. Yesterday, ground frost occurred at isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh", the IMD stated. The Meteorological department has also predicted snowfall across popular tourist spots in Himachal Pradesh for the first day of the new year. Tourist places Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Dalhousie, Manali may receive snow on January 1, Met Centre, Shimla, Director Manmohan Singh had stated on Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has slammed the Congress-led state government for not playing Vande Mataram at Secretariat on the first working day of January. Stating that the song instils sense of patriotism, Chouhan asked the Kamala Nath-led government to reintroduce the practice of reciting Vande Mataram on the first working day of every month. "I made an appeal to the Chief Minister and Congress party to not break the tradition and recite the song at the Secretariat with pride. Vande Mataram is not just a song, it is a mantra that was used by the revolutionaries to make this country free from British's control. The government keeps coming and going but one should know that the nation comes first," Chouhan told ANI on Tuesday. "It's unfortunate that Congress ended this tradition. I demand Congress government to reintroduce this and if they don't do it, I will sing Vande Matram with patriots at Vallabh Bhavan. I've decided that I will sing Vande Mataram in the premises at 11 am on January 6," he added. On Tuesday, Nath said that his government has decided to put on hold the previous BJP government's tradition to recite the song in the secretariat on the first working day of every month. "We've no intentions of breaking or protesting against the song. The order to recite Vande Mataram in the Secretariat on the first day of the month has been put on hold. A decision has been taken to implement the order in a new form. Those who do not recite Vande Mataram are not patriots?" Nath said. "We believe that we are nationalist by hearts. One can't become patriotic by reciting Vande Mataram for one day," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazil's far-right president-elect and controversial Social Liberal Party candidate Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as the 42nd President of the country. During a ceremony, organised on Tuesday, in the capital Brasilia, Bolsonaro took charge of the office in the presence of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a ministerial delegation from the United States headed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Al Jazeera reported. Last year, by the end of October, Bolsonaro, a former army captain, was elected as the President after defeating ex-Sao Paulo mayor and Workers Party (PT) candidate Fernando Haddad. Statistics from a Datafolha poll indicated that 56 per cent of Brazilian voters favoured Bolsonaro as their next President, with the rest 44 per cent supporting Haddad. During his election campaign, Bolsonaro had promised to crack down on recession, a heightening sense of insecurity, and corruption scandals, which are among major factors rampant across the South American country. Tuesday's ceremony took place amid heavy security including snipers and anti-aircraft missiles, especially after Bolsonaro became a victim of a failed attempt of assassination when he was stabbed during his campaign event in the state of Minas Gerais in September, last year. During a meeting held here between Bolsonaro and Netanyahu, the new Brazilian President expressed his intentions to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once he assumes office. The move will follow the lead of the US President Donald Trump-led administration, which acknowledged Jerusalem as the Israeli capital last year and, in May, shifted their embassy from Tel Aviv. On this very occasion, President Trump took to Twitter saying, "Congratulations to President. @JairBolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech - the U.S.A. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the first day of New Year, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday visited the Line of Control (LoC) and hinterland to review the security situation in Kashmir Valley. Army Chief, who is on his two-day visit to Kashmir, along with Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and the Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen AK Bhatt, visited the frontiers of Kupwara district. Army Chief also interacted with the jawans deployed and was also briefed about the recent counter infiltration operations. General Rawat during his interaction with Army jawans appreciated the alertness and preparedness of the forces along the Line of Control. Chief also hailed jawans for their high morale and recent success in counter-surgency operation, Army officials said. Army Chief also interacted with senior officials of police and other security forces. During the interaction with senior security officials, Army Chief discussed the prevailing internal security situation in the Valley and the strategy of the forces. Army Chief hailed the contribution of other security forces and appreciated the cooperation and synergy among all the agencies. Army Chief termed cooperation and synergy as the most critical aspect of successful counter infiltration and Anti-terrorist operations. Army Chief will be visiting frontiers along the LoC on Wednesday where he will be interacting with the jawans deployed. He will also be taking a review of counterinsurgency operations and operational preparedness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over hundreds of people on Tuesday visited the Vijay Stambh (War Memorial) near Perne village here to mark the 201st anniversary of the Bima-Koregaon battle. Amidst heavy security, an event was organised at midnight to commemorate 201 years of the battle. Thousands of visitors paid their tribute at the memorial and a special 'puja' was also organised during the night. The visitors paid their respects at the Victory Pillar which was decked up with colorful lights and flowers. In the battle, which was fought between the British East India Company, containing Dalits in its infantry, and the Peshwas, who were upper-caste Brahmins, at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818, the Marathas ultimately withdrew. Since then, members of different communities have been viewing it as a symbolic victory for themselves. On the 200th celebrations of the same, violence spilled over to adjoining parts of Maharashtra after clashes broke out between the Dalits and alleged right-wing groups on January 1, during the bicentenary celebration of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. The right-wing groups were objecting to the observance of 'Victory Day' since they considered it as an anti- celebration. Also, both RSS and BJP were being accused of instigating the violence by opposition leaders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US on Tuesday expressed concern over "credible" reports of harassment, intimidation, violence and alleged irregularities in the recently concluded parliamentary elections and urged the country's to work constructively with all sides to address the claims of irregularities. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and its allies won the general elections on Sunday, bagging 288 of the total 299 seats which went to the polls. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of the jailed ex-premier Khalida Zia won five seats in the 300-member Parliament. "The US commends the tens of millions of Bangladeshis who voted in Bangladesh's 11th parliamentary election on December 30, 2018, as well as the decision of all major opposition political parties to participate, a positive development after the boycotted election of 2014," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said. The administration, in its first reaction to the December 30 parliamentary poll results in Bangladesh, said that the US remains deeply invested in the future of Bangladesh and its democratic development. The election was marred by violence, in which 17 people died. The opposition BNP rejected the poll outcome as "farcical" and rigged and demanded fresh election, amid allegations of intimidation. The (EC) ruled out holding fresh polls. The opposition Jatiya Oikya Front - National Unity Front (NUF) - comprising the BNP and some smaller parties, criticised the EC and accused its chief of being biased. ALSO READ: PM Hasina's Awami League registers landslide victory in Bangladesh polls Palladino asserted that the US was the Bangladesh's largest foreign investor, largest single-country market for Bangladeshi exports, and a home to a large community of Americans of Bangladeshi origin. "In this light, we note with concern credible reports of harassment, intimidation and violence in the pre-election period that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely," Palladino said. ALSO READ: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina rejects poll rigging claims after landslide win Expressing concern that election-day irregularities prevented some people from voting, he said this undermined faith in the electoral process. "We strongly encourage all parties to refrain from violence and request the work constructively with all sides to address claims of irregularities," Palladino said. "Bangladesh's impressive record of economic development and respect for democracy and human rights are mutually reinforcing, and we look forward to continue working with the ruling government and opposition towards advancing these interrelated goals," the State Department spokesperson said. Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops out of Syria "in no way changes anything" in terms of US support and protection of Israel, US Secretary of State said Tuesday. Pompeo gave the assurance as he met Israeli Prime Minister for talks in Brasilia on the sidelines of the inauguration of Brazil's new president, "The decision the made on Syria in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel," Pompeo said. "The counter- campaign continues, our efforts to counter Iranian aggression continues, and our commitment to stability and protection of continues in the same way before that decision was made," he said. is another term for the radical militant Islamic State group (IS). The fact that the issue was the prime topic of conversation between Pompeo and Netanyahu underlined the uncertainty thrown up by Trump's December 19 decision -- announced on -- to withdraw US troops from northeast Syria, where they had been battling IS remnants. "We have a lot to discuss. We're going to be discussing our, the intense cooperation between and the which will also deal with the questions following the decision, the American decision, on Syria," Netanyahu said. ALSO READ: Trump slowing down withdrawal of US forces in Syria, says Senator Graham He said the talks would look at "how to intensify even further our intelligence and operational cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the " Trump's abrupt decision on Syria stunned regional players, US politicians of both parties and military leaders, who expressed surprise that such a major decision would be announced after apparently so little advance consultation, against the advice of his national security advisors -- and on ALSO READ: Trump makes surprise visit to US troops in Iraq; defends Syria pullout plan US Defense Secretary resigned following the announcement, which came on the same day that US officials said Trump was also planning a significant drawdown in Afghanistan, with some reports suggesting as many as half of the 14,000 troops could leave. (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 assailant slipped out of a park around noon one day in October, zeroing in on his target, which was idling at a nearby intersection a self-driving van operated by Waymo, the driverless-car company spun out of Google. He carried out his attack with an unidentified sharp object, swiftly slashing one of the tires. The suspect, identified as a white man in his 20s, then melted into the neighbourhood on foot. The slashing was one of nearly two dozen attacks on driverless vehicles over the past two years in Chandler, a city near Phoenix where Waymo started testing its vans in 2017. In ... The relation between the Reserve Bank and the government is akin to that of 'husband and wife', former Prime Minister once famously said but that bond turned sour in 2018, leading to unprecedented episodes that culminated in the abrupt resignation of as the governor. Differences between the Centre and the RBI over easing of lending restrictions for certain sectors and the appropriate size of reserves to be maintained by the central bank, among other issues, spilled out. It was further aggravated when deputy governor spoke of maintaining autonomy and independence of the central bank. It soon unravelled that the government had cited a never-used-before provision of the RBI Act to get the central bank to discuss issues it considered of public importance. This seemed to have been the culmination of a series of events that began with the government getting persons considered close to its ideology being appointed as directors on the RBI's central board. Swadeshi ideologue S Gurumurthy vigorously pushed the government's cause especially with regard to taking a more liberal view on issues such as reserves the central bank must maintain. Soon enough there was speculation that the then Governor Patel would resign but he chose to stay on to see if there was a resolution and quit when there wasn't a common ground found even over names of an expert committee the RBI and government had agreed to constitute to look into appropriate size of reserves the central bank must maintain. The government quickly moved in and appointed a former bureaucrat who from day one showed a willingness to consider all issues on the table and take a more consultative approach rather than being a confrontationalist. Winds of changes are already visible at Mint Street as has held at least three consultations with bankers over different issues, a trend which was a rarity during Patel's tenure. Many blamed the pressure brought by the government on the central bank to ease lending restrictions and release more of its capital to bolster the economy for Patel's resignation. Patel became the first since post economic liberalisation in 1991 to resign as the In independent India, the first governor to resign was Benegal in 1955 during the tenure of the Jawaharlal Nehru government. Indira Gandhi got S Jagannathan to resign after he refused to give an enhanced loan to Maruti in 1975. During Chandra Shekhar government (1990), R N Malhotra had to resign due to differences with the government. Patel was hand-picked by the BJP-led government after his predecessor Raghuram Rajan was denied a second-term. A Kenyan national who acquired Indian citizenship prior to being appointed as Deputy Governor of the RBI in January 2013, Oxford-trained Patel was initially seen as toeing government line after he backed the November 2016 shock decision to overnight junk 86 per cent of the currency in circulation. Since then, he was seen waging a war to get the struggling system in order and punish defaulting borrowers. The genesis of differences between the RBI and the government was one-day default norms announced by the central bank on February 12, 2018. The RBI aligned the revised norms with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) as it also recognised the one-day default norms. According to the RBI, the revised framework tried to reduce the arbitrage the borrowers are currently enjoying while raising funds through borrowing from vis-a-vis from the capital markets. Besides, there were some disagreements on weak bank norms, Prompt Corrective Action (PCA). Of 21 public sector banks, 11 are under PCA framework due to declining profit and rising bad loans. The PCA framework kicks in when breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points -- namely capital to risk weighted assets ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets (RoA). The government wanted the RBI to align its PCA framework with global norms, which recognises only slippage on capital to risk weighted assets ratio. The differences came out in the open when Deputy Governor Acharya, in a hard-hitting speech in October, talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be "potentially catastrophic" for the economy. Subsequently, Economic Affairs Seceretary and government nominee on the Board took an apparent dig at Acharya's 'wrath of financial markets' comment in a tweet saying vital indicators of the economy were showing improvement. "The autonomy for the central bank, within the framework of the RBI Act, is an essential and accepted governance requirement. Government of India has nurtured and respected this," the ministry said in a statement. However, there was truce on two issues, including with regard to reserves. It was agreed that an expert panel to examine the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) of RBI in its central board meeting on November 19. The RBI, while deciding to retain the CRAR at 9 per cent, agreed to extend the transition period for implementing the last tranche of 0.625 per cent under the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB), by one year, up to March 31, 2020. Despite reaching some common ground on contentious issues, Patel in a surprise move resigned on December 10 leaving government perplexed. Acting swiftly, the government very next day, appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary as the 25th Governor of the RBI. This time government preferred a bureaucrat over an economist after tryst with two economists as head of the central bank. Considered an efficient implementer and a team player, Das may be the right man in the RBI amid tensions with the ministry over governance and autonomy issues. Das, a 1980 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre has worked in economic and departments in the state and the centre during his 37-year-long tenure like other previous governors Y V Reddy and D Subbarao who also moved from North Block to the Mint Street. (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.) Kader Khan, the rare Bollywood artiste who straddled the twin worlds of writing and acting with equal prowess, died in Toronto after prolonged illness on the last day of the year, his son said. He was 81. Khan, who left an indelible imprint on commercial cinema of the 1980s and 1990s, slipped into a coma on Monday in a Toronto hospital. He is survived by his sons Sarfaraz and Shahnawaz. My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks, Sarfaraz told PTI. The last rites of the veteran actor, who was a civil engineering professor before going on to act in more than 300 films and writing over 250, will be held in Canada. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it. We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers, he said. News of the death of the actor-screenwriter, known for writing blockbuster hits such as Amar Akbar Anthony and Coolie No 1 as much as for his many character roles, came a day after his son dismissed media reports of his demise. According to reports, he was suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Khans death. "His versatility, from comic to negative roles, and the films he embellished as a writer are still remembered. Condolences to his family, friends and fans," the President's official Twitter handle tweeted. The prime minister remembered Khan for his unique sense of humour. " ji brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills and lightened it thanks to his unique sense of humour. He was also a prolific screenwriter, associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers," Modi tweeted. Back home in Mumbai, his colleagues and well-wishers from the Hindi film industry expressed their profound grief at the death of the Kabul-born Khan. Khan played a key role in shaping Amitabh Bachchan's career, writing some of his career defining films like "Muqaddar ka Sikandar" and "Coolie" and acting along side him in many others. "Sad depressing news. My prayers and condolences. A brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film. "A writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films. A delightful company and a mathematician," the actor wrote. Khan's other frequent collaborator Govinda, for whom he wrote "Shola aur Shabnam" and "Coolie No 1", described him as a father figure. Khan played his father in "Hero No 1". "He was not just my 'ustaad' but a father figure to me, his Midas touch and his aura made every actor he worked with a superstar. The entire film industry and my family deeply mourns this loss and we cannot express the sorrow in words," Govinda said. ALSO READ: Bollywood stars, PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi condole Kader Khan's demise Khan made his writing debut in 1972 with the Jaya Bhaduri-Randhir Kapoor starrer "Jawani Diwani" and his acting debut the following year with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag". As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra. His films with Desai include "Dharam Veer", "Desh Premee", "Suhaag" and "Parvarish", and films with Mehra include "Sharaabi" and "Lawaaris". Bollywood celebrities from across generations recalled the genius of the man. Rishi Kapoor remembered him as a great teacher. A prediction for 2019 we will be hearing a lot about an unholy alliance. There have been a few of them already, but the big one is still coming. The phrase was warmed up over the past year, by BJP leaders and government-friendly officials accusing the opposition of cynical politics. Across the country, bitter rivals have been burying their differences, as they gravitate toward one grand alliance a mahagathbandhan against the ruling party in the election next year. In March, an unholy alliance formed in Uttar Pradesh. In May, in ... Just as weve caught our breaths from 2018s exciting and very busy year in space and astronomy, 2019 is already off to a rapid start. Before we finish the first week of this year, well see a Chinese probe landing on the moon, an eclipse and NASAs New Horizons spacecraft complete a flyby of the most distant object ever visited in the solar system. However much you love space and astronomy, we know it can be challenging to keep on top of the latest out-of-this-world news. Below are some of the launches, space science and other events we anticipate. The moon will get ... After Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi ruled out an Ordinance on the Ram temple issue on Tuesday, and said his government would wait for the Supreme Court judgment, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said the people of India expect the current government to fulfil its promise to construct the temple during its current tenure. The RSS said the people of India voted for Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in 2014 on that assurance. 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 claimed to have shot down an Indian spy quadcopter in Bagh sector along the on Tuesday. Defence spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, in his official twitter handle, also said that not even a quadcopter will be allowed to cross the (LoC). " troops shot down Indian Spy Quadcopter in Bagh Sector along Not even a quadcopter will be allowed to cross LOC," he tweeted along with a picture of the drone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made it clear that any decision on bringing an ordinance on building a Ram in Ayodhya temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. Modi, in an interview to news agency ANI, suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because lawyers representing the Congress party were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," he said when he asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been ... The Indian and Pakistani armies traded fire on the (LoC) on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said. Defence sources said resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions on Tuesday morning. "Pakistani firing began early this morning in Khari Karmara area of the LoC. Indian positions retaliated strongly. No casualty or damage was reported on our side," an informed source said. Tuesday's ceasefire violation comes on the first day of the New Year. In 2018, there have been over 1,400 ceasefire violations on the LoC and the International Border (IB) by Pakistan in Ailing Goa Chief Minister Tuesday attended his office at the secretariat here for the first time in the last four months, on the New Year Day. Parrikar, 63, has been absent from the office for extended period due to a pancreatic ailment. He had undergone treatment at private hospitals in Mumbai and the USA last year. He had last attended the office in August 2018, before he was shifted to Mumbai for treatment. The chief minister, with medical appendage, got down from his car at the main gate of the secretariat at around 10:45 AM, smiled at people, and walked inside, sources said. Hundreds of BJP workers who had gathered outside the complex cheered when Parrikar arrived. He was formally welcomed by BJP MLAs, including Legislative Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, ministers Mauvin Godinho, Milind Naik, Nilesh Cabral and former MLA Kiran Kandolkar. Sources from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Parrikar held a meeting with officials of the Personnel department to review existing vacancies and other issues like promotions and transfers that needed urgent attention. He also met staff of his office, they said. In the first public appearance since his return from the (AIIMS) in Delhi in October, the chief minister had last month inspected the work on new bridges over the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers near Panaji. He had met Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu last week to discuss various developmental works. He also discussed with the minister the Centre's plan to make Goa an investment destination. Since his discharge from AIIMS, Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence at Dona Paula near Panaji. Stiff competition in the telecom sector has led to another rough year for the sectors stocks. The shares of Vodafone Idea have been hit the hardest with the stock moving into the unenviable league of the worst-performing one in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index in 2018. Last year, the shares of Vodafone Idea were down 65 per cent. Data compiled by Bloomberg shows the stock of the telecom major was among the top 5 losers in the regional index in local currency terms. According to analysts, despite the companys fundraising plan, its balance-sheet is likely to remain under ... Natco Pharma, which draws bulk of its revenues from the US market, thanks to successful products like generic Copaxone, is now turning its focus on Brazil, Canada, and China to fuel growth and also de-risk business model. The Hyderabad-based company is spending 60-70 per cent of its money on these emerging markets and India and only 30 per cent is being spent on the US market. In FY18, the US markets contributed $127 million or about 40 per cent of its FY18 turnover of $334 million. The contribution from the domestic market, rather, was lower at $112 million. Rajeev Nannapaneni, ... The country's largest car maker India reported on Tuesday a 1.3 per cent decline in sales at 128,338 units in December. The company had sold 130,066 units in December last year, India (MSI) said in a statement. Domestic sales were up 1.8 per cent at 121,479 units last month as against 119,286 units in the year-ago month, it added. Sales of mini cars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 27,661 units as compared to 32,146 units in December last year, down 14 per cent. Sales of compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were down 3.8 per cent at 51,334 units as against 53,336 units in December last year, the company said. Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold 4,734 units as compared to 2,382 units in the same month a year ago. Utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were up 4.9 per cent at 20,225 units as compared to 19,276 units in the year-ago month, MSI said. Exports in December were down by 36.4 per cent at 6,859 units as against 10,780 units in the corresponding month last year, it said. A police officer on the late shift in an Ohio town recently received an unusual call from Facebook. Earlier that day, a local woman wrote a Facebook post saying she was walking home and intended to kill herself when she got there, according to a police report on the case. Facebook called to warn the Police Department about the suicide threat. The officer who took the call quickly located the woman, but she denied having suicidal thoughts, the police report said. Even so, the officer believed she might harm herself and told the woman that she must go to a hospital either ... 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 Washington: Amid questions about the pace of his exit from Syria, President Donald Trump complained on Monday that he's getting "bad press" for his decision to pull American troops out of the country. Trump abruptly announced in mid-December that he was withdrawing 2000 US troops from Syria. The decision was roundly criticised by his national security advisers and Democratic and Republican lawmakers, several of whom asked him to reconsider. It prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to step down, and the US envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State militants resigned in protest. Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldiers wait stationed near the northern Syrian city of Manbij. It is a potential flashpoint in the war, because it is currently controlled by US-backed Kurds, whom Turkey views as the enemy. Credit:AP On Monday, local time, Trump fought back against the criticism, insisting he was simply making good on his campaign promise against US involvement in "never ending wars". "I am the only person in America who could say that, 'I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory,' and get BAD press," Trump tweeted Monday. "It is Fake News and Pundits who have FAILED for years that are doing the complaining. If I stayed in Endless Wars forever, they would still be unhappy!" In Tokyo, a car ploughed into crowds celebrating New Year's Day in Tokyo early on Tuesday in a suspected terror attack, leaving eight people injured, including one who was unconscious. As people around the world celebrated the start of a new year, a police spokesman said one suspect, in his 20s, had been detained and that he had described the incident as an "act of terror". The spokesman declined to elaborate. A car is inspected by police after it injured several pedestrians on Takeshita Street in Tokyo, early on new year's day. Credit:AP The incident happened shortly after midnight local time in a popular tourist area of Harajuku, near Meiji Shrine, in central Tokyo. Predictions of a chaotic IT collapse brought on by the Y2K bug had the Howard government fearing Australia was unready for the worst, previously classified documents reveal. As the year 2000 approached, the federal government in 1997 took seriously the warnings that the new millennium's arrival could play havoc with electricity, hospitals and traffic lights. The "millennium bug", cast by some as a looming apocalypse, brought on hundreds of billions in estimated spending worldwide to avoid catastrophe. John Fahey with John Howard in Parliament. The then finance minister warned cabinet that Australia was slow to get ready for the millenium bug. Credit:Andrew Meares Cabinet documents from 1996-1997, released on Tuesday by the National Archives of Australia, show the federal government feared inaction could expose emergency services, telecommunications and navigation equipment to failure. A 20-year-old man who was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition from a music festival south-east of Melbourne at the weekend has died of a suspected drug overdose. The young man, from Mansfield, was flown to hospital in a critical condition from the Beyond the Valley festival on Saturday and died on Tuesday morning. Police undertake searches with the help of sniffer dogs at the Field Day music festival in Sydney on New Years Day. Credit:James Alcock The festival, which ends on Tuesday, is being held in Lardner, more than 100 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. "The circumstances surrounding [the man's] death are yet to be determined, however it is not being treated as suspicious," a police spokeswoman said. A man allegedly stabbed a stranger who failed to give him a cigarette, and was then traced back to his home by a police sniffer dog, a court has heard. Police say the man, Jonathan Peterson of Long Gully in Bendigo, left his home on Saturday night, after his partner asked him to get cigarettes. Accused man Jonathan Peterson arrives at Bendigo Magistrates' Court. Credit:Darren Howe He was allegedly waiting near a path when another man walked by, who was playing Pokemon Go on his phone, about 11.30pm. Mr Peterson allegedly asked the stranger for a cigarette and $5, before pulling out a small knife and saying, "Give us what youve got". However, Mr Patton said police were no longer including crimes that weren't related to New Year's Eve, which was partly responsible for the drop. Even so, he said arrests were down this year. There were 99 arrests for drunkenness a year ago, compared with 22 this time. Mr Patton said preliminary figures showed assaults had dropped from 23 to fewer than 10. "We are extremely happy, overwhelming so, with the conduct of the Victorian public," he said. "The public has responded to our calls for responsible and safe behaviour. "What we saw last night was a community that came out as families and friends and enjoyed themselves. It was great to see." Mr Patton said police, along with the government and other emergency services, had put a lot of planning into the night, including deploying more officers than ever on Victoria's streets. "We had a small number of people do the wrong thing; they were dealt with swiftly and firmly," he said. "[But] overall, we probably couldn't have asked for a better New Year's Eve in terms of behaviour." Loading Ambulance Victoria responded to 1000 emergencies during New Year's Eve celebrations with calls including a life-threatening injury at Falls Festival in Lorne. The festival-goer was airlifted in a critical condition after falling and hitting his head at the music festival on the Great Ocean Road. The man, aged in his 20s, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital just before 10pm, where he remained in a serious condition the following morning. It comes after another man was left fighting for his life after taking a drug at Beyond The Valley at Lardner south-east of Melbourne. The man, also aged in his 20s, was flown to the same hospital in a critical condition at 7am on New Years Eve. He is now listed as stable. Paramedics received more than a 1000 emergency cases across the state from 6pm until 3am as revellers celebrated the start of 2019. The call-outs also includedman, aged in his 60s, who was taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition after he was hit by fireworks in Altona Meadows just after midnight. A seven-year-old was also struck in the face with a firework when it fell out of the designated zone during a display at Loch Sport in Central Gippsland. He suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. More fireworks later fell out of the zone, hitting another person who wasn't injured. WorkSafe is investigating. Ambulance Victoria New Years Eve Health Commander Ian Hunt said calls were up from last year. It was much busier than last year well above the average of what wed expect, he said. Mr Hunt said paramedics responded to a range of cases, including intoxicated and drug affected revellers, burns, slips, trips and falls. He said the largest spike in calls came between 12am to 2am, when paramedics responded to 324 emergency cases. With more than 1000 people needing our assistance, it was pleasing that very few cases were of a serious nature, he said. Mr Hunt said there were extra paramedics rostered on across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, at the early Footscray Park fireworks, and at The Falls and Beyond the Valley music festivals. British visitors relax on the St Kilda shore in the early hours of 2019. Credit:Simon Schluter The emergencies also included a man who suffered burns to his hand after falling into a campfire near Kaarimba about 12.30am. A unregistered massage therapist who had a sexual relationship with a patient, drug theft, a drunk nurse and potential Medicare fraud were among thousands of complaints dealt with by the Office of the Health Ombudsman last year. Health Ombudsman Andrew Brown's latest annual report reveals there were 11,569 complaints and inquiries received in 2017-18. More than 30 medical practitioners were being investigated for stealing or fraudulently obtaining medication. Credit:AP That was an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year. Almost half of the complaints identified individual practitioners, with medical practitioners making up the biggest group, followed by nurses, dentists, psychologists and pharmacists. More cracks have been found in western Sydney's Opal Tower after a team of engineers inspecting the residential building discovered damage on a lower level. On Friday, residents of the building were evacuated for the second time to allow experts to identify the cause of the cracking which forced the original evacuation on Christmas Eve. Tradesmen work to fix the cracking at Opal Tower that caused residents to be evacuated twice in a week. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer After diagnosing a cracked pre-cast concrete panel on level 10, investigators have been scouring more than 200 similar panels in vertical gardens around the building looking for similar damage. In an email to residents on Monday night, structural engineering company WSP announced they had found further damage in two areas on level four. Sydney and Melbourne were the worst performing real estate markets in the country last year with house prices falls of 10 per cent and 9 per cent respectively, but economists warn there are more declines to come. The two largest capital cities in the country have dragged down national dwelling values 4.8 per cent over the year in the worst national result since the December quarter of 2008, data from housing research firm CoreLogic shows. Sydneys dwelling prices have fallen back to the same level in August 2016, before the peak of the real estate boom, while Melbournes prices are now at February 2017 levels. Some commentators, such as AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver, have warned further falls of up to 10 per cent in property prices are expected in 2019. Two men are being treated in hospital following a shooting at a fast food takeaway in Dublin in the early hours of this morning. The incident occurred in Edenmore in Coolock just after midnight. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has put his ministers on notice of his intention to carry out a reshuffle this summer, in the wake of the local and European elections. Among those ministers who are under threat of being sacked or moved from their current jobs are Health Minister Simon Harris, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and super junior minister Mary Mitchell OConnor. Health Minister Simon Harris Mr Varadkar has made it known of his desire to freshen up the Cabinet ranks for the fourth time since taking office and will aim to do so in June or July. Speaking to political correspondents in recent days, Mr Varadkar said he would seek to follow the example of his predecessor Enda Kenny who performed a similar reshuffle in 2014. Ive always said that would be the logical time to reshuffle the Cabinet, to reshuffle your team is after the local and European elections. That was done on the last occasion by Enda Kenny as Taoiseach. Id be minded to do the same, he said. Therell be a chance to reshuffle the team then, perhaps in June or July. That would give them a chance over the summer to read into new briefs if they get them. But we need to get their first, he said in reference to the current uncertainty surrounding Brexit. He refused to be drawn on the fate of various ministers saying it would not be fair to speculate. Mr Flanagan, as one of the senior members of Cabinet, has been on more than one occasion been linked with demotion and several senior Government sources have indicated he is vulnerable. Mr Harris was left as health minister by Mr Varadkar in 2017 following an appeal from Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who Mr Harris had backed in the Fine Gael leadership contest. He has had a rocky relationship with Mr Varadkar and depending on his handling of the pending winter hospital crisis could be facing the axe. Mr Murphy has endured a torrid time in the Department of Housing and his relationship with Mr Varadkar is said to have soured somewhat in recent months. The rookie minister may be shuffled to another department rather than being dropped altogether. Ms Mitchell OConnor has signalled a willingness to sacrifice ministerial office in order to contest the MEP seat to be vacated by Brian Hayes, who is standing down. However, there is a belief that she would be demoted by Mr Varadkar in a reshuffle. Mr Varadkar also made clear that the proposed referendum on divorce may be delayed to make room for the referendum to remove mention in the Constitution relating to a womans place is in the home. We were going to have the referendum on women in the home. That was to be held against the presidential elections. We decided not to go ahead with that; we didnt have decent cross-party consensus on what to do. The joint Oireachtas committee has now come back to us with proposed wording. If that wording is acceptable to the Attorney General, we may substitute that for the referendum on divorce instead, the Taoiseach said. He said the Government is determined to go ahead with the referendum to extend the right to vote to Irish citizens outside of Ireland in presidential elections. Mr Varadkar also said he and other EU leaders are concerned about the potential for Russian interference in the European elections. That is something as EU leaders we are quite concerned with, he said. European elections tend to be low turnout elections, people often use them as an opportunity to register a protest and they are very vulnerable to interference and external actors. Bear in mind the EU Parliament is a very powerful institution. If we had a parliament full of nationalists, populists and extremists it could bring a lot of the work we do in Europe to a halt, so it is a serious issue and one we need to be across. A number of babies were born in Ireland just seconds past midnight as we welcomed the New Year. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda had the pleasure of bringing the first Irish baby into the world just three seconds past midnight. Parents Michelle Montague and Simon Cox welcomed their baby girl Maeve who weighed 7lbs 4oz shortly after midnight. Parents Michelle Montague and Simon Cox with newborn Maeve. Midwife at the hospital, Ciara Dunne, said that both mother and baby and doing well. We were all ecstatic when we found out this morning that the first baby was born here. Mum and baby are doing great. "We're all proud." The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in Dublin saw a baby born just 27 seconds after midnight. She weighed 8lbs 5 oz. Cork University Maternity Hospital welcomed a baby boy into the world just minutes after midnight. The baby weighed 7lbs 9oz. Marie and Niall O'Brien, from Grallagh, Grange, Co Waterford welcomed new years baby boy Joey Kieran O'Brien, born at four minutes past midnight. Marie and Niall O'Brien with newborn Joey Kieran O'Brien. Conor and Aisling McKenna, from Milltown Malbay, Co Clare, became first-time parents to the first baby born on New Years Day in the mid-west region. Mary McKenna, weighing 7lbs 5oz, entered the world at 2.20am at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL). Conor and Aisling McKenna with their newborn baby girl Mary. For Conor and Aisling - who are both primary school teachers - it was a very positive experience. Conor, a teacher at Inch National School, explained: things started moving around 4pm yesterday. The 10-hour delivery went very well he said. Praising staff, he said: We had a very good consultant, Dr John Slevin, and midwives, who helped us through it. It was all a very positive experience, and we couldnt speak highly enough of the staff here in Limerick. "Conor, who was present for the birth, described it as good, very different, but very positive. Aisling is doing great at the moment. Im feeling great, over the moon, he added. Praising his wife, he said: Im very proud of Aisling. She had done a lot of preparation over the last few months (and) it all paid off for her so Im delighted for her. Digital Desk and David Raleigh All over the world fireworks ushered in the new year, but in a quiet corner of Co Cork, one of the brightest lights dimmed just a little, just for a short while. Fionn Doyle, the boy who captivated people at home and abroad in his brave battle with leukaemia had passed away, now entering 2019 in a new place. The seven-year-old will leave behind a lifetime of memories, not least the day back in August when his devoted parents threw him a birthday party that beat all. A torrent of cards and presents were delivered under armed garda and fire brigade escort to his home in Kildorrery, in north Cork. All the stops were pulled out, every effort made to create a truly special moment where a young boy's birthday could be both a fun, family affair, and a public event that reminded us all of the deep wells of humanity that exist along our highways and byways. Fionn told the Irish Examiner: "It was really cool." His mum, Eimear, had earlier issued a simple appeal on social media, inviting people to send her son - who had been diagnosed with leukaemia five years before - a birthday card. Thousands followed. It came after the family had been told in May that the cancer was terminal. From that point on it was all about enjoying every minute, every hour, stockpiling memories to take forward into the days when Fionn would no longer be around to share them. Its understood that saddest moment dropped shortly the other side of midnight on January 1 The Parish Priest in Kildorrery, Fr Eamonn Kelleher, summed it up. "The whole parish of Kildorrery kept Fionn and his family in their prayers. There was immense affection for Fionn and his family. In the parish and beyond people did everything they could to support them. "There is just a great sadness that has descended on Kildorrery at the news," he said, describing Fionn as "a precious little boy" and someone "of immense character and charm". The Doyles had celebrated Christmas early on December 8 in case Fionn left them ahead of the big day. Santa delivered presents for him and his older sister, Saoirse, Eimear and dad Jack had the Christmas dinner made, the crackers were pulled. Eimear had said: It would mean the absolute world to us to have Christmas Day with Fionn. It is our greatest hope and it is getting closer." They made it, and they even made it again, this time into a new year, but beyond that just wasnt to be. It was a countdown of a different kind - each second was precious. "They wanted to have every moment with him," Fr Kelleher said. It was announced last night that a Mass of the Angels will be held in Kildorrery for Fionn this Thursday. Back in August Eimear wrote: "We didnt dare dream back in May wed get there but as the day is getting closer we want to plan to give him the best birthday we possibly can." They did, and much more, along the way giving thousands of people who never met Fionn the enduring image of his face lighting up in sheer joy as his birthday dreams came through. Here and in countless other places, the light cast by the little boy from Kildorrery shines on. Irelands drinks industry continues to prosper. It is one of the countrys most dynamic sectors, driven by innovation and growing demand in export markets. Its an industry that continues to make a vital contribution to the countrys economy, employing 90,000 people and exporting more than 1.25bn worth of produce. Since 2001, the average per adult alcohol consumption in Ireland has declined by over 23%. Despite a continued fall in consumption here, consumers are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes and are eager to try the plethora of new, quality products on the market. After a strong 2018, we head into 2019 with many uncertainties for the industry. At home, there are risks associated with Irelands disproportionately high excise rate, as well as the Public Health Alcohol Act. Globally, Brexit will present challenges for the all-island drinks industry, particularly if Britain were to crash out with no deal. Additionally, there is the looming threat of trade wars and tariffs. In 2018, Irish gin producers took advantage of the global gin craze and exports soared, up 226% in the first eight months of 2018. Demand for gin also continued to grow in Ireland and pink gin was the major breakthrough category in the domestic market. Also on the spirits side, it was an exciting year for Irish cream liqueur. After recovering from what producers dubbed a lost decade, 2018 saw further growth. Preliminary export figures for 2018 suggest there was an export growth rate of approximately 8% for this year, driven by strong export growth to the US. In 2018, Irish whiskey consolidated its position as the fastest growing premium spirit category in the world. A number of Irish whiskey distilleries launched their own distilled product for the first time, increasing diversity and consumer choice. There are now 21 operational whiskey distilleries in Ireland, up from just four at the start of the decade. Poitin will benefit from a promotional push in 2019 while Irish whiskeys will likely go from strength to strength. Looking ahead, we anticipate that growth in the Irish whiskey sector will continue to strengthen and more Irish whiskey distilleries will launch their own distilled product for the first time, this year. While the growing demand for gin led to a prosperous 2018, this year will likely see the domestic market becoming saturated. As such, there will be a greater need to support exports from the sector. Separately, greater attention will be put on driving sales among other Irish spirits. Two decades after poitin was legalised, sales remain quite low. This year we will work with producers, Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture to create an awareness campaign that will be rolled out to promote the product. It is also anticipated that there will be increased scrutiny by consumers and the trade on the authenticity of Irish spirits in export markets. Meanwhile, brewers are looking to lighter and zero-alcohol products. Beer remains Irelands most popular alcoholic drink and brewers across the country continue to introduce exciting new products to the market. Last year saw the emergence of lighter lager options to the market, hovering around 4% alcohol by volume, or ABV. It is now anticipated that non-alcoholic beers will become increasingly popular. Ireland also remains a major exporter of beer. Beer exports, by volume, rose only slightly, by 0.2% in 2017 and were valued at 273m. That makes Ireland the eighth largest beer exporter in Europe. The emergence of craft cider is also leading to more choice for consumers. In recent years, cider drinkers have enjoyed unprecedented choice in pubs and on shelves due to the emergence of craft cider. In 2016, cider consumption accounted for 7.5% of all alcohol consumed. Ciders share grew to 7.7% in 2017. Of note also is the fact that there was a significant increase in apple cider vinegar sales in the on-trade sector in 2018. Irelands love affair with wine continues. Since 2000, the market share for wine has grown significantly. In 2017, the wine industry saw a 0.47% increase in total consumption. The sector employs over 1,100 people directly while supporting thousands of other jobs in Irelands pubs, restaurants, independent off-licences, supermarkets and in hotels that sell wine. The big threat this year is a no-deal Brexit, which should be avoided to protect all-island drinks industry. The drinks industry, like other sectors in the economy, is busy planning ahead for Brexit, which presents significant uncertainties. The Irish drinks industry operates on an integrated all-island basis with seamless cross-border supply chains and three cross-border so-called Geographic Indications: Irish whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, as well as Poitin. The aggregate value of trade in drinks products between the UK and Ireland in 2017 was 364m. A third of the sales, or 121m, was the aggregate value of north-south trade. Plans While contingency plans are being put in place, a no-deal Brexit should be avoided at all costs to minimise risks to trade flows and consumer spending. A no-deal would be seriously damaging, with potential consequences including immediate tariffs on cream, barley, malt, glass bottles, apples, finished cider and other supply chain inputs, as well as regulatory and customs checks at any new hard Irish border, leading to additional delays and costs. The industry is also focusing on the implementation of the Public Health Alcohol Act. While the Public Health Alcohol Act is now on the statute books, there are still many unanswered questions in relation to how it will be implemented. This year we will be continuing our calls on the Minister for Health to establish an implementation group, to include the industry. Irelands disproportionately-high excise rate negatively affects producers and punters. The excise rate on alcohol is the second highest in the EU and is disproportionately high compared to other EU member states. In addition to having the highest excise on wine, Irish consumers pay the second highest rate on beer and the third highest rate on spirits. The industry this year will again be campaigning to reduce Irelands excise rate, which would help to drive innovation in the industry. Then there is the threat of escalating trade wars and higher tariffs. The prospect of additional trade wars and tariffs is of concern. The US is a major market for Irelands drinks industry. Currently, there is a 25% tariff placed on imported spirits to the EU, which is damaging for our global businesses. It places us firmly in the firing line for retaliation from the US at any moment. So, we have to ensure a prosperous future. As we look ahead, we remain committed to taking on the various challenges and uncertainties faced by the industry head-on. We look forward to working with our stakeholders and the wider business community to ensure there is a prosperous future for Irelands drinks industry, which remains one of the most exciting indigenous sectors. Patricia Callan is director of the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland The Guinness Storehouse retains its position as Irelands number one international visitor attraction by surpassing all previous records, with over 1.7 million guests passing through its doors in 2018. Since first opening its doors to the public in 2000, the Guinness Storehouse has welcomed over 19 million visitors and is set to welcome its 20 millionth visitor in the coming months. Tourism is one of Ireland's most important economic sectors, the industry is responsible for earnings of 8.7 billion which supports 230,000 jobs. In 2018, guests from Mainland Europe made up the majority of visitors to the Guinness Storehouse, with 32% of all guests travelling from the continent. The highest year on year growth was from Italy, which increased its visitor numbers by over 31% and Germany which was up 22%. The USA continues to show strong performance making up over 30% of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse this year. Located in the heart of the St. James's Gate Brewery, the Guinness Storehouse tells the story of one of Irelands most iconic brands, Guinness. The journey begins at the bottom of the world's largest pint glass and continues up through seven floors, including the highlight for many visitors - the famous Gravity Bar, which showcases unparalleled panoramic 360 views of Dublin city. Visitors from Ireland and abroad discover what goes into making each and every pint, learn about the incredible brand history stretching over 250 years, its iconic advertising, as well as a tasting like no other. Commenting on the visitor numbers, Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse said: 2018 was another incredibly successful year for the Guinness Storehouse. Our aim is to position Ireland and the Guinness Storehouse as a year-round, must visit destination, to ensure that the contribution of tourism to the economy continues to expand. With a focus on seasonality, this year we heavily internationally promoted key events: International Stout Festival in November and St. Patricks Festival in March. The US continues to show incredible growth over the last number of years. Over the past five-years, we have seen numbers of US visitors to the Guinness Storehouse effectively double, growing by 196%. "We continually re-invest in our visitor experience to meet and exceed visitors expectations. As well as plans to double the Gravity Bar in size by late 2019, this year the Guinness Storehouse introduced the Guinness STOUTie, a picture-perfect pint experience that features your own selfie on the pint. "We are very proud of the success of the Guinness Storehouse over the 18 years and of the commitment of our own team at the Guinness Storehouse and all those across the industry who work hard to promote Dublin and Ireland as a world-class destination. We are excited to begin the next chapter of the Guinness Storehouse as were set to welcome our 20 millionth visitor this year. CEO of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons said: Congratulations to everyone at the Guinness Storehouse on welcoming over 1.7million visitors in 2018. This is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work of the staff. Overseas visitors regularly tell us that their holiday in Ireland has surpassed their expectations and a visit to Guinness Storehouse is certainly a must see now on everyones itinerary. CARBERRY Dozens of sheep roamed around the pasture near Gerry Oliver and her husband Ralphs home in December, seemingly immune to the cold, their round bodies covered in layers of wool. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/12/2018 (899 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CARBERRY Dozens of sheep roamed around the pasture near Gerry Oliver and her husband Ralphs home in December, seemingly immune to the cold, their round bodies covered in layers of wool. For more than 20 years, the Carberry farmers have been breeding sheep to use for both wool and meat. The sheep are accustomed to Gerry, and are quick to walk over to her to say hello. HEADLINE for the top right: Wool coats CUTLINE: Gerry Oliver says hello to her sheep at her farm near Carberry on a Wednesday in December. See Page 4 for more. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) Over time, she has learned the tricks of the trade. Certain breeds are better suited for different things, Oliver said. "Some of my breeds are really specialty-type wools, and its worth a lot of money," Oliver said. "Then, some of the other ones that I have, theyre good for if you want to spin it, and make yarn out of it, and knit it and things like that." Theyve been selling a lot of their wool product to a mill just outside of Winnipeg. They also sell it to small business owners who use it to make different crafts. Sheep come up to Gerry Oliver to say hello at her farm near Carberry on a Wednesday in December. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) She specializes in rare breeds, with a healthy selection of them ambling around the pasture. "My most rare one is Wensleydale, and theyre the ones with their wool is in the highest demand," she said. "The next ones would be Cotswold, theyre (both) old British breeds." She also breeds Tunis and Romeldale sheep. A group of sheep come in from the pasture at Gerry Oliver's farm on a Wednesday in December. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) In total, they have approximately 100 sheep. Her favourite part of farming is the sheep themselves, she said. "(You grow attached to) about all of them," Oliver said. "There are some special ones, thats for sure, they can become very much like a pet. They want to come up and visit with you and they like you." A llama roams among the sheep at Gerry Oliver's farm near Carberry. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) This time of year is breeding season for her, where the sheep are sectioned off into groups. Theyre all wormed and vaccinated before the process. "The ewes are separated into specific groups, and a certain ram is put in with them," she said. " I keep them in with the ram for that 21 days, and then they would go back as a one herd. Then I would put one more ram in to cover anybody that got missed." Throughout the year, her sheep travel with her to different display events, so people can get a better idea of the different breeds that are out there, she said. Two of Gerry Oliver's sheep peer at the camera at her home near Carberry on a Wednesday morning in December. (Melissa Verge/The Brandon Sun) "I take some to Ag in the Classroom when its in Brandon in June, and Ive taken them to Austin to the Threshermens Reunion," she said. They also go to the Manitoba Fibre Festival. "(Its) so people get an idea that theres different breeds out there, different colours, different types of wool." And, although it has been said that sheep arent very intelligent, Oliver said she doesnt agree. "They react to situations as a prey animal does, so we call them stupid," she said. If you looked at it from their perspective, we do have prey animals coming into our land and killing sheep, so theyre reacting to certain situations as a prey animal would, fight or flight." mverge@brandonsun.com Twitter: @Melverge5 YARMOUTH, N.S. - A community on the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia is looking forward to a brighter 2019 after a difficult year that's been bookended by tragedy. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2019 (894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A community on the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia is looking forward to a brighter 2019 after a difficult year that's been bookended by tragedy. A fishing boat heads out the harbour in Yarmouth, N.S., on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan YARMOUTH, N.S. - A community on the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia is looking forward to a brighter 2019 after a difficult year that's been bookended by tragedy. Five children, all under the age of eight, died in two separate incidents at the start and the end of the year in Yarmouth County, N.S., leaving waves of grief and shock in their close-knit communities. "We suffered some significant personal tragedies that a number of families experienced in our community, including everyone's worst fear and nightmare come true and that's the loss of children," said Zach Churchill, Nova Scotia's Education Minister and the MLA for Yarmouth. "None of us love anything more than our kids, even ourselves. So any parent can understand the pain and suffering that that sort of loss can have." In the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2018, a fast-moving house fire in the community of Pubnico Head killed four-month-old Winston Prouty, four-year-old Jayla Kennedy, seven-year-old Mya Prouty and seven-year-old Mason Grant, a cousin who was visiting for a sleepover. In their obituaries, the children are remembered for their mischievous smiles, boundless senses of humour, love of the outdoors and happy giggles. Then, in late November, four-year-old MaCali Cormier remembered in her obituary as someone who loved helping people and an "awesome big sister" died after falling under the wheels of a parade float during Yarmouth's annual Christmas parade. But in the days and weeks that followed these incidents, Churchill said the community was quick to leap into action to support the affected families in any way they could. "There's really only so much you can do. You can't dull the pain, you can't reduce the suffering that people are experiencing," he said. "But ... it was inspiring to see everyone wrap their arms around those families that were impacted, be there for them in their moment of grief and suffering, and support them through that. I know the community will be there for those families to help them as their journey changes." In the aftermath of the tragedies, fundraising campaigns for the families were launched, services and vigils were held, and in both cases, local funeral homes covered the costs of the children's funerals. But more than that, the communities themselves grew closer, according to Pam Mood, mayor of Yarmouth. "I think everyone understands when a tragedy happens, everybody, without exception, wants to do something," she said. "I can feel it: we're that much kinder, that much gentler. I've had folks call me and say, 'I'm checking on my neighbours a little bit more, and I'm a little more aware of how fragile life is.'" She said the relatively small size of the communities further cements the bond between the people within them. Just under 25,000 people lived in Yarmouth County as of 2016, while the town itself has a modest population of 6,500. Despite the year's sad incidents, Mood said 2018 also brought some good to the town, which has experienced economic difficulties in recent years. Although government funding for the Yarmouth ferry has been a long source of controversy in the province, Mood attributes the reinstatement of the vessel a few years back to a stronger tourism economy in the town and its surrounding areas. "Yarmouth is just on the upswing. Lots of new businesses opened, we've got a main street that's come back to life," she said. Still, though, she said the community continues to feel tremors from last year's tragedies. "There's a lot of healing that's taken place, that's certainly not finished, that just doesn't go away," she said. "As time goes on, certainly, we're still in mourning over the deaths of some very young people in our community, and we just continue to move forward." Churchill agreed that there were positives that came out of the year, saying the town's fishing industry "the backbone of our economy" is doing well, and local hotels are struggling to keep up with guest accommodations. He added that the past year has proven to him how strong Yarmouth can be. "Yarmouth is a very resilient community. We have a great history, and we have, I think, a great way of coming together and being there for one another," he said. "To live here and experience it, it's moving. And it makes you very proud to be from here, to live here and be part of this community." By Alex Cooke in Halifax REGINA - Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer welcomed 2019 with a warning that if Canadians re-elect Justin Trudeau this year, the federal carbon tax that's going to take effect will only climb. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2019 (894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks with the media following Question Period in Ottawa on December 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld REGINA - Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer welcomed 2019 with a warning that if Canadians re-elect Justin Trudeau this year, the federal carbon tax that's going to take effect will only climb. "Canadians know what Justin Trudeau is going to do. Now that his carbon tax is here, it's only going to go up. And if he gets re-elected in 10 months, it will go up even more," Scheer said during a New Year's Day news conference in a Giant Tiger store in Regina. "This time next year I plan on being able to tell Canadians that Justin Trudeau's carbon tax is a thing of the past." The federal government's new carbon pricing system comes into effect in 2019 in provinces that don't have carbon pricing mechanisms of their own. The carbon price outlined by Ottawa starts at a minimum of $20 a tonne and rises $10 annually until 2022. But Scheer told reporters that government officials are saying the tax would need to rise to $100 per tonne for it to be effective at reducing carbon emissions, and he says the federal environment department is planning for a carbon tax of $300 per tonne. "So we know Justin Trudeau will raise the carbon tax higher. His experts are telling him to. His own government departments are telling him to," Scheer said. "At that price home heating bills will rise by more than $1,000 a year and gas prices would go up by more than 60 cents a litre." When asked by a reporter about his own plan to fight climate change, Scheer responded that the Conservatives' plan will help reduce global emissions by capitalizing on Canada's clean technology and cleaner energy, which he said will also keep manufacturing jobs in Canada instead of moving to countries without those things. Canada's former parliamentary budget officer predicted in a report in April that the federal government's carbon tax will cut economic growth by 0.5 per cent or $10 billion dollars when it's fully implemented in 2022, and would generate significant revenues. However, Jean-Denis Frechette's report noted the impact on the economy will depend on how those revenues are used. Trudeau says Ottawa will return 90 per cent of the money it collects from a carbon tax to Canadians. Saskatchewan is asking its Court of Appeal to rule on whether the carbon tax is unconstitutional and has argued its climate change plan is enough to reduce emissions and a carbon tax would hurt the Saskatchewan economy. Scheer, who represents ReginaQu'Appelle in Parliament, said Saskatchewan's fight against the tax gets easier as more provinces elect governments that also oppose it, like Ontario and New Brunswick did in 2018. "Premier (Scott) Moe and Premier (Brad) Wall before him had a bit of a lonely battle but now they've got reinforcements. And my message to Canadians is come 2019, the battle will be won," Scheer said. AMSTERDAM - Police in Amsterdam are interrogating a 51-year-old Canadian man who was arrested after allegedly claiming he had a bomb at at the city's Schiphol Airport. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2019 (894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. AMSTERDAM - Police in Amsterdam are interrogating a 51-year-old Canadian man who was arrested after allegedly claiming he had a bomb at at the city's Schiphol Airport. Border patrol agency spokeswoman Joanna Helmonds says authorities are trying to figure out a motive for the alleged incident. She alleges that on Monday, the man reported he had a bomb in his luggage that was set to go off. She says it was a false alarm, but a serious threat nonetheless. Helmonds says the departure hall was evacuated for about half an hour as a precaution, but was later reopened after the arrest. She says he is facing charges in connection to making a false bomb report. Further information, such as the man's identity or what province he was from, is not available yet as the investigation is ongoing. SPRUCE WOODS Guests were transported back in time Saturday as they followed in the footsteps of late 18th and early 19th century fur traders at the Spruce Woods Provincial Park Canadian Free Traders Festival. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/12/2018 (896 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us SPRUCE WOODS Guests were transported back in time Saturday as they followed in the footsteps of late 18th and early 19th century fur traders at the Spruce Woods Provincial Park Canadian Free Traders Festival. Spruce Woods senior park interpreter Jennifer Bryson helped plan the Saturday afternoon snowshoe trip that was attended by around 40 people. CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Claire Sparling, dressed as an 18th-century Metis woman, prepares bannock and Labrador tea for guests at The Canadian Free Traders Festival at Spruce Woods Provincial Park Saturday. The Canadian Free Traders Festival took place over Saturday and Sunday, celebrating the history of Spruce Woods during the fur trade. "It was a great adventure, snowshoeing out to a free-traders cabin," Bryson said. Guests were able to participate in an approximately two-kilometre round trip, snowshoeing the trails used by fur traders. Along the hike, volunteers reenacted the experience of the fur traders, including a standoff between rival traders at the end of the hike near a Metis winter cabin. "This trail that were walking on would have been used during the fur trade, and these events actually occurred in this park. Its part of the parks heritage and history," Bryson said. Upon arriving at the cabin, guests were treated to a warm fire paired with homemade bannock, Labrador tea and hot chocolate. Spruce Woods was home to Pine Fort, an original supply post near the Assiniboine river. But as the building no longer stands, the cabin acted as a stand-in. CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Guests prepare for The Canadian Free Traders Festival two-kilometre snowshoe trek at Spruce Woods Provincial Park Saturday. The goal of the interpretive program was to transport people back in time, helping them to relive and understand the experience of the fur traders. "The culture, history and knowledge is all there ready for us to tap into," Bryson said. The warm weather over the weekend was a welcome reprieve this trip, as last year organizers faced weather that fell to around 50 C with the wind chill. Guests are often surprised at what they learn during interpretive hikes, Bryson said, frequently finding fun facts out that create inspiring "aha" moments. Chris Black led the hike in character as the historical fur trader John MacDonell of the Northwest Company. The Northwest Company was one of the biggest rival to the Hudsons Bay Company from 1784 to 1821, until they were purchased by the Hudsons Bay Company, Black said. Jay Ruston was second in command during the trip, representing one of the voyageurs that helped establish the trading post Pine Fort. With authentic hand made musket replicas, 17th-century clothing including mukluks, wool waist coats and various pouches, bags and short swords on hand, Black and Ruston were ready to transport guests back in time. The duo also enlisted guests helped pull a sled with trade goods. Along the hike, the duo stopped periodically to share information on the history of the park, including stories about the fur traders and voyageurs. Highlighting thousands of years of Indigenous history, Black said many fur traders made their way out to Spruce Woods based on their relationships with the Indigenous people and the Metis. With people from around the world signing up to find work and adventure, Black compared to the 18th-century fur traders to contemporary workers who set off from home to find work in industries like oil, mining or fishing. "They kind of laid the framework for everywhere," Black said, describing how the fur traders helped create the foundation for European expansion in Canada. Hoping the event helps guests recognize and respect contemporary resources like running water, electricity and instant messages, Black said the fur traders and voyageurs helped create the landscape of Manitoba seen today. "Somebody really had to forge that path, Spruce Woods is a wonderful park because it preserves the natural history and our history as a country," Black said. Martina Armstrong, an event participant, was impressed with the snowshoeing hike. A former resident of Glenboro, she said she knew the interpreters do an awesome job of hosting events, and decided to attend the Canadian Free Traders Festival after finding the event on Facebook. "Its wonderful, so much information and so many wonderful people," Armstrong said. Feeling fortunate that it was a beautiful day, Armstrong said she especially enjoyed the pit stops on the way to cabin, where she had the opportunity to learn about the history of the fur trade. "Spruce Woods is huge and its beautiful," Armstrong said. "Come with an open mind and have some fun." The group held a 19th-century housewife sewing workshop on Sunday, where guests had the opportunity to create a sewing kit. ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/12/2018 (895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us MELISSA VERGE/THE BRANDON SUN Brian Ruston lights the fuse on his cannon at Spruce Woods Provincial Park on Sunday. GLENBORO A loud boom echoed throughout Spruce Woods Provincial Park on Sunday. Brian Ruston watched from a safe vantage point as the cannon he brought to the Canadian Free Traders Festival went off, leaving behind a puff of smoke. Ruston, one of the volunteers at the festival said he wanted to help out not just to shoot cannons, but so he could teach people in the area about Manitoba history. "Theres very little of it taught in school, which I find that very hard to fathom," he said. "I went through school and took history and very little was said about Manitoba." He was dressed up on Sunday wearing a black and red plaid jacket and a bright red hat. A few people stopped by the tent he had set up to ask him questions. It was a family affair his son, Jay Ruston, also came out to the event to volunteer. He had a tent set up beside his fathers. "(Its nice) just reliving the history," Jay said. The two-day festival gave participants the opportunity to snack on bannock, immerse themselves in furs and gun collections and watch cannons go off. The idea was to show people what life was like in the province many years ago, he said. "If people would come around and see more, and come out to more events like this and talk to people, (they would learn a lot about the past)," he said. While he was busy chatting, his cannon, nicknamed "Lady Jane," was also tied up, cooling off after its noisy attack in the snow. It was small enough to carry, but loud enough to disrupt the peaceful silence of the woods. Ruston described himself as "a gun nut." In addition to Lady Jane, he is the proud owner of 13 muzzleloaders. After his wife died, he took up collecting them, and bringing them to festivals like the one in Spruce Woods over the weekend, he said. "(I thought), well Ive lost the love of my life, Im going to go out and find another love," he said. "This is it." He still remembers the first time he shot a musket, when he was eight years old and growing up in Cypress River. His fathers friend came over to their farm, and he got his lesson. "They asked me to shoot if I wanted to shoot, and I said Yes, I want to shoot," he said. "They said, Keep it up tight against your shoulder." "When the main charge went off, oh man, and I thought, Oh, I gotta have one of them, is that ever fun." He brought one of his muzzleloaders to the festival to give viewers a glimpse into the past. Its a replica of a model from 1750, with a serpentine engraved on it near the trigger, a symbol of power, he said. They were a vital part of early society. "Guns back then were a very important tool to them," he said. "They treated them as tools, they worked with them, they did everything." Over the past two years, he has looked forward to coming out to the festival to teach people more. "I dont know how many more years I can do this, but Im going to have fun doing it while Im doing it," he said. mverge@brandonsun.com Twitter: @Melverge5 (Special) - Christmas is a time of giving when people open their pocket books to buy gifts and open their homes to entertain friends and families over the holidays. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/12/2018 (895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. (Special) - Christmas is a time of giving when people open their pocket books to buy gifts and open their homes to entertain friends and families over the holidays. Canadians generally have been known to be generous givers to charitable organizations and foundations, but over the last few years giving to charities has been on a decline as the country's demographic landscape shifts. A new report by CanadaHelps has found that charitable giving is down across all demographic groups in the country. One-quarter (24.6 per cent) of all Canadians donated to charity in 2006. By 2015 charitable giving had declined to just 20.4 per cent. Over the same time the average annual donation per Canadian decreased to $346 from $368. "This issue is very complex and there are a whole bunch of reasons why charitable giving in this country is declining while the population is growing," Marina Glogovac, President and CEO of CanadaHelps, said in an interview. "It's like a perfect storm of many things which all have come together." One major contributing factor is Canada's shifting demographic. Older Canadians over the age of 55 give the most to charities. Collectively this age group gave $6.4 billion to charities in 2015, almost double the $3.5 billion given by Canadians aged 25 to 54. Not only do older Canadians give more, they are the only demographic group who have increased their amount of donation dollars an average of 3.4 per cent per year over the past decade, in sharp contrast to the age 25 to 54 group who have decreased their donations by 2.8 per cent a year. The gifts made by those currently aged 55+ will soon need to be replaced. Between 2006 and 2015 donation rates by Canadians aged 45 to 54 declined by 6.4 per cent. "It's safe to say as these Canadians moved into the age 55+ bracket this gap will grow significantly," the report notes. "This demographic shift creates a widening 'giving gap.' It is clear that this is not a sustainable funding model for Canada's charitable sector." Another major issue is competition for donor dollars. There currently are more than 86,000 registered charities in Canada and increasingly donations are being funnelled away through the rise in crowdfunding. Crowfunding can be defined as the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. In 2015, it's estimated more than $34 billion was raised worldwide by crowdfunding. There are other reasons as well. Many corporations are "going their own way" and setting up their own foundations, people are not increasing their charitable giving in relation to increases in their salaries, and the charity sector of the economy has a perception problem among the public about financial accountability and the impact they make on society, Glogovac says. Traditionally the top three income groups in Canada ($150,000 - $199,000, $200,000 - $249,000, $250,000+) have given the highest average donation amounts per family but over the last 11 years their average annual donations have decreased (4.2 per cent, 4.9 per cent and 4.9 per cent). The problem is exacerbated by the fact that as income increases families give as much in actual dollars rather than a percentage of their entire income bracket. Glogovac says the charitable sector, which now accounts for 10 per cent of the full-time Canadian work force, does not do a good enough job explaining the impact it has on society and people and the financial accountability of charities. "People always are focused on how charities spend their money it is the most scrutinized aspect of what they do," Glogovac says. "There is no sector that so significantly impacts the lives of so many Canadians every day. The vitality of this sector is key to a vibrant and sustainable future for generations of Canadians and we hope this report will inform Canadians about charities and the consequences of what they do." Talbot Boggs is a Toronto-based business communications professional who has worked with national news organizations, magazines and corporations in the finance, retail, manufacturing and other industrial sectors. Copyright 2018 Talbot Boggs Richwood, TX (77531) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hot. High near 95F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A few clouds from time to time. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Being in band is not just about the music, says Darnella Davidson. It's about learning how to work with others and succeed at life. SIGN UP TO GET BLACKLISTED NEWS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Enter your email address: Essilor partners with the Royal Government of Bhutan in its ambition to become the first country in the world to eradicate poor vision. Essilor, a French-based international ophthalmic optics company, commits to further expanding its unique inclusive business and philanthropic programmes to eradicate unprotected and uncorrected poor vision in the Kingdom of Bhutan, where 25% of the population suffer from uncorrected refractive errors and much of the population is at risk of exposure to UVA/UVB rays due to high altitude. The Group has signed Letters of Intent with the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Central Monastic Body to sustainably strengthen the country's vision care infrastructure. In line with their common ambition to eradicate unprotected and uncorrected poor vision, the partners will address the two biggest barriers to good vision, access and awareness, through training and capacity building, philanthropic support and awareness-raising. To address the lack of skilled eye care professionals and access to eyewear, Essilor will bring its most successful inclusive-business, Eye Mitra, from India to Bhutan. By training women and men to become primary vision care providers, Essilor will support them to open up optical stores in their communities. This will not only help to sustainably improve access to affordable quality eyecare, but also to bring socio-economic value to rural communities. Fireworks on the Sky Tower during Auckland New Year's Eve celebrations New Year's Eve celebration fireworks exploded around the world last night as the clock ticked down on 2018. The Pacific island nations of Samoa and Kiribati were the first to welcome in the New Year, 14 hours before the UK. They were closely followed by New Zealand and Australia, where Sydney's famous firework display was drenched in torrential rain as a thunderstorm hit the city. In Dubai the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - was lit up with a spectacular laser and fireworks display, following last year's somewhat anticlimactic LED lightshow. Cafes and restaurants with a view of the Burj Khalifa charge a premium on New Year's Eve, with sandwich chain Pret a Manger, for example, charging $817 for a table of four. In London the Thames-side display brought together an estimated 100,000 spectators to watch the largest annual firework display in Europe, including eight tonnes of fireworks. Big Ben was also due to return to action to start the countdown to midnight after remaining silent for the year during renovation works. A dazzling 70,000 projectiles made up of 12,000 fireworks were set to light up London's skyline last night as they were fired from four positions - barges and the London Eye. Nasas New Horizons spacecraft has survived humanitys most distant exploration of another world. Ten hours after the middle-of-the-night encounter four billion miles away, flight controllers in Laurel, Maryland, received word from the spacecraft that it had successfully completed its latest mission. Confirmed! @NASANewHorizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. Congratulations to the New Horizons team, @JHUAPL and the Southwest Research Institute for making history yet again! pic.twitter.com/t47BOmo7c1 Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) January 1, 2019 Cheers erupted at Johns Hopkins Universitys Applied Physics Laboratory, home to mission control. An anxious crowd in a nearby auditorium watching events joined in the loud celebration. New Horizons zoomed past the small celestial object known as Ultima Thule three-and-a-half years after its spectacular brush with Pluto. Expand Close (PA graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA graphics) Scientists say it will take nearly two years for New Horizons to beam back all its observations of Ultima Thule, a full billion miles beyond Pluto. At that distance, it takes six hours for the radio signals to reach Earth. Based on rudimentary pictures snapped just hundreds of thousands of miles before the 12:33am close approach, Ultima Thule is decidedly elongated in shape measuring about 22 miles by nine miles. Scientists say there are two possibilities for this: Ultima Thule is either one object with two connected lobes, sort of like a spinning bowling pin or peanut still in the shell, or two objects orbiting surprisingly close to one another. A single body is more likely, they noted. An answer should be forthcoming on Wednesday, once new and better pictures arrive. But the best colour close-ups will not be available until later in January and February. The icy rock has been in a deep-freeze preservation state since the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists hope to learn about those origins through New Horizons observations deep inside the so-called Kuiper Belt, or frozen Twilight Zone, on the fringes of the solar system. New Horizons will continue to zoom farther away. The hope is that the mission will be extended yet again and another target will be forthcoming sometime in the 2020s. Ultima Thule is the first destination to be reached that was not even known until after the spacecrafts launch. New Horizons rocketed from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2006. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned Washington not to test Pyongyangs patience with sanctions and pressure. Mr Kim was speaking during his televised New Years speech where he said he is ready to meet with US president Donald Trump at any time to produce an outcome welcomed by the international community. However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure. Mr Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12 last year. It is the unwavering position of our party ... that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement ... take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (US-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures, said Mr Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and gray-blue tie. It is the unwavering position of our party and the republics government and my firm will that the two countries as declared in the June 12 joint statement take steps to establish a permanent and stable peace regime and push toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, he said. Therefore, we have already declared domestically and internationally and took various actions showing our commitment that we will no further create or test nuclear weapons and will not use or spread them. Mr Kims speech was closely watched as North Korean leaders traditionally use New Years statements to reflect on the past year and issue major policy goals for the year ahead. Expand Close The North Korean leader says he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summits with US president Donald Trump into 2019 (Ahn Young-joon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The North Korean leader says he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summits with US president Donald Trump into 2019 (Ahn Young-joon/AP) He used his New Years speech a year ago to start a newfound diplomatic approach with Seoul and Washington, which led to his meetings with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and Mr Trump. Mr Kim also met three times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which boosted his leverage by reintroducing Beijing Pyongyangs main ally as a major player in the diplomatic process to resolve the nuclear standoff. But nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled in recent months as they struggle with the sequencing of North Koreas disarmament and the removal of US-led sanctions against the North. A measure in Italys 2019 budget law will allow the local government in Venice to charge day-trippers for access to the citys historic centre as a way to help defray the considerable costs of maintaining a popular tourist destination built on water, the mayor said. Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter that the new visitors tax would allow us to manage the city better and to keep it clean and allow Venetians to live with more decorum. The City Council will be responsible for setting the charge and determining the collection method. Expand Close A view of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy (Yui Mok/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A view of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy (Yui Mok/PA) The mayors office said it would vary from 2.50 euros to 10 euros per person, with exemptions for students, people travelling briefly to Venice for work or business and regional residents. Overnight visitors will not be assessed the new levy. They are currently charged a small stay tax per night that varies according to such criteria as season, location and the ages of guests. Official estimate that as many as 30 million people visit Venice each year, with about one-fifth spending at least one night in the historic centre of the city, which excludes islands in the lagoon and a mainland. Expand Close A view of Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy (Yui Mok/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A view of Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy (Yui Mok/PA) Mr Brugnaro said the substantial cost of cleaning and maintaining security has so far been paid only by Venetians. Many natives have been forced to the mainland due to the high cost of living, and the huge influx of tourist also from cruise ships has contributed to wear and tear on the delicate architecture, which also endures frequent flooding caused by high winds. City officials emphasised that the cost of maintaining public buildings in Venices historic centre is one-third higher than on the mainland due to materials having to be brought in by boat and sometimes taken on hand-carts through the citys narrow mazes of streets. Cleaning also must be done by hand. Expand Close The Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore in Florence, Italy (John Walton/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore in Florence, Italy (John Walton/PA) The extra funds also will cover security costs, including the deployment of 150 local police officers every Sunday and the 350 officers on duty for holidays like New Years Eve and Carnival, and to erect walkways during periods of flooding. The mayor of Florence, another Italian art city struggling with over-tourism, called for a law that would allow all major Italian tourist destinations to assess visitor fees. Florence and the other touristic cities are not less-deserving, Italian news agency Ansa quoted mayor Dario Nardella as saying. This is a norm that discourages hit-and-run tourism, which creates problems and inconveniences in the city without being counterbalanced by positive effects. Florence now can collect a maximum of five euros a night from overnight guests, according to the mayor. Mr Nardella said he was also disappointed that the authorisation Venice received does not address the use of private residences as tourist lodgings, which he said is threatening the residential nature of the historic centres of all the Italian art cities. US President Donald Trump looks to the crowd after speaking at a campaign rally at Pensacola International Airport in November (Evan Vucci/AP) Russia was told to shut up, someone declared themselves a stable genius, and a politician fluffed his lines. In 2018 leading figures delivered some blinding one-liners, while celebrities sang their spouses praises and inflated their egos via Twitter. From social media rants to diplomatic speeches, this year had its fair share of awkward statements. But sometimes its hard to tell who said what was it Boris or Kanye? Melania Trump or Tommy Robinson? Police are appealing for witnesses after a man died following a disturbance in Dundee (Andrew Milligan/PA) Mystery surrounds the death of a man who was discovered with fatal injuries in Dundee in the early hours of New Years Day. Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident in the Nethergate area of the city at approximately 1.15am on Tuesday. Emergency services were called to reports of a disturbance involving several people near the shopping centre, which left one man in a life-threatening condition. The man, who has not yet been identified by police, was taken to Ninewells Hospital where he died from his injuries. We would ask anyone who witnessed any disturbance or who has any other information which could assist the police investigation to come forwardDetective Inspector Ross Fitzgerald Following the unexplained death, detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen an altercation to come forward and help officers establish how the man died. Police Scotland say there have been no arrests in connection with the incident. Detective Inspector Ross Fitzgerald said: We know that a number of people were in the area around the time of this incident, which happened on Nethergate close to the Overgate Shopping Centre. We would ask anyone who witnessed any disturbance or who has any other information which could assist the police investigation to come forward if you havent already spoken to an officer. A police presence is likely to be maintained in the area for some time while inquiries continue and the public are thanked for their patience and understanding. We can confirm a man has died after an incident on Nethergate #Dundee. A disturbance involving a number of people was reported around 1.15am on Tues 1/1/19 A man was found injured and was taken to Ninewells Hospital where he has since died. More here: https://t.co/bE9e5DWIRS Tayside Police (@TaysidePolice) January 1, 2019 Any information can be passed to Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 516 of January 1 2018. Witnesses can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Police outside the property in Park Lane, west London, where a security guard was stabbed to death (John Stillwell/PA) A security guard has been stabbed to death and three others injured as they tried to bar a group of men from entering a New Years Eve party in Londons West End. Emergency services were called to the property on Park Lane in Westminster at around 5.30am on Tuesday following reports of violence. The victim, believed to be in his early 30s, has not yet been identified. The Metropolitan Police said two other men aged 37 and 29 and a 29-year-old woman were also found with stab injuries. Expand Close A number of police vehicles were at the scene, and the area was cordoned off (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A number of police vehicles were at the scene, and the area was cordoned off (John Stillwell/PA) They were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Partridge said: The incident took place outside a venue that was hosting a private party. I would like to hear from anyone who was present at that event and witnessed this incident. A number of witnesses have already been spoken to, but it is clear many others who were present are yet to be traced, some of whom may have captured the attack on their mobile phones. Expand Close Forensic investigators could be seen entering and leaving the scene (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Forensic investigators could be seen entering and leaving the scene (John Stillwell/PA) It appears the deceased and the two injured males were working as security staff for the party, they were attacked by a group of males who were outside trying to enter the venue. The female was also attacked as she assisted the security staff in closing the front door of the premises. This shocking incident happened just hours into a New Year, the area was particularly busy with people out celebrating and making their way home from various parties and organised events. A large police presence remained in the area on Tuesday evening, with at least 12 officers in the area. Parts of Mount Street, Aldford Street and Park Street have been cordoned off and pedestrians attempting to access the area were blocked by officers on the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact police. Profits from illegal dog breeding in Ireland is akin to the drugs trade, it has been claimed. Designer dogs can sell for more than 36,000 euro each as backstreet breeders take advantage of trendy breeds made popular by celebrities and television shows. Animal campaigners say they have seen a huge increase in the number of dogs being advertised online every year with unscrupulous breeders using the anonymity of the internet to place false or misleading ads. Suzie Carley, executive director of Dogs Trust Ireland, said there is a huge concern the fashion takes priority over the welfare of the puppies. When breeders see there is a trend or a fashionable dog they will sometimes start breeding that particular dog without their welfare in mind, she said. They see an opportunity and will breed for a particular look but the health implications for that designer dog are incredible. The kind of money involved in this is akin to the drugs trade, this is serious business. Puppies are being sold before they should have left their mother, and are sold in what can be described as really poor breeding conditions. Expand Close Jamie Newman with two abandoned pups at the Dogs Trust in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jamie Newman with two abandoned pups at the Dogs Trust in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) There are over 250 dog breeding establishments across Ireland, but Ms Carley wants the Government to crack down on unscrupulous puppy farms and breeders. Tens of thousands of people have backed a petition to call on the Government to review its Dog Breeding Establishment Act. Ms Carley, who has been working with the trust for almost six years, wants the legislation changed so that anyone breeding three or more litters of puppies a year will have to apply for a licence. The Dogs Trust and a number of other animal welfare agencies formed the Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group (IPAAG) to ensure there is a minimum set of standards which breeders must adhere to. If you want to advertise a puppy you have to put down their age, include a photograph and other information to potential pet owners, she added. We always say to people to please consider going to their local rescue centre or pound and rescue a dog ahead of shopping because there are thousands of dogs that need a loving home and that second chance in life. They will see the poor puppy and think they want to take it away from that bad person and take the dog, but not realise they are helping to fuel the tradeSuzie Carley Research carried out by the charity found that over 74% of people didnt take appropriate action before getting a dog. People are going online and making an impulse buy, she added. Some breeders will say I will save you the journey and meet you at this car park and when they get there, it doesnt feel right and people will say they had a gut feeling. They will see the poor puppy and think they want to take it away from that bad person and take the dog, but not realise they are helping to fuel the trade. There are currently a team of 75 staff at the Dogs Trust in Dublin who look after some 200 dogs at any one time. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to the incident in Coolock, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Two staff members at a fast food outlet in Dublin have been shot during a robbery. The men, aged 38 and 28, were injured in the incident at Edenmore, Coolock, shortly after midnight on Tuesday. They were taken to Beaumont Hospital for treatment to injuries that are not believed to be life threatening. A man entered the takeaway restaurant at the Edenmore Shopping Centre armed with a handgun at around 12.20am, demanded cash and fired a number of shots. Two men, aged 44 and 18, were later arrested in connection with the investigation. They were taken to Coolock and Raheny Garda Stations for questioning. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to come forward. A woman was rescued from Cavehill after a fall. Credit: NIAS. A woman was rescued from Cavehill on New Year's Day after she injured her leg in a fall. The woman had been walking on the hill, outside Belfast, when she sustained an injury. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) attended the scene along with police and rescue services, the woman was given treatment before being transported to safety. "New Year and the superb work of your 999 services continues. A multi agency team was tasked to the Cavehill today to bring down a woman who had fallen and sustained a lower leg injury," a NIAS spokesperson said. At left is a composite of two images taken by New Horizons' high-resolution Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), which provides the best indication of Ultima Thule's size and shape so far. Preliminary measurements of this Kuiper Belt object suggest it is approximately 20 miles long by 10 miles wide (32 kilometers by 16 kilometers). An artist's impression at right illustrates one possible appearance of Ultima Thule, based on the actual image at left. The direction of Ultima's spin axis is indicated by the arrows. Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI; sketch courtesy of James Tuttle Keane NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Ultima Thule in the early hours of New Year's Day, ushering in the era of exploration from the enigmatic Kuiper Belt, a region of primordial objects that holds keys to understanding the origins of the solar system. "Congratulations to NASA's New Horizons team, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the Southwest Research Institute for making history yet again. In addition to being the first to explore Pluto, today New Horizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft and became the first to directly explore an object that holds remnants from the birth of our solar system," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "This is what leadership in space exploration is all about." Signals confirming the spacecraft is healthy and had filled its digital recorders with science data on Ultima Thule reached the mission operations center at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) today at 10:29 a.m. EST, almost exactly 10 hours after New Horizons' closest approach to the object. "New Horizons performed as planned today, conducting the farthest exploration of any world in history -- 4 billion miles from the Sun," said Principal Investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "The data we have look fantastic and we're already learning about Ultima from up close. From here out the data will just get better and better!" Images taken during the spacecraft's approach -- which brought New Horizons to within just 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) of Ultima at 12:33 a.m. EST -- revealed that the Kuiper Belt object may have a shape similar to a bowling pin, spinning end over end, with dimensions of approximately 20 by 10 miles (32 by 16 kilometers). Another possibility is Ultima could be two objects orbiting each other. Flyby data have already solved one of Ultima's mysteries, showing that the Kuiper Belt object is spinning like a propeller with the axis pointing approximately toward New Horizons. This explains why, in earlier images taken before Ultima was resolved, its brightness didn't appear to vary as it rotated. The team has still not determined the rotation period. As the science data began its initial return to Earth, mission team members and leadership reveled in the excitement of the first exploration of this distant region of space. "New Horizons holds a dear place in our hearts as an intrepid and persistent little explorer, as well as a great photographer," said Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Director Ralph Semmel. "This flyby marks a first for all of us -- APL, NASA, the nation and the world -- and it is a great credit to the bold team of scientists and engineers who brought us to this point." "Reaching Ultima Thule from 4 billion miles away is an incredible achievement. This is exploration at its finest," said Adam L. Hamilton, president and CEO of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Kudos to the science team and mission partners for starting the textbooks on Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. We're looking forward to seeing the next chapter." The New Horizons spacecraft will continue downloading images and other data in the days and months ahead, completing the return of all science data over the next 20 months. When New Horizons launched in January 2006, George W. Bush was in the White House, Twitter had just been launched and Time Magazine's Person of the Year was "you -- all the worldwide web users." Nine years into its journey, the spacecraft began its exploration of the Kuiper Belt with a flyby of Pluto and its moons. Almost 13 years after the launch, the spacecraft will continue its exploration of the Kuiper Belt until at least 2021. Team members plan to propose more Kuiper Belt exploration. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has voiced concern about potential external interference in the upcoming 2019 European election (Niall Carson/PA) The Irish Premier said he and other EU leaders have discussed concerns about potential external interferences in the 2019 European elections. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned a European Parliament full of nationalists, populists and extremists could bring some of its work to a halt. It warned the matter is a serious issue that leaders need to be across. Allegations have been made that both Russian and Chinese hackers may have attempted to influence the 2016 United States presidential election which saw Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. Expand Close Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016 (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016 (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Varadkar did not specify where the external interference he spoke of might come from, instead saying it could come from many sources. The next election to the European Parliament is set to take place at the end of May 2019, following the United Kingdoms planned exit from the European Union in March. The number of MEPs elected is expected to decrease from 751 to 705 following Brexit. The poll is likely to be watched carefully across the world following political turbulence in a number of the current EU 28 member states. That is something as EU leaders we are quite concerned with, we discussed it in Brussels earlier in DecemberLeo Varadkar Mr Varadkar said the concern about potential interference in the election was discussed by EU leaders recently. I would certainly be concerned about external interference in European elections, it can come from many sources, I wouldnt particularly hone in on any particular source, he said. We do know there has been election interference in quite a number of elections and protest movements and so on. That is something as EU leaders we are quite concerned with, we discussed it in Brussels earlier in December. Expand Close The European Parliament site in Strasbourg, France (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The European Parliament site in Strasbourg, France (PA) Mr Varadkar described the potential of external interference as a real risk, but said there is no easy remedy. What people cant come up with is an easy solution as to what you actually do about it other than notifying it and calling it out and saying it is happening, he said. European elections tend to be low turnout elections, people often use them as an opportunity to register a protest and they are very vulnerable to interference and external actors. Bear in mind the EU Parliament is a very powerful institution. If we had a parliament full of nationalists, populists and extremists it could bring a lot of the work we do in Europe to a halt, so it is serious issue and one we need to be across. Two people have been taken to hospital following a serious crash in Co Tyrone. The two vehicle collision incident took place on the Armagh Road, Moy on Tuesday evening. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) confirmed that they received a call to the incident shortly before 5pm. Two emergency crews and police attended the scene. Following initial treatment and assessment two patients were taken by ambulance to Craigavon Area Hospital. The Armagh Road, Moy is currently closed in both directions. Motorists are advised to expect delays in the area and seek alternative main routes for their journey. General view of criminal damage at a house in the Dermott Hill Parade area of west Belfast. General view of criminal damage at a house in the Dermott Hill Parade area of west Belfast. Police received a report at around 2:45am this morning that the windows of a house in the area were smashed at around 8pm last night Photograph by Declan Roughan The apartment on the upper Springfield Road that had shots fired at it on New Years eve. Police are investigating a possible link between this attack and another on a house in Dermott Hill at the weekend. Picture: Pacemaker Shots were fired at the front of an apartment in west Belfast during the early hours of New Year's Day, police have said. The incident happened in the Upper Springfield Road area. Detective Sergeant Moffett said: Shortly after 1:50am, it was reported that shots were fired at the front of an apartment in the area. No one was inside the property at the time of the incident. We are also investigating a possible link to this incident and a report of criminal damage at a house in the Dermott Hill Parade area. Expand Close The apartment on the upper Springfield Road that had shots fired at it on New Years eve. Police are investigating a possible link between this attack and another on a house in Dermott Hill at the weekend. Picture: Pacemaker / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The apartment on the upper Springfield Road that had shots fired at it on New Years eve. Police are investigating a possible link between this attack and another on a house in Dermott Hill at the weekend. Picture: Pacemaker "Police received a report at around 2:45am this morning that the windows of a house in the area were smashed at around 8pm last night. Enquiries are continuing and we would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious at both areas to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 231 1/1/19. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime. A senior PSNI officer has said victims of paramilitary-style attacks need to co-operate more with police to bring those responsible to justice. Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray said he couldn't recall a single instance when a victim gave evidence to those investigating a shooting or assault by republican and loyalist thugs. Read More In many cases officers know who is responsible, but lack the testimony to make arrests and bring prosecutions. Police statistics show there were 71 victims of paramilitary-style assaults and shootings in the 12 months up to December 2018 - more than one a week. Yet in the vast majority of cases no arrests were made and no one made amenable. Arrests for paramilitary activity fall under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. In the 12-month period, 164 arrests were made for all terrorist activity, with 11 people subsequently charged. Mr Murray said a lack of evidence means few of the perpetrators of the violence are ever brought to court. He added that victims need to speak out more to help address the problem. "It is the difference between knowing and proving," he explained. "By and large we will find out who is doing it, but what we will have is a victim who will not co-operate. "I cannot remember one victim who co-operated with us, whether that is through fear or because they have their own issues to hide, but they don't co-operate. "We do not get witnesses co-operating in these type of offences as well. "The paramilitaries have been doing this for a long time, they pick their time, their place and they are resistant to reactive investigation, and we know that. "We don't shy away from the problem but we have to prove beyond reasonable doubt, so one person saying 'such and such did this' isn't enough if they are not prepared to go into the witness box." PSNI statistics show there were 20 casualties of paramilitary-style shootings during the 12 months up to December 2018, compared to 26 during the previous 12 months. And there were a further 51 casualties of paramilitary-style assaults in the 12 months to December 2018, down from 75 in the previous year. The most recent figures include three paramilitary-style shootings in Londonderry during November. The number of shootings in Derry over the year increased from six to seven, while incidents elsewhere have fallen. Mr Murray said the figure for Derry was disappointing, and he claimed it could lead to the city missing out on potential investment. He added: "For six or seven months there had been no paramilitary shootings in the city and we thought that was a positive step forward for the community and the image of the city. "We want Derry/Londonderry to do well, we want it to be prosperous, we want it to be one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. "But these people doing this is the key reason the city is being held back. "Instead of people getting opportunities, this type of crime really impacts far more than people realise. People are not going to invest in an area where this type of activity goes on, it is locking people into social deprivation." The number of assaults carried out by paramilitaries varies greatly between republican and loyalist groups. In the 2017/18 financial year, loyalists were behind 50 assaults while republicans were blamed for 15. Republicans were behind 21 shootings, and loyalists one in the same period. Mr Murray added: "There does seem to be a culture within republicanism about the use of the gun, but there are no hard and fast rules. Some loyalists will use firearms, others use bats or whatever comes to hand, but if there is a loyalist outfit in east Belfast that want to take a gun out, they could. "But there does seem to be more of an ethos amongst republicans to bring guns out. "We don't know why loyalism tends to look towards the bat and republicanism tends to look towards the gun, but that seems to be the case and it is borne out year after year. "But it doesn't matter whether it is a gun or a bat - what they are doing is traumatising communities." He also dismissed any perception that paramilitary organisations offer protection to their respective communities. He said: "Let us be quite clear on this: paramilitary organisations who say the community is asking them to do what they do is not right. "The first reason they are doing this is because they have criminal business interests, and the second thing it is about is personal grudges. "But it is largely about controlling their community, not about protecting them. "The biggest hypocrites of all are those who shoot drug dealers, trumpet about shooting drug dealers, tell people they are protecting the community and then collect their money from the drug dealers so they can continue to peddle their drugs." The rise in paramilitary attacks in Derry while other areas have seen an decrease has been attributed by some to a loss of funding for the Time 2 Choose project based in the city. This was operated by the Rosemount Resource Centre (RRC), the sole mediation centre accepted by paramilitaries. Tommy McCourt from RRC said the number of calls about or from people under threat is more than it can deal with. He said: "We are getting on average four complaints a day and we are just not able to handle all of them. "We had seven support workers attached to the Time 2 Choose project who all shared the load of mediating with the paramilitaries, providing training and counselling around options to the people under threat. "Now that workload is being done on a voluntary basis by a couple of people, but it is simply far greater than we can cope with. This means there are people under threat that we don't hear about until we see in the media that someone has been shot. "We are still able to prevent a situation developing that far in a lot of cases. "And, if it wasn't for our volunteers, the situation in Derry would be a lot worse." The Huntsman Master leads the hounds and riders through Main Street Crawfordsburn during the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Northern Ireland. (Liam McBurney/PA) The New Years Day hunt in a Co Down village has been greeted by both boos from protesters and cheers from supporters. Around 100 anti-hunt protesters gathered at Crawfordsburn on Tuesday morning, holding banners, while a larger number of hunt supporters also turned out along Main Street. Three protesters briefly blocked the street in front of a car towing a horse trailer before being cleared by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who maintained a presence during proceedings. Protesters briefly blocked the street in Crawfordsburn ahead of the hunt pic.twitter.com/5LRQ9b6ONm Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) January 1, 2019 The North Down Hunt rode through the village at around 1pm to both boos as well as applause and cheers of support. Some of the protesters shouted shame at the riders as they passed, with some of the riders retorting. Expand Close A rider has a heated discussion with anti-fox hunt activists during the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Northern Ireland. (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A rider has a heated discussion with anti-fox hunt activists during the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Northern Ireland. (Liam McBurney/PA) The huntsmen and women received refreshments at the Crawfordsburn Inn before proceeding on for the main event. Expand Close A waiter from the Crawfordsburn Inn offers free hot ports to riders as they pass along Main Street Crawfordsburn during the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Northern Ireland. (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A waiter from the Crawfordsburn Inn offers free hot ports to riders as they pass along Main Street Crawfordsburn during the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Northern Ireland. (Liam McBurney/PA) Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK which has not outlawed fox hunting. However the North Down hunt on New Years Day is a drag hunt where the hounds follow an artificially laid scent. Expand Close Huntsman Master of the hunt prepare to start the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Huntsman Master of the hunt prepare to start the annual North Down New Year Hunt in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Protester Cliff Grant said there is absolutely no need for hunts to still be taking place in 2019. The huntsmen will tell you its a drag hunt, but very often a drag hunt will turn into a proper hunt if the hounds pick up the scent of a real fox, he said. But even if it is a drag hunt, the rest of the wildlife in the countryside are absolutely terrified by the whole thing, never mind the use of the horses and the hounds as well. Expand Close A young rider reads the placard of a vegan activist as the North Down New Year Hunt gets underway in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A young rider reads the placard of a vegan activist as the North Down New Year Hunt gets underway in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire We are just here to protest, basically to call them out on it, and say: its 2019, there is absolutely no need for this any more in modern day society. Protesters also included Green Party councillor Barry McKee. However, Crawfordsburn resident and former huntsman Eardley Liesching said the hunt is very welcome in the village. Expand Close Local resident Eardley Liesching attending todays North Down New Year Hunt in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Local resident Eardley Liesching attending todays North Down New Year Hunt in Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland. See PA Story ULSTER Hunt. Date: Tuesday 1 January 2019. Picture credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire If you look up the street, youll find there are more people for the hunt than against the hunt, he said. People are entitled to protest and we dont mind, everyone is welcome in this village, but we dont want to see traffic stopped, it is supposed to be peaceful if they stop traffic in the middle of the street, well, there is nothing peaceful about that. But I support hunting and I dont object to people objecting to it. Police in the general area where a body was found in the Lincoln Courts area of Derry on Tuesday night. Picture Margaret McLaughlin 1-1-2018 Five people have been arrested after the body of a man was discovered in the Waterside area of Londonderry on New Year's Day. The man's body was discovered at a house in the Lincoln Court area on Tuesday morning. Two lane ways leading to the house as well as a number of cars parked in a square to the rear of the property were cordoned off by police. Four men aged 63, 33, 32 and 31-years-old and a 32-year-old woman have been arrested as part of a police investigation. All five are currently assisting police with their enquiries. Police have confirmed a post mortem is due to take place to determine the cause of the man's death. Police have cordoned off a lane way and a house in the Lincoln Courts area of #Derry after the discovery of a body at a home in the area. Investigations are ongoing pic.twitter.com/t8rAmNH9Qv Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 1, 2019 Local DUP councillor David Ramsey said that a "major investigation" has been launched by police following the discovery of the body on Tuesday morning. "Police are currently doing a major investigation to try and establish what happened and how this person came to lose their life," he said. "Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased at this time. "This is extremely difficult for this community, last night was New Year's Eve and they woke up this morning knowing that a death had occurred in their area." Expand Close Local DUP councillor David Ramsey at the scene. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Local DUP councillor David Ramsey at the scene. A PSNI spokesperson said police "were investigating the circumstances of a death. The NI Fire and Rescue Service was tasked to 466 hoax calls in 2017/18 Lives are being put at risk every day across Northern Ireland because of a surge in hoax calls to the fire service, it has been warned. It follows an incident where a reduced crew was sent to an emergency on the River Foyle after a false report that a house was on fire. Figures for the last three years show a 26% rise in hoax calls. During 2017/18 crews from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were tasked to 466 hoax calls - more than one every day - and a rise from 414 recorded the previous year in 2016/17. In 2014/15 crews dealt with 369 hoax incidents. Last Thursday a hoax caller reported a house fire in the Waterside area of Londonderry where it was claimed people were trapped inside a burning house. While two crews from fire stations in the city were deployed to deal with this, the control room also received a genuine call about a young woman seen entering the Foyle. Station officer for Londonderry District Clive Lowry was part of a reduced crew tasked to the River Foyle where, thanks to the combined efforts of Foyle Search and Rescue, the young woman was removed to safety. Mr Lowry said the outcome could have been very different if the river rescue call-out, attended by the reduced crew, had been for a genuine house fire or a serious road traffic collision. He explained: "What it comes down to is we cannot be two places at once, so when you are out on a wild goose chase, if something else comes in, lives could be at risk. "Last Thursday I was on the water rescue call-out on the River Foyle while others were on the hoax house fire. "A water rescue is a difficult incident to go to at any time, because it can be spread over a wide area, there can be a lot of people there, and it can be confused and dramatic. "I turned up with two firefighters to make the initial response and we had to then wait on additional resources, who had been turned back from the hoax call in the Waterside. "The control room tries to balance things out when two potentially horrific incidents are taking place at the same time. "Once it was established that the house fire was a hoax call then all resources went to the river rescue, but time was of the essence because this lady was in the water which was very, very cold. "Luckily Foyle Search and Rescue were very quick to respond and there was a happy outcome, but if that second call had been for a serious road traffic collision or a genuine house fire with people trapped inside, we would not have had Foyle Search and Rescue." Dealing with hoax calls is still part of life for the fire service, and the raise in false reports concerns Mr Lowry. He added: "There has been an upturn in the number of hoax calls in recent years which is extremely worrying. "I am mystified as to why that is - I do not see the satisfaction or laughs that someone would get from turning appliances and crews out for no reason. "What the people who make these calls need to know is they risk a criminal record, because what many don't realise is you cannot hide your number from the control centre and all calls are recorded. "I think the average person would be shocked at how many times fire crews are sent out to deal with hoax calls every week. "Each time we are out dealing with a hoax call, our time and resources are being wasted and more importantly taken away from a genuine call-out where someone's life could be at risk." Nearly half of people arrested for begging in Northern Ireland were not homeless, police figures suggest. A total of 220 arrests were made from the start of 2013 until October 2018. In 100 of the cases (45%) the person provided an address, with 90 living in some form of residential property, seven in a hostel and three in a nursing home. The remainder said they were of no fixed abode. The figures were released by the PSNI after a Freedom of Information request by this newspaper. UUP councillor Jim Rodgers said he was not surprised by the figures, branding it "disgraceful" that some individuals may be misleading the public. "It's not only a problem in Northern Ireland but across the British Isles," he said. Mr Rodgers said the appearance of beggars on the streets of Belfast was creating a negative perception of the city with visitors. "At City Hall I meet a wide range of people, many off the cruise ships and quite a few of them have commented on it. It doesn't help the image of Belfast," he added. Depending on the type of incident, begging offences are mainly dealt with under the Vagrancy Act or Public Order legislation. The Children and Young Persons Act can also be used in cases where a child may be exposed to risk to gain sympathy. Police figures show the number of arrests for begging fluctuates markedly from year to year. In 2013 three people were arrested, rising to 46 in 2014; 35 in 2015; 63 in 2016; 41 in 2017, and 32 last year up to October. Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: "It is illegal to beg on the streets and the PSNI can take enforcement action in the form of arrests or fines. "We are aware that there are people in need who, at times, do resort to begging on our streets. "When this arises, it is dealt with in a sensitive and proactive manner by police and the appropriate agencies. "Where those people we find on the street are vulnerable and in need of help, we will work with our partner agencies to keep them safe." SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said he had seen an increase in street begging. "Some of those who are begging are living in extreme poverty and poor conditions and I have seen this for myself," he said. "Some are suffering from an addiction and some also are begging to survive. "Organisations working on the street, including ourselves at St Patrick's Soup Kitchen, are engaging with a number of individuals to identify needs and to offer support. These people are vulnerable and some are being exploited by gangs, and PSNI need to focus more on catching those involved in this. "These people don't need a criminal record, they need to be supported to understand their needs and to assist them off the street from begging." On November 6 an annual street count by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) found 16 people sleeping rough - 11 more than the same day in 2017. All were known to the services and could avail of emergency temporary accommodation. One had their own home and only two were willing to accept an offer of temporary accommodation. NIHE warned that giving cash could actually put them in danger by encouraging them to sleep outside over winter. "It is especially concerning at this time of year that individuals decide to beg and sleep on the streets rather than avail of the services available," it said. "For that reason, we believe that cash donations to people begging on the streets can worsen the situation." Late last year the PSNI said it was investigating claims of exploitation in the Roma community. It followed a series of allegations, including that Roma people were being forced to beg in Belfast. The Northern Ireland Secretary has come under pressure from people born with serious conditions to maintain restrictions on abortion (Brian Lawless/PA). The Northern Ireland Secretary has come under pressure from people born with serious conditions to maintain restrictions on abortion. Karen Bradley has received extensive and emotive correspondence about terminations since last spring when the Republic of Ireland voted to legalise the procedure during early pregnancy. Among the letter-writers was a successful businessman with cerebral palsy. The movement disorder is usually caused by an injury to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. I was born with cerebral palsy and while I do depend on others I make a big contribution to Northern Ireland as I am involved with many groups and sit (on) numerous trust panelsLetter-writer He wrote: I believe that if it is legalised for foetal abnormality this will open a flood-gate to them all, abortion on demand, and we will end up with staggering figures such as mainland Great Britain where, in 2016, 98% of abortions were for social reasons. I was born with cerebral palsy and while I do depend on others I make a big contribution to Northern Ireland as I am involved with many groups and sit (on) numerous trust panels. I employ four staff members and Im actively involved in my community. I do pray that any decisions on this will be done with much wisdom. Airports can be exciting at Xmas but imagine feeling effects of abortion pills waiting to board a plane home. #nowforNI #thenorthisnext pic.twitter.com/ldaRbRj9ss Alliance For Choice (@All4Choice) December 15, 2018 The 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland. Terminations are only permitted if a womans life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. Women from Northern Ireland have been offered the procedure on the NHS in other parts of the UK. Campaigners are pressing for it to be legalised in Northern Ireland but that has prompted a backlash from letter-writers to the Government, as disclosed in a freedom of information response. It would seem that the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn child, is not permitted human rights, that he/she is something like an in-growing toe nail, as one charming abortion activist described 'it', that can be removed as easily and with no more compunctionLetter-writer Another writer asked Mrs Bradley to confirm her status as a Christian. It would seem that the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn child, is not permitted human rights, that he/she is something like an in-growing toe nail, as one charming abortion activist described it, that can be removed as easily and with no more compunction. The lesson to take from the liberal/left social agenda is do not be vulnerable in todays Brave New World (Aldous Huxleys dystopian novel), do not be unborn or old and ill, mentally or physically, or disabled or Downs, because the abortionists and the euthanasia or assisted suicide proponents will have you in their sights. Another correspondent said calls for a referendum on the issue should be rejected since such a procedure had never before been used in the UK to decide an issue of policy. There is no principled reason to allow a referendum on this issue and then to deny one on other issues of concern in Northern Ireland. A Belfast councillor has spoken of how he felt "physically sick" after an online troll sent him a message mocking the recent death of his grandmother. DUP representative Dale Pankhurst's grandmother Sue passed away peacefully in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital on December 30. The following night, while at his grandmother's wake with his parents, fiancee Aynsley and cousin Thomas, Councillor Pankhurst was targeted by an online troll on Twitter with a message mocking Sue's death. The message, which has since been deleted, included a picture of a corpse taken from a 1980's Hollywood film. The Oldpark councillor has tweeted a screenshot of the offensive tweet. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Councillor Pankhurst described how he felt "like my heart was ripped out of my chest" when he saw the message. "I was adamant my granny wasn't being left in the house on her own so mum, dad, and Thomas stayed with Aynsley and I," he said. "It was around 11pm when I noticed the tweet and I felt physically sick. I showed it to my family and the anger and grief was palpable." The City Hall representative said his grief and anger was all the more heightened due to the closeness of the relationship he had with his grandmother, whom he cared for more than 18 months at her home prior to her passing. "I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I have never felt pain, sadness and anger like it," he said. "We had a special bond that was unbreakable. I stayed with her the entire time in hospital and left half an hour before she passed away as I needed to get my fiancee home who was there beside me. "It was immediately when I left, her condition deteriorated fast." Councillor Pankhurst said he "broke down" after he received the message, which he believes he received due to his position at City Hall. "I sat for around five minutes, filled up, and went over to granny. I gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and said sorry for pulling her into the hate-filled world of what politics has become. "My mum put her arms around me and I broke down. By then it was five minutes past midnight: the first few minutes of 2019." The Oldpark representative added that he has reported the offensive message to the police and thanked those who showed him support over the incident. "And I will say this: the individual behind that tweet will be caught and I will not rest until he is," he added. "But for now, my family and I will carry on and ensure my granny has the best send off that she wanted. Her memory, spirit and legacy lives on and my special bond with her is still alive and well. Nothing will ever break that. Nothing." DUP MEP Diane Dodds has said new rules on fish quotas that come into effect today are yet another example of how the EU "smothers" Northern Ireland's fishing industry in unnecessary rules and regulations that threaten livelihoods. She was responding to a new "landing obligation" requiring boats to bring back to shore fish caught in excess of their allocated quota. Previously, fishing crews discarded such fish into the sea. After a four-year phasing-in period, the rules come into full effect today. The aim is to conserve stocks by encouraging trawlermen to be more selective about what they catch. However the legislation has been branded "badly designed" by UK fishing organisations, which warned it could have a "devastating" impact on the industry. They say the change would force boats to stay in harbour for long stretches after reaching quotas on specific species. According to the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers' Organisation, around 92% of Northern Ireland's fishermen voted in favour of Brexit due to stringent EU quotas. Mrs Dodds said: "We have a very responsible fishing industry. They want sustainability. Their livelihood depends on it. There is no point in destroying the stocks. "For years, the EU has smothered our industry in rules and regulations which are not tailored to local needs. This is another example of why the fishing industry voted to leave the EU and take back control." Chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, Barrie Deas, described the change as the biggest to the Common Fisheries Policy since its inception. He added: "The legislation is badly designed, particularly in giving rise to 'chokes', where the exhaustion of a quota for one species will require the vessels to tie up for the rest of the year." The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-committee recently heard evidence that the rule could mean fishermen hitting their annual quotas much earlier in the year. This would result in an estimated 165m worth of fish remaining uncaught in 2019. The committee was warned that fishermen in some areas could hit quota limits for some species within weeks of the ban on discarding coming into force. The problem will be particularly acute in "mixed fisheries" where it will be hard for boats to avoid catching a fish species for which they have a very low quota. Once they have reached their quota for a particular species, fishers will be forced to choose between halting operations for the rest of the year or breaking the law by continuing to fish for other species and discarding anything over quota. Compliance with the rules will require enforcement agencies to monitor fishing at sea, said the committee. Concern was also raised by the committee that enforcement agencies do not have the capability to police the rule. This would create a temptation for fishermen to flout it in the knowledge that the chances of being caught are "slim to none". The number of patrol vessels available can cover only "a small percentage" of the fleet, while few UK boats have the kind of on-board CCTV system which would be the most effective way of monitoring activity at sea. The Duchess of Sussex has become known for her impeccable style. Whether opting for her much-loved beige, black or navy shades, or stepping out in striking block colour, Meghans wardrobe choices have won many fans. She previously told Hello! magazine, when she was still starring in Suits: I gravitate towards a neutral palette and really timeless pieces but I like to try to mix in something trend-centric. Her fashion hits this year have included a modern take on the princess ballgown and a green leather pencil skirt. The second wedding dress Meghan wowed in her pure white Givenchy boat neck wedding gown by Clare Waight Keller, but her evening dress by Stella McCartney was also a triumph. Expand Close The newly married Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Meghan wearing Stella McCartney (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The newly married Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Meghan wearing Stella McCartney (Steve Parsons/PA) The lily-white silk crepe de chine floor-length halterneck gown was described by the McCartney fashion label as an elegant, refined and effortlessly feminine silhouette. The boat neck It was back to the boat neck as seen on her church wedding dress for the RAF centenary celebrations. Expand Close Meghan in Dior as she attends a reception at Buckingham Palace for the RAF centenary (Phil Harris/Daily Mirror/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan in Dior as she attends a reception at Buckingham Palace for the RAF centenary (Phil Harris/Daily Mirror/PA) Meghans navy dress by Dior was nipped at the waist with a flared skirt, and the hat was by favourite royal milliner Stephen Jones. The former actress was described as the epitome of glamour by fashion blog Meghans Mirror for this outfit. Hello, gorgeous! Looking stunning in a dark custom @dior dress, #MeghanMarkle (The #DuchessOfSussex) was the epitome of glamour at this morningas RAF centenary celebrations. https://t.co/nt5uvyWlZ0 pic.twitter.com/UGLL4HyPKV Meghans Mirror (@MeghansMirror) July 10, 2018 Edgy and elegant For her first official visit to Sussex with Harry, Meghan wore a dark green leather Hugo Boss skirt with a buttoned shirt from And Other Stories. Paired with nude stilettos and a cream cashmere Armani coat, the duchesss look was described as edgy but elegant. Beach chic Pregnant Meghan wore a striped Reformation Pineapple sundress with a thigh high slit as she enjoyed a stroll along Kingfisher Bay Jetty on Fraser Island, Queensland, during their tour of Australia. The 166 maxi dress, worn with Sarah Flint Grear ankle tie sandals, sold out online following the duchesss appearance. Ethereal Oscar de la Renta The duchess was described as looking like a modern-day princess when she stepped out in Sydney in a tulle Oscar de la Renta ballgown, overlaid with a motif of birds in flight, crafted from velvet and sequins. Christine Ross, editorial director of Meghans Mirror picked this as her favourite look of the year. Meghans true princess moment this past year came in October, when she stepped out in the stunning Oscar de la Renta gown, Ms Ross told the Press Association. She added: The jagged cut of the fabric lent it a modern look, creating a dress that was princess-y without being twee. The monochromatic colour palette of contrasting black and white stayed true to Meghans signature style. This gown showed that her new role as duchess was not going to change who Meghan is: a modern royal representing a modern monarchy. Fijian Blue Meghan showed off her growing baby bump in a sleek, caped full-length dress by label Safiyaa. It was designed by German-born London-based designer Daniela Karnuts and the duchess chose to wear it to a black tie reception in Fiji in October. Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the state dinner at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the state dinner at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA) The block Fijian blue colour was a tribute to her hosts. Here's a great look at Meghan's blue @SAFIYAA_London dress fro this evening's reception. It's a gorgeous shade of "Fijian" blue! (Thx @HeavenQRF & @Royals_online!) https://t.co/QGubD0NTAP pic.twitter.com/QGatP7Umpj Meghans Mirror (@MeghansMirror) October 23, 2018 Sartorial diplomacy Amanda Dishaw, also co-editorial director of Meghans Mirror, picked the green Givenchy top and patch pocket skirt worn in Dublin as Meghans best ensemble. The trip to Ireland in July was the couples first official overseas tour. Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are greeted by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar during their visit to Dublin, Ireland in July (Joe Giddens/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are greeted by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar during their visit to Dublin, Ireland in July (Joe Giddens/PA) It was the first chance we had an opportunity to visibly see Meghans sartorial diplomacy on stage, Ms Dishaw said. Turning to Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, she looked chic and elegant in a pencil skirt and sweater, while also paying homage to British fashion by carrying a Strathberry tote. Saying she loved the mix of business and style, Ms Dishaw added: The jewelled green tone was a great nod to the Emerald Isle she was visiting. Florals and ruffles Its not an easy look to pull off, but Meghan succeeded when she opted for ruffles as she attended morning tea at the British High Commissioners Residence in Fiji. Expand Close Meghan in her floral Figue dress in Fiji (Phil Noble/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan in her floral Figue dress in Fiji (Phil Noble/PA) The printed wrap dress by Figue featured pom-pom details and a ruffled asymmetrical hem. Maeve Stillman (15), Caitlin McFadden (16) and Hollie Harkin (16) from St Mary's College, Londonderry, are among the students shortlisted for BTYSTE Twelve schools here have been short-listed in the 2019 BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). In its 55th year, the competition, which is one of the largest STEM events in the world, will see 47 students from here compete to make it to the European leg of the contest. Taking place at the RDS in Dublin from January 9-12 the competition will also award the winning school with a "substantial prize fund". Paul Murnaghan, BT Enterprise's regional director NI, said: "We want to use the event to inspire a future workforce of science and technology innovators." North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who can block Franklin Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare's acquisition of Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health, has received far more letters supporting the deal than opposing it, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times. Nearly 70 percent of the 94 letters provided to the Citizen-Times by Mr. Stein's office are in favor of the $1.5 billion transaction. This is largely due to the creation of the Dogwood Health Trust, which would provide $50 million in annual grants to address the social determinants of health in western North Carolina, according to the Citizen-Times. Many of the supportive letters have come from local government, business, and nonprofit leaders. "Dogwood Health Trust could be transformational for our community," Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer wrote in an Oct. 30 letter. "Targeting all its resources, strategically and thoughtfully, to address the social determinants of health, it has the potential to be a changemaker for Asheville, Buncombe County and Western North Carolina." However, not all everyone is confident the Dogwood Health Trust will benefit the community. Mission Health is a nonprofit entity, and its sale to a for-profit company has worried some constituents. "I do not believe this sale will operate to the benefit of the people of Western North Carolina," Steve Legeay wrote to Mr. Stein's office. "It will substitute profit maximization for HCA shareholders for community direction and operation. Control will effectively pass from our region to a removed set of corporate directors." Houston homicide detectives have been hard at work in 2018, locking up dozens of suspects accused of killing. A Chron.com analysis shows that close to 60 people have been arrested for murder or capital murder since Jan. 1, 2018. Perpetual stargazers and NASA nerds have a few things to look forward to in 2019, including a total lunar eclipse and a glimpse of Mercury that may not come around for another 13 years. The year ended on a high note for NASA scientists on Monday, when they guided a spacecraft to the orbit of Bennu, an asteroid between Earth and Mars. It became the smallest celestial body ever orbited, and scientists hope it will teach them more about where humans come from, according to previous stories in the Chronicle. Roadkill on Houston's neighborhood streets was the concern for thousands of 311 callers in 2018. Houstonians called the city's 311 service nearly 8,000 times to complain about dead animals on streets between January and early December, according to city data. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. SEGUIN An armed, masked man from Houston who was arrested here Sunday saying he was en route to a church to fulfill a prophecy thought he was 240 miles away in Vidor, officials said Monday. Tony Dwayne Albert II, 33, told investigators he was looking for the First Baptist Church in the small town in Orange County near Beaumont. It was unclear why he was in Seguin, near New Braunfels, or what ties he might have to Southeast Texas. The Texas Rangers and Jefferson County District Attorneys Office continue to investigate the officer-involved fatal shooting that happened Friday afternoon near the intersection of 16th Street and Rev. Raymond Scott Avenue in Port Arthur. The case will be brought before a grand jury who will determine if lethal force was justified, authorities said Monday. The dead man was identified by his sister-in-law as Shane Lyons, 35, of Port Arthur. Investigators refused to confirm the identity. Police Chief Tim Duriso said during a news conference Monday that the man was in possession of a large weapon and failed to comply when an officer told him to drop it. He said the man continued to advance toward the officer with the weapon. He said the officer feared for his life and fired several rounds. Bystanders at the scene told the Enterprise they heard six or seven shots. They also described the weapon as a machete, but officials would not confirm that detail. Emergency medical services were called immediately following the shooting, but the man died on the scene, Duriso said. District Attorney Bob Wortham said the dead man was found in possession of cigarettes that tested positive for the drug PCP. He and Duriso declined to provide other new details on Monday, citing the ongoing investigation. Lyons family members at the news conference could be heard sighing as their questions and those from the media went unanswered. Queries such as, How many shots were fired? and What was the large weapon? and Was the officer responding to a complaint? were met with no-comments such as, We are not allowed to answer that at this time and I cant comment on an ongoing investigation. The officer involved in the shooting also was not identified and is currently on paid leave, which Wortham said is for his protection. Also at the news conference, Detective Mike Hebert discussed two other shootings that took place later on Friday. Hebert said investigators are confident the three incidents are not related. The first, which happened just after 6:30 p.m., is thought to be a targeted robbery of an individual who was known to carry cash. The 81-year-old man was confronted and shot in the chest while entering the Legacy Senior Living community on Lake Arthur Drive. The victim is in stable condition, and Hebert said he will not undergo surgery to remove the bullet. The victim was not able to identify his attackers. The second shooting occurred just before 7:30 at the KFC on Texas 365. Two men were shot in the leg, but they refused to press charges and did not cooperate with investigators, Hebert said. Witnesses said there was a confrontation between the two victims and at least one other person that ended in an exchange of gunfire. They have no regard. These bullets dont just strike the person theyre shooting at, Hebert said. They travel into peoples houses, into businesses. Hebert closed the press conference with a plea for help in solving a Dec. 20 fatal hit-and-run of a 76-year-old bicyclist in the 2300 block of Memorial. Richard Waite was killed. Hebert called the action of the driver cowardly, and asked that anyone with information pertaining to the incident, especially regarding the make and model of the car, come forward by contacting Port Arthur Police or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously. haley.bruyn@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/HaleyWrites_BE A Beaumont woman is one of two people arrested in Tyler County after it was reported they were suspiciously parked at the home of a jailed murder suspect, authorities say. Sheriff's deputies received reports around 7:30 a.m. Friday of a suspicious vehicle parked at the residence of Christopher Paulette in Hillister, eight miles south of Woodville, the county said in a news release. SEGUIN An armed, masked man from Houston who was arrested here Sunday thought he was 240 miles away in Vidor, officials said Monday. Tony Dwayne Albert II, 33, who was enroute to a church to fulfill a prophecy told investigators he was looking for the First Baptist Church in the small city on the outskirts of Beaumont. It is unclear why he thought he was in Vidor or what ties he has there, if any. On ExpressNews.com: Man was on his way to fulfill a prophecy, police said Detectives have determined that Albert was carrying a 9 millimeter Smith and Wesson handgun that was stolen from a residence in Vidor. The Vidor Police Department has been notified and is conducting a separate investigation into the burglary, Officer Tanya Brown, a department spokeswoman said. The update comes after officers with the Seguin Police Department arrested Albert on Sunday for possession of marijuana and possession of firearm by a felon. The Seguin Police Department is working with the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Texas Rangers and the Guadalupe County District Attorneys Office. It is unknown if additional charges will be filed at this point in the investigation, Brown said Monday. New Orleans-based Mighty Brother is offering a rare, intimate evening at Victoria House. Taking a different route from the usual feat of sound offered up by their full-band performances, the acoustic set will feature the talents of Jake Ryan and Nick Huster, the songwriters and original members of the group. Theyll be playing with local musician Greg Jr. Cat5 sat down with Jake Ryan to chat about the upcoming show, the history of the group, and the ins-and-outs of being a musician in the eclectic Big Easy scene. Q: How did Mighty Brother get started? A: So, it started as a songwriting duo. Nick Huster and I met in Bloomington, Indiana after graduating college. We kept running into each other and decided to jam sometime. It just so happens when we did that the writing came out really easily. We fit into each others writing process very well. Nick is good at finishing songs, and I am good at starting them. We did as much skateboarding as writing in the beginning but decided to cut a record. We raised money to record through IndieGoGo. Q: How did you end up in New Orleans? A: After tracking the record in the summer of 2015, Nick was looking at graduate schools and decided on University of New Orleans and asked if I would move down there with him. Bloomington is a great little college town and has everything you need, but it becomes like any place you stay for a long time familiar. So it made sense for me to move. Q: What was that transition like? Greg Jr. and Mighty Brother When: 7-10 p.m. Thursday Where: Victoria House, 2110 Victoria Cost: Free, donations welcome Info: mightybrother.band See More Collapse A: Well, New Orleans is a pretty small city honestly. Part of its magic is that you will run into people you have met before in what seems like this unlikely serendipity. The housing was affordable, and it has a booming arts and creative scene. It is a city that is famous in itself, a little island in the South that doesnt exactly feel like the South, so it was an easy move. The creative community is amazing and exceptionally diverse. Q: How can someone experience the New Orleans art scene? A: New Orleans main industry is tourism, so you experience more what they have envisioned for you as a tourist as opposed to the authentic face of the city. My main piece of advice would be to stay out of the French Quarter. Q: Has New Orleans music influenced the band? A: New Orleans is a special city in that there are a ton of supremely talented musicians in one area, which encourages self-expression and acceptance. It is a city that encourages you to be you. People here make music that is on the fringe. Every band here has something that makes them weird. Q: Youve played Beaumont before. How did that start? A: We met Olivia Buscemi in Lake Charles at a coffee shop we were playing at. It was empty. Her and the baristas were like the only people we ended up playing for, so she liked us and invited us to play in Beaumont. So as we have been on our way out to Austin or Lake Charles, it has become a no-brainer to shoot her a message and see if we can play. We have played at the Texas Rose Saloon, The Gig and LogOn Cafe. Every time we pass through, there is an audience. We actually have not played a show at Victoria House yet because we are usually touring with the full band, which doesnt fit the constraints of the venue. So this time we will be doing an acoustic set with just Nick and me. Q: How is the two-person acoustic set different from the full band experience? A: As a duo we are able to really bring it to an intimate space. We talk about our songwriting, our set and tell more of our story. Q: The band has been busy as of late, just finishing up a week in Washington, D.C., after your most successful tour ever and a music video release. Whats next? A: Yeah, we have been going pretty hard as of late. We always have our eye on the next prize, asking ourselves Whats next? We have our double-album tracked, and it is all in post-production, so we are waiting and brainstorming our publishing campaign. We are going to take a break and travel. We will be going to New Zealand, and although its a vacation, we will also be making connections and scouting places we may want to play. Even when we are relaxing we always have our eye to the future. Daniel Pemberton is a freelance writer for Cat5 Baby Phuc was born at the midnight, weighing 3.25 kilogram and having the length of 49 centimeter. His mother Nguyet Que from the Mekong delta province of Long An, the first pregnant delivering in the New Years Eve, said that she and family was happy to welcome the healthy baby wishing that he will have all best things; accordingly, the mother named him Phuc. Medical workers of Tu Du Maternity were run off their feet on New Years Eve to be ready for welcome new citizens of the year. Also on the New Years Eve, four baby girls and one baby boy were delivered in the hospital in medical workers loving hand. Hospital Deputy Director Nguyen Ba My Nhi gifted first newborn babies saying that all medical workers wait for newborn babies of the new year. Meantime, the National Maternity Hospital in Hanoi said that the first newborn baby of 2019 was delivered at 00:03 on January 1, 2019. Baby Dam Thi Phuong Mai weighed 2.8 kilogram. Simultaneously, at 00:25, a pregnant in the northern province of Bac Giang was delivering a baby girl weighing 3.3 kilogram. By staff writers - Translated by UYEN PHUONG You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC. By Trend Tensions, risks and threats are rising in the world, but Azerbaijan is a place of stability, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev in his congratulation to the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and New Year. "It is possible to say with certainty that 2018 was a successful year for our country. Our country has developed successfully in all directions. Azerbaijan has asserted itself as a strong country in the world. Our international positions have consolidated further. This year I have made 16 foreign trips. Sixteen heads of state and government have visited our country, which shows how widespread our bilateral relations are. At the same time, Azerbaijan has been successfully operating within international organizations. We have managed to secure a worthy place in the international arena," President Aliyev said. The head of state noted that our relations with neighboring countries have risen to an even higher level. "This is very important for each country, including Azerbaijan. The work we are doing in the political, economic and other spheres together with our neighbors strengthens stability in the region. As for stability, I can say that tensions, risks and threats are rising in the world, but Azerbaijan is a place of stability. In 2018, our people lived in peace and stability. The main reason and source of this stability is the unity between the people and the government," President Aliyev said. President of Azerbaijan noted that we have further strengthened our relations with the European Union. "The Partnership Priorities document signed between the European Union and Azerbaijan this year is a manifestation of the high level of these relations. This document clearly states thoughts on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of our borders and shows again that the European Union adheres to the right position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our role in Islamic solidarity issues is growing. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation gives a high assessment to our policy in this area and we can say with full confidence that Azerbaijan has strengthened its strong role in the Muslim world. The attention, respect and sympathy we enjoy in the Muslim world shows that Azerbaijan has achieved great success in this area as well," President Aliyev said. The head of state recalled that this year, the issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea was also resolved. "This is a historic achievement. As you know, this issue remained unresolved for years. However, it has now been resolved and Azerbaijan has made a valuable contribution to that," President Aliyev said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The year 2018 was marked by stabilization of Azerbaijans ICT market after stagnation a year earlier. Thanks to balanced macroeconomic policy and structural reforms, Azerbaijan managed to stop the GDP fall and set a course for further economic growth. In many ways, this was possible thanks to the tightening of monetary policy and more flexible exchange rate policy. In the real sector of the economy, the rise in oil prices, as well as the growth of non-resource sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and services, led to recovery in aggregate demand and budget revenues. There are a number of prerequisites that indicate the growth prospects of Azerbaijans IT market for the near medium term, according to IDC (International Data Corporation). The most positive changes that in the coming years will significantly affect the economy of Azerbaijan as a whole and the IT market, in particular, include restructuring of the banking sector, reforms in the social sphere, completion and launch of major projects. In the medium term until 2022, Azerbaijans IT market will maintain double-digit growth rates largely due to measures taken in the field of government digitalization, the spread of broadband internet and digital transformation of the private sector. The average annual growth rate of Azerbaijans IT market until 2022 will be 12 percent (IT equipment will grow 11 percent, IT services will grow 16 percent and software will grow 16 percent). By 2022, the volume of the IT market will double in comparison with the level of 2018 and will amount to $1.6 billion. Despite that there were few key events in the ICT market of Azerbaijan in 2018, nevertheless, the year was quite successful. Commercial enterprises successfully developed, new products and solutions appeared. The key events of the year are the following: Owner of Azercell mobile operator changed The purchase of 51.3 percent of shares of the company Azertel [the sole shareholder of the Azerbaijani telecommunications operator Azercell] by the state company Azintelecom from the company Fintur became the key event of the beginning of the year. Fintur is owned by Telia Company (58.55 percent) and Turkcell (41.45 percent). The agreed price for 51.3 percent of Finturs shares in the company Azertel was 222 million euros, which implies the cost of capital of 432 million euros for 100 percent of Azercell shares and a companys value worth 197 million euros based on cash and without debts. Prior to signing the deal, Telia Company completed a rigorous verification of the buyers trustworthiness and declared satisfaction with the results of all proper checks and controls. Azercells re-branding is the subject of discussions and this issue is likely to be resolved in 2019. Establishment of a center for the study and development of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technology The second quarter of 2018 was marked by the creation of a center for the study and development of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technology, which included interested market participants. During the year, the Center regularly organized meetings, held discussions as part of which issues of regulation of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technologies were touched upon, provided advisory services, prepared proposals on issues of legal regulation of the industry. If we consider that this is a completely new direction for everyone, there is an urgent need to exchange experience, study aspects of the legal regulation of the cryptocurrency market and using the blockchain technology. Readiness to use the blockchain technology and SMART contracts in housing and communal services was recently announced by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan. The ministry provides over 30 electronic services, there are about 15 information systems and registries. They include the register of electronic notary, electronic court, penitentiary service, information systems of non-governmental organizations, population register, etc. The planned project Mobile Notary Office, which provides for the accumulation of all notarial documents in one case, seemed interesting. The plans of the ministry also include, among other things, the implementation of a project related to notarization of an electronic document. It was announced that in the future, SMART contracts will be implemented in the field of public services (water, gas and electricity). That is, the existing contracts of citizens for public services will be transferred to SMART contracts, and this will ensure transparency and will allow preventing the facts of falsification in this area. Moreover, the citizens themselves will be able to independently control all these processes. In world practice, the blockchain technology is successfully used where the registry is formed. Most of the services of the Ministry of Justice (registers and databases of the population) are based namely on them. Launch of the second telecommunications satellite - Azerspace-2 / Intelsat-38 A significant event of the year was the launch of the second communications satellite - Azerspace-2 / Intelsat-38. The countdown for the launch of the Ariane 5 carrier rocket with a satellite on board was started on September 26 on the launch platform ELA-3, in the Guiana Space Center. Azerbaijan's telecommunications satellite Azerspace 2 reached its test orbit on Dec. 18. The company noted that the satellite will be in test mode for about two months, after which it will be placed in its final orbit of 45 degrees east longitude. At the beginning of 2019, the satellite will be transferred to the management of Azercosmos and then the satellite will be fully ready for commercial operation Flight VA243 will become the 100th mission for the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle and the 300th for the Arianespace launcher family. Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 is designed to provide a number of telecommunication services and will serve two operators - Intelsat SA and Azercosmos OJSC. The satellite will provide coverage of the growing demand for DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite broadcasting services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and in the part of Africa south of the Sahara desert for Azercosmos OJSC. The satellite will also provide continuity of service from the orbital position of 45 degrees for the Luxembourg office of the Intelsat SA, as well as will ensure the delivery of DTH services to Central and Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the provision of communication services in Africa. The Azerspace-2 satellite, worth $190 million, is projected to bring revenue to Azerbaijan's economy in the amount of $400 million. The satellite has been built on the 1300-series platform (SS/L 1300). The satellite will be placed at an orbital position of 45 degrees. The lifetime of the satellite in orbit will be 15 years. The first communication satellite Azerspace / Africasat-1a was launched into a geostationary orbit at 46 degrees east longitude on February 8, 2013. This satellite was also launched from the Kourou space base by Arianespace company. Issuance of a new generation of identity cards The year was also marked by the transition to identity cards of a new generation, the issuance of which started on Sep. 1. IDs are issued to the Azerbaijani citizens in stages. The Certification Center handles requests from personalization centers operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan. Based on the received requests, the center prepares certificates and sends them back. Three application programs are recorded on the chip of IDs: personal information about the owner, data of two certificates (the first one is an authentication certificate, the second one is for e-signature) and the so-called domestic applications, the functions of which make it possible to automatically update information about the ID holder. For example, in the case of a change of last name or updating marital status information, this data will be automatically updated by means of special card readers as soon as a citizen applies for a service to an authorized body where these devices will be installed. Citizens having received new IDs can independently activate the e-signature integrated into them. The term for using the e-signature is three years. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz At the meeting, they checked the health conditions and documents of the tourists in the group. The nine departed in the evening of December 31 and are scheduled to arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City in the evening of January 1.Besides, authorities also completed documents related to the bodies of the three victims whose relatives were brought to the hospital where they were kept to help with the identification work. The bodies will be repatriated at the earliest time possible while the heavily injured will go back home after they recover.Representatives of the embassy and the working team later visited Sheikh Zayed hospital, where the victims are treated after the December 28 attack. They were briefed on the conditions of the victims and agreed on the plan to repatriate the tourists to ensure their safety and save time. Vietnamplus President Trump has decided to quickly withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, against the advice of his most senior national security advisers. The move prompted the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and sparked widespread concerns about an ISIS revival. The big picture: Aside from the results of the decision, the manner in which Trump made it was deeply problematic. By upending the public and private messages his own officials send, Trump disempowers and alienates his own diplomatic team. He also creates incentives that make his foreign policy agenda more difficult to attain. Trump reportedly agreed to the withdrawal during a phone call with Turkish President Erdogan, and at Erdogan's suggestion. This is not the first time Trump has engaged in such sudden decision-making over the strong concerns of his own team. Earlier this year, he changed the penalties applied to Chinese company ZTE, after a direct request from Xi Jinping. At his Singapore summit with Kim Jong-un, Trump agreed to suspend joint military exercises on the Korean peninsula after Kim asked him to do so. Why it matters: Few countries will want to negotiate with officials from the White House or the State Department if they know they can get a better deal from the boss himself. This may be one reason Pyongyang has refused working-level negotiations over its nuclear program and instead focused on holding a new, leader-level summit. The temptations of personalizing diplomacy at the head-of-state level are great, but it persuades allies and adversaries alike to bypass the very officials hoping to execute the president's foreign policy agenda. The bottom line: Successful foreign policy requires the president to fully empower a team that speaks for him. If Trump continues to make on-the-spot course reversals, he will make it more difficult for his administration as a whole to achieve its goals. Richard Fontaine is the president of the Center for a New American Security. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is on track to make space exploration history just 33 minutes into 2019 Eastern time, scientists said Monday. That's when it's expected to pass just 2,200 miles away from a tiny object known as Ultima Thule, located about 4 billion miles from Earth in a region of space known as the Kuiper Belt. Why it matters: The flyby may give scientists new and vital insights into how the solar system and planets like Earth first formed. This is the first time scientists have ever closely studied a Kuiper Belt object, and scientists said Monday the flyby is proceeding according to plan but without a guarantee of success. We are straining at the capabilities of this spacecraft, and by tomorrow well know how well we did, said Alan Stern, New Horizons' principal investigator, at a press conference. What to watch: Scientists will have to wait until New Year's Day to learn whether their efforts were successful, as the spacecraft is on autopilot, using commands sent hours ago due to the distance. Researchers say they know a very limited amount about Ultima Thule, whose nickname means "beyond the known world." That lack of advance knowledge makes it a particularly tantalizing target. We hardly know anything about it, said Stern. Thats all going to change, and its going to change this week. The backstory: Scientists believe Ultima Thule has been frozen in time since the solar system first formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The Kuiper Belt, where Ultima Thule is located, is a region of icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune that are thought to be leftovers from the solar system's early days. There are thought to be hundreds of thousands of objects like Ultima Thule in the Kuiper Belt, and the spacecraft will attempt to gather data on others to learn more about them, and how Ultima Thule might differ from them. "It's a very special region that we're very excited to explore," said John Spencer, a deputy project scientist with the Southwest Research Institute. The details: The flyby is requiring scientists to stretch the capabilities of the New Horizons spacecraft, which gathered unprecedented data on Pluto in 2015 after launching in 2006. Ultima Thule, for example, is about 80 times smaller than Pluto. New Horizons is traveling at about 32,000 miles per hour. It has been programmed to pass just 2,200 miles away from Ultima Thule, taking pictures and gathering data with its 7 different instruments on board. "We only get one shot at it. Nothing like it has ever been done before." Alan Stern, Principal Investigator with New Horizons We're likely to see the first photo on New Year's Day. More images and data from the spacecraft will flow back to Earth during the course of the week and beyond, given the roughly six hours required to transmit data one way at 1,000 bits per second across 4 billion miles, Stern said. The knowns: Scientists know the general size of Ultima Thule, which is on the order of about 15 to 20 miles in diameter, and would be able to fit between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. They also think it's reddish in color. The unknowns: Researchers are particularly interested in finding out more about the object's geological makeup, how it compares with other Kuiper Belt objects, whether it's releasing any gases and if it has small satellites nearby. How to watch: To follow along with the mission, watch a livestream from Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, and monitor its social media accounts. Events will also stream online via NASA. Editor's note: This piece has been corrected to show that the flyby distance between New Horizons and Ultima Thule will be close to 2,200 miles (not 22,000 miles). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that President Trump's decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria "in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel" during a meeting in Brasilia on Tuesday. Why it matters: Pompeo's meeting with Netanyahu is one of a series of high-level discussions between Israeli and American officials as the U.S. attempts to reassure Israel that the withdrawal from Syria will not endanger Israeli security. On Sunday, Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump's national security adviser John Bolton in Jerusalem to continue the discussion on the issue. Pompeo told Netanyahu at the top of the meeting: "The counter-ISIS campaign continues. Our efforts to counter Iranian aggression continue and our commitment to Middle East stability and the protection of Israel continues in the same way it did before that decision was made." Netanyahu told Pompeo he wants to discuss ways to intensify U.S.-Israeli intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere "to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East, to roll it back." He added, "Thats a common aim, and I have to say that Im also very appreciative of the support, strong support and unequivocal support that you and the president gave our efforts at self-defense against Syria and Hezbollah just in the last few days." Go deeper: Netanyahu asked Trump for a gradual pullout from Syria After three weeks of demonstrations against an increase in gasoline taxes, French President Emmanuel Macron yielded to the Yellow Vest protesters by suspending the hikes for six months. The big picture: The wealthy countries pushing to address climate change have been seen as best equipped to bear the costs of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables, hence their commitment in the Paris Accord to channel energy transition funding to the developing world. But the French protests and Macrons response suggest that even developed societies may meet resistance from their more disadvantaged members, who may not be so willing to make sacrifices to their way of life. Macrons response reveals that developed countries governments, democracies as they are, may be especially vulnerable to widespread dissatisfaction. Failure to respond means electoral trouble, even potential defeat. Particularly when the economy is doing badly, incumbents tend to lose and, in this case, likely to lose to less environmentally friendly opponents. Polish President Andrzej Duda bluntly expressed that sentiment at the opening of COP24 in Katowice, Poland, this week. On the eve of Polands Miners Day, he underscored coals role as a strategic and indispensable resource for the Polish economy, pointing to 200 years of coal reserves that not only serve the countrys energy-security goals but also provide jobs to 100,000 Poles. Duda is acutely aware of the political consequences of potential anti-coal action, given the 101 (out of 460) parliamentary seats in the country's coal region that politicians need to compete for every four years. Yes, but: While such resistance is admittedly discouraging in the face of dire climate-change warnings, it does not spell doom. Rather, it highlights the need to understand the mindset of billions of people all over the world whose economic situation makes it difficult for them to justify immediate costs to their well-being, or to forego advancement, in exchange for the diffuse future benefits of climate action, however important. The bottom line: If those sentiments are not factored into developed countries climate-policy equations, they may find themselves in a situation akin to that of President Macron, unable to follow up on their climate commitments. Anna Mikulska is a nonresident fellow in energy studies at Rice Universitys Baker Institute's Center for Energy Studies and a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Image: Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream has made the first international deliveries of its G500 business jet, according to an announcement made by the company on Monday. Two G500s were recently handed over to international launch customer Qatar Airways, which already has five Gulfstream G650ERs in service as part of its executive charter business. The new G500s are part of a 2014 agreement between Gulfstream and Qatar Airways for up to 30 Gulfstream aircraft. The agreement includes a mix of firm orders and options for G650ER, G500 and G600 models. Gulfstream and Qatar Executive have been good partners since we announced the G500 and their intention to be its international launch customer, said Gulfstream President Mark Burns. We are proud to deliver these aircraft just four years later and after the most rigorous flight-test program Gulfstream has conducted. The Gulfstream G500 earned its FAA type and production certificates in July 2018 and entered service in September. The U.S. type certificate was validated by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority in October. The 19-passenger G500 has a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, 5,200-NM range and maximum takeoff weight of 79,600 pounds. Features include a third-generation Enhanced Vision System, active-control sidesticks, 10 touchscreens and a head-up display. Gulfstream says the longer-range G600 is expected to enter service in 2019. The capsule measures 3 meters in length and 2.1 meters in width, and is made of resin-coated plywood meant to resist strong winds and potential orca attacks. Jean-Jacques Savin, a former military paratrooper, was able to raise the money needed to build it, about $68,000 through crowfunding and with the help of a sponsor, and then personally oversaw the process of putting it together.Needless to say, it has everything inside to ensure Savins survival and comfort during the 4,500 km journey: a mattress with straps to prevent him from being tossed around during high seas, a kitchen area and supplies, a solar panel, and even a porthole in the floor that will allow him to watch fish, the BBC reports.The capsule started off from El Hierro in Spains Canary Islands and is destined for the Caribbean. Maybe Barbados, although I would really like it to be a French island like Martinique or Guadaloupe, Savin said of where he hoped to end the journey. That would be easier for the paperwork and for bringing the barrel back.Savin hopes to complete the journey in 3 months, during which time he will be dropping markers to help oceanographers in their study of currents in the Atlantic Ocean. A dedicated Facebook page is constantly posting updates on his progress: so far, the barrel is behaving well, traveling slowly because theres little wind.Until then, hes prepared for New Years with a block of foie gras and a bottle of Sauternes white, and a bottle of red wine for his birthday in January. Because no one said such a journey cant have a touch of the exquisite. Of custody and crypto The normally staid world of custody banking is now having to embrace the wild child of global assets: cryptocurrency. And this is happening just as bitcoin, the poster child of cryptocurrency, seesawed from US$30,000 one week to $40,000 the next, shedding then recovering 30% of its value. Some bitcoin bulls are talking of $100,000 by year-end Is there any profession that merits the esteem that doctors have? I don't think so. What doctors do not only requires significant brains, but requires professionalism, because patient trust is so critical. Without that trust, how would a doctor be able to get a patient to take his or her clothes off, bend over for an exam, or accept a medical treatment with bad side effects? Trust is what makes the whole profession work. This is why this story out of Cleveland is so chilling. Medical resident at Cleveland Clinic Lara Kollab, who published antisemitic statements on Twitter regarding her Jewish patients at the hospital, was dismissed from the hospital, the Cleveland Clinic reported on Monday. Both Canary Mission and StopAntisemitism.org called attention to Kollab's tweet from 2012, in which she wrote "ill purposely give all the yahood the wrong meds..." Here's a screenshot of her vile tweet (Hat tip: GatewayPundit): Did I read that right? A doctor who threatened to give her patients the wrong medicine, on the grounds that they were Jewish? ("Yahood" is a word that means Jewish.) That's an actual hate crime. What was she doing working at the Cleveland Clinic? She shouldn't have even been allowed to scrub toilets there. This person is really a doctor? This suggests something awful going on. It's not just that the prestigious Cleveland Clinic should have vetted her before they hired her, or gotten some competent vetters who understand that a doctor who threatens to kill is not a doctor a patient will trust. It's also sign of decline in the medical profession. How on Earth did this person get a medical license, and why hasn't it been pulled? Did no one check her ethics? She has a long history of vile anti-Semitic tweets, loaded with homicidal ravings and musings, which are there for all to see on Twitter. This wasn't someone who just whispered her anti-Semitism, she broadcast it. This person shouldn't just be fired; she should be de-licensed, and maybe jailed for such vile threats, which not only bring great dishonor to the medical profession, but erode the trust that patients must have in doctors. After reading a story like this, Jewish patients (and Cleveland has 80,000 Jewish residents) will now have to start wondering if they've got another one like her, and that will extend to other patients, too. It's sad and shocking, because doctors are such amazing people. They not only cure the sick sometimes, the very, very sick, through medical miracles performed daily but they also are fanatical about their devotion to the Hippocratic Oath, which begins with "first, do no harm." They care for all people, even unworthy people, from injured bank-robbers to people who sponge off the system, putting the saving of human life above all other considerations. What's more, the heroism of doctors and other medical professionals was there for all to see during the Paradise fires, where we got stories such as this (Google, take note), with doctors racing through flames on all sides of them to save lives. Doctors are absolutely amazing people, showing every day that their work is a calling, not a job. So it's important to get answers on this, because Democrats are angling hard to have the government take over medical care, and with their "Medicare for All" plans, it's a certainty that patients will no longer be allowed to choose their doctors. If you were Jewish, how'd you like to get assigned someone like that? You don't even have to be Jewish to start to worry about this one. This person threatened to poison medical patients because they are Jewish. What she did was poison medicine. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has filed a complaint in federal court seeking damages for the nearly 400,000 federal employees who are working without pay during the shutdown. Politico: The two plaintiffs Justin Tarovisky and Grayson Sharp work for high-security prisons the Justice Department runs. The American Federation of Government Employees argues that both plaintiffs have dangerous jobs and have been forced to work overtime without pay. AFGE represents roughly 700,000 federal employees and has challenged the Trump administration over a number of issues, including major restructuring at the Education Department. J. David Cox, AFGEs national president, said forcing federal employees to work without pay is nothing short of inhumane. Positions that are considered essential during a government shutdown are some of the most dangerous jobs in the federal government, he said in a statement. They are front-line public safety positions, including many in law enforcement, among other critical roles. Our intent is to force the government and the administration to make all federal employees whole. The complaint names "The United States of America" as defendant. But there is only one branch of government responsible for funding the agencies the employees work for and that's the Congress. The two plaintiffs in the case work at a high security prison, while other employees forced to stay on the job work for the border patrol, immigration enforcement, and airline security. While you can certainly sympathize with the federal workers who are forced to stay on the job, no one held a gun to their head when they applied for the job. Is it "fair" that they find themselves in this situation? I guess a federal judge will determine that. There was a shutdown in 2013 and the case is still tied up in federal court. Recently, a judge ruled that employees are entitled to double the back pay they are owed. It's not clear if the government will appeal that ruling. President Donald Trump's last interview of 2018 took place in the afternoon of December 31 and was broadcast at 10:40 P.M. E.T. on Fox News channel's All-American New Year Special, from Times Square in New York City. The conversation with the president, speaking on the phone from the White House with the news channel's New Year's Eve show co-host, Pete Hegseth, was the only hard news presented on any of the three major cable news channels during the frothy New Year's Eve coverage that began several hours before the iconic ball drop in Times Square at 12 midnight E.T. Most of the mainstream media coverage of what the president said to Fox News on an otherwise slow news day focused on his comments about Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who let it be known on Monday that she would be the first major Democrat to formally declare an interest in running for president in 2020. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Source: elizabethwarren.com, Jan. 1, 2019. Typical of the mainstream reporting of the Trump-Hegseth interview is a story that Deadline Hollywood ran on Monday afternoon based on early excerpts of the interview released Monday afternoon by Fox News: "We'll see how she does. I hope she does well I'd love to run against her," Trump chuckled. "She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage," Trump reminisced happ[il]y with FNC's All American New Year Special co-host Pete Hegseth. "I think you have more than she does, and maybe I do too and I have nothing!" President Donald Trump celebrated New Year's Eve with a Fox News Channel phone interview, where talk naturally turned to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren official announcement earlier in the day that she had officially formed a 2020 White House race exploratory committee. After the interview aired in its entirety on Fox News at 10 P.M. EST, Fox News Media Relations emailed a transcript of Hegseth's nine-minute long conversation with President Trump. If you don't have the wall, you're going to have people coming in. And my border patrol people, they do a fantastic job. But you know, they need the backup of the wall and they're the ones that want it more than anybody, Pete. The you look at a wheel well, I guess they'd say the wheel is old-fashioned, but it's been around for a long time. The wall is the only way to do it and technology, nobody knows more about technology than me, but technology are just the bells and whistles on the wall. TRUMP: Well, we are, we have no choice. We have to have border security and a wall is part of border security. You know, I hear so much about the wall is old fashioned. No, the wall is not old-fashioned, the wall is 100 percent foolproof. HEGSETH: And we want to get to looking back a little bit at 2018, but let me stay on the topic of that shutdown, Mr. President. You stayed in Washington, D.C. through Christmas, through New Year's; we've seen Nancy Pelosi in Hawaii Democrats not willing to come back. A lot of your supporters, to be honest, Mr. President, are hoping that you will stand firm on that five billion dollar marker, something big for the wall. Are you willing to continue the shutdown, if that money does not come? PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP: Well, I'm sort of in the White House right now. I'm talking to you and uh it's I think moving along well. We need border security, everybody knows it, we need a lot of people approved that we can't get through the senate. We can't get them through Chuck Schumer and the group we have 360 people that want to join the administration ambassadors and lawyers and lots of other people. We cannot get them approved because I guess you could call it obstruction, if you think about it, it's pure obstruction and we have a lot of other things, but we have probably done more, Pete, than any administration in its first two years in history, according to most. PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS HOST: Happy New Year to you, sir. Thank you, thank you so much for joining Fox News Channel All-American New Year. Ah, we're live in Times Square. Wish you could be here as well, but we know you're in Washington, D.C. America wants to know, Mr. President, what are your plans here tonight on New Year's Eve? Pete Hegseth's interview with President Trump. Screen shot by Peter Barry Chowka. HEGSETH: So how far are you willing to go, Mr. President? When do you anticipate talks with Chuck and Nancy, as you say, sir? TRUMP: Well, I assume when they get back. I'm in Washington; I'm ready, willing and able, I'm in the White House, I'm ready to go. They can come over right now, they could have come over any time. I spent Christmas in the White House. I spent New Year's Eve now in the White House and you know, I'm here. I'm ready to go. It's very important. A lot of people are looking to get their paycheck, and so I'm ready to go anytime they want. No, we are not giving up. We have to have border security and the wall is a big part of border security; the biggest part. HEGSETH: Absolutely. Mr. President, another piece of news; recently Senator Lindsey Graham emerged from the White House. He had been very critical of your decision to withdraw troops from Syria, but he emerged saying, "Now I support the president's decision," a lot of people he's famously more hawkish on American troops and intervention abroad. What was said to him? What did you relay inside the White House that changed the mind of Lindsey Graham? TRUMP: Well, I don't think too much, except that I said, you know, I never said that I'm gonna rush out. We're going to get out. We're getting out of Syria; we're bringing our young, great troops home after so many years. You know, we were supposed to be in Syria for three to four months and that was four or five years ago. And it's time. We have to bring them home. And we're going to do it in a very good way and frankly and you know this better than anybody, Pete, ISIS was all over the place when I took over. It was a total mess in Syria. We've almost eradicated all of them. We think all of them will be gone by the time we get out, but we're heading back and we're also fighting. We you can do two things at once. Plus, as you know, we have other bases in the general area. In particular, we have one in Iraq and nobody said anything about that. But you know, we're fighting these endless wars; I campaigned on getting out of the endless wars and frankly, I've done more than I said, because not only did I and am I able to get out, but I've also won. You look at what I've done. We've really, largely eradicated ISIS. Now that doesn't mean we don't totally finish the job, but that's going to be a very short period of time. We have to bring our troops back home. It's time. HEGSETH: Certainly an accomplishment the destruction of ISIS that has not gotten enough notice, no doubt, Mr. President. I want to transition to -- (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: They don't want to talk about it, Pete. (CROSSTALK) HEGSETH: just a little bit. (CROSSTALK) They really don't, they really don't and if Lindsey Graham's onboard with a plan like that, that's a good sign. I want to transition to presidential politics. Everyone thought 2019 would be the year that Democrats come on to try to win the primary to take you on in 2020, sir. It turns out one of them jumped the gun, just news recently that Elizabeth Warren, one of your favorite senators, will be announcing an exploratory committee your reaction to your first opponent on the Democratic side, Mr. President? TRUMP: Well, I'm happy about it. I think she'll be wonderful. I hope she maybe gets the nomination. That will be a wonderful thing for me. But the only reason the Democrats, as an example, aren't approving all of these people, that wanted to come in want to come into government and they really do, they want to come in we really need people. We need lawyers. We need ambassadors. We need all these 360 people that the Democrats won't approve. Or if you look at not approving the wall, where they say walls don't work when they work 100 percent, I mean when they're so good, it's because of the 2020 election. They think I'm going to win. I think based on record I'm going to win also. I think we're going to win big. And they figure by obstructing they can do this. Elizabeth Warren will be the first. She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage. That didn't work out too well. I think you have more than she does, and maybe I do too, and I have nothing. So you know, we'll see how she does. I wish her well. I hope she does well. I'd love to run against her. HEGSETH: She says she's in the fight all the way, Mr. President. Do you really think she believes she can win? TRUMP: Well that I don't know. You'd have to ask her psychiatrist. But honestly, I just, you know -- (LAUGHTER) I mean, if it's her or somebody else, you know, based on our record, Pete, when you look at what we've done, when you look at the regulation cuts, when you look at the massive tax cuts, when you look at what we've done for the vets and what we've done for the military you know, with the vets, we have choice and now, as you know better than almost anybody I can speak to, that was phase one of choice. We're going to phase two and then ultimately to phase three. We're doing it in steps. When you look at all of the things we've done for building up our military and all of the things, I don't think, if you go just based on the record, I don't see how anybody wins. We've done a lot. If you look at unemployment, we're at a 50-year low. HEGSETH: Absolutely. TRUMP: For African Americans and for Hispanics and for Asians, we're at an all-time historic low, the history of our country low. And I don't know if somebody could do better than that good luck, but it just doesn't seem that based on the record, somebody's going to do real well. HEGSETH: That's a fair point, Mr. President. And on New Year's Eve, tonight, a lot of our viewers, it's a time for reflection. You look back on 2018, you look forward to 2019. If I could, Mr. President, on a lighter note, your winners and losers from 2018 who are the big winners and who are the big losers in the last year? TRUMP: Well, I think the winners are the American people, because we've gotten them tax cuts and we've gotten them jobs, jobs like they've never had before. We've taken care of our military, we've rebuilt large portions and very shortly all of our military, which was totally depleted under the previous administration so I really think that the big winners are are the people of this country, the people of our country, and that makes me very happy. The one that has lost, you know, I don't want to really say, but you have certainly a lot of people that wanted to do things that it didn't work out. I think that when you look at some of the candidates that are announcing right now, I think they will end up being the losers. You've got a lot of people, 32 people they say, could be with the Democrats; let's see what happens. But I only I'm really more interested in the winners and the winners are the people of the United States. HEGSETH: Absolutely. Sir, exit question here, 2019, any resolutions from you, Mr. President, in this new year? Or any predictions in the new year? Or both? TRUMP: Well, I think we're going to have a great form of wealth. We've created a lot of wealth for our country. And that's very important, because that means jobs, that means prosperity, it means we can afford to do what we're doing with the military. We're working on tremendous trade deals, where other countries have taken advantage of us so badly and I mean, I campaigned on all this stuff. And really, I'm producing better than I actually said even during the campaign that I would, if you look at what we've done. So I really think we're going to have tremendous success with trade deals. I think we're going to have a tremendously rebuilt military for strength and hopefully we'll never have to use our military; it will be so strong that we'll never have to use it and that would be a good thing. HEGSETH: Mr. President, I shouldn't say this, but last year my resolution was to tweet more; it's the first resolution I've actually kept. Do you have -- CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Good. HEGSETH: any resolutions for 2019, sir? Any resolutions? TRUMP: Just success and prosperity and health for our country. That's all I want. HEGSETH: Absolutely. Well, Mr. President, thank you so much for joining us. I do have to say, my co-host, Kennedy, wanted to say thank you and she loves the tax cuts as do so many Americans -- (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Oh, good. Well -- (CROSSTALK) HEGSETH: So thank you Mr. President for joining us and Happy (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: (INAUDIBLE) terrific. (CROSSTALK) HEGSETH: She's terrific. Have a great New Year's in Washington, D.C. and we hope to see you soon in the New Year. Thank you, sir. TRUMP: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it, Pete. Have a great year. Thank you, Pete. (CROSSTALK) HEGSETH: You, too, sir. You, too, sir. TRUMP: Thank you. HEGSETH: Thank you. In Peru, authorities got rid of an illegal shrine to Shining Path Maoist Marxist guerrillas. Those are the people who turned Peru into a hellhole back in the 1990s. Here's what the Associated Press is reporting: LIMA, Peru (AP) Peruvian authorities on Saturday demolished a mausoleum holding eight Shining Path rebels killed during prison massacres more than three decades ago and relocated their remains to a cemetery in a northern part of Lima. More than 50 police officers and dozens of workers from the cemetery in the Comas district of Perus capital participated in the operation, said prosecutor Javier Zapata. The remains of the Maoist rebels will be buried in separate niches. Permit problems, they said. Ah, the permit problems. I suspect something more is going on. Peru is the only nation out there I know of that has sought to rub the romance of communism out cold by exposing it for what it is. When I visited Lima in 2012, I was amazed to visit a place called the "Memory Museum" which was dedicated to exposing the crimes of communism. Apparently it was paid for by the Germans and the European Union, and there was some nod to equalize crimes in the eurotrash style, so that supposedly no one would think communism was any worse than thuggy government soldiers, but it didn't work that way, in effect. The simple reason why is that the museum listed all the atrocities, and did huge news spreads on each, as viewers moved from room to room. The communist atrocities were so much more numerous, so much more expansive in their killing numbers, and so very, very, vile in details, that it was obviously an effort to discredit and de-romanticize communism. (The communists even came into villages and hung people's pets, which shows just what kind of psychopaths these vaunted fighters for social justice really were.) The whole thing was recognizable to anyone, too - the Che tshirts, the university radicals, the press romanticism, the establishment's tolerance ... and the forced marches and death pit massacres. There also were things you never see otherwise, too - such as the news that it was the indigenous people who were brutalized the most by the communists, and those people visited the museum with tears. That doesn't fit the lefty narrative anywhere, and it was clear that the museum's truth-telling was Peruvians refusal to kowtow to those narratives. Obviously, in this masoleum case, the Peruvians were likely attempting to keep the grave from becoming a shrine to leftists, same way Austria demolished Hitler's birthplace to keep it from becoming a gathering point for Nazis. Peruvians have always been exceptionally sensitive to the importance of culture, and it appears they wanted the guerrillas' reputation to be more closely aligned to the facts than it usually is. I suspect the masoleum shutdown was a bid to erase that culture and eradicate the romanticism, the same way the allies made Nazi culture in Germany positively stink. Andrew Breitbart understood this importance of culture, and apparently the Peruvians do, too. The seat of the old Inca empire has an amazing sensitivity to culture, with an influence that has spread well beyond Peru's borders, from Argentina's gaucho cuisine to international literary lions such as Mario Vargas Llosa, to some of the world's best musical instrument makers and the world's top restaurants. It was striking to me that was an art supplies store seemingly on every corner in Lima. It may be a superficial touristic view, but when I went there, I was struck by how people there were so sensitive to the importance of culture. I suspect a narrative is being dismantled there, and that is good news for the country and for Latin America. No "Marxist measles" for Peru, because the Peruvians are refusing to stand for it, they know where it leads. I hope that element of Peruvian culture also spreads well beyond Peru. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Readers of American Thinker (here, here, and here) are familiar with the appalling religious test for office that seems to be lurking in the questions submitted in writing to a nominee for a federal judgeship by Senators Hirono and Harris. In sum: In a series of questions sent to Buescher, Hirono asked whether his membership in the Knights of Columbus would prevent him from hearing cases "fairly and impartially" and, if confirmed, whether he would end his membership in the organization. "The Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions," Hirono said in the questionnaire. "For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California's Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage." Harris meantime, in her questions to the nominee, called the Knights of Columbus "an all-male society" and asked the Nebraska lawyer if he was aware that the group was anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage when he joined[.] The Knights have responded with dignity, honor, and (best of all) an open hand. Hat tip to Paul Mirengoff for bringing their open letter to my attention. I doubt that either senator is capable of shame, but if they were, they would surely be resolving to leave this bigotry behind in 2019. Here is what the local Capitol District, Washington, D.C. chapter of the Knights wrote: Dear Senator Harris, Senator Hirono, and respective staffs Greetings from your local, Capitol Hill-area Knights of Columbus Council, Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle Council 11302! We recently read about statements which expressed the fear that the Knights of Columbus held many extreme beliefs. It is our great pleasure to assure you that this fear is not grounded in any truth. The Knights of Columbus in general, and O'Boyle Council in particular are dedicated to the three fundamental principles of charity, unity, and fraternity. In the past few months O'Boyle Council has worked with local parishes including St Peter's (House-side Catholic church) and St Joseph's (Senate-side Catholic church) to raise funds and give away over $4,000 worth of coats to neighborhood children, collect soda and beer can tabs to donate to the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute which helps the developmentally disabled, and collect diapers and other supplies for new mothers in need. Over the course of the past year we donated an ultrasound machine to a clinic, picked up trash around Nationals Park, and donated supplies to a local school. We do all this as well as social gatherings and spiritual events. We hope this list of activities help to assure you that we are simply a group aiming to do God's work while building friendships. 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. Our team's page can be viewed at https://give.specialolympicsdc.org/kofc. Additionally, if any Catholic men on your staff are interested in joining O'Boyle Council for charitable and social events they can find more information on our website at https://oboyle.dcknights.org/ and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KofC11302/. If you have any further questions or concerns please reach out to us at kofc11302@gmail.com. Thank you for this opportunity to write to you. We pray that you have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Cardinal Patrick O'Boyle Council 11302 of the Knights of Columbus Capitol Hill, Southwest Waterfront, and Navy Yard of Washington, DC Bravo! Just after Christmas, an unnerving character headed to Grand Central Station molested a four-year-old girl on a subway en route from the stomping ground of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AKA "Alex from the Bronx." The New York Post reported that just before midnight, while a mother and child were seated on a train southbound for Manhattan, a man boarded at Jerome Avenue and West 183rd Street. The male rider sat down beside the toddler and proceeded to place his hand under the child's backside. When the girl's mother noticed what was happening, she confronted the pedophile so he threatened to shoot her. Thankfully, after changing seats, the woman had the good sense to snap a cell phone picture, because the suspect was a black dude with multicolored dreadlocks, and New York City police decided that it would be best to err on the side of political correctness. By ignoring the suspect's unmistakably unique and easily identifiable physical characteristics, cops chose to provide the public with a generic description of a dangerous individual. Instead of truthfully describing the man as a Bob Marley wannabe with androgynous plaited hair, cops sided with racial sensitivity and cautioned the public to be on the lookout for are you ready? A "6-foot-tall man with a medium beard." Did the NYPD forget that, regardless of race, there are millions of 6'-tall American men and that 35% of our nation's males also sport beards? Therefore, based on such a preposterously shallow description, maybe in an attempt to remain gender-neutral cops should have just described the butt-grabbing child-molester as possibly having XX chromosomes? A black man touches a little girl's butt cheek, and police describe his height and facial hair? This sort of absurdity is yet another glaring example of the double standard that exists as political correctness painstakingly avoids stereotyping anyone other than America's white people. Take for example the incident in New York City as likened to the brouhaha currently taking place on the West Coast over a scheduled local Women's March. While police protected the racial identity of a black villain on a train casing out preschool buttocks to fondle, in Humboldt County, California, event coordinators for a local Women's March decided to cancel a January 19 event because it was "overwhelmingly white." Group leaders explained the decision this way: Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community. Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach. Outreach? Perhaps the Bob Marley lookalike is free to attend? That would rectify the Humboldt dilemma by making things more racially eclectic as well as sexually and culturally diverse. Either way, does anyone believe that in the current climate, if a town chose to host a Mini-Million-Man March, or, more appropriately, a Black Women's March, it would be acceptable to cancel the event because it was "overwhelmingly black"? Therefore, why is being "overwhelmingly white" an acceptable excuse to terminate a public event? The liberal irony of the secretive racial identity of the East Coast butt-grabber, as compared to the cancelation due to too many white women on the Left Coast, is that these marches primarily focus on protecting females from the likes of the "minor-attracted" No. 4 train menace. And so, yet another liberal double standard arises when women who would likely agree with the NYPD that a black criminal's race is irrelevant also justify canceling a scheduled rally merely because too many Caucasians signed up. Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannie-ology.com. As lefty online dictionaries showcasing their lefty words of the year to review 2018 -- such as the toxic in toxic masculinity, toxic culture, and toxic environment -- I redeclare the following from 2015 , without fear of contradiction: The only privilege in America is Liberal Privilege. Item: Michelle Alexander of the New York Times. Reported by Christopher DeGroot, she writes that none of us deserve to be Americans by the privilege of birthright citizenship. Okay, Ms. Privileged Times Writer, then prove your bona fides by giving up your privileged job to an educated migrant. Item: AntiFa protesters in Portland and San Francisco, reported by Kevin Williamson. There is no greater privilege than for police to stand by and fail to enforce the law while the little darlings of the ruling class destroy the property of innocent citizens that are not licensed and bonded little darlings or the ruling class. Hey, AntiFa, why not try your mostly peaceful protesting where the police actually enforce the law -- even, Gaia forbid, on mostly peaceful lefty protesters. Item: An anti-Semitic lefty group tweeting to kick a Jewish cafe owner out of San Francisco for supporting Israel. Anyone an inch right of center-left would be kicked off Twitter for that. Hey Jack, how about cracking down on those lefty haters? Item: Catherine Blasey Ford's cock-and-bull story about being assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh nearly half a century ago when they were both teenagers. Do not try this tactic if you are a conservative woman attacking a liberal Supreme Court nominee. And so on. I'm in India right now, and back in the day, the Mughal emperors had audience halls, divans, at which they heard the petitions of the people. I don't expect that these demi-gods believed too much in the notion of justice for the people, but they knew enough to keep the natives from getting restless. They at least pretended to care. But here we are in America 2018, and if there is one thing we know these days is that the left doesn't believe in justice for people like you and me. That's what all the rubbish about toxic masculinity and white privilege is all about. Justice is only a thing for the ruling class and its little darlings. That is the point of left-wing politics ever since Marx. There are the good guys, the activists and intellectuals, dedicated to the holy work of bending the arc of history towards justice; there are the necessary victims for whom the activists selflessly advocate and mostly peacefully protest. And then there are the bad guys, starting with the bourgeoisie, followed by the racists, then the sexists, the homophobes, and now the transphobes, the white supremacists, and the toxic fill-in-the-blanks. But don't entertain for one moment that you deplorables have the right to appear in the audience hall of your liberal lord and expect anything approaching a redress of grievances. You will notice that the rulers governing philosophy precludes this possibility, because they have already convicted you of toxic masculinity, white supremacy, or whatever the current activists have decided upon as the social crime du jour. So here we have the kings and lords of old, who apparently felt that part of the art of ruling was to give their subjects the idea that their liege lord cared about hearing their grievances and even delivering equal justice under the law. And we have our modern progressives, who do not believe that the people they have branded as toxic or as supremacist have a right to a hearing or to justice. That is because their politics has already determined who has a right to be heard and who has already been heard from too often. Simply put, activists and victims have a right to be heard, and a right to the redress if grievances; everything else is negotiable. My line is that this attitude misunderstands the nature of justice and the nature of government. You can see it playing out in the yellow vest riots in France. The French ruling class had decided to fight climate change and was monstrously offended when the French people objected. Now, much too late, President Macron realizes he has a problem. Maybe if the president had held regular audiences -- as kings did in olden times -- at which ordinary people could air their grievances, he would not have been blindsided. When you think about it, it is obvious that left-wing politics is fake politics. Instead of allowing the grievances of the people to develop organically, our modern elite creates an artificial politics with its activists -- who do not represent the people but are instead the bribed apologists of the ruling class pretending to be the voice of the people. Thats why I say: The only privilege in America is Liberal Privilege. Memes. They can be funny, sad, inspirational, or at other times downright offensive. I have some friends who literally invest significant time daily in checking out the latest viral meme. Whether you like them or not, memes have become big in pop culture. Some of the featured characters have gone on to crossover internet fame. Grumpy Cat, Kermit the Frog, and the overly attached girlfriend have entertained Americans for countless hours as they scroll through their timelines on the most downloaded social media apps in the world including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With the increased popularity of this new medium of expression come new dangers. Ever inventive, sophisticated hackers have now incorporated the use of steganography as a vehicle to deliver infectious malware. Steganography is defined as data hidden within data. In computing, it is sometimes purposed as an encryption technique used to protect files. It can also be used to facilitate encrypted messaging. In the past, jihadists have employed a communication tool called MuslimCrypt, which uses steganography. Steganography can also be applied to video and audio files and has now found a malicious application via image files. According to reports, although the use of steganography to deliver malware via memes is thought to have originated in 2017 (when the Twitter account sharing the infected meme was created), it has only recently started to quickly spread via the popular Matrix Morpheus memes. Research conducted by Trend Micro, the popular security intelligence blog, identifies the new threat, detected as TROJAN.MSIL.BERBOMTHUM.AA, as being introduced to systems via a legitimate service (Twitter). The trojan then employs the use of a commonly used meme to draw in the victim. The malicious tweets could not be removed until the account was disabled by Twitter. Twitter deleted the profile on December 13th of 2018. The potential threat of widespread outbreaks involving steganography should be enough to keep IT professionals monitoring the personal use of computers on their networks in both the private and government sectors awake at night. Once the trojan is inconspicuously installed, it has the ability to download malicious memes from social media accounts you may be following on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others to your computer. It then begins to execute preloaded commands from the malware file hidden within the meme. The print command hidden in the meme allows the malware takes a screenshot of the infected machine before obtaining server information from commonly used text upload and sharing app Pastebin. The collected information or command output is then uploaded to a specific URL address. This poses a threat to private businesses that carry proprietary business information and intellectual property on their systems. The stolen information can potentially be leveraged for profit, via sale of this ill-gotten intelligence to competitive businesses within the same industry. American businesses have already suffered as a result of stolen intellectual property, as the United States Trade Representatives 2018 report into China's intellectual property theft found that "Chinese theft of American Intellectual Property currently costs between $225 billion and $600 billion annually." Individual consumers can be victims of financial crimes as a result of steganography, as the infection initiates hidden "print" commands, which take screen captures containing usernames, passwords, birthdays, social security numbers, and potentially even credit card information from their victims. Our government networks, ranging from election databases, to Industrial Control Systems (ICS) used to control many of our critical infrastructure, to even weapon commands systems are all potential victims as well. Weve already seen a 2018 cyberattack, carried out by Chinese government-backed hackers, that compromised the computers of a naval contractor working on a Navy submarine and underwater programs project. This attack netted the Chinese government 614 gigabytes of data, including plans related to a supersonic anti-ship missile scheduled to be introduced by 2020 and other details about undersea warfare. So, how will businesses, individuals, and the government deal with this threat? One potential remedy would be the instituting of department wide bans on social media in the work setting while operating work computers. This potentially unpopular remedy could help, but given the plethora of other threats, including the deception campaigns known as Active Security and Total Security, that disguise threats as legitimate security programs in order to profiteer from stolen data and financial information, will we ever be able to fully secure our data systems? On Sunday morning, December 30, Meet the Press had a gala service preaching the climate-change religion. Famous climate preachers like Michael Bloomberg and Jerry Brown were featured speakers. they missed some opportunities and some old themes were nowhere to be found. They neglected to link the supposed, increasing pollution of the oceans with plastic to climate change. They forgot to mention the polar bear tragedy, and for some reason we dont hear any more about malaria spreading to the temperate zones. According to Meet the Press, the science of climate doom is absolutely and completely settled science. For that reason they determined that no time would be given to climate deniers. But seemingly they broke their own rule when a clip by the Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry, was played. The foremost climate skeptic in the U.S. Senate, James Inhofe, was also given air time. Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York and one of the worlds richest men, was given extensive air time. There was even a plug for his book: Climate of Hope. The book, written with the former president of the Sierra Club, is hilariously ignorant. Bloomberg is considering running for president as a Democrat. Formerly, he was a Republican. His embrace of global warming alarmism may be a bid for votes in the Democratic primaries where the voters are typically believers in loony climate change theories. The one scientist on the show, Kate Marvel, has evidently given up science for a career promoting climate alarmism. She is contradicting herself by going along with climate alarmist fantasies -- in earlier public talks she was highly critical of the climate computer models that are the only basis for climate extremism. The big theme of the Meet the Press presentation was that climate change is here and it is very bad. This completely mistaken claim was supported by various anecdotes from people that experienced floods, fires, or hurricanes. Floods are not new. For example, it is instructive to read the Wikipedia entry Floods in California. The great flood of 1861-1862 was far worse than anything since. Compared to the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, the 2012 superstorm Sandy was minor. The Great Prestigo fire in 1871, in Wisconsin, killed 1500 people. In comparison, the recent Camp Fire in California killed 89 people and burned less land. A major factor in forest fires is the suppression of fires, allowing fuel to build to the point where the fire becomes so violent that it cant be easily suppressed. Floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornados have been around forever and they arent getting any worse. But peoples memories fade with time, so the most recent weather outrage always seem to be worse than past outrages. So, it is clever to claim that carbon dioxide is causing extreme weather. It seems plausible because yesteryears bad weather has faded in our memories, or perhaps we only know about previous extreme weather because our parents or grandparents told us about it. Climate scientist John Christy provided written testimony to the House Energy and Power Subcommittee that demolishes the extreme weather thesis. Craig Fugate, Obamas Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator, was a member of the Meet the Press panel of experts. His educational background is paramedic school in Florida. He suggested that if only we had a carbon tax, $100 billion of disasters last year could have been avoided. A fallacy, since most carbon emissions come from Asia and having a carbon tax would not affect Asian emissions at all. Serious carbon dioxide emission reduction would be a long process that would require substituting nuclear electricity generation for fossil fuel electricity. But the environmental groups that are promoting fear of carbon dioxide are also afraid of nuclear energy. Wind and solar are not a solution that is effective for reducing carbon dioxide emissions because they are not remotely cost-effective for that purpose and they are always accompanied by backup fossil fuel plants emitting carbon dioxide. That point is explained in detail in my book Dumb Energy. Carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have been declining mainly because natural gas has been substituted for coal. Cheap natural gas is the result of fracking, bitterly opposed by the environmental left. The bigger fallacy is the claim that weather disasters are the result of carbon emissions. The scientific evidence for that popular idea is extremely weak science. The mayor of Georgetown, Texas, a small city near Austin, touted his citys conversion to 100% renewable energy. The city agreed to long-term contracts with a wind farm and a solar farm to take a portion of the electricity generated. The amount of electricity contracted for is considerably greater than the amount of electricity needed. The city sells the excess electricity into the market. That has turned out to be a losing proposition. To be clear, the city is not actually using the electricity from the wind and solar plants located hundreds of miles away. The electricity generated by the plants is fed into the Texas grid and distributed throughout the state. The claim of being 100% renewable is a bookkeeping claim based on buying more renewable electricity than is actually used. Obviously, the solar farm is not generating electricity at night or on cloudy days. The wind farm generates electricity to the extent wind happens to be blowing. The staff of Meet the Press is either incredibly ignorant or pursuing an agenda of left-wing propaganda, or probably both. No quarter was given to climate deniers, a deliberate slur that equates anyone who questions climate alarmism with Holocaust deniers. The truth is that there are many serious and distinguished scientists that express skepticism concerning predictions of climate doom from carbon dioxide. The alarmist predictions by the computer climate models have failed repeatedly. Global warming is a scheme for getting money and attention. It is fiercely defended because if the fraud was exposed, a lot of people would lose their jobs and be discredited. There is a kernel of truth in the idea that greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide may exercise a warming influence. That truth has been used as a springboard to making doomsday predictions that are almost certainly wrong. The fact that increased CO2 in the atmosphere has major positive effects on agriculture is not mentioned by the proselytizers for global warming doom. Norman Rogers is the author of the book: Dumb Energy: A Critique of Wind and Solar Energy. We gather the numbers to know from the biggest economic and business news stories so you can impress your friends. Will there be a peaceful transfer of power in DRC? Millions of Congolese have voted to choose Joseph Kabilas successor. Houthis say they are surprised by accusations from UN food agency that they are stealing by diverting food deliveries. Houthi rebels have denied accusations by the World Food Programme (WFP) of stealing humanitarian aid in war-torn Yemen. The Associated Press news agency reported on Monday that armed factions on both sides of the conflict are stealing much-needed food aid, diverting it to their fighters or reselling it for profit. In a statement published on Tuesday, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the so-called Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said his group was surprised by the WFP allegations. We were surprised by the statement of the WFP Executive Director, which included threats to stop supplying food for large numbers of needy people in Yemen, read the statement cited by the Houthi-linked al-Masirah website. He said the WFP didnt communicate with the group regarding the alleged theft of aid, adding that exporting this to the media is considered as a major deviation in the work of the programme. On Monday, the WFP said it had collected evidence showing Houthi fighters diverted food shipments sent to ease the humanitarian crisis in Yemen to areas under their control. This conduct amounts to the stealing of food from the mouths of hungry people, WFP Executive Director David Beasley said in a statement. At a time when children are dying in Yemen because they havent enough food to eat, that is an outrage. This criminal behaviour must stop immediately. Beasley also said that a survey done by the agency showed that aid is only reaching 40 percent of eligible beneficiaries in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Only a third are receiving aid in the rebels northern stronghold of Saada. If you dont act within 10 days, WFP will have no choice but to suspend the assistance that goes to nearly three million people, the letter said. Systematic misuse of food relief WFP is currently working to expand food aid operations to nearly 12 million hungry people in Yemen, the statement said. Speaking to Al Jazeera, WFP spokesman David Orr said the organisation was extremely concerned by what they had discovered, and that there was an increase in selling food relief in Sanaas markets. What we had been noticing looked like a systematic misuse of food relief, he said, speaking from Rome. To date, most of our investigations have been on the Houthi side in the capital Sanaa, he continued. Weve been effectively prevented from carrying out all the monitoring we would like. Where abuse and diversion of food aid is taking place, it means that it is not reaching those who desperately need it for survival, he added. Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia. A year later, Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains. The Saudi-led campaign in Yemen has devastated the countrys infrastructure, including its health and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe it as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern times. UAE, Bahrain send activists to jail for speaking up The European Union has called for the release of a prominent rights activist in Bahrain. US President Donald Trump has agreed to allow about four months for the US military to pull its troops out of Syria, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing administration officials. The report came after Trump tweeted that were slowly sending our troops back home, backtracking on his initial order for a rapid withdrawal. Trump unexpectedly announced the troop pull-out on December 19, and US media, citing military officials, reported the withdrawal would take place within 30 days. But on Monday, the New York Times reported that Trump privately told Paul J LaCamera, the commander of US forces in Iraq and Syria, last week that he could have several months to pull the some 2,000 US troops out. Military officials declined the New York Timess request to specify when the departure will take place. The newspaper noted the security concerns and that officials are aware that Trump may change his mind at any time. On Sunday, US Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump had agreed to slow down the timetable. Graham told reporters that he was going to ask [Trump] to sit down with his generals and reconsider how to do this. Trump initially said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) had been defeated, but he has somewhat backtracked on that claim, saying now that ISIL is mostly gone. Angered many Trumps decision to pull US troops out of Syria has angered many politicians, including those within his own Republican Party, as well as Pentagon officials. Defense Secretary James Mattis unexpectedly resigned after the announcement, and Brett McGurk, the USs top envoy in the fight against ISIL, announced he would be leaving his post earlier than expected due to the decision. Critics not only warn of a resurgence of ISIL, but worry that the withdrawal is a betrayal of US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria and leaves them vulnerable to an attack from Turkish forces. Turkey considers the US-backed Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, which now controls nearly 30 percent of Syria, a terrorist group linked to fighting within its own borders. Critics also contend the US withdrawal would embolden Iran and Russia, which have supported the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, will travel to Israel and Turkey in early January to discuss what the White House says is the deliberate and coordinated withdrawal of US forces from Syria. Bolton also will be discussing increased cooperation with the Turkish military and other partners. Boltons spokesman, Garrett Marquis, said in a statement on Monday that Bolton will be joined in Turkey by Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and James Jeffrey, the secretary of states special representative for Syria engagement. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to continue cooperating over Syria and in countering Iran in the Middle East. In his first public comments on Trumps decision to pull-out troops, Pompeo said it in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel and that campaigns to counter ISIL and Iranian aggression would continue. Police on Monday said they continue to investigate a case in which an armed man talking about going to a church to fulfill a prophecy was arre Activists decry governments unprecedented ban on displaying pro-independence symbols in front of its headquarters. Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have marched for an annual rally in Hong Kong with activists decrying the governments unprecedented ban on pro-independence symbols. The Civil Human Rights Front, an umbrella group of pro-democracy parties and groups, said on Tuesday that it would comply with the restriction on displaying the symbols outside the government headquarters But the group described the demand as a threat to freedom of expression. South China Morning Post, a local publication, said an attempt to enter the protest zone at the government building with the banners calling for Hong Kongs secession from China resulted in minor scuffles. Al Jazeeras Divya Gopalan, reporting from Hong Kong, said the pro-independence demonstration turnout was higher than expected. Thousands of people took to the streets, far more than expected. People here say its because this year there is a particular urgency to it, she said. It caps off the year 2018 when Hong Kongs freedom of expression, autonomy and many aspects of its human rights were eroded by the authorities in Beijing and the Hong Kong government, she added. People here say that they want to have their voices heard in case there is more surpression of freedom of expression in the coming year. Also on Tuesday, members of the Beijing loyalist group, Defend Hong Kong Campaign, held a march, according to South China Morning Post. Their rally attracted about 20 people, with the demonstrators chanting slogans criticising the pro-independence camp, the Post said. The report also said the Hong Kong National Front, one of the pro-independence groups, said its office was broken into on New Years Eve. Baggio Leung Chung-hang, the groups spokesman, was cited as saying that the incident seemed to be aimed at intimidating the activists. Hong Kong has been governed under a one country, two systems arrangement since it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. It allows far greater civil liberties than on the Chinese mainland, but there are growing fears those freedoms are eroding. Three-day ceremony will take place on May 4-6, almost two and half years after death of his revered father Bhumibol. Thailands king is to be officially crowned in an elaborate three-day ceremony held on May 4-6, the royal palace has announced. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, has been serving as the constitutional monarch of the Southeast Asian nation since shortly after his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej died in October 2016 at the age of 88. His Majesty deems it fit to hold the coronation ceremony per royal traditions for the good fortune of the nation and the kingdom, to be enjoyed by the hopeful people, the palace said in a statement on Tuesday. His official coronation has been delayed until after a period of mourning for King Bhumibol, who reigned for seven decades and was revered as a semi-divine figure in Thailand. I agree to accept the wishes of the late king for the benefit of the entire Thai people, King Maha said in December 2016 when he assumed his position after accepting an invitation from parliament to succeed his venerated father. 171026142601229 This royal succession highlights a desire for stability and continuity in Thailand. His coronation will come two and a half months after Thailands general election on February 24, the first since 2011, and will coincide with the anniversary of Bhumibols coronation on May 5, 1950. A three-time divorcee, Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne unmarried. He has five sons and two daughters and is ranked the richest monarch in the world by Business Insider in May with a net worth of $30bn. At least 23 security personnel have been killed and dozens of others wounded in a series of attacks by the Taliban on security checkpoints in Afghanistans northern Sar-e-Pul province, officials said on Tuesday. Fierce gun battles raged for several hours late on Monday in the centre of Sayyad district and outside the provincial capital, Sar-e-Pul, provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani said. A high-ranking provincial official with an Afghan spy agency, a local police commander, and an army company commander were among the dead provincial council member Mohammad Asif Sadiqi told dpa news agency. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attacks. Sadiqi said at least 25 others were wounded in the attacks that began around 7pm local time (14.30 GMT) and continued for more than seven hours with Taliban fighters overrunning the posts. The fighters first stormed two security posts in the district centre, Sadiqi added, before a reinforcement convoy that was sent to assist with repelling the Taliban was also ambushed by the armed group. Taliban fighters have ramped up their attacks on Afghan security forces and government facilities in recent months, leaving troops thinly stretched throughout the country. Last Tuesday, at least 12 Afghan security forces were killed in Taliban attacks in the northern Faryab and eastern Nangarhar provinces. Peace efforts The Taliban has rejected Kabuls offer of talks this month in Saudi Arabia where the armed group, fighting to restore strict Islamic law in Afghanistan, will meet the United States officials to further peace efforts. Representatives from the Taliban, the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan met in December in the UAE for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. 181210135032300 But the Taliban has refused to hold formal talks with the Western-backed Afghan government. The armed group has insisted on first reaching an agreement with the US, which it sees as the main force in Afghanistan since US-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have intensified after Taliban representatives started meeting US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad earlier this year. Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times to discuss the withdrawal of international forces and a ceasefire in 2019. But the US has insisted that any final settlement must be led by the Afghans. Sudans President Omar al-Bashir is facing growing calls to step down following deadly protests over a dire economic crisis in the country. Twenty-two Sudanese opposition political parties and groups on Tuesday demanded that Bashir transfer power to a sovereign council and a transitional government that would set a suitable date for democratic elections. The groupings, calling themselves the National Front for Change, include some Islamist factions that were once allied with Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 military coup, as well as breakaway groups from large traditional parties. This government does not have the ability to overcome the economic crisis because the economic crisis is basically a political crisis, Mubarak Elfadel, chairman of the Umma Party, told reporters at a press conference in Sudans capital, Khartoum. The government needs to end its rule and step down. We need to form a provisional council and a transitional government that will run this new stage and prepare us for new elections. The groups said they will submit a memorandum comprising their demands to the president on Wednesday. They warned that failure to transition to a new political system would have dire consequences for Sudan. The move came as a second party, Sudan Reform Now, announced it was withdrawing from the coalition government. It joins the Umma Party, which announced its withdrawal from the cabinet on Thursday, citing its support for the protesters and the governments failure to implement recommendations that were outlined in the national dialogue that preceded the coalitions formation. At crossroads Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said the decision by Sudan Reform Now would likely weaken Bashirs government. Many opposition groups have come out to say they believe the protesters have legitimate reasons, but it is not clear yet if other parties will also follow in the footsteps of Sudan Reform Now and withdraw from the national coalition government. She added: Now Sudan is at a crossroads people protesting and calling for Bashir to step down and opposition parties backing them, but the president and the ruling party remain defiant and determined to hold on to power. The opposition front said the proposed transitional government would introduce freedoms, democracy and halt the ongoing strife in the western regions of Kordofan and Darfur, and the Blue Nile region south of Khartoum. There was no immediate reaction from the government to the memorandum. At least 19 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in protests that erupted in cities, including Khartoum, on December 19, after a government decision to increase the price of bread. The protests quickly developed into anti-government rallies demanding Bashirs resignation. Human rights group Amnesty International has put the death toll at 37. Earlier on Tuesday, Bashir ordered authorities to set up a committee to investigate violence during the anti-government protests. In an address to the nation on Monday, he sought to defuse the anger sweeping the country, promising better days ahead and pledging more transparency, effectiveness and justice in all our national institutions. Our country is going through pressing economic conditions that have hurt a large segment of society, he said. We appreciate this suffering, feel its impact and we thank our people for their beautiful patience. The 2019 budget would maintain state subsidies on many commodities, raise wages, refrain from introducing new taxes and do more for the poorest. He did not elaborate. Removed episode of Patriotic Act with Hasan Minhaj criticised Saudi Arabia over journalists killing and war in Yemen. Netflix has removed an episode of a show critical of Saudi Arabia following a complaint by the kingdom, the Financial Times (FT) reported. The internet-streaming service removed the second episode of Patriotic Act with Hasan Minhaj in Saudi Arabia after authorities there said the comedy act violated the kingdoms anti-cybercrime law, the report on Tuesday said. In the episode, Minhaj, a comedian, criticised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdoms Istanbul consulate, as well as the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen. Now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia. And I mean that as a Muslim, and as an American, the comedian said. He went on to call the war in Yemen the biggest tragedy of the MBS era. Netflix told the FT it removed the episode in Saudi Arabia last week when the countrys Communications and Information Technology Commission told the service the act violated Article six of the kingdoms anti-cybercrime law. The law bans the production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy, through the information network or computers. Such offences are punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding three million Saudi riyals ($800,000). Defending its decision to the FT, Netflix said: We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request and to comply with local law. Saudi users can still watch the removed episode on the shows official YouTube channel. Banning a comedy act that brings valid criticism of a government is a counterproductive measure and an affront to the freedom of expression that all citizens deserve, Jillian C York, a director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation told the FT. An unmanned NASA spacecraft has sent a signal back to the Earth that it has successfully made it through a risky flyby past the most distant planetary object ever studied, the American space agency said on Tuesday. NASA rang in the New Year with a landmark flyby of the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever explored by humanity a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule in the hopes of learning more about how planets took shape. A series of anxiously awaited phone home signals arrived after 10:30am (15:30 GMT), indicating that the spacecraft had made it, intact, through the risky, high-speed encounter. We have a healthy spacecraft, said Alice Bowman, missions operations manager for the New Horizons spacecraft, as cheers erupted in the control rooms at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. About 10 hours earlier, NASA celebrated the New Years flyby at 12:33am (05:33 GMT) when the New Horizons spacecraft aimed its cameras at the space rock 6.4 billion km away in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt. Images and data will start arriving later on Tuesday, offering scientists the first up-close look at an ancient building block of planets, Bowman said. Confirmed! @NASANewHorizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. Congratulations to the New Horizons team, @JHUAPL and the Southwest Research Institute for making history yet again! pic.twitter.com/t47BOmo7c1 Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) January 1, 2019 The flyby took place more than a billion kilometres beyond Pluto, which was until now the most faraway world ever visited up-close by a spacecraft. Real-time video of the actual flyby was impossible since it takes more than six hours for a signal sent from the Earth to reach the spaceship, and another six hours for the response to arrive. Hurtling through space at a speed of 51,200km an hour, the spacecraft aimed to make its closest approach within 3,520km of the surface of Ultima Thule. RIGHT NOW, ~1 billion miles past Pluto, @NASANewHorizons is performing the most distant spacecraft flyby ever as it zooms past #UltimaThule, an icy, ancient rock in the Kuiper Belt. Watch live coverage: https://t.co/oJKHgKpQjH pic.twitter.com/U30yazzigo NASA (@NASA) January 1, 2019 Lead planetary scientist for New Horizons, Alan Stern, said Ultima Thule is unique because it is a relic from the early days of the solar system and could provide answers about the origins of other planets. The object is in such a deep freeze that it is perfectly preserved from its original formation, he said. Everything we are going to learn about Ultima from its composition to its geology to how it was originally assembled, whether it has satellites and an atmosphere and those kinds of things are going to teach us about the original formation conditions of objects in the solar system. What does it look like? Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule looks like, whether it is cratered or smooth, or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 19-32km in size. 170302100258232 A blurred and pixelated image released on Monday, taken from 1,920,000km away, has intrigued scientists because it appears to show an elongated blob, not a round space rock. The spaceship was to collect 900 images over the course of a few seconds as it shaved by. Even clearer images should arrive over the next three days. Now it is just a matter of time to see the data coming down, said deputy project scientist John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute. Scientists decided to study Ultima Thule with New Horizons after the spaceship, which was launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. Stern said the goal is to take images of Ultima that are three times the resolution the team had for Pluto. New Horizon flies past frozen relic billions of kilometres from the Earth that could reveal the origins of planets. A NASA spacecraft has flown past the most distant world ever studied by humanity, Ultima Thule, a tiny frozen relic of the early solar system that could reveal how planets formed. The US space agency rang in the New Year on Tuesday with the landmark flyby of the cosmic body located 6.4 billion kilometres from the Earth. Go New Horizons! said lead scientist Alan Stern as a crowd cheered at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to mark the moment at 12:33am (05:33 GMT) when the New Horizons spacecraft aimed its cameras at the space rock. 181224102746022 Offering scientists the first up-close look at an ancient building block of planets, the flyby took place more than a billion kilometres beyond Pluto, which was until now the most faraway world ever visited up-close by a spacecraft. The flyby comes three-and-a-half years after New Horizons swung past Pluto and yielded the first close-ups of the dwarf planet. RIGHT NOW, ~1 billion miles past Pluto, @NASANewHorizons is performing the most distant spacecraft flyby ever as it zooms past #UltimaThule, an icy, ancient rock in the Kuiper Belt. Watch live coverage: https://t.co/oJKHgKpQjH pic.twitter.com/U30yazzigo NASA (@NASA) January 1, 2019 Real-time video of the actual flyby was impossible, since it takes more than six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, and another six hours for the response to arrive. The first signal back to Earth should come about 10 hours after the flyby, around 9:45 am (14:45 GMT), letting NASA know if New Horizons survived the risky, high-speed encounter. Hurtling through space at a speed of 51,200km an hour, the spacecraft aimed to make its closest approach within 3,520km of the surface of Ultima Thule. This is a night none of us are going to forget, said Queen guitarist Brian May, who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics and who recorded a solo track to honour the spacecraft and its spirit of exploration. Stern said Ultima Thule is unique because it is a relic from the early days of the solar system and could provide answers about the origins of other planets. The object is in such a deep freeze that it is perfectly preserved from its original formation, he said. Everything we are going to learn about Ultima from its composition to its geology to how it was originally assembled, whether it has satellites and an atmosphere and those kinds of things are going to teach us about the original formation conditions of objects in the solar system. What does it look like? Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule looks like, whether it is cratered or smooth, or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 19-32km in size. 170302100258232 A blurred and pixelated image released on Monday, taken from 1,920,000km away, has intrigued scientists because it appears to show an elongated blob, not a round space rock. The spaceship was to collect 900 images over the course of a few seconds as it shaved by. Even clearer images should arrive over the next three days. Now it is just a matter of time to see the data coming down, said deputy project scientist John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute. Scientists decided to study Ultima Thule with New Horizons after the spaceship, which was launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. Stern said the goal is to take images of Ultima that are three times the resolution the team had for Pluto. STRATCOM apologises for bad taste joke after tweeting its ready to drop something much bigger than NY crystal ball. The US military force that oversees the countrys nuclear arsenal has sparked outrage when it tweeted it was ready to drop something much, much bigger than the traditional New Years Eve crystal ball in New York and showing a video of an aircraft releasing bombs. #TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) said in a later-deleted message on Twitter, hours before the midnight descent of the illuminated ball in Times Square marking the arrival of the new year. The post encouraged viewers to watch the video to the end, including footage of bombs and missiles being dropped from a B-2 bomber followed by explosions on the ground. The tweet prompted criticism by many social media users. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you @US_Stratcom, the stoic guardians of several thousand nuclear missiles who definitely dont think raining death and destruction from above is some kind of joke. pic.twitter.com/4OWcGMtfCj Derek Johnson (@derekjGZ) December 31, 2018 https://twitter.com/ohprogressive/status/1079960589366161410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/bryantwatson/status/1079960514199838720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Amid the outcry that followed, STRATCOM whose slogan is peace is our profession then deleted the post and tweeted an apology. Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies. US Strategic Command (@US_Stratcom) December 31, 2018 Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologise. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies, it said. Libyas rival governments hold peace talks in Benghazi The meeting comes after a recent spate of attacks that targeted state facilities in Tripoli. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has renewed his commitment to denuclearisation but warned that he may have no option but to seek an alternative course if the United States does not take corresponding measures and maintains sanctions. Kim made the comments on Tuesday during his annual New Years Day address, laying out Pyongyangs top priorities for the 12 months ahead. In a 30-minute speech broadcast by North Koreas state television, he said there would be faster progress on denuclearisation if Washington took the corresponding action. North Korea would have no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty if the US miscalculates our peoples patience, forces something upon us and pursues sanctions and pressure without keeping a promise it made in front of the world, Kim said. 181231014258448 He was referring to his landmark summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, when he said he had fruitful talks and exchanged constructive ideas. At the time, the two leaders signed a vaguely-worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but progress has since stalled with Pyongyang and Washington arguing over their agreements interpretation. I am ready to sit with the US president again at any time in the future and will make efforts by all means to produce a result that will be welcomed by the international community, Kim said. Al Jazeeras Rob McBride, reporting from the South Korean capital, Seoul, said Kims address was markedly different compared with previous ones in both content and style. Gone was the imposing podium of previous years, it was more like a fireside chat from a warm study overlooked by portraits of his father and grandfather, said McBride. A year ago, he spoke about nuclear weapons almost in terms of bragging that North Korea had now achieved the possession of a nuclear arsenal. This time, he made a very different pledge about nuclear weapons, saying that North Korea is committed to peace and denuclearisation, making a pledge that weapons would not be used, they are not being tested and the nuclear technology is not being spread or proliferated. Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declares an official end to the 1950-1953 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps towards denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility. The North is also subject to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programmes. Kim and Trump shaking hands after their summit in June in Singapore [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] Kim spent more than 20 minutes of his speech talking about North Koreas economy, saying that improving peoples lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task. He also called for South Korea to stop joint military exercises with outside forces involving strategic assets, calling such drills a source of tension. War-related equipment including strategic assets of outside powers should no longer be allowed to be brought in, he added. Seoul and Washington are in a security alliance and the US stations 28,500 troops in the South. But relations between North and South Koreas saw a major thaw in 2018. With three leaders summits in 2018 and dozens of other meetings, the Koreas have opened a liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, created border buffers and no-fly zones to reduce military tensions, and jointly surveyed North Koreas outdated railways and roads with the goal of connecting them with the South. Calling for stronger inter-Korean cooperation, Kim said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the Norths Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed. Kim spoke about 2018 being a momentous year and he said he wants to carry forward this momentum into 2019, said McBride, adding that the focus now is on whether the North Korean leader will make a long-awaited and historic visit to the South in the new year. Audio Attachment: Listen to Fred Agbenyo Fred Agbenyo, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on government not to "rewrite the history" of Ghana. According to him, the attempt by the government to amend the Public Holidays Act should be a plot to downplay the relevance and status of Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as the Founder of Ghana. Government has laid a new bill before Parliament to amend the Public Holidays Act to include January 7 and August 4 as statutory public holidays. The government has proposed to make January 7, Constitution Day and August 4, Founders' Day. The bill seeks to scrap the Republic holiday on July 1 and AU holiday on May 25 whereas the Founder's Day on September 21 will no more be observed as Founder's Day but only as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme, Fred Agbenyo found the new bill ridiculous because to him, no one can undo the works of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Fred Agbenyo believed there are attempts to depopularize Dr. Nkrumah and cautioned the Akufo-Addo government against using tactics to write off the legacy of Nkrumah as Founder of the country. Any attempt to rewrite the history, you know to change the history of this country wont help us . . . Lets leave the history to be where it is. This subtle way of trying to change it doesnt help anybody, he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Far-right politician sworn in amid high hopes from supporters and fears from rights activists and minority groups. Sao Paulo Brazils far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, was sworn in on Tuesday during a ceremony in the capital Brasilia, likely marking the beginning of a hard conservative shift in governing Latin Americas largest economy and most populous nation. Bolsonaro was elected president at the end of October, defeating his rival Fernando Haddad of the centre-left Workers Party by a comfortable margin in the second-round runoff. We have a unique opportunity to rebuild our country, Bolsonaro said in his first speech in Brazils National Congress after being sworn in. The speech also contained nods to other campaign promises such as combatting what he sees as the spread leftist ideology in schools, loosening gun ownership laws and a hardline stance on law and order. Brazil above everything and God above everyone, he finished his trademark line throughout the campaign. Bolsonaro has pledged to crack down on crime, tackle corruption and restore traditional family and Christian values in a country that, according to him and many of his supporters, echoing the anti-globalist rhetoric of the global authoritarian right, has been besieged by cultural Marxism. Meanwhile, human rights experts, political rivals and environmentalists have expressed grave concern over Bolsonaros promises to give police carte blanche to kill suspects, cleanse the country of left-wing outlaws and open up the countrys vast Amazon region to mining interests. Tuesdays inauguration took place under a heavy security presence including snipers and anti-aircraft missiles. In September, Bolsonaro was the target of a failed assassination attempt when he was stabbed at a campaign rally. Those attending Tuesdays event included Hungarys Viktor Orban and Israels Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Bolsonaro met this week and is in talks with about moving Brazils Israeli embassy to Jerusalem. 181230160901563 United States President Donald Trump, of whom Bolsonaro is an outspoken admirer, did not attend and instead sent a delegation led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump congratulated Bolsonaro on Twitter, saying the U.S.A. is with you! Crackdown on corruption, crime Supporters travelled from cities across Brazil to witness the ceremony, some of whom went in overnight buses via paid travel and accommodation packages set up by online Bolsonaro fan groups. Some were filmed performing group push up sessions in a nod to Bolsonaros military history, while many others made his signature gun-finger gesture and one crowd of supporters was filmed chanting Whatsapp and Facebook in support of Bolsonaros distaste for traditional media. In his second address on Tuesday, Bolsonaro spoke to the crowds on Brasilias Esplanada of Ministries to shouts of his nickname legend and was joined by his Vice President General Hamilton Mourao. At the end of the speech, Bolsonaro gripped a Brazilian flag and said, This is our flag, which will never be red. Only if it takes our blood to keep it green and yellow. The presidential convoy, led by Brazils new President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro, heads towards Planalto Palace to receive the Presidential sash during Bolsonaros inauguration ceremony [Evaristo SA/AFP] A former army captain and outspoken supporter of Brazils 1964 -1985 military dictatorship, during which time hundreds of political opponents were executed and thousands more tortured, until recently, Bolsonaro was largely considered a fringe politician best known for disparaging remarks against LGBT people, minorities and women. But amid a backdrop of economic crisis, rising violence and corruption scandals that stained all of Brazils main political parties, Bolsonaro cultivated an image as the outsider candidate and swept to victory in an election fuelled by anti-establishment sentiment. He has promised to crack down on crime; giving police greater rights to kill suspects, enacting harsher punishments for criminals and allowing law-abiding citizens greater access to guns. Such promises have appealed to swaths of the electorate in a country that saw more than 63,000 homicides last year. Bolsonaro has also promised to tackle corruption by ending the traditional horse-trading style of politics associated with the halls of power in Brasilia where coveted positions such as ministries were doled out to party power brokers in exchange for support for bills. 181230110400553 However, many analysts point out that such campaign promises are likely to be less easy to deliver given the realities in Brazils complex and fractured political landscape. Its not credible that this system is going to end just because there is a new president, said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo. Bolsonaros party doesnt have a majority, I think that they will have a very steep learning curve, he told Al Jazeera. Having risen to victory on an anti-corruption platform, alarm bells have rung in recent weeks as it was revealed that a former aide to Bolsonaros oldest son Flavio, a state legislator for Rio de Janeiro and recently elected senator, is at the centre of unanswered payments probe. Allies have quit UNESCO after announcement in 2017, arguing it fosters anti-Israel bias. The United States and Israel have officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the stroke of midnight on New Years Day, the culmination of a process triggered more than a year ago. The withdrawal is mainly procedural yet serves a new blow to UNESCO, co-founded by the US after World War II to foster peace. The Trump administration filed its notice to withdraw in October 2017 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed suit, accusing the UN agency of anti-Israel bias. The Paris-based organisation has previously criticised Israels occupation of East Jerusalem and granted full membership to Palestine in 2011. 171012133838151 The US has demanded fundamental reform in the agency. UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage, including maintaining a list of World Heritage sites, and programmes to promote education in developing countries. The withdrawals will not greatly affect UNESCO financially, since it has been dealing with a funding slash ever since 2011 when both Israel and the US stopped paying dues after Palestine was voted in as a member state. Since then officials estimate that the US which accounted for around 22 percent of the total budget has accrued $600m in unpaid dues, which was one of the reasons for President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw. Israel owes an estimated $10m. Officials say that many of the reasons the US cited for the withdrawal do not apply any more, noting that since then, all 12 texts on the Middle East passed at UNESCO have been consensual among Israel and Arab member states. The State Department couldnt comment because of the US government shutdown. Earlier, the department told UNESCO officials the US intends to stay engaged at UNESCO as a non-member observer state on non-politicised issues, including the protection of World Heritage sites, advocating for press freedom and promoting scientific collaboration and education. The US could potentially seek that status during the UNESCO Executive Board meetings in April. The US has pulled out of UNESCO before. The Reagan administration did so in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt, and used to advance Soviet interests. The US rejoined in 2003. Donald Trump has invited top congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday for a border security briefing, the first between the US president and Democratic leaders since before a partial government shutdown began a week and a half ago, US media reported. According to the Tuesday reports, which cited unnamed sources, Trump will host House and Senate leaders from both parties for the briefing. Other details were not released. The briefing would come a day before House Democrats are set to vote on their recently announced plans to end the shutdown, which does not include money for Trumps border wall. Democrats in the House unveiled two bills on Monday to fund shuttered government agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job. One bill would temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels, with $1.3bn well below the $5bn in wall funding Trump has requested for border security through February 8 as talks continued. It would also include another measure made up of six other bipartisan bills some that have already passed the Senate to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. It would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to September 30. House Democrats plan to pass the bills as soon as the new Congress convenes on Thursday, one of the first acts after Democrats took control, according to an aide who was not authorised to discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. 181227195026906 Whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, would consider the bills or Trump would sign either into law was unclear. McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart said Senate Republicans would not take action without Trumps backing. Its simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he wont sign, Stewart said. Even if only symbolic, the passage of the bills in the House would put fresh pressure on the president. Trump maintains wall will be built Trump spent the weekend saying that Democrats should return to Washington to negotiate, firing off Twitter taunts. White House officials, including his departing chief of staff, had indicated that Trumps signature campaign pledge to build the wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. The outgoing chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published on Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of a solid concrete wall early on in the administration. 181226191428885 But Trump revised his aides comments to state that he really still wants to build a border wall. An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, Trump tweeted Monday. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). In an interview with Fox News, aired on Monday, the president said he is ready, willing and able to find a solution to the political impasse that led to the shutdown. On Tuesday, he tweeted, Border Security and the Wall thing and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Lets make a deal? Despite the indications of his willingness to find a solution, Trump has so far not detailed the terms of a compromise he would accept. He has repeatedly said that there would be no deal without funding for a border wall and in an early New Years Day tweet, he said, The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security. Federal employees sue US government Democrats under House leader Nancy Pelosi were all but certain to swiftly approve the package in two separate votes on Thursday. They would take place after the election of a new House speaker, a contest Pelosi was expected to win as leader of the new House majority. 181107204218279 The White House has not commented on the House proposal. Republican senators left for the holidays refusing to vote on any bills until all sides, including Trump, were in agreement. The politicians were frustrated that Trump had dismissed their earlier legislation. The president has not said he would veto the Democratic legislation if the bills were to land on his desk. But the idea of clouding Pelosis speakership only emboldened Trump, the officials said. A prolonged crisis could hobble House Democrats ability to launch their agenda, which included investigations of the president and oversight of his administration, including Russian interference in the election. The partial government shutdown began on December 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fights to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall. More than 800,000 federal workers are furloughed or working without pay. Last week, federal employees sued the US government over the requirement that workers deemed essential must work without pay during the shutdown. In the past, Congress has approved back pay for federal workers, but the American Federation of Government Employees, which announced the lawsuit on Monday, called the requirement to work without pay inhumane. The White House has not commented on the lawsuit. Brother of Paul Whelan says the retired marine was in Moscow for a wedding. The brother of a US citizen arrested in Russia on espionage charges said on Tuesday that his brother is innocent and was in Moscow to attend a wedding. Paul Whelan was arrested in Moscow on Friday. The Russian Federal Security Service, in announcing the arrest three days later, said Whelan was caught during an espionage operation, but gave no details. We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being, his brother, David Whelan, said in a statement posted on Twitter. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected. The Russian spying charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. David Whelan said the family last heard from Paul, a retired marine, on Friday, which was very much out of character for him, even when he was travelling. My brother was detained by the Russian government on Friday as an alleged spy. While the law library + info focus will remain, you may see an increase in off-message topics until we get him safely home. pic.twitter.com/2HIF1UmS1b David Whelan (@davidpwhelan) January 1, 2019 The State Department said on Monday it had received formal notification from the Russian Foreign Ministry of the arrest and was pushing for consular access. The department did not identify Whelan at the time or provide any information about the case, citing privacy considerations. CNN reported Paul Whelan is the director of global security for BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive components supplier. David Whelan told CNN that his brother had been to Russia many times for work and personal business. The family has contacted congressional representatives, the US embassy and the State Department, David Wheland said. The arrest comes as US-Russian ties are severely strained, in part over Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. 181213160238361 A Russian gun-rights activist, Maria Butina, is in US custody after admitting she acted as a secret agent for the Kremlin in trying to infiltrate conservative US political groups as Donald Trump was seeking the presidency. She pleaded guilty in December to a conspiracy charge as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the case is fabricated and that Butina entered the guilty plea because of the threat of a long prison sentence. Mali government says 37 Fulani civilians have been killed by armed men in central Mopti region. Armed men have killed dozens of Fulani herders in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year. The Malian government said in a statement that attackers dressed as traditional Donzo hunters killed 37 civilians in the village of Koulogon on Tuesday. The casualty toll includes several wounded and many burned homes, the statement added. 180717165055888 Violence has increased in central Mali between nomadic Fulani herders and Bambara and Dogon farmers, sparked by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. The United Nations recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018. In June, 24 members of the Fulani community were killed in an attack by Dogon farmers, a UN probe found. Several houses were set on fire in Tuesdays attack some 117km from the regional capital, Bankass. The attackers were gunmen wearing traditional donzo clothing, and they struck at around 5am local time, the same as GMT, a security source in Mopti told AFP news agency. Allaye Yattara, a Fulani herder who said he had witnessed the killings, told AFP: Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack along with old women, (and) a girl, all members of his family. Karim Keita, a legislator and son of Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, condemned what he termed a criminal act, and added, only the investigation will reveal the reasons for the killings. He was in the area after spending New Years Eve with Malian soldiers in Mopti. Since the death of Fulani figure Amadou Koufa in November, clashes between the Fulani and ethnic Bambara and Dogon peoples have increased. Tributes pour in for Afghan-born actor who featured in more than 300 films. Afghan-born Bollywood actor Kader Khan has died at the age of 81, after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Canada, his family said. Khan, also a noted screenwriter, was admitted to a hospital in Toronto where he was being treated for age-related ailments, including respiratory illness, state-run All India Radio reported on Tuesday. Khans last rites will be performed in Canada as his family is based there, his son Sarfaraz told Indian media outlets. His death was mourned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Bollywood personalities, including superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Kader Khan brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills. He was also a prolific screenwriter associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers, Modi wrote on Twitter. Born in Kabul to an Afghan father and a mother from British-controlled India, Khan made his debut in 1973 and acted in over 300 films, apart from writing dialogues for nearly 250 films. He was part of several Bollywood hits including Coolie, Naseeb (Destiny) and Aankhen (Eyes). The actor was lauded for the wide range of characters he portrayed, which included roles as a villain and as comic relief. For asylum seekers, wait continues on US-Mexico border Many asylum seekers have been assigned numbers and are waiting for their turn to speak with authorities at the border. Ex-FARC members and activists are being increasingly targeted despite a decrease in overall homicides in Colombia. In the two years since Colombia signed a peace deal with the left-wing FARC rebels, 85 members of the armed-group-turned-political-party have been killed, the United Nations said. Colombias special investigation unit, quoted in a new UN report published on Monday, blamed illegal armed groups and criminal organisations for the killings. 180917163054749 In his quarterly report on the UNs mission to Colombia, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Colombias President Ivan Duque a vocal critic of the peace accord, signed by his predecessor Juan Manuel Santos to better protect ex-combatants. The FARC, formerly known as The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, now operates as a political party under the name, Revolutionary Alternative Common Force. It has hit out repeatedly at the lack of security guarantees for its members, many of whom are struggling to reintegrate into society despite being offered amnesty in the peace deal. Guterres said 14 ex-members of the FARC had been killed between September 26 and December 26 alone. 171002065629390 Most of the cases have been linked to the Gulf Clan drug-trafficking group that emerged out of disarmed right-wing paramilitaries in 2006, as well as FARC dissidents, the remnants of the now-disbanded EPL Marxist rebels and members of the still-active ELN armed group. Colombia has been wracked by more than half a century of armed conflict between rebel fighters, drug-traffickers, paramilitaries and state forces, which has left some eight million people dead, disappeared or displaced. Activists under pressure Guterres said he was also hugely concerned by the number of murders of social leaders and human rights defenders in Colombia, saying the UN had verified 163 of 454 reported cases since the peace accord was signed. Most of the murders were in zones abandoned by former FARC [fighters] and where there is limited state presence, the report said. Colombias human rights ombudsman estimates that 423 activists were murdered between 2016 and the end of November last year. 180723073240153 Since the peal deal, illegal armed groups have filled the vacuum left by the FARC in isolated regions of the country. Despite the ongoing violence, Colombia has seen a 40 percent decline in its murder rate since the deal was signed, according to the UN, with some 7,000 former FARC fighters laying down their weapons. Colombias peace and reconciliation commission estimates that some 1,600 dissident rebels remain active. Some FARC members refused the peace deal and continue their fight against the government and drug-trafficking activities, while other groups, including most prominently the ELN, have botched several attempts to reach a deal with the government. In 2019, old conflicts in the Middle East will persist and new ones might erupt. As we start the tenth year after the onset of the Arab uprisings, there is, sadly, little hope that there will be peace, democratic transition and stability in the Middle East. 2019 will not bring much positive change to the region: Ongoing conflicts are unlikely to be resolved, some may even get worse and new ones may break out. In this continuing upheaval, the United States will certainly play the most important role. The political wrangling between President Donald Trump and the Washington establishment, in particular, is likely to determine the direction of much of US foreign policy towards the region. It is widely expected that, in 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will make more revelations about the results of his investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Therefore, Trump will likely seek to distract the public by taking dramatic decisions on foreign policy; the Middle East will be the easiest target. Already at the end of 2018, there were clear indications of this trend. Trumps mid-December surprise decision to withdraw over 2,000 US troops from northeast Syria was widely seen as an attempt to appease his support base, consolidate power and rein in administration officials who disagreed with him. Apart from the continuing unpredictability of US foreign policy shifts, major developments in the Middle East in 2019 will largely be determined by six major issues: the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the Gulf crisis, the US confrontation with Iran, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and regional rivalries. The Syrian conflict Despite the defeat of the Syrian opposition and the retaking of large swaths of land by pro-regime forces in 2018, the Syrian conflict is far from over. More than 40 percent of Syrias territory is still not under the control of the Damascus government. The withdrawal of US troops from the oil, gas and water-rich northeast is likely to fan the competition between the major external powers in the conflict: Turkey, Russia, and Iran. This is likely also to affect the de-militarised zone agreement in Idlib, which prevented a major onslaught on the last opposition stronghold last September. The Syrian conflict may very well enter a new phase of proxy warfare, wherein the US gives Turkey the responsibility of blocking Iran in the territories that it intends to evacuate. The withdrawal of US forces would also stimulate a more aggressive Israeli approach in Syria. After the US withdrawal, Israel will have to rely solely on its own efforts to counter Irans influence in Syria and will seek to increase its military activities on Syrian territory. It will, however, face one major challenge Russia, which controls Syrian airspace. In September, an incident involving Israeli fighter jets led to the downing of a Russian surveillance plane and the death of its 15-member crew. This infuriated Moscow, which has so far refused to continue its close military coordination with Israel. Increasing tensions between the major foreign players in Syria are likely also to delay even more a political solution of the conflict. So far the Astana trio (Russia, Turkey and Iran) has failed to agree on the formation of the constitution committee. Now with the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria, the likelihood of an agreement has become even slimmer; in fact, the entire Astana process could collapse. The parallel UN-led peace negotiations have also reached a dead end. The US withdrawal also means that the US is effectively abandoning its Kurdish allies, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). This will likely result in a dramatic improvement in Turkish-US relations and a restart of their alliance in Syria. This will certainly upset Russia, which is likely to increase its reliance on Iranian militias to fill the vacuum left behind by the US in northeast Syria. Realignment could also bring the YPG, fearing a Turkish military offensive, closer to Russia and the Syrian regime. The war in Yemen Despite the ceasefire agreement in the port city of Hodeidah and the notable progress that was made in the negotiations between the warring parties in Sweden, a final settlement of the four-year conflict is still a distant possibility. Indeed, the weakening position of the Houthis following their loss of territory over the past two years and the enormous pressure the Saudi leadership is facing to stop the war in the aftermath of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, may have made it easier for UN envoy Martin Griffiths to bring the warring parties together in Sweden. Yet, the two sides are still convinced that they can win militarily. The Houthis think that the Saudis will eventually have to bow to international pressure, stop the war and abandon their endeavours in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition, on the other hand, believes that recent progress on the ground, especially in Hodeidah, will eventually force the Houthis to accept their terms to end the war. Iran, too, is still unwilling to help reach a final settlement. Tehran seeks to keep the Saudis bogged down in Yemen so that they would not have the resources to deal with its activities on other fronts in the Middle East. Iran also wants to use the Yemen conflict as a bargaining chip in a grand deal to lift US sanctions and salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after Trumps withdrawal last May. The Gulf crisis Despite extensive Kuwaiti mediation efforts and increasing US pressure on Saudi Arabia, there are no indications that the Gulf crisis will be ending any time soon. In early December, Saudi Arabia refused to discuss the crisis at the last GCC summit in Riyadh, to which Qatar sent only a low-level delegation. The four blockading countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt) believe that time is on their side and that Qatar will eventually accept their demands. Qatar, on the other hand, thinks that it can weather the blockade and wait for the four to realise that they are in fact shooting themselves in the foot. In 2019, this standoff will likely persist. For mere geographic reasons, Qatar will have to continue relying on Iran to evade the blockade. It will also strengthen its alliance with Turkey and has allowed the latter to establish a military presence in the Gulf for the first time since the end of World War I. The Iran-US standoff Following the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA last May, Washington unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran in two rounds: the first one started in August and the second and toughest started in November, hitting Irans oil and financial sectors. Fearing soaring oil prices, the Trump administration gave six-month waivers to eight countries importing Iranian oil. Come May, when the waivers expire, Trump will have to decide whether to fulfil his promise of working to bring Iranian oil exports to zero. If he does, Iran, which is largely dependent on its oil revenue for hard currency, is likely to consider the move a declaration of war. In retaliation, it could act on its threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 percent of the worlds traded oil passes. This would effectively block other Gulf states from accessing the oil market. Although many consider this a hollow threat, the possibility of an escalation is real as the US tightens the noose around Irans neck. If Iran chooses not to block the Strait of Hormuz, it has the capacity to retaliate in other places, especially in Iraq. It has already urged its allies in the Iraqi parliament to try to abrogate the 2008 treaty which made the US military presence in Iraq legal. Pro-Iran Shia militias have also threatened to target US troops in the country. The resumption of the US-Iran conflict in Iraq could benefit the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which last year was greatly weakened but not eliminated. Hence Iraq could see further political and security turmoil in 2019 should tension between Iran and the US increase. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict In 2019, Israel is likely to continue taking unilateral measures to establish new realities on the ground in Palestine, taking advantage of the full support it receives from the Trump administration and the continuing turmoil in the Arab world and within the Palestinian leadership. In fact, Israel is working with the Trump administration on two fronts in order to completely erase the Palestinian question. First, it seeks to take the so-called final status issues off the negotiation table, most importantly the status of Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The US has already recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has moved its embassy to the western part of the city. It has also halted funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), demanding that the agency change the definition of a refugee in order to resume its financial contributions. If UNRWA caves in, the number of Palestinian refugees who receive aid will drop from several million to a mere few hundred thousand. This will also determine the number of Palestinian refugees when the right of return is discussed in any future peace talks. Second, the US is working towards establishing an anti-Iran Arab-Israeli alliance. It is expected that the Trump administration will present in the new year the much anticipated ultimate deal to impose some form of settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and pave the way for the aforementioned Arab-Israeli alliance. Normalisation is already under way between several Arab countries and Israel and we will see more of it in the coming year. Regional polarisation As these Middle East conflicts deepen, political alignments in the region create corresponding faultlines and increased polarisation. Since World War I, political divisions in the Middle East have always mirrored those of the world order du jour. During the Cold War, the Middle East was divided between the Soviet and US camps. Today these divisions are deeper in nature and greater in number. They also reflect a degree of independence from the broad trends of the international system. Hence, instead of having two camps, we have now three: the so-called resistance axis of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Hezbollah, which is supported to a certain extent by Russia and China; the counter-revolution axis made up of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan and backed by Israel; and the pro-change axis of Qatar and Turkey. These three axes are caught in the middle of a vicious conflict to decide the future of the Middle East. All these issues are likely to dominate the political scene in the Middle East in 2019 and we probably wont see the end of any of them. In 2018, the Middle East was one of the most volatile parts of the world and is likely to remain so in 2019. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Democrats take control of the House, and the race for 2020 will heat up. Here are the things to watch out for in Washington in 2019. Washington, DC From new indictments stemming from Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russia meddling, to Trumps surprise announcement to pull US troops out of Syria, 2018 was a year full of the expected, but even more so, the unexpected. And 2019, is set to be no different. With the Democrats taking control of the House and Congress vowing to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) accountable for the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, heres what to watch out for in 2019: 1. The Democrats are coming The Republicans total control of the US Congress ends in January, 2019. Thats when a new batch of politicians will be sworn in, and many of them are not fans of US President Donald Trump. A November surge in Democratic voters kicked out many Republicans during the midterm Congressional elections. 181107204218279 As a result, the US House of Representatives will change hands, controlled by the Democratic party for the first time in eight years. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to take over the post again. She has promised to fight Trump on healthcare, immigration and his newly-signed deal on trade. Since the majority party controls committee assignments, many Democrats have vowed to further investigate Trumps alleged campaign ties to the Russian government as well as his business dealings. One of those people is Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff who will likely take over as chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. Expect a newer, emboldened, progressive caucus as well within the Democratic party. Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading the charge for a so-called green new deal while Michigan Congresswoman-elect Rashida Tlaib will buck the traditional trip to Israel for newcomers and will instead lead a separate delegation to the occupied Palestinian territories. 2. The shutdown continues Key parts of the US government shut down on December 22 after Trump refused to back down on his request for $5bn in funding for a wall on the US southern border, a demand Democrats vehemently oppose. Some 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay. Trump has threatened to wait whatever it takes to get the funding, taking to Twitter to blame the Democrats for the impasse and the shutdown. Democrats, who support some level of funding for border security that does not include a wall, vowed to bring forth legislation to end the shutdown as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but they will still need support from the Republican-controlled Senate and Trump. 3. The 2020 race begins Will Trump hold on to the White House in the 2020 election? That question has been asked since the start of his presidency. But in 2019, it will take on new meaning as contenders, hoping to replace him, announce their candidacies. 181107204825328 Expect a very crowded field on the Democratic side. The Democratic National Committee plans to open up their debates to a wider group, allowing relatively unknown candidates a national stage which should crowd the field even more. Julian Castro, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, has already indicated hed like the job. So has Senator Elizabeth Warren. Some other potential contenders include former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. One dark horse candidate, whose name has been thrown around, is Beto ORourke who lost his Texas Senate bid to Republican Ted Cruz in 2018. His passionate speeches on everything from race to the economy endeared him to a young generation of voters and opened calls for a potential presidential run. 4. Saudi Arabia crackdown Ever since the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in October, Riyadh has faced a torrent of international criticism and backlash. 181213004802358 In spite of serious questions about whether or not Prince Mohammed was involved, Trump has backed the royal family. But US legislators on both sides of the Congressional aisle have vowed to punish the Saudis in 2019. In December, US Senators passed a resolution unanimously blaming MBS for Khashoggis murder as well as a resolution to end US support for the Saudi-led war effort in Yemen. Democrats, who will take over the house in 2019, are reportedly discussing a plan to push for an end to US weapons sales to the Saudis. 5. Trump and Kim to meet again Trumps first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June made history. No sitting US president had ever met a North Korean leader. In early 2019, he will meet him again, according to White House National Security Adviser John Bolton. 181108054133882 Since their first meeting, Trump has repeatedly declared North Koreas nuclear missile programme over, one of his key goals in meeting Kim. But recent reports suggest otherwise. According to a November review by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, North Korea expanded 13 bases capable of housing intercontinental ballistic missiles which have the potential of carrying nuclear warheads to the US. 6. Will Putin come to Washington? In July, when the White House announced a pending invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the US president in Washington, DC, it caught Trumps director of national intelligence by surprise. Shortly after, the White House postponed the invitation to 2019. But with relations between Trump and Putin souring recently, that trip could be in doubt. In November, while on his way to a meeting of G20 leaders in Argentina, Trump reneged on a promise to hold bilateral talks with Putin at the summit, blaming a Russian clash with Ukrainian ships near Crimea. 180718073251949 But Trumps also faced new questions about a deal he worked on during his 2016 presidential bid that included plans to build a Trump tower in Moscow. The details of those discussions have surfaced during the FBI investigation into his campaigns ties to the Kremlin, giving more reason for the president to distance himself from Putin. In early December, a spokesman for the Kremlin said a Putin visit to Washington was out of the question in this current climate, suggesting the best option for a possible meet was on the sidelines of an international gathering. 7. Middle East peace plan Ever since the US embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem in May, the world has waited for Trumps much-touted Middle East peace plan which would include some sort of resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In September, while sitting next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, Trump stated he favoured a two-state solution, which would give the Palestinians their own country. 180621185930610 He has repeatedly vowed to release the details of the plan soon but it appears that wont happen until at least 2019. His outgoing United Nations Ambassador, Nikki Haley, teased the plan recently saying it will be different from previous US proposals and contain thoughtful detail. Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, said his government has been told to expect its unveiling early in the year so that it wont influence Israeli elections. 8. Attorney general fight In December, Trump officially announced his nominee to replace his former Attorney General Jeff Sessions who was let go in November after a tumultuous tenure. William Barr was the attorney general under President George H W Bush and Trump has praised him as one of the most respected jurists in the country. But dont expect the 2019 Congressional confirmation hearings for Barr to go completely smooth. 181207144859000 Its no secret Trump was extremely upset with Sessions because the Alabama Republican recused himself from overseeing the Justice Department probe into whether or not the Trump presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government. Trump wants the investigation to end even though it has netted multiple members of Trumps campaign team as well as his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. Barr has been critical of the investigation led by Special Counsel Mueller and would oversee it if confirmed. Democrats in the Senate are likely to grill him about whether or not he will serve the constitution or protect the president. 9. Fight over healthcare Reforming the US healthcare system was US President Barack Obamas signature achievement and President Trump has done everything he can to destroy it. In 2019, expect the fight over the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, to heat up once again. 181215070518526 Recently, a federal judge in Texas ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional. The ruling follows years of lawsuits by Republican Governors and their supporters to try to dismantle Obamacare which forced Americans to get health insurance or face fines. Republicans resent it primarily for that reason while Democrats say the law has made healthcare more accessible to more people. They also point to the fact it forces insurance companies to provide healthcare coverage to many people regardless of whether they have pre-existing conditions, like diabetes or cancer, something those companies previously used to deny coverage. A number of US states, including New Jersey and California, are now planning to appeal the Texas judges ruling and some legal analysts believe the Obamacare fight could make its way to the Supreme Court. 10. Mueller digs in In 2019, the world will learn more details into whether or not the 2016 Trump presidential campaign worked with the Kremlin to win the White House. 181218181945969 A Justice Department investigation, led by Mueller, has already netted a number of Trumps close advisers including his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. So far, the details of any direct collusion have been thin. In 2019, both Flynn and Manafort will be back in court to face sentencing after pleading guilty to various charges. Both men have cooperated with investigators and the full extent of their cooperation has yet to be revealed. A federal judge told Flynn during a recent hearing that arguably, you sold your country out. In December, Cohen plead guilty to campaign finance violations and will begin serving his three-year sentence in March but has also indicated he has more to tell federal investigators about Trumps campaign. Stephanie Turrentine is a native of Harvest, Alabama, who will graduate in May with degrees in political science and psychology from Vanderbilt University. Two 17-year-old boys in Florence are going to be tried as adults for stealing $40 worth of pizza, $19 cash, and a cell phone from a pizza delivery driver. Not only will they face time in adult prison, where the rates of sexual assault and suicide skyrocket, they will also face many collateral consequences. They may have their drivers licenses suspended, their right to vote taken away, they wont qualify for college loans, and theyll have trouble finding a job that employs convicts. All because they didnt want to pay for their pizza once when they were 17. This story is all too common in Alabama, where juveniles who commit certain felonies (such as first-degree robbery) are automatically treated as adults in the criminal justice system. This leads to a lifetime of consequences that would not occur if they were tried through the juvenile system where they belong. Some believe teenagers, especially older ones, should be held responsible for their actions. If they are capable of committing a serious crime, they should be capable of facing the consequences. This point of view naively overlooks the clear differences in adolescent and adult brain structure. Teenagers brains are fundamentally different than those of adults. The frontal lobe, the part of the brain in charge of reasoning and executive functioning, is not fully developed until a persons mid-twenties. The limbic circuitry, the part of the brain that controls emotions, develops differently. This leads to a disconnect between emotions and reasoning in teen brains, and this lack of emotional control can lead to increases in criminal activity. Teenagers and young adults are often biologically incapable of seeing the long-term effects of their actions. Research shows that teenagers make bad decisions when forced to make them quickly and are disproportionately affected by the presence and influence of peers.[1] Crimes committed by teens often happen quickly and in groups, making them particularly vulnerable to this type of pressure. Teenagers brains are developmentally at a point where they are highly susceptible to criminal behavior, but this does not mean they are dangerous threats to society, or that they should face lifelong consequences for their actions. Given this understanding of the adolescent brain, it seems unreasonable that we hold juveniles to the same level of culpability that we hold adults with fully developed brains. In the state of Alabama, a person is not even considered a legal adult until age 19. This shows that we do not expect our teenagers to be responsible and accountable for themselves, unless they commit a crime. Alabama needs to extend and reform its current youthful offender status laws that allow for a person up to age 21 to be tried through the juvenile court system. Under current law, individuals under 21 facing criminal charges must request to be tried through the rehabilitative juvenile system, and many are denied. This needs to be changed so that teens and young adults are automatically treated as the youth that they are. The age of culpability in Alabama should be raised to 21 years old, with transfers to the adult system being the exception rather than the norm. [1] Cohen, Alexandra and Casey, B.J. Rewiring juvenile justice: the intersection of developmental neuroscience and legal policy. Trends in Cognitive Science, vol. 18, no. 2, February 2014, pp. 63-65, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661313002660 The former police chief of a small Jefferson County city has been indicted on multiple felony sex crimes involving a family member. Brian Scott Martin, who served as Lipscombs police chief until his August 2018 arrest on misdemeanor drug charges, has been indicted by a St. Clair County grand jury on charges of first-degree sodomy, first-degree rape, incest and distributing an illegal substance to a minor. All four charges are felonies. According to the four-count indictment, Martin engaged in sexual intercourse and deviate sexual intercourse with relative incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated. The indictment give the date or dates, but stated Martin provided an illegal substance to the juvenile victim on July 17, 2018. Martin was taken into custody on Dec. 21 when he was arrested for a DUI by Pell City police after almost hitting an officers patrol vehicle. According to court records, Martin blew a 0.11 on the breathalyzer. He was booked into the St. Clair County Jail and later served with the felony indictments. His bond was set at $100,000 but jail officials said hes no longer in custody. Martin on Monday denied the allegations to AL.com. All of that stuff is not true, Martin said. Im just going to battle it out in court. Thats all I can do. Martin was previously arrested in August on misdemeanor charges of second-degree marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The case against the chief was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency which then obtained the warrants against him. ALEA Lt. Jon Riley said Martin's arrest on those charges followed a search at his home on Dove Drive in Odenville on July 27, 2018. According to court records in that case, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Major Crimes Unit, along with the agency's Narcotics Unit, carried out the search at Martin's Odenville home. They found marijuana and a bong under the sink in the master bedroom. Agents also searched Martin's patrol vehicle which was parked in front of the home. Marijuana and a bong were found under the gun safe in the rear of the vehicle. Both with in an open evidence bag that was not marked with any information, such as a suspect's name or case number, according to the arrest report. Martin is set to go to court Feb. 26 on the misdemeanor charges. His arraignment for the felony charges is set for Jan. 16. A Tuscumbia man allegedly trafficked a 17-year-old girl in November, according to authorities. Bobby Joe Speegle was arrested on Dec. 14 and charged with first-degree human trafficking and making a false statement to law enforcement. A criminal complaint filed by the Muscle Shoals Police Department last month alleges that on Nov. 21, Speegle gave the girl a drugged beverage and delivered her to a man he had met in prison in exchange for drugs. The complaint does not state the type or amount of drugs Speegle was provided. The teen was allegedly sexually assaulted in a Sheffield residence by the 32-year-old man who provided Speegle with the drugs, the complaint states. Police said that charges against the other man are pending, according to The TimesDaily, which was the first news outlet to report on the case, which is under joint investigation by Muscle Shoals and Sheffield Police. Muscle Shoals Police did not immediately return a telephone message Tuesday and Sheffield Police said they could not could not provide any additional information. Speegle is charged with knowingly ... causing a minor to engage in sexual servitude." The teenage girl was examined by medical personnel after the alleged sexual assault and showed injuries consistent with a sexual assault, according to the complaint. The complaint said that the girl was also marked by the man who allegedly assaulted her. During the medical examination, an inscription appeared on the bare skin inside of [the girls] thigh which was only visible under a blacklight," the complaint states. Said inscription appeared to read Do not touch ... Kevins property' along with a heart drawing. Muscle Shoals Police detective Eric Kelley told The TimesDaily that the Colbert County District Attorneys Office plans to present the case to a grand jury. Speegle is being held in the Colbert County Jail, according to the Colbert County Sheriffs Office website. The TimesDaily reported that he was being held on $50,000 bail. Alabama education officials again delayed the release of the states unified report card, due in part to technical problems with the website but also to ensure the data is accurate, according to Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey. Its better for data to be a day or two late than to be wrong, Mackey told AL.com Monday evening. It should be up Wednesday by noon. This is the third delay of the release, planned initially for Dec. 21, then moved to Dec. 28, and again to Dec. 31, the federal deadline, which Alabama has now missed. The unified report card contains information required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, and that is where the problems have been, Mackey said. Other states have had trouble getting their data online, too, he said, and he doesnt expect any federal repercussions because of the delay. This is the first year states are reporting the large volume of information required under ESSA, which lawmakers passed in 2015 to replace No Child Left Behind. The state information is ready, Mackey said, but the full website wont go live until all of the data is ready. State officials released letter grades for schools and districts reflecting 2017-18 achievement data on Dec. 28. Additional information that ESSA requires to be reported includes: Spending per student by school, along with the source (federal, state, or local) of that money, Percentages of students who are a first-year English learner, and what portion of those students were exempted from reading tests, Percentages and numbers of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take alternate tests, Percentages of teachers, principals and other school leaders who are inexperienced, Percentages of teachers teaching out of field, Percentages of teachers using emergency or provisional credentials, Percentage of classes in core academic subjects not taught by qualified teachers in both high-poverty and low-poverty schools, and National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) results for Alabama students. School-level information on the numbers of suspensions (both in-school and out-of-school), expulsions, school-related arrests, referrals to law enforcement and incidents of violence including bullying and harassment must also be reported. Schools and districts must also report enrollment in preschool programs and the number and percentage of students enrolled in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment courses. Data will still be required to be broken down by the major racial and ethnic groups as well by children with disabilities, those who are economically disadvantaged and English language learners. The state department used a vendor in California to handle the programming for the website, Mackey said, and while the vendor completed all of the required programming today, no one had used the live website. Mackey said he wanted his staff to take the next day and a half to make sure the right information would pull up in the right place. Mackey recalled the April 2016 release of unverified Alabama high school graduation rates which were inaccurate and had to be taken down. It was a tough lesson to learn for the department, he said, and he wants to make sure that never happens again. Its official: The big electric MoonPie has dropped. Its 2019 now. Despite damp conditions, Mobiles distinctive MoonPie Over Mobile New Years Eve celebration got off to a merry start Monday evening with the cutting of a giant MoonPie and a second line parade that drew hundreds of participants. The fun continued through a headline performance by Sister Sledge and a midnight fireworks display. A sizable crowd gathered for early music in the courtyard of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, and the numbers picked up rapidly after 8 p.m. as the cutting of the Worlds Largest Edible MoonPie drew near. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Councilman Fred Richardson were joined in the cutting of the MoonPie by Jay Lamar, executive director of the Alabama Bicentennial Commission. With hundreds of people waiting for a taste of the MoonPie, the giant pastry was swiftly reduced to rubble. Meanwhile, marchers began to gather on Royal Street for the parade, only to be driven back to shelter by a brief bout of rain. As they waited, the crowd got an impromptu concert from the brass band providing the parade soundtrack. The shower had a good side: It seemed to clear away the haze obscuring the top of the RSA BankTrust Building, where the citys even larger, non-edible MoonPie was hanging ready to descend at at the approach of midnight and the dawn of 2019. Despite the intermittent rain, hundreds of people joined in the parade, making for a procession that appeared to stretch two blocks long. That seemed to bode well for the energy level at upcoming performances on the events main stage, where headliner Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge was to go on at 11 p.m. The weather held as Sledge took the stage, opening with All American Girls as a clock beside the stage counted down the minutes remaining until midnight. As midnight drew near, much of the crowd shifted away from the main stage to Royal Street, to find better vantage points for the symbolic MoonPie Drop. A big cheer went up from the crowd as the icon -- chosen for its popularity as a throw at Mardi Gras parades -- began its descent. That was followed by a quick countdown of 2018s last few seconds as the big MoonPie reached bottom. While there was a tinge of fog around the fireworks displays, it wasnt enough to obscure the view. As to whether thats a good omen for 2019, or even just for one citys New Years resolutions, time will tell. The always-delightful official MoonPie account offered some optimism for the year to come. Huntsville City Schools board member Michelle Watkins was arrested Monday afternoon on a misdemeanor charge of harassment. Watkins was booked into the Madison County jail shortly after 1:30 p.m. and released about 30 minutes later, records show. In statement emailed to AL.com Monday night, Watkins said she is being targeted because of her work on behalf of students, parents and taxpayers. I am not only innocent but with assurance that in 2019, I WILL continue to be unbought, unbossed, and never bullied, said Watkins, whose District 1 includes Jemison High School and other north Huntsville campuses. I affirm that in the end the justice system will prevail and vindication will occur. I will continue to speak truth to power and continue to work for District 1. Huntsville police Lt. Michael Johnson said the arrest stems from a verbal harassment report that was filed Oct. 3. In the report, a woman accused Watkins of yelling at a meeting at Jemison High. The complainant swore out a warrant for Watkins' arrest. As you may be aware there are individuals, politicians, naysayers and other adversaries that want to see our schools fail, Watkins said in the statement. In an effort to provide our schools with greater safety, supporting the decisions made by our Superintendent to remove/reassign instructional leaders and ineffective staff has caused some to become disgruntled. As a result of this support there have been personal accusations involving my good name and character. The ultimate goal is the assurance that the education is about our students and community and not bruised egos of adults that are resistant to positive and effective change that is not only required but necessary to successfully move our schools forward, Watkins added. Harassment is a Class C misdemeanor thats punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. Further details about the charge werent immediately available. Updated at 8:09 p.m. with comments from a statement released by Watkins. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... A man charged with capital murder in a 2016 shooting at a Madison Sonic Drive-In is now indicted for setting a fire inside a north Alabama jail, authorities said. Trevor Cantrell, 21, is charged with second-degree arson, a Class C felony thats punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Hes accused of setting a fire inside the Limestone County jail, where hes been held for two years awaiting trial on a capital murder charge. Cantrell is accused of setting the fire on the morning of August 5, 2018, said Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones. He was formally charged Friday. Jail staff smelled smoke and went into Cantrells cell. A jailer saw smoke coming from the toilet, on which Cantrell was sitting, Jones said. He ignited a tube of hair grease, Jones said. He admitted using a lighter to start the fire. Jones said the fire was set in a toilet paper holder on the back of the toilet. Jail staff used an extinguisher to put out the fire. A sheriffs office spokesman was unavailable for comment today. Cantrell has been jailed since December 2016 in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Jason West. The slaying happened during a robbery at the Sonic Drive-In on County Line Road in Madison. That area is in Limestone County. A second suspect, Dacedric Ward, is also charged in Wests slaying. According to court records, West met the suspects to buy Xanax from them for $300. But, as soon as the money was swapped, Ward pulled out a pistol and shot the teen, according to Cantrells account of the incident, which is documented in court records. Jones said Cantrell isnt the only capital murder suspect whos been causing problems in the jail. At least two others have been charged recently with destroying property inside the jail. Capital murder suspect Jakobe Carter is charged with a felony and accused of breaking a glass door inside the jail, court records show. Carters capital murder co-defendant, Aaron Jones, is also charged with a felony for causing damage at the sheriffs office, an indictment says. Court records dont specify what Jones is accused of damaging. They have nothing to do but sit around all day thinking of how theyre going to get into mischief, Jones said. Carter and Jones have been in jail awaiting trial since August 2017. The teens are charged in the fatal beating of a Georgia man who was working at a Publix store construction site on County Line Road in Madison. Police said the teens robbed and killed 61-year-old Van Johnson. Carter and Jones were runaways from nearby Three Springs, a residential juvenile facility thats also known as Sequel TSI. Were having an issue with our capital murder (suspects)," Jones said. "Theyre just racking up felony after felony. Cantrell was indicted by a Limestone County grand jury, which ruled prosecutors have enough evidence to send the arson case to trial. Its unclear when he could face trial for arson and capital murder charges. Birmingham cybersecurity firm ThreatAdvice announced it has finalized contracts with three enterprise businesses - Halski Systems, SHI and Aesto Health. CEO David Brasfield said 2018 has been a great year for the company. We have released six major updates to our solution and continue to gain traction with value-added resellers and partners who see the benefit of offering ThreatAdvice through their sales channels, Brasfield said in a statement. The three companies are: Halski Systems, a Gainesville, Ga. managed services provider. It plans to provide ThreatAdvice to all of its clients, adding 6,000 end-user seats. SHI inked a vendor contract. It is an $8.5 billion global provider of information technology products and services for state and local governments, educators and enterprise level businesses. Aesto Health, a healthcare information technology-focused company, in a reseller deal. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. Halski Systems CEO Seth Seagraves said his company was "impressed with ThreatAdvices cyber education content and delivery method and felt they were the best company to partner with to offer these solutions. ThreatAdvice, formed in 2016, offers several different cybersecurity training and education services. This company said this year it has added 25 new cybersecurity education courses. Birmingham education tech company EdifyOnline has signed a multi-year contract with MITx, an open online course program offered through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to deliver online education programs. MITx courses are offered through the edX platform, which works with more than 100 educational institutions. That includes Harvard, Brown, Cornell and Oxford. The terms of the contract were not disclosed. The edX platform is described as operating on an open-source, scalable software infrastructure, and offers massive open online courses (MOOCs) that are free to enroll in. The program is designed to be available for participation by other educational institutions, organizers say. MITx presents course material for a learn at your own pace dynamic, with interactive features, online laboratories and student-to-student communication. Many courses use materials developed for MIT residential courses in the Institutes five schools and 33 academic disciplines. EdifyOnline founder Anil Agarwal said the multi-year contract with MITx will lead to substantial efficiency gains, technological improvements and cost savings for all higher educational institutions in the future. Co-founder Vik Agarwal, a Birmingham-Southern College graduate, said the partnership is a significant milestone for the company. EdifyOnline has been given full support by MIT leadership including Dr. Sanjay Sarma, vice president for open learning, and Dr. Krishna Rajagopal, dean for digital and open Learning. This partnership represents a paradigm shift in online education and will be a critical component of what drives the success of our online programs moving forward, Dana Doyle, MITx director, said in a statement. Edify Online Corp. took the $50,000 concept track in November 2017 for the Alabama Launchpad competition finale. This past fall, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin took a trip to Germany with the goal of finding an innovative new way to ensure Birmingham youngsters can find jobs. Youth unemployment is a persistent problem in the Magic City, so Woodfin visited the Bremen, Germany, offices of software company abat AG, in hopes of learning about the firms renowned apprenticeship program, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company has an office in Birmingham. Woodfin, a Democrat, is not the only local leader in the U.S. looking to apprenticeships as a potential way to boost employment among the young. Mayors and governors on both sides of the political aisle are exploring the German model of apprenticeship as a good way for youths to become gainfully employed without taking on thousands of dollars worth of college debt, according to the Journal. Too many people are checked out of even looking for a job, Woodfin told the newspaper. They need hope. And the apprenticeship track gives people hope. Woodfin was also in Germany to see if German firms might be willing to offer apprenticeships to Birmingham residents, the Journal reported. In the past, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she was open to supporting German companies to provide apprenticeships in America. But Jorg Pieper, managing director for abat AG, told Woodfin that some obstacles remain to growing apprenticeship opportunities with German companies in the U.S. In the United States, from my experience, you are out of high school, and you are just labor, or you go to university. There is nothing in between, Pieper said, according to the Journal. The apprenticeshipits not considered a good education. And yet Woodfin remains hopeful after meeting with young Germans who were doing apprenticeships with the software company, the newspaper reported. Watching those kids, its like they said, Heres a playbook, mayor, Woodfin said. Were not trying to mimic Germany. Were just trying to make Birmingham the best version of itself it can be. A Hoover couple are the proud parents of the first baby to be born at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in 2019. Jayla Smith and Raymond Price gave birth to Raelynn Amir Price at 6:34 a.m. Tuesday, which the Homewood hospital said marked the first birth to take place there since the new year began. The newborn girl weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, Brookwood said in a news release announcing the milestone. Proud parents & Hoover residents, Jayla Smith and Raymond Price, are excited to welcome their daughter into the world as Brookwood Baptist Medical Centers first arrival of 2019, the hospital wrote. Raelynn Amir Price was the first baby born at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in 2019. As the parents of the official first baby born this year at Brookwood Baptist, the couple received a gift basket provided by the Brookwood Womens Center, as well as a $100 gift certificate from Bella Baby Photography. While it took more than six-and-a-half hours for a baby to be born at Brookwood Baptist in the new year, dozens of 2019 babies had already been born across the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon. For instance, Dion Karpuzi of Brooklyn was named the first baby born in New York City in 2019 early Tuesday morning. His birth time? Just 30 seconds after midnight, Staten Island University Hospital said, according to the New York Post. MOSCOW On Dec. 29, a high-level Turkish delegation composed of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin came to Moscow for talks on Syria. Since US President Donald Trump made the snap announcement on the drawdown of US troops from Syria, there has been no shortage of speculation about ultimate winners and losers. Yet the main pacesetters in Syrian dynamics these days Russia, Turkey, and Iran have all had similar concerns over the possible immediate complications the snap Trump decision may entail politically and operationally. While the dominant view in Moscow seems to have been that the move empowers Turkey, many in Ankara suggest that the Trump decision further reinforces Russias role as a dealmaker in Syria and that all roads involving the situation in Idlib and the east of the Euphrates now lead to the Kremlin. Both parties are probably right in their respective views about this situation. Turkey is a critical power in the Middle East: While Washington may not have a clear vision for the region, there are enough professionals on all levels of the American government who recognize Turkey's importance and push for a closer relationship between the two NATO allies. Trumps handing over of Syria to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is largely seen in Moscow as a reflection of this intent. So are the likely sale of the Patriot air-defense system and the lifting of sanctions against Turkey. On the one hand, for Russia, the entire approach to the dealings with Erdogan was not so much about driving wedges between Turkey and the United States as about offering sets of incentives powerful enough to make Ankara want to cling to Moscow rather than Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally has been meticulously working on this policy for a long while. Its no coincidence that on the day the high-level Turkish delegation arrived in Moscow, Russias Agriculture Ministry announced it is considering doubling the quota for tomato imports from Turkey to 100,000 tons a year. Moscow lifted a ban on vegetable imports from Turkey in November 2017, but the quotas have remained a sore point in bilateral relations. On the other hand, Turkey has been skillful enough to play both Russia and the United States to extract the best possible deals for Ankara's own interests. The stress test of the downed Russian jet in late 2015, however, made Erdogan more cautious not to overplay his cards with Putin. Moscow and Ankara have since been more prudent when walking on each others terrain. The current state of affairs in Syria makes this experience particularly helpful. Russia shows empathy for Turkeys fundamental security concern about the YPG and other Kurdish forces. Turkey, in turn, has to side with the Russian agenda on preserving Syrian territorial integrity and on Assad as being ruler of the country at least for now. We are coming from the view that the Kurdish issue is a sensitive one in the entire political mosaic of Syria. Turkish actions in the north of the country are a temporary measure which has to do with their security concerns, primarily with the terrorist threat. Turkey is stating its full commitment to Syrias integrity and Moscow has no grounds for distrust, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's ambassador to the UN mission in Geneva, told Izvestia newspaper Dec 25. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the idea three days later, on Dec. 28: "We approach Ankaras plans to hold additional counterterrorist actions in the east of Syria from the position [of the need] to eliminate terrorist remnants on Syrian territory and restore Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity. The meeting in Moscow showed the sides are watching each other to ensure the other party doesnt gain something to the detriment of its own agenda. Neither, however, rushed ahead to fill the void that is being left by the United States. Hence, the rails of the associated agreements within the Astana format continue to remain the general framework for the trilateral cooperation between Russia, Turkey and Iran. We held a very useful meeting of our interdepartmental team. We paid special attention to the new circumstances that have emerged after the US-announced withdrawal of its military from Syria, Lavrov said following resumption of the talks with his Turkish colleagues. Essentially, the three takeaways from the meeting include, as Lavrov put it: understanding how Russian and Turkish military representatives will continue coordinating their steps 'on the ground' under new conditions; mapping out specific measures on invigorating joint work aimed at creating conditions that will allow more refugees to return home; and the launch of the constitutional committee that is to begin working in Geneva now with Geir O. Pedersen, the new UN special envoy for Syria. Turkey and Russia have the common aim of clearing Syria of all terror organizations, Cavusoglu added, speaking after Lavrov. Turkey will continue to be in close cooperation with Iran and Russia on Syria and regional issues, the Turkish foreign minister said. No mention was made of the YPG or of the situation in Manbij, where conflicting news about the Syrian army presence have been pouring in for a few days. On Dec. 28, the Syrian army was reported to have been deployed in Manbij, while the next day YPG sources said that Damascus has no plans to enter the city itself and that Syrian troops are only in the area. At first glance, its hard to marry the idea of a Turkish counterterrorism operation, which clearly implies pushing YPG forces out of the areas they now occupy, with the notion of territorial integrity unless Moscow has some solid guarantees from Ankara that the latter will either vacate the areas or transfer them to the control of Syrian forces. There are many theories on how this might occur. One is that the situation with the YPG may be part of a Russia-Turkey quid pro quo deal on Idlib. Another suggests that Moscow may propose to the YPG some kind of arrangement for an engagement with Damascus that would both save Kurdish forces from facing off against the Turkish military and be relatively suitable for Ankara. In the absence of a better alternative, the Kurds may embrace this as an opportunity to have a strong voice in post-conflict Syria. Otherwise the bitter lesson of the Afrin campaign earlier this year might repeat itself. The bottom line is that Moscow is unlikely to agree to a scenario that could be seen by Erdogan as hurting Ankaras security interests or his domestic standing in the run-up to March 31 local elections over concerns that such a situation could entail more assertive and less cooperative Turkish behavior. Coincidentally, the election will take place around the time the deadline for the pullout of US troops expires; the next three months could be critical to the fate of the area and Turkeys own positions in Syria. A subtle, tenacious political tug of war between Russia and Turkey is likely not to mention the involvement of Iran, which is seemingly out of the picture but in reality hasnt gone anywhere. Still, the process will be done within the existing semi-diplomatic formats. The next summit of Astana group leaders Putin, Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will take place some time in early 2019 in Russia. Depending on the date and the state of play in Syria by then, Turkeys president may go see his Russian counterpart in Moscow or Sochi before the summit. Erdogan tops the list of foreign leaders with whom Putin has held the most phone calls in 2018 18. By comparison, Putin had 10 calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two each with the leaders of the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt). Also, multi-channel contacts with Turkey take place on a daily basis. I would like to thank all our Turkish friends once again for our joint work and particularly for the conversation that we had today, Lavrov said at the conclusion of the meeting with the Turkish delegation. That allows us to enter the New Year with more optimism regarding the Syrian settlement. For now, the public debate surrounding Israels April 2019 election is focusing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus criminal cases. The Israeli media as well as politicians from the coalition and opposition have been spending quite a bit of time on the question of when it would be appropriate for Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to release his decision on whether to indict Netanyahu. Should he do it now, or wait until the election is over? Can Netanyahu serve as prime minister if he is indicted? But the question that will really determine Israels fate is whether Israel should annex the territories, and that issue is being pushed off to the side. During the Netanyahu governments last term, the leaders of HaBayit HaYehudi made no secret of what they considered to be an appropriate diplomatic solution to the conflict with the Palestinians. It involved the annexation of Area C, which was home to 413,000 Jews as of last year and about 300,000 Palestinians. In fact, the partys chairman, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, had submitted his own annexation plan in 2012. Back then, he sounded delusional. Adopting the idea meant abandoning a diplomatic solution with the Palestinians and replacing it with the idea of a binational state. The issues never received public support or even came up for public debate. But now, during Netanyahus fourth term, Israelis are desperate. It may be Netanyahus fault, but they have given up on reaching a diplomatic solution with a non-partner like Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. As such, the rights annexation plan has taken the lead over a two-state solution. Netanyahu is fully aware of how volatile the idea of annexation is and takes care not to explicitly or publicly support it. Nevertheless, words are one thing and actions are another. The fact is that he has taken steps to advance a policy of annexation. Outwardly, in diplomatic meetings with world leaders, Netanyahu continues to say that he supports a two-state solution. He even says it to his good friend in the White House, President Donald Trump. And in a speech to the Knesset in 2016, Netanyahu spoke out clearly against annexation: My worldview hasnt changed. I am not interested in a binational state. I do not want to turn a million and a half Palestinians into Israeli citizens. On the other hand, Netanyahu has taken steps to kill any possibility of a two-state solution, particularly during his last two terms. He scared the Israeli public into believing that the West Bank would become a terror base. He claimed that Abbas has been inciting people to engage in terrorism and is not a real partner, even though senior defense officials believe that he is a partner for dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians on matters of defense. These officials rely on steady security coordination with the Palestinian Authority and the joint war against terror. Nevertheless, in its most recent term, for example, the Netanyahu government took steps to legalize construction in the territories. In February 2017, for instance, the Knesset approved the Regularization Law in its third reading. It was intended to legalize construction in settlements built on privately owned Palestinian land. On Dec. 16, shortly before the current Knesset was dissolved, the Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved a similar law proposed by Knesset member Betzalel Smotrich (HaBayit HaYehudi) and intended to formalize the status of outposts in the territories and remove obstacles that would hinder future annexation. While the attorney general claimed that he could not defend this law's constitutionality, it made no difference to the current government. Netanyahu seems to have locked away his past declarations about preserving the chance to reach a diplomatic solution and was dragged by HaBayit HaYehudi into passing laws that effectively mean annexation. By now, he no longer dares to dismiss calls for annexation by Bennett, Smotrich and their fellow lawmakers. The outgoing Netanyahu government did not prioritize the strengthening of existing settlements but rather enabled the establishment of new outposts. It did not grant construction permits to meet the needs of natural growth but with the goal of significantly increasing the number of West Bank settlers. Now, in the shadow of the Regularization Law, new outposts pop out of nowhere, like the one established last August next to the settlement of Eli or another established last year east of Ramallah. These outposts will certainly receive government support and eventually become full-fledged settlements. Netanyahu is not likely to change his spots if he is elected for another term. At a meeting of the Likud Knesset faction on Dec. 24, he said, For me, the current coalition is the core of the next coalition. Meanwhile, HaBayit HaYehudi split Dec. 29. Bennett and Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked announced that night the formation of a new right-wing party: The New Right. Obviously, neither this new party nor HaBayit HaYehudi are expected to give up on the annexation plan. On the contrary. These two right-wing parties will battle over the far-right electorate, each claiming to be at the root of the annexation idea. Netanyahu will be forced to take that into account when attempting to compose a new coalition (if he wins the elections). Without these parties, Netanyahu will have a hard time putting together a government. And this means that he will not be able to ignore the Area C annexation plan. As a reminder, in the 2015 election campaign, the chairman of Kulanu, Moshe Kahlon, announced that he would be the next finance minister, while Avigdor Liberman boasted that he would be defense minister. Both eventually got the jobs that they wanted. Now it is not clear whether Liberman will return to the Defense Ministry after the election, not only because he resigned from it, but because Bennett has been eyeing the position for himself. HaBayit HaYehudi set as a goal in the last elections to change the composition of the Supreme Court, which the party believes was hindering the settlement enterprise. And Shaked indeed succeeded in changing Israels court system. Now, Bennett and Shaked well know how to force the next coalitions hand with declarations on security and annexation. Israel will elect the 21st Knesset in less than 100 days. While retired generals are creating new parties and the Israeli left is splintering, the right whether united or spilt already has a fully formulated ideology. Now, the Israeli right has put annexation openly on the table. This crazy idea is becoming a reality, and Netanyahu will not be able to ignore it anymore. He will, therefore, stay true to form and abandon the idea of a two-state solution, solely for the sake of his personal and political survival. Israeli voters will not be voting on Netanyahu's criminal file, on the war with Syria and Hezbollah, on the flow of Qatari money to the Gaza Strip or on plans for an arrangement with Hamas. This time, Israelis will be voting on whether they want a binational state and whether to annex Area C. Nawaz Sharif given benefit of doubt in Flagship corruption reference According to the detailed judgement, possibility of Nawaz being the real beneficial owner of Flagship Investment cannot be ruled out Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was given the benefit of doubt in the Flagship Investments corruption reference over lack of evidence, it emerged on Monday after the detailed verdict was issued by an accountability court. On December 24, Judge Mohammad Arshad Malik announced in the court that he didnt find anything against Nawaz Sharif in reference No 18 [Flagship Investment] and the accused is acquitted in this case. The detailed judgment in the Flagship reference, penned by Justice Malik, said that the possibility of Sharif being the real beneficial owner of Flagship Investments Ltd cannot be ruled out. The court cited a 2015 judgement and reiterated that for the charged person to be saddled with liability, the prosecution has to establish its case beyond all reasonable doubts. The judge further said that based on available evidence, it is inclined to extend the benefit of the doubt to the PML-N leader. The judge, however, noted that the co-accused, Nawazs sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, have already been declared proclaimed offenders and ordered that their perpetual non-bailable arrest warrants be issued. Furthermore, Judge Malik stated that the possibility of Nawaz having supplied Hassan with funds to the tune of 705,071 from his undeclared, secret wealth and assets held outside Pakistan cannot be ruled out completely but noted that there is insufficient evidence to safely reach the conclusion. The detailed verdict has been released exactly a week after the acquittal. While the verdict in case of a conviction is handed over to the accused at the time of its pronouncement, the judgement in case of acquittal is provided to him/her on request. The prosecuting agency, NAB, has already decided that it will file an appeal against the judgement in the Flagship reference. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by the NAB chairman soon after the verdicts announcement in the court. Under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), an appeal against the verdict of the accountability court may be filed within 10 days of receipt of a written order of the court. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Chico Police to Honor Fallen Officers in 2018 Chico police are holding a ceremony to honor all officers killed in the line of duty across the country in 2018. The event will be in front of the Bidwell Mansion on Esplanade at 6:30 p.m. New Law Allows Overturn of Marijuana-Related Convictions A new law this year will allow people in California to overturn old marijuana-related convictions. Assembly Bill 1793 also gives courts a deadline of July 2020 to dismiss those convictions. New Law Requires Those With DUI's to Install Breathalyzers in Cars Assembly Bill 1046 requires those with DUI convictions to install breathalyzers in their cars. The device prevents the car from starting if the driver is drunk. PG&E on Probation in Connection to California Wildfires PG&E is on probation as part of a criminal investigation into the deadly 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno. If PG&E is found liable for the Camp Fire it could be charged with manslaughter and face massive fines. Cal Fire is still investigating the official cause of the fire. Butte County Emergency Animal Shelter to Close Friday The Butte County Emergency Animal Shelter is trying to reconnect pets with their owners before the shelter closesFriday. Fifteen of the 600 animals in the Oroville shelter are feral cats. The shelter says those cats are being sterlized before being set free. Butte County District Attorney Drops Kidnapping Charges The Butte County District Attorney has dropped attempted kidnapping charges against Jonathan Ray Burg. He was accused of trying to kidnap a 13-year-old girl from her driveway in Oroville last Wednesday. The District Attorney said the girl could not identify Burg in a photo lineup. Partial Government Shutdown: Day 11 Today is the 11th day of the partial government shutdown. Democrats take control of the house on Thursday. They are expected to introduce legislation to reopen the federal government, but not include any money for a border wall. Thousands of federal employees are now suing for lost pay. Annual Polar Bear Plunge Kicks Off at Bidwell Park Today, the annual polar bear plunge is set to take place at Sycamore Pool in Lower Bidwell Park. Lots of swimmers ring in the new year by taking an ice cold plunge in the chilly waters. The event starts at 1 p.m. CHICO, Calif. - The Chico Police Explorer Post #637 is holding a ceremony to honor Officers who gave their lives in the line of duty across the nation during 2018. The event is being put on with the assistance of the Chico Police Chaplains Association and Chico Police Officers' Association. The ceremony will consist of an invocation from a Chico Police Department Chaplain, remarks by member of the local law enforcement community, a lighting of the luminary candles, and a reading of the names of the line of duty deaths of officers and K9 officers who lost their lives in the United States in 2018. The ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Bidwell Mansion located at 525 Esplanade, Chico. Govt have no intention to interfere in Sindh affairs: Fawad Chaudhry ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Monday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had no intention to interfere in Sindh affairs. Addressing a press conference, he said the government did not want to impose governors rule in Sindh, rather it was only demanding resignation of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah because his name was mentioned in the Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) report in money laundering and fake bank accounts cases. Fawad said an impression was being given that the federal government wanted to interfere, or destabilize the Sindh government. Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, had directed him to postpone Sindh visit as he wanted that no such impression should be attributed to the federal government. He also clarified that there was no plan to abolish the18th Amendment. However, he added, the reason behind PPP co-chairpers on Zardaris concern for 18th Amendment was that he had embezzled funds meant for the people of the province. He said everyone knew what Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif did to Pakistan by plundering national wealth. They had mercilessly plundered national wealth and bought properties abroad, he alleged. The minister further said that money laundering and fake bank accounts case was registered in the year 2016, but the PPP and PML-N allegedly had a tacit agreement to ignore each others corruption. All their plans fell flat when Imran Khan became the prime minister following the 2018 general election, he added. He said that the two PTI ministers had set an example by tendering resignation after charges were framed against them and Murad Ali Shah should resign following that tradition and the PPP should name a new chief minister. He said the PPPs provincial government in Sindh was facing pressure from inside the provincial assembly for an in-house change as their own party members of the Parliament were upset over the JIT revelations. Fawad said for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the present federal government believed in independence of all institutions and had been providing level playing field to work independently without any interference from the government. Regarding filing of 16 references as mentioned in the JIT on fake bank accounts, the minister said the government had nothing to do with the findings of the report. It was prerogative of the Supreme Court to discuss merits and demerits of the JIT and the government would follow instructions of the apex court in that regard, he said. Fawad said the government wanted stability in the country but it should not be construed as that the drive against corruption would lead to instability. He said that opposition considered that action against corrupt politicians would endanger the stability of the system, but the PTI believed that purging the system of corrupt elements would bring transparency in the political system and help stabilize economy. He said that the accountability process under the leadership of Imran Khan would continue unabated. Referring to a report submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the Supreme Court regarding Asghar Khan case, he said the PTI believed it was the worst example of political maneuvering in a democratic society and PML-N leadership was involved in it. He said that the FIA director general would brief the prime minister on that report and the PTI would give its formal viewpoint on it. However he said, FIA should not have asked for closing that case even if he had no prosecutable evidence. To a question about inclusion of 172 accused in the fake bank accounts case, he said that the cabinet did not make a decision itself, rather it acted on the request of National Accountability Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency or joint investigation teams. He said it was not good to have the name of a chief minister on the Exit Control List (ECL), but in the past government the then sitting finance minister used prime minsters aircraft to escape from the country. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - There have been rumors going around social media in Butte County saying that feral cats housed in an emergency shelter will be euthanized. Action News Now reporter Laura Eng did some digging and discovered that the rumor is not true. The Butte County Emergency Animal Shelter temporarily houses animals found in areas affected by the Camp Fire. "Of the hundreds of animals we had in the Butte County Emergency Animal Shelters, we've had approximately 15 cats that are considered feral cats," said Lisa Almaguer, public information officer for Butte County Health. "We are working in coordination with Paradise to sterilize the cats and return them back to feral cat colonies in the local area." The California National Guard has been at the emergency shelter for weeks taking care of the animals. The guard members walk, feed and clean the cages every day. Almaguer also explained what the shelter's long-term goal is. "Butte County's primary effort is reunifying animal owners with their animals," she said. "We're helping them identify long-term sheltering solutions." Almaguer said that the sterilized cats have already been returned to feral colonies in the area. The temporary shelter's target closure date is Friday, Jan. 4. The county hopes that owners are able to pick up pets by then. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. New Mexico State Police say all lanes on Interstate 40 from Edgewood to Clines Corners are reopened after a closure Tuesday afternoon. The roads were closed due to multiple accidents and extreme weather conditions. Police still warn drivers to avoid travel as extreme weather conditions still exist. If you must travel, prepare for lengthy delays, NMSP wrote on social media. According to the National Weather Service, wintry weather will continue over large parts of the state through today and into tonight. Frigid temperatures will continue with widespread snow, blowing snow, freezing fog, and low visibility, leading to major travel impacts over the state, the National Weather Service alert said. #NMSP All Lanes of I40 MM 187 to MM 218 are OPEN. Extreme weather conditions still exist, anticipate delays. NMSP still urges public not travel. Tune in to local news. #DriveSafe NMSP (@NMStatePolice) January 1, 2019 ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON The Russian government said Wednesday it has allowed an American citizen held on espionage charges to have access to U.S. officials seeking answers about his arrest. U.S. consular officials were granted access to Michigan resident Paul Whelan for the first time since his arrest during a visit to the country, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman quoted by the state news agency Tass. Whelan, head of global security for a Michigan-based auto parts supplier, was arrested Friday. In announcing the arrest three days later, the Russian Federal Security Service said Whelan was caught during an espionage operation, but gave no details. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier Wednesday, while in Brazil, that the U.S. hoped to gain access soon to the former Marine and that if the detention is not appropriate, we will demand his immediate return. Whelan, 48, was in Moscow to attend a wedding when he disappeared, his brother, David Whelan, said Tuesday. Pompeo said the Trump administration has made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges and come to understand what it is hes been accused of. Whelans family, in a statement that David Whelan posted on Twitter, said: We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected. The Russian spying charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The Marine Corps on Wednesday released details of Whelans service record. He served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 1994 to 2008 and was convicted of larceny in a special court-martial in January 2008. The Marine Corps did not immediately provide details of the court-martial conviction beyond saying it was based on several charges related to larceny. Whelan attained the rank of staff sergeant in December 2004 after the first of two deployments in Iraq. He was an administrative clerk and administrative chief. He was given a bad-conduct discharge in December 2008 at the rank of private. His last place of duty was at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. David Whelan said in an interview that his brother had been to Russia several times previously, so when a fellow former Marine was planning a wedding in Moscow, he was asked to go along to help out. David Whelan said that it was while searching the internet on Monday that he learned of his brothers arrest. I was looking for any stories about dead Americans in Moscow, so in a way it was better than finding out that he had died, he said. David Whelan said he has no idea why his brother was targeted by the Russian security services. Paul Whelan had traveled to Russia in the past for work and to visit friends he had met on social networks, his brother said. I dont think theres any chance that hes a spy, David Whelan told CNN. Paul Whelan lives in Novi, Michigan, and is director of global security for BorgWarner, where he has worked since early 2017. He is responsible for overseeing security at our facilities in Auburn Hills, Michigan and at other company locations around the world, company spokeswoman Kathy Graham said in a statement. She said BorgWarner does not have any facilities in Russia. Paul Whelan previously worked for Kelly Services, which does maintain offices in Russia, his brother said. ___ Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Detroit and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal A major winter storm system will usher Albuquerque into 2019 with a combination of snow, blowing snow, low visibility, bitterly cold temperatures and low wind chill values. The National Weather Service on Monday issued a winter storm warning effective until midnight tonight for much of northern and central New Mexico, including the Middle Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque area and the Sandia and Manzano mountains. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ A cold front from the northeast will combine with an arctic air mass from southern Canada to bring snow and the lowest temperatures seen in the Albuquerque area since 2013 today through Thursday morning, according to meteorologists from the National Weather Service. Low temperatures in the Albuquerque area are expected to be in the low teens tonight, around 5 degrees Wednesday night and around 10 degrees Thursday night. High temperatures will be in the mid-20s today and Wednesday. Bitter cold will also increase the potential for frozen and burst water pipes, especially in buildings that are vacant during the holiday season. Subzero wind chills Wind chill readings could fall below zero in many areas. Forecasters recommend that residents limit outdoor exposure, protect exposed pipes and ensure heating systems are in good working order. When we start talking about snow plus wind plus cold temperatures, hypothermia becomes a risk, particularly folks who may be out traveling and get caught, said Royce Fontenot, senior hydrologist with the Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service, in a briefing Monday. Thats certainly a danger with the wind chills. Those who must be outdoors should protect body parts most susceptible to frostbite, such as fingers, toes, ears and nose, according to the National Weather Service. Low wind chill factors can cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. Ensure that outdoor animals have warm, dry shelter and fresh, unfrozen water. Albuquerque could receive 1 to 3 inches of snowfall today, but strong east winds, gusting to 45 mph, probably will limit amounts significantly in some areas. Blowing and drifting snow will be a concern in Four Hills and the Southeast Heights of Albuquerque today. Three storms The New Years storm is the third winter system in a week to hit the state. A storm on the day after Christmas brought rain to Albuquerque, but the Santa Fe area and northern mountains were hit with several inches of snow. Areas of Interstate 25 north of Albuquerque were closed for several hours Wednesday after poor driving conditions caused several crashes. There wasnt any time to recover before a second storm on Thursday and Friday prompted a blizzard warning for Albuquerque and dumped snow over most of northern and central New Mexico. Interstate 40 was shut down east of Albuquerque in different sections for most of Friday, and difficult driving conditions were reported on numerous other highways across the state. The Albuquerque International Sunport received 1.2 inches of snow. A volunteer spotter observed 8 inches of snow at Modesto and Holbrook NE. That storm also left Albuquerque in a freezer of sorts Monday was the fourth consecutive day of freezing high temperatures. Expecting more weather-related problems on state highways and byways, New Mexico State Police officer Ray Wilson said in a statement he urges motorists to stay home and stay off the roads during this storm. If you choose to travel, you can expect long delays and road closures, Wilson said. Make sure you have food, water, blankets and warm clothing in your vehicle. Semitrucks and vehicles are asked to use snow chains when driving on snow-packed and icy roads. Drive slowly, use a lower gear and avoid sudden braking. New Mexico State Police have reported an increase in weather-related accidents in the past week, responding to 312 accidents statewide from Wednesday through Saturday, according to Lt. Mark Soriano. Heaviest snowfall The heaviest snowfall with this storm is expected in western and northern New Mexico, with significant snowfall amounts projected for portions of central to east central New Mexico. Expect total snow accumulations through Wednesday of 5 to 10 inches across elevations lower than 7,500 feet, with higher amounts of 8 to 16 inches above 7,500 feet. Locally higher amounts near 2 feet are possible in elevations above 10,000 feet. Travel could be difficult to impossible due to snow-packed roads and low visibility. If you must travel, authorities recommend keeping an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Residents should continue monitoring weather forecasts for updated advisories from the National Weather Service as conditions change. The latest road conditions for New Mexico are available by calling 511 or 800-432-4269 or by visiting nmroads.com. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Dear Mayo Clinic: Ive been a smoker for years. Im thinking about switching to electronic cigarettes or to a nicotine inhaler because Ive heard they arent as bad for you as regular cigarettes. Is that true? A: Electronic cigarettes and nicotine inhalers both deliver nicotine to your body without tobacco. But thats where the similarity ends. The two are quite different when it comes to how they are used and how much doctors know about their safety. Nicotine inhalers are a proven safe and effective way to help people stop smoking. In contrast, very little is known about the health effects of electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices that look like regular cigarettes. Like traditional tobacco cigarettes, they contain nicotine. When you use an e-cigarette, a liquid inside it that includes nicotine is heated and turns into a vapor you inhale. It also makes a vapor cloud that looks like cigarette smoke. The manufacturers claim that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes. But there are significant questions about the safety of these products. When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed samples of two popular brands of e-cigarettes, they found varying amounts of nicotine and traces of toxic chemicals, including substances that are known to cause cancer. The liquid inside many e-cigarettes contains a substance called propylene glycol. It creates the e-cigarettes vapor. Other common uses of propylene glycol are in cosmetics and as an ingredient in fog machines and antifreeze. The specific health effects of this product are not clear. No studies have been done to examine the safety of e-cigarettes. As a result there is no evidence that doctors can use to assess the impact this product may have on a persons body. Also, no convincing evidence shows that e-cigarettes are useful in helping people to eventually stop smoking. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ It is also important to note that e-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA. E-cigarettes are currently regulated as a tobacco product even though they contain no tobacco. Because of this classification, there is no oversight from the FDA to ensure they are safe. Like regular cigarettes you can buy e-cigarettes without a prescription. Nicotine inhalers, on the other hand, are classified as a type of medicine. They are regulated by the FDA and available by prescription only. They fall into a class of drugs known as nicotine replacement therapy, and they are used as part of stop-smoking treatment plans. As with e-cigarettes, nicotine inhalers give you a dose of nicotine when you puff on them. Unlike e-cigarettes, the amount of nicotine you receive is controlled and small. And with nicotine inhalers you receive only nicotine. No other ingredients are included. Nicotine inhalers have been carefully studied in controlled clinical research trials. They are safe and proven to be effective in helping people stop smoking. If you are interested in using nicotine inhalers as part of a program to help you stop smoking, talk to your doctor. He or she can discuss the inhalers with you in more detail, as well as provide information about other medications and resources available to help you quit. With the data available now, Mayo Clinic does not recommend the use of e-cigarettes. At this time, we simply do not know enough about them. They have not been proven safe, nor have they been shown to be effective in helping people to stop smoking. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Correction: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of the last name of Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty. The states highest court welcomed its newest member Monday as Michael Vigil took his oath as a New Mexico Supreme Court justice. Vigil, a Democrat, joins the Supreme Court after 15 years on the New Mexico Court of Appeals. He earned the spot with his Nov. 6 election win over Gary Clingman, a Republican appointee who had the position less than a year. The Court of Appeals on Monday hosted its own ceremony featuring four newcomers who will give the court its first female majority. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The judges joining the 10-member court are Kristina Bogardus, Megan Duffy, Jacqueline Medina and Briana Zamora. All four are Democrats, and each unseated a Republican incumbent. Women now occupy eight positions on the court. Mondays ceremonies were just a few in a series of similar events occurring around the state this week as newly elected officials step into their positions. Todays slate include a State Capitol ceremony for the Democrats who swept the key statewide races in the November election. Brian Colon, an Albuquerque attorney, will assume his duties as the new state auditor, having defeated the Republican incumbent Wayne Johnson in November. Stephanie Garcia Richard, meanwhile, will take her oath as the states first female land commissioner. The swearing-in event will also include three public officials beginning their second terms: Attorney General Hector Balderas, state Treasurer Tim Eichenberg and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Bernalillo County will host a swearing-in event at 3 p.m. today at the Hiland Theater for several offices, though most taking oaths are already serving. That includes Assessor Tanya Giddings, Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III and Commissioner Debbie OMalley, each of whom won re-election in November. Only Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty, a mental health therapist from Tijeras, and Probate Judge Cristy Carbon-Gaul, an Albuquerque attorney, are new to their positions. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Over the past decade or so, the market for generic drugs has become, as research chemist Derek Lowe puts it, more and more deranged. Prices of boring old drugs, off patent for decades, have experienced the kind of breathtaking spikes and dizzying crashes that are usually reserved for exotic financial instruments. Only, instead of some larval billionaire losing the keys to his Lamborghini, desperate patients are losing access to drugs they depend on. In theory, generic markets should be the Walmart of the health care world, where everything is dirt cheap and readily available. In practice, the makers of branded drugs often display a malevolent ingenuity at keeping generic competition at bay. And even when they play fair, a number of factors, including tighter safety regulation and more complex formulas, often means that too few firms enter the market. Lots of drugs, especially those used by only a smaller number of patients, have at best a handful of firms producing them. So if one company has production problems or decides to withdraw from the market entirely supply contracts dangerously as prices shoot skyward. Scott Gottlieb, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, has been pushing the agency to relieve the regulatory bottlenecks that exacerbate these price swings. But thats not enough for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Warren is preparing for a presidential run and you dont get to be president by saying The FDA is working on it. No, you call for action! Specifically, Warren wants the federal government to get into the business of manufacturing drugs or contracting with third parties to do the production. In Warrens defense, when the supply of a vital good is interrupted, the public wants the government to do something. However, the public would also prefer that the government do something that actually works. And there we run into trouble with Warrens scheme. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ One can describe all sorts of reasons that state-owned firms ought to be better than the profit-grubbing variety. Freed from the incessant demands of greedy investors, state-directed firms can invest for the long term, pursuing innovation and social welfare rather than profit. One can describe it easily enough; whats hard is finding one of these creatures in the wild. Rather than providing a shining rebuke to free-market fundamentalists, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) often seem to have a secret mandate to prove their skeptics right about everything. There are examples of well-run SOEs, but theyre suspiciously concentrated in one tiny patch of northern Europe where government institutions more generally outperform counterparts in the rest of the world. And even high-performing SOEs are vulnerable to a change in administration. PDVSA, Venezuelas state-run oil company, used to be regarded as one of the best in its class. Then, Hugo Chavez decided that he would rather use the companys investment funds for social spending than for stodgy old petroleum extraction, and rather have the firm managed by cronies than professionals. Venezuelas disastrous economic collapse can be traced directly to those decisions. President Trumps election has finally nullified the conservative shibboleth that Washington could be fixed if only we could get a businessman into the Oval Office. Unfortunately, the left is busy reviving its own shibboleth, the mirror image of the conservative mistake: that whenever markets frustrate us, the government can and should step in and do it better. Nationalize the health care system, bring back public housing development and if you dont like the price or availability of various drugs, then have the feds become drug-makers, too. This idea is particularly silly given that so many of the problems that make it harder for generic drug-makers to enter the market are created by government regulations in the first place. Unless the government enterprise bypasses the regulatory hurdles constraining supply, it will face much the same difficulties that private firms do. And if the government is going to relax regulatory requirements, wouldnt it make more sense to just retool the way the market works for everyone? Well, yes, it would, if what you wanted to do was actually fix the problem. But that involves a lot of fiddly, boring, regulatory tweaks and cant possibly happen fast enough to aid Warrens run for president. Its unsurprising that Warren has instead hit upon what I call a Washington issue a proposal with little policy merit that nonetheless retains great political charm because it can be explained to voters in under two sentences. Which may be good enough for a presidential candidate. But its not nearly good enough for the country. Twitter, @asymmetricinfo. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON President Trumps decision to withdraw all United States forces from Syria is already having unintended consequences. The U.S. departure could lead to the release of 1,100 Islamic State fighters now held in detention camps in northeastern Syria creating a dangerous new terrorist threat to the West. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) the Kurdish and Arab proxy forces whom the U.S. armed and trained to fight the Islamic State do not have the capacity to guard and feed so many terrorists without U.S. support. And The Post reports that their home countries are refusing to repatriate their citizens, citing the risk that they would spread radical ideology or perhaps carry out attacks back home. If the SDF is abandoned by its U.S. patrons, it might have no choice but to release them. How much damage could these terrorists cause? To put it in perspective, the Islamic State had only about 700 fighters left when President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 yet from that tiny nucleus, the Islamic State grew into the worlds largest, most powerful terrorist network, until Trump unleashed our military to beat the group back. Imagine what destruction an influx of 1,100 terrorists into the global ecosystem could wreak. The Islamic State detainees hail from 32 countries, including many believed to be from Europe. As a Syrian Kurdish foreign affairs official noted, the U.S. withdrawal would create a security vacuum that these criminals could exploit to escape and pose a danger to all of us, adding that they could make their way back to their home countries and carry out bombings. The optimal solution would be for Trump to reconsider his withdrawal plan so that we can keep these detainees in Syria under the watchful eye of U.S. intelligence and Special Operations forces. But there is also another possible solution one that would help the president keep another campaign promise: ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Send them to Guantanamo Bay. In January, President Trump issued an executive order that authorized the U.S. military and intelligence community to transport additional detainees to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay when lawful and necessary to protect the Nation. During his State of the Union address, Trump asked Congress to ensure that, in the fight against ISIS and al-Qaida, we continue to have all the necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them. And in many cases for them it will now be Guantanamo Bay. In March, Congress responded by approving more than $200 million in new construction for Guantanamo Bay as part of the omnibus spending bill. And this spring, the Pentagon formally authorized the station to receive new detainees who pose a continuing, significant threat. There is little doubt that a number of the Islamic State fighters now held in Syria would make excellent candidates for detention at Guantanamo Bay. Trump should order the intelligence community to conduct a threat assessment for each of the detainees to see which ones would qualify for transfer. No doubt, a decision to move some of the prisoners from Syria to Guantanamo would create an uproar in Europe particularly from countries whose citizens would be transferred. These would be the very same countries currently refusing to take custody of their citizens who went to fight for the Islamic State. Trump should give any complaining countries an ultimatum: Either take your nationals back, or they are headed to Guantanamo. Transfer to Guantanamo is a less than optimal solution, because right now high-value detainees held on the battlefield in Syria do not have access to lawyers and cannot challenge their detentions in court which means they can be effectively interrogated for intelligence purposes. But once transferred to Guantanamo, they would immediately get lawyers and the right of habeas corpus which dramatically reduces their intelligence value. Instead of transferring these terrorists, we should keep them where they are and continue supporting the SDF until the estimated 30,000 Islamic State fighters still at large in Iraq or Syria are all killed or captured. The Islamic State is not defeated not by a long shot. But this much is clear: We cannot allow more than a thousand dangerous terrorists to be released into the world so that they can return to the fight. They must be kept off the battlefield. Better to keep them in Syria than in Guantanamo, to be sure. But better to keep them in Guantanamo than release them to carry out jihad against the West. Twitter, @marcthiessen. (c) 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON A growing number of families and children apprehended at the U.S. border with Mexico are requiring medical treatment after a rigorous journey north in very crowded conditions, the head of Border Patrol said Monday. At the close of a month in which two young Guatemalan children died in federal custody, six children were among 17 migrants hospitalized with illnesses, said Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. On a typical day, he said, 50 people are referred to medical providers for checkups and treatment, though one day alone the authorities sent more than 80 to be treated. In recent days, he said, two pregnant women were rushed to hospitals immediately after they were taken into custody, as they were about to give birth. Some of the illnesses that agents have been seeing on a recurring basis are typical winter diseases such as influenza. Some have been diagnosed with very serious problems, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, parasites and gastrointestinal illnesses. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Id say many were ill before they departed their homes, McAleenan told reporters in a conference call to discuss the humanitarian situation at the border. These are not things that develop urgently, in a matter of days. McAleenan called the situation at the border an unprecedented crisis caused by a sharp increase in the number of younger, sicker people who are crossing. The number of asylum cases has more than doubled, fueled largely by Central American families fleeing violence in their home countries. A 7-year-old girl died Dec. 7 in CPB custody, apparently after going days without eating or drinking. After a second migrant child died on Christmas Eve, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen blamed smugglers and migrant parents for pushing border security systems to the breaking point. McAleenan agreed with her conclusion, blaming the growing numbers on route and transportation changes introduced by smugglers seizing on the desperation of families as chance to profit. The traditional 25-to-30-day cycle it takes for a migrant to go from Mexicos southern border with Guatemala to its northern border with the United States has become much shorter. Some are arriving at the border in commercial buses that make the trip in five days, taking them to more-remote areas. The quicker trips may have encouraged more parents to bring children, who made up two-thirds the people apprehended in December. Their vulnerable age, plus the stress of an arduous journey during flu season as smugglers crowd them into buses and houses, have caused significant increases in the number who arrive very ill. In the eight days from Dec. 22 through Sunday, according to CPB figures, 451 migrants were taken for medical care. More than half, 259 cases, were children, and half of those were under the age of 5. Border Patrol stations built decades ago are not resourced to handle this crisis and are not the best facilities to house children with their parents for extended periods, McAleenan said. Border Patrol has come under heavy criticism over the deaths of two Guatemalan children. In the wake of the second death, Nielsen ordered that all children be given a medical screening after they are apprehended. McAleenan acknowledged the capability to provide medical support will be hampered if the government shutdown becomes lengthy. McAleenan said no one has died in federal custody since the Christmas Eve death of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. U.S. foreign assistance to Central America has largely been directed to programs that seek to address the root causes of poverty and gang violence that are propelling so many people to flee. President Trump has tweeted he wants to cut off U.S. aid to these countries unless they do more to stop caravans of migrants from leaving Trade Unions have demanded universal social security and a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000 with indexation across India under a 20-point agenda. The agenda, which called for universal social security coverage for all workers in the country through the retirement fund body EPFO and Employees' State Insurance Corporation, was approved on Monday at the national convention of the Confederation of Central Trade Unions (CONCENT), according to a statement. Also Read: New regulations for food standards to come into force from January 1: FSSAI CONCENT is a joint front of the RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh; a faction of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC); the Trade Union Coordination Centre; and the National Federation of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU). Also, the front has demanded a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000 for Aanganwadi, Asha and Mid Day Meal workers across the country with indexation and status of government employees. They should be paid a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000 till these workers become government employees. The front also demanded that all the contractual employees should be paid at par with the regular employees as guided by the apex court and all types of pension should have government subsidy at par with the central contributory scheme. It also pitched for increasing the payment of gratuity from 15 days pay per year of service to 30 days pay and bring more workers under its ambit by reducing the threshold of five-year minimum service to one year. The front has also demanded representation of labourers and farmers in government think-tank Niti Aayog and withdrawal of the provision of fixed-term employment rule from labour laws. It is also against the disinvestment of public sector undertakings and foreign direct investment here. Also Read: Government to achieve 100% household electrification ahead of Republic Day, says official Also Read: Axis Bank MD & CEO Shikha Sharma retires; Amitabh Chaudhry takes charge Also Read: Government infuses Rs 10,882 crore capital in four public sector banks For Subscribers It's hot: crop yields could be affected by 90 degree temperatures Across the board, most South Dakota crops have emerged earlier than in previous years, according to the most recent report from the USDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cleared the air on the resignation of former RBI governor Urjit Patel, saying Patel himself requested to step down, and that he was thinking about quitting for the past 6-7 months. "He (Urjit Patel) himself requested (to resign) on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. No question of political pressure. He did a good job as RBI Governor," said the Prime Minister during an interview with news agency ANI. In his first interview of 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about everything from demonetisation to GST to the Rafale deal controversy to the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The PM also set the tone for the 2019 General Elections, saying the Lok Sabha polls are going to be about 'janta' versus 'gathbandhan'. Here are 10 major highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interview of the year. 1. Lok Sabha Elections and Ram Temple: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is going to be 'Janta' versus 'gathbandhan'. "Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings." On the issue of bringing an ordinance on the Ram temple, the PM said: "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution." He added that the judicial process in the matter was being slowed down as the Opposition parties were creating "obstacles". 2. AgustaWestland scam: The PM said the Congress was trying to shield a middleman, Christian Michel, arrested in the scam. "If a Congress worker turns up to be Christian Michel's lawyer, then it is worrying. People should be proud a 'razdaar' has come, now there will be a legal inquiry and the truth will come out. Instead of that, you are sending lawyers from your party to support Michel." 3. The Rafale deal: The PM said the Rafale allegations are not on him but on the government. "However, the Opposition has failed to prove anything. I have cleared the air on it in Parliament too. The Supreme Court had also clearly given its view on it." He also said: "Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country's needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country's security. I won't leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," PM Modi says. 4. Goods and Services Tax: On the GST being called 'Gabbar Singh Tax', the PM said the government has been consistently trying to reduce taxes under the GST. He also slammed the Congress for criticising the initiative that itself was started during the UPA. "The way someone thinks is the way someone talks. Have GST processes not been done taking a consensus with all political parties in the country? Since Pranab Mukherjee was FM, the GST process has been going on," he said. 5. Farm distress: The PM said loan waivers were not the solution of the farmers' issues. Defending calling loan waivers by the Congress governments in states a 'lollipop', the PM said: "Lying to people is what I call a lollipop. They did not waive loans of all the farmers, which is why I call it a lollipop. If farmers get benefit from the farm loan waiver, then its fine, do it. But that has not happened. So the solution lies in making the farming system stronger. There are around 100 schemes that have been initiated by our government for the welfare of farmers." 6. On economic offenders who fled the country: The PM said the government was taking all possible measures to bring back the fugitives. "First of all, why did they flee? Because they had the fear of the current government... we are using all the international laws to nab such economic offenders. We are using all the tools to bring them back. I believe all those who fled during the current government's tenure will come back, even though such people never came back during the previous government's tenure." 7. Demonetisation: Defending the demonetisation move, the PM said the move was necessary to formalise the economy. He accepted that the common people had to face inconvenience initially but said the move benefitted the country at large. "A formal economy was needed in our country. The parallel economy had eaten into the real economy. With demonetisation, the money has come into the system, and tax collection has increased. Don't you call it a success?" 8. On the year 2018: PM Modi said 2018 was a successful year for India as a country. "Elections are just one facet of a number of facets. If poor are given insurance of up to Rs 5Lakh, Ayushman Bharat Yojna. In such big numbers people were suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure?" asked PM Modi. 9. On Doklam standoff: "India should be judged on the basis of its response in Doklam. And nothing has happened with India that can be considered as deceit, but our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours," said the PM. 10. On his tenure as PM: "I leave it to people to decide whether satisfied or not with my work. But one thing, I am not surprised, I could neither make the Lutyen's world part of me or I a part of them," he told ANI. Edited by Manoj Sharma Jim Doray was visiting relatives in New Mexico this year, hundreds of miles from his home in Southern California, when he noticed that something was wrong with his blood pressure. This was no small problem for the 61-year-old Navy veteran, who has coped with multiple serious health issues since a spinal cord injury five years ago left him with permanent spinal inflammation and no feeling below his knees. But Doray, who spent 24 years in the Navy, didnt need to rush to an emergency room where he would have had to try to patiently explain his long, complicated medical history to strangers. He didnt even have to cancel plans to travel with his wife the next day to the Texas Panhandle. Instead, thanks to Dorays participation in the Department of Veterans Affairs VA Telehealth Services program, he was able to go to a website that afternoon and use a secure messaging system to make an appointment for a video visit with his doctors office in California. The next morning, sitting on the sofa in his RV, with his wife driving east on Interstate 40, Doray used a tablet to call up his medical practice and soon was greeted by the reassuring face of his doctors head nurse. The result of this video visit was a decrease in one medication and an increase in another. It was exactly the sort of experience that has made Doray, who needs frequent medical attention and lives quite a distance from the nearest VA Medical Center, an enthusiastic user of VA telehealth services. Its priceless to be able to hook up with my medical team, which is familiar with my condition, says Doray, who credits telehealth with making it possible for him and his wife to move from Powayabout 20 miles from the VA Medical Center in La Jollato their home in Julian in eastern San Diego County, more than three times as far from the facility. Dorays experience is becoming increasingly common as the VA, under pressure to improve access to care for veterans, expands its efforts to provide care remotely, especially to those in rural areas. In fiscal year 2018, which ended Sept. 30, the VA surpassed 1 million video health visits for the first time, an increase of about 20 percent over the previous year. This month, the VA announced its newest effort to increase the use of telehealth partnerships with Walmart, Philips Healthcare, the VFW and the American Legion. The initiative, known as Advancing Telehealth through Local Access Stations (ATLAS), is designed to enable veterans who lack the necessary technology in their home and live far from a VA facility to receive remote health care at a convenient location. Walmart will provide private examination rooms and telehealth equipment at five of its stores in a 12-month pilot program with VA Telehealth. Philips will donate telehealth equipment to a total of 10 VFW and/or American Legion posts, where vets will be able to use private spaces set up for telehealth visits. Kanishk Tharoor at The Atlantic: Media coverage of uncontacted tribes often delights in painting indigenous groups as people out of time, hunter-gatherers in the age of Seamless. In November, an American missionary was killed trying to reach North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal, home to a remote tribe thought to number about 100 people. Grainy images shot from a helicopter in 2004 of naked islanders brandishing spears flooded the internet. But when they first appear in Piripkura, Pakyi and Tamandua offer a different kind of spectacle. What is striking about them is not their timelessness, but rather their very modern resolve to persist against the odds, to be free from the outside world. That independence is likely to come further under threat from the incoming far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has pledged not to reserve any more land for indigenous peoples. In previous years, Bolsonaro has said he would arm ranchers in their conflicts with native groups and has lamented that the Brazilian army was not as efficient as the American cavalry in exterminatingindigenous tribes. When trying to put a more benign gloss on these statements, Bolsonaro has claimed that government protections unfairly exclude indigenous people from the benefits of 21st-century life. more here. Steve Ayan in Scientific American: In 1909 five men converged on Clark University in Massachusetts to conquer the New World with an idea. At the head of this little troupe was psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Ten years earlier Freud had introduced a new treatment for what was called hysteria in his book The Interpretation of Dreams. This work also introduced a scandalous view of the human psyche: underneath the surface of consciousness roils a largely inaccessible cauldron of deeply rooted drives, especially of sexual energy (the libido). These drives, held in check by socially inculcated morality, vent themselves in slips of the tongue, dreams and neuroses. The slips in turn provide evidence of the unconscious mind. At the invitation of psychologist G. Stanley Hall, Freud delivered five lectures at Clark. In the audience was philosopher William James, who had traveled from Harvard University to meet Freud. It is said that, as James departed, he told Freud, The future of psychology belongs to your work. And he was right. The view that human beings are driven by dark emotional forces over which they have little or no control remains widespread. In this conception, the urgings of the conscious mind constantly battle the secret desires of the unconscious. Just how rooted the idea of a dark unconscious has become in popular culture can be seen in the 2015 Pixar film Inside Out. Here the unconscious mind of a girl named Riley is filled with troublemakers and fears and housed in a closed space. People like to think of the unconscious as a place where we can shove uncomfortable thoughts and impulses because we want to believe that conscious thought directs our actions; if it did not, we would seemingly have no control over our lives. This image could hardly be less accurate, however. Recent research indicates that conscious and the unconscious processes do not usually operate in opposition. They are not competitors wrestling for hegemony over our psyche. They are not even separate spheres, as Freuds later classification into the ego, id and superego would suggest. Rather there is only one mind in which conscious and unconscious strands are interwoven. In fact, even our most reasonable thoughts and actions mainly result from automatic, unconscious processes. More here. Katie Thomas and Charles Ornstein in The New York Times: Hundreds of doctors packed an auditorium at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Oct. 1, deeply angered by revelations that the hospitals top medical officer and other leaders had cultivated lucrative relationships with for-profit companies. One by one, they stood up to challenge the stewardship of their beloved institution, often to emotional applause. Some speakers accused their leaders of letting the quest to make more money undermine the hospitals mission. Others bemoaned a rigid, hierarchical management that had left them feeling they had no real voice in the hospitals direction. Slowly, Ive seen more and more of the higher-up meetings happening with people who are dressed up in suits as opposed to white coats, said Dr. Viviane Tabar, chairwoman of the neurosurgery department. The corporatization of this institution is clear to many of us who have been here a long time, said Dr. Carol L. Brown, a gynecologic cancer surgeon, according to an audio recording of the meeting. The meeting ended after several doctors advocated an immediate no-confidence vote in the hospitals senior leadership. The turmoil followed reports by The New York Times and ProPublica that the hospitals chief medical officer, Dr. Jose Baselga, had been paid millions by drug and health care companies and failed to disclose those ties more than 100 times in medical journals, and that hospital insiders had made lucrative side deals that stood to earn them handsome profits, sometimes for work they had done on the job. Tensions among doctors at the hospital over conflicts of interests mounted through September. On Sept. 28, Colin Begg, the chairman of its department of epidemiology and biostatistics, wrote other department heads. The key substantive issue is that the problems we face were not caused by failures to disclose conflicts. The problems were due to the conflicts themselves, he wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by The Times and ProPublica. Referring to Dr. Thompson and Douglas A. Warner III, the outgoing chairman of the hospitals board of managers and overseers, who is known as Sandy, he said, As far as I can tell neither Sandy nor Craig understand this very basic point. And if you dont recognize that a problem exists there is no chance you will solve it. He also said, Making billions is not our mission. M.S.K. is a nonprofit with a fundamentally social mission. More here. Frankie Thomas in The Paris Review: Are we all Joyceans here, then? the young professor asked, poking his head into the classroom doorway. We looked back at him uncertainly. Yes, we were all here for the Ulysses seminar that met at six thirty P.M. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But to call us Joyceans seemed like a stretch. TodayThursday, January 29, 2015was only the first day. And besides, this was City College. No article about City College is complete without the obligatory phrase the Harvard of the proletariat, which was supposedly both our schools nickname and its reputation in the mid twentieth century. By 2015, however, no one could deny that our beautiful Harlem campus was in decline. Governor Cuomo had recently slashed the budget for the entire CUNY system, with City College bearing the brunt of the cuts, and the disastrousness of this decision is difficult to convey without resorting to sodomitic imagery. That year, classrooms were so overcrowded that latecomers had to sit on the floor. One of my professors entered his office on the first day to find that his entire desk had been stolen. The humanities building still used old-fashioned blackboards, but the budget didnt provide for chalk, so professors hoarded and traded it like prison cigarettes. Most bathroom stalls didnt lock, and for several weeks, the entire campus collectively ran out of toilet paperIll never forget the Great Toilet Paper Crisis of 2015 and the generosity it inspired in my fellow students, who shared their own toilet paper from home and never stooped to charging for it. It was in this context that the English department decided to offer its first-ever Ulysses seminar, though they offered it as you might offer someone a home-cooked meal that youre secretly pretty sure contains broken glass. NB: This is a highly demanding course with a heavy reading load, the course catalogue warned in bold italics, more like a graduate seminar than a 400-level college class. I dont think it actually said DONT TAKE THIS CLASS, but that was the obvious implication. I have since learned that our idealistic young professor was met with departmental resistance when he suggested a Ulysses seminar, and I now suspect that the department was half hoping no one would register for it at all. But the department hadnt counted on the sheer belligerence of City College students. I took one look at that warning and immediately decided, thanks to the same knee-jerk rebelliousness that had led me to avoid college until the age of twenty-seven, that I had to take this class. I wasnt the only one: there were thirty students in the Ulysses seminar. (This is what passes for a small discussion class at City College.) Were we all Joyceans here, then? Taking our silence as a yes, our professor stepped into the crowded classroom. More here. The government shutdown is now stretching into 2019. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock The 115th Congress will conclude on January 2 with roughly one-fourth of the federal government shut down. The following day, the 116th Congress will be sworn in. The House will quickly elect Nancy Pelosi as its new Speaker, and approve a package of Democratic-designed rules for the chamber that will govern its operations over the next two years. And then Pelosi is expected to take the reins of the Democratic strategy for dealing with the Trump-engineered shutdown with a formal vote, as Roll Calls Lindsey McPherson explains: House Democrats will vote Thursday, the first day of the new Congress in which theyll be in the majority, to reopen the government with six full-year appropriations bills and a short-term continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security, according to a senior Democratic aide. In other words, Democrats will seek to detach the border wall fight with the president from other appropriations and kick the final reckoning on border security into February. The Republican-controlled Senate is very unlikely to take up any bill that Trump hasnt preapproved, so the shutdown will drag on. Pelosis repositioning as a key figure in the spending negotiations or at present, the spending standoff will be the main development this week. Trump and his allies are reportedly chortling over their success in overshadowing Pelosis big gavel-capturing moment with their issues, according to the Daily Beast: Increasingly, they see an upside in forcing likely incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi to have to spend the first days, if not weeks, of the next Congress engaged in an argument over border wall funding rather than her preferred agenda: a mix of sweeping ethics and election reforms and congressional oversight. As always, Trump is inclined to believe that hes winning whenever hes dominating discourse with his opinions and behavior, however strange and reprehensible they may seem. And he also appears to believe that an extended, nasty brawl with Pelosi the devil figure in so many Republican midterm campaign ads earlier this year will resolve any fears his base had that he would abandon the hypersymbolic if not exactly tangible border wall blueprints, as Roll Calls John Bennett notes: Striking a partial government shutdown-ending deal with Nancy Pelosi was always going to be difficult for Donald Trump but then the president dug in over the weekend and made clear he is willing to endure a lengthy shutdown to placate his base. Lawmakers involved in the talks and analysts already since the Trump-Pelosi immigration brawl could keep the Agriculture, Homeland Security, Justice, Interior departments and some smaller federal entities closed indefinitely. Part of the problem continues to be the bizarre dialogue Trump is having with himself over the definition of border wall, which makes any congressional anticipation of his position on any given day almost impossible: An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2018 The fundamental political obstacle to a deal is that both sides are convinced the standoff benefits them politically. Democrats have more tangible reasons for thinking that, specifically polls that show (a) the public blames the shutdown on Trump more than on congressional Democrats, and (b) Trumps motive for refusing a deal on his border wall continues to be unpopular. Its not 100 percent clear whether Trump simply does not believe such evidence, or (more likely) thinks his political standing depends more on rock-solid support from an admittedly small base that can be turned into a reelection coalition via the magic of luck and a Democratic opponent vulnerable to the same kind of nasty treatment he dished out to Hillary Clinton. Another theory is that he needs an angry and supportive base to keep the GOP in line, and thus protect him from the threat of impeachment. In any event, with Democrats increasingly disinclined to give Trump any kind of face-saving concessions and a significant number of Trump supporters celebrating the pain he is administering to shiftless government bureaucrats, its likely that the shutdown will continue until empirical evidence that its hurting the president politically becomes irrefutable. 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Credit: MargFreedom via Storyful A law requiring Vietnamese internet companies to remove content deemed "harmful" to the state has come into effect, in a move denounced by critics as "a totalitarian model of ... The new cybersecurity law, introduced on 1 January, has received sharp criticism from the US, the EU and internet freedom advocates who say it mimics China's repressive censorship of the internet. In the past year we have seen in Europe and the United States more legislation on cyber security aimed to protect privacy and data," says Penelope Faulkner, Vice President of the Paris-based Vietnam Committee for Human rights. "In Vietnam it is exactly the opposite. "This new legislation is really to give more powers to the government, to the Communist authorities to control the flow of information through the internet. Vietnam takes an example in Beijings virtual Great Fire Wall that protects Chinas internet from the rest of the world, controlled by special units within local, regional and central police units who roam the Chinanet looking for dissidents, critics of the Communist Party, Taiwan and Tibetan separatists and adherents of religious cults seen as dangerous by Beijing. But Vietnam for now lacks the know-how and expertise to make its system as fool-proof as the Chinese one. Yet, the new cyber law is a first step. The law, officially named the "QH14 cybersecurity law", has 43 articles. It was adopted by the Vietnamese parliament in June 2018. The main points include: Companies must store data inside Vietnam. This includes not only names and addresses, but also things like health records and political opinion of users. Data must be provided to the police upon request. Companies have 24 hours to delete all data that does not meet the government's approval. This includes criticism, voices of dissent, creation of new political parties. Any company that provides online services must have a physical office inside Vietnam. In addition to online giants like Google and Twitter, for instance, a small bank in Scotland that provides online services to people in Vietnam, or a gaming company in France that provides online gaming must comply. Faulkner hopes that European governments and especially Paris would put some pressure on Hanoi to change this law, but shes not optimistic. Story continues So far, we have been disapointed in Frances politics towards Vietnam, which should have a focus on human rights. But business interests have always come first. "I think France has an important role to play in this issue, as a guarantor of human rights and a symbol, and I think it is really important that Europe takes a stand and really impresses upon Vietnam that it wont just do business for a profit, she says. Meanwhile, dozens of online activists have been jailed at a pace not seen in years. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the communist authorities to revise the law and postpone its implementation. "This law is designed to further enable the Ministry of Public Security's pervasive surveillance to spot critics and to deepen the Communist Party's monopoly on power," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW said. The law comes into force a week after Vietnam's Association of Journalists announced a new code of conduct on the use of social media by its members, forbidding reporters to post news, pictures and comments that "run counter to" the state. Daniel Bastard of Reporters Without Borders decried the new requirements for journalists and the cybersecurity law, calling it "a totalitarian model of information control". Vietnam wants to build a reputation as a Southeast Asian hub for fintech the emerging industry that uses technology to improve activities in finance. Critics warn the new internet law particularly the data-sharing element will make start-ups think twice about relocating to the there. (with AFP) Is Elizabeth Warren electable against Trump in 2020? How would we even know? Photo: Hadley Green/The Washington Post/Getty Images Senator Elizabeth Warrens semi-announcement of a much-expected 2020 presidential candidacy represents something of a formal opening of the presidential cycle just as 2018 ends. And with it came some familiar fretting about Warrens popularity in Massachusetts and nationally, and how it affects her viability when a potentially vast presidential field is winnowed. CNNs Harry Enten, for one, isnt impressed by Warren: The fact is Massachusetts is a very blue state, Enten explained. Hillary Clinton won there by 27 points, Liz Warren only won there by 24. And keep in mind that 2018 was a much better year for Democrats nationwide, so the fact that Liz Warren did worse than Hillary Clinton in Massachusetts suggests that perhaps she is a below-par candidate. CNN then showed a poll they had conducted were she ranked seven out of ten among other Democrats who could potentially run for president in 2020. [I]n Massachusetts, Liz Warren, when matched up against her opponents in a potential Democratic primary, shes actually polling third or fourth behind Biden and Sanders, which suggests somethings quite wrong, [Enten] said. Explanations of Warrens pallid poll numbers range from her lack of engagement of national political media to her allegedly too liberal ideology to borderline sexist concerns about her schoolmarmish or standoffish persona, and fears of blatantly sexist public rejection of women especially older women as presidential prospects. Most recently, her struggle to overcome the idiotic taunts from Trump and other conservatives over her claim to a minor Native American heritage seems to typify her predicament. Even though she is by all accounts a brilliant woman with a unique capacity to understand and articulate the plight of the middle class in an era of great corporate power and official corruption, and may be ideally positioned to unite her party, her standing has been deteriorating. Politico sums it all up as Warrens battle with the ghosts of Hillary Clinton the supremely qualified yet standoffish older woman who lost to Trump in 2016 after he subjected her to smears and slurs far worse than Pocohontas. The comparisons to Clinton, however, raise an interesting quandary for Democrats: retroactive judgments notwithstanding, Clinton looked entirely electable against Trump right up to Election Day. In RealClearPolitics 2016 general election polling averages, Clinton led Trump from beginning to end on all but six days (three in May and three in July). In polls that included minor candidates, Clinton led throughout except for two days in July. And lest we forget, Clinton won the actual popular vote by 2.1 percent. So she was eminently electable but nonetheless wasnt elected. How, then, are Democrats to adjudge electability going into 2020? Do they stick with conventional polls, figuring that Trump cannot twice draw an inside straight by winning the Electoral College while losing the popular vote? Do they focus obsessively on potential nominees Electoral College potential, recognizing that individual state polls are generally less reliable than national surveys? Or do they look at candidates favorability ratios, since HRCs were relatively poor? Even then, Clintons 47/52 favorable/unfavorable rating (according to the final Gallup survey) was a lot better than Trumps 36/61. And that was after months of savage pounding of Clinton by the Trump campaign and both conservative and mainstream media. Whos to say the same thing couldnt happen again in 2020? The sui generis character of the Trump era led my colleague Eric Levitz, after a careful assessment of electability data in 2016 and 2020, to suggest were in uncharted territory in which claims of a superior ability to beat the 45th president should be taken with a shaker of salt. Electability arguments have always been handy stalking horses for substantive disagreement. But in previous cycles, there was some plausibility to the idea that party pooh-bahs could identify in advance which candidate was most likely to prevail in November. In the age of Trump, this just isnt so. If mocking prisoners of war and the disabled and bragging about adultery and pussy-grabbing do not necessarily render one unelectable, its impossible to believe any Democratic operative who says with certainty that a honeymoon in the Soviet Union [a potential Bernie Sanders problem] does. Does that mean Democrats should ignore public-opinion data altogether? No, of course not. Its entirely possible that Trumps well-established unpopularity particularly if the economy slows or stalls means that any credible Democrats could take him down in 2020, when he will be the symbol of the chronically despised status quo in Washington rather than a sort of scourge of God sent to slay the bureaucrats and drain the swamp. And thats without even knowing what Robert Mueller or House Democratic hearings might disclose about collusion or corruption in Trumps inner circle. But perhaps more to the point, Democrats wont be able to stop thinking about electability as the hour of decision approaches. For most Democrats, the prospect of a second Trump term in the White House is an existential threat, whereas in 2016 his initial election was a bad but implausible nightmare. A second Trump term would not only drive progressives wild with frustration and fear: It could tangibly mean enough additional Supreme Court decisions to guarantee an end to abortion rights and other cherished constitutional protections, along with a federal judiciary skewed to the right for a generation and enough backsliding on critical challenges like inequality and climate change to darken every Americans future. So if early polls show one potential Democratic nominee cleaning Trumps clock while another trails him, the knowledge that polls can change between the primaries and November and have in any event gotten Trumps standing tragically wrong in the past may not matter that much. Levitz is right that Democrats should stop tormenting themselves with hypotheticals and simply vote for whichever candidate they would most like to be president. But in the end, electability is going to be an important factor, because when it comes to ending the Trump presidency in 2020, nothing will be left to fickle chance. Romania took over the EU's rotating presidency on Tuesday at a tumultuous time for the bloc and just days after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker voiced doubts about the country's ability to do the job. Brussels is already at loggerheads with the increasingly populist government in Bucharest on multiple fronts and Juncker's comments highlight some of the strains. Romania will be in charge for the next six months as the European Union faces a series of tricky tests most notably Brexit, European parliamentary elections, and wrangling over the next budget. The Eastern European nation, which takes the presidency for the first time as it succeeds Austria, has been one of the EU's most consistently europhile member states since it joined in 2007. But its left-wing government has recently begun to adopt the sort of nationalist rhetoric expounded by nearby Hungary and Poland. All three are embroiled in disputes with the EU over controversial reforms that critics say undermine the rule of law. Liviu Dragnea, head of the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) and widely seen as Romania's most powerful man, has slammed the EU as "unfair", claiming Brussels is seeking to deny Bucharest the "right to hold its own opinions". Row over amnesty decree In remarks to Die Welt on December 29, Juncker said that even if Romania was "technically well prepared" for the presidency, the "Bucharest government has not fully understood what it means to preside over the countries of the EU". 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", Juncker said. One of the main reasons for the cooling of relations between Bucharest and Brussels is the PSD's planned overhaul of Romania's judiciary, which the government says is aimed at clamping down on "abuses" by judges and magistrates. Story continues But the European Commission wants the reforms scrapped, saying they undermine the fight against corruption in one of the EU's most graft-prone states. EU officials "have the feeling, perhaps justifiably, that these reforms are for the benefit of Dragnea", political scientist Andrei Taranu told AFP. The government has proposed a criminal amnesty for politicians including Dragnea, who was given a suspended jail sentence for electoral fraud in 2016 and is being investigated in two other criminal cases. The amnesty decree is expected to be issued soon, with a European source warning that such a step would cross a "red line" for Brussels. Polarised and divided Moreover, Romania may find it difficult to speak with a united voice, given the tug-of-war between the government of Viorica Dancila the third PSD prime minister since 2016 and centre-right President Klaus Iohannis. Iohannis, a keen pro-European who has frequently clashed with the government, represents Romania on the European Council. The PSD won a comfortable election victory in 2016, but quickly sparked the country's biggest wave of protests since the collapse of communism with an attempt to water down anti-corruption laws. Demonstrations have continued in the capital Bucharest but the PSD still enjoys solid support in poorer and more rural parts of the country, which have benefited from recent rises in wages and benefits. Political analyst Radu Alexandru describes Romanian society as "very polarised and divided". As well as being one of the EU's poorest countries, Romania also suffers from huge inequality. The country has received 32 billion euros in EU cohesion funds, part of which went to supplying running water to 40 percent of rural homes up from just one percent at the fall of communism in 1989. But as sociologist Iulian Stanescu of the ICCV research institute points out, "EU membership can't solve everything." (FRANCE 24 with AFP) ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Armed men killed 37 Fulani civilians on Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government said. Violence between Fulani and rival communities has compounded an already dire security situation in Mali's semi-arid and desert regions, which are used as a base by jihadist groups with ties to al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group. The government said in a statement that the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region and that some of the victims were children. Moulage Guindo, the mayor of Bankass, the nearest town, said the attack occurred around the time of the first call to prayer of the new year and targeted the Fulani part of Koulogon. He said another part of Koulogon is mostly inhabited by Dogon, an ethnic group to which the Donzos are linked, less than 1 km (half a mile) away. Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely allied Islamists took over its north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene to push them back the following year. Islamists have since regained a foothold in the north and centre, tapping into ethnic rivalries to recruit new members. (REUTERS) FILE PHOTO: The logo of German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom AG is seen at the company's headquarters in Bonn February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom has filed a lawsuit against Germany's Federal Network Agency protesting preconditions for participating in a next-generation mobile network frequency auction, Die Welt newspaper said on Tuesday. Germany stipulated that bidders for 5G mobile frequencies must invest to expand the country's mobile network and potentially allow new entrants to use their infrastructure. The network regulator set a Jan. 25 deadline for auction submissions, saying the sale would begin in early 2019, but revised the preconditions for participation, drawing protests from the country's main network operators. Under the revised rules, a new market entrant without its own developed network, such as United Internet , could bid for a 5G licence. Deutsche Telekom's suit claims the new preconditions call into question its investments and discourage further development of network infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, the German paper said, citing a Deutsche Telekom spokesman. Deutsche Telekom could not immediately be contacted by Reuters. Germany's three main network operators - Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland - have now all sued the network agency seeking to determine the legality of the new preconditions. Deutsche Telekom, in which Germany holds a 31.9 percent stake, filed a suit against the Federal Network Agency with an administrative court in Cologne, Germany, Die Welt said. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Andrea Shalal and Kirsten Donovan) The head of HSBCs unit in Turkey is being investigated for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the latest move in the governments attempt to curb dissent. A prosecutor is investigating Selim Kervanci, chief executive of HSBC Turkey, for a 2013 retweet of a clip from the German film Downfall, which is set in the last days of Adolf Hitler. He retweeted the post by a Turkish journalist five years ago when Mr Erdogan was prime minister of Turkey and when there was a series of demonstrations over the conservation of Gezi Park in Istanbul which transformed into a wider protest against the state. Mr Kervanci testified to police about the video in September. The story was first reported by Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet. HSBC Turkey declined to comment on the probe. Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Kervanci joined HSBC 22 years ago as a management trainee when it was called Midland Bank in Turkey and he became chief executive of the Turkish arm in 2016. Following a failed military coup in July 2016, the government enforced a state of emergency and ramped up its crackdown on dissent, arresting journalists, academics and activists as well as dismissing thousands of public sector officials. Insulting Mr Erdogan is a crime in Turkey and according to Human Rights Watch more than 6,000 people were prosecuted in 2017 and just over 2,000 people were convicted. A 2017 referendum granted Mr Erdogan expansive new powers for several amendments to the constitution, a step to transform Turkey from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential republic. Imelda Cortez, a young woman from El Salvador, was acquitted on December 17th after a lengthy legal battle which had seen her facing up to 20 years in prison after enduring repeated rape at the hands of her stepfather since she was eleven years old. Her crime? Allegedly attempting to abort the foetus conceived from one of these attacks. El Salvador has some of the worlds strictest abortion laws according to the World Health Organisation a total ban on terminating a pregnancy, even in cases of rape or where the mothers life is at risk. In this particular case, Cortez consistently insisted she was unaware she was pregnant and never tried to induce an abortion; her daughter, confirmed by DNA evidence to have been fathered by Cortezs stepfather, is now nearly two years old. The saga in which the government quickly prosecuted Cortez while dragging its feet on investigating her rape claims and even casting doubt on whether she had been assaulted is just one recent example of the pervasive double standard placed on rape survivors and their children. Rebuilding a life after having been raped is task enough for victims; forcing them to jump through hoops in the legal system, navigate ostracisation and communal disbelief at survivors stories is inarguably cruel. Worse still, this tragic story continues to play out across generations and across the world. On top of struggling to obtain restitution in the wake of Sexual Violence, rape survivors are cast out of their own families, denied work opportunities and rejected by potential partners, while their children are shunned from birth. The DRC: A particularly severe flashpoint Certain war-torn zones are particular flashpoints for this devastating cycle. The U.N. has referred to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the rape capital of the world. 12 percent of women in the country have been raped, and an appalling 48 women are assaulted an hour. In the east Congolese village of Munigi, Passy Mubalama, a former journalist and founder of rehabilitation initiative Aidprofen, helps women such as 20-year-old mother Yvette (a pseudonym), who was raped by two uniformed men while working in the bean fields. Almost as devastating as the assault itself for Yvette has been the ostracization she has dealt with since. Yvette was forced to confess the attack to her mother after she fell pregnant. Her mother, furious at the shame she felt Yvette had brought to the family, kicked her out of her home, eventually relenting to allow her to sleep in the backyard. Yvette turned to ill-paid sex work to survive, and still tells people that her sons father died to eschew the stigma of having been raped. Uzamukunda Esperance of the Congolese village of Kiwanja has a similar story: Esperance has been excluded from her community ever since she was raped by the military men who killed her husband. Fortunately, she has managed to start her own small business, manufacturing the local bread chikwangue to make ends meet as a single mother. She is one of the lucky ones. As many as 80 percent of rape survivors in the DRC lose their jobs and are forced to flee their communities. A global problem As Congolese gynaecologist and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Denis Mukwege commented, however, the problem is by no means limited to any single country. When this happens, dont say Its Iraq, Congo, Colombia, or Korea, Mukwege insisted, we have just to say our humanity was abused. As things stand, communities around the world have struggled to do right by their citizens who have suffered sexual assault. In many cases, women are encouraged to marry their rapists in a twisted attempt to contain the fallout of the crime. Only last year did lawmakers in El Salvador abolish a law allowing men to marry underage girls they had impregnated, while such laws remain on the books in countries such as Kuwait and Tajikistan. In Malaysia, one lawmaker views such marriages between victims and their rapists as a chance to turn a new leaf in life and suggested that girls as young as 9 who had been raped might find marrying their assaulter a suitable remedy which would allow them to have a healthier, better life. Even in some US states, underage marriage is similarly used as a means of curbing out-of-wedlock birth or erasing victims shame. Effects on the next generation Such responses have devastating implications not only for the women who have been assaulted but for their children. Inn El Salvador, many survivors are forced to carry any pregnancy resulting from the rape to term, only for those children to be brutally maligned in turn. A generation of Vietnamese adults have grown up stigmatised by their mothers brutal ordeals. The Lai Dai Han (meaning mixed blood), as they have come to be known, were conceived of rape at the hands of South Korean troops stationed in Vietnam during the war in the 1970s. Ostracised by Vietnam, their existence ignored by South Korea, the Lai Dai Hanwhich may number as many as 30,000 and their mothers are demanding their voices be heard to this day. Similarly, Emmanuel Mukeshamfura, a young Rwandan man, told The Times that he worries that he has bad blood. Emmanuel is one of a generation known as "les enfants mauvais souvenirs", the children of bad memories. After Emmanuels Tutsi mother was raped by his Hutu father amid the carnage of Rwandas genocide 24 years ago, Emmanuel has spent his life being shunned and called slurs such as Hutu killer by his mothers family and peers. Time to end the double burden With the growing #MeToo movement and the awarding of this years Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. Mukwege and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad, sexual assault seems to finally be fighting its way from the shadows. Removing social stigma and legal barriers to survivors recoveryand that of their children is an essential first step in the fight to address the scourge of rape. Four people were arrested in Ho Chi Minh City for their suspected involvement in commercial surrogacy, local police said on Tuesday. One of the arrestees is a Chinese man and the others Vietnamese women. The foreigner, Cai Guo Lin, 37, came to Hanoi in September last year and asked a local woman named Hoang Thi Thu Trang to be his interpreter and help him find a would-be surrogate mother who would receive an embryo created with in vitro fertilization. Cai agreed to pay Trang VND5 million (US$215) if she succeeded in seeking one. Trang came into contact with Trieu Thi Hang, whom she asked to look for a surrogate in exchange for VND300 million ($12,900). Hang then introduced the first potential surrogate mother to Cai and got VND100 million ($4,300) from him. In November, six more surrogate mothers-to-be were brought to the Chinese man by a Vietnamese woman known as Nguyen Thi Mai Anh. The foreigner, the interpreter Trang, Hang and Anh took the surrogates from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City the following month so that they could be easily transported to Cambodia for a surrogacy operation. But while staying in the southern metropolis, one of the would-be surrogates made a phone call to her family over fear that she would be trafficked by the Chinese man. On the familys tip-off, the municipal police took the four people in custody during a raid on the hotel they were staying. Vietnam has outlawed commercial surrogacy since 2016 and conviction for the crime may lead to a punishment of to up to five years in prison. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese man has been in detention for stashing firecrackers and weapons at home in the Central Highlands region, police said on Monday. The man in question is Vo Ngoc Be Em, 38, living in Thang Loi Ward, Kon Tum Province. Police officers raided a house in Alley 331, Ly Thai To Street, Yen Do Ward, Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province at 3:00 pm on Monday. They found almost half a ton of firecrackers, one pickup truck, knives, and machetes. Em admitted to police that he had bought them from Kon Tum and carried all with the pickup to Pleiku. He rented the house to store the firecrackers for resale for a profit. Police officers are expanding an investigation into the case. This is the largest bust of firecrackers in Gia Lai so far. Vietnam bans firecrackers from New Year celebrations as well as their storage, use, sale, or distribution. The same ban applies to weapons, including machetes, guns and ammunition. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Congolese are waiting for Sunday election results which will unveil the successor of the outgoing President Joseph Kabila two years after the electoral process was delayed over logistical problems. Millions of Congolese Sunday cast their votes except some 1.26 million in some regions of the country, including the eastern city of Goma the vote has been delayed until March over security and Ebola concerns. The Sunday polls closed 17:00 (16:00 GMT) local times some areas continue beyond 17 due to delays long queues of voters. Expected in one week time, the results will unveil the winner among 21 candidates dominated by three frontrunners namely Emmanuel RamazaniShadary, a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist,Martin Fayulu, a former oil executive who has promised a dignified and prosperous Congo and Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the son of a late veteran opposition leader who made the fight against corruption the top of his agenda. The vote was marred logistical problems and violence. While the vote place peacefully in capital Kinshasa, Felix Tshisekedi accused the electoral commission of creating mess in some areas of the capital where polling station did not open six hours after beginning of the process. Observers and voters also encountered several technical problems with the voting machines which according to reports either broke down or running low on power, or causing significant delays. Church, very entrenched in the Congolese politics deployed more than 40,000 observers. The observers reported that 830 polling station did not start on time adding that 846 stations were installed in prohibited places such as military camps, police posts or private residences. There were also reports of killings. A police officer and civilian were killed the east in a dispute over alleged voting fraud, a local politician who witnessed the incident told Reuters. Sunday vote is the beginning of the first peaceful power transfer in the country since independence in 1960. Outgoing President who replaced his father following his death in 2001, has accept to step aside after delaying three times and over two years the vote to replace him in line with the constitution. Kabila, very relaxed cast his vote in in the wealthy neighbourhood of Gombe, close to the presidential residence at 8am. He described the election as free and credible. A man has been found dead in his trishaw, allegedly due to cold weather, in tropical Vietnam this week. Tran Lu, 54, was discovered motionless on Monday in his rickshaw on Duong Dinh Nghe Street, Tan Son Ward, Thanh Hoa City, which the capital of Thanh Hoa Province, located in the north-central region, Tran Thi Hoa, Tan Son chairwoman, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the same day. Police examined the scene and found no sign of murder so they concluded the man might have died of cold, as the temperature plummeted to 10 degrees Celsius on Sunday night. In tropical Vietnam, the norm is 30 degrees Celsius. Lu came from Yen Dinh District, about 30km from Thanh Hoa City, local authorities said. He often traveled on Duong Dinh Nghe to make a living and slept under the Phu Son overpass on the same road at night, locals said. Tan Son officials have offered VND3 million (US$130) in support and paid for a car to carry him home for funeral rituals. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! We wish you a prosperous year ahead! Society -- Well over a thousand people started flooding into downtown Ho Chi Minh City around 6:00 pm on Monday to watch fireworks and public New Year performances while more than a million Hanoi dwellers congregated around the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake for similar events. -- A 54-year-old man was discovered dead in a trishaw his means of livelihood by the roadside on Monday morning in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam. Local authorities found no evidence of murder and suspected he died of low temperatures, which went below 10 degrees Celsius on Monday night. -- Eighty-one people died and 41 injured in 116 road accidents nationwide during the last three days of 2018, when multiple people traveled to hometowns or tourist attractions, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee. -- Police are hunting over ten motorbike-riding muggers who attacked riders with knives in different areas in Ho Chi Minh Citys suburban district of Binh Chanh. Amongst the victims was a South Korean. -- Locals in Binh Duong Province, next to Ho Chi Minh City, on Sunday night managed to stop a hit-and-run driver who fled in his semi truck three kilometers from the scene where the vehicle ran over a motorcyclist, who immediately died. -- A tropical low pressure air system off the coast of southern Vietnam may evolve into a storm packing over 60 kilometers per hour as it is forecast to move westward toward the countrys southernmost tip by Wednesday afternoon. Business -- Vietnams tourism ministry plans to create a breakthrough in attracting more tourists to the south-central resort city of Nha Trang and neighboring areas in 2019. -- The first catamaran ferry with a 300-passenger capacity began operations on Monday between the south-central resort city of Phan Thiet and the tourist island of Phu Quy, around 100 kilometers away. The travel time is now two hours. -- Quang Nam Province, where the ancient town of Hoi An is located, randomly chose its 3.8 millionth foreign visitor for 2018 during a New Year event on Monday. -- Ho Chi Minh City welcomed its first international tourists in 2019 at the local Tan Son Nhat International Airport early Tuesday morning. The German visitors were given a free tour to places of interest in the metropolis. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Another year! You survived one more rotation of the earth! And youre still in one piece! Today is a great one to celebrate regardless of the condition of your bank account, love life or job you are still alive! Amazing, isnt it! Yayyy! I know you are feeling okay because youre actually able to read this. If you are still hung over from New Years Eve, sleeping it off or passed out in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, clearly you have no idea what Im writing about. Eggs, bacon and one Bloody Mary, please! I wonder what do vegans use for a hang-over cure? So whats in store for 2019? Well, for expats, more visa runs. For the Viet Kieu, more haggling over new hotel construction contracts and for the locals, time to start a new business! Probably a shop selling the same thing as the other fifty shops in the same street. At least Vietnamese are optimists! Depends on how you want to look at it are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you read a lot of fake news? Is your life half-full or half-empty? Many pundits are already comparing 2019 to other bad years such as 1929 (start of the great depression), 1939 (start of World War II) and 1989 (start of rap music). On the other hand, there was 1949 (the birth of color TV), 1959 (Barbie dolls go on sale) and 1979 (England gets its first nudist beach). So the number 9 isnt a problem. Interestingly, the Vietnamese consider 9 to be lucky although it can also mean long-lasting which can be taken either way; good or bad! Since most of 2019 will be the Year of the Pig, its all going to be prosperous, too. I suspect that as Vietnam takes a four-day holiday for the Western New Year, its a good sign that the nation as a whole can take most of the year easy. For the foreigners who live here, its another year of moving goal posts, mixed messages, rubber time and taking valium to deal mentally with the traffic. As our New Years Day rain continues, its also a time to make those much-needed and of-lamented resolutions to do things differently, better, radically, life-transforming and sure to amaze your friendsif you can stick with it for 12 monthsand anyone whos not single knows this is impossible. Fireworks explode over the sky in Ho Chi Minh City on New Year's Day. Photo: Tuoi Tre Getting into shape is a good one and easy in Vietnam. Simply walking to the shops, while dodging the traffic, should shave off about half a kilo a day. Deciding to save is harder, best to get a large metal tin and throw in all your low number Vietnamese cash each day. By the end of the month, youll have about a million dong. Works for the locals! Wanna leave that dead English teaching job up in the mountains where theres only one restaurant serving anything vaguely like a Western meal? Trickysneak out on a public holiday, use a private hire car and declare as loudly as possible on Facebook in the next town that youve been teaching English for more than six months and youre willing to work early Sunday morning private classes. One of the reasons Ive lived so long in this culture is the endlessly cheerful nature of the Vietnamese, their optimism and their energy. Also, what knocks them down doesnt necessarily get them down. They are a tough mob. Just look at how many times they get hit with natural disasters and man-made accidents, yet they keep going. Some might say, Well, what choice do they have? And thats partly true but what is really surprising is the cheerfulness after the fall. Vietnamese dont publically feel sorry for themselves too often. So if we face 2019 and New Years Day, perhaps the best idea is to adapt to or absorb some of that attitude into ourselves as well rather than New Years resolutions or some fake outward impression of toughness and just deal with whatever comes with a shrug, a smile and a big dose of bravery. So youll need a plan. I suggest, speaking as a battle-hardened, jaded, vile, old expat, buy a helmet, pay for some insurance, learn to fix things in the house yourself (and dont tell the landlord), know where the best hospital is, carry the right change for topping up the motorbike, locate a decent pub, keep plenty of candles for the blackouts and power cuts, and if you see Vegemite for sale anywhere grab ALL of it. Or as we say in Vietnam Co chi lam quan, co gan lam giau (Fortune favors the brave) To all our readers, good luck in 2019! Oi! Em oi! Some more bacon and eggs and another Bloody Maryplease Sierra Leons anti-graft commission has detained countrys former defense minister Alfred Paolo Conteh for being mired in some contract back in 2015, reports say. Conteh held defense department under former President Ernest Bai Koroma who led the country from 207 to April this year. The commission also nabbed Sannah Marrah; a former director of the defense ministry. Both former officials are detained as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption in some contracts awarded by the army. The contract; uniforms ($5 million), vehicles ($10.6 million) and the rice were awarded to a Chinese company. The arrest which took place Friday sparked anger and protest from Contehs followers in the former ruling party APC. Some 500 people marched in capital Freetown with the protestors calling for the release of the former minister. Since its inception in October following the electoral by current President Julius Maada Bio, the commission has locked up several former official of Bai Koromas regime, including former Deputy President Victor Bockarie Foh. The APC has slammed the commission that it believes, is illegal and noting that it will not cooperate with it. An official who did not want to be named told the AFP that government will not allow intimidation and provocation from any political party. The Commission in January will conduct hearing in cases of money embezzlements and grafts that have cripple the economic growth of the country over decades. The world bid adieu to 2018 and welcomed 2019 with hope, cheer and colourful festivities. It was New Zealand which ringed in the New Year first. Hundreds of people cheered as the giant clock in Auckland struck 12. The Australians too celebrated with New Year parties and count downs. Kerala welcomed 2019 with grand celebrations and parties arranged at different parts of the state. Burning Pappanji at Kochi Thousands of people who gathered at the Parade ground welcomed 2019 with songs and dance. At the stroke of the midnight, when the ships docked at the harbour, cheered by blowing their sirens in unison, the countdown to burn the Pappanji too began. Within seconds the huge Pappanji (giant statue of the Santa Claus), placed in front of the David hall was swallowed by fire, burning away the woes of 2018. Those who gathered to witness this moment, including many foreigners, cheered as they ringed in 2019. The Pappanji was set on fire jointly by Mayor Saumini Jain, collector Muhammad Safirulla, and municipal chair person Shiny Mathew. Many Pappanjis, set up at different parts by of Kochi by various organizations, were burned at midnight. People gathered at all the junctions where Pappanjis were erected, from evening onwards to celebrate and dance. It was for the 2nd consecutive year that Pappanji was burned at the Parade ground and not at the beach as per the tradition. The decision to shift the venue was taken by the authorities after a good part of the beach was eroded by the sea. The Pappanji, which was built on an iron structure, held a banner in his hand paying tribute to the fisher folk of Kerala. The carnival rally which marks the end of the Cochin carnival festivities would be conducted in the Veli ground at 3 this evening. The program will be inaugurated by Mayor Saumini Jain. At 6.30 pm, the closing ceremony will be inaugurated at the Parade ground by KJ Maxi MLA. This year, the South Zone Cultural Centre will make its debut in the rally which will be a colourful event showcasing thrilling bands and traditional art forms. Two groups consisting of 15 members each, from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, would join the rally with Karakattam and other traditional dance forms. Exciting night at Kovalam Thiruvananthapuram welcomed 2019 on a thrilling note by celebrating with families and friends at the beaches. The tourists too were part of the New Year festivities. They waited for the clock to strike 12 and celebrated with song and dance. The hotels had arranged DJ parties, chenda melam and even performances of the traditional art forms. Both foreigners and natives danced merrily to the rapid beats of the chenda melam. The cheered in excitement as it neared towards the midnight. Finally, when the clock struck 12, the skies of Kovalam were lit up with colourful fireworks. Everyone shouted 'Happy New Year' and a few foreigners were seen embracing each other and even shed tears of joy and hope. New Year's Eve was a busy night for emergency services, who reported that four accidents occurred throughout the country. At around 9.40pm, a car in Petange crashed into a parked car. One individual sustained injuries, with an ambulance from Differdange attending the scene. In Heffingen at 12.50am, a car crashed into a pole and one person was injured. Heffingen firefighters and an ambulance from Larochette arrived to help the injured party. Not long after, at 1am, two people were hit by a car in Luxembourg City, requiring the presence of ambulances from Mamer and Luxembourg City as well as firefighters and first responders. At 3.45am, a car overturned in Mersch. One person was injured and an ambulance from Larochette attended the incident alongside Mersch firefighters. If you feel bad about being a last-minute shopper, don't be because you're in good company. Business Insider reported that Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, was also spotted doing some last minute gift hunting at The Range" outlet in Kings Lynn, a British discount store. An onlooker asked Kate to do a selfie with she and her kids. The customer claims, "She very politely declined. She was so nice, explaining she was just doing a bit of Christmas shopping." Kate reportedly bought "pictures, children's books, and artist materials." Business Insider suggests that the busy royal and mom of three had a good reason for shopping at the bargain store. It has to do with one of the rules that the Queen has for the royal family's annual Christmas celebration. One of the rules is "the cheaper the gifts are, the better they are." Our Luxembourgish colleagues over at RTL.lu asked their readers to vote for their Luxembourgers of the Year (both a man and a woman) and it appears that the voters have chosen to highlight people involved in social work. Over 2,000 people voted on RTL.lu to elect Gwen Daufeld and Jerr Herr as the Luxembourgers of the Year 2018. For the first time in the competition, a woman (Daufeld) gained the most votes overall. Gwen Daufeld was nominated and won the title of Luxembourger of the Year 2018 (woman) due to her work with dementia patients and help in the fire service. Daufeld drives an ambulance regularly and is described as someone who is always ready to help. As for her male counterpart, president and founder of the not for profit association Wonschkutsch, Jeff Herr, was awarded the title. The association's aim is to help achieve a final wish for terminally ill people. The association is less than a year old and Herr feels honoured that the Luxembourgish community has highlighted his work. While not every wish is possible to fulfil, Wonschkutsch works with patients' doctors to determine what they can do to help them. How does the competition work? The competition started with RTL.lu users sending in suggestions for potential candidates. The team over at RTL.lu then chose a shortlist of 10 men and 10 women each out of these near 200 nominees. During the last two weeks of December, the competition went on to a voting stage for those registered on RTL.lu. Each user could give a maximum of six votes, but only three per candidate. Trends and awards As with previous years, RTL.lu users tended towards honouring non-celebrities and instead focused on individuals who have contributed towards society and work for charitable causes. The two 2018 laureates were both gifted artwork by Jack Zazzera. Artist Jack Zazzera with the prizes for 2018 laureates. / Previous laureates 2017: Martine Kohl (Street Angels) and Andre Bichel (police officer) 2016: Nathalie Scheer (ALS patient) and Marcel Steffen (police officer) 2015: Yasmine Grisius (police officer, posthumous award) and Jean Asselborn (Minister of Foreign Affairs) 2014: Noemie Siebenaller and Camille Arend (both awarded posthumously as the two "Le soleil dans la main" NGO workers died in a plane crash in Mali) 2013: Sylvie Conter (judge) and Gaston Vogel (lawyer) 2012: Eliane Leger (nurse) and Romain Hilbes (bus driver and emergency services worker) 2011: Xavier Bettel (then mayor of Luxembourg City) 2010: Andy Schleck (cyclist) 2009: Andy Schleck (cyclist) 2008: Jean-Claude Juncker (then prime minister) Since 2012, RTL split the awards by gender and no longer accepted nominations of those who previously won LOTY. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. As expected, the Gabrielas Womens Party has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to resign after he admittedrather graphicallythat he molested a sleeping maid when he was a teenager. This the President did as part of a speech in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, recounting how he confessed his sin to a priest in high school. I went to the room of the maid. I lifted the blanket. I tried to touch what was inside the panty... I tried to insert my finger, Father. There was hair. It was wet, he said. Perhaps to the crowds amusement, he then related how the priest had told him to recite one Our Father and five Hail Marys so he would not go to hell. Gabriela correctly condemned the Presidents comments as repulsive and said he should resign for admitting to attempted rape. Rape does not happen only through penile insertion. If it is a finger or an object it is considered rape, the secretary general of the group pointed out. Just as predictably, Mr. Dutertes spin masters in the Palace said the Presidents confession was a mere allegory to dramatize his point, a laughable anecdote... spliced up with vulgarity to highlight the sexual abuse that he suffered as a boy at the hands of Catholic priests. In a pompous, even self-righteous way, the Palace spokesman added: The President will not discard his shocking and amusing out-of-the-box utterances that have been his political signature, which has endeared him to the masses, and which he finds effective in transmitting to the nation his political and social dogmas.Sadly, we have seen the same pattern played out over and over again. The President says something shocking, the womens groups react, and the Palace says it was a joke. Nothing changes, until the Presidents next outrageous statement. In the meantime, the maniac in Malacanang, as Gabriela has come to call the President, goes along his merry way, seemingly enjoying the shock and disgust he provokes, until his next despicable utterance. There is no behavioral change, much less remorse. To this extent, the womens movement here has been a failure, because none of the denunciations and condemnations have changed Mr. Duterte one iota. He remains as lecherous and as lascivious an old man as he ever was, taking delight in the sexually inappropriate. The only time the President and men like him will stop is when it becomes apparent that even their words will have true and serious consequencesas the #MeToo movement proved worldwide. Womens groups and allied organizations clearly need to break the pattern, organize themselves better, down to the grass roots, and hit the President hard where it hurts the mostevery time he disrespects women with his poorly chosen words. Twenty-three people, including seven policemen, will face charges for illegally discharging their firearms from Dec. 16, 2018, to Jan. 1, 2019, Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said Tuesday. He made the statement even as Quezon City Police Chief Joselito Esquivel Jr. said there were no reported cases of stray bullets and almost zero-crime incidents in Quezon City during the holidays. Albayalde said aside from the policemen, the others who were caught illegally firing their guns were two government officials, one Armed Forces of the Philippines serviceman, 10 civilians, two security guards and one law enforcement agent. As I have promised, there will be no mercy for errant personnel who will fire their guns to celebrate the holidays, Albayalde said in a statement. The full might of the law will be applied to these trigger-happy gun owners. The PNP deployed 26,676 policemen for general law enforcement and public safety duties in places where people gather, including transportation hubs and bus terminals during the holidays. The police arrested 97 people for selling or using prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.Esquivel said except for a lone attempted homicide that took place at 10:30 pm on Monday in Gulod village in Novaliches and 11 firecracker-related injuries, there were no other crimes reported. He credited the almost zero-crime incidents and generally peaceful celebration of the New Year to the policemen who patrolled the streets despite the rainy weather. As a whole, we deployed 1,405 police officers on the streets and identified firecracker zones in different villages. I ordered my men to apprehend those behind indiscriminate firing and the use of illegal firecrackers, Esquivel said. Because of this, we had a generally peaceful New Year celebration. At least 965 violators of city ordinances were accosted and two were arrested for illegal drug use from Dec. 31 until Jan. 1. Firecracker-related injuries also decreased, with only 11 incidents reported compared to 25 in 2017. 1+ days ago | June 11th, 6:00 AM Why ESG Investments May Motivate You (and Make Your Portfolio Better) You may have already heard of ESG investing, which stands for environmental, social, and governance investing. Have you ever considered that your portfolio could look even better because you invest in something you have a passion for? I know that I always work harder on things I love, and I'm guessing you do, too. Whether you invest based TONS OF TRASH. Heaps of uncollected garbage outside the Quiapo Catholic Church in the heart of Manila provide an eyesore to commuters and other passersby following the New Year celebration. Norman Cruz Many residents in Metro Manila who celebrated the New Year left tons of garbage on Tuesday and early Wednesday, drawing the ire of environmental activists.The Ecowaste Coalition said many residents again welcomed the new year with piles of garbage around the metropolis. The group said the merrymakers left trash on the streets, sidewalks, parks and market areas following the countdown to 2019 and the customary media noche feast. Its really great to see families happily celebrating the New Year. But what makes this beautiful tradition ugly is our penchant to consume and throw a lot of things as can be seen from the overflowing bins to the garbage piles dotting our neighborhoods following the revelry, said Ecowaste campaigner Daniel Alejandre. Many of our communities, especially in the thickly populated areas, are drowning in post-revelry garbage on the first day of January, which, incidentally, is observed as Zero Waste Month. In some places, it may take a few days for the haulers to clear the streets of mini-dumps. We need to stop trashing our communities. Based on the monitoring conducted Tuesday morning by the groups members, the streets surrounding bargain hubs and market places were found to be the filthiest, with the trash strewn in wide areas. We found mixed wastes dumped in the streets, including leftover food, product packaging, plastics and hazardous residuals from firecrackers and fireworks, Alejandre said.His group witnessed widespread dumping at the Balintawak market in Quezon City, along Recto Avenue and adjacent streets in Divisoria, Manila, at the Monumento, Caloocan City and around the Marikina City Public Market. Reports from the Metro Manila Development Authority showed that Quezon City topped the list in garbage production in the metropolis, generating 3,610 tons per day. It was followed by Manila and Caloocan City at 1,175 and 913 tons per day, respectively. Marikina City ranked sixth at 460 tons per day after Paranaque City (635 tons per day) and Makati City (474 tons per day). The MMDA says Metro Manila produces 9,872 tons of garbage daily, constituting close to 25 percent of the national daily waste production at 40,000 tons. Ecowaste says crass consumerism and poor waste segregation contribute to the huge amounts of garbage that require disposal after the holidays. While we demand that manufacturers embrace clean production and extended producer responsibility, we as consumers need to consume responsibly, choose products in least packaging and ditch single-use plastics altogether. We should also properly sort our discards to facilitate their reuse, recycling or composting, Alejandre said. Kylie Henley and her husband spend about $150 a week between them on cigarettes. The Far North mother-of-three says another 10 per cent increase in cigarette excise tax, being introduced on January 1, will be hard to swallow. "They are costing a fortune...I'm not a super heavy smoker but because it's an addiction, it makes it ten times harder." In 2006, a 25-pack of cigarettes cost $11.95. From tomorrow, the price will be near $40. Kylie says taxes were not the right way to encourage people to quit. She has smoked since she was 16 and cigarettes were less than $10 a pack. "In my opinion, the higher the increase the more robberies that are going to occur... My husband works 70-hour weeks to pay for his habit/addiction and I think it is very unfair of the government to make them cost so much if they want the beneficiaries to stop then don't allow them to buy smokes don't punish the hard-working people." A spokeswoman for British American Tobacco says 75 per cent of the purchase price of cigarettes now went to the government in tax. The increases are part of measures to reduce the number of New Zealand smokers, which has dropped from 20 per cent of the general population in 2006/2007 to 16 per cent. Researcher Jess Berentson-Shaw, of think tank The Workshop said it did work, alongside other effective policies. "Policies that include freely available and effective quit services that are tailored to the needs of different groups," she says. "We must however be cognisant of the impact a blunt instrument like tax has on equity. If the greatest impact on reducing smoking rates are for those who smoke least then policy-makers need to commit to investing in tools that empower and enable those most impacted by smoking. For young Maori women for example does tax work in the same way as for Pakeha? "Given they have the highest rate of smoking what investments are we making alongside tax increases to empower them to quit and even better still not start? What do these young women say they need? What works for them? Are we committing to ensuring they have rates as low as other groups?" Tim Barnett, chief executive of budgeting advisers' support organisation FinCap, agreed increasing the price was just one method of tackling smoking. "There is certainly evidence from financial mentors that the sheer cost of smoking - given the cost of the necessities of life - can be the trigger for people to quit. "Of course it is very tough to be increasing prices for a habit which many people find near impossible to break. So it is vital that the cost of breaking the habit can be kept as low and as attractive as possible to make it as easy as possible to quit including a place for vaping. "That's as important as the taxation approach." Another smoker, Crystal Sinclair, said she smoked because it relieved her depression "and handling two young children. "But with increases [it] makes it not very affordable to the point I will have to quit because of it." She spent about $170 a week on smoking at the moment. Tash Cotterill-Haenga, meanwhile, says she would consider switching to roll-you-own tobacco to save money. "I'm not a heavy smoker." -Story by Susan Edmunds, www.stuff.co.nz Just like with Dallas, here are some pictures I took when I went to San Antonio for work last week. Drive down: Behind the Hilton Palacio Del Rio: Biga On The Banks: Our conference room, across the street from Hilton Palacio Del Rio: Casa Rio: Acapulco, Kerrville: Kiska: Murder turned 2018 into a year of struggle for decency and justice In his last presidential New Years address, the president called on citizens to continue striving for a better Slovakia. In 2018, the Slovak people withstood the test because they proved they could defend the values that strengthen democracy. But it is just the start of a tough journey, President Andrej Kiska said in his New Years address, aired on the public-service RTVS in the early afternoon of the first day of 2019. As President of the Slovak Republic, I am delivering my New Years address for the last time, Kiska said at the start of his speech. He thus confirmed his earlier decision from May 2018, when he announced he would not run for re-election in the upcoming presidential election in 2019. Following the events of the past year, Kiskas political future has been unclear, and some observers had not ruled out that he might change his mind about running for the presidency again. In his address, Kiska greeted people who live in Slovakia as well as Slovaks living around the world and congratulated Slovakia on the 26th anniversary of its emergence. He wished success, happiness, and joy to everyone, as well as the strength to face the challenges of 2019. Murder made 2018 a year of struggle Looking back at 2018, Kiska recollected that the expectation was for it to be a year of remembrance, looking back, and a celebration of some round anniversaries, including the centenary of the Czechoslovak Republic that emerged in 1918, whose values of freedom, democracy and respect for human and civil rights remain relevant. We remembered the historical events, but we did so with sadness and anger, Kiska noted. The year 2018 itself goes down in the history of the Slovak Republic as another ground-breaking year with an eight in its name, Kiska said. Remembering was not enough, it was not enough to recall the symbolism of historical events and explain their meaning for our present and our future. The murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova turned a year of celebrations and memories into a year that we will remember as a year of struggle for decency and justice. The murder of two young people and its consequences forced us to look directly at ourselves and at our society. We have lost the right to look away, Kiska said. In 2018, the citizens of Slovakia were forced to question whether the values of democracy and equality of human rights are still applied in their country, and could no longer overlook the question of whether their political representatives can maintain and strengthen these values, or at least respect and protect them. We were confronted by the question of whether we could strive for a common interest, if we could even agree on what our common interest should be, Kiska said, adding that Slovaks had had to face disappointment, lack of trust, and loss of hope for a better future. Slovakia has withstood the test Kiska believes people in Slovakia are entering 2019 as a stronger and more resilient society, thanks to all the people who turned their anger and fear into honest efforts for a better country. In 2018, Slovakia matured into a society that is able to respond to the worst truths about itself with a healthy desire for change and a willingness to fight for it, decently but resolutely. There are no final victories and final losses in democracy. There are no final victories and losses in the struggle between good and evil. It goes on, Kiska said, and mentioned the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that Slovaks will recall in November this year, and which he called the most important event in the modern history of Slovakia. In 2018, Slovaks withstood the test because they proved they could defend the values that strengthen democracy, but it is just the start of a tough journey to restore trust in the state and in its ability to secure justice and give convincing answers to issues that concern people in Slovakia. Extremism is a real threat One of the major challenges is to seek and offer solutions, to make sure some part of our society does not go looking for a way out of their anger and frustration in extreme solutions and politicians who despise democracy and freedom. This threat, often nurtured with hate, is real, Kiska said, adding that this is what Slovakia is up against in the upcoming presidential and EU elections. Kiska concluded by calling on all those who care about the country to continue striving for a decent and just Slovakia, and not be discouraged when things do not change as fast as they would like them to. 1. Jan 2019 at 13:40 | Michaela Terenzani President Donald Trump ushered in the new year by doing something that has come to mark his presidency: tweeting. His first tweet of 2019 was not very memorable, as he sent a message praising former adviser Sebastian Gorka and his new book. Dr. Sebastian Gorka, a very good and talented guy, has a great new book just out, Why We Fight. Lots of insight - Enjoy! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That seemed to be a warm-up though and then the president really rang in 2019. He sent an all-caps tweet in which he wished happy new year to everyone, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND FAKE NEWS MEDIA! The president then went on to predict that 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Advertisement He followed up the all-caps message with a much more subdued tweet: Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Advertisement After blasting haters early in the morning, Trump also made clear he wouldnt be taking a break from using Twitter to settle old scores and make sure everyone knows that the grudges from 2018 still stand. The president aimed fire at retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who had characterized him as immoral in a television interview on Sunday. Trump wrote that the retired four-star general got fired like a dog is known for big, dumb mouth and is a Hillary lover! General McChrystal got fired like a dog by Obama. Last assignment a total bust. Known for big, dumb mouth. Hillary lover! https://t.co/RzOkeHl3KV Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Democrats have settled on a plan. Shortly after the party takes control of the House of Representatives Thursday they will vote on a package of measures to reopen the federal government. The plan essentially involves two bills that split funding for the Department of Homeland Security and border security with the goal of ensuring that those that enjoy bipartisan support can make it through. The New York Times explains: The first includes six bipartisan spending measures that would fully fund agencies like the Interior Department and the Internal Revenue Service through the end of the fiscal year in September. Advertisement The second would extend homeland security funding at current levels through Feb. 8, including $1.3 billion for fencing but no funding for Mr. Trumps border wall a provision that renders it dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. Advertisement Advertisement The move is in large part designed to put Trump in a corner and pressure him to cave or take responsibility for keeping a large part of the federal government shut over the presidents demand for wall money. For now, it seems the president isnt willing to budge. In the middle of tweetstorm that included lots of New Year vitriol, Trump also used the first day of the year to make clear that he would not support the Democratic plan to reopen the government without money for a wall along the border with Mexico. The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! Trump tweeted. The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border! That repeated a theme from a tweet from the previous day, when Trump said Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall. The problem is that Without the Wall there can be no Border Security, he wrote in the last day of 2018. Advertisement The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall. You see, without the Wall there can be no Border Security - the Tech stuff is just, by comparison, meaningless bells & whistles... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Advertisement Trump went on to claim that all of these latest developments have proven that Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring! One thing has now been proven. The Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement Democrats, meanwhile, are accusing Trump of promoting the shutdown, which entered its 11th day Tuesday. While @realDonaldTrump drags the nation into #TrumpShutdown Week 2 and sits in the White House & tweets, without offering any plan that can pass both chambers of Congress, Democrats are taking action to lead our country out of this mess, Rep. Nancy Pelosi tweeted Monday as she promoted the Democratic plan to reopen the government. Although Pelosi said it would be the height of irresponsibility & political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported, it seems Republicans are willing to do just that. For now, GOP lawmakers appear happy to follow Trumps lead on this and have said they wont approve anything that doesnt have the presidents approval. Its simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he wont sign, Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said. Advertisement While @realDonaldTrump drags the nation into #TrumpShutdown Week 2 and sits in the White House & tweets, without offering any plan that can pass both chambers of Congress, Democrats are taking action to lead our country out of this mess. Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 31, 2018 In Slates annual Movie Club, film critic Dana Stevens emails with fellow criticsthis year, K. Austin Collins, Amy Nicholson, and Bilge Ebiriabout the year in cinema. Read the first entry here. Dear friendos and weirdos, Dana, one of the reasons why the movie year feels so damn long is, of course, because there are so damn many movies nowadays. Thats one of the reasons I find it increasingly hard to come up with a year-end Top 10 list, or for that matter a Top 20, which has become my preferred number in recent years. I still havent published mine, but Im sure Ill do it soon, perhaps even over the course of our Movie Club exchange. Titles that are sure to be on there: The Rider; You Were Never Really Here; Hale County This Morning, This Evening; Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?; The Green Fog; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; First Man; Where Is Kyra? and on and on and on. Once upon a time, we were told it deeply devalued ones critical brand to say stuff like this, but: There are a lot of good movies out there. There certainly were in 2018. And in 2017. And 2016. And Ive seen enough films set for release in the coming months to assure myself that there will be in 2019 as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will people see them? Who the hell knows? I saw them, and last I checked, I was still a person. Im always reminded of the arbitrariness of doing these things by year whenever older titles show up on my year-end lists. This year has a few more than usual, not least among them the incredible Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace, which was shot in 1972 by Sydney Pollack, who has since died; it was supposed to screen at two different points over the past seven years but was held up by Franklin herself. And now its finally premiered, and we get to discuss it as if it were a 2018 film. (Even though a wider theatrical release, Im told, might not happen until next year.) Advertisement Speaking of which: If 2018 did give us one trend, it was perhaps the spectacle of all these unfinished and/or lost dream projects finally reaching some sort of fruition. As Amy mentioned, theres Shirkers, which is somehow enthralling and tragic and heartwarming and infuriating all at the same time, not to mention Terry Gilliams by-now-mythic film maudit The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Chief among these lost films, of course, is Orson Welles The Other Side of the Wind, a movie that seems to make a lot of people mouth-frothingly angry for some reason. Though the published reviews for the film have been mostly respectful and measured, privately Ive heard complaints that it is self-indulgent, that its misogynistic, homophobic, filled with cliches, an embarrassment. Im not sure that the film isnt those things, because its in part about those things: Its a movie about an old, out-of-touch guy making a desperate, maybe-not-very-good movie, and Welles intention was clearly to create a conceptual hall of mirrors to go with the literal hall of mirrors he once so memorably gave us in The Lady From Shanghai. At the same time, as to whether The Other Side of the Wind is actually successful at these things, I myself havent decided yet. So much of Welles artistry in his later years lay in his editing, and not having him around to finish this one in particular really hurts, despite the heroic efforts of Bob Murawski and Peter Bogdanovich. But the notion of treating a film shot in the 1970s by an aging director who died in the 1980s according to todays standards of technique, or representation, feels like a fools errand. Still, lets also not forget that Welles films werent exactly getting rapturous responses when he was alive either. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe its because I had Welles on the brain for so much of the year, and unknowability was his great theme dating back to Citizen Kane, but over and over again, I saw pictures in 2018 that seemed to bask in mysteries they werent always able to solve, and I loved them for it. You Were Never Really Here turned the very unknowability of its protagonist into a governing aesthetic, constantly cutting away from him and mixing up its timeline into brief flashes that hinted at the pitch-black corners of his mind but yielded little actual information. And I am definitely on the side of those who believe that Roma was a conscious exploration by Alfonso Cuaron of the limits of his own vision. Advertisement Even on the political movie front, where didacticism usually reigns supreme, we got some refreshing attempts at opacity: Not many people liked The Front Runner, but I enjoyed its portrayal of Gary Hart as more enigma than would-be savior. Vicenot a good film but a fascinating one nonethelesstore itself to pieces trying to find a way to explain Dick Cheney. And what about The Favourite, which gets about as up close and personal as possible with its scheming aristocrats but ends on a powerfully, beautifully ambiguous note? Advertisement Meanwhile, RaMell Ross documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening76 minutes of the most captivating filmmaking I have ever seen anywhere, in any formpushed back against the concept of the totalizing, years-in-the-making longitudinal doc by seeking a new language with which to immerse us in a world without ever trying to explain it. Its a look at the lives of two black teenagers in small-town Alabama, and it was shot over five years, so we get to see a lot of changes, and yes, a lot of heartbreak and disillusionment. But Ross builds his film out of poetic little fragmentsa bead of sweat, a moving shadow, an angle on a shoulder, or a leg, or a landscape, the kinds of images other documentaries reserve for cutaways or throwaway detailsso that were always in this very lyrical, elusive space. And it feels like we get a better sense of the textures and rhythms of this life as a resultat the expense, maybe, of some kind of socially relevant, easily digestible message. Advertisement Hale County was my No. 1 documentary of the year and is certainly one of my favorite films of 2018, but very close behind it is Travis Wilkersons Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?, in which a white director sets out to uncover the details of his great-grandfathers murder of a black man back in 1946, in Dothan, Alabama. (Kam, Im so glad to see it on your Top 10.) Wilkerson interviews his own family and interrogates the few home movies he has of his great-grandfather. The story of the murder remained frustratingly unresolved, but Wilkersons journey exposes harrowing truths about his own family, and the film becomes in some ways an impressionistic look at racist violence and white privilege. In this sense, the storys very lack of closurealmost no documentation or trace exists of the man his great-grandfather killed, or of his familywinds up saying more than any great revelations about the incident in question ever could. Advertisement Advertisement To step back for a moment, though, from the films of 2018: Kam, you brought up a good point about the importance of catching up with older titles. (Although I will fight you on Short Cuts, which is one of Robert Altmans best!) We are in a media climate now that utterly disdains the idea of viewing, or even discussing, the work of the pastunless its to condemn it as being out of touch with our times, or to bask in some kind of cheap nostalgia. We undermine the very concept of cinema when we ignore its past and focus always on the new, the bright, the shiny, the so-called Movies We Need Now. (I seem to recall somebody once wrote something quite astute about this phenomenon.) The best films, even the once-timely ones, have a lasting power that goes beyond the momentary readings we impose on them. Read the previous entry. Read the next entry. 2018 in Review: a recap of the Skeptical Science year Posted on 1 January 2019 by BaerbelW It's time for another year-in-review post, so here is an account of what the SkS-team was up to during 2018. As in previous recaps, this one is divided into several sections: Involvement with the IPCC 1.5C report SkS members' involvement in the IPCC Special Report was a key achievement of 2018. Mark Richardson was a contributing author on chapter 1 ("Framing and Context") of IPCC SR1.5 And, in a major development, Cowtan & Way (v2) was included as a fourth surface temperature dataset, given equal weight along with the traditional NASA, NOAA and HadCRUT series. Cowtan & Way was the main temperature series underpinning the regional warming analysis, while the Cowtan et al. (2015) model-observation comparison was also highlighted. Thus, the following four papers figure quite prominently in this chapter (SkS authors in bold): Global temperature definition affects achievement of long-term climate goals Mark Richardson, Kevin Cowtan, RJ Millar, 2018 Environmental Research Letters 13 (5), 054004 Reconciled climate response estimates from climate models and the energy budget of Earth Mark Richardson, Kevin Cowtan, Ed Hawkins, and Martin B. Stolpe, 2016 Nature Climate Change, 6, 931-935 Scholary publications Apart from having these papers featured in the IPCC 1.5C report, several members of the SkS-team were lead- or co-authors of peer-reviewed papers published during 2018. Here is a list of some of them: Understanding and countering climate science denial John Cook Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 150(2), 207219. Deconstructing climate misinformation to identify reasoning errors John Cook, Peter Ellerton and David Kinkead Environmental Research Letters, 13(2), 024018 If you haven't watched it yet, here is the hilarious video abstract explaining the paper: Hurricane Harvey links to Ocean Heat Content and Climate Change Adaptation Kevin E. Trenberth, Lijing Cheng, Peter Jacobs, Yongxin Zhang, John Fasullo Earth's Future Statistical analysis of coverage error in simple global temperature estimators Kevin Cowtan, Peter Jacobs, Peter Thorne, Richard Wilkinson Dynamics and Statistics of the Climate System, 3(1), dzy003. Interpretations of the Paris climate target AP Schurer, Kevin Cowtan, Ed Hawkins, Michael E. Mann, V Scott, SFB Tett Nature Geoscience 11 (4), 22 Evaluating biases in Sea Surface Temperature records using coastal weather stations Kevin Cowtan, Robert Rohde, Zeke Hausfather Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 144 (712), 670-681 Information content of OCO-2 oxygen A-band channels for retrieving marine liquid cloud properties Mark Richardson, Graeme L. Stephens Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 11(3), 1515-1528 A fluctuation in surface temperature in historical context: reassessment and retrospective on the evidence James S. Risbey, Stephan Lewandowsky, Kevin Cowtan, Naomi Oreskes, Stefan Rahmstorf, Ari Jokimaki, Grant Foster Environmental Research Letters The pause in global warming in historical context: Comparing models to observations Stephan Lewandowsky, Kevin Cowtan, James S. Risbey, Michael E. Mann, Byron A. Steinman, Naomi Oreskes, Stefan Rahmstorf Environmental Research Letters Other publications and activities In March 2018 John Cook, Sander Van Der Linden, Ed Maibach and Stephan Lewandowsky published The Consensus Handbook. It summarizes research into how opponents of climate action have cast doubt on consensus, why that matters, and how we (including journalists) can respond. Speaking of the consensus, our paper from 2013 is still doing very well with more than 885,000 downloads by now while its 2016 follow-up study just crossed 390,000 downloads. Both papers consistenly show up among the 5 most read papers in IOP's Environmental Research Letters (ERL). As a follow-up to the K3-conference in Salzburg mentioned in last year's recap, Stephan Lewandowsky and Barbel Winkler were invited to contribute articles to a special edition focused on climate communication for the journal Promet of the German weather service (DWD). The articles are supposed to become publicly available online in April 2019 on the DWD-website. Barbel published an English summary of her article as the blog post Discussing climate change on the net. Members from our team again published articles in various other outlets with one quite unfortunate development being that The Guardian decided to discontinue all of its blogs in August 2018. This affected - with some delay! - Dana Nuccitelli's contributions to the blog "Climate Consensus - the 97%" which he wrote together with John Abraham. Dana published an article about their blog's demise in October. Luckily enough, Dana will still contribute roughly one article per month for the Guardian and now also writes for Yale Climate Connection! Here is a bullet list of outlets where you can happen upon contributions from our team: Denial 101x Our MOOC101x Denial101x was available throughout the year as one paced and three self-paced versions. Since first launching in 2015, almost 40,000 participants from over 180 countries have enrolled in our MOOC. We've received a lot of positive feedback with students letting us know that the course content will be a big help in their endeavours to inform others - be they family members, friends, colleagues or students - about the reality of human-caused climate change. At the moment, we are in the middle of a self-paced run which will stay open until 26 February 2019. There is still ample time to start now and work through the 7 weeks worth of lectures until then! For 2019 we only plan one self-paced run which will start sometime in March and then stay available well into 2020. Leveraging the Fact-Myth-Fallacy list based on the Denial101x-lectures, Barbel put together a slide-deck with one page for each debunking and an index-page utilising the short URL "code" for each rebuttal to quickly access them. Instead of a video, each slide includes a graphic to drive home the main point of the debunking. Several of the graphics were created by John Garrett (jg) specifically for this slide-deck. These have also been added to our graphics resources. There's more information about the slide-deck in the accompanying blog post. Other educational activities In his role as research assistant professor at George Mason Universitys Center for Climate Change Communication, John Cook developed a five-part webinar series in collaboration with the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) and the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE). The webinars showed educators how to use new lesson plans teaching key facts about climate change while addressing five of the most common climate myths. The webinars were recorded in July 2018 and are currently available via Vimeo: Turning Misinformation into Educational Opportunity. Even though the webinar is aimed at teachers in the United States of America the content may be of interest for others as well. Conferences and presentations In April, Barbel travelled to Austria's capital Vienna to participate in the week-long European Geoscience Union's General Assembly. On Monday afternoon Barbel gave a presentation titled "How to communicate effectively when faced with myths and misinformation" in the session "Debunking myths and fake news: how can geoscientists fight misinformation and false claims". Session CL2.03 about detecting and attributing climate change earlier in the day also had some SkS involvement as Stephan Lewandowsky, Kevin Cowtan and Ari Jokimaki were among the co-authors of a paper Stefan Rahmstorf previewed. They had explored if there ever actually was evidence for a "hiatus" or "slowdown" in global temperatures. Their short answer: "No". On Wednesday, our Denial101x poster was featured in session EOS13 "Climate change education". For more about EGU 2018, please check out the detailed recap. The Denial101x poster also got presented by Barbel at the Swiss Geoscience Meeting in Bern on December 1 in symposium #16 "Climate change education and outreach". In December, some team members met in Washington D.C. where this year's Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Attendees from our team included John Cook, Peter Jacobs, Daniel Bailey, Collin Maessen. Mark Richardson and Howard Lee. John, Mark and Peter were actively involved in some of the sessions while Collin roamed the convention center in search of material for his Real Skeptic blog. Here is the list of sessions involving members from our team: Peter Jacobs, John Cook, Aaron Huertas - Poster - Monday PA11E-0825: Beyond Dueling Experts: Communicating the Importance of Knowledge-Based Consensus to Policymakers Mark Richardson and others - Poster - Monday A11I-2349: First Investigations of Drizzling Boundary Layer Cloud Properties with OCO-2 A-band Retrievals John Cook - talk - Tuesday PA21A-01: How inoculation, critical thinking, and parallel arguments can counter climate misinformation Peter Jacobs and others - poster - Tuesday PP21E-1452: A Pliocene perspective on ocean circulation and nutrients: the role of Pacific overturning on Earth system timescales Karsten Haustein, Peter Jacobs, Kevin Cowtan, Zeke Hausfather (and others) - poster - Tuesday A21H-2778: In pursuit of an earlier CMIP initialisation date ... Mark Richardson was one of the conveners of a poster session on Tuesday (and the corresponding oral session A24C) A21H: Climate Sensitivity and Feedbacks: Advances and New Paradigms I Posters Karin Kirk, John Cook - eLightning - Thursday PA42C-03: A Field Guide to Climate Contrarians: Strategies for Responding to Misinformation, Myths, and Misunderstandings Some AGU-impressions caught on camera by Collin Maessen. Website activities and social media Several of our blog series kept getting published throughout the year with John Hartz leading the way with his weekly summaries and digests. Ari Jokimaki published his New Research post on a weekly basis and we had Dana Nuccitelli's and John Abraham's Guardian blog articles until those got discontinued as already mentioned above. Evan and jg continued their successful collaboration with 6 new analogies published during the year. Other members providing serveral articles were Riduna, David Kirtley, David Piepgrass and Barbel Winkler. Although somewhat lower than in 2017, the number of views for some of our rebuttals is still quite impressive. The top-3 each garner more than 500,000 thousand views across their avaiable versions (basic, intermediate, advanced) with "Consensus" again making first place (600,000+ views), "Sun" coming in second and "Model" third (both with 500,000 views). Runner-ups are "Impacts" (400,000+), "Past" and "Thermo" (each with 300,000+ views). Cumulative rebuttal views across rebuttal versions for 2018 up to Dec. 28. Please click for larger image. The Debunking Handbook is still by far the most downloaded of our resources with more than 50,000 downloads of the English version. The various translations got downloaded more than 10,000 times with over 4,000 of those being the German version. Other notable downloads include the Fact-Myth-Fallacy summary (5,000+) and the Guide to the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (8,000+). Speaking of The Debunking Handbook, we just added the 12th(!) translation which was prepared by our Brazilian team tackling translations into Portuguese. Thanks for this work go to Claudia Groposo, Luciano Marquetto and Sabrina Leitzke. Our Facebook page currently has about 188,000 followers. It provides breaking news and timely information about climate-related matters from around the world. Its format allows readers to comment on and discuss each post, albeit in a more abbreviated form than the comment threads on the SkS website. John Hartz creates the bulk of the FB posts and other members of the SkS team respond to questions submitted by readers on a regular basis. On Twitter we have ca. 18,500 followers, up by more than 4,000 compared to two years ago. What will 2019 bring? John Cook started an Instagram account to share some of his "Cranky Uncles" themed cartoons and it might well be worth your time to check out crankyuncles.com for an inkling of what 2019 will bring! Here is a not very subtle hint: Apart from that, we are fairly certain that we won't sit around twiddling our thumbs! There's still way too much need for us to tackle misinformation about human-caused climate change and we'll keep doing that for as long as it's needed. We count on your support for that! READ: PNP arrests 8 suspects in Lamitan bombing Cotabato CityThe Moro Islamic Liberation Front has added its voice to those condemning the bomb attack that killed two persons and wounded 31 others along a busy thoroughfare outside a mall on Monday. At the same time, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission under MILF first vice chairman Ghazzali Jaafar urged the Office of the President to direct national law enforcement agencies to help determine the real perpetrators of the bomb attack and bring them to justice. In an official statement sent to news organizations, MILF Chairman Hadji Murad Ibrahim said the MILF condemns in the highest possible terms Mondays bomb attack. The dastardly act of [placing] an improvised explosive device [IED] with intent to kill or harm civilians is an act of cowardice, inhuman, and atrocious, Murad said. Murad called on concerned authorities to sincerely and thoroughly investigate this evil actsaying that ascribing any motive would be too premature at this time. We ask the authorities to examine all angles and make the result of the same public. We should not allow any party or group to make premature conclusions or draw insinuations so as to advance their own personal interest and political agenda, he said. He said the MILF sympathizes with the victims, and that the families of the fatalities and the wounded deserved true justice. He said it is for the reason of securing the community that the MILF and the government, together with all their partners in the peace process, have pushed hard for the passage of Bangsamoro Organic Law to establish a government that can really protect and promote the peace and security of the place and its peoples. In a BTC statement, Jaafar said it was unfortunate that one of the fatalities was an employee--Jonathan Torribiano, who was a driver for BTC Commissioner Melanio Ulama. Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, secretary-general of the MILFs United Bangsamoro Justice Party, said while residents should be thankful for a prompt defusing of explosives found in the baggage counter of the mall, reports falsely identified Nur Misuari, founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as the owner of the South Seas Mall. Sinarimbo said residents knew that the mall is not owned by Misuari but by the Lim family, who have been engaged in legitimate businesses after settling in Tawi-Tawi in the early 1960s when Misuari was still virtually unknown. Military officials said they believed the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters had a hand in the bombing. Among those injured in Mondays bombing, which came at about 2 p.m., were 10 minors, according to Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the commander of the Armys 6th Infantry Division (ID). He said an initial investigation led to the BIFF, which has shifted to attacking non-combatants, starting with the twin bombings in Isulan in September 2018. We are not discounting the possibility that the Daesh-inspired group was responsible in the bombing, Sobejana said. Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, city police director, said police are reviewing the closed circuit TV (CCTV) camera footage taken at South Seas Mall to help identify the perpetrators. Our authorities have the information about the suspects, as to the motive, that is being determined, Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said in a news conference some two hours after the blast. Octavio said bomb experts recovered about one kilo of cut nails, a plastic container with traces of black powder and broken parts of a mobile phone at the blast site.In a follow-up operation inside the mall, police found another bomb in the second-floor baggage counter left by a still unidentified man. A CCTV captured the mans facial features, Octavio said. Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the 00Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also condemned the attack, calling those behind it evil. We are irrevocably grieved about the casualties incurred, thoroughly condemn this act, and call for a thorough investigation. We need to make sure acts like these never happen again, and that the perpetrator is brought to justice, Hataman said in a statement released Monday. Cotabato City, though not part of ARMM, hosts the administrative center of the region through its Shariff Kabunsuan Complex here. Hataman urged investigators to look deeply into the case and ensure that civilians do not get caught up in terror. We cannot afford to be divisive at this moment. Only by melding together can we bring about peace and justice, he said. He urged civil leaders and security officials to remain united. What we need is to be composed, to redouble our efforts, and to hold on to our dream of peace in the region. We cannot be divided on this front, Hataman added. The Japanese government and the European Union on Tuesday stood in solidarity with the Philippines following the mall bombing. As a country strongly condemning violent extremism, Japan stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Philippines, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda said in a statement. EU Ambassador Franz Jessen, meanwhile, said his thoughts and prayers go to the victims as he reiterated the blocs support to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao. The EU fully supports the ongoing peace process in Mindanao. I frequently visit Cotabato and am impressed each time by the progress made, and the commitment of my counterparts to build a better future for the region. Peace and reconciliation is the way forward. Violence and hatred will never succeed, he said in a separate statement. The New Year brings new hope to us all, and we stand together with the Philippine government in its efforts to make the country more peaceful and safer, he added. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen used her New Years Day speech to give Beijing a lesson in handling cross-strait relations, while promising to protect the self-ruled islands sovereignty and its peoples livelihoods. The message came just a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set give a speech to mark the 40th anniversary of a key policy statement, known as the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, that eventually led to a thaw in relations with Taiwan. Tsai said on Tuesday that Taipei would not give any ground on sovereignty despite her ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffering a landslide defeat in the local government elections in November, when the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) won control of 15 of 22 cities and counties including the former DPP stronghold of Kaohsiung. Some observers said at the time that the poll result reflected public support for the KMTs more Beijing-friendly policies. I admit that the local elections were the most serious critique of the ruling authority, but I must stress that the results did not suggest the general public was choosing to give up our sovereignty, nor did they reflect a desire among the Taiwanese people to make concessions on this issue, she said. Beijing must appreciate that the Republic of China, Taiwan had existed for a long time and it must respect the choice of Taiwans 23 million people to live in freedom and a democratic system, Tsai said. It must also seek to resolve cross-strait differences through peaceful discussions and must hold government-to-government talks with Taipei through their authorised agencies, she said. Only with these four musts can we determine whether cross-strait relations will head in a normal direction, Tsai said. Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary. It suspended official exchanges with Taipei after Tsai was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle, an understanding that Beijing says is the foundation of any exchanges between the two sides. Story continues Tsai said the island would face challenges from all sides this year, and cross-strait ties would be an important area of development. We never oppose normal exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, nor do we oppose city-to-city exchanges, but such exchanges should be healthy, normal and without political preconditions, she said, referring to the expected increase in links between KMT-controlled centres and mainland cities. Newly elected KMT mayors are pushing to increase economic and tourist exchanges with mainland cities, even if it means supporting the one-China principle, the consensus that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. As well as her guidelines on how she expected the mainland to behave, Tsai said her own administration needed to build three shields: to protect the livelihoods of the Taiwanese people, guard against Beijings information warfare, including disinformation, and strengthen oversight and regulatory mechanisms for cross-strait interactions on issues that could compromise the islands sovereignty. Beijing should not seek to force any issues of a political nature on Taiwan and that political dialogue between the two sides that involves the participation of Taiwans people should be conducted under the governments supervision, she said. If the two sides could not come together on issues like food safety or African swine fever prevention, how could they possibly be one family? she asked. Beijing has refused to work with Taipei to stop the spread of the deadly disease, which has killed millions of pigs on the mainland and threatened to wreak similar havoc in Taiwan. As a result, the island has banned all pork and pork-related products from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. Lai I-chung, a former vice-president of Taiwan Thinktank, said the red lines announced by Tsai applied not only to the mainland but also Beijing-leaning politicians in Taiwan. Beijing has its red lines and the president has spelt out hers, he said. Arthur Wang, secretary general of Cross-Strait Policy Association, agreed that the four musts and three shields were intended as a clear warning to all parties that Taiwan would never give up its sovereignty. They are telling the heads of KMT-controlled local governments that their future city-to-city talks with their mainland counterparts must still be under scrutiny of the Tsai government, he said. Alexander Huang Chih-cheng, an associate professor at Tamkang Universitys department of diplomacy and international relations, said Tsais message was well timed. Her message was meant for Beijing ahead of Xis talks, and she used the term Republic of China, Taiwan for the first time in her comments about cross-strait relations, he said. It remains to be seen how Xi will respond. This article Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen tells Beijing it must respect islands sovereignty, peoples choices first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Malaysias Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana on 12 November. (PHOTO: REUTERS) Singapore will handle its disputes with Malaysia calmly and constructively, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (31 December). Both nations must manage specific problems, however difficult, while preserving the overall relationship, said the 66-year-old leader in his New Year message. The way to do so is through equality and mutual respect, upholding international commitments and the rule of law, he added. Among the bilateral issues Lee addressed was Malaysias request to defer the High Speed Rail project, for which Singapore extended its cooperation to accommodate their needs. However, he noted that the new disputes on maritime boundaries, following provocative intrusions into our territorial waters, and on airspace, particularly the Instrument Landing System (ILS) rules for Seletar Airport, are more difficult to resolve. Lee also reiterated Singapores clear stand on Malaysias intention to revise the price of Johor water. Spats inevitable between close neighbours As two close neighbours tightly bound by history, economics, culture and kinship, Lee observed that such bilateral spats will inevitably arise from time to time. Older Singaporeans will remember that this is how we dealt with previous rough patches in bilateral relations. Each time we would unite as one people, and stand our ground calmly but firmly, said Lee, who expressed confidence that Singaporeans would once again work together to keep relations with Malaysia stable. Referring to Malaysias new government, which was formed in May, and Singapores crop of fourth-generation politicians, Lee also said he looks forward to new leaders on both sides developing good working relations with one another. Economic uncertainties ahead, leadership transition Lee opened his message noting that Singapores economy grew 3.3 per cent in 2018, which was close to 2017, and above our expectations. While the government expects growth of 1.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent in 2019, there are also major uncertainties in the global economy, with growing trade conflicts, nervous financial markets and signs of slowing growth, he said. Story continues Lee also observed how significant headway had been made in terms of Singapores leadership succession. Following a Cabinet reshuffle earlier this year, he noted that younger political office holders have been exposed to new responsibilities and are working together as a team. They have settled on (Finance Minister) Heng Swee Keat as their leader, and supported Swee Keats choice of (Minister for Trade and Industry) Chan Chun Sing to be his deputy, said Lee. This is a good outcome. It gives Singaporeans and foreigners alike confidence that Singapore will be in good hands over the long term, beyond the working lives of me and my senior colleagues. Related stories: Malaysian vessels stationed in Singapore waters do not make one iota of difference to legal claims: Khaw Malaysia is using technical excuse of ILS to trigger unfriendly act: Khaw Malaysian vessels in Singapore waters raise tensions, risk causing dangerous incident: MFA Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin The Supreme Court will intensify its crackdown against the so-called hoodlum in robes and corrupt personnel in the judiciary starting this year. Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said on Monday that he has ordered a purge against misfits and scalawags in the courts, especially in the provinces where there is prevalence of corruption. Bersamin specifically instructed Court Administrator and spokesman Midas Marquez to start the cleansing with the courts in his home province of Abra.I directed [Marquez] to start with [my] home province of Abra. That is a marching order no matter if they are my relatives or not, Bersamin said. The Chief Justice came from a political clan in Abra. He is the brother of former governor Eustaquio Bersamin and slain former representative Luis Chavit Bersamin Jr. The chief justice said that the campaign against corruption in judiciary should start in courts in the provinces where he believes there still is a strong perception that justice is only for the strong, the influential and the wealthy. Those judges and employees in the provinces who have contributed to this wrong perception about the judiciary will have to go, the top magistrate warned. With this perception, Bersamin said there is need to purge the judiciary of misfits and scalawags and enforce the rules of discipline. He said this is why he has set the anti-corruption campaign as one of his priorities in his one-year tenure in the top judicial post.Bersamin vowed to institutionalize changes that are designed to expedite the administration of justice. The chief justice, who was appointed last November, also plans to revise the Rules of Court and implement reforms in the Bar exams as well as legal education in the country. Bersamin admitted that court rules still l have provisions that institutionalize delay in resolution of cases, bringing the need to update our procedural rules to make them embody and be attuned to the technological developments. The top magistrate pointed out that such reform will make the judicial system responsive to the public need for quick dispensation of justice. Bersamin also vowed to initiate reforms in the Bar exams, proposing to law deans to study the Pass/Fail approach which is practiced in the United States instead of grading the exams and having topnotchers. Lastly, the Chief Justice wants the countrys law schools to improve legal education by adopting best practices abroad. We should adopt the best practices abroad on the legal clinic to improve the quality of legal education and ensure access to justice, he said. This year marks four decades of normalisation of ties between China and the United States but the anniversary has been overshadowed by an unprecedented trade war and tensions over security and ideology. To commemorate the event, the South China Morning Post is publishing a series of stories throughout the year taking a deeper look at how the relationship between the two nations has evolved. Here, former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky shares her views on Chinas accession to the World Trade Organisation and the US policy of engagement with China. Chinas backsliding on market reform and its trade practices in the past decade is very disturbing, said Charlene Barshefsky, the former US trade representative who opened the door to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for China. In a wide-ranging interview about Chinas economic growth and relations with Washington, Barshefsky blamed Beijings deviation from market principles and inaction by previous US administrations for helping to lead to the current impasse. China has adopted an alternative path that simply seeks to treat its market in the way in which it wants regardless of the rules or commitments made and therefore impinges on the rights of China's trading partners regardless of the rights that they have, Barshefsky said, speaking of Chinas economic path since the mid-2000s. This is a very disturbing outcome not in China's interests, as we see China's economy was slowing before all of this trade stuff happened. On January 1, China and the United States witnessed the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, which have grown to become the worlds most important bilateral relations. Barshefsky, the top American trade negotiator in the Clinton administration from 1997 to 2001, was the US mastermind of a bilateral pact signed in November 1999 that gave American companies greater access to Chinese markets. Story continues It was one of the biggest trade deals in history, helping Congress pass a law in 2000 that permanently normalised trade relations with China and paving the way for Chinas accession into the WTO the following year. Then-president Bill Clinton called the admission into the WTO the most significant opportunity to create positive change in China since the 1970s, when the Communist nation that had been behind the bamboo curtain first opened its arms to Washington, after a rivalry of more than 20 years. By lowering the barriers that protected Chinas state-owned industries, Clinton argued in a 2000 speech, the US could expect Beijing to speed up its departure from the state-led economic system, which he said was a major source of the Communist Partys power. In retrospect, said Barshefsky, who led the US side in the negotiations, those hopes had dimmed as early as 2006, as China turned its back on robust market changes and adopted a model that she described as significantly state-run and that discriminated against foreign companies. It means that volatility will be a hallmark of Chinas relationship with the US and with other countries, said Barshefsky, now a senior international partner with the WilmerHale, a Washington-based law firm. Thats not good for anyone, and its certainly not good for China. US-China trade talks to take place in Beijing in early January After years of build-up, trade tensions between the US and China overflowed in July into a tit-for-tat trade war. US President Donald Trump had threatened to put punitive tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports, but the two sides agreed on a 90-day truce and further negotiations during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While Barshefsky, a firm supporter of multilateral settlements of trade disputes, shrugged off most of Trump's theories behind the trade war, she admitted that previous US administrations were partly to blame for the explosions in US-China relations. The failing has been really twofold: one that in 2007 or so subsequently Chinas economy and economic policy began to diverge from market economics, she said. The second failing was on the part of the US and Chinas trading partners for not more carefully enforcing the WTO agreement, including very special and unique provisions in their agreement that pertained only to China. Trade war: why US and China remain so far apart on IP rights Those provisions could be used to curtail some of Chinas most controversial practices, including forced technology transfers and market disruption, but have rarely been used, she said. I think had enforcement been more robust, we would not see the explosion that we see today particularly in US-China relations. A provision in the agreement allowing China into the WTO stipulated that it should not condition the distribution of import licences on the transfer of technology, which would suit the description by most companies as China s forced transfer of technology. But Barshefksy said the US had never applied the provision. Though she said Washingtons punitive tariffs on China were disturbing and not consistent with WTO norms, she agreed with the Trump administration that trade outcomes with China were lopsided. One can look at conditions on the ground in China for foreign companies, and those conditions are far less welcoming than they were in years past, she said. So I think those observations by the administration are correct. An astounding 75 per cent of companies felt they were less welcome in China than before, according to the annual China Business Climate Survey Report by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, issued in July. Most companies said Chinas IP leakage and data security issues were worse than other countries, and a quarter of those surveyed said their top intellectual property challenges were the lack of legal IP protection and the difficulty of prosecuting infringements. The chamber also called for Washington to advocate more strongly for a level playing field for US businesses in China. The grim picture looks far different than Barshefsky's vision two decades ago, when she led US efforts in the late 1990s to bring China into the WTO. I think had (WTO) enforcement been more robust, we would not see the explosion that we see today particularly in US-China relations. Charlene Barshefsky During a US House Ways and Means Committee hearing in 2000, a year after Washington and Beijing reached agreements on WTO entry, Barshefsky said Chinas membership had potential beyond economics and trade. She argued that the entry could serve to advance the rule of law in China, and establish a precedent for willingness to accept international standards of behaviour in other fields. The belief that WTO entry could be a foundation for broader reforms was shared by a number of leading advocates of democracy in China, she said in her 2000 testimony, including Bao Tong, the most senior Chinese official jailed for sympathising with pro-democracy student demonstrations in 1989, and Martin Lee, then leader of Hong Kongs Democratic Party. Looking back at the hopes of 18 years ago, Barshefsky said she now saw a mixed picture, though some improvements have been seen in the Chinas transparency and quality of its court system. How China is finding new ways to hurt US businesses She said Chinas legal process has become complicated as the Communist Party had put itself above the law, whereas other countries place the law above party and above the individual. I think it's probably a mixed picture but better than it would have been without, she said. On December 18, China celebrated the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up policy, which extracted the country from the wreckage of the Mao era and led to a four-decade economic take-off. In a widely viewed speech last month, which observers believed could signal further market reforms to address grievances from the West, Xi reiterated the leading role of the Communist Party in driving Chinas growth, to the disappointment of many China observers in the US. Yet Barshefsky said there was still plenty of room for China to manoeuvre for its market reforms. I dont think anyone asked China to change its political system, she said. It doesn't mean it has to be a Communist Party that controls prices or output or factor inputs or companies or technology or any of the rest of it. China was headed toward greater market economics and a greater market economic-based system from 1978 to 2007. The party existed. As China and the US engage in a 90-day truce looking to settle the trade war that has rattled global markets for months, Barshefsky said it was crucial for China to return to the path it was on before 2007, which she described as one featuring significant reforms. Xi: China must stick with communism to cope with unimaginable perils The reforms and the opening of Chinas market, which were so robust in the earlier years of its WTO accession, started to sputter around 2006, 2007 and have virtually ceased except in a very limited sense, she said. So returning to this reform and opening path becomes, I think, very critical. It has proven results for China. Mark Wu, a law professor at Harvard University who worked in the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) during the George W Bush administration, echoed her analysis. Undoubtedly, Chinas desire to join the WTO played a major role in spurring market-oriented reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s and prevented them from being undone by conservatives, said Wu, who was the USTRs director for intellectual property from 2003-04. Since 2006, Chinas economy has continued to engage in periodic reforms, but not necessarily in the direction expected originally by the West in the early 2000s. Clash of US and Chinese value systems more acute than ever While opportunities for private businesses and foreign firms continue to expand, the state has kept tight control over strategic sectors that it considers crucial to the economy, he said. Despite widespread pessimism regarding a permanent resolution to the trade dispute, Barshefsky, who was famously known for packing her suitcase twice during the final round of WTO talks, remains positive that China can find a way out. I do think that China, of course, is more powerful than it was during the WTO negotiations, she said. But the fundamentals remain, which is that the Chinese are extremely creative and adept at finding solutions to problems when those problems arise. I think that they certainly were in 1999. I think they remain so today. And so I have great hope that China will find its way in the current dispute. This article Former top US trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky says China deviated from its commitments, paving way for trade war first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. More from South China Morning Post: Sixty years ago, on January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro took power in Cuba after a socialist revolution. Here is a look back at the Castro years: - 'Revolution begins now' - On New Year's Day in 1959, dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba, defeated by 26 months of guerrilla warfare spearheaded by the Castro brothers. Fidel declares victory in the southern city of Santiago de Cuba, pronouncing "The revolution begins now" before heading to the capital. The regime begins moving toward communism in May, enacting the first agrarian reform law to allow the expropriation of land. - Rupture with US - In 1960, Cuba nationalizes US companies in response to Washington's decision to limit oil exports to the island and reduce imports of Cuban sugar. A year later, the United States breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 1962, Washington cuts off most trade with the island. - Bay of Pigs - In April 1961, around 1,400 anti-Castro Cubans -- trained and financed by the CIA -- land at the Bay of Pigs in a bid to overthrow the communist regime. The endeavor ends in failure. - Socialism proclaimed - Castro proclaims the socialist character of the Cuban revolution on April 16, 1961. In a speech on May 1, he declares the regime has adopted a socialist system and has "no time for elections." In 1965, the Communist Party of Cuba is created. It has ruled the island ever since. - Missile crisis - In October 1962, the United States identifies facilities for Soviet Union nuclear missiles installed on Cuba. For two weeks, the world is gripped by fears of nuclear war between the two superpowers until negotiations bring an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. - Death of 'Che' - A hero of the Cuban revolution and brother-in-arms to the Castros, Argentina's Ernesto "Che" Guevara is executed by the Bolivian army in 1967. His death brings an end to a scheme to spread the Cuban revolution across Latin America, starting with Bolivia. - Soviet sphere - In 1970, Cuba fails to meet its promised objective of a harvest of 10 million tons of sugar to be sold to the Soviet Union at preferential prices. It becomes indebted to the Soviet Union, increasingly moving under its influence and going on to join the communist trading bloc COMECON in 1972. - Troops to Angola - Starting in 1975, Cuba sends troops to Angola to support the first post-independence government of the communist MPLA party in a civil war against the US-backed UNITA movement. Thousands of Cuban troops are deployed as part of the operation, which runs for 16 years, and extends to conflicts in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa. - Raul takes charge - On July 31, 2006, an unwell Fidel Castro provisionally hands power to his younger brother Raul, until then his number two in government. Raul officially becomes president in 2008 and undertakes a slow program of reforms to "update" the Soviet economic model that is on its last legs. Fidel dies on November 25, 2016, aged 90. - Thaw with US - In December 2014, then US president Barack Obama and Raul Castro announce plans to normalize US-Cuba ties after 53 years of hostilities. The process comes to fruition the following year. The thaw is later slowed by the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House in 2017. - End of the Castro era - On April 19, 2018, Miguel Diaz-Canel, a 58-year-old technocrat, succeeds Raul Castro, being the sole candidate in a National Assembly vote. Ending six decades of rule by the Castro brothers, he becomes the first Cuban president born after the revolution. - New constitution - On July 22, 2018, Cuba's parliament approves a new draft constitution that will recognize for the first time the role of the market and private sector. Presidential terms will last five years with the possibility of renewal for one term. A referendum on the text will be held on February 24. Britains plan to build a new military base in Southeast Asia is likely to further complicate the strategic landscape in a region already fraught with maritime disputes and geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington, Chinese analysts warn. The plan was unveiled by British defence secretary Gavin Williamson during an interview with The Sunday Telegraph this week, with possible sites including Singapore and Brunei. If it goes ahead, the move could cast a shadow over Chinas relations with its Asian neighbours and would risk further inflaming tensions between Beijing and London after a British warship sailed close to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, according to the experts. It is clearly a muscle-flexing gesture targeting China and shows closer engagement of external powers in the South China Sea disputes, said Xu Liping, a professor at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Williamson said Britain would open two new military bases in a couple of years, including one in the Caribbean, saying it would help the country to return as a true global player after Brexit. This is our biggest moment as a nation since the end of the second world war, when we can recast ourselves in a different way, we can actually play the role on the world stage that the world expects us to play, he was quoted as saying. The move marks a policy shift from Britains withdrawal from military bases in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf in the 1960s. Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, also said the plan was more evidence of Britain and other key American allies increasingly aligning themselves with US President Donald Trumps hardline approach on China. It is a complementary step to Washingtons Indo-Pacific strategy and Washington will be pleased, Ni said, referring to Trumps plan to bolster its security and economic engagement with the region at a time when bilateral ties are at a historical low. Story continues Beijing has long viewed Washingtons increasing military activity in the disputed South China Sea as a threat to regional stability and has expressed concern over the Indo-Pacific strategy, which it sees as part of a broader US effort to thwart Chinas ambitions of becoming a global superpower. Xu believed Washington, which was less interested in playing a global leadership role under Trumps America first policy, was behind Londons plan for a military base in the region. Britain in particular has been increasingly active in the South China Sea at a time when the US may have concerns about directly confronting China in the region, he said. Sino-British ties, which were described as being in a golden era a few years ago, have cooled recently as Britain began to challenge Chinas expansive claims to the strategic waterway, as the US has done. Beijing accused Britain of engaging in provocation after a British warship passed near the Paracel Islands claimed by China in a freedom of navigation operation in late August. The British military base plan could be good news for American allies and partners in the region that have been concerned about Washingtons reluctance to take a leadership role to challenge Beijings assertiveness in the South China Sea disputes, such as Japan, Australia and Vietnam, according to analysts. But for China, it could signal severe challenges ahead in dealing with a delicate regional security balance in the region, with the risk of growing tensions and even partial confrontation, Ni warned. Xu also said that although the British plan was still at an early stage, it would test Chinas relations with Singapore and Brunei, both of which are former British colonies. Beijing has tried hard to woo Brunei, a rival claimant in the South China Sea disputes, through economic cooperation via its Belt and Road Initiative. President Xi Jinping visited Brunei in November to shore up ties, which saw bilateral trade soar in the past months. Meanwhile, Chinas relations with Singapore, which is not a claimant in the long-standing maritime disputes, were tested two years ago when Beijing accused the city state of siding with the US on the South China Sea. During a regional gathering in November, Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned that Southeast Asian nations had been caught in the rivalry between Beijing and Washington and may be forced to choose sides. Chinese experts also questioned the feasibility of the naval base plan. Despite its ambition to restore its past glory as a global nation, Ni said it remained to be seen if Britain could afford such plans for more overseas bases when it had struggled with budget shortfalls for years to maintain a strong military deterrence. Although it saw a modest spending boost in 2018, the British military has shrunk by roughly half since the end of the cold war. The move was also criticised in Britain, including by Labour MP Luke Pollard, who challenged Williamsons plan on Twitter. Where is the budget for this? Why is our national military strategy being made up as we go along? Which budget will be cut to pay for these expansions? he asked. This article Britains planned naval base in Southeast Asia seen as muscle-flexing against China first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. The Taliban discussed Afghanistan's "post-occupation situation" with Iran in their latest meeting, the group said Tuesday, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown. The remarks come after Iran confirmed Monday that the Taliban had visited Tehran for a second round of talks in just a few days that are aimed at ending the 17-year conflict. The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran "the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region", the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists. It signals a growing confidence among the Taliban for US troops to pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground. There have been reports in the past of talks between Iran and the Taliban, but they have typically been denied by Tehran. Tehran's peace push will be viewed with concern by hawks in Washington, who fear that Trump's planned withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan will cede regional influence to Iran. The Taliban also met with the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the United Arab Emirates earlier in December as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the war. But the Taliban refused to meet a delegation from Afghanistan. The group said Saturday its representatives would not meet "with those of the Kabul administration" at the next meeting expected to be held in Saudi Arabia later this month. Iran's deputy foreign ministry Abbas Araghchi will travel to Afghanistan in the next two weeks, the foreign ministry said, without giving further details. Iran and Afghanistan share a nearly 600-mile (960-kilometre) border, and have had a complex relationship in recent years. Tehran has long supported its co-religionists in Afghanistan, the Shia Hazara minority, who were violently persecuted by the Taliban during its rule in the 1990s. Iran worked alongside the United States and Western powers to help drive out the Taliban after the US-led invasion in 2001. But there have been allegations, from Western and Afghan sources, that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have in recent years established ties with the Taliban aimed at driving out US forces from Afghanistan. SINGAPORE (Jan 1): Keppel Land China is acquiring a 11-storey commercial property in Zhongguancun, widely known as China's Silicon Valley for an aggregate cash consideration of RMB 555 million ($111 million). On Dec 31, Keppel Corp announced wholly-owned subsidiary Tosalco has entered into an agreement with A Li Yun Shan (Beijing) Business Consulting Co. to secure a 100% stake in Beijing Chang Sheng Business Consulting Co which owns the property. Located at the Greater Wuluju Area of Haidian District in Beijing, the property consists of nine storeys of office space with 8,532 sqm of gross floor area, two storeys of retail space with 2,104 sqm of gross floor area and 23 car park lots with 992 sqm of gross floor area. The property is also sited directly above the existing Subway Line 6 Haidian Wuluju Station, connecting it to Beijing city centre as well as Tongzhou, Beijing's new municipal centre. Also located in the vicinity are the headquarters of the China State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and China National Space Administration, and top universities such as Renmin University of China, Beijing Foreign Studies University and Beijing Jiaotong University. Ben Lee, President of Keppel Land China, says, "The acquisition is in line with our strategy to grow our commercial portfolio in China, with a focus on first-tier cities. We are confident that this strategically located property will meet the rising demand for prime office and retail space in Beijing. Securing the project is opportune considering that it is a completed asset enjoying almost full occupancy and in a city where supply for quality commercial developments is limited." The above transaction, which is expected to be completed in 1Q19, is not expected to have any material impact on the earnings per share and net tangible asset per share of Keppel Corporation for the financial year FY2018. Shares in Keppel closed at $5.91 on Monday. A hasty review of the SL&P year that was 2018 | Main | Federal criminal caseload highlights from Chief Justice's "2018 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary" This New York Post piece, headlined "Cuomo grants clemency to 29 convicts, including murderers," reports on a final act of sentencing significance from the Governor of New York. Here are the basic details: Gov. Cuomo granted clemency to 29 convicts Monday including four serving lengthy sentences for murder. Twenty-two of the inmates won pardons, including several immigrants convicted of drug crimes who were facing possible deportation. Nine others had their sentences commuted, four for murder and three for armed robbery. These actions will help keep immigrant families together and take a critical step toward a more just, more fair and more compassionate New York, the governor said in a statement. The convicted murderers had all served between 20 and 33 years and had committed the crimes in their teens. Alphonso Riley-James and Roy Bolus, both 49, were were part of a group involved in a drug deal in Albany that went bad and left two men dead. But neither inmate was accused of causing the deaths, Cuomo said, and both have served 30 years of a potential life sentences. The governor said both showed remorse and had exemplary records in prison.... Two other convicted killers were also crime victims themselves, the governor said. Dennis Woodbine, 42, served almost 22 years of a 25-to-life sentence following an incident in Brooklyn in 1998, when he was 19. While chasing a group of young men who had stolen his jewelry, Woodbine fired a gun and struck and killed an innocent bystander. He has since earned a B.A. and is a mentor in the organization Rehabilitation Through the Arts and was featured in a PBS documentary. The governor also commuted the sentence of Michael Crawford, 38, who served 20 years of a 22-to-life sentence after being convicted at age 17 of shooting an individual who stole concert tickets from him in Buffalo in 1999. The governor also commuted the sentences of three other prisoners convicted of robbery or weapons possession. The Bureau of Immigration has implemented a scheme that will hasten the process of departing overseas Filipino workers in traveling out of the country. In a memorandum order, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina instructed personnel at the airports immigration departure areas to ensure that OFWs lining up for immigration processing are given utmost priority. Medina said he issued the directive in compliance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente that immigration departure formalities for OFWs be conducted expeditiously and efficiently. Our objective is to see to it that our modern-day heroes are given all the care and courtesy that they deserve in sacrificing not only for their families but for the country as well, Medina said. He added that Morente approved his recommendation to create a special team of immigration officers who will be tasked to conduct pre-screening of OFWs and attend to the latters immigration needs at the airport. In his memorandum, Medina ordered that designated OFW counters shall only be used exclusively by OFWs. In case of long lines in OFW counters, members of the Bureaus Travel Control and Enforcement Unit shall speed up the queues by inspecting and ensuring that the passengers travel requirements are complete while they are still on the line.Its a matter of deploying more people to focus on OFWs, said Medina. Its a small move, but youll be surprised at the impact on easing the lines for them, he added. The said memorandum also instructed officers to expeditiously process the documents of OFWs. Ordinarilly, a passenger is processed within 45 seconds. Medina sees that the scheme may decrease the processing time up to 33 percent. Medina said that OFWs referred for secondary inspection due to concerns on their travel documents will likewise be prioritized and the matter resolved within 10 minutes. He added that OFWs are also given priority at the arrival area, through the installation of 21 e-gates in major airports. Morente announced that the scheme is part of the series of improvements he plans to implement. The year 2019 will be all about process improvement, he said. We have studied what can do to provide better service. The e-gates and the pre-screening of OFWs are just the beginning. Letters to the Editor: Thank you for candidate forums; Thank you for Festival of Trees success; State must ban, suspend use of chlorpyrifos Kevin Merrill of Mesa Vineyard Management is as board member of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and a director on the Santa Barbara county Fair board. He can be reached at kmerrill@mesavineayrd.com Hospitals will now be held liable in case an emergency patient, including pregnant women, are refused admittance due to their failure to pose a deposit and dies. This was declared by Paranaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting as he lauded the Supreme Courts decision which upheld the constitutionality of Republic Act 10932 or the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law. Tambunting was one of the principal authors of the measure at the House of Representatives. I am proud our Supreme Court has ruled that this law has not violated the rights of our hospitals, said Tambunting, chairman of the House committee on games and amusements. Clearly, there was no real basis for this case to have been filed in the first place, he said. Tambunting added that no Filipino must be deprived of basic emergency care due to poverty. We ask our hospitals to be our partner in achieving this goal.The Supreme Court ruled that If the Court were to invalidate the questioned law on the basis of conjectures and suppositions, then it would be unduly treading questions of policy and wisdom not only of the legislature that passed it, but also of the executive which approved it. The law increased the penalties against hospitals which require deposits before accepting patients in emergency or serious cases. The coverage of the law extends to pregnant women in active labor as one of the emergency cases which hospitals cannot refuse. It also makes the hospital liable in case a patient dies due to the refusal of treatment by the medical facility. Tambunting said RA 10932 is one of his legislative legacies as it will ensure the health of poor patients are not put at even greater risk simply because they do not have enough money to pay the advanced deposit. Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Tuesday called for the exemption from the value added tax (VAT) of all medical drugs to make health services more affordable to the Filipino people as she sought a congressional review of the Cheaper Medicines Act. For 2019, I would want the removal of VAT on medicines, said Marcos, the only local executive running for senator in the coming midterm elections. Marcos lamented that the Cheaper Medicines Act, or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008, failed to make medicines more affordable to the people because of provisions included in the law that favor the interests of big pharmaceutical companies in the country. We need to revise the Cheaper Medicines Act and make it more people-friendly as originally intended, Marcos said. No Filipino must die of sickness because of the prohibitive cost of medicines, she added. The Cheaper Medicines Act was enacted into law with the end-goal of making medicines more affordable and accessible to the people, especially the poor who cannot afford to buy expensive prescription drugs for their illnesses. But 10 years after the law was passed, prices of medical drugs, especially for critical diseases and illnesses, remain exorbitant.Marcos said that to drastically bring down the prices of medicines, removing the VAT imposed on all medical drugs was necessary. She said the VAT exemption on the sale of vital medicines for diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension would not be enough. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, or TRAIN Law, mandates the removal of the 12 percent VAT on medicines for diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. The exemption took effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The VAT exemption will apply to the sale by manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of the medicines, which will be identified by the Food and Drug Administration. 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. Data from millions of museum specimens, such as this Ziziphus celata or Florida jujube, are now available to scientists around the world via digital databases such as iDigBio. Credit: Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage A group of Florida Museum of Natural History scientists has issued a "call to action" to use big data to tackle longstanding questions about plant diversity and evolution and forecast how plant life will fare on an increasingly human-dominated planet. In a commentary published today in Nature Plants, the scientists urged their colleagues to take advantage of massive, open-access data resources in their research and help grow these resources by filling in remaining data gaps. "Using big data to address major biodiversity issues at the global scale has enormous practical implications, ranging from conservation efforts to predicting and buffering the impacts of climate change," said study author Doug Soltis, a Florida Museum curator and distinguished professor in the University of Florida department of biology. "The links between big data resources we see now were unimaginable just a decade ago. The time is ripe to leverage these tools and applications, not just for plants but for all groups of organisms." Over several centuries, natural history museums have built collections of billions of specimens and their associated data, much of which is now available online. New technologies such as remote sensors and drones allow scientists to monitor plants and animals and transmit data in real time. And citizen scientists are contributing biological data by recording and reporting their observations via digital tools such as iNaturalist. Together, these data resources provide scientists and conservationists with a wealth of information about the past, present and future of life on Earth. As these databases have grown, so have the computational tools needed not only to analyze but also link immense data sets. Studies that previously focused on a handful of species or a single plant community can now expand to a global level, thanks to the development of databases such as GenBank, which stores DNA sequences, iDigBio, a University of Florida-led effort to digitize U.S. natural history collections, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, a repository of species' location information. These resources can be valuable to a wide range of users, from scientists in pursuit of fundamental insights into plant evolution and ecology to land managers and policymakers looking to identify the regions most in need of conservation, said Julie Allen, co-lead author and an assistant professor in the University of Nevada-Reno department of biology. If Earth's plant life were a medical patient, small-scale studies might examine the plant equivalent of a cold sore or an ingrown toenail. With big data, scientists can gain a clearer understanding of global plant health as a whole, make timely diagnoses and prescribe the right treatment plans. Such plans are urgently needed, Allen said. "We're in this exciting and terrifying time in which the unprecedented amount of data available to us intersects with global threats to biodiversity such as habitat loss and climate change," said Allen, a former Florida Museum postdoctoral researcher and UF doctoral graduate. "Understanding the processes that have shaped our worldhow plants are doing, where they are now and whycan help us get a handle on how they might respond to future changes." Why is it so vital to track these regional and global changes? "We can't survive without plants," said co-lead author and museum research associate Ryan Folk. "A lot of groups evolved in the shadow of flowering plants. As these plants spread and diversified, so did ants, beetles, ferns and other organisms. They are the base layer to the diversity of life we see on the planet today." In addition to using and growing plant data resources, the authors hope the scientific community will address one of the toughest remaining obstacles to using biological big data: getting databases to work smoothly with each other. "This is still a huge limitation," Allen said. "The data in each system are often collected in completely different ways. Integrating these to connect in seamless ways is a major challenge." Explore further Local conditions shape plant communities More information: Julie M. Allen et al, Biodiversity synthesis across the green branches of the tree of life, Nature Plants (2018). Journal information: Nature Plants Julie M. Allen et al, Biodiversity synthesis across the green branches of the tree of life,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0322-7 A new NYU Abu Dhabi study suggests for the first time that actin, which is a cytoskeleton protein found in the cell, is critical to regulating the genomethe genetic material of an organismduring the formation of "neurons" or nerve cells. The study was published today in PLOS Genetics. Led by NYU Abu Dhabi Associate Professor of Biology Piergiorgio Percipalle, along with other researchers, this study involved converting "fibroblastscells that maintain connective tissueswith impaired actin expression into neurons in order to identify the role of Actin in neurogenesis. The implication of the methodology together with the availability of fibroblasts not expressing actin is far reaching. It will enable researchers to understand novel concepts in genome regulation and, in the long term, model diseases to identify druggable targets. "The technology we've applied in my lab has given us the opportunity to identify novel factors and pathways involved in the regulation of the mammalian genome during neurogenesisthe formation of neuronsand has a lot of potential for the development of personalized medicines," says Percipalle, the study's lead researcher. Explore further Algorithms to locate centrioles in the cell Police operations against the so-called tambay or street loiterers continue even during the celebration of New Year. Elements of the Southern Police District apprehended 85 individuals, 38 of them involved in a street gang riot in Muntinlupa City, the night before New Years Day. SPD spokesperson Jenny Tecson said 35 of those apprehended violated the curfew on minors while 12 were caught smoking in public places. She added the city of Muntinlupa got the highest number of minors apprehended. The SPD and its police stations in close coordination with the local government units and barangay officials are conducting the police operations in the cities of Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Makati, Las Pinas and Muntinlupa, and the town of Pateros.Authorities said the police operation is in line with the governments continuing campaign against loiterers on the streets aimed to ensure a peaceful community, especially at night. In Las Pinas City, 21-year-old Chinese national Wen Hong Tao was arrested inside Cowboy Grill along Alabang-Zapote Road in Barangay Almazan 1 on New Years Eve for alarm and scandal. The suspect was also accused of beating up one Jenny Rose Batain inside the establishment. He is now detained pending the filing of criminal charges before the city prosecutors office. Police also arrested 26-year-old Reynaldo Guarte and Robert Supetran, 33, for trespassing in Makati City while Roberto Garcia, 39, was apprehended for beating up Armando Maravilla in Barangay Sta. Rosario Silangan in Pateros, both incidents also happened on New Years Eve. MANILA, Philippines Majority of Filipinos welcomed the new year with high hopes according to the latest study by the Social Weather Station (SWS). Based on the survey, 92% of the respondents were hopeful for 2019. Meanwhile, 8% of Filipinos are facing 2019 with fear, according to the survey. The result is lower by 4% from last years 96 per cent. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo thanked the Filipinos for being optimistic under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. Panelo added that the survey is a proof that the negative criticisms do not affect the majority of the Filipinos. We thank our people for this universal feeling of optimism under the Duterte administration. This proves that the demolition job and the climate of negativity depicted by the Presidents critics and detractors, better described as the noisy majority, have little or no impact to the silent but much greater majority, Panelo said. The survey was conducted among 1,440 adults from December 16 to 19, 2018. They were asked: Is it with hopes or with fears that you enter the coming year? UNTV News and Rescue The post Number of Filipinos hopeful for the new year declines SWS appeared first on UNTV News. More cracks have been found in a recently completed Sydney high-rise apartment block that was evacuated on Christmas Eve, engineers said Tuesday, as residents remained locked out of the building. Police and emergency services ordered some 300 people out of the 38-storey Opal Tower in the Sydney Olympic Park and other nearby buildings on December 24 after reports of "cracking noises". Some two-thirds of the units were declared safe to return to on Christmas Day, but 51 others were declared "structurally unsafe". Authorities said they found a crack on the 10th floor. Tower builder Icon on Thursday called on all residents to leave the building again to allow global engineering firm WSP and its majority owner, Japanese construction company Kajima, to "comprehensively investigate and remediate the site". WSP chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, Guy Templeton, said engineers have now found two areas on level four that "show evidence of some, but lesser damage" compared to level 10. "As a precautionary measure, propping is being installed to support level four and this will be completed by Icon Co by the end of today," Templeton added in a statement. "The building is structurally sound overall." The New South Wales state government is 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. In a sign that Tesla is preparing to start construction of its first factory in China, Elon Musk said on Monday that he would be visiting China soon for the groundbreaking ceremony. Looking forward to visiting soon for the groundbreaking of Gigafactory Shanghai! Musk wrote on Twitter, replying to a Chinese Tesla owner who had volunteered to deliver a Tesla vehicle to a new owner. Teslas China factory in Shanghai will be its first production facility outside the United States. The EV maker signed the deal for the construction project with the Shanghai authorities in July. The factory is expected to double Teslas electric car production, beginning in two years. The peak annual turnout of the Shanghai factory will be half a million Teslas and the same amount of battery packs, to be achieved two to three years after the launch of production, Tesla said in July after the signing of the deal with Shanghai authorities. In October, Tesla said that it had secured a plot of land for the Chinese Gigafactory in its push to start local production in the worlds biggest EV market. Tesla is expected to begin partial production at its first factory in China in the second half of 2019, the Shanghai government said after a meeting with local Tesla executives earlier this month. Tesla has also started a tender process for the construction of the gigafactory in Shanghai, and at least one contractor has begun buying materials for the construction, Reuters reported in early December, citing sources and documents that it has reviewed. Tesla aims to have a production facility in the worlds top EV market China in order to be able to compete on a level playing field with a growing number of local EV manufacturers. As a U.S.-made vehicle, Teslas cars in China have been subject to steep tariffs, and sales have suffered from the U.S.-China trade war. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Companies around the world have scrapped a record number of large crude tankers in 2018. About 100 vessels of the industrys main crude carriers have been sent to India and Bangladesh for demolition, according to data from Clarkson Research Services Ltd., the statistical and research service arm of the worlds largest shipbroker. Bloomberg said the shipping bust is no surprise, as of September the vessels, which transport 40 percent of the world's crude, were on course for the worst charter rates in three decades. In an August report, Bloomberg specified the implosion of charter rates was due to a two-year reduction of OPEC cargoes and environmental regulations. As we have said before, the global growth slowdown has certainly not helped. (Click to enlarge) Morgan Stanley estimates the global fleet of large crude carriers could lack 100 million barrels of transportation capacity in the first half of 2020. It prolongs the period of profitability after the turnaround, said Fotis Giannakoulis, a New York-based shipping analyst at the bank. The more you scrap, the more you bring the recovery forward and accelerate its speed. The market will strengthen with high scrapping even with smallest growth in demand. Related: Is Solar Growth Really Lagging? In other words, today's scrapping of vessels is seen as a deleveraging period to clear excess and rebalance the industry. (Click to enlarge) Average earnings for 2 million barrel-hauling VLCCs crashed by 65 percent to $6,159 a day in 2018, the lowest since the financial crash according to data from Clarkson. They were $17,794 for all of last year, $41,488 for 2016 and $64,846 in 2015. For companies who did not scrap, rates recently moved higher more threefold from late September to mid-December, according to Clarkson figures. "What those demoralized owners perhaps failed to foresee was a sudden surge in cargoes. With the U.S. poised to impose sanctions on Iran earlier this year, producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia began adding barrels to the market. Between May and November, the worlds largest and second-largest exporters lifted their combined output by about 1.5 million barrels a day. American shipments are also soaring. As well as adding demand for vessels, the increased oil supply also drove down fuel prices -- the industrys single biggest expense. Related: Low Oil Prices Could Cripple Texas Job Growth Up in the North Sea, ships that move 600,000-barrel cargoes earlier this week were earning $72,664 a day, the highest in 3 1/2 years, according to data from the Baltic Exchange in London. At the start of December, giant 2 million-barrel carrying vessels were making $58,000 from delivering Middle East oil to China, the most since at least the start of 2017. West African rates also surged," said Bloomberg. (Click to enlarge) Regarding transportation capacity, this year has been the most substantial scrapping period of crude vessels since 1985. The end of year surge in charter rates does not mean owners were wrong to demolish; it is quite normal to clear the excess vessels to rebalance the industry. By Zerohedge More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil markets have always been cyclical, and now even more so with advanced electronic trading, more speculation (which often results in wider oil price swings) and more producers, including the resurgence of U.S. oil production, now reaching over 11 million barrels per day. Added to the cocktail of uncertainty are also a myriad of geopolitical and economic factors, including ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions, angst of U.S. Federal Reserve policy, and wars in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere, which make it increasingly difficult to forecast the direction for future oil prices. This dynamic has proven true over the past two-and-a-half months as market pundits have watched (often in amazement) how global oil prices reached multi-year highs in October, only to quickly plunge by 40 percent to date. Prices for global oil benchmark, London-traded Brent crude futures were trading in the mid-$80s range in early October, while U.S. oil benchmark, NYMEX-traded West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were hovering in the mid $70s-range, a comfortable price point for U.S. shale oil producers, and around $25per barrel above the average oil production break-even point for shale producers. However, amid all of the dismal economic news and problematic geopolitical developments, a group of bankers are sounding optimistic once again over future oil price forecasts. On Friday, Bloomberg said that many of the worlds largest banks are forecasting a rebound in oil prices next year as fears of a recession prove misplaced. According to a Bloomberg survey of oil analysts, Brent will average $70 a barrel in 2019, almost a third higher than its price on Thursday. Michael Cohen, head of energy and commodities research at Barclays Plc in New York, said we could even see something similar to a V-shaped recovery next year, on two very important conditions. One, that the reduction in OPEC exports leads to a reduction in inventories. And two, that we dont see a further deterioration in macroeconomic conditions. The Bloomberg report added that despite a recent darkening outlook for the global economy amid prolonged trade disputes between the U.S. and China, and as the U.S. Federal Reserve embarks on tightening monetary policy, most commentators arent seeing an actual recession biting the oil market next year. The median forecast of 24 oil analysts in the Bloomberg survey projects that Brent crude futures will average exactly $70 a barrel in 2019. The price on Thursday was about $53.50 while the average so far in 2018 has been about $72. Meanwhile, the median forecast for WTI is $61.13. WTI futures traded at about $45.27 on Monday. Related: Low Oil Prices Could Cripple Texas Job Growth Michael Tran, a commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets LLC, said that prices are nearing a bottom, while global supply and demand should reach a fine balance next year. Bloomberg added that in the absence of a severe economic slump, most analysts anticipate that world oil consumption will continue to expand at roughly the pace seen in recent years, powered by emerging economies such as China. Downplaying the trade war variable? However, though the analysts surveyed by Bloomberg give credence to ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, it appears that unless a new trade deal is reached by the self-imposed March 2 deadline between the two sides, global oil demand will indeed recede amid more sluggish global economic growth, led by a slow down in Chinese manufacturing and exports. Since the U.S. and China are the worlds two largest economies, ongoing trade tensions are already hitting global supply chains, particularly in Asia. Numerous manufacturing companies have already exited China for greener pastures, including setting up shop in neighboring Southeast Asian economic tiger Vietnam. Japan, the worlds third largest economy and a major importer of both crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), for its part, is already suffering economic fall out from the U.S.-China trade spate. In September, the Tokyo-based Nikkei Asian Review said that at least 60 percent of top Japanese companies expected earnings to be hurt by the trade war. If Washington and Beijing cant reach a formal trade war cease-fire by March 2, that 60 percent figure could likely include nearly all top Japanese companies, while Japans GDP would also take a hit, as would oil demand growth in the country. A protracted trade war between the U.S. and China will also hit other OECD members. Last month, the group of developed economies downgraded its global growth forecast from 3.7 percent to 3.5 percent in 2019 and 2020. However, that growth forecast could likely be readjusted if the U.S. hikes existing tariffs on $200 bn worth of Chinese products to as high as 25 percent while slapping fresh duties on another $267 bn worth of Chinese exports would exacerbate the problem. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The New York Times As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads in southeastern China, doctors say they are finding that the symptoms are different and more dangerous than those they saw when the initial version of the virus started spreading in late 2019 in the central city of Wuhan. Patients are becoming sicker, and their conditions are worsening much more quickly, doctors told state-run television Thursday and Friday. Four-fifths of symptomatic cases developed fevers, they said, although it was not clear how This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). Well show how you can use Illinois Tool Works Inc.s (NYSE:ITW) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Illinois Tool Works has a price to earnings ratio of 22.43, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 4.5%. View our latest analysis for Illinois Tool Works How Do I Calculate Illinois Tool Workss Price To Earnings Ratio? The formula for P/E is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Illinois Tool Works: P/E of 22.43 = $124.72 $5.56 (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Thats because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the E in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others and that may attract buyers. Illinois Tool Works saw earnings per share decrease by 15% last year. But EPS is up 7.2% over the last 5 years. How Does Illinois Tool Workss P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. As you can see below, Illinois Tool Works has a higher P/E than the average company (18.1) in the machinery industry. NYSE:ITW PE PEG Gauge January 1st 19 Illinois Tool Workss P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling. Story continues A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank Its important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). Is Debt Impacting Illinois Tool Workss P/E? Illinois Tool Workss net debt is 14% of its market cap. This could bring some additional risk, and reduce the number of investment options for management; worth remembering if you compare its P/E to businesses without debt. The Bottom Line On Illinois Tool Workss P/E Ratio Illinois Tool Works trades on a P/E ratio of 22.4, which is above the US market average of 16. With modest debt but no EPS growth in the last year, its fair to say the P/E implies some optimism about future earnings, from the market. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold they key to an excellent investment decision. You might be able to find a better buy than Illinois Tool Works. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings). To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced Monday that she would launch an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential run. Fixing the opportunity crisis By Jim Kessler Whether you agree or disagree with her, Sen. Elizabeth Warrens presumed entry into the presidential race will make the 2020 Democratic nomination more interesting. Shes exceptionally smart, passionately committed to progressive principles, and has a deep understanding of policy. Her opening video shows a deft political touch, offering something for every type of Democrat and independent who want to mend, not end, capitalism. Like all candidates, shell make mistakes, as she did with her ill-timed DNA test last fall. But her strong grassroots following and passion for the issues likely means she starts this race as one of the legitimate front-runners. The big question for Warren is whether she can expand her appeal beyond those who are angry about the economy being rigged to include the much larger group of voters who are worried about the economy leaving them behind. Finding the right balance between anger and aspiration is key. Technology and globalization have been profoundly disruptive, shrinking the opportunity to succeed to a small slice of people and places. While the Digital Age is working just fine for the lucky few, most other Americans are facing a genuine opportunity crisis. People rightly wonder whether they and their kids will have a real shot at earning a good life where they live. Sen. Elizabeth Warren If Warren or someone else can convince voters that she has the ideas and the will to fight every day to ensure that everyone has a real opportunity to earn a good life no matter the ZIP code, race, gender or sexual orientation, that candidate will unite traditional progressives, moderates and independents to cruise to the nomination. And he or she will be unstoppable against President Donald Trump in the general election. Jim Kessler is executive vice president for policy at Third Way, a center-left think tank. Follow him on Twitter @thirdwaykessler. Story continues For Warren, there is a path to victory By Lawrence Lessig Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has framed her campaign exactly as she should focused on middle-class values and the corruption of the current system. If she can stay focused on these issues that unite America and stay far from the fights that divide the Democratic Party she could make herself the natural leader for her party and the nation. The system is rigged is Warrens slogan. It is what America believes. If she can offer America a clear path to unrigging that rigged system, and therefore a path to rebuilding the middle class, she will be our next president. Lawrence Lessig is Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School. Follow him on Twitter: @lessig What others are saying Chris Cillizza, CNN: "You have to wonder whether she missed her moment. Sen. Elizabeth Warren enters this 2020 contest as one of the fundraising leaders (she had more than $12 million in the bank at the end of November), one of only a handful of candidates regularly polling in the high single-digits or low double-digits in most national polling on the 2020 contest, and someone who has already built the start of real organizations in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. And yet, the shine that surrounded her from her 2012 Senate win through (and even after) the 2016 election has been quite clearly tarnished, most notably by her botched attempt this fall to put questions about her Native American heritage behind her. ... That Warren decided to be the first major candidate to explore the race ... is in some ways an acknowledgment of her weakened state. The supposed favorites usually hold off announcing their runs until the spring waiting to see how the field shakes out a bit (and letting the lesser-known candidates fight it out) before wading in." Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post: "Warren is the first in a batch of Senate Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kamala Harris of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, to name just four likely to announce early in 2019. In this case, being first doesnt really confer any benefits, especially when one announces on New Years Eve when most Americans arent focused on politics. She enters the race with several advantages. While she is 69 years old, she is a fresher face and less crotchety than Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., whose frontal assault on capitalism puts him to the left even of Warren. She already put out a compelling anti-corruption platform that goes after everything from corporate lobbyists to President Donald Trumps emoluments. She is, even her opponents concede, whip-smart and exceptionally knowledgeable about bankruptcy and financial reform. In addition, she has already developed a network of supporters and is a proven fundraiser." Natasha Korecki, Politico: "The anti-Warren narrative was written before the Massachusetts senator even announced she was exploring a presidential run. Shes too divisive and too liberal, Washington Democrats have complained privately. Her DNA rollout was a disaster and quite possibly a White House deal-breaker. Shes already falling in the polls, and perhaps most stinging shares too many of the attributes that sank Hillary Clinton. In the year of the woman, it adds up to one unwelcome mat for the most prominent woman likely to be part of the 2020 field. But it also presents an unmistakable challenge: How does Warren avoid a Clinton redux written off as too unlikable before her campaign gets off the ground? In interviews with Politico, nearly a half-dozen current and former Warren advisers and associates acknowledged the rap on her, even as they dismissed it as little more than Washington chatter. Any comparison to Clinton will recede, they said, once Warren hits the campaign trail in early states and weaves her own narrative in front of real voters." What our readers are saying This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. As much as I would love for Warren to run and win, I don't think she can. As evidenced by the last election, America will not vote for a woman, even though she is the most qualified, intelligent and experienced. Basically, the American electorate seems to be ignorant, puritanical, small-minded and jock-centric. So, they can't seem to bring themselves to vote for a woman. Maybe she would succeed as vice president, but at this point in America, not president. Sad. Richard Blue Should have run in 2016. Richard Ginn Only in Trump World are a senator and a prior vice president considered irrelevant. Bobba Luie This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This country doesnt need someone like Warren. She will only create another set of rules, taxes and policies to make us a weaker nation with no borders and jobs flocking overseas. Lou Creola Her chances might depend on who the other Democrats run in primaries. If there are multiple far left like her in the mix to split the radical vote and only one moderate to get all those votes, the moderate probably wins. Larry Richards To join the conversations about topics on USA TODAY or provide feedback to this, email jrivera@usatoday.com or erivers@usatoday.com, comment on Facebook, or use #tellusatoday on Twitter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Warren the candidate Democrats have been waiting for? Some doubt it: Today's Talker Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV), which is in the chemicals business, and is based in United States, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of $21.62 and falling to the lows of $18.62. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Valvolines current trading price of $19.13 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Valvolines outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. See our latest analysis for Valvoline Whats the opportunity in Valvoline? According to my valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued by about 43.69%, trading at US$19.13 compared to my intrinsic value of $13.31. This means that the buying opportunity has probably disappeared for now. In addition to this, it seems like Valvolines share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta. What kind of growth will Valvoline generate? NYSE:VVV Future Profit January 1st 19 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Valvolines earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 81%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. What this means for you: Story continues Are you a shareholder? VVVs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question is now the right time to sell? If you believe VVV should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on VVV for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means theres no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for VVV, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Valvoline. You can find everything you need to know about Valvoline in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Valvoline, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, on Tuesday, offered to help people affected by tropical depression Usman. Teco said in a statement it would help typhoon victims overcome the adversities and promptly restore their lives back to normal. Taiwan is willing to cooperate with the Philippines by providing necessities and assistances specifically required by the affected people. It vowed to keep in contact with relevant government agencies of the Philippines to monitor the damage and casualties caused by Usman.Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs also conveyed its goodwill of offering assistance to the Philippine government through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines. The government and people of the Taiwan also expressed their sincere care and condolence to the government of the Philippines and people in the affected areas. Usman hit central islands of the Philippines in the weekend before the New Year, triggering flooding and landslides and causing dozens of casualties. Nasa scientists have expressed joy and relief after receiving a signal from the New Horizons probe, proving it survived a record-breaking exploratory mission four billion miles from Earth. The probe made contact to confirm its successful flyby of the icy Ultima Thule space rock, which is 19 miles wide and shaped like a giant peanut. This marks a record for the most distant object to be explored. New Horizon obtained gigabytes of photos and other observations which it will send home over the next few months. Controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland cheered and clapped as they received the signal. Read more Nasa prepares to explore most distant world ever probed by humankind Mission operations manager Alice Bowman said: We have a healthy spacecraft. Weve just accomplished the most distant flyby. Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: In addition to being the first to explore Pluto, today New Horizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft and became the first to directly explore an object that holds remnants from the birth of our solar system. This is what leadership in space exploration is all about. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The radio message from the robotic craft was picked up in Madrid by one of Nasas big antennas. The data took six hours and eight minutes to traverse the massive breadth of space between Ultima and Earth. According to Nasa, scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched in 2006, meaning the mission was unique. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and selected it for New Horizons extended mission in 2015. Anythings possible out there in this very unknown region, said John Spencer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons. Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on a 4 billion mile journey towards the solar systems frigid edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. The spacecraft, which is the size of a baby grand piano, flew past Pluto in 2015, providing the first close-up views of the planet. Story continues During the flyby, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed that methane-rich dunes were on the icy dwarf planets surface. After trekking 1 billion miles beyond Pluto into the Kuiper belt, New Horizons will now seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets. There is a great deal scientists can learn from Ultima and the hundreds of thousands of similar bodies scientists deem to be in the solar system. Hal Weaver, project scientist on the mission, told the BBC the rock is probably the most primitive object ever encountered by a spacecraft, the best possible relic of the early solar system. The object is officially known as 2014 MU69, but was nicknamed Ultima Thule, a Latin phrase which means beyond the borders of the known world. Additional reporting by Reuters SDL plc (LON:SDL), which is in the software business, and is based in United Kingdom, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the LSE over the last few months, increasing to 5.08 at one point, and dropping to the lows of 4.4. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether SDLs current trading price of 4.78 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at SDLs outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. See our latest analysis for SDL What is SDL worth? The stock is currently trading at UK4.78 on the share market, which means it is overvalued by 24.13% compared to my intrinsic value of 3.85. Not the best news for investors looking to buy! In addition to this, it seems like SDLs share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta. Can we expect growth from SDL? LSE:SDL Future Profit January 1st 19 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the companys future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 54% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for SDL. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in SDLs positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question is now the right time to sell? If you believe SDL should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Story continues Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on SDL for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means theres no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for SDL, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on SDL. You can find everything you need to know about SDL in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in SDL, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Police restraining a man after he stabbed three people at Victoria Station in Manchester on New Year's Eve - PA In the hours before midnight when the nation would be welcoming in the New Year, terror returned to Manchester. Just before 9pm and yards from the Manchester Arena, where 22 people, many of them children had been murdered in a suicide attack, all hell was about to break loose. Related Video: Police Investigating Stabbings As Terrorist Incident This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Between platforms A and B at Manchester Victoria Metrolink tram station, a man dressed head-to-toe in black mounted a frenzied and sustained attack on a couple in their 50s waiting patiently for a tram. He screamed Allahu Akbar - meaning God is great - while stabbing at them with two knives, one in each hand. I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform, said Sam Clack, 38, a BBC producer on a New Years Eve night out, What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood-curdling way. The screams alerted British Transport Police officers on patrol at Victoria train station, which stands in the same complex as the tram stop and the nearby Manchester Arena. Four officers, unarmed but for standard issue Taser stun gun and a special incapacitating gel, raced to the scene. The suspect, said to be of Somali origin, was carrying two kitchen knives, each about 12-inches long. Two commuters - a man and woman in their 50s - were taken to hospital with knife injuries and a British Transport Police (BTP) officer was stabbed in the shoulder. Credit: Sam Clack/Press Association Mr Clack thought the attacker was coming for him next. I just had a feeling in the pit of my stomach, said Mr Clack. Heres a man whos very agitated, angry, skittish. It appears he had already attacked someone. He had police coming towards him and hes coming towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear. Mr Clack thought about jumping on to the tram tracks and running for his life. Other passengers already had. But before he needed to flee, the police at breakneck speed had pounced. Story continues Video footage shows four British transport Police officers pinning the knifeman to the ground, including one female officer. They had tried to taser him and in the melee one officer - a sergeant in his 30s - was stabbed in the shoulder. The suspect was then dragged away to a police van, shouting alahu akbar while the victims sat on a bench on the station platform being treated for their wounds, tended to by female police officers. A discharged taser, shoe and paramedic equipment on Metrolink platform B at Victoria Station Credit: Joel Goodman/LNP A Muslim woman, wearing a hijab, put her arm around the injured female victim. Nazir Afzal, a former prosecutor, tweeted: The woman with hijab helping victims is far more reflective of Muslims than the idiot with a knife. Andy Burnham, Manchesters mayor, said last night the vile attack could have been much more serious if not for the outstanding bravery from British Transport Police who were instantly on the scene. He suggested its location had been deliberately picked to cause maximum impact because of its proximity to the Manchester Arena, scene of the barbarous suicide bomb attack in May last year. This attack has brought back some very painful memories for everyone involved, Mr Burnham told the Telegraph, Particularly given how close it was to the Manchester Arena, which appears to have been deliberate. But the city is strong, united and resilient and the way the incident was dealt with by the emergency services and others was exemplary. Yesterday, police raided a newly built semi-detached house in a street in Cheetham Hill, a mile north of the city centre. Police said it was the last known address of the 25-year-old suspect. A house in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was raided as part of the investigation into the suspected terror attack at Manchester Victoria Station Credit: Pat Hurst/Press Association Neighbours said police arrived at the address in the morning. Tactical Aid Unit vans were stationed outside, with a policeman stood guarding the door. Nousha Babaakachel said a Somali family live at the address, a mother and father of five in their forties who came to live in the street around 12 years ago from the Netherlands. Mrs Babaakachel, 40, said two of the four sons are at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter. Well-placed sources said the suspect was believed to have been suffering from serious mental health issues and who had acted alone. By last night, Manchester was coming to realise it had had a narrow escape. The city has the bravery of police officers to thank for that. By Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - China must use peaceful means to resolve its differences with Taiwan and respect its democratic values, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday, ahead of a major speech about the island by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. China has heaped pressure on Tsai since she took office in 2016, cutting off dialogue, whittling down Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies and forcing foreign airlines to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites. China fears Tsai wishes to push for Taiwan's formal independence, though Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo. Beijing has regularly sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island on drills. Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in a year's time. Tsai's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party suffered stinging losses to the China-friendly Kuomintang in mayoral and local elections in November. In a new year's address at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait needed a pragmatic understanding of the basic differences that exist between them in terms of values and political systems. "Here, I would like to call on China to face squarely the reality of the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan," Tsai said, referring to the island's formal name. China "must respect the insistence of 23 million people on freedom and democracy, and must use peaceful, on parity means to handle our differences", she added. China's interference in the island's political and social development is "Taiwan's biggest challenge at the moment", Tsai said. China denies any interference in Taiwan's internal affairs. China views Taiwan as a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if needed, with no right to international recognition as a separate political entity. Democratic Taiwan has shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China. Liu Jieyi, head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in his new year's message they had not wavered last year in the face of "deliberate provocations" from Taiwan's government. "Although the way ahead won't all be plain sailing, we have the confidence and the ability to vanquish risks and challenges," he said in a statement on the office's website. On Wednesday, Xi will give a speech to mark 40 years since a key policy statement that eventually led to a thaw in relations with Taiwan, the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan". On Jan. 1, 1979, China declared an end to what had been routine artillery bombardment of Taiwan-controlled offshore islands close to China and offered to open up communications between the two sides, after decades of hostility. Chiang Kai-shek fled with defeated Nationalist forces to Taiwan in December 1949 after losing a civil war to the Communists.Despite the deep business, cultural and personal links which exist today, no peace treaty or formal end to hostilities has been signed. (Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Stephen Coates & Kim Coghill) Shay Mitchell attends Revolves second annual #REVOLVEawards at the Palms Casino Resort on Nov. 9, 2018, in Las Vegas. (Photo: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images) As Shay Mitchell reflected on 2018, she remembered both the good times and bad. In a heartbreaking post on Instagram, the Pretty Little Liars star revealed she suffered a miscarriage sometime last year. Although it was an amazing year, it didnt come without hardships, Mitchell wrote on her Instagram Story, followed by a photo of a sonogram with a broken heart emoji. Photo: Shay Mitchell via Instagram We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life. And sometimes its easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity, the 31-year-old actress noted. The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams, Mitchell continued. In the spirit of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey together in good times and in bad and to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through. The You actress concluded by sharing her wish for 2019 that everyone can be a little more compassionate, empathetic, patient and thoughtful with each other. Photo: Shay Mitchell via Instagram Mitchell was most recently linked to Matte Babel, a Canadian television host and music reporter. The Possession of Hannah Grace star is excited about the new year. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Video: Shay Mitchell On Playing Peach In YOU Read more on Yahoo Entertainment: Megan Janes, left, and Paul Lopez, right. Getting into a new business venture with friends is exciting, but when the relationship heads south, the fallout is only exciting for the lawyers. Navigating a separation is stressful enough, but it can be especially so if you do not understand that certain provisions in a shareholder agreement (corporation) or operating agreement (limited liability company) are not enforceable under Florida law or not applied consistently with common sense. The first culprit, that even some attorneys fall for, is the no oral modifications clause. This agreement may only be amended, modified, or supplemented by an agreement in writing signed by each party hereto. This is standard boilerplate language, but depending on the facts of your case, you may not be able to rely on it. Oral modifications or amendments to an agreement will be enforced, despite a no oral modifications clause, when the following requirements are met: The parties agreed upon and accepted an oral modification (i.e., mutual assent); and Both parties (or at least the party seeking to enforce the amendment) performed consistent with the terms of the alleged oral modification (not merely consistent with their obligations under the original contract); and That due to one partys performance under the contract as amended the other party received and accepted a benefit that it otherwise was not entitled to under the original contract (i.e., independent consideration). Be careful of stipulating or agreeing to certain operational decisions relating to the companys business either verbally or in writing via emails or texts. If you do and then act consistent with such an agreement, you may be unwittingly modifying material terms of your agreement with your fellow business partners to your substantial detriment. For example, many times a shareholder agreement will expressly state that all major decisions (as defined therein) shall be decided upon unanimously. However, if major decisions are routinely effectuated by the majority of the shareholders in control of the company without seeking unanimity of all shareholders, including you, and you have failed to avail yourself of your rights under the shareholder agreement by demanding unanimous consent, the major decisions clause may be modified such that unanimity is not required. Considering that major decisions oftentimes involve major monetary decisions, this can have dire consequences to your position down the road. Story continues Another clause that you really want to rely on, but cannot, is a no fiduciary duties provision. This clause typically reads: No owner shall have any fiduciary duties to any other owner or the Company. The current LLC Act allows the courts to look to the terms of the operating agreement, as well as common law principles relating to the duties of care and loyalty. An operating agreement can alter or eliminate the duty of loyalty, but that power is limited. An operating agreements attempt to limit fiduciary duties will only be enforced if not manifestly unreasonable. If the agreement tries to completely invalidate the duties of care and loyalty that exist at common law, it will not be enforced. For corporations with 100 or fewer shareholders, the statute prohibits a shareholder agreement from including terms that are contrary to public policy, such as reducing the duties of care and loyalty prescribed by statute or exculpating directors from statutory liability. Bottom line, if you have an LLC you can only limit fiduciary duties so far and for a corporation you cannot vary the duties imposed by statute regardless of what your agreement says. Beware of clauses that modify the statutory rules on deadlock, dissolution, or derivative claims. An age-old problem with the management of both corporations and LLCs is what to do when the people in control are at a deadlock. Deadlock occurs when no person or group has enough voting power to make a decision for the company without additional support, or one owner is allegedly harming the company. A classic example is when two partners own a company on a 50/50 basis and require a majority (or in practice a unanimous) vote to make company decisions, but one owner is unilaterally running the company. In trying to fashion a way to avoid lengthy litigation, the operating or shareholder agreement may try to alter the grounds for dissolution or prevent an owner from bringing suit against another owner for harm to the company. The LLC Act prohibits an operating agreement from, among other things, varying the grounds for dissolution, which include deadlock, and from unreasonably restricting the rights of an owner from bringing a claim against another owner, either directly or derivatively on behalf of the company. Similarly, the Corporation Act prohibits provisions that violate public policy, such as by including terms that adversely affect shareholders rights to bring derivative actions. Unlike the LLC Act, however, a shareholder agreement for a company with 100 or fewer shareholders is allowed to require dissolution of the corporation at the request of one or more of the shareholders or upon the occurrence of a specified event or contingency even if such terms are inconsistent with the Corporation Act. This difference between LLCs and corporations is a potential trap that leads to errors in the drafting of governance documents, and subsequently to a potential false sense of security when facing litigation. If you find yourself in a dispute between owners of a company, you should seek an in depth legal analysis on the enforceability of your agreement in light of the facts rather than put too much faith in what your contract says. Paul O. Lopezis a director and chief operating officer of Tripp Scott in Fort Lauderdale. and Megan L. Janes is an associate. Hundreds of migrants and their children seeking to enter the U.S. from Mexico are arriving with illnesses, forcing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to seek additional medical assistance and boost medical screenings, the agency disclosed Monday. Between Dec. 22 and Sunday, the agency reported 451 cases referred to doctors or other providers, including 259 children. Among the children, half of the cases involved kids under the age of 5. The ill migrants have been arriving with all kinds of ailments, many with flu or pneumonia that can be particularly pervasive and dangerous this time of year. Seventeen migrants have been hospitalized, including six children, according to the agency.. "The U.S. Border Patrol is doing everything in its power to handle this crisis," said Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan in a statement. But he added, "The status quo is not acceptable" given the wave of immigrants arriving. U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE ) dropped off over 100 migrants mostly from Guatemala at Phoenix Greyhound bus station on Dec. 27, 2018. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement last week that the Border Patrol has detailed 139,817 migrants on the Southwest border in the past two months. That compares to 74,946 for the same period last year. These include 68,510 family members and 13,981 unaccompanied children. Making matters worse, McAleenan said central American refugees are now arriving directly by bus, not just by foot, and that a "robust smuggling cycle continues." Disclosure of the numbers of sick migrants come amid heightened concern about the medical condition of children in U.S. custody. Previously, the agency disclosed an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in custody on Christmas Eve, the second immigrant child to pass away in detention this month. The boy, Felipe Gomez Alonzo, had been treated and released for cold and fever symptoms during nearly a week in U.S. custody, the agency said. The Border Patrol has been receiving assistance from the Coast Guard, which has sent medical teams to the border in the Yuma and Tucson, Arizona, and Rio Grande Valley sectors of the border. The Public Health Service also said it will deploy teams to help. Story continues More: 2 migrant children recently died in US custody. There were documented warning signs More: Two children have died in US border custody this month. Before that, none in a decade. Why now? The Border Patrol is also changing procedures to enhance medical evaluations of children. Parents are being interviewed about their children's medical condition and history and kids' blood pressure, pulse and temperature are among the vitals being checked by assessment teams, McAleenan told reporters in a conference call. "We have always had an agent review the condition of the children," McAleenan said. "What we are providing now is a medical professional" for the evaluations. He said he said the cases being referred involve illnesses believe to have been contracted in transit to the U.S., not while in U.S. custody. "Many were ill before they departed their homes," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rampant migrant illnesses force U.S. Border Patrol to seek help, change procedures Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Qualcomm (QCOM), which belongs to the Zacks Wireless Equipment industry, could be a great candidate to consider. This chipmaker has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 25.34%. For the most recent quarter, Qualcomm was expected to post earnings of $0.83 per share, but it reported $0.90 per share instead, representing a surprise of 8.43%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.71 per share, while it actually produced $1.01 per share, a surprise of 42.25%. Price and EPS Surprise For Qualcomm, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Qualcomm currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.45%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on January 30, 2019. Story continues With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Brasilia (AFP) - President Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops out of Syria "in no way changes anything" in terms of US support and protection of Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday. Pompeo gave the assurance as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks in Brasilia on the sidelines of the inauguration of Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro. "The decision the president made on Syria in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel," Pompeo said. "The counter-ISIS campaign continues, our efforts to counter Iranian aggression continue, and our commitment to Middle East stability and protection of Israel continues in the same way before that decision was made," he said. ISIS is another term for the radical militant Islamic State group (IS). The fact that the issue was the prime topic of conversation between Pompeo and Netanyahu underlined the uncertainty spawned by Trump's December 19 decision -- announced on Twitter -- to withdraw the approximately 2,000 US troops from northeast Syria, where they had been battling IS remnants. "We have a lot to discuss. We're going to be discussing our -- the intense cooperation between Israel and the United States, which will also deal with the questions following the decision, the American decision, on Syria," Netanyahu said. He said the talks would look at "how to intensify even further our intelligence and operational cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East." A US official with Pompeo said the two men "discussed the unacceptable threat that regional aggression and provocation by Iran and its agents poses to Israeli and regional security." Pompeo "reiterated the United States' commitment to Israel's security and unconditional right to self-defense." - Allies' concern - Trump's abrupt decision on Syria stunned regional players, US politicians and military leaders, who expressed surprise that such a major decision would be announced after apparently so little advance consultation, against the advice of his national security advisors. Story continues US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned following the announcement, which came on the same day that US officials said Trump was also planning a significant drawdown in Afghanistan, with some reports suggesting as many as half of the 14,000 troops could leave. There are concerns that the US withdrawal could create a vacuum that will be exploited by other militaries active in Syria -- the Syrian army, of course, but also its Iranian allies, or Turkey, which already holds Syrian territory just over its border and which is hostile to the Kurdish groups allied with the American forces. There is also IS. While badly debilitated after years of combat, the jihadist group is still thousands-strong in northeast Syria and could stage a comeback if military pressure is let up. After the blowback from startled allies, Trump appeared to backtrack on his initial announcement that "we have defeated ISIS" and a pull-out would be immediate. In another tweet on Monday he said the withdrawal would now be done "slowly... while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants." The US-led coalition launched its first raids against IS in September 2014, more than two years before Trump won the US election. US-backed forces seized the jihadists' self-declared capital Raqa on October 17, 2017. Israel has conducted several airstrikes in Syria, targeting positions held by Iran and its Lebanese proxy force Hezbollah. Netflix's former chief financial officer, David Wells, announced he was leaving the company in August - REUTERS Netflix has hired Spencer Neumann as its new chief financial officer, recruiting the veteran executive from gaming company Activision Blizzard. The Daily Telegraph understands Mr Neumann will be joining the streaming provider this year. News of the hire, which was first reported by Reuters, comes after Activision Blizzard yesterday released a regulatory filing that said it was planning to fire Mr Neumann for an unspecified reason "unrelated to the companys financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures". The company said he had been placed on paid leave "pending an opportunity for him to demonstrate why cause does not exist to terminate his employment or why termination of his employment is not otherwise justified". Mr Neumann did not immediately respond to requests to comment. Netflix has been searching for a new chief financial officer since August, when David Wells announced he was leaving the company after 14 years. He held the CFO post for eight years prior to stepping down, saying at the time that, given "Netflixs strong financial position and exciting growth plans, this is the right time for us to help identify the next financial leader for the company". In its most recent results, Netflix revealed it had grown subscriber numbers to 137 million, and posted a 34pc rise in sales in the third quarter, sending shares as much as 15pc higher. Mr Neumann will be the latest Netflix executive to have previously worked at Disney. In September, Netflix announced it was adding former Disney executive Christie Fleischer as its new global head of consumer products, and also signed deals with major showrunners Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris. Netflix and Disney were previously in partnership, having struck a deal to show Disney content on Netflix six years ago, but that relationship has since broken down. Disney is planning to pull its shows and films, including the Marvel superhero franchise, from Netflix later this year. Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 4 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481117 01-02-2019 12:36 AM Post: #1 DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? Advertisement Did ANY Japanese planes get shot down as proof ? Did ANYONE retaliate against the Japanese Carriers that the planes allegedly launched from and returned to ? It would take DAYS for the Armada to retreat . Why were they not intercepted and sunk ? Why didn't the Armada show up on any Radars ? I understand the planes may slip through, but an entire Naval strike force ? I think now, this was also a False Flag attack and Planes painted up like Japanese planes were used. Maybe even Japanese planes that were "acquired" some how, were used .(Cheney wanted to use this method against Iran) I can see no logical explanation as to why no one chased after that Armada as they slowly turned and went home ! We only have the word of the Media and the Government and we already know that was suss, so why not the entire story ? I question EVERY claimed attack that lead to war now !Did ANY Japanese planes get shot down as proof ?Did ANYONE retaliate against the Japanese Carriers that the planes allegedly launched from and returned to ?It would take DAYS for the Armada to retreat . Why were they not intercepted and sunk ?Why didn't the Armada show up on any Radars ? I understand the planes may slip through, but an entire Naval strike force ?I think now, this was also a False Flag attack and Planes painted up like Japanese planes were used. Maybe even Japanese planes that were "acquired" some how, were used .(Cheney wanted to use this method against Iran)I can see no logical explanation as to why no one chased after that Armada as they slowly turned and went home !We only have the word of the Media and the Government and we already know that was suss, so why not the entire story ? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 465753 01-02-2019 12:38 AM Post: #2 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? my great grandfather was there he saw his friend turned into a cloud of red spray saw the japanese flags on planes don't be stupid dude LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481120 01-02-2019 12:39 AM Post: #3 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 12:36 AM) I question EVERY claimed attack that lead to war now ! Did ANY Japanese planes get shot down as proof ? Did ANYONE retaliate against the Japanese Carriers that the planes allegedly launched from and returned to ? It would take DAYS for the Armada to retreat . Why were they not intercepted and sunk ? Why didn't the Armada show up on any Radars ? I understand the planes may slip through, but an entire Naval strike force ? I think now, this was also a False Flag attack and Planes painted up like Japanese planes were used. Maybe even Japanese planes that were "acquired" some how, were used .(Cheney wanted to use this method against Iran) I can see no logical explanation as to why no one chased after that Armada as they slowly turned and went home ! We only have the word of the Media and the Government and we already know that was suss, so why not the entire story ? And the personal who survived and went home and told their families all about it. We also know FDR knew of the attack so left the aging ships in port while evacuating the able vessels. He allowed it to happen. The Japanese sent him a message informing him 48 hours in advance of the attack if they did not go back to selling Japan fuel. And the personal who survived and went home and told their families all about it.We also know FDR knew of the attack so left the aging ships in port while evacuating the able vessels. He allowed it to happen. The Japanese sent him a message informing him 48 hours in advance of the attack if they did not go back to selling Japan fuel. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481117 01-02-2019 12:40 AM Post: #4 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 12:38 AM) my great grandfather was there he saw his friend turned into a cloud of red spray saw the japanese flags on planes don't be stupid dude He SAW "japanese flags on planes" ? He SAW "japanese flags on planes" ? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481117 01-02-2019 01:07 AM Post: #5 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? So NO proof, only the repeated story you were told by the Media and the Government. Why on earth would Japan attack America, the most powerful country on the planet ? Please dont recite the story about America not giving them scrap steel and fuel . They already had their hands full with China and they suddenly thought it would be a good idea to take on America as well ? They THEN went on to put up a good fight against America, BUT STILL WITH NO SCRAP STEEL OR FUEL ????????? The whole thing stinks ! Bao2 Banned User ID: 422170 01-02-2019 01:24 AM Posts: 12,565 Post: #6 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 12:36 AM) DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? It was a false flag, I think it even was recognized but perhaps only in my timeline and in this one it is yet taught in schools that japos attacked? It was a false flag, I think it even was recognized but perhaps only in my timeline andin this one it is yet taught in schools that japos attacked? Bao2 Banned User ID: 422170 01-02-2019 01:25 AM Posts: 12,565 Post: #7 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 12:38 AM) my great grandfather was there he saw his friend turned into a cloud of red spray saw the japanese flags on planes don't be stupid dude Those planes were painted to do the false flag Those planes were painted to do the false flag LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 474264 01-02-2019 01:26 AM Post: #8 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 12:36 AM) I question EVERY claimed attack that lead to war now ! Did ANY Japanese planes get shot down as proof ? Did ANYONE retaliate against the Japanese Carriers that the planes allegedly launched from and returned to ? It would take DAYS for the Armada to retreat . Why were they not intercepted and sunk ? Why didn't the Armada show up on any Radars ? I understand the planes may slip through, but an entire Naval strike force ? I think now, this was also a False Flag attack and Planes painted up like Japanese planes were used. Maybe even Japanese planes that were "acquired" some how, were used .(Cheney wanted to use this method against Iran) I can see no logical explanation as to why no one chased after that Armada as they slowly turned and went home ! We only have the word of the Media and the Government and we already know that was suss, so why not the entire story ? Fishy tat all te carriers were away that day. Maybe it was just like 9/11 and it was the american fleet that day Fishy tat all te carriers were away that day. Maybe it was just like 9/11 and it was the american fleet that day LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 479822 01-02-2019 01:29 AM Post: #9 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? No, it was the Mexicans. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481117 01-02-2019 01:33 AM Post: #10 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? NONE of these ships were sunk and they ALL got away ???????? Pearl Harbor, Dec 7, 1941 ATTACK FORCE - VAdm Naguma Carriers Akagi Kaga Soryu Hiryu Zuikaku Shokaku SUPPORT FORCE - VAdm Mikawa Battleships Hiei Kirisima Heavy Cruisers Tone Chikuma SCOUTING FORCE - RAdm Omori Light Cruiser - flagship of destroyer flotilla Abukuma CL Destroyers Tanikaze Hamakaze Urakaze Kasumi Arare Kagero Shiranuhi Akigumo Isokaze or Asakaze ? Midway Attack Ushio Akebono or Sazanami ? SUPPLY FORCE. Tankers Kyokuto - flagship Kyokuyo or Akebono ? Kenyo Kokuyo Shinkoku Toho Toei Nippon SUBMARINE FORCE Three fleet reconnaissance: I-19, I-21, I-23. These travel with the strike fleet and are the only ones the public seems to know about and considers part of the attack. There were many more. Five attack submarines with five midget submarines strapped aboard: I-16 with A, I-18 w/E, I-20 w/D, I-22 w/B, I-24 w/C. The five midget subs, each capable of penetrating Pearl Harbor and each firing two torpedoes: Ha. A, B, C, D, E. Twenty other subs were stationed in Hawaiian waters. Squadron 1: I-9, I-15, I-17, I-25. Squadron 2: I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-6, I-7. Squadron 3: I-8, I-68, I-69, I-70, I-71, I-72, I-73, I-74, I-75. Two others were sent to the West Coast: I-10 and I-26. The thirty or so Japanese Submarine Force at Pearl Harbor is described on a separate page. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 481117 01-02-2019 01:35 AM Post: #11 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? You would think this much ^ floating steel would cause quite a Radar Blip ! LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 01-02-2019 01:46 AM Post: #12 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 01:35 AM) You would think this much ^ floating steel would cause quite a Radar Blip ! Maybe--if they had radar. Fake news is not a new thing. But you are kinda dumb. Maybe--if they had radar.Fake news is not a new thing.But you are kinda dumb. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 477405 01-02-2019 01:48 AM Post: #13 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? No. Those were American planes disguised as Japanese birds of war. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 423870 01-02-2019 01:50 AM Post: #14 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? Derp! Why didn't we bomb them with the Space Shuttle? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 477405 01-02-2019 01:53 AM Post: #15 RE: DID Japan attack Pearl Harbor ? LoP Guest Wrote: (01-02-2019 01:50 AM) Derp! Why didn't we bomb them with the Space Shuttle? Ummm, because it's not a space shuttle. Ummm, because it's not a space shuttle. Advertisement Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Arab countries viewed Israel as an "indispensable ally" fighting Iran and the Islamic State group. That evaluation, he told Brazil's Globo TV during a visit to Rio, has caused "a revolution in relations with the Arab world." The comments came as Israel has stepped up air strikes on Iranian positions in neighboring Syria, and as Israel digested an abrupt decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria. Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons to destroy his country. Israel, he said, had shown itself to be active in battling "radical Islam, violent Islam -- either the one led by radical Shiites led by Iran, or the one led by the radical Sunnis led by Daesh (IS) and Al-Qaeda." "Unfortunately we have not made any advance with the Palestinians. Half of them are already under the gun of Iran and of radical Islam," Netanyahu added. Asked if he could ever contemplate sitting down with an Iranian leader to talk peace, Netanyahu replied: "If Iran remains committed to our destruction the answer is no." The only way, he said, would be "if Iran undergoes a total transformation." Netanyahu was in Brazil to attend Tuesday's inauguration of the Latin American country's new, pro-Israel president, Jair Bolsonaro. On the sidelines of the ceremony, Netanyahu was to hold talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also among the visiting dignitaries. They were expected to discuss the US troop pullout from Syria and Iranian activities in the Middle East. Nasa flight controllers have sent their final set of commands to the space agencys New Horizons spacecraft ahead of its planned historic flyby of the icy Ultima Thule. The spacecraft is on a path to pass by the 30-kilometre-wide body on Tuesday, marking a new record for the furthest object ever explored in the Solar System roughly 6.5 billion kilometres from the Earth. The spacecraft is healthy and were excited! Alice Bowman, the mission operations manager, told reporters at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Maryland. During its flyby, the New Horizons spacecraft will pass roughly 3,500 kilometres from the surface of Ultima Thule. During the hours it approaches and departs from its closest point to the object, the spacecraft is prepared to take gigabytes of photos and other data. The galactic object New Horizons will be observing is located inside of a band of frozen material that rotates on an orbit around the sun that is further than the eight planets recognised in the solar system. Read more Nasa hack exposes data on space agency's servers On its trip to Ultima, New Horizons passed by the dwarf Pluto in 2015. There is a lot that can be learned from Ultima, and the hundreds of thousands of similar objects like it that scientists say they believe are in the solar system. The makeup of the smallish, icy objects could hold clues and answers for scientists working to understand the formation of our solar system over 4.6 billion years ago. It is probably the most primitive object ever encountered by a spacecraft, the best possible relic of the early Solar System, Hal Weaver, the project scientist on the mission, told the BBC. After failing to iron out a long-term agreement over the summer months, and instead signing a one-year, $7.35-million deal to avoid arbitration, the Ottawa Senators and star winger Mark Stone essentially agreed to delay significant discussions regarding their future together until the start of 2019. It appears now both sides are through with wasting time. Meeting the media on New Years Day, Stone said that he expects contract talks to ramp up in the next couple weeks now that his representation is free to once again negotiate terms on a new contract with the Senators and GM Pierre Dorion. Mark Stone is ready to negotiate terms on a new deal. (Getty) Asked if it was his preference to remain with the Senators, Stone made his intentions crystal clear. Via TSN: This is the only place that Ive ever played. Ive loved living in the city of Ottawa. I love playing for this team. Its all I can say to that. Ive loved my time here, hopefully it can continue. In most cases, players should spring at the opportunity to cash in on their success at the height of their value a general rule which definitely applies to Stone at this time. But in this case, the pressure to get a deal done sooner than later or at the very least determine the path moving forward falls on the organization. If the Senators are unable to make progress towards a long-term agreement with Stone in the two months between now and the trade deadline, and instead determines that Stone might want to explore other options this summer, they must seriously consider moving the talented forward during the stretch run. Losing a player like Stone who many believe could be the next captain in Ottawa for free in the open market would be another significant setback in their ongoing rebuild in the post-Erik Karlsson era. Stone has 18 goals and 43 points in 40 games this season, putting him on the path toward his most productive campaign to date. More NHL coverage on Yahoo Sports: Michel Reybier knows how to live the good life. The Frenchmans portfolio includes acclaimed vineyards in Bordeaux, Hungary, and Champagne, as well as the ultra-luxe La Reserve group of hotels. Reybiers latest project brings his unique brand of discreet luxurya subtle but distinctive blend of fine details and simple touchesto the legendary Swiss ski town of Zermatt. Reybier, already a partner to the Seiler family and its Mont Cervin Palace and Monte Rosa hotels, knows Zermatt well and saw an opportunity to reimagine the towns iconic Schweizerhof hotel for the modern-day traveler. Designed in an Alpine-chalet style, Schweizerhof is a historic landmark situated on the Bahnhofstrasse, the resorts car-free, main thoroughfare. After eight months of renovations, the hotel reopened December 21 with a completely fresh look and feel. French-based design firm Kristian Gavoille & Valerie Garcia, specialists in what they call new nomadic lifestyles, is responsible for overhauling the 95 rooms and suites. Oak walls and marble bathrooms create a contrast of coziness and elegance, and Swiss-inspired decor and amenities, including wooden hiking sticks, cow bells, and comforters emblazoned with the Matterhorn, add to the sense of place. Gastronomy is where the Schweizerhof shines, with five different dining venues. The signature restaurant is anchored by a spectacular open show kitchen that churns out refined comfort foods like truffle-spiked mac n cheese, wood-fired pizzas, and an irresistible burger. La Muna brings the flavors of Peru to the Alps with a menu of creative ceviches. And even the most modern chalet must have fondue, a staple of the Valais region: At the Cheese Factory, nearly a dozen styles of fondue and raclette can be enjoyed to a soundtrack of Swiss folk music. The Cocktail Bar is sure to be Zermatts hottest new scene for apres and late-night. The enormous bar radiates a seductive golden glow and mixologists serve up both classic (Old Fashioneds and Negronis) and avant-garde (the Inception, a mix of gin, St-Germain, basil, lime juice, and ginger beer) cocktails. Guests who crave a low-key evening can retire to a rocking chair in the Fumoir and sip Cognac while browsing the deep selection of leather-bound books. Story continues The Swiss take post-ski wellness to another level and the Schweizerhofs spa raises the bar with an indoor swimming pool, three saunas, a Turkish bath, and a high-tech fitness center staffed by personal trainers and yoga masters. Spa therapies will use Nescens-Swiss anti-aging products, a signature of the spas at La Reserve properties. With so many on-site indulgences, skiers may find it hard to actually get themselves onto the chairlift. Related stories Forget Ski School, Here Are 6 Winter Sports You Can Learn Directly from Olympians The Most-Read Robb Report Real Estate Stories of 2018 Yes, You Can Ski In the Middle East. Here's How. Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSE:CTC.A) has pleased shareholders over the past 10 years, by paying out dividends. The company currently pays out a dividend yield of 2.9% to shareholders, making it a relatively attractive dividend stock. Lets dig deeper into whether Canadian Tire should have a place in your portfolio. View our latest analysis for Canadian Tire 5 checks you should do on a dividend stock If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics: Is their annual yield among the top 25% of dividend payers? Has it paid dividend every year without dramatically reducing payout in the past? Has dividend per share amount increased over the past? Does earnings amply cover its dividend payments? Will it have the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward? TSX:CTC.A Historical Dividend Yield January 1st 19 How well does Canadian Tire fit our criteria? The current trailing twelve-month payout ratio for the stock is 33%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a payout ratio of 30% which, assuming the share price stays the same, leads to a dividend yield of 2.8%. In addition to this, EPS should increase to CA$12.29. When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. A company with strong cash flow, relative to earnings, can sometimes sustain a high pay out ratio. If theres one type of stock you want to be reliable, its dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. CTC.A has increased its DPS from CA$0.84 to CA$4.15 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as youd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. These are all positive signs of a great, reliable dividend stock. Compared to its peers, Canadian Tire has a yield of 2.9%, which is on the low-side for Multiline Retail stocks. Next Steps: Keeping in mind the dividend characteristics above, Canadian Tire is definitely worth considering for investors looking to build a dedicated income portfolio. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, I recommend taking sufficient time to understand its core business and determine whether the company and its investment properties suit your overall goals. Below, Ive compiled three relevant aspects you should look at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CTC.As future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CTC.As outlook. Valuation: What is CTC.A worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether CTC.A is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Seoul (AFP) - Nuclear-armed North Korea wants good relations with the US but could consider a change of approach if Washington maintains its sanctions, leader Kim Jong Un warned in his New Year speech Tuesday after 12 months of diplomatic rapprochement. At a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June the two signed a vaguely worded pledge on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But progress has since stalled with Pyongyang and Washington arguing over what that means. "If the United States does not keep the promise it made in the eyes of the world... and persists in imposing sanctions and pressure against our Republic," Kim said Tuesday, "we may be compelled to find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country and the supreme interests of the state". He was willing to meet Trump again at any time, he added, and would seek "to obtain without fail results which can be welcomed by the international community". Related Video: N.Korea And US Still Can't Agree On Denuclearization This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The North is demanding sanctions relief -- it is subject to multiple measures over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes -- and has condemned US insistence on its nuclear disarmament as "gangster-like". Washington is pushing to maintain the measures against the North until its "final, fully verified denuclearisation". Kim's speech "expressed his frustration with the lack of progress in negotiations so far", said former South Korean vice unification minister Kim Hyung-seok. The North Korean leader "obviously had certain expectations that the US would take certain steps -- however rudimentary they are -- after the North blew up a nuclear test site and took other steps. But none of them materialised. "He is faced with this urgent task to improve his 'socialist economy' -- which is impossible to achieve without lifting of the sanctions." Story continues In marked contrast with January 1, 2018, when he ordered mass production of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles, Kim said the North had "declared at home and abroad that we would neither make and test nuclear weapons any longer nor use and proliferate them", calling for the US to take "corresponding practical actions". The production pledge was a "significant evolution in leadership intent, if true", Ankit Panda of the Federation of American Scientists said on Twitter, but credibility was an issue. "All this might offer is a temporary cap on warhead production as long as talks are on with the US -- to be withdrawn when sanctions relief doesn't arrive," he added. - Year of rapprochement - Kim spoke sitting in a dark leather armchair, in a large office lined with packed bookshelves and paintings of his predecessors, father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung. As he began speaking -- in a deep, gravelly voice and wearing a dark suit and blue tie -- a clock behind him read at moments after 12. But at times during the address it was blurred out and towards the end of the half-hour broadcast it was close to 1, suggesting the speech was recorded in several takes. The leader's New Year speech is a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out goals for the future. The 2018 address was a crucial catalyst for the developments that followed. It came after a year of high tensions when the North made rapid progress with its weapons development, carrying out its sixth nuclear test -- by far its most powerful to date -- and launching rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland. The two leaders had traded personal insults -- Trump mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man", who in turn called him a "mentally deranged US dotard" -- and threats of war as fears of conflict rose. In last year's speech Kim warned "the nuclear button is on my office desk all the time", but also offered to send a team to the forthcoming Winter Olympics in the South. That opened the way for the South's dovish President Moon Jae-in to play the role of peace broker. Seoul and Washington are in a security alliance and the US stations 28,500 troops in the South to protect it against its neighbour. A rapid sequence of developments followed, with athletes and a senior delegation led by Kim's powerful sister going to the Pyeongchang Games in February, before Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of the Singapore summit with Trump. Kim also met Moon three times in 2018 -- twice at the border truce village of Panmunjom and once in the North's capital -- and at the weekend vowed to meet Moon "frequently" this year. South Korea on Tuesday reacted positively to Kim's speech, which came after Seoul and Pyongyang have pursued several reconciliation initiatives in recent months. These include projects to upgrade the North's outdated rail infrastructure and reconnect it with the South. "We welcome Kim's reaffirmation... for complete denuclearisation and permanent peace of the Korean peninsula as well as the improvement in North-South ties," Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement. Much of Kim's speech Tuesday focused on North Korea's moribund economy, saying that improving people's lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task. Kim Jong-un on Tuesday renewed a pledge to denuclearise and said he was ready to meet Donald Trump, the US president, for a second time, but the North Korean leader warned Washington not to misjudge his patience and that he may reverse course if there was no sanctions relief. He delivered his latest missive in a much-anticipated live New Years address, dressed in a dark Western suit and looking relaxed as he spoke from a plush leather chair in a stately office lined with books and family portraits. The 30-minute speech was also shown live on South Korean television, in a sign of how much ties have improved between the neighbouring countries after several warm meetings between their two leaders over the past year. Mr Kim spoke of his satisfaction at the positive turn in relations with Seoul, expressing his wish to turn the armistice agreed at the end of the 1950-53 war into a fully-fledged peace deal. But a key message of his speech was reserved for Washington, offering a gesture of peace that he said could equally be withdrawn if the US did not meet Pyongyangs expectations on the nuclear disarmament process. In particular, he demanded an end to South Koreas joint military exercises with the US and to crippling economic sanctions. People watch Kim Jong-un's speech at a railway station in Seoul Credit: Jung Yeon-je/AFP I am always ready to sit down again with the US president at any time and will make efforts to produce an outcome that the international community would welcome," Mr Kim said, in comments translated by the Yonhap news agency. "(But) we could be left with no choice but to seek a new way if the US does not make good on its promises, misjudges our patience, while seeking to force things unilaterally and clinging to sanctions and pressure," he said. Ankit Panda, a North Korea expert and editor at The Diplomat magazine, summed up the speech as an opportunity for Mr Kim to impress on Trump the need for the United States to come through with 'corresponding measures' following [North Korea's] 2018 gestures. Story continues He added: The suggestion is that while they may meet for a second summit, a breaking point lies ahead if the US refuses to budge on sanctions. Mr Kim and President Trump met for their first historic summit in Singapore in June, agreeing to work together towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but without clearly defining what that statement meant. In recent months the two sides have reached a diplomatic impasse, each accusing the other of blocking progress. While the US wants North Korea to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang has demanded more security guarantees from Washington. Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump met for the first time in June Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters It has also accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the North's unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. If the US responds to our active and preemptive efforts with trustworthy steps and corresponding behaviour, [relations] will move forward at an excellent and fast pace," Mr Kim said in his speech. Some analysts suggested his message was intended to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, which has been pushing for faster diplomacy with Pyongyang. The North Korean leader appeared to be gearing up to portray the US as the obstacle to progress. North Korea has always been adept at putting the onus for action on the United States, taking the initiative in a way that forces Washington to either react on Pyongyang's terms or look like the obstacle to progress, Mintaro Oba, a former US diplomat specialising in the Koreas, told The Telegraph. Kim Jong-un drew from that playbook in his speech today by offering to take actions that might be popular in South Korea but would require US consent to lift sanctions. This puts both Seoul and Washington in a bind. One such sticking point could be Kim's offer to resume operations with the South at the Kaesong industrial complex in the border area, a move which would be banned under the current sanctions regime. The rest of Mr Kims speech, primarily tailored for a domestic audience, focused on economic and technological progress and the need to develop electricity production. Kevin Spacey is due to appear in court in Nantucket on January 7 - Joel Ryan/Invision/AP A judge in Nantucket has ordered Kevin Spacey to appear in court next week for his arraignment on sexual assault charges, denying the two-time Oscar winners plea for him to be excused from what he described as a media circus. Spacey said in court documents, filed on Monday, that will plead not guilty to indecent assault. The 59-year-old actor is accused of groping an 18-year-old employee of the Club Car, a restaurant and bar on the island of Nantucket, in July 2016. In the court documents, obtained by The Telegraph, he asked the judge that he be exempt from the January 7 arraignment, arguing that his presence would "amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with the case." His lawyer added that his presence would heighten the "prejudicial media interest" in the case and contaminate the jury pool. The judge swiftly denied Spacey's request, ordering that he attend the court proceedings. Kevin Spacey, pictured during his time as director of the Old Vic theatre in London Credit: Clara Molden for The Telegraph His lawyers have been trying for some time to avoid the spectacle of the two-time Oscar winner appearing in court. On Thursday Michael Giardino, the Cape and Islands assistant district attorney, filed a motion saying that the prosecution did not agree to the defences request that Spacey be allowed to stay away. The prosecution argued that Massachusetts state rules for criminal procedure require that a defendant appear at arraignment. Lawyers for both sides agreed on the January 7 arraignment date during a December 20 hearing, at which Clerk-Magistrate Ryan Kearney found probable cause to charge Spacey. This allegation was first made public by the accusers mother, former news anchor Heather Unruh, in November 2017. Former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh speaks at a press conference in Boston November 8, 2017 during which she accused actor Kevin Spacey of allegedly sexually abusing her son in July 2016 Her son told investigators in the autumn that he was the one who approached Spacey that summer night, wanting a photo, and proceeded to drink heavily with the House of Cards actor after finishing his shift before the alleged assault took place, some time after midnight, police reports in the case show. Story continues Spaceys lawyers on December 20 argued that there were inconsistencies in the accusers story, and claimed that he didnt pull away from the actor for three minutes. The accuser has admitted telling Spacey he was 23 the legal age for drinking in the state is 21. Spacey has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men some of them teens at the time of the alleged incidents but the Nantucket case is the first to result in criminal charges. It carries a possible five years in prison. Weve lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, wed be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Glanbia plc (ISE:GL9). What Is Insider Selling? Its quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Colombia University study found that insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers. View our latest analysis for Glanbia The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Glanbia Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by Vice Chairman Patrick Murphy for 387k worth of shares, at about 17.84 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of 16.40. They might be selling for a variety of reasons, but its hard to argue this is a bullish sign. Arguably, insider selling at around current prices should give us reason to reflect on whether the stock is fully valued at the moment. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 50.27k shares worth 715k. On the other hand they divested 45.03k shares, for 719k. In total, Glanbia insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. They sold for an average price of about 15.96. Its not too encouraging to see that insiders have sold at below the current price. Of course, the sales could be motivated for a multitude of reasons, so we shouldnt jump to conclusions. You can see the insider transactions over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues ISE:GL9 Insider Trading January 1st 19 If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership of Glanbia I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon its a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Glanbia insiders own about 15m worth of shares (which is 0.3% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Glanbia Insiders? There havent been any insider transactions in the last three months that doesnt mean much. We dont take much encouragement from the transactions by Glanbia insiders. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Glanbia. But note: Glanbia may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. By Swati Bhat MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of doing well at this year's general election despite the party's recent losses in state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with Reuters partner ANI on Tuesday. "No reason for morale down. We are confident and are moving ahead. In 2019, if there is one party which the country trusts and is connected with the people, it is the BJP," Modi said. India's ruling party lost power in three key states in December, handing Modi his biggest defeat since he took office in 2014 and boosting the Congress party opposition and its allies ahead of national polls due by May. Modi said it was more important to focus on his government's achievements, including the introduction in September of a new healthcare scheme for the poor. "In such big numbers people suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure. It is my biggest achievement," Modi said. He said party has been discussing what it lacked at the state elections but winning or losing was not the only yardstick. The Hindu nationalist BJP was willing to work with regional parties in the run-up to the general election, he said. "Our effort is to take everyone along, and listen to everyone. I am committed to give importance to regional aspirations. The country cannot be run by ignoring regional aspirations." FARMER RELIEF Modi said farm loan waivers should be "definitely done" if it helps but that was not a long-term solution to the problem of farmer distress. "What is lacking in our system, that farmer becomes debt-ridden and the governments have to repeat vicious cycle of elections and loan waivers. So solution is to empower the farmers. From seed to market, give all facilities to the farmers," he said. Farmers' anger about low crop prices and their sense that the government has done far too little to address them contributed to the state election defeats. The government is now considering three options for a relief package to help farmers suffering because of low crop prices at a cost of as much as 3 trillion rupees ($43.20 billion), three government sources told Reuters last week. PATEL RESIGNATION Former Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel had personally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons, several months before stepping down from the office in December, Modi said. "The governor himself requested (to resign) because of personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally". Patel resigned after a months-long tussle over policy with the government that raised concerns about the bank's independence as the next general election nears. When asked if there was any political pressure on the governor to resign, Modi denied that was the case. "No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor." (Reporting by Swati Bhat; Editing by Martin Howell) El Paso Fire Chief Mario D'Agostino, left, and Ruben Garcia, Annunciation House executive director, listen to a reporter's question at a Dec. 28 press conference about several hundred immigrants being dumped by federal agents at an El Paso bus station during the Christmas weekend. EL PASO, Texas Federal officials say the dumping of several hundred immigrants at an El Paso bus station over Christmas weekend, which caused a short-term crisis, was a mistake, city officials said Friday. Federal authorities dropped off hundreds of migrants at the Greyhound station in downtown El Paso with no notice late that Sunday, sparking an outcry from community organizations that scrambled to find shelter and food for migrants. Authorities continued releasing hundreds of migrants in downtown through Christmas Day. "According to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officials we communicated with, they stated (the unscheduled release) was just a mistake," El Paso Fire Chief Mario D'Agostino said during a press conference at the city's 9-1-1 call center in Northeast El Paso. "It was an error on their part." Most of the immigrants come from Central America, with many fleeing violence or extreme poverty. Federal officials made no indication that leaving about 600 immigrants at the Greyhound bus station from Sunday through Christmas Day was related to the current federal government shutdown, D'Agostino said. The shutdown is tied to an impasse between Congress and the White House over funding for a border wall proposed by President Donald Trump. More: ICE to release 500 more migrants in El Paso, marking the largest single day release El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said in a phone interview with The El Paso Times that he and the fire chief talked to the ICE regional director, who apologized for the unscheduled release of the immigrants in El Paso during Christmas weekend. City officials plan to talk to ICE and other officials next week about "the need to come up with some solutions" on the entire process of releasing immigrants and "how to treat them," Gonzalez said. The city brought in police officers as a "public safety" measure at the Greyhound bus station Sunday night when about 200 immigrants were left there by ICE agents, Gonzalez said. Story continues Ruben Garcia, executive director of Annunciation House, and Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Rodriguez, city Emergency Management coordinator, talk about immigrants being dumped by federal agents at an El Paso bus station during a Dec. 28 press conference. The city's Sun Metro bus system also supplied heated buses for immigrants to stay in until shelters could be found, officials said. The response by city agencies and others shows "Texas and the rest of the United States that we're very compassionate as a community," Gonzalez said. The continual flow of immigrants has become more of an issue since June when the federal government set up temporary tent shelters, including one in Tornillo, near El Paso, to house immigrant children separated from their parents. The immigration issue has again come to the forefront after two immigrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. More: El Paso immigrant shelters have 'busiest year ever,' fueled by Central America surge Ruben Garcia is executive director of the Annunciation House, a nonprofit El Paso organization that aides and shelters immigrants. He said the normal process of ICE bringing immigrants to shelters or hotels identified by Annunciation House has been working well for years. Problems come when immigrants are unexpectedly released at the bus station or on the streets, which happened during Christmas weekend and earlier in October, he said. Annunciation House has received more than 2,000 immigrants per week for the last two months the "fourth surge" of immigrants into the area in the past six years, Garcia said. However, the number of immigrants staying near El Paso has actually decreased in recent years, Garcia said, as has the number of immigrants apprehended by Border Patrol. "Nobody stays in El Paso; everybody moves on" after receiving temporary housing and care packages, Garcia said of the current surge of immigrants. Immigrants move to other areas of the United States by getting bus or airplane tickets, usually paid for by' relatives, Garcia said. The immigrants can stay in the United States until their cases are heard in federal court. "So, El Paso doesn't have to deal with a growing refugee population," Garcia said. Follow Vic Kolenc on Twitter: @vickolenc. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ICE dumped hundreds of immigrants in downtown El Paso apparently by mistake This artist's illustration shows the New Horizons spacecraft encountering 2014 MU69 nicknamed Ultima Thule - AFP A Nasa spacecraft has conducted a historic flyby of the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever explored by humankind. The US space agency was hoping to take a closer look at a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule early on Tuesday, hoping the frozen cosmic object will reveal some clues as to how planets took shape 4.6 billion years ago. It rang in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark New Horizons' zoom past the mysterious object located about four billion miles away in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt. The flyby at 12.33 am on Tuesday (5.33am GMT) took place about a billion miles beyond Pluto, which was until now the most faraway world ever visited up close by a spacecraft. "Go New Horizons!" said lead scientist Alan Stern as a crowd including kids dressed in space costumes blew party horns and cheered at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to mark the moment when the spacecraft aimed its cameras at the distant space rock. Real-time video of the actual flyby was impossible, since it takes more than six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship and another six hours for the response to arrive. "Anything's possible out there in this very unknown region," John Spencer, deputy project scientist for New Horizons, told reporters on Monday at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. Brian May discusses the upcoming New Horizon's flyby of the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule Credit: Reuters A solo track recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics was released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation as Nasa commentators describe the close pass. "This is a night none of us are going to forget," May said. What could mission reveal? Hurtling through space at a speed of 32,000 miles per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 2,200 miles of the surface of Ultima Thule. Story continues Dr Stern, the lead planetary scientist on the New Horizons mission, told reporters that Ultima Thule is unique because it is a relic from the early days of the solar system and could provide answers about the origins of other planets. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Temperatures are freezing - almost absolute zero or -273C - which means scientists hope it proves to be a time capsule. "The object is in such a deep freeze that it is perfectly preserved from its original formation," he said. "Everything we are going to learn about Ultima from its composition to its geology to how it was originally assembled, whether it has satellites and an atmosphere and those kinds of things are going to teach us about the original formation conditions of objects in the solar system." Huge challenges The encounter itself is risky, and if the spacecraft were to collide with a speck of space debris as small as a grain of rice, it could be destroyed instantly, mission managers warned. For that reason, Dr Stern said he and his colleagues are "on pins and needles to see how this turns out." The first signal back to Earth should come about 10 hours after the flyby, around 9.45 am (1445 GMT). Only then will Nasa know if New Horizons survived the close pass. Seven instruments on board will hopefully record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition. The Kuiper Belt object nicknamed "Ultima Thule," indicated by the crosshairs at center, with stars surrounding it on Aug. 16, 2018 Credit: AP But the flyby will be fast - at a speed of nine miles per second. As a result, many of the pictures taken will likely be of empty space. That's because the team on the ground will be trying to capture a 12- to 22-mile-wide world some four billion miles away. At closest approach, New Horizons is expected to take nearly 900 photos at the highest resolution - and Ultima Thule is expected to appear in a few. "We're rendezvousing with something that's a mountain draped in black velvet in almost pitch-dark conditions, and we're screaming up to it [..] within 2 seconds of perfection," Dr Stern told the Washington Post. "You can't get any better than that." Despite the tough task, the team is confident. I think we're good, Marc Buie, an astronomer working to pin down Ultima Thules position, told the New York Times. I think we're better than good. What does it look like? Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee) looks like whether it is cratered or smooth, or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 12-20 miles in size. A blurred and pixelated image released on Monday, taken from 1.2 million miles away, has intrigued scientists because it appears to show an elongated blob, not a round space rock. Astronomers believe it is either made up of two objects touching each other, or perhaps even a binary system, in which two objects orbit each other. Its really puzzling, because we know the shape is irregular, Dr Stern said. Even clearer images should be in hand over the next three days. Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. Dr Stern said the goal is to take images of Ultima that are three times the resolution the team had for Pluto. Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on a 4 billion mile journey toward the solar system's frigid, faraway edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. During a 2015 fly-by, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed that methane-rich dunes were on the icy dwarf planet's surface. Frontier of planetary science Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to Nasa. "Ultima Thule means beyond Thule beyond the borders of the known world symbolising the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement. According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, humans didnt even know the Kuiper Belt a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver. "We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed we think. We will find out." New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern speaks during an overview of the New Horizons Mission Credit: Getty In an editorial in The New York Times, Dr Stern recalled that December 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the first time humans ever explored another world, when US astronauts orbited the Moon aboard Apollo 8. "New Horizons will continue in that legacy," Dr Stern wrote. "As you celebrate New Years Day, cast an eye upward and think for a moment about the amazing things our country and our species can do when we set our minds to it." Listen to Brian May's new music The Queen guitarist is releasing his first official solo work in two decades to mark the occasion. May, who is as passionate about science as he is about music, said he didn't know if "anyone's going to like it yet". Dr Stern, who first suggested creating the track, was among the few who had listened to it. I have been bouncing it off Alan all the way," he told Newsweek. "He's made some comments - some very interesting comments, because of course he comes from a completely different world from me. And he's been liking it, which is great. I find myself in an unusual place because Im deeply immersed in music - and have been all my life - but Im also deeply immersed in astronomy and astrophysics. Creating a single inspired by the New Horizons probe was an amazing opportunity for me to combine the two, May added. Woven into the recording are words from Stephen Hawking, including a message from the scientist to the New Horizons team in 2015 after the successful Pluto mission. He said exactly what was in my mind, May said. In another part of his message - which actually nobody has heard yet - he said, we do this because we are human and because we need to know.'" What comes next? The huge trove of data that New Horizons sends back is hoped to keep scientists busy for the next one and a half years. But its journey is far from over - barring any disasters. Nasa is hoping New Horizons can go on to investigate other objects in the Kuiper Belt. "The spacecraft is very healthy, it's not using any of its back-up systems and it has power and fuel to operate for close to 20 more years," Dr Stern said. "There's a lot of future exploration ahead for New Horizons." Gunner get going: Aaron Ramsey may be leaving in the January window Juventus are in talks to sign Aaron Ramsey -and a move could happen within weeks. The Arsenal midfield has no future at the Emirates after contract talks were aborted in the summer. That means the Wales midfield is a free agent in May and has sparked a bidding war with no fee required. The Sun say Juve have tabled a four year 138,000-per week offer for the 28-year-old. READ MORE: Ranked! The 30 best strikers in Premier League history READ MORE: Every current clubs greatest ever Premier League win But one player set to stay with the club in the transfer window is Mesut Ozil. ESPN say he has no interest in a loan move and will do what it takes to earn back his place in the Arsenal team. The same source suggest Paris St-Germains French midfielder Adrien Rabiot will not consider a switch to Tottenham. Chelsea have no interest in selling Callum Hudson-Odoi despite huge German interest. German interest: but Chelsea dont want to make the same mistake as City Sky Sport say a 20 million offer from Bayern Munich, one of three Bundesliga clubs desperate for the 18-year-old, has been knocked back. The Blues will only entertain offers over 30 million for the England U21 prospect and refuse to make the same mistake as Manchester City did with Jadon Sancho. West Ham are keen to add more faces in January after offering terms to ex-Manchester City player Samir Nasri. READ MORE: Revealed: the top ten targets for Premier League big guns READ MORE: Fabregas targets one more game before quitting Chelsea READ MORE: Pogba slammed for his disrespectful celebrations Huddersfield Town will not go down without a fight according to the Daily Mail they will splash the cash in January, with chairman Dean Hoyle saying he has no intention of letting the club sleepwalk into relegation. Fulham will listen it offers for penalty kick rebel Aboubakar Kamara, 23, after he ignored manager Claudio Ranieris orders on Saturday. Middlesbrough and Leeds United are both monitoring the situation. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit won approval from U.S. regulators to deploy a radar-based motion sensing device known as Project Soli. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in an order late on Monday that it would grant Google a waiver to operate the Soli sensors at higher power levels than currently allowed. The FCC said the sensors can also be operated aboard aircraft. The FCC said the decision "will serve the public interest by providing for innovative device control features using touchless hand gesture technology." A Google spokeswoman did not immediately comment on Tuesday, citing the New Year's Day holiday. The FCC said the Soli sensor captures motion in a three-dimensional space using a radar beam to enable touchless control of functions or features that can benefit users with mobility or speech impairments. Google says the sensor can allow users to press an invisible button between the thumb and index fingers or a virtual dial that turns by rubbing a thumb against the index finger. The company says that "even though these controls are virtual, the interactions feel physical and responsive" as feedback is generated by the haptic sensation of fingers touching. Google says the virtual tools can approximate the precision of natural human hand motion and the sensor can be embedded in wearables, phones, computers and vehicles. In March, Google asked the FCC to allow its short-range interactive motion sensing Soli radar to operate in the 57- to 64-GHz frequency band at power levels consistent with European Telecommunications Standards Institute standards. Facebook Inc raised concerns with the FCC that the Soli sensors operating in the spectrum band at higher power levels might have issues coexisting with other technologies. After discussions, Google and Facebook jointly told the FCC in September that they agreed the sensors could operate at higher than currently allowed power levels without interference but at lower levels than previously proposed by Google. Facebook told the FCC in September that it expected a "variety of use cases to develop with respect to new radar devices, including Soli." The Soli devices can be operated aboard aircraft but must still comply with Federal Aviation Administration rules governing portable electronic devices. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Moscow's metro system is famed for its Stalin-era stations with glittering chandeliers and mosaics, but architects are taking a radical new approach as the network undergoes a massive expansion. While the original stations were conceived as "palaces for the people", the new designs are less formal with light boxes for seats and laser-printed glass patterns. In a major break with tradition, the Moscow city government has allowed outside architects to submit designs for several new stations in competitions that included a public vote on a phone app. It has paved the way for "truly interesting and original stations that are outside any tradition," says architecture journalist Nina Frolova. The first of these to open is in the high-rise suburb of Solntsevo, once notorious for its local mafia. Moscow's Nefa Architects won with a design inspired by the sun, the Russian word for which forms the root of the suburb's name. "We wanted to let the sun inside," said Nefa's lead architect Dmitry Ovcharov, surveying the newly opened station on a recent afternoon. They punched holes in the walls of the station entrances to "create light and shadow", he said. Down on the platform, cylindrical white light boxes serve as seats that Ovcharov promises are sturdy enough to withstand passengers' weight. This year the transport system, which dates back to 1935, opened 16 new stations and carried around two billion passengers. - 'A battle for quality' - Frolova, editorial director at the Archi.ru architecture website, said Solntsevo is a bright example of new metro trends. "There's a concept that any passenger can see. It feels pleasant being in the station." But she said another design competition for the Novoperedelkino station ended less happily, with "significant changes" to the design. It featured dramatic patterned glass ceilings that ended broken up with ugly seams and "turned out much less interesting than was planned", she said. Story continues Architect Ovcharov has grumbled about Solntsevo too, pointing out incorrectly printed panels and overhead lights that do not work. "It was a really unrelenting battle for quality, to get the design decisions complied with," he said. Yet he adds that he's now considering taking part in another metro design competition. Another architect with a winning station design, Tatiana Leontyeva of Moscow's Blank Architects, said the prestige of the commission was a draw. She was part of a team who designed a station called Rzhevskaya, which will have an "archway" theme in a nod to its location near a mainline railway station. The brief was to create a station for "the new times", she said, using Russian materials and "without excessive decoration." "There was a large number of applications and (the competition) had a big impact, not just on the Russian architectural scene but abroad too because, of course, a lot of people wanted to get their hands on a site like the Moscow metro." The historic Moscow metro was a monumental construction in the 1930s, built as an example of quality and solidity, symbolising the grandeur of Stalin and the young Soviet Union. The country's history was told in the mosaics that adorned the stations' walls and the metro could serve as a bunker if needed. - Metro expertise - Previously the state company Metrogiprotrans had a monopoly on the transport system's architecture, and it still designs the majority of new stations. One of its architects recently argued that the company was the only one with the expertise to design the facilities. "There's a popular opinion that you can just come along to the metro and draw a picture of a station," Alexander Orlov said at a recent presentation. "Even if a drawing of something seems beautiful, it can be incompatible with all the metro technology." But Metrogiprotrans is also modernising. The company's latest station interiors feature laser-printed designs on glass or glossy aluminium panels, a simple approach that critic Frolova says also works. "I think they kept a good balance with not many details and some simple, modern forms." - 'Deprived of art' - The company is also behind more elaborate stations such as Fonvizinskaya, which depicts characters from the work of a playwright by the same name in ceiling-high 3-D panels. "I'd never dreamed I'd do the metro," digital artist Konstantin Khudyakov said. "That's monumental art," said the designer, who explained his work is usually much smaller in scale. Khudyakov's stereoscopic panels use the same technology as novelty rulers or pens where figures appear to move -- but using many more high-resolution images. "It's the first time in the world that this has been done" in the metro, Khudyakov said. Public reaction to the decor at the station has been mixed. School teacher Lyudmila told AFP she didn't much care for the "gloomy" pictures, but was glad the metro system had been linked up to her neighbourhood. But designer Alexandra, travelling on a weekday afternoon, said she liked the images "purely visually -- they're cool". Either way, Khudyakov believes the metro should still be a showcase for decorative art in a city with relatively few galleries. "There's not enough art. People are deprived of art... Let there be art at least in the metro." BERLIN (Reuters) - A 50-year-old German man clearly intended to kill foreigners when he rammed his silver Mercedes into a crowd of people in the northwestern German town of Bottrop in the early hours of New Year's Day, injuring four, a senior government official said. Police said the man, who was not named, made racist comments when he was stopped and arrested in the nearby city of Essen after fleeing the scene of the attack. "A German man deliberately drove into crowds of people ... that were largely made up of foreigners. There was a clear intention by this man to kill foreigners," Herbert Reul, interior minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Bottrop is located, told reporters on Tuesday. Earlier, police and prosecutors said they suspected the attack, which took place at a crowded plaza, was deliberate and "linked to the xenophobic views of the driver." They said there was also preliminary information that the man was mentally ill but he had no prior police record. A police spokeswoman said Syrian and Afghan citizens were among those injured, but gave no further details. She said one of the four people injured remained in hospital. Earlier the driver had steered his car at another pedestrian, who escaped unharmed, Reul said. He also targeted people at a bus stop after fleeing the scene of the Bottrop attack, but they were not injured, police said. Horst Seehofer, Germany's federal interior minister, told Bild newspaper the Bottrop case would be carefully investigated, along with an incident that occurred in Bavaria on Saturday in which four asylum-seekers were arrested on suspicion of attacking a dozen people. "It is a matter of political credibility to pursue both cases decisively and aggressively," he told the paper. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Alison Williams and Kirsten Donovan) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said on Friday it will resume issuing new flood insurance policies during the partial U.S. government shutdown, reversing a decision announced two days ago. FEMA, which oversees the National Flood Insurance Program, said it was rescinding guidance issued on Wednesday that it would not be able to sell new policies during the shutdown unless Congress passes legislation reauthorizing the program. "As of this evening, all NFIP insurers have been directed to resume normal operations immediately and advised that the program will be considered operational since December 21, 2018, without interruption," FEMA said on its website. The National Association of Realtors estimated the decision not to issue new policies could have disrupted up to 40,000 home sales each month. The flood insurance program insures about 5 million homes and businesses. The federal government has been partially shut down since Dec. 22 because of an impasse over President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion in taxpayer funding for a proposed border wall. (Reporting by Eric Beech, editing by G Crosse) A union representing federal workers sued the government Monday over the partial shutdown, saying it was illegal to have hundreds of thousands of employees work without pay during the funding lapse. The American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit on the shutdowns 10th day, with no signs of an imminent resolution between Congress and the White House. The union said withholding the pay of workers who continue to clock in during the shutdown runs afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Great Depression-era law establishing a minimum wage and overtime pay. This is not an acceptable way for any employer, let alone the U.S. government, to treat its employees, Heidi Burakiewicz, a lawyer representing the workers, said in a statement. These employees still need to pay childcare expenses, buy gas, and incur other expenses to go to work every day and yet, they are not getting paid. It is a blatant violation. Some 380,000 federal employees have been furloughed during the shutdown, meaning they are out of a job until lawmakers reach a funding agreement. But another 420,000 are continuing to work in essential capacities such as in law enforcement, but are not being paid. After previous shutdowns, Congress has passed legislation to retroactively pay furloughed employees and those who worked through the closures. But in the meantime, all those workers have bills to pay. Those who dont have deep enough savings will face some hard choices if the shutdown continues to grind on. AFGE previously sued the government under the same claims after the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days. A judge later ruled that around 25,000 workers were owed double pay due to damages. Unlike that earlier shutdown, the ongoing one affects only about one-quarter of federal functions, as Congress has already appropriated money for the rest. One of the main agencies hit by this shutdown is the Department of Homeland Security. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include transportation security officers, border patrol agents and correctional officers, among others who are continuing to work. Story continues J. David Cox, the president of AFGE, said in a statement that such workers deserve the decency of knowing when their next paycheck is coming. Cox added that the intent of the lawsuit was to force the government and the administration to make all federal employees whole. The shutdown began on Dec. 22, after President Donald Trump demanded more than $5 billion for a wall along the southern U.S. border, which he originally said Mexico was going to pay for. Democrats take over as the new House majority on Thursday, giving the party a stronger hand in the standoff. Democratic lawmakers said they will unveil a plan to reopen the government immediately, although House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the incoming speaker, has said the party will not acquiesce to Trumps demand for the wall money. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Friends taking part on a sober bar crawl - Clara Molden Dry January may encourage people to drink more in the festive season and prevent problem drinkers facing up to their addiction, a liver consultant has warned. Dr Mark Wright, a consultant in liver medicine at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said the month-long detox may act as a decoy for permanently cutting down. Around five million Britons now abstain from alcohol during January, as part of the annual campaign which was first organised by Alcohol Concern - now Alcohol Change UK - in 2013. But Dr Wright said more emphasis should be placed on consistent moderate consumption throughout the year and likened Dry January to trying to solve all your financial problems by living like a hermit for a month. The danger is that abstaining for a month can make it seem like people have a grip on their levels of drinking but, in fact, it can be the perfect decoy to justify drinking far too much in the festive season with increased intake for the rest of the year, he said. What people need to do is be aware of their consumption all year round, aiming to stick at about 14 units per week with three to four dry days. Giving up alcohol for a dry January as some sort of detox is like maxing out your credit cards all year and thinking you can solve your financial problems by living like a hermit for a month. It just isn't going to make things better if you then go back to your usual habits in February." Latest figures show 7,697 people died from alcohol-specific causes in the UK during 2017 the highest number since 2008 with deaths among women at the highest level since 2001. A report released by the University of Leeds today also found that some people reported negative physical and social effects from taking part in Dry January. The team looked at comments on Alcohol Concerns Dry January Facebook page and found some people complained that abstaining brought headaches, and did not help them to sleep better or lose weight. Story continues Others said their lives were now grey and dull while some even claimed that their friends had stopped talking to them. However the Leeds study found that the vast majority of abstainers felt it was a positive experience, reporting immediate physical, psychological and emotional benefits including improved sleep quality, appearance, energy, weight loss and levels of self-esteem. Report author Dr Henry Yeomans, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the School of Law, said: Dry January allows people to learn about themselves and feel as if they are better fulfilling their potential. Through this sort of self-discovery and self-optimisation, it makes a substantial impact on the lives of a great number of participants. A study released by the University of Sussex last week found that the effects of Dry January were still felt in August, with participants cutting their drinking days from 4.3 to 3.3 a week on average. Dr Wright also said the month was useful in giving people an opportunity to examine their relationship with alcohol. If anyone is planning a dry January and they only manage a few days, they should consider that they may have more of a problem with booze than they think, he added. Many people who die from alcohol-related causes would not have considered themselves to have had a drink problem, just that they drank too much on a regular basis. An explosion that caused the collapse of an apartment block in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk killed at least four people and left another 68 people unaccounted for on December 31, the Russian emergency ministry said. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said they were looking into the explosion as a criminal case due to suspected negligence. They said they were working on the assumption that the explosion was caused by a gas leak. This footage shows emergency responders and the governor of the Chelyabinsk region inspecting the scene of the explosion. Credit: Boris Dubrovsky via Storyful Democrats have a plan to end the partial shutdown on Thursday the first day that they take control of the House of Representatives. And if it fails, they want to make sure everyone knows its on President Donald Trump. House Speaker-Designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that on Thursday, the House would vote on a series of measures that would reopen the government. There are seven outstanding appropriations bills: the series of measures the House Democrats are proposing would fund six for a year, and extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8. The bills have all passed Senate committees on a bipartisan basis. They would vote separately on the funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been the sticking point that produced the shutdown. That bill would fund Homeland Security through Feb. 8 at current levels, which does not include money for a border wall. This latter part is similar to what the Senate passed unanimously earlier in December, before the House rejected it to fund Trumps border wall. While President Trump drags the nation into Week Two of the Trump Shutdown and sits in the White House and tweets, without offering any plan that can pass both chambers of Congress, Democrats are taking action to lead our country out of this mess, Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement. This legislation reopens government services, ensures workers get the paychecks theyve earned and restores certainty to the lives of the American people. The plan is unlikely to go anywhere unless Trump concedes he will not get his border wall imminently. With this measure, Democrats are explicitly trying to ensuring that the buck for the government shutdown stops with Trump and Senate Republicans. This isnt that hard: All Senate Republicans have to do is pass legislation they have already supported on a bipartisan basis, said one House Democratic aide. They can either vote for their own bills and reopen the government or block them and continue the shutdown. Story continues If Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans refuse to support the first bill, then they are complicit with President Trump in continuing the Trump shutdown and in holding the health and safety of the American people and workers paychecks hostage over the wall, Schumer and Pelosi said in their statement. It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells office could not provide any predictions about how the Senate would proceed on the legislation, but said that the Senate would not deliver anything to the President that he would not sign. If the President continues to insist on $5 billion for the wall, the House Democrats plan would fall into that category.The government has been partially shut down since midnight on Dec. 22, with the government locked in a standoff over Trumps wall demand. He says he will reject any spending package that lacks it, but the Senate Republicans do not have the votes to deliver that legislation to him. They need 60 votes to accomplish that objective, which would require some Democratic support. Our negotiations are at an impasse at the moment. I wish it were not so, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, who chairs the Appropriations Committee that is responsible for the funding, said on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday. But weve got to move away from the blame game. Democrats are clearly not heeding Shelbys advice. By moving to re-open the government on their terms, they are instead trying to ensure the blame stayed on Trump. The bills the Democrats will propose are expected to pass the House easily, given that Democrats will have a majority of 40 seats. But in order for the government to re-open, they will also need to pass both the Republican-controlled White House and Senate. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, on Monday morning Trump tweeted repeatedly about the wall. Including saying: Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for Border Security, including the Wall. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Trump initially said he would take responsibility for shutting down the government over the border wall but has since tried to shift blame to Democrats. By Stanis Bujakera and Fiston Mahamba KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's government cut internet connections and SMS services across the country for a second straight day on Tuesday as the country nervously awaited results from the weekend's chaotic presidential election. Both the opposition and ruling coalition said on Monday they were on track to win after a turbulent election day on Sunday in which many Congolese were unable to vote due to an Ebola outbreak, conflict and logistical problems. Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi, a senior adviser to President Joseph Kabila, said internet and SMS services were cut to preserve public order after "fictitious results" began circulating on social media. "That could lead us straight toward chaos," Kikaya told Reuters, adding the connections would remain cut until the publication of complete results on Jan. 6. The signal to Radio France Internationale (RFI), one of the most popular news sources in Congo, was also down, and the government withdrew the accreditation of RFI's main correspondent in the country late on Monday for having aired unofficial results from the opposition. The various moves reflected high tensions in Congo, where the long-delayed election was meant to choose a successor to Kabila, who is due to step down next month after 18 years in power - and two years after the official end of his mandate. Congo has never seen a democratic transfer of power, and any disputed outcome could lead to a repeat of the violence that followed the 2006 and 2011 elections and a wider security breakdown in its volatile eastern provinces. The opposition says the election was marred by fraud and accused Kabila of planning to rule from the sidelines through his preferred candidate, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. Internal U.N. reports, seen by Reuters, noted allegations of irregularities across the country. In some parts of eastern Congo's North Kivu province, for example, militia fighters reportedly forced voters to select candidates from the ruling coalition, they said. In other places, the United Nations received reports that security forces intimidated voters to choose ruling coalition candidates. The government and national electoral commission (CENI) said the election was fair and that any problems were minor. FEARS OF VIOLENCE In the eastern city of Goma, residents were on edge as they awaited the results. "If the results during the publication of the presidential results don't reflect the truth ... trouble will break out across the city," said Fabrice Shweka, a Goma resident. The first partial results were initially expected on Tuesday but CENI spokesman Jean-Pierre Kalamba said that they would not be ready until around Friday. We dont want to release too many voting trends (before Jan. 6) because in our country we dont have a population that has the same understanding (of electoral practice as in Europe)," he told Reuters. In a statement late on Monday, the embassies in Congo of the European United, United States and several other countries called for calm and urged the government to restore internet access. Shadary faced off in Sunday's poll against two main opposition challengers, Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu, both of whom opinion polls before the vote showed running ahead of Shadary. Fayulu complained in a statement on Monday about irregularities during Sunday's vote but said he was encouraged by the determination of Congolese to vote despite long queues and voting machines that broke down. "I call for vigilance across the board and the general mobilization of all Congolese so that the truth of the ballot box, the sole witness to the will of the Congolese people, can reward their efforts and sacrifices," he said. (Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting and writing by Aaron Ross, Editing by William Maclean) WASHINGTON Moderate Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois is a rising star within the Democratic caucus, with some already mentioning her name as a possible Speaker of the House someday. But the person chosen recently to defend the recent midterm victories that put Democrats in control of the House is herself facing the biggest challenge of her political career. As head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee the group that raises money, recruits candidates, and sets the political vision for the 2020 House races how will she navigate the sometimes choppy waters created by conflicts between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic party? And can she help Democratic leaders avoid the sort of internecine battles between House GOP leadership and the pugnacious Freedom Caucus that sometimes paralyzed the House in recent years? Bustos dismisses the notion that problems are inevitable. I want to dispel that notion altogether, Bustos said in a recent interview with USA TODAY. I think we will work famously together. She said the three priorities of House Democrats low-cost health care for everyone, a $1 trillion job-creating infrastructure program, and government reform "are the same whether you come from Queens or Moline, Ill." Not all party progressives are buying her sales pitch. One group, Justice Democrats, said Bustos needs to get behind more issues backed by progressives, said spokesman Waleed Shahid. "We do not support Cheri Bustos as leader of the DCCC," Shahid said. "Bustos has not supported progressive policies like Medicare for All, free college, a Green New Deal, or ending private prisons and immigration detention facilities." The group is critical of her for not taking in enough of her campaign funds from small-dollar donations and for taking money from corporate political action committees. Only about 12.5 percent of Bustos donations were small-dollar, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tracks money in politics. About 42 percent of her funds in this cycle, or $1.5 million, came from PACs, while another 43 percent, or $1.6 million, came from large individual donors. Story continues Neil Sroka, who is with the progressive group Democracy for America, offers more a warning than a critique of Bustos. He is concerned about her support for party leaders Better Deal agenda, rolled out in May, which was supposed to mollify progressives but has become a symbol of the establishment message they reject. The party leaders are promoting the agenda as a way to help build an America in which working people know that somebody has their back. "If Cheri Bustos takes from the election that inclusive populism is the path for victory for Democrats in 2020 and beyond I think the DCCC will find a lot of willing partners in this next election," Sroka said. "If she continues to ride the Better Deal agenda ... we will continue to go our own way and win seats our own way." Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Reps. Mark Pocan, D-Wisconsin, and Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington said they were pleased with their initial dealings with Bustos as DCCC chair. I think she really wants to coordinate (with us) and make sure we are working out problems before they become problems, Jayapal said. Jayapal alluded to complaints by progressives in the midterm election that the DCCC was favoring moderate candidates over progressives in some primaries. Pocan said the progressive caucus is going to continue to raise money and recruit candidates. Well do it in coordination (with the DCCC) as much as we can but our priority is to get more progressives elected, Pocan said. One progressive who is a strong supporter is Chicago Rep. Jan Schakowsky. She nominated Bustos to head the DCCC. Bustos received 117 votes to 83 for Rep. Denny Heck of Washington and 32 for Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington. Political pedigree Bustos, 57, is relatively new to Congress she begins her fourth term in January but she has a formidable political pedigree. Her father, Gene Callahan, was a journalist who worked for Illinois Gov. Sam Shapiro, then lieutenant governor Paul Simon (later a U.S. senator) and was chief of staff to Illinois Sen. Alan Dixon. It was when her father was working for Simon that a young lawyer named Dick Durbin got his first political job. Bustos babysat the Durbin children and his father remained a key mentor for Durbin, now the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. Bustos followed in her fathers footsteps. She worked for nearly two decades as a journalist before switching to a career in public relations, where she rose to become vice president of corporate communications at a regional hospital in Illinois. She launched her political career in 2007, when she won a seat on the East Moline City Council. When Bustos made a bid for the U.S. House in 2012 it was Durbin now her mentor who made a key endorsement and convinced one potential Democratic candidate not to run. For her part, Bustos has displayed an impressive ability to raise money, pulling in more than $2 million in her first run for Congress in 2012, about four times the average for a House candidate that year. For her first re-election campaign, she raised $3.2 million, ranking 41st among House candidates that year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. She beat that amount in 2016, raising $3.5 million even though she had no opponent. She gave about $329,000 to local, state and national party organizations, including $297,000 to the DCCC. This cycle she raised about $3.9 million for her campaign committee and another $550,000 for her leadership PAC. More than $1.1 million was given to candidates and party groups, including a total of $500,000 to the DCCC. Going on offense Bustos' biggest challenge will be defending the 31 House Districts that Democrats won in 2018 where President Donald Trump was victorious in 2016 (including her own). Her next target will be those races where the Democrat lost by just a few percentage points. In two dozen districts, Democrats lost by 5 percentage points or fewer. Another challenge will be to raise money for House races in a year when the presidential campaign will suck up a lot of the energy, finances and talent. She is counting on her own experience as a communicator to keep the caucus from fracturing like the GOPs did when it held the majority. Communication is the key to our operation, is a quote that hangs in her office as it did in her fathers. If you combine communication and treating people with respect you can work through a lot of problems, she said. Ultimately, the goal is to win. "I want to win fairlyand with grace," said Bustos who describes herself as "just an Illinois girl" from humble beginnings. "Win with diginity. But I do like to win." Who is Cheri Bustos? Age: 57 Family: Married, three children Education: BA, government and politics, 1983, University of Maryland; MA, public affairs reporting, 1985, University of Illinois, Springfield Professional career: journalist; public affairs in health care. Political career: East Moline City Council, 2007-2011; U.S. House representing Illinois' 17th District, 2013 to present; recently elected to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cheri Bustos is rising fast in the House Democratic caucus and facing toughest challenge London (AFP) - Britain announced Monday it will deploy two border patrol ships in the Channel in response to a surge in migrants crossing from France in dinghies. Home Secretary Sajid Javid, the interior minister, said the Border Force ships would balance protecting human life with protecting Britain's borders. In December, around 230 people tried to make the 21-mile (33-kilometre) journey from France to Britain, Javid said. The attempts, chiefly by Iranian nationals, to cross one of the world's busiest shipping lanes have been made in dinghies and other small craft. Javid -- the bookmakers' favourite to become the next leader of the governing Conservative Party -- cut short his Christmas family holiday in South Africa to take personal control of the situation. He said he was redeploying two Border Force cutters from the Mediterranean to the Channel, to join one cutter already on the scene and two other coastal patrol vessels. "It's both about protecting human life but also about protecting our borders," Javid said after meeting senior officials from the Border Force and the National Crime Agency. "I want to make sure that we are doing all we can to protect people. "This is one of the most treacherous stretches of water that there is, 21 miles with people taking grave risk, really putting their lives into their own hands." - Trafficking gangs targeted - Javid said about 230 migrants had sought to cross the Channel in December but "just under half have actually been disrupted by the French" and did not reach British waters. He said efforts were being stepped up to tackle people smugglers and to return migrants to France. Britain and France agreed Sunday to boost bilateral cooperation over the spike. In the coming weeks, the two countries will increase surveillance patrols, efforts to dismantle trafficking gangs and awareness about the dangers of crossing the Channel. In a message to would-be migrants, Javid said: "We will do everything we can to make sure it is not a success, in the sense that I don't want people to think that if they leave a safe country like France they can get to Britain and then just get to stay. Story continues "That's why I am working out ways with the French to increase the number of returns." Arrivals on southeast England's Kent coast spiked over the Christmas period, with British authorities finding 43 people on December 25 and 26. On Thursday, British border officials found 23 Iranians in three locations in Kent, hours after French maritime authorities intercepted 11 migrants in a small boat. And on Sunday, authorities intercepted six Iranians near the Kent coast. A group of 12 migrants -- nine men, two women and a 10-year-old child -- were detained after landing on a Kent beach in a dinghy on Monday, the Home Office said. They presented themselves as Iranian. "They all received a medical assessment and have now been transferred to immigration officials for interview," a Home Office spokesman said. An 11-month-old baby on Tuesday was pulled to safety more than 35 hours after a deadly building collapse in sub-freezing temperatures in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk. The child's father described the rescue as a "New Year's miracle." Video from the scene shows workers carefully extricating little Ivan Fokin from the rubble, wrapping him in blankets and dashing from the scene of the 10-story apartment building in the industrial city 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow. During the minute of silence when rescue workers stop to hear potential survivors, crying was heard underneath the debris, said Boris Dubrovsky, the governor of Chelyabinsk Region. This handout picture released by The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry on Jan. 1, 2019, shows emergency officers transporting a baby surviver after a gas explosion rocked a residential building in Russia's Urals city of Magnitogorsk. Dubrovsky said the boy was saved because he was wrapped up warm in his crib. The child initially was described as a girl, possibly because he was found wearing pink socks. More: This family got stuck in a snowstorm. They weren't found for 4 days. More: Woman, man die in separate attempts to rescue dogs from icy ponds "When we shouted 'Quiet' the child stopped crying, but when we shouted to the baby, 'Where are you?' the infant responded," Petr Gritsenko, who led one of the rescue teams, told the media. "Once we were sure, we started digging." Russia's RT online news service said Ivan suffered head trauma and serious frostbite on extremities, but described his prognosis as "positive." He was scheduled to be flown to a Moscow children's hospital. Ivan's father, Yevgeny Fokin, told RT his bed was destroyed in the blast and that he would have died had he not been working a night shift. Vanya's mother, Olga, managed to escape with Vanya's older brother when the collapse occurred. But she told RT she couldn't get to the infant and wasn't sure he was alive. Nine bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, blamed on a natural gas explosion. Five people were reported injured. Dozens of people evacuated the building safely, but dozens of others remained unaccounted for. Story continues Hopes of finding survivors were dimming as workers struggled to stabilize the work area. The area was blasted with hot-air cannons to combat temperatures that dipped to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian baby found alive in 'New Year's miracle' after 35 hours under rubble of collapsed building People remember those who take the time to understand them, their business and their business legal needs and formulate actionable suggestions about improving their professional lives. As a law firm leader, I have emphasized the value of good service as a fundamental characteristic of successful lawyers. This service mind-set is a result of how I was raised. I grew up on Long Island, my father was a New York street cop and my mother an office manager. Our neighborhood was blue collar, and we lived among other cops, firemen, carpenters, steam fitters, tinsmiths, mechanics and bartenders. One of our neighbors, an airline mechanic, was repeatedly laid off in the mid-70s. Rather than go with another airline, he decided to lease a two-bay garage at the end of our block and open an auto-repair shop. My father usually fixed our cars himself, but he sent my mothers car to Charlie for tune-ups, oil changes and the like, trying to help Charlie get his business startedits what neighbors did. One day, a widow in our neighborhood asked my father about Charlies business and if he would recommend Charlie. My father responded that his prices are fair and Charlie knows what he is doing. The widow listened and then asked but, does he provide good service? My father thought for a second and responded, Yes, Charlie will explain whats needed and estimate a fair price. Hell be on time with his work or call and tell you why hes running late. He also stands behind his work, no arguments. Sometimes, lawyers fall in love with their work product, the elegance of their brief or their perfect patent application, excluding from their process any consideration of what their client needs or expects. At the very extreme is the attorney so completely oriented to their own values and pride in their legal craftsmanship that their clients needs are placed second behind their own. An attorney can provide excellent work product but if they dont understand the value of service, they dont understand business. The lesson is that although work product and service are not the same thing, they should go hand in glove. Misunderstanding the Clients (or Prospective Clients) Expectations and Needs In private practice, it is all too common that an attorney provides superior work product, but this is not the clients perception because his service is mediocre. A common example is when an attorney invests significant time and effort in addressing unforeseen contingenciesgoing the extra milebut, because the client did not expect those contingencies (i.e., was not educated about them), the client is irritated by the expense (and possible delay) rather than appreciative of the attorneys expertise. Typically, this is not an unsophisticated client unable to appreciate what is being done for them, but more commonly an attorney failing to explain recommended services and manage client expectations properly. When a crowded restaurant overestimates the time for a table to become free, they will knowingly lose some patrons, but those who remain will be seated before they expect to bea pleasant surprise and positive beginning to a service experience. This is now multiplied by the quality of the meal and service throughout. The result is customer satisfaction. Understanding How Clients Select Legal Services The simple truth is clients want to believe that their attorney is an advocate rather than a necessary evil. Attorneys young and old must endeavor to be the former rather than the latter, and this is not taught in law school. Clients purchase three types of legal services: efficiency-, experienced- and expertise-based services (there are often combinations as well). The most common legal service is provided by efficiency-based practices, those that can meet the clients high-volume needs with a quick start, fast disposition and low cost. The next most common practice is experience-based service, where the client seeks brain power in combination with experience solving similar problems at a competitive cost. The last and least common practice involves a client with a substantial, complex, high-risk and unusual problem that seeks expertise. This client seeks to hire the most talented, creative and effective attorney irrespective of cost. Whether meeting with an existing or perspective client, preparation should mean seizing the opportunity to demonstrate initiative. There is little that is more off-putting to the purchaser of legal services than someone who asks obvious questions about the company they could have learned in advance. A good attorney will demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding the clients needs and business challenges. Clients have the right to expect the highest level of service from their attorneys. If they are in the hospitality industry, this means their attorneys understand the importance of data security, electronic records, encryption and training. If they are a small-cap or privately held company, this means their attorneys pride themselves on billing integrity, data security, staying current on business trends, keeping communication lines open and interacting with the client in non-business environments to better appreciate and understand the clients world. If the client is a mature company, their attorneys will read the annual report and find ways to help in-house counsel get more value out of less dollars spent. One way this can happen, for example, is to develop a process that streamlines large volumes of patents or offer accelerated contract reviews. Finding technological solutions and bringing value to the client is what makes a good attorney worth the cost. Quality legal service is as important and valuable as work product. William A. Munck is managing partner of Munck Wilson Mandala, a technology-focused law firm headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin and Marshall, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. Munck has more than 25 years of intellectual property law experience, and he chairs the firms IP Section, leading a team of attorneys focused on patent, trade secret, trademark and copyright procurement, IP and technology litigation and licensing. An American corporate security executive arrested in Russia on espionage charges was in Moscow to attend a wedding and is not a spy, his family said Tuesday. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Monday that Paul Whelan, 48, was detained Friday "while on a spy mission." The FSB said the investigation was continuing but that Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Whelan's family released a statement saying they learned of the retired U.S. Marine's arrest through media reports. The family says Whelan had not contacted them Friday, which was "out of character for him even when he was traveling." Family members immediately contacted the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and congressional offices. "We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected," the statement says. More: American arrested in Moscow 'while on a spy mission,' Russia says More: Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy as agent of Russia in USA Whelan serves as director of global security for automotive component supplier BorgWarner. The company also learned of the arrest through media reports, spokeswoman Kathy Graham said. "BorgWarner has been in contact with the relevant U.S. Government authorities in order to help our employee and the U.S. government," Graham said. The U.S. State Department confirmed it had been notified of the arrest by Russian authorities. "Russias obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access," the State Department said in a statement. "We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it." Whelan's brother, David Whelan, did not immediately respond to a request for information from USA TODAY. He did, however, tell CNN that Paul Whelan lives in Michigan but was born in Canada to British parents. Story continues "Knowing that he's not dead, it weirdly really helps," David Whelan told CNN. "When we couldn't get ahold of him initially, we were worried, and we are still worried now, but at least we know he is alive." The news came as Russian President Vladimir Putin released a holiday greeting to President Donald Trump that "reaffirmed that Russia is open to dialogue" with the United States. Last month, Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent for the Kremlin and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. She has been in jail since her arrest in July. The Kremlin has denied that Butina is a spy. U.S.-Russian relations have been battered by controversy despite Trump's frequent praise of Putin. Scores of Russian diplomats were expelled this year after the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter in Britain that was linked to the Kremlin. All this while special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election has brought scrutiny on communications between Trump's inner circle and Russian operatives. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Paul Whelan was in Russia for wedding, not to spy, family says As we await the ball to drop in Times Square to bring in the New Year in the eastern United States, countries around the world have already celebrated the start to 2019. One of the first countries to welcome the New Year is Samoa. Some of the U.S. territories in the Pacific, including Midway Island, are among the last places where the clock will strike midnight. The fireworks have already gone off in places like Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Here are some photos from New Years celebrations across the globe. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is bathed in fireworks and lighting effects during New Year's Eve celebrations on January 1, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Fireworks are seen exploding from the Sky Tower with the Auckland Harbour Bridge in the foreground during the Auckland New Year's Eve celebrations on January 01, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. Fireworks are seen exploding from the Sky Tower with the Auckland Harbour Bridge in the foreground during the Auckland New Year's Eve celebrations on January 01, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. People visit Kanda Myojin Shrine to offer New Year prayers in Tokyo on January 1, 2019. Millions of Japanese people will visit shrines and temples across the country during the first three days of the new year to pray for the well-being of their families. FinecoBank Banca Fineco S.p.A. (BIT:FBK), operating in the financial services industry based in Italy, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the BIT, rising to highs of 11.89 and falling to the lows of 8.57. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether FinecoBank Banca Finecos current trading price of 8.78 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at FinecoBank Banca Finecos outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for FinecoBank Banca Fineco Is FinecoBank Banca Fineco still cheap? FinecoBank Banca Fineco is currently overpriced based on my relative valuation model. In this instance, Ive used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stocks cash flows. I find that FinecoBank Banca Finecos ratio of 22.17x is above its peer average of 7.65x, which suggests the stock is overvalued compared to the Banks industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since FinecoBank Banca Finecos share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What kind of growth will FinecoBank Banca Fineco generate? BIT:FBK Future Profit January 1st 19 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by 28% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for FinecoBank Banca Fineco. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? FBKs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question should I sell? If you believe FBK should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on FBK for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for FBK, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on FinecoBank Banca Fineco. You can find everything you need to know about FinecoBank Banca Fineco in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in FinecoBank Banca Fineco, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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Armenia 2nd President states time limits for increasing combat-readiness and recovery of losses "I Have the Honor" bloc: Armenian Public Television's actions show that bloc's rating is growing Erdogan to raise White House's recognition of Armenian Genocide during meeting with Biden Armenia 3rd President visits St. Mary's Church in Gavar after campaign meetings (PHOTOS) Fire breaks out in village of Armenia's Ararat Province Court rules to allow "Armenia" bloc's rally to end at 9 p.m. Armenia 3rd President holds meetings in Gegharkunik Province Armenia Elections Oversight Committee member addresses letter to OSCE/ODIHR regarding Pashinyan's statements Armenia acting PM receives steel hammer as a gift, refers to it as a 'steel mandate' Armenia 2nd President recommends setting up Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Armenia 2nd President: It is necessary to either ban offices of Soros or set tight restrictions Armenian Public Television and "I Have the Honor" bloc apply to Ombudsman regarding video broadcasting Armenia acting PM: Today there are army generals who have served for over 20 years, but have no apartments Australia, UK and US agree on cooperation Armenia Ombudsman's representatives hold personal talks with 15 Armenian POWs "I Have the Honor" bloc says Armenian authorities might allocate nearly $1.5 mln for electoral bribes "I Have the Honor" bloc: Mass media report that conspiratorial junta is delaying return of Armenian POWs Putin on upcoming meeting with Biden, says it is necessary to establish direct dialogue OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes return of 15 Armenian POWs Georgia MFA: Tbilisi worked for return of Armenian soldiers for 2-3 months Armenia ex-official: Sectors of country's roads will be transferred to Azerbaijan, according to current authorities Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-chief: War won't break out, Azerbaijani army is currently weakened Iran's interior minister: Country's presidential election will be held in full security atmosphere Armenia acting PM to citizens: Opposition was mourning and weeping after return of 15 Armenian POWs Armenia confirms 39 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths Armenia 3rd President: I declare that there was no talk about enclaves during my administration Armenia MOD: 2 residents of Syunik Province disoriented, find themselves in Azerbaijani territory Russian MFA Spokesperson on return of 15 Armenian POWs Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to deprive MP candidate of liberty Members of "Armenia" bloc light candles at Haghpat Monastery after campaigning EU President: I applaud Azerbaijans & Armenias parallel humanitarian gestures Georgia is ready to participate in settlement of humanitarian issues between Baku and Yerevan Aliyev: If Armenia wants peace, they should start negotiations with us on delimitation Kocharyan intends to turn government dachas into rehab center Baku says it handed over 15 POWs to Armenia in exchange for map of minefields Nikol Pashinyan shares photo of Armenian POWs returning home Eight more remains found in Artsakh search operations Saturday Armenia MOD refutes reports on deployment of Turkey army units in Sev Lake region Armenia MP candidate charged with bribery is remanded in custody Armenia acting PM on border situation: Our Russian partners have come, looked at areas where they can be deployed Armenia acting premier: This election battle has already turned into class struggle 20 Afghanistan security force members killed in clashes with Taliban Armenia acting PM supporters give kids instructions in Gegharkunik Province village Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We reject vendettas Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan pays tribute to late PM Andranik Margaryan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Maybe 2018 evens would not have happened if they had kept level of education Bright Armenia Party MP: Our prime ministerial candidate is Edmon Marukyan Armenia former President Kocharyan: I want to be proud of my homeland One person on Armenia ruling party electoral list also has Iran citizenship, his registration is declared invalid Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Boris Johnson on Queens Birthday Armenia ex-President Kocharyan in Spitak town, pays tribute to victims of 1988 earthquake Acting premier: Corrupt clergymen discredit Armenian Apostolic Church, traditional values Armenia, Georgia customs officials meet at Bagratashen border checkpoint One new case of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Armenia acting deputy PM signs new decision Sarkissian to Putin: Armenian-Russian cooperation is developing confidently in all directions 8 dead in China factory chemical leak Putin notes differences between "outsider" Trump, "career man" Biden 88 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia President: Karabakh has always underscored Russia's invaluable place, role in our region Security Council chief: We have had Russias support in Artsakh for centuries Pashinyan to Putin: I am convinced that Armenian-Russian interstate relations will continue to develop Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Mishustin on Russia Day Newspaper: Armenia criminal authorities take neutral position in current electoral process Newspaper: Real "war" behind scenes of Armenia authorities after every provincial visit of acting PM Armenia acting PM Pashinyan tells details from his talk with army General Staff former chief Gasparyan Man found dead in Armenia canal NATO Secretary-General affirms willingness for cooperation with Russia Armenia Special Investigation Service charges political party member for giving electoral bribe Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to launch criminal prosecution against MP candidate "I Have the Honor" bloc member: Coronavirus and 'nikolavirus' (Nikol Pashinyan) are both lethal Greek PM: Greece willing to back positive EU agenda for Turkey Russia Deputy FM, France Ambassador discuss settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict CoE: We are engaged in a dialogue to develop a set of confidence-building measures between Armenia, Azerbaijan Armenia 3rd President states when country's security system began to collapse Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-deputy chief on acting PM's statement on his "National Hero" title Armenia Arevik National Park director dismissed for being a friend of Meghri mayor Reuters: Erdogan's summit with Biden clouded by bitter disputes Armenia acting MOD receives Head of ICRC Delegation Gagik Tsarukyan: Armenia needs to develop the economy by using resources of country and people Commander Carliss R. Such, USNR (Ret.), writes an open letter to President Trump concerning the death of an 8-year-old in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol on Christmas Day (Dec. 28). To untangle the whole net of incomprehension woven by Commander Such seems like a job for Thomas Aquinas or Peter Canisius. Ill address only a few salient points. Commander Such appears to labor under the misapprehension that the Holy Family, fleeing into Egypt, were refugees. They werent. A refugee flees from one country into another. When the Holy Family fled into Egypt, all the lands around the Mediterranean were one big country. Perhaps Commander Such has heard of it. We call it the Roman Empire. Bible readers will understand this concept from the Acts of the Apostles, in which St. Paul travels all over the Mediterranean and never encounters a single border agent. Most of the people illegally crossing our southern border arent refugees, either. Members of the current caravans have admitted as much: theyre mostly economic migrants. There may be a sprinkling of actual refugees among them, but there is also more than a sprinkling of gang members and human traffickers. One current caravan was offered asylum and employment in Mexico. But several U.S. states offer superior welfare benefits, so the caravan pressed on. Just-released figures show illicit-drug abuse deaths rose 4 percent in California in 2017 to 5,300, the highest number and rate in six decades of record-keeping. The good news such as it is: California is doing much better than the rest of the United States. Nationally, drug deaths, mainly from opiates, soared 10 percent last year to a record 74,000. Projections indicate 2018 will claim another 70,000-plus lives . In the early 1980s, Washington launched the war on drugs resulting in millions of arrests and prison sentences. Drug deaths exploded 10-fold. International drug-supply cartels mushroomed. Yet, from top officials to popular culture, Americans still refuse to face the worldwide destruction our rampant drug abuse inflicts. The Office of National Drug Control Policy, Partnership for Drug-Free Youth, CASA-Columbia, and other agencies peddle distorted narratives to enable political evasion and protect established interests. Leaders recite the same old playbook blaming recurring drug scourges on people they most fear and hate. Conservatives stigmatize immigrants and gangs. Liberals berate teenagers. Ex-presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush I and II, and current President Donald Trump, lambasted foreigners and immigrants for trafficking the drugs killing our kids . A year that saw controversy over Napa County watershed development ended with an 864-acre forest containing redwoods and a reservoir-feeding creek being preserved. The forest is owned by Pacific Union College. The college worked with the Land Trust of Napa County and state to establish a $7.1 million conservation easement that closed on Dec. 20. PUC will continue to own the forest near its Angwin campus in the mountains northeast of St. Helena. But the development rights are retired, meaning the land will never be built upon, with the easement held by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It was a very high priority for the Land Trust, said Doug Parker, CEO of the land-preserving nonprofit, in a phone interview. The forest abuts Las Posadas State Forest and a Land Trust preserve. Wildlife such as black bears and mountain lions use it to travel the mountains. Rare species such as the purple-flowering Napa false indigo are found there. The forest has redwoods that are unusually far inland. Plus, Parker said, Moore Creek runs through the forest. The creek is a major water source for Napas Lake Hennessey reservoir. In many ways, 2018 ended the same way that it began in American Canyon with traffic and congestion on the top of everyones mind, and the continued rise of property values bringing the Bay Areas housing crunch to what used to be an affordable bedroom community. Yet in other important ways, much changed in American Canyon, with a major project approved after years of debate, new faces in City Hall and elsewhere, and some possible new solutions shaping up to vexing problems. Heres a look at a few of the top stories from the files of the American Canyon Eagle and Napa Valley Register. Cannabis: The year saw American Canyon move from among the most conservative of the countys governments on cannabis to being, in some respects, the most progressive. After state voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, legalizing possession, home growth, and commercial sale of marijuana, the city quickly passed an ordinance essentially putting a hold on any growth and sale: up to six indoor plants were allowed, but outdoor growth and all commercial activity were banned. After hearing from residents and cannabis activists in town meetings in 2017 and 2018, the city changed course. VALLEJO -- The Empress Theatre presents Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5. A saxophonist, vocalist and two-time Grammy nominee, Abair released her debut album in 2000. She has garnered 10 number 1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two number 1 spots on the Billboard album charts. The daughter and granddaughter of working musicians, Abair continues to evolve her sound. In 2014, after two seasons as the featured saxophonist on the hit series "American Idol," Abair released "Wild Heart." This LP showcased a compilation of grittier rock and soul tracks featuring her longtime friend and The Boneshakers founder Randy Jacobs to inject his brand of Detroit blues/ rock. The collaboration led to a decision to join forces creatively. Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers features band leader Abair, Jacobs, Rodney Lee, Derek Frank and Third Richardson. In 2014, Adair received her first Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, followed by a 2015 nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo LP Wild Heart featuring Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb Mo, and Max Weinberg. Ticket are $35-$65. For tickets or more information, call 707-552-2400 or visit www.empresstheatre.org. The Empress Theatre is at 330 Virginia St. in Vallejo. It is incorrect to say that ... Dr. Jay Avasalara, a neurologist at the University of Kentucky, has penned an editorial proposing changes to improve minority representation in clinical trials. Credit: Mark Mahan for the University of Kentucky In an editorial published in CNS Spectrums, Jay Avasarala, MD, Ph.D., takes the research community to task for its lack of minority representation in Phase III clinical trials for drugs to treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Noting that the disease course of MS in African American (AA) patients is more aggressive, he urged researchers to make more effort to stave off the persistent slide in minority representation, which he believes skews efficacy and disability data and prevents physicians' ability to extrapolate whether drugs are effective in these populations. "The MS phenotype in the African American patient is an ideal model to study drug efficacy since the disease follows a rapidly disabling course," he wrote. "AA MS patients admitted to US nursing homes are six years younger but more disabled compared to Caucasian American (CA) patients with MS. Since phenotypes between CA and AA can be clinically distinct, it is remarkable that not a single study has compared how drugs perform in such diverse groups." According to Avasarala, a neurologist specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and neuroimmunology at UK HealthCare's Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, minority recruitment for clinical trials for MS drugs has declined from 7.7% in 2002 to about 2% in 2013. In 2014, the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) launched the Drug Trials Snapshots initiative that endeavored to increase minority representation in drug trials and improve public transparency by providing drug trial data online. While Avasarala acknowledges that the initiative was a good first step, he emphasizes that it does not require drug package inserts to include efficacy data from minority populations, making it difficult for prescribing physicians to determine whether the drug will help patients from minority ethnicities. In the editorial, Avasarala proposed several changes to help spur minority recruitment, which will in turn improve the quality of data for minority populations and make it easier for physicians to treat their AA patients. "First, I believe we should require pharmaceutical companies to collect post-marketing data in all minority groups who receive FDA-approved drugs for management of MS and classify responsiveness based on ethnicity," he said, noting that the FDA has required manufacturers to provide post-marketing data on drug safety for many years. Avasarala also advocates for a requirement that package labelling include efficacy data from minority populations and that no publication should accept study data without a clarifying statement that acknowledges the lack of sufficient data to make reasonable conclusions in non-Caucasian minorities. Since the 1970's, science has documented that MS among African Americans is clinically distinct in its progression and presentation, according to Avasarala, but research into treatments that address their particular phenotype has not kept pace. "The scientific community has published reams of data , but all that matters to a patient is, 'OK, doc, how can you treat me?' "What drugs would you recommend?" And we fall short for African Americans, because we simply don't have the data." "I feel powerless to help them. There needs to be a change. And change ought to begin in the form of a policy shift." Avasarala states that his research at UK HealthCare will focus on the translational aspects of MS, datamining, the application of retinal imaging techniques to advance disease diagnosis, and studying in vitro blood-brain barrier models to facilitate drug transportation. Explore further Are women and minorities adequately represented in new drug testing? More information: CNS Spectrums, DOI: 10.1017/S1092852918001517 LLapingachos are the way to go: an Ecuadorian dish of potato patties or thick potato pancakes stuffed with cheese and cooked on a hot griddle until crispy. Given the landlocked nature of Quito, the seafood and I dont just mean lake fish is remarkably good. Try the fried corvina at Las Corvinas de Don Jimmy, in the Mercado Central, with a drink and ceviche only $6. Zazu is one of the best restaurants in South America, and many of the dishes are below $15. I recommend La Briciola for Italian food and chocolate ice cream, noting that in Latin America the most boring-sounding pastas, such as the ravioli, are the ones to order. The 17th century heritage of Quito makes the colonial center feel like central Mexico. Think built up early, backwater later on, for a long time. The mix of mestizo and indigenous. The design of the inner city and its churches. The role of crafts. The persistence of particular foodstuffs, in this case potatoes and corn and avocado and palmitos. Popcorn was invented somewhere around here. The weather is perfect every day. Compania de Jesus is arguably the most beautiful church I have seen. There is an unusually high percentage of Indian-American tourists (do any of you know why?), that said the absolute number of tourists is quite small. Most people are passing through on their way to the Galapagos, described by one skeptical pro-Trump tourist we met as $7,000 worth of lizards. Following dollarization, it seems that all the Kennedy half dollars and Sacagawea dollar coins have ended up here. . Cops dress like superheroes to make themselves more approachable by children: The Saturday Indian market at Otavalo is the nicest, most hassle-free market I know. Cotacachi would be a wonderful place to retire, except I wont. The quechua-speaking guide for Cotopaxi volcano loves YouTube and listens to adventures, news, music, and much more. He is still hoping to get a phone with an internet connection, and believes that lack of good education for indigenous children is the countrys biggest problem. In 2010, more than 2,600 people were killed in Ecuador, a homicide rate of about 18 per 100,000, almost twice the level the World Health Organization considers an epidemic. This year, the small Andean nation is expected to record 5.6 killed per 100,000, one of Latin Americas lowest rates. (Excellent piece, WSJ link). On the is now the right time to visit Quito? scale, I give 2019 a 9.5. Lets Encrypt had a great year in 2018. Were now serving more than 150 million websites while maintaining a stellar security and compliance track record. Most importantly though, the Web went from 67% encrypted page loads to 77% in 2018, according to statistics from Mozilla. This is an incredible rate of change! Wed like to thank all of the people and organizations who worked hard to create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web. This year we created a new website for the legal entity behind Lets Encrypt, Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), because we believe there will be other instances beyond Lets Encrypt in which ISRG might be able to help to build, or improve access to, a better Internet. While were proud of what we accomplished in 2018, we spend most of our time looking forward rather than back. As we wrap up our own planning process for 2019, Wed like to share some of our plans with you, including both the things were excited about and the challenges well face. Well cover service growth, new features, infrastructure, and finances. Service Growth Lets Encrypt helps to drive HTTPS adoption by offering a free, easy to use, and globally available option for obtaining the certificates required to enable HTTPS. HTTPS adoption on the Web took off at an unprecedented rate from the day Lets Encrypt launched to the public. The number of certificates and unique domains we support continues to grow rapidly: We expect strong growth again in 2019, likely up to 120M active certificates and 215M fully qualified domains. You can view our recently revamped stats page for more information. One of the reasons Lets Encrypt is so easy to use is that our community has done great work making client software that works well for a wide variety of platforms. Wed like to thank everyone involved in the development of more than 85 client software options for Lets Encrypt. Support for our protocol, ACME, is built in to Apache and were hoping 2019 will be the year that it comes to Nginx. Other organizations and communities are also doing great work to promote HTTPS adoption, and thus stimulate demand for our services. For example, browsers are starting to make their users more aware of the risks associated with unencrypted HTTP (e.g. Firefox, Chrome). Many hosting providers and CDNs are making it easier than ever for all of their customers to use HTTPS. Government agencies are waking up to the need for stronger security to protect constituents. The media community is working to Secure the News. New Features In 2018 we introduced several new features, including ACMEv2 support and wildcard certificates. Weve got some exciting features planned for 2019. The feature were most excited about is multi-perspective validation. Currently, when a subscriber requests a certificate, we validate domain control from a single network perspective. This is standard practice for CAs. If an attacker along the network path for the validation check can interfere with traffic they can potentially cause certificates to be issued that should not be issued. Were most concerned about this happening via BGP hijacking, and since BGP is not going to be secured any time soon, we needed to find another mitigation. The solution we intend to deploy in 2019 is multi-perspective validation, in which we will check from multiple network perspectives (distinct Autonomous Systems). This means that potential BGP hijackers would need to hijack multiple routes at the same time in order to pull off a successful attack, which is significantly more difficult than hijacking a single route. We are working with a talented research team at Princeton to design the most effective multi-perspective validation system we can, and have already turned parts of this feature on in our staging environment. We are also planning to introduce a Certificate Transparency (CT) log in 2019. All certificate authorities like Lets Encrypt are required to submit certificates to CT logs but there are not enough stable logs in the ecosystem. As such, we are moving forward with plans to run a log which all CAs will be able to submit to. We had planned to add ECDSA root and intermediate certificates in 2018 but other priorities ultimately took precedence. We hope to do this in 2019. ECDSA is generally considered to be the future of digital signature algorithms on the Web due to the fact that it is more efficient than RSA. Lets Encrypt will currently sign ECDSA keys from subscribers, but we sign with the RSA key from one of our intermediate certificates. Once we have an ECDSA root and intermediates, our subscribers will be able to deploy certificate chains which are entirely ECDSA. Infrastructure Our CA infrastructure is capable of issuing millions of certificates per day with redundancy for stability and a wide variety of security safeguards, both physical and logical. Our infrastructure also generates and signs around 40 million OCSP responses daily, and serves those responses approximately 5.5 billion times per day. We expect these numbers to grow approximately 40% in 2019. Our physical CA infrastructure currently occupies approximately 55 units of rack space, split between two datacenters, consisting primarily of compute servers, storage, HSMs, switches, and firewalls. When we issue more certificates it puts the most stress on storage for our databases. We regularly invest in more and faster storage for our database servers, and that will continue in 2019. All of our infrastructure is managed by our Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team, which is comprised of six people. SRE staff are responsible for building and maintaining all physical and logical CA infrastructure. These staff are largely responsible for our high standards for security and compliance. The team also manages a 24/7/365 on-call schedule and they are primary participants in both security and compliance audits. Finances We pride ourselves on being an efficient organization. In 2019 Lets Encrypt will secure a massive portion of the Web with a budget of only $3.6M. We believe this represents an incredible value and that contributing to Lets Encrypt is one of the most effective ways to help create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web. Our 2019 fundraising efforts are off to a strong start with Platinum sponsorships from Cisco, OVH, Mozilla, Google Chrome, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Internet Society, as well as many other Gold and Silver sponsors. The Ford Foundation has renewed their grant to Lets Encrypt as well. We are seeking additional sponsorship and grant assistance to meet our full needs for 2019. Support Lets Encrypt We depend on contributions from our community of users and supporters in order to provide our services. If your company or organization would like to sponsor Lets Encrypt please email us at sponsor@letsencrypt.org. We ask that you make an individual contribution if it is within your means. Were grateful for the industry and community support that we receive, and we look forward to continuing to create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web! Are you able to take a vacation from your wireless device? A growing number of hotels will help you to find out. Some hotels are offering extras, like food and underwater diving, to people who agree give up their cellphones for a few hours. Other hotels have phone-free hours in their swimming areas. A few are even banning electronic devices from public places altogether. Hotels that limit cellphone use risk losing publicity on social media services such as Instagram or Facebook. But they say their policies reflect their aim of promoting wellness, fun and recreation. And, they hope that hotel guests will enjoy their experience and return for future visits. Everyone wants to be able to disconnect. They just need a little courage, said Lisa Checchio. She is chief marketing officer at Wyndham Hotel Group. Peoples inability to disconnect is an increasingly serious issue. Half of cellphone users spend between three and seven hours a day on their mobile devices. That information comes from a 2017 study by Counterpoint Research, a technology advisory service. A separate study by the non-profit group Common Sense Media found that 69 percent of parents and 78 percent of young people said they used their devices at least hourly. Wyndham hotel officials said they had to ask for more chairs for all the people who would sit in them and look at their phones. The hotel company found that the average guest was bringing three devices and activating them once every 12 minutes or about 80 times a day. Ways hotels keep guests device-free Last October, Wyndham Grands five U.S. vacation resorts began offering rewards to guests who agreed to put away their phones for a few hours. In exchange for leaving the phone in a soft, protected pouch, guests get good seating by swimming pools, free food and even chances to win return visits. The devices stay with the guests, but only hotel employees can open the secure pouch. The Associated Press reported last week that 250 people have taken part in the program at Wyndham resort hotels in Florida and Texas. Wyndham Grand resorts offered to cut the cost of a hotel stay by five percent if guests put their phones in a timed lockbox. The hotels provide treats, bedtime books and instant cameras for adults and children who are not sure what to do with all their newfound free time. The idea appealed to Matthew Cannata. He heads public relations for the New Britain, Connecticut, schools. He worried about the effect of technology on his two young children, and he wants to keep devices out of sight during family meals. Any chance I can get to put the phone away is great. Sometimes, people need to be forced to do things to start a thought process and then create a habit, he said. Hotel workers at the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit in Mexico will remove all electronic devices from your room and replace them with traditional games, like chess. Guests at a nearby resort trade in their phones for a bracelet placed around the wrist. The device gives them the right to take part in special activities like diving. They must do at least four activities to earn back their phones. A timer in the hotel shows how long each family has remained without their devices. Miraval is a resort in Arizona owned by Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Miravals goal is to increase mindfulness and create a sense of calm among their guests. Miraval, which will soon open two more resorts in Texas and Massachusetts, bans phone use in most public areas. Guests are told to put their phones into soft cotton bags and leave them on small wooden beds in their rooms. Some resorts want a total ban on electronic devices. Wilderness Resorts, an African tour operator, provides no internet service at many of its camps. A 40-room hotel at the Siwa Oasis in Egypt lets guests have phones in their rooms, but there is no internet service or even electricity. However, not all vacationers want to be separated from their devices. Phones can serve as cameras, music players, travel guides and e-readers. They also might be needed in an emergency. Communications manager David Bruns uses two phones. He tries not to use his work phone when he is not on the job, but he carries his personal phone everywhere. I dont think I would like being made to put the thing down, Bruns said. It feels like that is more about me being told what to do by people I am paying to do something for me. Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali, Indonesia, understands that, so it tries to meet guests halfway. Its winding River Pool bans phones for eight hours every day. But it invites guests to take photographs and publish on social media at other times. Im Anna Matteo. I'm George Grow. Dee-Ann Durbin reported this story for the Associated Press. George Grow adapted her report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _______________________________________________________________ Quiz - Vacation Spots Offer 'Extras' for Disconnecting Phones Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story promote v. to help bring into being guest n. someone who pays for the services of a business, such as a hotel courage n. bravery resort adj. of or related to a getaway for vacations or recreation pouch n. a small bag or container carried on the person habit n. a normal behavior; a tradition or custom tour n. trip Visitors to the U.S. National Museum of the American Indian recently had a chance to buy artwork made by some of the worlds finest Native American artists. The handmade objects included jewelry and clothing, as well as paintings and statues. They were offered to the public as part of a two-day Native Art Market at the museums headquarters, in Washington, D.C. One artist at the event was Porfirio Gutierrez. His ancestors belonged to the Zapotecs, an ancient group of people that lived in what is now southern Mexico. Gutierrez says he and his family create handwoven cloth by using the same methods as their ancestors. He describes the resulting textiles as functional art, influenced by the natural world. "These ways of making colors and making an authentic piece, it's disappearing. So I feel like I need to contribute into the preservation, and the only way to preserve it is to actually employ these old ways of making the arts." Gutierrez's work was among the hundreds of objects on sale at the Native American art event. They represent traditional and modern works by more than 30 Native artists from across North America. Like Gutierrez, many of the artists said that nature is a big influence on their artwork. For example, Jhane Myers uses teeth and bones from animals for some of her jewelry. "Each elk has two ivory teeth, so I do these necklaces, and then I also have buffalo bone beads. I try to use all the same items that we used as a traditional Native people 200 years ago." Artist Kathleen Wall uses clay from the ground around Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico to make dolls. She paints one doll at a time, giving each one a peaceful facial expression. The National Museum of the American Indian has been holding the art market each year since 2006. Hayes Lavis is head of cultural arts at the museum. He says he hopes visitors leave with a better understanding of Native people in the Americas. "What we're hoping that people will take away from this experience is just a realization of the contributions of Native people to the Americas. They were here first, they've always been here, they've gone through a lot of adversity and they are still thriving, strong, creative cultures." Im Jonathan Evans. Julie Taboh reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story adversity n. a difficult situation or condition; misfortune or tragedy contribute v. to give something, such as money, goods, or time to help a person, group, cause, or organization thriving adj. growing or developing successfully preservation n. the act of keeping something valuable alive or free from damage; protection authentic adj. based on fact; realistic museum n. a center set up for the care, study and demonstration of objects of lasting value People around the world are saying goodbye to what many considered to be a troubling year. Heres a look at how people are celebrating the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. Kiribati The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first in the world to ring in the new year. In the capital Tarawa, many celebrated with church services and mostly quiet private events. New Zealand In Auckland, New Zealand, tens of thousands of people gathered around the 328-meter Sky Tower to watch a fireworks show. In other places, huge crowds gathered on beaches and streets as fireworks went off above city centers and seaports. Australia An estimated one million people crowded the Sydney Harbor, as Australias largest city began the new year with a memorable fireworks celebration. More than 1 billion people around the world were expected to watch the fireworks on television. This years fireworks show was one of the most complex in Australias history. North and South Korea Thousands of South Koreans were expected to fill the streets of the capital Seoul for a traditional bell ringing ceremony near City Hall. And North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to give his yearly address on New Years Day. In his New Years speech last year, Kim spoke of talks with South Korea to reduce tensions and said the North would be willing to take part in South Koreas Winter Olympics. China New Years Eve is not celebrated widely in mainland China. The lunar New Year in February is a more important holiday. But countdown events were being held in major cities. Beijing held an event with important guests at the main site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The event looked ahead to the 2022 Winter Games, which will also be held in the Chinese capital. In Hong Kong, the citys tallest building was brightly lit. There also was a show of fireworks, music and lights over Victoria Harbor. About 300,000 people were expected to gather along the port. Thailand Hundreds of Thais traveled to a Buddhist religious center near the capital Bangkok to lie inside coffins for traditional funeral rituals. Those who take part believe the ceremony removes bad luck and permits them to be born again for a fresh start in the new year. New York City Famous musicians and people from all over the world will gather in Times Square in New York City to welcome 2019. Watchers are expected to start gathering early in the afternoon Monday. The celebration will take place under strict security, as people wait for the traditional midnight crystal ball drop. Im Jonathan Evans. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English from a report by the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story lunar adj. of or relating to the moon coffin n. a box in which a dead person is buried ritual n. a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way Alan Naiman was known for being very careful about how he spent his money. But even those closest to him had no knowledge of the fortune he quietly gathered and the last act he had planned. Naiman died of cancer at age 63 last January. The man from the American state of Washington gave most of his money to groups that help the poor, sick, disabled and abandoned children. He gave them $11 million. The large amount of his fortune shocked the groups that received his gifts and even his best friends. That is because Naiman had been known to repair his own shoes with duct tape. He had sought deals to buy food from grocery stores at closing time and taken friends out to lunch at low cost restaurants. Naiman died unmarried and childless. He loved children but also was intensely private, his friends say. He saved, invested and worked extra jobs to gather money. He rarely spent the money on himself after seeing how unfair life could be for children who suffer the most. His friends believe a lifelong desire to help his older brother who had a developmental disability influenced Naiman. Yet he rarely spoke of it. His brother died in 2013. His close friend Susan Madsen told the Associated Press, Growing up as a kid with an older, disabled brother kind of colored the way he looked at things. A former banker, Naiman worked for the past 20 years at the state Department of Social and Health Services. He earned $67,234 a year and also took on side jobs. Sometimes, he worked as many as three at a time. He saved and invested enough to make several millions of dollars. He also received millions more from his parents after they died, said Shashi Karan, a friend from his banking days. Naiman was pleased when he was able to make use of the reduced prices many companies and organization offer older people. He bought his clothes from large self-service stores. He loved cars, but for most of his life, drove worn-out vehicles. After Naimans death, Karan recognized how little he knew of his longtime friend. I dont know if he was lonely. I think he was a loner, Karan said. Many of the organizations that received Naimans gifts said they did not know him, although they had crossed paths. He left $2.5 million to the Pediatric Interim Care Center in Washington. The center is a private organization that cares for babies born to mothers who abused drugs and children with drug dependency. Naiman had called the center about a newborn baby while working for the state more than 10 years ago. Barbara Drennen, who established the center, said, We would never dream that something like this would happen to us. I wish very much that I could have met him. I would have loved to have had him see the babies hes protecting. The center used the money to pay off its mortgage and buy a new vehicle to transport the children. Naiman gave $900,000 to the Treehouse, a foster care organization. He had brought children in his care to the groups house, where children without parents can choose toys and necessities for free. Treehouse is using Naimans money to expand its college and career support services statewide. Jessica Ross, who works with Treehouse, commented that Naimans savings and cost cutting were for this purpose. She called it a pure demonstration of philanthropy and love. Sally Ho reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. What kinds of groups would you donate to if you had millions of dollars? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fortune n. a very large amount of money abandoned adj. left without needed protection or care duct tape n. a wide, sticky, and usually silver tape that is made of cloth and that is used especially to repair things grocery store(s) n.a store that sells food and household supplies color(ed) v. to change someone's ideas, opinion, or attitude in some way loner n. a person who is often alone or who likes to be alone mortgage n. legal agreement in which a person borrows money to buy property, such as a house, and pays back the money over a period of years foster care n. a situation in which for a period of time a child lives with and is cared for by people who are not the child's parents transport - v. to carry (someone or something) from one place to another philanthropy n. the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people Monday, December 31, 2018 The Virginia State Bar has proposed a significant revision to Rule 4.4(b) and its comments Proposed Amendments to Rule 4.4 Rule 4.4 Respect For Rights Of Third Persons (a) In representing a client, a lawyer shall not use means that have no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person, or use methods of obtaining evidence that violate the legal rights of such a person. (b) A lawyer who receives a document or electronically stored information relating to the representation of the lawyer's client and knows or reasonably should know that the document or electronically stored information is privileged and was inadvertently sent shall immediately terminate review or use of the document or electronically stored information, promptly notify the sender, and abide by the senders instructions to return or destroy the document or electronically stored information. Comments [1] Responsibility to a client requires a lawyer to subordinate the interests of others to those of the client, but that responsibility does not imply that a lawyer may disregard the rights of third persons. It is impractical to catalogue all such rights, but they include legal restrictions on methods of obtaining evidence from third persons and unwarranted intrusions into privileged relationships, such as the client-lawyer relationship. [2] Paragraph (b) recognizes that lawyers sometimes receive a document or electronically stored information that was mistakenly sent or produced by opposing parties or their lawyers. A document or electronically stored information is inadvertently sent when it is accidentally transmitted, such as when an email or letter is misaddressed or a document or electronically stored information is accidentally included with information that was intentionally transmitted. If a lawyer knows or reasonably should know that such a document or electronically stored information was sent inadvertently and is privileged, then this Rule requires the lawyer to promptly notify the sender in order to permit that person to take protective measures and to abide by any instructions to return or destroy the document or information that was inadvertently sent. Regardless of whether it is obvious that the document or electronically stored information was inadvertently sent, the receiving lawyer knows or reasonably should know that the document or information was inadvertently sent if the sender promptly notifies the receiving lawyer of the mistake. If the receiving lawyer lacks actual or constructive knowledge that the document or electronically stored information was inadvertently sent, then paragraph (b) does not apply. Similarly, the lawyer may know that the document or electronically stored information was inadvertently sent but not that it is privileged; in that case, the receiving lawyer has no duty under this rule. This Rule does not address the legal duties of a lawyer who receives a document or electronically stored information that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know may have been inappropriately obtained by the sending person. For purposes of this Rule, document or electronically stored information includes, in addition to paper documents, email and other forms of electronically stored information, including embedded data (commonly referred to as metadata), that is subject to being read or put into readable form. Metadata in electronic documents creates an obligation under this Rule only if the receiving lawyer knows or reasonably should know that the metadata was inadvertently sent to the receiving lawyer and that it contains privileged information. [3] Preservation of lawyer-client confidences is such a vital aspect of the legal system that it is appropriate to require that lawyers not take advantage of a mistake or inadvertent disclosure by opposing counsel to gain an undue advantage. See LEO 1702. This means that the lawyer is prohibited from informing the lawyers client of relevant, though inadvertently disclosed, information, and that the lawyer is prevented from using information that is of great significance to the clients case. In such cases, paragraph (b) overrides the lawyers communication duty under Rule 1.4. As stated in Comment 1, diligent representation of the clients interests does not authorize or warrant intrusions into privileged communications. Where applicable discovery rules, agreements, or other law permit the recipient to contest the senders claim of privilege, use of such a process does not constitute use as prohibited by this rule, and the recipient may sequester the document or information pending resolution of that process. When there is no such applicable law, such as in a matter that does not involve litigation, the recipient lawyer must abide by the senders instructions to return or destroy the document. See also LEO 1871. Status At its meeting on December 12, 2018, the Standing Committee on Legal Ethics approved the [above] proposed rule for presentation to [Bar] Council at its February 2019 meeting. The present ABA version of the Rule (b) A lawyer who receives a document or electronically stored information relating to the representation of the lawyer's client and knows or reasonably should know that the document or electronically stored information was inadvertently sent shall promptly notify the sender. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-virginia-state-bar-has-proposed-significant-revisions-to-rule-44b-proposed-amendments-to-rule-44-rule-44-respect-f.html LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Hello 2019! It's a new year, which means the hundreds of laws that were passed last year go into effect. So if one of your resolutions for 2019 is to start off the year as an upstanding, rule-abiding citizen, we're here to help you out. Here's a roundup of some of the notable laws that kick in today: Plastic straws by request only: The strawpocalypse is upon us. Full-service restaurants across California are now prohibited from handing out single-use plastic straws to customers unless they specifically request one. (If you're looking for good reusable straw options, we tested out a few.) Home kitchen operations legalized: Cooks who sell food prepared out of their homes are now legally allowed to sell their items, thanks to the Cottage Food Bill, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed in September. The practice had previously been outlawed because of health concerns. Anyone who wants to do so will need to apply for a permit with the city and/or county, and then they'll be able to start selling right away. Crackdown on "junk" health insurance: Health insurers are no longer allowed to sell, issue or renew short-term health plans -- i.e., health plans that last 12 months or shorter. These plans don't have to cover the 10 essential benefits required by the Affordable Care Act, and so are commonly referred to as "junk" health insurance. The California legislature passed the law in response to the Trump administration's order last year extending these plans. Nonbinary gender option on driver's licenses: As of January 1, there's a third gender option for driver's license applications. People getting a new one or renewing an existing one will be able to pick between male, female or nonbinary. This change is part of SB 179, which also makes it so that a person petitioning a court to recognize a change in gender and conforming name change no longer has to undergo a clinical gender transition to do so. That provision took effect back in September. Breathalyzers in cars: If you've been convicted of a DUI that led to injury, or gotten multiple DUIs on your record, you'll now be required to install a breathalyzer device in your car, called an ignition interlock device. If you have one in your car, it prevents you from starting the car unless you pass the breathalyzer test. Previously this was a pilot program in effect in a couple of cities, including Los Angeles, but now it's expanded to the entire state. Helmets on e-scooters: If you're 18 or older, you're no longer required to wear a helmet while riding a motorized scooter in California. (Still, we'd like to mention it's a good idea to wear one -- plus, cities can still enact their own rules in the future that would put the requirement back in place.) But if you're 17 or younger and are caught without a helmet on a scooter, you can get a ticket. New HOV decals: If you have a low-emissions car with a green or white decal for the HOV lane, it's officially expired. The new ones are red -- and the Clean Air Resources Board has a new list of eligible vehicles. Those who were issued a green or white decal in 2017 or 2018 will be able to apply for the red decal, which is valid until January 2022 -- the DMV should have mailed out letters of eligibility months ago. You can read more about the new rules via the DMV. Gun restrictions: The minimum age for purchasing a long gun (e.g., rifles and shotguns) rises to 21, up from 18. Additionally, under a separate new law, anybody convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence after January 1, 2019, is prohibited from ever owning a firearm. Street vending decriminalized: The statewide bill that effectively decriminalizes street vending and allows cities and counties to set up their own permitting systems is in effect as of January. The L.A. City Council approved its own permitting system in November, though it could take another year to flesh out the details of how it will work. Healthy drinks in kids' meals: Starting this month, only milk or water may be the default drinks that go with children's meals in restaurants. The law still allows restaurants to offer juices and sodas generally, but only "milk; a non-dairy milk alternative; or sparkling, still or flavored water" may be advertised or on menus as part of a children's restaurant meal that includes a drink. Gender identity courses in officer training: The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training must develop -- and implement -- a new course on sexual orientation and gender identity minority groups. It'll now be required for basic training for officers and dispatchers. Sexual harassment claims at work: After all the revelations from the #MeToo movement, employers are now prohibited from requiring employees to sign non-disparagement or non-disclosure agreements for harassment claims in exchange for employment, a raise or bonus. The law, SB 1300, also opens up more options for employees to sue employers that fail to prevent harassment in the workplace. Police transparency: California, one of the most secretive states in the country when it comes to police conduct, takes a big step in transparency this year. The public may now access police records in cases involving officer shootings and other use-of-force incidents. Law enforcement is now also required to disclose records when a law enforcement or oversight agency has determined that an officer was guilty of dishonesty or engaged in sexual misconduct. Juvenile justice: California may no longer prosecute 14- and 15-year-olds as adults. Previously, defendants this age could be referred to adult court -- and potentially sent to adult prison -- if they were charged with a serious offense, like murder or rape. Living wage in Anaheim: Some hospitality businesses in Anaheim -- specifically ones that benefit from city subsidies -- are now required to pay workers at least $15 an hour, with annual $1/hour bumps ending up with $18 an hour in 2022. LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent. Our reporting is free for everyone, but its not free to make. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe 2018 was truly horrible: the state's deadliest and most destructive fires, a mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, the death of our favorite food critic Jonathan Gold, another sex abuse scandal (this time at USC) and a World Series loss we can't wait to forget. There were good times too, like... Anyway, it's finally over. Our New Year's resolution is to start seeking out the good. We've already ordered a gratitude journal. So tell us: What stories (feel-good or otherwise) we should be looking for? Is there something you care about that you want us to cover? Share your thoughts below. Looking for inspiration? Here are some of the big issues our reporters will be asking about this year: HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS Reporters: Matt Tinoco, Jill Replogle, Libby Denkmann, David Wagner Will home prices and rents finally start to cool down? How did we end up with tens of thousands of people are living homeless on the street and hundreds of thousands more worried about ending up there? How are we going to fix it? Though voters have approved multiple ballot measures that raise billions of dollars for homeless services and housing, the money raised pales in comparison to the total cost city and county governments ultimately spend. What will it really take to end homelessness in Southern California? With 500 new emergency shelter beds and an ambitious plan to build 2,700 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals and families who have been chronically homeless, can Orange County become a model for fixing homelessness? Will the effort to overhaul the 388-acre West L.A. Veterans Administration facility ever come to fruition or will the promise to build 1,200 units of permanent veteran housing there continue to be delayed? In 2018, we saw the number of veterans sleeping on the street tick downward after steep increases in previous years. Was the decrease a sign of hope or just a fluke? How does racialized housing discrimination happen, and what are we doing about it? TRANSPORTATION Reporter: Meghan McCarty Carino Will electric scooters continue to proliferate on the streets? How will riders and officials respond to the ways they are challenging current transportation laws and infrastructure? Will L.A. County find ways to accelerate big ticket transportation projects ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and how? Will communities seeing multi-billion dollar investments in transit through L.A. County allow denser development nearby to help address the region's housing crisis? How will officials work to mitigate the effect of gentrification in communities where such development could push out vulnerable residents? Will controversial efforts to improve street safety and reduce traffic fatalities under the Vision Zero program move forward or be buried by residents angered by the prospect of slowing cars? IMMIGRATION Reporter: Leslie Berestein Rojas What will happen to asylum seekers and the asylum process as the Trump administration tries to restrict their entry? Will families again be separated or forced to remain in Mexico? How will further restrictions on refugee entries -- the lowest ceiling in decades -- affect local communities? How will the Supreme Court weigh in on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA? Will we see an end to life in limbo for the hundreds of thousands of young people who benefit from it? Or will they face deportation? Will efforts be made to improve conditions for migrant families with children? Thousands of children are currently being held in federal custody. Hundreds more wait in Mexico with their families as the adults seek asylum here. And two kids in US immigration custody have recently died BUSINESS AND ECONOMY Reporter: David Wagner As minimum wage and the cost of living tick upward, will lower-wage workers actually get ahead? Which fast-growing jobs are paying well, and which aren't? Will union ballot measures -- like the one in Anaheim focusing on Disney resort workers -- lift more employees out of poverty? What can -- and will -- Gavin Newsom do to help California's struggling middle class? And what will he do to address poverty rates, which are higher in California than in any other state? CRIMINAL JUSTICE Reporters: Frank Stoltze, Annie Gilbertson How will newly elected L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has little command experience, lead the nation's biggest and arguably most troubled sheriff's agency? Will Villanueva follow through on his promises to kick ICE out of the jails, place body cameras on deputies and address a severe deputy shortage? How will the new sheriff handle the demands of the deputies union, which spent $1.3 million helping him score a huge upset over former Sheriff Jim McDonnell? Body camera videos and investigative records of police shootings will soon be more readily available thanks to new laws. How will that affect officer conduct? ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE Reporters: Emily Guerin, Sharon McNary Who pays when utilities-owned power poles and equipment spark fires -- especially when those blazes turn out to be the largest and deadliest wildfires in California history? With steep declines in land-line use making the "reverse 9-1-1" call system less effective, what's the best way to alert and evacuate people during a fast moving, wind-driven fire? Will a study underway in Los Angeles lead to a reduction in drilling here in L.A.? ENTERTAINMENT The group 50/50 by 2020 wants a new balance of power in Hollywood. They're striving for parity-- including more women, people of other, LGBTQIA+ people in executive positions, on boards, as directors, talent agents and more. What will they do in 2019 to make their 2020 goal possible? How will all the new streaming services launching in 2019 stack up against existing players like Netflix and Hulu? As the 2020 presidential race heats up, how will it be reflected in art, culture, music, late-night TV? What will Disney's purchase of Fox mean for both companies-- how about for Hulu? Will the Time's Up legal defense fund be used for any major lawsuits outside of Hollywood? K-12 EDUCATION Reporter: Kyle Stokes How will students and families be affected if teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District go on strike on Jan. 10? If the teachers union gets its way and a strike is averted, how will LAUSD's financial picture change? How will LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner deal with issues like declining enrollment, rising benefits costs and a leveling-off in state funding? HIGHER EDUCATION Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez Will the rising cost of living continue to be one of biggest barriers to affording college? If so, what can be done to make higher education tenable? Can UC and CSU administrators convince Sacramento, and maybe the public, to increase funds for construction -- to the tune of nearly $50 billion and $14 billion, respectively? POLITICS Reporters: Mary Plummer and Jill Replogle Following the Democrats' blue wave wins during the November 2018 midterm elections, how will Republicans rebuild their numbers and morale? Who will they pick as their new party leader? How will they set priorities for the quickly approaching 2020 presidential election? How will state Democrats regroup after their leader resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment and abuse just weeks after their big wins in November? Since tens of thousands of voters were impacted by registration-related mistakes at the DMV in 2018, how, if at all, will the Motor Voter program be reformed? Can Democrats, who swept the 2018 congressional races in historically conservative Orange County, deliver on campaign finance reform, more attention to environmental concerns, and a check on President Trump? HEALTH CARE Reporter: Michelle Faust Raghavan In 2019, California legislators will take another swing at expanding Medi-Cal to people living in the country without legal status. But with an estimated cost of $3 billion and a track record of similar efforts that have failed, will lawmakers have the political will? Will California give serious consideration to a public health care option, as mandated by a 2018 law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown? EARLY CHILDHOOD Reporter: Priska Neely Black babies in L.A County are three times as likely as white babies to die in their first year of life. L.A. County public health officials have announced a new goal to close that gap by 30 percent in the next five years. Is the county going to take substantive steps to make that goal a reality? Will Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom, who on the campaign trail pledged his support for everything from prenatal care to universal preschool as a way to address the achievement gap and lower poverty rates, deliver on his pre-election priorities? UPDATES: Jan. 3, 9 a.m.: This article was updated with questions about entertainment. This article was originally published at Jan. 1, 6 a.m. 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. What does the future have in store for the Islamic Republic in its 40th year? State-run Mehr News Agency quoted Ahmad Alamolhoda, a senior cleric in Mashhad who is allied with Irans Supreme Leader, as saying that the enemies of the Islamic Republic were laying the ground to implement a new sedition during the Persian year that starts on March 24, 2019. The sedition is channeled from the society and may be in the cultural and economic spheres and its origins come from the enemies that want to use this path to achieve their goals, added Alamolhoda, who heads Friday prayers in Mashhad. He continued, The enemy is setting up a plot to instigate a sedition in 1398 through the use of personalities. Various groups should not cause the people to give up their support for the system for various reasons. Recently, the grandson of the Islamic Republics founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, complained that the regime had lost its religious foundations. Our religion is like a cartoon, and all the proportions have been mixed up. Seyed Hassan Khomeini added, Everyone is looking (to use Islam) for business. Everything that people expect of us is not what we read in books. Today we face a society whose expectations go beyond what we read in the books; the problem lies with those who should have taught us this, but did not. Many other officials agree, and are also concerned that the regime has lost its religious appeal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani s Reformists are also concerned for the future. Faezeh Rafsanjani, the daughter of the late former chairman of the Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in an interview that the regime only continued to stand through intimidation and suppression. Hashemi, who is also a former member of Irans parliament, addressed the concerns of the political elite about the regimes collapse saying, In my opinion, in substance, the collapse has already happened. Its only the physical collapse that has not happened and I deem it very probable that it will happen. She added, In terms of substance, the collapse has already taken place because wherever you look, there is failure. Whatever you address is empty in terms of management and guidance. Everything has been abandoned, and no one is thinking about a solution to the problems. And where there are efforts to solve problems, they only worsen the problems. The governments policy has been one of crackdown and repression of protesters and critics. Therefore, the possibility of a physical collapse was low in light of the severe pressures and confrontations that had taken place, and the fear according to Hashemi. Of the turmoil that plagues Iran, she said, The economic and social problems are increasing day by day. Just to achieve your basic rights, you have pay a big price. Hashemi states that society is suffering from anger, depression, despair, indifference and abandonment. We have a glamorous appearance and an undeveloped and sub-third world essence. This is not a good sign, she said. The current secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, and former Commander of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, Mohsen Rezaie, discussed the regimes future saying that corruption and the governments inefficiency might act like a bomb, and lead to an internal collapse. Mehr News Agency cited him saying that a government could have a powerful appearance, but be falling apart from the inside. The regimes collapse is addressed by statements made by regime officials of both factions, as well as the increasing protests on the streets of Iran. There is not one social group in Iran that is fed up with the regimes 40 years of suppression and corruption. New confrontations between the Iranian people and the regime in Tehran ultimately achieve regime change, perhaps as soon as the New Year in Iran. 1. Yes. Its important to address the problem before it gets worse. A bond is needed. 2. Yes. Its fine, as long as the bond isnt too large. The city doesnt need more debt. 3. No. A bond issue would just put the problem back on the taxpayers. Not acceptable. 4. No. Certificates of obligation, targeting the worst roads, would be a better choice. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing the details of what a bond would entail. Vote View Results The actor signed off saying "Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR in Parliament too". (File photo) Actor Prakash Raj will be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an independent, the actor made the announcement on Twitter on Tuesday night. However, he is yet to decide on a constituency from where he would fight. The actor signed off saying "Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR in Parliament too". "HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too..," he tweeted at the stroke of midnight. Prakash Raj had actively campaigned during the Karnataka elections last year under the banner "just asking", a movement to raise awareness among people to start asking questions, according to the actor. He has been highly critical of the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past while maintaining that he was not in favour any political party. Prakash Raj had previously claimed that Bollywood stopped offering roles after he started criticising the prime minister This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. He also has been vocal in seeking justice for his friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot outside her residence. Lancet Study: These findings firmly counter those of a Cochrane review of direct-acting antiviral treatment trials that could neither confirm nor reject if direct-acting antivirals had an effect on long-term HCV-related morbidity and mortality. They also provide the best evidence to date to support guidance documents that recommend direct-acting antiviral treatment for all patients with chronic HCV infection. Latest Update Feb 12, 2019A systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration suggested achieving SVR (cure) for patients using hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) doesn't correlate with any long term benefits. View each rebuttal and all ongoing media coverage. Private school operators object to Education Commissions report The preliminary recommendation of the High Level National Education Commission that private schools be turned into trusts eventually has taken flak from their operators, who suspect that the move will eliminate them from the education sector. Grand Old Partisan salutes Frank Knox, born in Massachusetts this day of 1874. The young patriot fought as a Rough Rider in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He reported for the Grand Rapids Herald, then edited a forerunner of the New Hampshire Union Leader. He served as an artillery officer in France during WWI. In 1930, this Republican journalist became publisher of the Chicago Daily News. Knox was the GOPs 1936 vice presidential nominee. As another world war approached, he urged strengthening the military. July 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed him Secretary of the Navy, in order to broaden political support for the administration's foreign and defense policies. On the negative side, Knox favored internment of Japanese-Americans and banned them from enlisting in the Navy. Frank Knox died of a heart attack in April 1944. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Named for him were the destroyer USS Frank Knox and the Knox class of frigates. Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9TAwf5iE9k8 Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement. Each day, his Grand Old Partisan blog celebrates more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far. 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" 1: 2: 1 2 OK, so we know the program sucked so far as the "mosquito borne encephalitis" is concerned, but what about TV sets? You are not saying anything about that. Rejected. So what you are saying is that its the job that protected people and not the TV. You are actually weakening our argument. Rejected. Very good, but what role are TV sets playing in that? Neither strengthen nor weaken. Rejected. So what you are telling us is, if people stayed outdoor they'd be safer than otherwise? Weakening our argument. Rejected. You, sir, just provided the link that we in the GMATClub were looking for. You the man! Respect, Vaibhav PS: Correct me if I am wrong. Signature Read More We have 2 facts here."County A has maximum number of TVs""Residents of county A stay indoors, thus are not exposed to the mosquito-bites".Suppose county A is ghost haunted and the fear keeps the people indoors, in that case TV sets have nothing to do with people not getting mosquito-bites. So what we need is a way to connect the two facts;andLets analyze the options.(A) Programs designed to control the size of disease-bearing mosquito populations have not affected the incidence of mosquito borne encephalitis.(B) The occupations of county residents affect their risk of exposure to mosquito-borne encephalitis more than does television-watching.(C) The incidence of mosquito-borne encephalitis in counties with the largest number of television sets per capita is likely to decrease even further.(D) The more time people in a county spend outdoors, the greater their awareness of the dangers of mosquito-borne encephalitis.(E) The more television sets there are per capita in a county, the more time the average county resident spends watching television._________________ Re: Experimental scientists are often awarded grants based on how much [ #permalink Experimental scientists are often awarded grants based on how much research experience they have, and how successful their previously published papers regarding that research have been. Novice scientists are familiar with the most updated materials and thus conduct their research with knowledge of more modern approaches and theories. It is unfortunate for the future of scientific knowledge that these novice researchers are denied access to grants because of what amounts to a seniority system. Which of the following serves as an assumption in the argument above? A. Most novice scientists believe that the seniority system has a negative effect on scientific knowledge. B. Most experienced scientists have no serious interest in adding to general scientific knowledge. C. Novice researchers should be given their fair share of grant money. D. Experienced scientists do not keep themselves informed of updated approaches and research methods. E. The future of scientific knowledge relies only on the research of scientists. An assumption is an unstated premise which connects the conclusion of the argument with the other premises and justifies the conclusion. Two types of assumption are: supporters and defenders. Supporters are those which support the conclusion by adding relevant bridge between the preminses and conclusion and a defender is the premise that negates any alternate reason other than those mentioned in the arguments. in the Above argument option D is a supporter type assumption as it supports the conclusion by giving that only new scientist have new knowledge and old scientist do not have new information. Thus option D is correct. Re: A child learning to play the piano will not succeed unless the child [ #permalink Below is my step-by-step process to answering this question. 1.) Read the question stem and identify what the question is asking you to do. - Because the stem says, " ...if true, casts the most serious doubt... ", this is a Weaken question. 2.) Read, breakdown, and understand the argument. "A child learning to play the piano will not succeed unless the child has an instrument at home on which to practice." - learning + having an instrument at home = success "However, good-quality pianos, whether new or secondhand, are costly. Buying one is justified only if the child has the necessary talent and perseverance, which is precisely what one cannot know in advance." - These statement are almost paradoxical; HOW can a student have the foresight of their skill level in order for it to justify his or her purchasing of an expensive instrument? - Because these statements need to be resolved, there is, hopefully, a reason coming... "Consequently, parents should buy an inexpensive secondhand instrument at first and upgrade if and when the child's ability and inclination are proven." - This statement is the conclusion and is depending on the unstated assumption, or "reason" mentioned above, of "the quality of an instrument does not lead to an increase in ability". 3.) Rearticulate the conclusion, what it depends on, and what you need to do. - Parents, without knowing whether their child will become skilled, should buy an inexpensive instrument at first, as opposed to an expensive one, because (unstated assumption = "the quality of the instrument does not lead to an increase in ability"). - We need an answer choice that weakens the unstated assumption of "the quality of the instrument does not lead to an increase in ability". 4.) Go through the answer choices, one by one, and determine HOW each affect the argument (A) Learners, particularly those with genuine musical talent, are apt to lose interest in the instrument if they have to play on a piano that fails to produce a pleasing sound. - This answer choice, by saying that a talented student will lose interest if the instrument sounds bad, WEAKENS our previously "unstated assumption" by making it FALSE. If, in fact, instrument quality did NOT lead to an increase in ability, then the student's skill, due to his or her maintained interest, would improve REGARDLESS of the unpleasant sound, and would not be deterred. (B) Reputable piano teachers do not accept children as pupils unless they know that the children can practice on a piano at home. - This answer choice is a "frameshift" (addresses the wrong conclusion): it does not affect the argument's conclusion, which depends on our unstated assumption ("the quality of the instrument does not lead to an increase in ability"). (C) Ideally, the piano on which a child practices at home should be located in a room away from family activities going on at the same time. - This answer choice is a "frameshift" (addresses the wrong conclusion): the LOCATION of the piano has nothing to do with the QUALITY of the piano. (D) Very young beginners often make remarkable progress at playing the piano at first, but then appear to stand still for a considerable period of time. - This answer choice is a "frameshift" (addresses the wrong conclusion): the PROGRESS of a student is not what the argument is about. (E) In some parents, spending increasing amounts of money on having their children learn to play the piano produces increasing anxiety to hear immediate results. - This answer choice is a "frameshift" (addresses the wrong conclusion): the affect of the piano purchase on the PARENTS is not what the conclusion is about. 5.) Choose the answer choice with the greatest and clearest negative impact. (A) Learners, particularly those with genuine musical talent, are apt to lose interest in the instrument if they have to play on a piano that fails to produce a pleasing sound. - Answer choice "A" has no contenders. Des Moines, Iowa, Dec. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LCS, the nations second largest senior living operator, announced it has acquired Essex Meadows in Essex, Connecticut and Sandhill Cove in Palm City, Florida. Both Life Plan Communities were privately held by the Weitz family since 1995. This represents the companys tenth acquisition under its programmatic joint venture sponsored by LCS Real Estate, An LCS Company. BMO Harris Bank provided acquisition financing. LCS Real Estate has executed on acquisition and development transactions in excess of $1.5 billion since 2016, and has an ownership stake in 46 senior housing communities nationwide, including 16 Life Plan Communities. LCS has a long history with the Weitz family, Essex Meadows and Sandhill Cove. LCS Development, An LCS Company was the original development company for both communities. Life Care Services, the management arm of LCS, has managed the communities since opening and will continue to manage the communities going forward. Both communities have great reputations in the marketplace, strong leadership, and exceptionally high resident satisfaction and occupancy, says Dan Lahey, VP/managing director for LCS Real Estate. Essex Meadows is located on a 104-acre campus with 189 independent living and 41 skilled nursing residences. Sandhill Cove sits on the Martin County waterfront with 225 independent living, 20 assisted living, and 36 skilled nursing residences. Financial terms were not disclosed. About LCS Based in Des Moines, Iowa, and established in 1971, LCS is a leading provider of high-quality senior lifestyle products and services. The LCS Family of Companies focus on development, operations management, marketing and sales management, and strategic planning for Life Plan Communities, also referred to as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), and rental independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities nationwide. The company also provides a full-service real estate private equity enterprise, insurance, national purchasing consulting services and in-home care. The companies of LCS serve thousands of seniors across the nation. For more information, visit LCSnet.com. About LCS Real Estate LCS Real Estate, An LCS Company, is a full-service, real estate private equity enterprise providing a full complement of capital market services to the parent company including investments, debt placement, and asset management of senior living communities. LCSReal Estate actively pursues transactions, connects its investor partner with opportunities, and sources deal flow. For more information, visit LCSrealestate.com. ### Attachments 5-year-old girl raped in Parsa, suspect on the run Police are searching for 20-year-old Dev Kumar Patel who is on the run after allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl at Pakahamainapur Rural Municipality-1 in Parsa district on Sunday. Two unmarked graves are the final resting places for 223 souls in El Paso County who had neither money nor family to bury them. Their cremains fell to the care of county Public Administrator Catherine Seal, a probate attorney appointed as the fiduciary of last resort to liquidate a decedents assets, pay his debts and ensure a proper burial when no heir is found or willing to do so. If Im doing my job right, it should not be worth mentioning, Seal said. But the jobs of all 29 public administrators in Colorado came under the spotlight last year, when the Office of the State Auditor found that lax oversight caused a dearth of detailed records of the administrators caseloads, assets overseen, hours worked and fees charged to estates for their services. Because the estates involve incapacitated, vulnerable parties and their families, or absent families, the risk for abuse was high without proper oversight, the auditors office found. No abuse was uncovered, but five changes were implemented in varied degrees over the past year to prevent administrators misuse of their authority. The changes: Public administrators must submit a form explaining all fees and costs for services charged to an estate. The administrators are to submit annual reports outlining caseload, total assets overseen, total hours worked and fees charged. County courts are to collect and maintain those records and review the public administrators position annually. Public administrators must increase their fiduciary bonds from $25,000 to $100,000 and file them with the Secretary of States Office annually. County courts are to ensure that funds remaining in a decedents estate are transferred to the state and held in the appropriate account. Seal said she already kept such records and submitted them to the court annually, but copies were not available. Lynette Cornelius, clerk of El Paso County courts, initially said she never got an annual report from Seal but later said she misspoke and would turn over records dating to 2014. The records never were sent to The Gazette, and subsequent calls to Cornelius were not returned. Seal shared snippets from her records but said she doesnt track cases by types, separating decedents estates from conservatorships, so she could not say how many burials shes arranged since she was appointed in 2004 by the 4th Judicial District. Evergreen Cemeterys registry lists 223 people buried in the public administrators plots, and the states Registrar of Vital Statistics says Seal has been named on 184 death certificates in the county since 2014. Other funeral home owners who have worked with Seal estimate theyve buried another dozen individuals. But because the role of public administrators is not widely known, Seal explained some of the policies. Administrator paid by estates they manage The city-owned Evergreen Cemetery donates two vaults used for cremains and deeply discounts burial service costs to a flat $500 in kindness to Seal, said cemetery supervisor Jody Sanchez-Skamarak. My understanding is she doesnt get very much out of it, Sanchez-Skamarak said. Seal said most burials she handles are for indigents, on which she loses about $50 per case. We also make money on cases, Seal said. She lost about $10,500 in unpaid services last year but received $84,737.42 for overseeing 92 cases, decedent estates and conservatorships for the living, her records show. Seal said she charges $250 to $300 per hour to manage and close estates, depending on the size, and her employees bill $90 to $120 an hour, depending on their role and expertise. In cases where decedents dont have assets but received government assistance, the county pays Seal $500 per person up to its contracted amount, $20,000 this year and $10,000 in previous years. The county reports paying Seal $39,000 for burials since 2014, including $3,500 for seven burials through early October of this year. I just think its sad how many times people admit theyre related but wont accept responsibility (of the deceased), Seal said. They dont want to spend money on final arrangements, and there is no legal requirement to make them. Funeral homes help bury the unclaimed Two funeral homes regularly help the public administrator despite the risk of not getting paid, Seal said. They are Cappadona Funeral Home and The Springs Funeral Services. Somebodys got to do it, and apparently were the only ones that will work that close with the public administrators office to be able to help these people, said Paula Cappadona, who owns Cappadona Funeral Home. I just know whenever they call us, we dont ever turn anyone away. Seal said she tries to pay funeral homes, but sometimes the money isnt there. If the person was receiving public assistance, funeral homes can apply to recover their costs from the state. Terri Flores-Brown, president of The Springs Funeral Services, said her family-owned business feels its a duty to take care of the dead. Were trying to do this as part of the community. We always try to get full price, but if its not there, its not there. Other funeral homes occasionally work with Seal but say they dont expect to be paid. Theyre not easy cases to do you lose a lot of money, said Brian Allen, general manager of Evergreen Funeral Home. If there is money left in the estate, they pay you. But if not, you kind of eat it. Leftover money reverts to state Any money left in a persons estate after Seal, debts and burial services have been paid reverts, or escheats, to the state treasurys Unclaimed Property Division, where it is held for up to 21 years. If no family claims it, the money then goes to the state schools fund. Seal said she escheated $37,017.97 to the state last year. Human remains carefully cataloged Seal stores cremains for about two years to give relatives time to claim their loved ones before they are buried, usually at Evergreen Cemetery. The cemetery does not mark the public administrators two grave sites, but it does track all of the people buried there on its website, coloradosprings.gov/evergreen-and-fairview-cemeteries. Sanchez-Skamarak said a name search will show if the person is there and in what plot. Currently, 108 people who died through 2008 are buried in plot 111, which falls in the countys potters field section, Sanchez-Skamarak said. Another 115 people rest in plot 229, which last was opened in July to bury 86 decedents from the past two years. Contact the writer at 719-636-0362 or find her on Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin. Bike lanes and the homeless. These issues, and perhaps a few others, will likely dominate election discourse beginning today. Rachel Stovall is a longtime community advocate and organizer. Also a fundraising, media and marketing consultant, Stovall is most known for singing with her dance band Phat Daddy and the Phat Horn Doctors. According to a report by the Durango Herald, a car went 130 feet off of Red Mountain Pass last Wednesday resulting in serious injuries to an unbelted passenger. The police report stated that the car landed upside down. The two people inside then had to wait hours in freezing temperatures for rescue. The road was closed during a period following the incident for vehicle recovery. This is the second time a car has gone off of Red Mountain Pass this month, with the first time occurring on December 12, resulting in the death of the driver. Red Mountain Pass is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road between Ouray and Silverton that winds up and down steep grades with a massive drop-off on one side. The drop is a sheer cliff in many parts. Because the road gets a lot of snow, guardrails are not present to allow plowing. The road is shut down when conditions are deemed too unsafe. Because Red Mountain Pass connects Ouray to Silverton with a trip that takes roughly 45 minutes on a dry day, drivers prefer this route to the alternative around four hours due to the rugged terrain, requiring travel through Durango. The road also attracts many during the summer months thanks to the stunning view, frequently called the Million Dollar Highway. If youre unfamiliar with driving on mountain roads, we recommend avoiding this drive especially during the winter. While the road can be travelled with no issue, there is quite a bit of consequence for a mistake and the unnerving view of a cliff just inches from your wheelbase can be enough to cause panic in some. Its also worth mentioning that this road is quite prone to avalanche and mudslides due to the steep terrain above the pavement. Just earlier this year, the route was closed due to a mudslide. Having driven this route during dusk, another thing to be aware of is wildlife that darts across the road. Because the road is so narrow and so windy, theres not much time to react and not a spot for your swerve. Its a beautiful drive thats one-of-a-kind, but its also a drive that should be taken quite seriously. FRISCO A Colorado post office has been renamed in honor of a Flight for Life pilot who was killed in a 2015 helicopter crash. Outgoing Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams is considering running next spring for an at-large seat on the Colorado Springs City Council. Williams, a Republican who was defeated in November and will be leaving office next month, served one term as El Paso County clerk and recorder and two terms as a county commissioner before being elected secretary of state in 2014. He lost his re-election bid Nov. 6 to Democrat Jena Griswold. Now, Williams said, hes hunting for a job and possibly one that could mesh with a council position. Ive got to find out first if theyd be OK with five days a month out of the office, he said. Thats about how often the council meets: two work sessions, two regular meetings and a meeting as the Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors. All three at-large seats, plus Mayor John Suthers seat, are up for grabs in the municipal election April 2. Williams, his wife and two sons remained in Colorado Springs after he was elected to the state position. Some candidates including two at-large incumbents already have announced their intent to run, but Williams said he still has time to decide. He said his county and state experience give him high name recognition, an advantage over others. Council members are paid $6,250 a year. He said when he knocked on doors during his first commissioner campaign, people overwhelmingly expressed a desire for the county and city to work better together. If he runs and is elected, Williams would be in a unique position to bolster that partnership because his wife, Holly Williams, was elected to the county commission the same day Williams lost to Griswold. During their 32 years together, Williams said, they have been mostly aligned politically, but, when they disagree, neither is bashful about voicing their opinin. I literally sued my own wife as a county commissioner, Williams said with a laugh. The county filed that lawsuit over an eminent-domain issue with then-Gov. Bill Owens. Holly Williams, then the countys public trustee, was named in the suit. Williams said he doesnt foresee any potential conflicts of interest if he were elected to the council. He would represent all of Colorado Springs, and shell represent a northern swath of the county that includes Black Forest and part of Monument. If an issue came up that involved his wife, he said, he would recuse himself. At-large Councilmen Tom Strand and Bill Murray plan to run for re-election. Also running will be former at-large Councilman Val Snider, who served from 2011-15, and Tony Gioia, an Army veteran and former county planning commissioner. Terry Martinez, former Will Rogers Elementary School principle, said he is getting a team together for a possible bid. At-large Councilman Merv Bennett is completing his second term, so he cant seek re-election because of term limits. Candidates cant officially file until early January. Each must submit valid signatures of at least 100 Colorado Springs voters. Journalism in peril Looking forward to a safer year for journalists Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Sunshine and some clouds. High 92F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 62F. SE winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph. Ree Russell (left, cq) holds her sons, Lucas and Sammy, as Sammy gets his H1N1 flu shot from registered nurse Debbie Deboalt on the first day of the H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinic at the Citadel Mall on Monday, December 14, 2009. The shots are being made available for free by the El Paso County Dept. The clinic is made possible with the parnership of the Visiting Nurse Association. The clinics will be held on Monday and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. It is located near the escalators in the Dillard's wing of the Citadel Mall on the second level. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett) Midnight on New Years Eve can be a nail-biter. Not for those whose backsides become one with their couches, as they watch the televised version of the glittery ball drop in New York City, but for those who patiently wait outside in the frigid December air or hover inside at their windows, eyes glued to Pikes Peak. Would the AdAmAn Club once again succeed at setting off the fireworks waiting for them at the top of the mountain, after spending two days struggling through sleet, snow, ice and wind to ring in the New Year with ephemeral constellations of light? They would and they did. It was lots of fun, said the clubs president Dan Stuart. The first day was pleasant. We hiked to Barr Camp and spent the night. The second days weather report was more challenging. The two-day adventure began Sunday, with all of the hikers arriving at Barr Camp, where they spend the night every year. In the morning, four of them turned back, due to a variety of reasons, but the remaining 28 set out to tangle with the mountain in below-zero temperatures. After hiking through falling snow throughout the day, one hiker began to have difficulty and the pack broke into a couple of groups to help support him to the top. The first group reached the summit around 3:30 p.m. Monday and the second arrived 30 minutes later; Stuart estimates the wind chill was about 30 below. Hes hard-pressed to say whether it was colder than past years but believes the wind wasnt as strong as predicted. It was that last mile that posed the greatest challenge to the longtime hiker, as he navigated the hip-deep snow after a long day, and the sun dipped behind the mountain. Encountering a few bighorn sheep, probably the third such occurrence during his club tenure, helped mitigate the grueling physical challenge. That, and his affection for Mother Nature. Thats why we go, he said. Hes only missed a couple of hikes in his 27 years of membership. We like being outside. This years hike was dedicated to former club member Sean ODonnell, who died in May. His wife and and two of his sons joined the group at the summit to remember the 83rd AdAmAn member and his contributions to the club. Contact the writer: 636-0270 What better way to start your first morning of 2019 than with some fresh air? And in case you forgot during the busy holiday season that you live in a beautiful place, local state parks are here to remind you. Last year, the country saw nearly 55,000 participants of First Day Hikes, altogether logging more than 133,000 miles, reports the National Association of State Park Directors. More than half of Colorados 41 protected preserves will showcase their inspiring nature with ranger-led hikes, including four here in the Pikes Peak region. Bring the kids, but leave the dogs at home, as theyre not allowed on these local park trails. Cheyenne Mountain State Park has planned three hikes of varying lengths starting at 10 a.m. From the Limekiln parking lot, groups will embark on a tour of the wooded flats at the foot of the granite-pocked mountain. Or opt for Mueller State Parks higher elevations, with slightly more vigorous adventures set for 9 a.m. Follow the entrance road to the visitor center and inquire about meeting points at various trailheads. Farther west in Teller County, Eleven Mile State Park also will welcome visitors at 9 a.m. Ever been to Castlewood Canyon? This would be a good time to explore the surprising geology off Colorado 83, northeast of Larkspur. The Douglas County state park is hosting at least three hikes starting at 9 a.m. Cheyenne Mountain State Park takes pride in its First Day Hikes snow, sleet or shine. The other parks will post on their Facebook pages in case of cancellations. For a more far-flung trip, consider these other Front Range gems, all less than a two-hour drive from Colorado Springs: Staunton near Morrison, Eldorado Canyon near Boulder and Golden Gate Canyon outside Golden. At 9:30 a.m., meet at Stauntons group picnic area, where a cookout is planned. Six different adventures will depart at various times, including one 11-mile round trip to the beautifully frozen Elk Falls. For a rundown, go to https://bit.ly/2Q34Hag Youll have time to get up to Eldorado for the 1 p.m. hike on the Fowler Trail, short and for all ages, followed by hot chocolate around a fire, if weather permits. Starting at 10 a.m., two hikes are planned at Golden Gate. Meet at the visitor center and be prepared for a 6-mile trek with great views. All encourage sturdy shoes, warm clothing, water and something to munch on. You might want traction, too, in case of icy trails. $8 entrance per vehicle. 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. Government warns of action against employees rejecting Employees Adjustment Ordinance The government has warned of taking action against those employees who refuse to go for adjustment as per the Employees Adjustment Ordinance-2075 and protesting against the Ordinance. Huachu Tang (right), a Chinese businessman is planning to spend his NYE with President Trump. (Getty Images, Longpai) New Years Eve is not the biggest holiday in China. But Huachu Tang, a 55-year-old Chinese businessman, had big plans this year he was going to party with the U.S. president. After a transcontinental flight from Xian, China to Florida on Saturday at 1 a.m., Tang, his family, and his assistant had planned to join President Donald Trumps lavish Mar-a-Lago New Years Eve on Monday. Barely speaking any English, Tang had still looked forward to connecting with Trump during the party. Just as Tang arrived in Florida after a long-haul flight, news emerged that the most prominent guest would miss his own party. Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget and the incoming chief of staff, said the president will stay in Washington to work on ending the ongoing government shutdown. As of Sunday night, Tang had not officially been notified of Trumps cancellation. However, he said he understands the president has a busy schedule. Its already a great experience to be part of it. As long as if we can actually meet and talk, I think it depends on Gods will, said Tang, who owns an electric car company. Even without the president, he can still use the opportunity to make his car brand known to other prominent guests and entrepreneurs from all over the world, Tang says. After all, Tangs American dream doesnt end with partying with the president. Aiming to take his car company public on the New York Stock Exchange, he believes socializing with elites and other entrepreneurs could pave the way for a future public listing. I'm very honored to participate in the party Tang hopes to take tons of pictures and share them with his Chinese friends, who found the idea of partying with U.S. president to be unbelievable. He will wear a custom silver Mao suit with dragons on the sleeves, a symbol of his company. He quit drinking years ago, but he will dance at the party if needed, he said. Not everyone has the opportunity to count down to the new year at Mar-a-Lago. The New Years Eve party-goers are either Mar-a-Lago members or guests of the members. This year, guests paid $1,000 to join the party at the private Palm Beach club, up from $750 last year and $575 the year before. Tang has paid even more since he received admission as part of a package offered by a public-relations agency. The agency isnt willing to reveal the exact price tag of the package, citing confidentiality of the contract. Story continues President Trump gives a thumbs-up as he has Thanksgiving Day dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Tang believes its a worthwhile expense, as he sees the party as a novel marketing strategy for his electric car company, Longpai. Hes also inspired by Chinas president, Xi Jinping. President Xi has encouraged entrepreneurs in private-owned companies to go out, to share our achievements and innovations with the world, Tang told Yahoo Finance. I'm very honored to participate in the party. Tang admires Trump despite the presidents hard line on China on trade issues. President Trump was also a great entrepreneur before he became president, Tang said. Added Tang, in an interview before Trump bailed out of the event, Since he took the office, he is always so humorous and has so many unique ideas and thoughts. I can't wait to participate in this event and appreciate the glory of the president. Krystal Hu covers technology and trade for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. Read more: Chinese companies flooded into the U.S. IPO market in 2018 Amazon got over $42 million worth of free publicity from its HQ2 search Shares of these U.S. suppliers are getting slammed in the wake of the Huawei arrest An artists conception shows the OSIRIS-REx probe circling in to enter a close-in orbit around asteroid Bennu. (Univ. of Arizona / NASA Graphic) NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft today maneuvered into an orbit that takes it within 4,000 feet of the surface of Bennu, a diamond-shaped asteroid thats 70 million miles from Earth. The orbit sets a record for interplanetary travel. The quarter-mile-wide asteroid is now the smallest body ever orbited by a spacecraft, and the spacecraft is tracing the closest sustained orbit around a celestial body. Bennu beat out Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the 2.5-mile-wide comet that the European Space Agencys Rosetta probe circled from 2014 to 2016. OSIRIS-REx orbits about a mile from Bennus center, while Rosettas orbit was 4 miles out from the comets center. Todays crucial eight-second burn of OSIRIS-RExs thrusters, built by Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond, Wash., was executed perfectly, said University of Arizona planetary scientist Dante Lauretta, who serves as the missions principal investigator. Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years, Lauretta said in a news release. OSIRIS-REx made its rendezvous with Bennu on Dec. 3 after a two-year cruise. Since the spacecrafts arrival, the mission team has been carefully gauging the near-Earth asteroids mass distribution and lowering its orbit, step by step. The spacecraft has to follow such a close orbit in part because Bennus gravitational pull is so weak. Earths pull is about 200,000 times stronger, the mission team says. The closeness also facilitates the task that lies ahead for OSIRIS-REx: mapping the asteroids surface in detail during a series of leisurely 62-hour orbits. The orbit will have to be adjusted periodically for stabilitys sake, said Dan Wibben, OSIRIS-REx maneuver and trajectory design lead at KinetX Aerospace in Simi Valley, Calif. The gravity of Bennu is so small, forces like solar radiation and thermal pressure from Bennus surface become much more relevant and can push the spacecraft around in its orbit much more than if it were orbiting around Earth or Mars, where gravity is by far the most dominant force, he explained. Story continues In February, the spacecraft will take on a series of even closer flybys to search for the best site to sample during a series of touch-and-go maneuvers scheduled for 2020. OSIRIS-RExs name is an acronym that stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. The missions objectives include characterizing the composition of the asteroid to shed more light on the makeup of the solar systems primordial material; identifying resources that could be useful to future space travelers; and helping scientists figure out how to divert a potentially threatening asteroid if necessary. The samples gathered by OSIRIS-REx are due to be delivered back to Earth for laboratory study in 2023. More from GeekWire: Michael Williams, a state Senator from Georgia, has turned himself over to authorities after he was accused of insurance fraud. Williams, who co-introduced the Senate Bill 464which aimed to compel the states revenue authority to receive cryptocurrency as payments for taxeswas charged by a Hall County grand jury on December 18 after an investigation was carried out by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. According to prosecutors, back in May 2017, Williams lied about the theft of computer servers that were being used to mine cryptocurrency from his campaign offices, which were located on Monroe Drive in Gainesville. At the time, Williams campaign manager claimed that the burglars carted away with computer equipment worth $300,000. He was also said to have been using the servers for LPW Investments, his business, while conducting campaign-related operations in a different part of the building. He was eventually accused of lying to policemen and investigators and filing a false insurance claim concerning the case. Williams Goes Into Custody Day After Christmas He eventually turned himself over on December 26, although the Gainesville Times (GT) reported that he was subsequently released on a $10,000 bond bail that same afternoon. While Williams didnt offer a comment on the charges that were filed against him, his attorney A.J. Richman has continued to defend him. He was quoted by the GT saying: Mr. Williams did not do this. We are not really apprised of their evidence yet. While they havent disclosed that, I am sure they will soon. But at this point, we dont know what if they say we did other than what the indictment says. Williams drew attention from people all over the country when his campaign to become the next governor of the Peach State involved a statewide tour on a deportation bus. The Republican Senator, who often referred to himself as the most outspoken anti-illegal candidate in the history of the state, moved throughout the state in a campaign bus which had messages such as Danger: Murderers, kidnappers, rapists, child molesters, and other criminals on board and Follow me to Mexico on it. Story continues The campaign got a bit of traction, driving a sizeable amount of discussions within the electorate, but offered little visibility after that. Williams finished fifth out of the five candidates, with a total of 4.9 percent of the Republican votes in the partys primaries. Featured image from Shutterstock. Michael Williams photo public domain. The post Georgia State Senator Arrested for Lying about Stolen Crypto Mining Equipment appeared first on CCN. Government staff protest against unfair ordinance Hundreds of civil servants took to the streets on Monday to protest the Civil Service Adjustment Ordinance tabled by the government in Parliament to adjust thousands of civil servants in local, provincial and central government agencies. * Many unable to vote due to Ebola, conflict * Vote chooses successor to Kabila * Contest may be Congo's first democratic transition By Giulia Paravicini and Stanis Bujakera KINSHASA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's opposition said on Monday it expected one of its candidates to win the presidential election based on early vote tallies, but the ruling coalition said it was confident its candidate had won the chaotic contest. The competing claims followed a disorderly election day on Sunday in which many Congolese were unable to vote due to an Ebola outbreak, conflict and logistical problems. The vote is meant to choose a successor to outgoing President Joseph Kabila after 18 years in power and could lead to the vast central African country's first ever democratic transition. Any disputed outcome could lead to a repeat of the violence that followed the 2006 and 2011 elections and a wider security breakdown, particularly along Congo's borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, where dozens of armed militia are active. Vital Kamerhe, the campaign manager to opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi, said early counting showed Tshisekedi and the other main opposition candidate Martin Fayulu neck-and-neck in the lead, both with over 40 percent of the vote. He said the ruling coalition candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who is backed by Kabila, had only about 13 percent, although a significant part of the vote remained to be tabulated. The election is a first-past-the-post system with no run-off. Nehemie Mwilanya, Kabila's chief of staff and a member of Shadary's campaign, told a news conference on Monday morning that he was confident Shadary had won, although he did not provide specific figures. "For us, victory is certain," Mwilanya said. Fayulu's camp has not yet provided specific numbers but Fayulu said late on Sunday that Shadary's camp was "dreaming" if it thought it was going to win. The most recent opinion poll before the election, released by New York University's Congo Research Group on Friday, showed Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil manager, leading the race on 47 percent. Story continues Tshisekedi had 24 percent and Shadary 19 percent. The first partial results are expected from the national electoral commission (CENI) on Tuesday. Election day was mostly peaceful despite several violent incidents, including an altercation at a polling place in eastern Congo in which at least three people were killed. More than 1.2 million Congolese were also unable to vote in three opposition strongholds, where the CENI cancelled the poll last week, citing an ongoing Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence. However, in the Ebola hotspot of Beni, an opposition stronghold, residents staged a mock presidential election to show the authorities a decision to postpone the vote there due to health fears was unfounded. (Writing By Aaron Ross, Editing by William Maclean) By Naveen Thukral SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Cocoa prices ended 2018 with strong gains, leading generally firmer agricultural markets, but the year marked falls for most major commodities as increasing global economic uncertainty hit metals and oil. Worries about slackening growth in China, the world's second-largest economy, and trade talks between Washington and Beijing will be the main focus in the new year, analysts said, while oil markets fear a growing oversupply. "We had a dramatic decline in the crude oil market as global supplies are rising, not just the United States but also Saudi Arabia and Russia," said Phin Ziebell, senior economist at National Australia Bank, who covers agriculture, oil and gas markets. "(However) agriculture markets, cocoa and wheat, in particular have had a strong performance, which has been driven by fundamentals," he said. London cocoa prices climbed almost 30 percent in 2018, recovering from six-year lows, as dry weather in top producer Ivory Coast boosted speculative fund inflows, although supply is now picking up. Wheat is also set for a positive finish, up around 20 percent, on expectations of strong demand for U.S. cargoes as the rival Black Sea region runs of out of supplies. Soybeans, though, have been hit by the U.S.-China trade war. OIL GLUT Benchmark Brent crude oil futures, tipped by some analysts in September to top $100 a barrel, instead plunged by almost 40 percent from their 2018 peak a month later of $86.74 to end the year around $53.75. The slump came after the Washington gave unexpectedly generous sanction waivers to Iran's biggest oil buyers and as concerns over a Sino-American trade dispute dented the outlook for oil demand. The United States also emerged as the world's biggest oil producer in 2018 amid rising global supplies. Oil markets went "into a tailspin in the last few months of this year, as U.S. production continued its unstoppable pace of growth and the (U.S.) Administration pushed weaker than expected enforcement of sanctions on Iran," said U.S. investment firm Height Securities. Story continues U.S. crude lost a quarter of its value in 2018, while Brent is down around 20 percent. In grain markets, Chicago wheat futures gained by almost a fifth, rising for a second year in a row after several years in the doldrums, and boosted by hopes of higher demand for U.S. cargoes in the first half of 2019. DWINDLING SUPPLIES Surplus wheat supplies are dwindling in the world's biggest exporter Russia after strong sales since July, while Australia - typically the No. 4 exporter - is suffering from a second year of drought. The Washington-Beijing trade war has dragged down U.S. soybean prices as China, which buys 60 percent of the oilseed traded worldwide, has been taking mainly Brazilian cargoes for much of 2018. This is expected to result in large unsold stocks in the United States, although recent signs of improving trade relations between the two countries could support prices early next year. Malaysian palm oil futures, however, fell about 15 percent in 2018 due to a glut, while Tokyo rubber dropped nearly 18 percent on China growth worries. GROWTH AND POLLUTION CRACKDOWN Concerns over slowing growth in top industrial metals consumer China also took a toll on zinc, copper and aluminium prices. London Metal Exchange zinc suffered the biggest decline in 2018 among base metals with a loss of more than 26 percent, copper gave up about 16 percent and aluminium 18 percent. Chinese steel prices are on track for a positive finish in 2018 as the country's crackdown on pollution forces mills to reduce production, curbing supplies in the world's top consumer. However, prices for steel making raw material iron ore fell. (Reporting by Naveen Thukral; additional reporting by Henning Gloystein; editing by Richard Pullin) NEW YORK (Reuters) - TerraPower LLC, a nuclear energy venture chaired by Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, is seeking a new partner for early-stage trials of its technology after new U.S. rules forced it to abandon an agreement with China, company officials told the Wall Street Journal. TerraPower reached an agreement with state-owned China National Nuclear Corp [CNNNC.UL] in 2017 to build an experimental nuclear reactor south of Beijing. But Gates wrote in an essay published late last week that TerraPower is unlikely to follow through on its plans in the face of new U.S. restrictions on technology deals with China. The Bellevue, Washington-based company is now unsure which country it will work with to conduct trials of its technology, which is designed to use depleted uranium as fuel for nuclear reactors in a bid to improve safety and costs, company officials told the Journal. Were regrouping, Chief Executive Chris Levesque told the Journal in an interview. Maybe we can find another partner. The U.S. Department of Energy in October announced new restrictions on nuclear deals with China, in keeping with a broader plan by the Trump administration to limit China's ability to access U.S-made technologies it considers to be of strategic importance. Gates, who co-founded TerraPower, said in his essay that regulations in the United States are currently too restrictive to allow the reactor prototype to be built domestically. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell; editing by Jonathan Oatis) For many Americans, 2018 was the year that health care reached a breaking point. Insurance was still too expensive to buy. It didnt cover nearly enough. And as the countrys politics festered, the government once again failed to solve the insurance conundrum, even as a large majority of Americans who flocked to voting booths said health care was their top concern. My colleagues and I spent much of this year talking to people who had weighed the health benefits against the financial burden of purchasing insurance. Most decided to risk it, betting that going without made more sense than paying for coverage. We started off following a dozen families: people who were trying to work, raise children and pay for a house or college. When we invited others to share their stories about going uninsured, an overwhelming number did more than 5,000. Many sent us messages that could break your heart or raise your blood pressure. In Virginia, the Jordan family shared their tale of sinking into bankruptcy because of unexpected medical expenses, even though they had insurance. The Maldonados, in Texas, were forced to choose which members of their family to keep on insurance policies as costs ratcheted ever higher. Others tried to find creative solutions, like the patchwork of alternatives to traditional coverage that the Bergevin family in Boise, Idaho, assembled. A nurse in South Carolina told us that she buys insurance every other year, getting screenings and care in even years and rolling the dice in odd years. One theme that came up over and over again was that this is a problem reaching far higher into the economic spectrum than we first thought. Many of the more than 100 people we interviewed over the year had incomes of $100,000 or more. These were comfortable families, from outside. Yet, when they opened up their books to us, it became clear how much they needed to stretch to afford health care. That often meant self-imposed health-care rationing. They didnt make these decisions lightly. These werent uninsured-by-choice young invincibles. They werent reckless or ignorant quite the opposite. Many were educated professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners. They had bad options and were forced to make a choice about which family need had to be downgraded to a want. Story continues We dont have enough money to go out to eat, or take my grandchildren to the movies, much less pay for health insurance. Some were more comfortable with the risks they were taking than others. Keith and Diana Buchanan of North Carolina gave up their expensive health insurance this year, and bought a Bowflex exercise machine. Keith said he got into the best shape of his life: A lot of it is a result of knowing that were going to have to take care of our own health a little better, he said. Others werent so lucky. In West Virginia, Tara Sullivan, didnt go to the doctor until her flu turned into pneumonia. The drugs she needed cost $250. Among the more financially strapped of those we chronicled, she was able to buy her meds only by skipping a payment on her gas bill. The utility threatened to turn off her heat in the middle of winter. We dont have enough money to go out to eat or take my grandchildren to the movies, much less pay for health insurance, Sullivan told us. We also talked to people who couldnt afford to go without insurance some of the 133 million people with pre-existing conditions who might have been shut out of insurance markets before the Affordable Care Act. Andrea Preston in Bloomington, Indiana, lives with a rare autoimmune disease that causes her airway to collapse. At 38, she needs repeated surgeries to keep it open; she has already had seven and takes 15 medications. Preston has insurance through her job as a technical writer, but even then, her medical bills accumulate faster than she can pay them. Its a rolling ball I cant get ahead of, she said in an email. Its slowly steamrolling me. In Chicago, Joe Della Croce, a Vietnam veteran and two-time cancer survivor, should be retired at the age of 79. Instead, he holds down a low-wage job at a Home Depot to get insurance for his wife Rose, 61, who has multiple sclerosis. Shes too young to get on Medicare and cant afford medication without insurance. It wasnt what he had planned to do in his later years, Rose said. Its a rolling ball I cant get ahead of. Its slowly steamrolling me. If 2018 was the year that health care fell apart, 2019 isnt looking much better. On a Friday night in mid-December, a Texas judge ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act ought to be struck down. For millions of people who have coverage, whether they get to keep it may come down to yet another high-stakes legal drama as the case works its way through the court system. Against that backdrop, the Democrats will take over the House of Representatives in January with ideas of their own. Some are pushing for an expanded role for government insurance such as Medicare for All. Though such proposals arent likely to pass a divided Congress, theyll lay the groundwork for debate as Democrats vie for their partys 2020 presidential nomination. With a political fix as elusive as ever, large employers are signaling they are fed up with the current state of health insurance dysfunction. A three-way effort between JPMorgan Chase & Co., Amazon.com Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is attempting to increase quality and deal with rising costs. Amazon and such other tech powers as Google parent Alphabet Inc. have begun to delve into pharmacy and health records. And a handful of startups are offering new ways to buy coverage and get care. But those sorts of fixes are years away if they ever happen. For the people we spoke with, that means more last-ditch compromises to cobble together a plan or stay healthy. In Virginia, the Jordans deductible still isnt affordable, and their bankruptcy proceeding will likely stretch into 2020. In Texas, the Maldonado family was able to buy coverage again for a college-age daughter and her mother Maribel, a cancer survivor. But, David, the father, is keeping himself off the policy for an additional year to save money. Tara Sullivan will be eligible for health coverage at a new job in Florida, starting in January. But, at $200 a month, Sullivan doesnt think she can afford it so shell remain in the ranks of Americans risking it, for yet another year. Lithium-ion batteries are used in different areas - from mobile phones and laptops to cardiac pacemakers and electric vehicles. Currently, scientists are trying to increase battery power while reducing its size. The team of researchers from Russia and China in collaboration with an industrial partner managed to increase the battery's energy capacity by 15%. The results were demonstrated at the "Advanced Batteries for XEV / ESS Conference scientific conference" in Qingdao, China. The efficiency was increased by adding a solid electrolyte to the battery's cathode. The solid electrolyte was synthesized by Daniil Alexandrov, a master student of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU). Researchers managed to increase the battery's capacity by 15% compared to the one with liquid electrolyte. This achievement helped to reduce the weight of the entire product. The tests were carried out in the laboratory and the battery sample was developed on the basis of the Joint Innovation Center "Science - Technologies" of ENV (Energy New Vehicle), established in China in collaboration with the Polytechnic University. "The improvement of cathode materials and functional additives is one of the main tasks of our joint research center. In the framework of the development of energy-saving technologies, clean energy and electric transport, the result obtained in our center hastens the massive introduction of "green technologies" into the real life,"- said Mr. Wang Tsinshen, Director of ENV(Energy New Vehicle), alumni of SPbPU. ### Vietnamese tourists injured in Egypt bombing to fly home tomorrow By Dao Loan Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (2nd R) visits a Vietnamese victim in hospital PHOTO: VNA HCMC Ten of the 15 Vietnamese tourists struck by a bus bombing in Cairo, Egypt last week are expected to return to Vietnam tomorrow, January 1. Those seriously injured and the bodies of the three dead tourists will be flown home at a later date. Saigontourist Travel Service Company, which arranged the ill-fated tour program, said the group of tourists includes three ill-fated victims two tourists in their late 50s and their 29-year-old tour guide from Vietnam; two uninjured tourists; and 10 injured people. Among the injured, eight sustained minor injuries while the others are severely wounded and required surgery. The tour operator plans to bring 10 of the slightly injured and uninjured people back to Vietnam tomorrow. For the seriously injured who need further treatment, the company has dispatched its staff to take care of them, along with the relatives of the victims. They will return to Vietnam as soon as their condition stabilizes. The company is rushing to carry out procedures to return the bodies of the deceased on a special flight. The procedures for these three victims will be completed on Wednesday, January 2. At meetings with Egyptian authorities, Saigontourist verified that the bus was, at the time, travelling on the right route, without any prohibition signs, for locals and tourists. Its partner, Egypt Explorer Tours, also confirmed that the driver was carrying the group of tourists on a planned route in compliance with regulations and other instructions from the local authority. The group had finished its itinerary, and the accident occurred when the bus was on its way to a restaurant (for dinner) before heading for the airport so the tourists could fly back to their home country, said Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing and communications director at Saigontourist. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong told the Vietnam News Agency that he was working with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to seek help and favorable conditions for the Vietnamese people who hope to return home soon, while taking care of those being treated at the hospital and preparing all the necessary procedures to repatriate the bodies of the three dead victims. Egyptian authorities are speeding up the investigation into the bomb blast to bring the perpetrators to light as soon as possible, according to the diplomat. He warned other ongoing groups of Vietnamese tourists to stick to their trip itineraries. The year 2019 has started with a very bad news as Kadar Khan has passed away who was admitted to the hospital for 5-6 days before. With the death of 81-year-old actor Kader Khan, Bollywood lost one of the finest actors. In the Canadian hospital, Kader Khan breathed his last. Worth mention here when Kader Khan was admitted in hospital, there was also a rumor about his demise. This news was quashed by his son Sarfraj. Meanwhile, on the social media, the rumors of Kather Khan's demise showed the users angry. Now according to the report of Spotboy.com, Kader Khan Hasid died . This information is confirmed from their Canada-based home. Kader Khan had been suffering from respiratory problems for a long time. His brain also stopped working. He was removed from the regular ventilator and was placed on the Bepp Ventilator some days ago. Kader Khan was battling Progressive Supranucliyr palsy disorder. Because of this illness, the brain of Kader Khan was badly affected. At the same time, he was having trouble in breathing. According to Sardar Sarafraj, son of Kader Khan, the team of doctors was constantly monitoring his health, but eventually he lost the battle of life. New Delhi: Pakistan on the very first day of New year means Tuesday shared a list of its nuclear installations and facilities with India as agreed upon in the provisions of a bilateral accord. Pakistans Foreign Office stated that the list was handed over in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between two rival nations which was inked on December 31, 1988 "The list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, at 1000 hrs (local time)," the official statement read. Ministry of External Affairs also handed over the list of Indian Nuclear Installations and Facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission stated the FO. The bilateral accord which was inked on December 31, 1998 came to force on Januray 27, 1991. It offers that the Both India and Pakistan shall update each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the pact, on the first of January of every calendar year. In spite of the straining bilateral-relationship, the two nations have maintained the practice of exchanging lists of nuclear installation. The practice has been maintained since Januray 1, 1992 ever since it was put into effect. Shimla: The 'Shakti' mobile app, which was launched for women's safety in Himachal Pradesh, has redressed 28,968 complaints in less than a year, the government said on Sunday. Likewise, out of 1,233 complaints received on 'Gudiya' helpline, 1,196 have been disposed of. The mobile app and the helpline were part of state's initiative to fight crimes against women. They were launched simultaneously by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on January 26 last year. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Rajiv Saizal said the government is working to provide safe and secure environment to women. The department is ensuring effective implementation of welfare schemes for women. He said awareness camps are being organised regularly, and the department will make ensure that no eligible woman is deprived of benefits of government schemes. He said the government has enhanced the one-time grant of a girl child belonging to BPL families under the 'Beti Hai Anmol Yojana' from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. The Saksham Gudiya Board, launched after the infamous Gudiya rape-and-murder case, has been constituted to frame recommendations for the police for empowerment of the girl child. Gudiya, the name given to the victim, was a teenaged girl who was gang-raped and murdered in Shimla district. The Gudiya board is also reviewing implementation of programmes being run by different departments for empowerment of the girl child. The chief minister has also launched Shashakt Mahila Yojana that envisages rural women's empowerment by providing them an interface for socio-economic development by creating awareness about their rights and facilitating institutional support. Five companies picked to set up solar plants The Nepal Electricity Authority recently selected five private developers to construct solar power plants at five locations and supply the electricity generated to its nearest substations. The government official who once mocked Yasmin Arimbra at a meeting convened by the Community Development Society (CDS) would now get up in respect whenever he sees her. It is this commoner who deserves the credit for transforming Thennala, a quaint village in Malappuram, into one of Kerala's noted agricultural centres. Yasmin heads the Thennala Agro Producer Company which produces organic rice which is even served at the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. She is the representative of the common woman who has found herself empowered through the illustrious projects and ventures of the Kudumbashree. Yasmin also runs the Blooms School, which takes care of 36 differently abled kids in the panchayat. Thennala brand It was in 2011 that Yasmin took the membership in Kudumbashree. Soon, she became the CDS chairperson and happened to attend a meeting where the participants were discussing about farming. When she said that she was interested in agriculture, the government official, who presided the meeting, asked her a few questions. Yasmin, however, didnt know the answers of it. The official, who laughed at her, mockingly suggested that she should better wash vessels at home rather than being a part of the various activities of the Kudumbashree. Yasmin, who was determined to prove that she is an able and strong woman, began farming with the help of a few other women in the locality. In just a year, Thennala was selected as the best Kudumbashree unit in Malappuram. The group had leased about 126 acres of vacant fields and began cultivating it. Women, who knew a thing or two about farming and those who had no idea at all, stood strong to pen an epic tale of success and perseverance. The farmers' club was formed in 2012 and the Thennala Agro Producer Company in 2015, with Yasmin as its managing director. 500 persons purchased the shares of this company by investing Rs 1000 each. The farming was done by meeting the expenses from one's own pocket. The krishi bhavan supplied the seeds and fertilizers on subsidy. The company would purchase paddy, directly from the farmers, by paying them more than the market value. The paddy would then be marketed as the Thennala brand. The organically produced rice soon became popular and people from all over the state come here looking for the unique Thennala brand. Blooms While visiting homes as part of their agriculture campaign, Yasmin noticed that there were differently abled children at many houses. Most of them were abandoned by their fathers as the children were born with disabilities. Their mothers, in tears, told her that they couldnt go outside to work, leaving these kids alone at home. Moved by those mothers plight, Yasmin decided to open a special school to take care of the differently abled children in the panchayat. 36 differently abled students were admitted to the school in the beginning. However, the school had to be shut down, after a few months, as Yasmin found it extremely difficult to juggle responsibilities between the Kudumbashree, company and the school. The mothers came again, requesting her to re-open the school. Some of them were even angry at for closing down the school which benefited their kids. This prompted Yasmin to take a firm decision to dedicate her life for those kids and re-opened the school. On 1st March, Yasmin opened the Blooms School in a rented building. She paid the rent, teachers salary and other expenses from her own pocket. Meanwhile she resigned as the chairperson of the CDS. Yasmin says that at least Rs 31,000 is required every month to run the school. Many kind-hearted people help her financially by making donations to meet the monthly expenses. In some months, when no one helps, Yasmin borrows money to pay the rent and give salaries for her teachers. Now, Yasmin is all set to venture into a new business to find proper funds to run the school. She hasnt given up the activities of the agro company and the Kudumbashree as well. Loving companion Yasmin was severely upset when she dropped out of school as a kid. However, later, she passed the class 10 equivalency exam and then scored high marks for plus two as well. Now she is studying for her bachelors degree in the distance education program offered by the University of Calicut. Most of the women, who are homemakers, in my village have now become financially independent through agriculture. It would run smoothly even if Yasmin is not active in it. But, my kids need me. Now, their mothers can go for work with peaceful hearts, not worrying about the kids. They are able to leave their children, especially girls, safely here. I hope and pray that this school wont be shut again, said Yasmin, holding her kids closer. Yasmin is the younger daughter of Areembraveetil Alavi and Khadeeja. Mathura/Agra: On any busy traffic crossing in the historic Mughal city of Agra, one would be surprised to see the number of women on two-wheelers. Not only young girls, but more and more middle-aged women, including housewives, are now seen enjoying their newfound freedom of mobility, a stark contrast from a few years ago. One can witness similar scenes some 60 kilometres away in Mathura, the city considered sacred by Hindus for being the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Mathura resident Pawani Khandelwal, who describes herself as a raging feminist, truly believes that something as simple as riding a two-wheeler can transform lives of middle-aged housewives in small towns where even switching from wearing a saree to a salwar-suit is seen as a revolution. Being able to ride a 'scooty' a smaller version of a scooter with auto-transmission can empower women by making them self-dependent, she says. Mathura/Agra: In just over a year, Aatm Nirbhar has expanded to five cities including Mathura, Agra, Bharatpur, Jaipur and Vrindavan training over 1,100 women. That was the reason that when she decided to start a scooter driving school for women, she could not think of a better name than 'Aatm Nirbhar' literally meaning self-dependent. "Bicycles are now out of fashion. Most women go for a scooty or an electric scooter. After school hours, you will find so many of them with kids tucked tightly to their backs hurrying back home," commented school teacher Meera Gupta. The 23-year-old Pawani realised the need for an all-women driving school when her mother Rekha Khandelwal who had never even ridden a bicycle wanted to learn riding a scooty. "I have been riding a two-wheeler (a Royal Enfield motorcycle presently) myself now for over seven years and therefore I was always under the impression that it is basic skill and most people men or women already know how to ride a two-wheeler," Pawani told IANS. But when her mother wanted to learn riding a scooty, she had a really tough time finding a lady trainer. "That made me realise how difficult it is for women to learn this very basic skill because men in their families don't have the patience to teach them, and women in small towns aren't very comfortable with male trainers," she said. "When we began searching a lady trainer for my mom, I realised that in every household there was at least one woman who was in dire need to learn to ride a scooty. Moreover, I realised that for most women, especially housewives, riding a scooty isn't just a mode of transport, but a feeling of youth and freedom," Pawani added. Mathura/Agra: with majority of its trainers coming from marginalised families, it is making more women financially self-dependent by opening up new job opportunities for them. Fuelled by this desire to help her mother and other women like her, Pawani set up a purely women-driven and women-oriented two-wheeler riding school in November last year in Mathura. In just over a year, Aatm Nirbhar which started with just a dozen women has already expanded to four more cities including Agra, Bharatpur, Jaipur, and Vrindavan training over 1,100 women. The initiative has also been recognised by the Transport Ministry of Uttar Pradesh and the central government's 'Start-Up India' programme. Pawani says that in a country with an unreliable public transport, most women especially in small towns and cities have to depend on their husbands, brothers and autorikshaws for one of the most basic human needs mobility be it for dropping their children to school, going shopping, or to their tailor, and to do other basic chores outside their homes. With most women who sign up with Aatm Nirbhar being unable to even ride a bicycle, their training is conducted in 10 one-hour sessions over 10 days, after which they can confidently ride the scooty and are awarded a certificate of learning. Since all of its students are women, all training sessions are scheduled keeping in mind their convenience and the lady trainers pick the students from their house and drop them back after the training session. This has helped the organisation win the trust of not only the learners, but also their families. Moreover, with majority of its trainers coming from marginalised families, it is making more women financially self-dependent by opening up new job opportunities for them. Pawani started by creating a Facebook page to reach out to women to tell them about her school for driving. Women from age 16 to 60 signed up to learn how to ride a scooty with most of them surprisingly being middle-aged housewives. Each one of our trainers and students have a motivating story to tell a story of their discovery of freedom, independence and self-reliance, says Pawani. "In the next two years, we want to expand to every tier-2 and tier-3 city of India with the support of self-driven women," she adds. On March 8 which is celebrated globally as Women's Day Aatm Nirbhar organised an entrepreneurship summit for women which was attended by over a 150 businesswomen and budding female entrepreneurs. "Aatm Nirbhar is not just a company, but a thought that has inspired and continues to inspire thousands of women to rediscover their lost sense of independence and self reliance," Pawani says. Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed on Tuesday his resolve to completely denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, but warned he may have to take an alternative path if the United States continued to force Pyongyang into unilateral action. In his New Year address, Kim said he was willing to meet US President Donald Trump again at any time to achieve denuclearisation, and urged Washington to take unspecified corresponding action to speed up the stalled process. North Korea, however, would have "no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty" if the United States "miscalculates our people's patience, forces something upon us and pursues sanctions and pressure without keeping a promise it made in front of the world," Kim said in his nationally televised address. The comments are likely to fuel growing scepticism over whether Pyongyang intends to give up the nuclear weapons programme that it has long considered essential to its security. Kim and Trump vowed to work towards denuclearisation and build a "lasting and stable" peace regime at their landmark summit in Singapore in June, but little progress has been made since and satellite images have indicated continued activity at North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities. Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps toward denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility. US officials say those steps can be easily reversed and have not been verified, and Washington has slapped additional economic sanctions on the impoverished country. Washington halted some large-scale military exercises with Seoul, although smaller drills continued. Kim called for South Korea to "completely stop" joint military drills with the United States involving strategic assets, while multilateral negotiations should be pursued to build a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. "Now that North and South Korea decided to take the path of peace and prosperity, we insist that joint military exercises with outside forces should no longer be allowed and deployment of war equipment such as outside strategic assets should be completely stopped," Kim said. Analysts said Kim's message sent clear signals that North Korea is willing to stay in talks with Washington and Seoul this year - but on its own terms. "North Korea seems determined in 2019 to receive some sort of sanctions relief ... The challenge, however, is will Team Trump be willing to back away from its position of zero sanctions relief?" said Harry J Kazianis at the Washington-based Centre for the National Interest. "Kim's remarks seem to suggest his patience with America is wearing thin." The televised speech is closely watched as a rare public appearance for the young leader, setting the tone for his domestic and foreign policies for the year ahead. After racing toward the goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States in 2017, Kim used last year's speech to call for defusing tensions and improving ties with the South, and a shift in focus toward economic development. That resulted in a dramatic detente last year, including three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and the historic meeting with Trump in June. In this year's 30-minute speech, Kim spent more than 20 minutes highlighting his new focus on the economy. Kim said inter-Korean relations have now entered a "completely new phase", and he is willing to resume key joint economic projects with the South - the factory park in Kaesong and tours to Mt. Kumgang - without conditions. Bengaluru: Eighteen years after the first prototype took to the skies, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is on the verge of getting the Final Operational Clearance (FOC). Sources confirmed to Onmanorama on Tuesday that the final DAL (Drawing Applicability Lists) of Tejas was released to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on December 31. (DAL is the standard of preparation for production that forms the basis for the final product to be delivered to the customer.) Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General Dr Tessy Thomas is said to have handed over the DAL to HAL. Keeping the deadline set for FOC, the build standard documents have been handed over yesterday. A formal announcement will be made this month after we complete the procedures, an official said. While HAL and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) were mum on the matter, Onmanorama can confirm that the much-awaited FOC for the project is now a formality. The release of final DAL signals the completion of FOC points. Even if there are some fine-tuning needs to be done, they are not flight-critical in nature. The project has landed on FOC zone, an official said. A meeting of certifying agencies, representatives of HAL, ADA and Indian Air Force (IAF) held in Delhi last week seems to have taken the decision on FOC. The last weapon detachment of Tejas has been a huge success. We can go on fine-tuning the platform, but the production agency too needs to fulfil their goals. A lot of official documents linked to the project will get closed now, an official said. In 2018, Tejas logged 619 flights, the highest ever so far. The previous highest was 503 flights in 2013. HAL had begun the work on FOC based on provisional DAL released last year. HAL must produce the first FOC aircraft in nine months from now, the official added. As reported by Onmanorama earlier, HAL had begun initial production work of FOC variants of Tejas in November last. The sub-assemblies of front fuselage for SP-21 to SP-24 has already been completed. These will now be shifted to the main jig. HAL is confident that the first FOC fighter (SP-21) will fly out by October this year. With the vendors set to start supplying structures in the next four months and reduced cycle time for production already in place, the LCA Division of HAL is striving hard to script an inspiring story during FY 2019-2020. Bengaluru: Capturing the imagination of young India and inspiring teachers, parents and the common man at one go, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the launch of a new initiative called 'Samwad with Students' (SwS) on Tuesday. ISRO officials said that SwS will engage youngsters and tap their scientific talent. During the inaugural session of the new mission, ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan interacted with around 40 students and 10 teachers from select schools at the Anthariksh Bhavan. In his opening remarks Dr Sivan said SwS aims at drawing inspiration and motivation from young India. All of you with your boundless energy and endless curiosity are going to be my biggest source of inspiration and motivation. With so many challenges on hand this year, I thought it is important to seek the well-wishes of students who are the future of this country, Dr Sivan said. ISRO announced the launch of a new initiative called 'Samwad with Students'. Photo: ISRO The topic of maiden SwS were ranging from rockets, satellites, Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan to name a few. Quizzed by an eight standard student whether ISRO was his first choice as a youngster, Dr Sivan said he was always denied what he aspired for. I wanted to study engineering but ended up studying B.Sc Mathematics. Later, I got into Engineering and wanted to Join ISAC (now URSC) Bengaluru, instead joined VSSC at Thiruvananthapuram. At VSSC, I wanted to join the Aerodynamics group, but was part of PSLV project instead, Dr Sivan said. 'Samwad with Students' will engage youngsters and tap their scientific talent. Photo: ISRO On failures, Dr Sivan said the biggest lessons in life are often derived when plans skid away. Space missions are very complex in nature and totally different from terrestrial systems. They have to work in extreme environments more often. Our forefathers have shown us path to take failures in our stride and take on the challenges with a positive mindset, he said. When a student was keen to know how they could contribute to ISROs missions, Dr Sivan said: When you complete your studies with focus on fundamentals of science, you could get back to us and help us solve our problems. We need solutions to many complex problems and you could be giving us answers to them in future. ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan interacted with around 40 students and 10 teachers from select schools at the Anthariksh Bhavan. Photo: ISRO Dr Sivan explained to the students the importance of Indian space programme and its benefits to the society at large. He wanted them to take up the science and mathematics with absolute seriousness which would enable them to take up challenging careers. Whenever, we are short of ideas or inspiration, we will look for you. We will be ever ready to answer your questions related to Indias space missions, Dr Sivan added. On the sidelines, the students and teachers also interacted with scientists and engineers. Dr Sivan said 'Samwad with Students' aims at drawing inspiration and motivation from young India. Photo: ISRO An ISRO official told Onmanorama that the year 2019 is very important for the country with the launch of Chandrayaan-II mission. We are also starting the human spaceflight programme and we also have a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle mission. SwS aims to make the children to partner with our missions at an early stage. We plan to take this mission to different cities in a phased manner, the official said. Thiruvananthapuram: The Women's Wall, being staged on Tuesday, is likely to affect the working of government offices and schools across the state as employees and teachers have been reportedly asked to participate. Schools have been given an afternoon off in several districts, including Kozhikode and Idukki. Office chiefs have given employees the freedom to join the wall after marking their attendance. The office chiefs were given quotas to fill in specific spaces in the human wall. While organisations allied with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) are watching if such instructions are being carried out, warnings have been issued that employees and teachers who stay away from the wall will face action. Schools won't work An afternoon off means most schools may not function at all. In districts where such a closure has not been permitted, school officials have been allowed to decide whether to shutter if traffic has affected arrivals. At the Agricultural University in Mannuthy, Thrissur, authorities have allowed women teachers and allied staff to attend the event after submitting a written application. The wall will be formed from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram Tuesday. At the Kerala University, the registrar has granted similar permission to students also. DDE circular draws flak The Deputy Director of Education (DDE) in Alappuzha has come under fire for issuing a circular that directs all women staff members under his office to participate in the wall. The circular was issued even as the government was repeating that no one will be forced to join the wall. The Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association, an opposition organisation of teachers, has lodged a complaint with the director of general education, in which it has also been pointed out that such pressure tactics also violate a High Court order that no one should be coerced. Minister G Sudhakaran, who is from the district, said the criticism is prompted by a misinterpretation of the circular. It doesn't force anyone, he said. It's just a notification. Read more: Latest Kerala news Thiruvananthapuram: The 620-km 'Women's Wall', which came up mostly along the western edge of the state, looked solid all through except for its northern tip that was damaged by violence. Clashes between BJP and CPM workers at Chettukund on the way to Bekal prevented women from forming a wall in the area, which fell in the final northern stretch between Kanhangad and Kasaragod. The CPM alleged that BJP workers had set fire to the grasslands on either side of the highway making it impossible for women to form the wall in the area. Police had to hurl grenades to disperse the crowd. Media personnel of two television channels were also attacked by the activists, who reportedly forced them to delete the visuals of the incident. According to K Sreekanth, BJP Kasaragod district president, the violence was allegedly a handiwork of CPI(M) as the 'Women's wall" was a failure in the northernmost district. CPI(M) district secretary, M V Balakrishnan, slamming the BJP, alleged that BJP workers had burnt grass and shrubs after sprinkling chilly powder and 13 women were hospitalised inhaling the fumes. While social justice minister K K Shylaja stood at the northern end of the 'Wall', CPM politburo member Brinda Karat was at its southern edge. Most of the speakers at the meetings held simultaneously across the state right after the wall was formed were women. A message that the 'Wall' was not government sponsored but only had its backing was also sought to be send. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, though he was on the dais in Thiruvananthapuram, did not make a public speech. He, with V S Achuthanandan on his side, was a silent spectator to what was happening. The most political of speeches on the day was delivered by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan in Alappuzha. He tore into his NSS counterpart Sukumaran Nair, and also opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala whom he called the most casteist politician in the state. Significantly, he was silent about the BJP or Sangh Parivar forces. The government had earlier claimed that 50 lakh women would be part of the wall. This would have meant that 30 percent of the total women population in the state, including those over 70 and those below 18, would have taken part -- a figure most consider an impossibility. The 'Women's wall' was conceived in the backdrop of frenzied protests witnessed in the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala after the CPI(M)-led LDF government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. Representatives of Universal Record Forum (URF) which records amazing feats across the globe declared the human wall as the "longest women's wall in the world" with participation of over 35 lakh women. However, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan claimed 55 lakh women lined up for the 'wall'. CPI(M) polit bureau member Brinda Karat, who was the last member of the human wall at Thiruvananthapuram, said women in Kerala have scripted history by erecting a "human wall of resistance" against the dark forces. She also lashed out at the saffron party, saying it was using women for its "toxic, divisive, anti-women political goal" and asked women not to be the pawns in the hands of those who have no thoughts about the future of women. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues and Communist veteran V S Achuthanandan were among those who were present at the public meeting here after the formation of the wall. Pinarayi garlanded the statue of Ayyankali, a social reformer, before the start of the event. The wall has become a movement against gender discrimination faced by women and to protect their Constitutional rights, he said. The initiative also witnessed a group of the Jacobite faction of the Christian community lining up in support of the wall along with members of the Muslim community. A human chain was formed in London in support of the Women Wall on Monday. Former firebrand communist leader and Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy supremo, 100-year-old K R Gowriamma also took part in the event near her home at Alappuzha. Jhonson V Idikula, chairman of the monitoring panel of the URF Adjudication Committee, told PTI they had over 600 volunteers across the state to monitor the event. "We have recorded the event, clicked pictures and captured videos to prepare a comprehensive report," Idikula said. However, the main Opposition Congress, which all through had expressed their ire against the wall, said "Kerala society has dismissed the government's much-hyped event." The BJP state leadership dubbed the wall a "total failure" and waste of government funds and machinery. G Sukumaran Nair, heading the Nair Service Society (NSS), which kept away from the event, said 'God's Own Country' will turn into 'Devil's Own Country' after formation of such walls. A group of women in New Delhi Tuesday also expressed solidarity with their counterparts in Kerala by holding a demonstration outside Kerala House at the national capital's Jantar Mantar road where members of National Federation of Indian Women held placards saying, "Equality and Justice is Women's Constitutional Right". A bus that was to ferry participants was attacked in Muthalamada in Palakkad. The 'Women's wall' was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government, following massive protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the government's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala. Support from London too A human chain was formed in London in support of the Women's Wall. Hundreds of people took part in the event outside the High Commission of India central London on Monday. Left outfits, writers and Keralite Labour Party members organised the event in the UK. Ensuring gender equality The proposed wall was suggested at a meeting called by the Kerala government in the backdrop of frenzied protests by right-wing parties and a section of devotees over the state's decision to implement the September 28 apex court order, allowing women of all ages into Sabarimala. "Finding a solution to the issues faced by women is seen as part of the class struggle,"Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Monday, adding that ensuring gender equality was part of class struggle. In Marxist ideology, class struggle is the conflict of interests between workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society. "The protests by communal forces against women's entry in Sabarimala prompted the government and other progressive organisations to build Women's Wall in the state," Pinarayi had said, adding that all women, cutting across castes and religions, would join the wall "to save Kerala from the being dragged back into the era of darkness." The Universal Records Forum, the team which records amazing feats across the globe, is also understood to have reached the state to witness the exercise. The pledge for the women's wall, which was released by the Chief Ministers office Sunday, calls for upholding gender equality and renaissance values. It also bats for secularism and to oppose the move to turn the state into a 'lunatic asylum.' Not by the govt? The state government had initially claimed that it would extend all support to the proposed wall, it withdrew the order, allotting funds for it, after a controversy erupted. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Tuesday claimed that the wall was not being organised by the government. "The government merely supported a decision taken by various outfits. PRD campaigned for it. There is nothing wrong in it. "It is not the government but the organising committee that is taking care of the finances," he added. Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that even the government officials would take part in the event. He added that precautions have been taken to avoid traffic blocks. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan flayed NSS chief Sukumaran Nair for opposing the wall. While senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has described the initiative as a 'wall of contradiction', UDF MLA M K Muneer had has termed it as a 'communal' wall for inviting participation only from 'progressive Hindu organisations'. Meanwhile, a bus that was to ferry participants was attacked in Muthalamada in Palakkad. The front window glass were shattered in the attack. Both the driver and the cleaner were sleeping in the bus during the time of the attack. The government has spared no effort to make the wall a huge success with all ministers given charge of either a district or a particular place for the success of the event. The event is organised by the ruling CPI(M), along with over 176 other socio-political organisations, including the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS). The Nair Service Society (NSS), RSS and the right-wing groups have opposed this move and formed Ayyappa Jyothi across the state on December 26 to counter it. Thousands had taken part in the Ayyappa Jyothi, which was undertaken by the Sabarimala Karma Samiti. The Kudambashree Mission had earlier informed that it alone will field over 1.25 lakh women on January 1. Many prominent personalities from all spheres of life are expected to take part in the event. Thiruvananthapuram: A five-member ministerial committee headed by Kerala Industries Minister E P Jayarajan was set up on Tuesday to resolve the ongoing row between the Orthodox and Jacobite church factions. The development has come a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government would do its best to bring an end to the dispute. The committee led by Jayarajan, the number two in Vijayan's cabinet, also includes A K Saseendran, E Chandrasekheran, K Krishnankutty and Kadanapally Ramachandran. The Syrian Orthodox Church has two factions -- the Orthodox, which forms the majority and has its headquarters in Kottayam, and the Jacobites, who consider the Patriarch of Antioch, based in Beirut, as their supreme leader. Last month, tension prevailed at two prominent churches at Vaikom and Kothamangalam when angry supporters of the rival factions clashed. After a court ruling handing over the control of these churches to the Orthodox faction, Jacobite faction members took out mass protests and demonstrations to stop the verdict from being implemented. On Monday, Vijayan promised that the government would make necessary interventions to sort out the issue. According to a source in the committee, they are first going to talk to the rival factions separately and then will invite both the factions and will try to iron out the difference between them. During a brief period, between 1958 and 1970, following a Supreme Court ruling, both factions had remained under one roof with Kottayam being their headquarters. However, since 1970, they have been at war over the church's control. Trouble has been simmering since 2017 when, after decades of trial, the apex court in its final verdict said there were no grounds for Jacobites to claim any of the churches of the Orthodox section. Kozhikode: The Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student outfit of the Congress, will legally fight the order of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), Kozhikode, to grant half-day holiday for the schools in the district on Tuesday, the day 'Women's Wall' is planned. KSU state president K M Abhijith said that they would take the matter to the High Court. We are taking advise from the legal experts to fight this issue legally. This is not a trivial issue. Already the students have lost many days in the academic calendar due to Nipah virus and flood in Kozhikode district. We had abandoned the protests on various occasions, considering the plight of the students. The officials, who are letting a party event to take place with the support of government machinery, should be punished. There is a clear directive from the High Court to prevent children under the age of 18 years from taking part in the Womens Wall, said Abhijith. He added that the DDE changed the full day holiday into half-day, after the protests. Nearly one lakh children from outfits like Balasangham are expected to participate. So this is clearly giving them an opportunity to take part in the wall, he said. Since the DDE was away, the protesters placed a garland made of footwear in front of his office. The holiday was declared stating traffic blocks in connection with the wall. Earlier, in the day the KSU staged a protest march to the office of DDE E K Suresh Kumar. DCC president T Siddique led the march. Since the DDE was away, the protesters placed a garland made of footwear in front of his office. Earlier, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson P Suresh had criticised the High Court for barring children from Womens Wall. He said that children also have the right to take part in such event and he would approach the Supreme Court against the HC order to exclude children from the event. He added that the court order breached international child rights laws and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution to children. Police personnel outside the DDE office in Kozhikode. Read more: Latest Kerala news Kochi: Simon Britto, who died in Thrissur on Monday, was like a great wall of the CPM party. Quite aptly, his life is encapsulated in the title of his first novel Agragamimeaning a person who is a step ahead of others. Britto never flinched when he was stabbed following clashes between students unions on the Maharajas College campus 35 years ago, but was inconsolable when SFI activist Abhimanyu, who was like a son to him, fell victim to the violent students politics on the same campus in July, 2018. Britto, who hails from Vaduthala in Ernakulam district, came to the forefront of the SFI, the students wing of the CPM, in the 1970s. He graduated from St. Alberts College, and later pursued law studies at Mithila University in Bihar, which he discontinued. Britto became SFI state vice-president after he returned to Kochi as a law student. Britto was paralysed from waist down after he sustained serious stab injuries on October 14, 1983, when campus politics was passing through a turbulent phase. Ten years after the incident, Brittos life took a turn for the better as he married SFI activist Seena Bhaskar after a brief courtship. Injustice was anathema to Britto, and he would always raise his voice against unjust acts. Brittos life took a turn for the better as he married SFI activist Seena Bhaskar after a brief courtship. Meanwhile, Britto scripted history when he was made the Anglo-Indian representative in the Kerala Assembly during 2006-2011. To a query on becoming MLA through nomination rather than through elections, Britto once said, My politics cant be confined to one constituency. The whole state is my constituency and I am an MLA of Kerala. His father Nicholas Rodrigues was a CPM MLA between 1987 and 1991. Libraries were an elixir for the wheelchair-bound Britto whose inspiration was the literary couple Ponjikara Rafi and Sabeena, who were his neighbours during his childhood days at Ponjikara. The couple, who was childless, was fond of Britto and considered him as their son. Britto nursed a personal grievance though he was active in public life through writing and speeches. He always wanted CPM leader E M S Namboothiripad to write a forward to his first novel, but the party icon passed away just before the book was completed. Britto got associated with the Communist party during his students days in Bihar. Then, he stayed with needy farmers at the district committee office of the Kisan Sabha, and his first novel, Agragami, revolves around that period. The protagonist of the novel repeats a telling dialogue twice: Who is on the funeral pyre? Is it a martyr? Body to be donated to medical college The mortal remains of Simon Britto will be handed over to the Kalamassery Medical College. CPM state secretariat member P Rajeev, in his facebook post, has said that Britto had instructed his wife Seena to donate his body after his death to the medical college for medical studies. He also wished that no should lay wreaths on his body. Abhimanyus mentor Slain SFI activist Abhimanyu had a special place in Brittos heart. Britto was a saviour and guiding light to Abhimanyu who came to Kochi from Idukki to pursue his studies. Britto first met Abhimanyu, who was the SFI Idukki district committee member, when the former came to the Maharajas campus to participate in a talk show organised by a TV channel. They had a special bond, and Abhimanyu became a regular at Brittos home. Our bondage firmed up when Abhimanyu came to jot down my experiences on travelling in a wheel chair across India. My mom, who visited me occasionally, was fond of him. He used to play with my daughter Nilavu. He will come to my home on Friday and return to college on Monday with the food cooked by my wife Seena, Britto once said about his association with Abhimanyu. Britto, along with his daughter Nilavu, went to Maharajas college campus when he came to know that Abhimanyu was stabbed. Abhimanyus classmates still remember a crestfallen Britto sitting in a wheelchair and kissing the right hand of Abhimanyu with fatherly affection when the body was brought to the campus. After Abhimanyus death, Britto also visited his one-room house at Vattavada in Idukki district. Abhimanyus family members are grief-stricken following the death of Britto and are planning to visit Kochi. Draft Civil Aviation Bill in final stage of completion Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari said that a draft bill to split the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal into two entitiesregulatory body and service providerwas in the final stage of completion. Kannur: He is 93 and she, 88. It was more than seven decades in between and still the memory was clear, like their eyesight and speech. E K Narayanan Nambiar was meeting his first wife Sarada for the first time after they got separated in 1946 during the Kavumbai peasant uprising. They had been together for hardly 10 months. The rendezvous took place at Sarada's son Bhargavan's house in Kolmotta near Parassinikkadavu. It was the historic Kavumbayi peasant revolt that came in between the star-crossed couple. Narayanan was imprisoned along with his father Thaliyil Raman Nambiar, the leader of the uprising. Later, Thaliyil Raman was killed during the infamous firing at the Salem prison. ayanan survived with injuries. After spending nearly eight years in hospital and prison, he returned home to find his life in complete ruins; his house destroyed, a younger brother starved to death, all his family property encroached, mother living like a refugee in houses of relatives, and wife married to another man. Sarada married Narayanan when she was 13. He was 18 then. Both were distantly related. "Frequent attacks against the family in the wake of the Kavumbayi uprising forced Narayanan's mother Ummanga (fondly called as Kunjiyamma) to sent Sarada back to her home," said Santha Kavumbayi, novelist and Narayanan's younger brother Raghavan Nambiar's daughter. Kavumbayi uprising and December 30 Santha Kavumbayi said that her historical novel 'December 30' was fictional only in its structure but the incidents and characters are real. The protagonist is Raman Nambiar, a peasant leader who mobilised farmers in the area and led the uprising in December 1946. My father was a bit tough in nature. So it was my Valyachan (father's elder brother) Narayanan, who has a sharp memory and humorous by nature, I depended on to collect information. He narrated the events one by one, his struggle along with father and younger brother. How their plan to attack the landlord failed after the information about the revolt was leaked. Three of them, including my father, were attacked in that revolt. Five people died in that attack in Kavumbayi hills. They were first taken to a prison in Kannur, then taken to Viyyur and finally to Salem, recollects Santha, whose novel was published in May, 2013. Narayanan reading the novel 'December 30', based on the Kavumbayi uprising. Over seven decades have passed. It was a surprise meeting of Sarada's son Bhargavan and Santha and her brother Madhukumar that led to the fleeting reunion of the former couple. Madhukumar is an architect based in Kannur and Bhargavan is an organic farmer. Sarada, was married off again by her family after everyone assumed that Narayanan too was killed along with his father in the Salem prison. It was my grandmother Ummanga, who convinced Sarada Vallyamma (aunt) to go back to her house. Their house was burnt down and the women were frequently attacked. Three times, the police came to extract information from Sarada, who was a little girl then, using all means at their disposal. Seeing her innocent face, they went back. However, Ummanga felt that the situation was so dangerous that it was not safe to keep Sarada with them. She herself had to keep shifting from one house to the other in the most secretive manner. After sending Sarada Vallyamma to her parents, Ummanga took her youngest son Kunjappa, who was less than three years, and sought refuge in the house of relatives, says Madhukumar. Sarada with Madhukumar Narayanan's return and Sarada's second marriage There were strong rumours that Narayanan, too, was shot dead along with his father but Sarada as well as her family waited for him for more than a year. Sarada's father Pulikkananth Gopalan Nambiar was famous for treating snake bites. Her mother was Madhavi Amma. After they were convinced that Narayanan was dead, they married her off to Kurumathool Govindan Nambiar, a farmer. Govindan died 30 years ago and the couple has six children Bhargavi, Bhaskaran, Janardhanan, Govindan, Bhargavan and Kunhiraman. Bhargavi and Janardhanan passed away a few years ago and Sarada is living with Bhargavan, who shifted to Kolmotta. Bhargavan said that his mother had good memory, and had not kept her former marriage a secret from her children. "It was with great fondness that she used to tell us about her former mother-in-law. How she had treated her like her own daughter, and how her mother-in-law had protected her from the police. It was against amma's will that she was separated from that family. But we left things at that till I went to writer Santha Kavumbayi's house. I had known her well and once when I visited her house, her mother was also present. When I told her about my native place and my mother, Santha's mother said that her former sister-in-law was also from there. Soon we realised that the woman she was referring to was my own mother. It was a pleasant surprise, said Bhargavan. Santha, Madhukumar and Bhargavan arranged a meeting for the former couple when both of them admitted that they would like to meet. They did not talk much, but he just touched her head and invited her to our house. As a distant relative she can always visit his place. It was an emotional meeting I should say," Santha said. "Vallyachan (Narayanan) spent around eight years in jail and hospital, before returning. By that time, my father had returned and started recovering the property, which we have now. After returning, he enquired about Vallyamma (Sarada) and came to know that she got married. Later he married Karthyayani from Edavan Koroth and they have a daughter, Prasanna, said Santha. After the daughter's birth, Karthyayani fell ill and went back to her house, leaving the daughter with her husband. Later Narayanan married Devi and they had a son, Ramachandran. Later, when Karthyayani got better and wanted to live with her daughter, she was received back by Narayanan and they lived together along with the other wife and children. Narayanan has four children from Devi Ramachandran, Usha, Ganesan and Ramani and three children from Karthyayani Prasanna, Rukmini and Sobha. Karthyayani died six years ago after prolonged illness, and Devi died last year. Vallyachan got separated from his wives by fate. It was never by force or compulsion or cruelty. When we asked him whether he wished to see Sarada again, he said 'What if I wished to see her? She is living elsewhere, and I am here'. Then we thought that we should arrange a meeting. I discussed with my brother as well as Bhargavan, and we took him to Bhargavan's house a few days ago, where she is living, Santha said. Sarada with Santha Kavumbayi. Bhargavan says that his mother's part in the Kavumbayi revolt was never documented. "Though the Kavumbayi revolt is part of history, those who wrote about it did not check what happened to that little girl who had to leave the house," he said. Santha Kavumbayi's book, in a sense, gave history more layers. In Santha Kavumbayi's novel I found a beautiful, elaborate description of my mother and how she was protected by her mother-in-law, who was a strong woman. My mother also has only good memories about that house. She could not live as a wife to Narayanan, as she was very small, but lived along with her mother-in-law as a daughter in the family, says Bhargavan. Though Kavumbayi uprising is accepted by the government as part of the freedom struggle, Narayanan is yet to get the pension from the Central government, Santha added. Seoul: South Korea has announced a ban on big-time supermarkets and retailers nationwide from using single-use, disposable plastic bags in an attempt to conserve natural resources and reduce recyclable waste, government officials said on Monday. The ban comes into effect on Tuesday as part of a revised law on conserving resources and encouraging the reuse of recyclable waste, said the country's Ministry of Environment. Under the revised law, the use of disposable plastic bags is prohibited from the first day of 2019 in major retailers, including about 2,000 discount chain outlets and some 1,100 large-sized supermarkets with floor space of 165 square metres or bigger, Yonhap news agency reported. Stores that violate the ban could face fines of up to 3 million won (around $2,683), the Ministry said, adding that the plastic bags should be replaced with recyclable containers, cloth shopping bags or paper bags. However, plastic bags containers for wet goods, such as meat and fish, would still be used. Under the revised law, 18,000 bakeries nationwide will be barred from handing out free disposable plastic bags. In cooperation with local governments, the Environment Ministry plans to encourage the affected stores to observe the ban from January through March, the report said. The Ministry was also pushing ahead with a plan to reduce the use of plastic garment bags at laundry shops. Religious places are considered to be areas filled with devotion as well as positive energy. A temple is considered to represent the human body. Similar to Gods presence in human body, divinity exists in temples too. Man can lead his mind, intellect and action to goodness only if he can gain mastery over the five senses. Temple visits is said to help a person retract his five senses from evil and direct it towards good. Various organs of the human body are stimulated by different items in a temple. For instance, the radiance of the idol and the light of the lamps have an impact on the eyes; the fragrance of the incense sticks and the camphor on the nose; the theertham, prasadam and the chanting of the Gods name on the tongue; the sound of the temple bells, conch and chanting on the ears; and the sandalwood paste, sacred ash and other items applied on the body on the skin. In other words, offering prayers at a temple stimulates the five senses, removes impure thoughts and fills the mind with positive energy. Many people wonder whether there is a specific day to visit a temple. In fact, prayers can be offered any day at a religious place. However, each deity would have a special day and praying there on that particular day is believed to be very auspicious. Ganapathy The Vinayaka Chaturthy in the month of Chingam and the first Friday of each Malayalam month are considered auspicious for the elephant god. Saraswathy The navarathri season, especially Vijayadasami, is ideal for the Goddess of Learning. Soorya Pathamudayam and the first Sunday of the Malayalam months are best to propitiate the Sun God. Shiva It is believed that Lord Shiva will be pleased if prayers are offered at shrines dedicated to the God on the Sivarathri day in Kumbham, Thiruvathira in Dhanu, the pradosha day and the first Sundays of the Malayalam months. Devi Special days at Devi temples are the Karthika star in Vrischikam month, Tuesdays and Fridays, Bharani in Kumbham month, Pooram in Meenam and Bharani in Meenam. Subrahmanya The thaipooyam day in the Malayalam month of Makaram, shashti day of all Malayalam months, skanda shashti in the month of Thulam, kapila shashti in Kanni and the first Sunday of all Malayalam months are ideal for offering prayers at Subrahmanya temples. Nagaraja The most auspicious days for visiting the shrines of the serpent god are the ayilyam day of all Malayalam months, especially the ayilyam in Kanni and Thulam. Vishnu It is believed that Lord Vishnu would be pleased if devotees visit the Gods temples on the Ashtami Rohini of Chingam month, the first Thursday according to the Malayalam month, on ekadasi day, on Thiruvonam day, the Kuchela day the first Wednesday in Dhanu and on Vishu. Sastha Lord Sastha can be propitiated by offering prayers to the god during the mandalam season and on Saturdays. KYODO NEWS - Jan 1, 2019 - 14:00 | All, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged to step up talks with Russia to conclude a postwar peace treaty among other major diplomatic challenges this year. "As we are at a major turning point, we will aggressively purse the resolution of Japan's postwar diplomatic concerns," Abe said in a new year statement, referring to peace treaty talks with Russia, improving ties with China and an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Collage of photos showing Abe, Putin, and the Habomai islets) "Japan will draw the global spotlight as we will welcome top world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as host of the Group of 20 summit" in Osaka in June. Tokyo and Moscow have yet to sign a peace treaty to formally end wartime hostilities due to a dispute over four islands off Hokkaido that are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan. The islands were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. Abe and Putin agreed in November to accelerate talks based on a 1956 joint statement, in which Moscow agreed to hand over the two smaller islands to Tokyo after a peace pact is concluded. Abe will visit Russia around Jan. 21 for a summit with Putin, according to government sources. On the domestic front, the prime minister said Japan will see a historic turning point when it begins a new era, as Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne on May 1, following his father Emperor Akihito's retirement, the first abdication in Japan in around 200 years. "I am determined to take a leading role to make (2019) a year to 'open Japan's tomorrow'...beyond the current Heisei" era that started upon the current emperor's reign in 1989, he said. Abe promised to tackle the country's low birthrate and aging population, with a free public preschool education program set to begin in October for all children aged between 3 and 5. "We will aggressively invest in children and transform our country's social security system for all generations ranging from children and people of working age to the elderly," the premier said. Abe did not mention his long-cherished political goal of revising Japan's pacifist Constitution in the new year statement. Another two bodies have been recovered from the debris of a building that collapsed in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk, bringing the total number to seven, the Russian Emergency Ministry told Sputnik Tuesday, Trend reported. A natural gas blast hit on Monday one of the blocks of a 10-storey building in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Region, damaging 48 apartments. The fate of dozens of people remains unknown. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived on Monday in Magnitogorsk at the operational headquarters of the Ministry of Emergencies created at the site of the incident and personally inspected the collapsed building. The governor of Chelyabinsk region, Boris Dubrovsky, provided explanations to Putin regarding the building collapse. The president also instructed to create a government commission for the elimination of the consequences of the gas explosion in the residential building in Magnitogorsk. 08:39 (GMT+4) The death toll in Mondays house collapse in the Urals city of Magnitogorsk stands at five, a spokesperson for the Russian emergencies ministry told TASS on Tuesday, Trend reported. "As of 4:00 Moscow time, five bodies were found and pulled out of the rubble," the source said. On Monday morning, a section of a ten-storey residential house collapsed in Magnitogorsk. Latest figures put the death toll at five, another five were injured. More than 30 people remain unaccounted for. The Russian Investigative Committee views household gas blast as a priority version. The search for survivors still continues with air temperatures plunging to minus 27.2 degrees Centigrade early on Tuesday, according to the Gismeteo.ru portal. In daytime, the temperature is expected to rise to minus 19 degrees. Right-wing politician Jair Bolsonaro took an oath of office as Brazil's next president on Tuesday, promising to introduce important changes and reforms in the state, Sputnik reports. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's newly elected president, has vowed to adopt and implement economic policies that will benefit businesses, target corruption and combat drug cartels; he also reaffirmed his alignment with the United States during his oath of office on Tuesday, according to the country's lower house. The politician has taken an oath of office at a special session of the Chamber of Deputies. The move comes after Bolsonaro, who represents the right-wing Social Liberal Party, secured a four-year presidential term by winning the October election. The Tuesday inauguration of Bolsonaro was attended by a number of foreign delegations, including representatives of Russia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also attended the inauguration ceremony. Bolsonaro, who is an ex-army captain managed to attain power amid escalating voter discontent caused by political graft, surging violent street crime, and an unstable economy. India's veteran and versatile actor Kader Khan passed away in Canada, his family members said on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The actor died at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto on Monday. His son Sarfaraz told India's semi-official news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) that Khan passed away on Monday at 6:00 p.m. Canadian local time. "He slipped into coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks," Sarfaraz was quoted as saying. Khan's funeral would be be performed in Canada. Born in 1937 in Afghanistan's Kabul, Khan made his debut in 1973 in Bollywood Hindi film Daag. He acted in more than 300 films mainly in mainstream Bollywood films. He also wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. The actor's performance has been widely acknowledged. "Kadar Khan passes away .. sad depressing news .. my prayers and condolences .. a brilliant stage artist a most compassionate and accomplished talent on film .. a writer of eminence; in most of my very successful films .. a delightful company .. and a mathematician!!" India's superstar and veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan wrote a condolence message on twitter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of Khan and recalled his long career in theater and films. "Kader Khan Ji brightened the screen with his stupendous acting skills and lightened it thanks to his unique sense of humor. He was also a prolific screenwriter, associated with many memorable films. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers," Modi said in a statement. India and Pakistan exchanged the lists of their nuclear facilities in accordance with the 1988 agreement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Sputnik. "India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan," the ministry's statement said. It is the 28th time since 1992 when New Delhi and Islamabad have exchanged the lists of nuclear facilities. "The Agreement, which was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991 provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This is the twenty-eighth consecutive exchange of such list between the two countries, the first one having taken place on 01 January 1992," the ministry added. Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons and, along with Israel and South Sudan, are not parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has welcomed the New Year's address by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a signal of his commitment to resolve the crisis on the peninsula, Trend reported citing Sputnik. According to the Yonhap news agency, the office said that the address reflected Kims desire to develop relations with both Seoul and Washington. "Chairman Kim's firm commitment is expected to have a positive effect on resolving the Korean Peninsula issue smoothly in the new year," spokesman for the office Kim Eui-kyeom said, as quoted by the agency. In his New Year's address to the nation, Kim confirmed that he was ready to improve relations with South Korea and the United States, and meet with US President Donald Trump "at any time." He, however, added that if Washington failed to deliver on its promises and continued enforcing sanctions, Pyongyang would have "no other choice but take a different path." In particular, Kim urged Washington not to deploy strategic weapons to South Korea and not to conduct drills that could be aimed against Pyongyang. In his address, Kim also conveyed greetings to South Korean people, noting the trend toward reconciliation, which resulted from his meetings with Moon in 2018. He also suggested reviving the operation of the South Korean industrial park near the North Korean city of Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist resort. A departure hall at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport was briefly cleared on Monday after a man claimed to have a bomb, national police said in a statement, Trend reported citing Reuters. No explosives were found at the airport, the police said, adding that the arrested person held for questioning is a 51-year-old Canadian man. The statement did not further identify the suspect. Police said the man had been arrested and departure hall 3 had been cleared as a precautionary measure. The airport said departure hall 3 was open again for operation. Climate change meet opens President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called on everyone to work together responsibly to protect our common home, the earth. Having added a pair of high-end brands to its stable, Michael Kors is changing its name to Capri, Trend reports with the reference to ABC News. The company announced the acquisition of the Italian fashion house Versace for more than $2 billion (1.83 billion euros) in September, less than two years after acquiring Jimmy Choo, the shoemaker that rocketed to fame on the high heels of "Sex and the City." Michael Kors Holdings, like its counterparts in France, has charged aggressively into the upper echelons of luxury fashion hoping to pump up sales. Kering snapped up Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Pomelato and LVMH bought Bulgari and Loro Piana. Capri Holdings Ltd. is projecting $8 billion in annual sales, with most of that coming from Michael Kors. Starting Wednesday, its New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol will be CPRI. Gianni Versace founded Versace in 1978. The family-run business was thrown into chaos with Versace's murder 21 years ago. His sister, Donatella Versace, will continue with the company, holding the position of creative director. Michael Kors, who founded the company under his name, also remains as creative director of that wing of the company. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned Washington Tuesday during his New Year's speech not to test Pyongyang's patience with sanctions and pressure, Trend reported citing Sputnik. In particular, in his New Year address, Kim said the United States should continue to halt its joint military drills with South Korea and avoid the deployment of strategic military assets to Seoul. Kim stressed that there would be significant progress on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula if the United States takes corresponding action. North Korean leader also said that he is willing to meet US President Donald Trump at any time again. Donald Trump said in a Christmas statement that the progress has been made with regards to North Korea, and he is anticipating his next bilateral meeting with North Korean leader. Trump has been considering a second summit with Kim to speed up the stalling denuclearization. Trumps National Security Advisor John Bolton said the summit could take place in January or February. On June 12, Trump and Kim met in Singapore, where they committed to establish new US-North Korea relations. In the joint declaration, Kim pledged to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while in return, Trump promised to provide certain security guarantees to North Korea. However, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Sunday that the North Korean military tested in December telemetry equipment used for tracking launched intercontinental ballistic missiles despite Pyongyang's claims that the country has suspended missile-related tests. Pyongyang conducted its latest missile launch in November last year. In late April, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that the country would suspend its ICBM launches and missile tests ahead of the summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. Moreover, during September's inter-Korean summit, North Korea pledged to close its missile test range in Tongchang-ri and completely dismantle nuclear facilities in Yongbyon. The EU foreign policy chief, on the eve of the New Year, said in an interview with the news website of the 'Live Mint' that the basis of the work of the European Union is the the International Atomic Energy Agencys reports, and the union is still committed to an agreement with Iran, Trend reports citing IRNA. Federica Mogherini, who ends his post as foreign policy chief of EU in 2019, cited the departure of the US from nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 as one of the most important events this year. 'You have called for Europe to defend its sovereignty by, for example, creating new structures that would allow it to continue to adhere to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran,' Mogherini said in response to a question. She also asked the question whether will such structures actually work, and could the special-purpose vehicle to maintain trade with Iran be used to counter other US sanctions. 'We are working, as a union of 28 member-states and with the rest of the international community, to preserve a nuclear agreement that has so far been implemented in full, as certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 13 consecutive reports,' Mogherini added. The EU foreign policy chief added, 'We do this because of our collective security: we do not want to see Iran developing a nuclear weapon, and the JCPOA is delivering precisely on that purpose. I start by saying this because I often hear that, on this issue, Europe is motivated mainly by economic or trade considerations. That is not the case: we do this to prevent a nuclear non-proliferation agreement that is working from being dismantled, and to prevent a major security crisis in the Middle East. She said, Part of this work requires us to guarantee that firms wanting to do legitimate business with Iran are allowed to do so. Mogherini went on to say that this is what 'we are working on right now: tools that will assist, protect, and reassure economic actors pursuing legitimate business with Iran'. She reiterated that It is true that the current situation has triggered a conversation on European economic sovereignty. We (Europeans) cannot accept that a foreign power even our closest friend and allymakes decisions over our legitimate trade with another country. This is a basic element of sovereignty, and it is only natural that this reflection takes place, not only in Europe, but in other parts of the world, too,' the top diplomat stressed. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 1 By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend: The year 2018 was marked by stabilization of Azerbaijans ICT market after stagnation a year earlier. Thanks to balanced macroeconomic policy and structural reforms, Azerbaijan managed to stop the GDP fall and set a course for further economic growth. In many ways, this was possible thanks to the tightening of monetary policy and more flexible exchange rate policy. In the real sector of the economy, the rise in oil prices, as well as the growth of non-resource sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and services, led to recovery in aggregate demand and budget revenues. There are a number of prerequisites that indicate the growth prospects of Azerbaijans IT market for the near medium term, according to IDC (International Data Corporation). The most positive changes that in the coming years will significantly affect the economy of Azerbaijan as a whole and the IT market, in particular, include restructuring of the banking sector, reforms in the social sphere, completion and launch of major projects. In the medium term until 2022, Azerbaijans IT market will maintain double-digit growth rates largely due to measures taken in the field of government digitalization, the spread of broadband internet and digital transformation of the private sector. The average annual growth rate of Azerbaijans IT market until 2022 will be 12 percent (IT equipment will grow 11 percent, IT services will grow 16 percent and software will grow 16 percent). By 2022, the volume of the IT market will double in comparison with the level of 2018 and will amount to $1.6 billion. Despite that there were few key events in the ICT market of Azerbaijan in 2018, nevertheless, the year was quite successful. Commercial enterprises successfully developed, new products and solutions appeared. The key events of the year are the following: Owner of Azercell mobile operator changed The purchase of 51.3 percent of shares of the company Azertel [the sole shareholder of the Azerbaijani telecommunications operator Azercell] by the state company Azintelecom from the company Fintur became the key event of the beginning of the year. Fintur is owned by Telia Company (58.55 percent) and Turkcell (41.45 percent). The agreed price for 51.3 percent of Finturs shares in the company Azertel was 222 million euros, which implies the cost of capital of 432 million euros for 100 percent of Azercell shares and a companys value worth 197 million euros based on cash and without debts. Prior to signing the deal, Telia Company completed a rigorous verification of the buyers trustworthiness and declared satisfaction with the results of all proper checks and controls. Azercells re-branding is the subject of discussions and this issue is likely to be resolved in 2019. Establishment of a center for the study and development of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technology The second quarter of 2018 was marked by the creation of a center for the study and development of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technology, which included interested market participants. During the year, the Center regularly organized meetings, held discussions as part of which issues of regulation of the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technologies were touched upon, provided advisory services, prepared proposals on issues of legal regulation of the industry. If we consider that this is a completely new direction for everyone, there is an urgent need to exchange experience, study aspects of the legal regulation of the cryptocurrency market and using the blockchain technology. Readiness to use the blockchain technology and SMART contracts in housing and communal services was recently announced by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan. The ministry provides over 30 electronic services, there are about 15 information systems and registries. They include the register of electronic notary, electronic court, penitentiary service, information systems of non-governmental organizations, population register, etc. The planned project Mobile Notary Office, which provides for the accumulation of all notarial documents in one case, seemed interesting. The plans of the ministry also include, among other things, the implementation of a project related to notarization of an electronic document. It was announced that in the future, SMART contracts will be implemented in the field of public services (water, gas and electricity). That is, the existing contracts of citizens for public services will be transferred to SMART contracts, and this will ensure transparency and will allow preventing the facts of falsification in this area. Moreover, the citizens themselves will be able to independently control all these processes. In world practice, the blockchain technology is successfully used where the registry is formed. Most of the services of the Ministry of Justice (registers and databases of the population) are based namely on them. Launch of the second telecommunications satellite - Azerspace-2 / Intelsat-38 A significant event of the year was the launch of the second communications satellite - Azerspace-2 / Intelsat-38. The countdown for the launch of the Ariane 5 carrier rocket with a satellite on board was started on September 26 on the launch platform ELA-3, in the Guiana Space Center. Azerbaijan's telecommunications satellite Azerspace 2 reached its test orbit on Dec. 18. The company noted that the satellite will be in test mode for about two months, after which it will be placed in its final orbit of 45 degrees east longitude. At the beginning of 2019, the satellite will be transferred to the management of Azercosmos and then the satellite will be fully ready for commercial operation Flight VA243 will become the 100th mission for the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle and the 300th for the Arianespace launcher family. Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 is designed to provide a number of telecommunication services and will serve two operators - Intelsat SA and Azercosmos OJSC. The satellite will provide coverage of the growing demand for DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite broadcasting services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and in the part of Africa south of the Sahara desert for Azercosmos OJSC. The satellite will also provide continuity of service from the orbital position of 45 degrees for the Luxembourg office of the Intelsat SA, as well as will ensure the delivery of DTH services to Central and Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the provision of communication services in Africa. The Azerspace-2 satellite, worth $190 million, is projected to bring revenue to Azerbaijan's economy in the amount of $400 million. The satellite has been built on the 1300-series platform (SS/L 1300). The satellite will be placed at an orbital position of 45 degrees. The lifetime of the satellite in orbit will be 15 years. The first communication satellite Azerspace / Africasat-1a was launched into a geostationary orbit at 46 degrees east longitude on February 8, 2013. This satellite was also launched from the Kourou space base by Arianespace company. Issuance of a new generation of identity cards The year was also marked by the transition to identity cards of a new generation, the issuance of which started on Sep. 1. IDs are issued to the Azerbaijani citizens in stages. The Certification Center handles requests from personalization centers operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan. Based on the received requests, the center prepares certificates and sends them back. Three application programs are recorded on the chip of IDs: personal information about the owner, data of two certificates (the first one is an authentication certificate, the second one is for e-signature) and the so-called domestic applications, the functions of which make it possible to automatically update information about the ID holder. For example, in the case of a change of last name or updating marital status information, this data will be automatically updated by means of special card readers as soon as a citizen applies for a service to an authorized body where these devices will be installed. Citizens having received new IDs can independently activate the e-signature integrated into them. The term for using the e-signature is three years. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has said on Monday that Arab countries viewed Israel as an "indispensable ally" fighting Iran and the Islamic State. According to the Businesstimes website, Netanyahu has said in an interview with Brazil's Globo TV during a visit to Rio de Janeiro that the Arabs' assessment of Israel as an ally, "has caused a revolution in relations with the Arab world". Mr. Netanyahu has on various occasions warned against Iran's military presence in Syria and highlighted the danger of Iran having access to nuclear weapons; a concern he shares with several Arab leaders. Asked if he could ever envisage a day when an Israeli prime minister would hold peace talks with an Iranian leader, Netanyahu said: "If Iran remains committed to our destruction the answer is no." The only way, he said, would be "if Iran undergoes a total transformation." Netanyahu did not explain further the alliance between his country and the Arab world in the campaign against Iran. However, the media have speculated that his visit to Oman some eight weeks ago, and his upcoming visits to Bahrain and other Persian Gulf littoral states could be part of his move to forge such an alliance. His reference to an alliance with the Arab world is mainly based on his shared views with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the coordination he has possibly secretly made with them, the media speculate. Meanwhile, other reports say that Netanyahu has put Yossi Cohen the head of Israel's secret service MOSSAD in charge of prompt expansion of Israel's ties with Saudi Arabia. In a December 9 report, Iran's Press TV quoted Israel's Hadashot TV as having reported that "Tel Aviv is seeking full diplomatic relations with the Saudi Arabian government and wants to make their ties official within the next few months." The report added that Netanyahu was seeking to formalize ties with Riyadh before the next Israeli election which was slated for November 2019 but has been moved forward to April. Israel has intensified its attacks on Iranian targets and those of Tehran's allies in Syria after US President Donald Trump declared that the US was to withdraw its forces from Syria, Netanyahu has been repeatedly warning that Tehran was following an agenda of Destruction of Israel through furthering a nuclear program and deploying forces to Syria. Israeli officials have said that their forces have attacked a series of targets in Syria last week to destroy Iranian weapons that have been shipped to Syria recently for the Lebanese Hezbollah. Air strikes on areas near the Damascus airport have been among the first Israeli actions in Syria after Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. from Syria. Netanyahu is to hold talks on Tuesday on the Syrian development with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who is also visiting Brazil. Regional media have said that Netanyahu has convinced Pompeo during a phone conversation that the U.S. should delay withdrawal of its forces from Syria. Meanwhile, in his interview with Globo TV Netanyahu attributed the stalemate in peace talks with Palestinians to the link between HAMAS and the Islamic Republic. Only one day before Netanyahu's comments, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhaleh in Tehran, "One day there will be a Palestinian state in Tel Aviv." The chairman of Irans national security and foreign policy commission has said that his countrys economic balance sheet in Iraq is negative, and Turkey and Saudi Arabia have assumed a larger economic role, IRNA reported on January 1. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said that his commission met on December 30 to examine Irans economic record in Syria and Iraq and the following question emerged: Given Irans good military and political record in Iraq, why its economic role has regressed. He added that, Irans place is empty in Baghdads bazaars and in Najaf and Karbala an unfair competition is underway, which in practice is pushing Iranian companies out. Iraq is the second biggest market for Iranian exports and Irans ambassador in November had said that trade can reach $22 billion annually in the future. Falahatpisheh has also voiced alarm at the expanding role and influence of Turkey and Saudi Arabia in Iraq, saying that their forces are getting positions in the heart of government organizations. He added that if Iran loses its economic presence, we will also lose whatever we have in the political and military fields, which we have gained with sacrifice. Iran still remains a major supplier of natural gas to Iraq, which have so far been exempted by Washington from U.S. economic sanctions. Poroshenko: attracting investments to Ukraine is result of reforms and evidence of investor confidence President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has noted that attracting large-scale investments to Ukraine in the past year of 2018 became possible thanks to the implementation of reforms in the country. "The coming of global players to Ukraine is the result of implementation of our reforms and a vivid testimony of investor confidence in our country," Poroshenko said on Facebook. He noted that in 2018 Ukraine attracted large-scale investments to the economy "from Norwegian investors to the renewable energy sector, from a company from Saudi Arabia to the agricultural sector, from the Swedish brands H&M and IKEA to retail trade." "Ryanair airline came to Ukraine and Wizz Air low cost carrier returned. Some 20 General Electric locomotives have already arrived in Ukraine," the head of state added. "Invest in Ukraine!" Poroshenko summed up. Board hints at resuming Melamchi works if Italian firm doesnt respond The government has said it wont wait much longer for the Italian contractor if the ongoing dispute drags on, disrupting the Melamchi Water Supply Project. Happy New Year: Revelers welcome 2019 around the world From Bangkok to New York and protests-prone Paris, stunning fireworks displays light up the sky for new year celebrations. Fireworks explode over Bangkok to ring in the near year in Thailand. Photo by AFP/Krit Promsakla Na Sakolnakorn People attend a ceremony to celebrate the new year in Seoul, South Korea. Photo by Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year in Hong Kong. Photo by Reuters/Tyrone Siu Fireworks explode near Petronas Twin Towers during New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo by Reuters/Lai Seng Sin A firework display lights up the skyline during New Year's Day celebrations in Singapore. Photo by Reuters/Feline Lim Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square, in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., December 31, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Jeenah Moon Fireworks explode around the London Eye during New Year's celebrations just after midnight on January 1, 2019. Photo by AFP People take pictures with their mobile phones of fireworks exploding over the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees for New Year's celebrations in the French capital Paris on January 1, 2019. A fireworks display and sound and light show under the theme "fraternity" is set to go ahead on the Champs-Elysees despite plans for further "yellow vest" anti-government protests at the famed avenue. Photo by AFP/Lucas Barioulet People look at fireworks exploding over the Kremlin in Moscow during New Year celebrations, on January 1, 2019. Photo by AFP/Mladen Antonov Two travel agencies have been fined and their licenses suspended for violations regarding 'missing' Vietnamese tourists in Taiwan. The International Holidays Trading Travel Co. in Ho Chi Minh City was fined VND33 million ($1,421) and had its international tour operation business license revoked for a year. The company was found to have committed three violations: changing its working address without informing authorities at least 15 days in advance; having no written contracts with tourists; and not guiding tourists as per the contracts and tour programs, the HCMC's department of tourism announced Monday. The travel agency was responsible for creating itineraries and applying for visas on behalf of the Vietnamese tourists. It also failed to provide documents to prove its legal authorization for signing visa provision contracts with Taiwan-based ETholiday travel agency, which was responsible for receiving the tourists in Taiwan, and two other Vietnamese travel agencies, Golden Travel and Twin Bright, that organized the tour groups in Vietnam, the department said. Hanoi-based Golden Travel was fined VND48.5 million ($2,090) and had its international tour operation business license revoked for nine months for allowing tour guides without proper licenses to guide tourists and not managing the tourists as per contracts, Hanois tourism department nnounced Saturday. The Twin Bright agency, not yet fined, was also found to have signed contracts with the International Holidays Trading Travel Co. without knowing the identity of the other signing party, the department said. Case files on Golden Travel and Twin Bright have been sent to Hanois Police Department for further investigation. Last week, Taiwans National Immigration Agency had said that of all but one of 153 Vietnamese tourists who arrived in the south-western city of Kaohsiung on December 21 and 23 in four groups had strayed and gone missing. The one remaining was a 17-year-old boy. The news of 152 people going missing was an unprecedented incident that shocked the public and authorities in Taiwan and Vietnam. The group included a four-year-old girl and a 62-year-old man; most of the rest were between 20 and 38 years of age. The Vietnamese went to Taiwan through the Kuan Hung visa program, a part of Taiwans New Southbound Policy to establish closer ties with selected nations, making it easier for citizens of Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to visit Taiwan by applying for electronic visas without paying for visa fees. It also allows simplified visa procedures for groups of five tourists or more from the six countries, as long as they are organized by "quality travel agencies" recognized by the Tourism Bureau or if they are part of company-sponsored groups. Vietnams Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has stated that the tourists took advantage of the special electronic visas to work illegally in Taiwan. In response, Taiwanese authorities have temporarily suspended 102 travel agencies in Vietnam from the program under which they could apply for group visas for Vietnamese citizens and shortened the length of visas issued to Vietnamese from 30 to 14 days. It also decided to take tougher actions to clamp down on foreign illegal workers in the coming time, including checks on return tickets and hotel bookings. As of Sunday, Taiwanese police had found 24 missing Vietnamese tourists, while another has been contacted and three decided to return to Vietnam. The remaining 124 are still missing. Once found, the tourists would be deported and banned from re-entering Taiwan for an unspecified amount of time for violating its Immigration Law. Also on Sunday, Taiwanese authorites detained a 30-year-old local man of Vietnamese origin, whose surname is Trinh, for allegedly helping the 152 Vietnamese tourists disappear. In recent years, Taiwan has emerged as a promising destination for Vietnamese workers looking for jobs overseas. In 2018, Vietnam sent around 65,000 workers to Taiwan, nearly half of all the workers it sent overseas. It was war, they were boys, but Hanoi and the nation depended on them to keep battlefield communications open. A power station exploded and Hanoi went dark. It was the opening salvo of the anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, otherwise known as the First Indochina War. It was about 8 p.m. on December 19, 1946. Within minutes, the sounds of gunfire echoed in the air starting from Phao Dai Lang Street in the west of the capital. Over the next 60 days, a fierce tug of war ensued between the French and Vietnamese forces to gain control of Hanoi. It was not an equal battle. France had approximately 6,500 soldiers, 40 tanks, 19 planes and numerous other war vehicles mobilized for the battle, while Vietnam had only 1,500 and 4,000 soldiers and 2,000 guns to defend the city. And in the thick of the battle, as cannons roared and bullets whizzed, it was of crucial strategic importance that there was communication between soldiers fighting in different areas of the city. But this was not easy. It required great courage, agility, presence of mind and knowledge of the citys intricate network of alleys and lanes. Incredibly, almost unbelievably, it was a group of children aged 9-15 who stood up and performed the task. Hanoi soldiers seize a French machine gun at the Hang Dau intersection in 1946. Archival photo Passwords and barricades Phung De, now 85, still remembers clearly how he and his peers had to slip through many barricades on the streets and memorize the make-shift "tunnel systems" within houses in the city to deliver battlefield updates to military headquarters. The young scouts used codes to relay information and prevent spying by the other side. "When I met a stranger, and I said hoa, the other person had to respond binh. If he didnt, we would capture him," De recalled. (Hoa Binh means peace in Vietnamese, something that people were pining for). Dang Van Tich, 87, recalls how pots, pans and other household objects were used to block roads and create fake minefields to impede the French army in the capital city. De and Tich were among the 200 or so scouts who helped Vietnamese troops communicate with each other during the Battle of Hanoi in 1946. The value of their work can never be underestimated because it ensured safe passages for citizens to evacuate and helped prevent the capital from falling into French hands. These young scouts, young in age and stature, displayed heroic courage, unwavering tenacity and love for their country. This is how their incredible story unfolded. French war criminals Towards the end of 1946, despite having signed two treaties with the Vietnamese government, France didnt stop sowing the seeds of war across the country. Thousands of Vietnamese people were killed in the port city of Hai Phong and dozens living on Hang Bun Street in Hanoi died in multiple skirmishes in December. On December 18 that year, France sent an ultimatum to the Vietnamese government, demanding that its forces disarm and concede Hanoi to the French army. The government refused. Ho Chi Minh rallied all citizens to take up arms and fight the French invaders. As the Battle of Hanoi broke out December 19, citizens and selected troops were evacuated to northern regions to preserve manpower and resources. Only a portion of Vietnamese forces stayed behind to defend the capital and buy more time for the evacuation. Five battalions of the Vietnamese army made their last stand in the city. Supporting them was the squad of very young scouts yet to reach their teens. Their small stature and nimble feet made them adept at zipping in and out of the battlefields and avoiding enemy detection. Their task was to ensure communication throughout the city, keeping constant tabs on the battlefield to relay vital changes to military headquarters. "We were too young to be called soldiers. We were like the younger siblings of the main troops back then," Tich recalled. Former Hanoi scout Dang Van Tich. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Tuan When the rallying call was broadcast on December 19, Tich, then only 15, decided to break away from the stream of people evacuating Hanoi and join the fight as a scout operating near the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square in Hoan Kiem District. Tich and his fellow scouts led numerous soldiers to safety while delivering food and documents to military headquarters. "We were like family. After the sounds of gunfire died down at night, the older troops often carried us scouts to bed. Since we were small children, we always got to taste treats like delicious bowls of lotus seed sweet soup," Tich said. He does not look back at that time without regret. More than the bombing and the shooting, Tichs abiding regret is that he never saw his father again. It was only in 1955, when the Vietnamese forces finally regained control of the capital, did Tich learn that his father had already died, the family house had been sold, and his siblings were no longer there. The horrors Phung De still remembers how a mother and child was stabbed to death with a bayonet right in front of him as the French army massacred the residents of Hang Bun Street just two days before the Battle of Hanoi. The memory haunts him to this day. Orphaned since the age of four, De was taken in by an aunt and learned shoemaking to survive. The night the battle began, like Tich, De refused to evacuate and decided to stay and fight. But he was too young to join the army back then. De didnt give up. Seeing soldiers digging trenches near Cau Go Street, he decided to lend a hand. Shortly after, he was assigned to be a scout. The last stand By January 1947, while the Vietnamese forces were able to hold off the French within the capital, the battle had taken its toll on them, with food and ammunition slowly running out. Ho Chi Minh then ordered most Vietnamese troops to retreat from the capital to save resources and manpower. Only a handful, about 500 people, was told to stay behind. All the Hanoi scouts were also ordered to leave the city at that time. "When I roll called the troops, there were 1,200 people who stayed back in Hanoi, including 175 scouts. [The scouts] hid in closets, under beds, on roofs... wherever they could in order to stay back and fight," said Vu Trong Ham, a colonel who was part of the Hanoi defending troops in 1947. The boys were not immune to the violence of war. A soldier holds a lunge mine to face a French tank in Hanoi, 1946. The indigenously devised weapon meant certain death for the one who used it. Photo acquired by VnExpress from the archives Former medic Vu Thi Ngam, 86, remembers a particular boy named Tran Van Lai, who was a scout during the 60-day Hanoi battle. On February 12, 1947, the French was close to gaining control of a local school in O Quan Chuong Street. The school was of great strategic importance; losing it would have been cutting of an escape route for Vietnamese troops to leave the city. As soldiers retreated from the French armys advances, Lai, who was only 12, managed to run back to headquarters and ask for reinforcements. When he tried to make it back to the school, the French shot him. Lai succumbed to his wounds not long after. But thanks to him calling for reinforcements, the school didnt fall that night. After the battle, the late legendary general of the Vietnamese army, military architect of the armys victories against the French and the U.S. Americans, Vo Nguyen Giap, wrote: "They are our scouts, our patriotic youth who deserve to be called little giants, who vowed to protect their country to their last breaths." Vietnamese victims of Friday Egypt bomb attack sit as they talk to staff from travel company Saigontourist upon returning to Vietnam Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Saigontourist Nine Vietnamese tourists who escaped death in last Fridays deadly bomb blast in Cairo arrived in Saigon Tuesday. They were flown in on a Turkish Airlines flight. The nine tourists were among a group of 15 Vietnamese tourists hit by a roadside bomb near Egypts famed pyramids. The blast killed three Vietnamese people, including two tourists, Tran Hoa Khanh, 57, Nguyen Thuy Quynh, 58, and a 29-year-old tour Saigontourist guide, Nguyen Trong Tien. An Egyptian guide also died in the attack. The group of nine Vietnamese people, two uninjured and seven slightly injured, have returned home first. Three other tourists who sustained serious injuries are being treated in Egypt. Saigontourist has dispatched staff to take care of them, along with the relatives of the victims. They are recovering well and can return to Vietnam during the weekend, said a source from the company. The Vietnamese embassy in Egypt is working closely with the local government to complete procedures to bring the bodies of three dead Vietnamese victims home on a special flight scheduled on Wednesday. One of those heading to Egypt was Nguyen Nguyen Vu, whose sister Nguyen Thuy Quynh, 56, died in the bombing, while her husband, Le Duc Minh, was wounded. The couple were in the seafood business and were taking holiday to Egypt, Quynhs younger brother said. "We were all very shocked... My sister and her husband travel quite a lot and they are quite experienced in traveling abroad. Their hobby is traveling," Vu told AFP. The bus carrying the Vietnamese tourists was on the way to a restaurant for dinner Friday night before departing for Vietnam when it was hit by a roadside bomb placed near a wall along Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram District. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli (2nd-R) visit one of the victims of an attack on a tourist bus carrying Vietnamese tourists close to the pyramids Friday night, at a hospital in Al-Haram district in the Egyptian capital Cairo's western twin city of Giza. Photo by AFP The bombing was the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt in over a year and came as the tourism sector, a vital foreign exchange revenue source, was recovering from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the countrys 2011 uprising, Reuters reported. Egyptian authorities have launched an urgent investigation into the bomb attack, for which there has been no immediate claim of responsibility. Following the deadly attack, Vietnamese travel agencies have suspended Egypt tours. Police are hunting a group of nearly 20 youths who assaulted officials and vandalized a military office in Vinh Long. The incident happened late Sunday in the southern province when some youth entered the offices of the Long An Commune People's Committee after attending a nearby wedding and started making loud engine noises with their motorbikes. After being scolded by the militia officer on duty, the group left and returned with about 20 people. They assaulted the officer, injuring him and two other people. Nguyen Hoang Sang, deputy head of the commune's police department, intervened with a warning shot and brought the three injured people indoors, but the group continued their assault, forcing him to get the victims out through the backdoor while the assailants vandalized the headquarters of the local military unit. The group scattered and fled upon the arrival of emergency police, and the victims were rushed to hospital. However, a number of assailants then came to the emergency room to continue attacking the victims, causing chaos at the hospital. Police have arrested two of the assailants and are searching for the remaining ones. A worker checks aluminum rolls at a warehouse inside an industrial park in Binzhou, Shandong province, China. Photo by Reuters Cheap aluminum imported from China is hurting Vietnamese producers who fear they will not be able to compete. Nguyen Hong Linh, owner of an aluminum manufacturing firm in Hanoi, said he has not been able to expand despite having the capital. "My company, along with other aluminum manufacturers, has been reducing production since the beginning of the year." Most industry players VnExpress spoke to have in fact been reducing production, with some operating at only 30-40 percent of capacity. Vu Van Phu, chairman of Hanoi company Fran Alumi, lamented this is because locally made aluminum has to go through more inspections than Chinese imports. Vietnamese aluminum has to go through multiple examinations of origin and quality, he claimed. Another challenge is that the input value added tax (VAT) refund for Chinese products has been hike from 9 percent to 13 percent since September, he said. The higher tax refund means Vietnamese manufacturers are unable to compete on price, he added. Experts have been sounding warnings that China could export cheap goods in large quantities to Vietnam, not just aluminum but also steel and other industrial products, amid its trade war with the U.S. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) earlier this month slapped duties of 96.3-176.2 percent on common alloy aluminum sheet products from China after claiming that the import of Chinese products has harmed American producers. As a result of this, China, which accounts for half the worlds supply of aluminum according to the International Aluminum Institute, could seek to export to neighboring countries, including Vietnam, according to industry insiders and economists. Official data shows that Chinese products account for 30 percent of Vietnams aluminum imports, a figure which has tripled in the last two years. Imports from other markets known for high-quality aluminum such as Germany and Taiwan account for only 2 percent. Linh, the Hanoi-based aluminum manufacturer, is concerned about his business prospects after the 90-day trade war truce between China and the U.S. comes to an end. "If the two countries cannot negotiate, the U.S. will impose higher tariffs on China, and China could seek to export its aluminum via Vietnam to the U.S." Other Vietnamese manufacturers are concerned that these products, with low prices and quality, would slow down or even halt their production. This happened last year when large volumes of Chinese aluminum came into Vietnam, and customs authorities had to curtail the imports. The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam said recently it is investigating if Chinese aluminum is hurting Vietnamese producers. While the industry is concerned that Vietnam could become Chinas dumping ground for cheap materials and scrap, Nguyen Trung Tien, head of the General Statistics Offices trade statistics department, said authorities would intervene to preclude this. A spokesperson for the Vietnam Aluminum Association said aluminum imports from China need to be reduced, checks need to be increased and dumping should be prevented and domestic distribution encouraged. Local manufacturers also need to improve their technology and optimize manufacturing to reduce prices, and without these changes, "Vietnamese aluminum businesses could lose in their own backyard," the spokesperson added. Around Rs 4b embezzled while buying planes: House sub-panel Over Rs4 billion was embezzled while procuring two wide-body aircraft for the Nepal Airlines Corporation as the NAC loses over Rs15 million daily after the planes have been grounded since they landed in Kathmandu, a parliamentary subcommittee has claimed. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Oh, and if you see me driving my red 2010 Mustang GT convertible, please wave. Hi, I am a retired newspaperman. I wrote 3 books on Trump and the media . I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 43 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. The Good News Review of 2018 for Gun Owners By Rob Morse. December 28th, 2018 Original Source Our memory is uneven. I looked back at 2018 and found plenty of good news for gun owners. This is where we were.. and a glimpse of where were going. Happy New Year to you and yours. December The state house and senate improved gun laws and overrode Ohio Governor Kasichs veto. The new law reinforced state preemption. It also shifted the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the prosecutor. You are innocent until proven guilty..even in Ohio. Epidemiologists said that mandatory background checks and firearms purchase prohibitions for minor crimes didnt reduce homicide or suicide. Gun control is a placebo. The American College of surgeons said that issuing concealed carry licenses or recognizing constitutional carry does not lead to increased violent crime. Gun control is neither safe, nor effective. The preliminary report on the murders at the Parkland Florida High School said that school staff should be armed. A public survey at the end of the year said government error is more responsible than a lack of gun control for the massacre at a Florida high school. November The first school board in Pennsylvania voted to allow some trained staff to be armed at school. Gearfire Payments joined McMillan Merchant Solutions to process credit card transactions for gun stores. Concealed carry permits in Washington, DC increased 14 fold in the first year of shall issue..... ....... Maybe not all was bad news for gun owners in 2018 even if there remains much to be done as always, such as fighting the 'red flag' laws and the bump stock ban as just two very important examples. However, with the new year looming there is likely to be a lot of extra pressure as the left takes up a house majority and no doubt will be trying everything they can to interfere with Second Amendment rights as well as rights in general. Stay alert, aware and motivated. Back to Top Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Algemeiner..31 December '18..Imagine appropriate news coverage of the horrific Nazi slaughter of six million Jews. Then imagine coverage, by the same newspaper, of the accidental killing six months earlier of a 20-year-old Gaza nurse by a ricocheting bullet fired by an Israeli soldier. The Holocaust story, in the memorable title of Laurel Leffs scathing book, was Buried by the.The Gaza story, accompanied by two photos, appeared on thefront page (December 30). It covered more than half the page. Credit was given to five reporters, with authorship byJerusalem Bureau Chief David Halbfinger. But that was only the beginning. Coverage spread across three full inside pages, half of them devoted to thereconstruction of the death of Rouzan al-Najjar. To show how she was killed, theproudly claimed to have analyzed over 1,000 photos and videos, while capturing the fatal moment in a 3-D model and interviewing more than 30 witnesses and commanders.What actually happened? According to theaccount, which there is no reason to doubt given the range and depth of its research, Ms. Najjar became fearless and outspoken and determined to become a nurse after witnessing the death of her pregnant aunt, intentionally pushed down the stairs of their Gaza home by her grandmother.Ms. Najjar saw her role as part of the Palestinian struggle never refusing an interview request to plead her righteous case, as she explained back in May when thefirst noted her admirable ambition. She proudly proclaimed: Im an army to myself, and the sword to my army, writing on Facebook that her bloodstained uniform carried the sweetest perfume. Therecounts how young men and their parents paraded through the Najjars home seeking betrothal to the now famous Rouzan. But she rejected their entreaties because she had her own goals in mind. Calgary police shot more people this year than their counterparts in many other big Canadian cities, according to a CBC News analysis. Officers shot nine people, killing five, coming close to the record they set two years ago with 10 shootings. The 2016 tally was the highest among Canadian cities and helped trigger an independent review that made dozens of recommendations on the use of force. In Toronto Canada's biggest city which dealt with record levels of violence this year there were two police shootings in 2018, one of them fatal. Here's a breakdown of police shootings in big Canadian centres this year: Calgary - 9 (5 fatal). Niagara Region - 3 (no fatal). Edmonton - 2 (both fatal). Toronto - 2 (one fatal). Ottawa - 1 (fatal). Winnipeg - 1 (not fatal). Halifax - 1 (fatal). Vancouver - 0. CBC News found reports of one police shooting in Montreal, but police said they were short-staffed during the holidays and couldn't confirm whether there were more. In Calgary, acting police Chief Steve Barlow said his officers respond to threats in a way they feel is justified. He said comparing shooting totals in Calgary with those in other cities is unfair. "I don't know what their call load is. I don't know the dynamics of what they've been involved in, in these years. So to try and compare would be very difficult," he said. "I don't want to ever see any of my officers involved in these situations because they're horrendous for themselves, for the other officers involved, the public and the people involved." Calgarians should be concerned, defence lawyer says Calgary defence lawyer Andrea Urquhart said this year's tally is troubling, especially when compared against other big cities, such as Toronto. Police in Canada's biggest city say there were more shootings and gun seizures in 2018 than in most previous years. They also grappled with a record number of homicides, a deadly van attack and a mass shooting. Story continues "The statistics on their own are concerning," Urquhart said. "Citizens need to be engaged and concerned about what recommendations have previously been made to CPS and what CPS is doing to adopt those recommendations." The record number of shootings in 2016 helped lead to the independent review of the use of force by Calgary police. Retired Court of Queen's Bench chief justice Neil Wittmann made dozens of recommendations in a report last spring, including calls for more training on de-escalating threats and for officers to carry less-lethal weapons. There were two police shootings in Calgary last year. But in the last three years, there have been a total of 21. All nine police shootings this year remain under investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, an oversight watchdog. Calgary doesn't have problem with use of force, criminologist says Criminologist Kelly Sundberg, who provided advice to Wittmann's team, said he doesn't believe police in Calgary have a problem with the use of force. Sundberg, an associated professor at Mount Royal University, said the number of shootings has likely been driven by several factors, including Calgary's expanding population, a spike in meth use and the opioid crisis. CBC Still, he noted the number of police shootings per capita is higher than in other Canadian cities, which "warrants examination and I know the police are doing that." Sundberg said Calgary police have taken meaningful steps to implement the Wittmann report, with revamped training for new recruits and new training and education for existing officers. "They've been methodical in their move forward and trying to do the best they can without rushing things," he said. "I get that can be somewhat frustrating for members of the community, but I do believe they're doing the right thing." Bundle up. It's going to be a brutally cold one. Communities across the northeastern edge of Alberta are contending with some bone-chilling weather. As of 4:30 a.m. Monday, Environment Canada had issued extreme cold warnings for areas including Lloydminster, Wainwright , Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Lac La Biche, Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan. The wind chill in some areas will hover between minus 40 and minus 45. Fort McMurray can expect a high of -17 C with a wind chill of minus 41 in the morning and minus 25 in the afternoon. In Fort Chipewyan, residents can expect a high of -23 C but the wind will make it feel like it's minus 42. Environment Canada is reminding the public, when temperatures plunge, frostbite can develop in minutes. "Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill create an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia," stated an advisory from Environment Canada. "Extreme cold puts everyone at risk." Very cold wind chills are expected to ease off by this afternoon. A series of changes to Quebec's labour code come into effect Jan. 1, bringing with them more paid vacation for certain employees and improved sexual harassment policies for everyone. As of 2019, all employers in Quebec will be required to have an up-to-date sexual harassment in the workplace policy, that will streamline the complaint and internal resolution process. Marianne Plamondon, a partner at Langlois law firm in Montreal, has specialized in labour and employment law for 16 years. She told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that a lot of employers have harassment policies that were adopted in 2004 but have not been updated since. "Now, they have to renew it go further. They have to ensure that the complaint process is efficient and solves the problems, and they have to include sexual harassment," she said. "With the #MeToo movement, we've raised the bar. The level is higher now and employers must make sure that they have a process in place." Along with including sexual harassment under the umbrella of workplace psychological harassment, employees will also have two years, instead of just 90 days, to file a formal complaint with the labour standards, pay equity and Quebec's workplace health and safety board (CNESST). The CNESST says psychological harassment means any "vexatious behaviour" in the form of repeated and hostile or unwanted conduct that affects an employee's dignity, resulting in a harmful work environment for the employee. It can also be a single, serious incident that has a lasting harmful effect on the employee, it says. Quebec complaints top 4,000 annually About 19 per cent of Canadian women and 13 per cent of men reported being harassed in the workplace in 2016, with the highest level of harassment in healthcare jobs, according to Statistics Canada. In 2017, the CNESST received 4,669 complaints of psychological harassment. There were 4,400 complaints in 2016 compared to 4,022 in 2011. Story continues The new workplace harassment policy is expected to result in more complaints, according to Manon Poirier, the executive director of Quebec's human resources and industrial relations organizations known as the CRHA. She said verbal abuse is the most common type of harassment in the workplace. It's difficult for victims to come forward, Poirier said, but "a good and sound policy will facilitate the denunciations." Restaurant owner John Cercone says the province should have better notified employers about the new requirement, especially for businesses like his with no human resources department. "I think we're going to have to have a more open forum, and more of an encouragement of listening to these claims of abuse, whether physical or psychological," said Cercone, who co-owns Tavern on the Square in Westmount. Know your schedule in advance Employees will also be given new rights of refusal when it comes to last-minute scheduling changes. That means employees can refuse to work more than two hours of overtime without fear of repercussions, and they can refuse to be called in for shifts that weren't scheduled and posted five days in advance. Radio-Canada So if an employer asks a worker to come in the night before, giving only one day's notice, that person is allowed to say no. However, there is an exception to this rule for employees who, by the nature of their work, need to remain available. More paid vacation time There's good news for Quebecers who have been working the same job for three years: they will be able to enjoy one more week of paid vacation. It used to be that employees would qualify for three weeks of paid vacation only after working for the same employer for five years. Now, under the new regulations, the three weeks comes after three years. There will also be two paid days for loss of a close family member, instead of only one paid day. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe GOVERNMENT is targeting to generate foreign currency through human capital exports and has renewed negotiations with South Sudan to send unemployed graduates to that country.Government has previously indicated that it was working on a policy to export graduates with more than 16 000 registered under the scheme. However, nothing concrete has materialised as it emerged the deal was not finalised with Africa's youngest nation, South Sudan.In an interview yesterday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister Professor Amon Murwira said Government in 2019 wants to finalise the exportation of labour programme with South Sudan."During innovation Africa, I had the privilege of meeting my counterpart, Minister of Higher Education from South Sudan, in order to learn at which stage we were (in regards to exportation of labour). But I then learnt that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was not finalised. And we are going to finalise the MoU as we enter 2019," said Prof Murwira.Prof Murwira said the country could earn more Diaspora remittances through exportation of graduates."In Zimbabwe we pride ourselves of being very literate. We discovered that we have to up our skills but we know that we are better off in this area. It must be seen through foreign currency inflows using education," he said."What that means is that we are going to work very hard to make sure agreements with South Sudan for example among others is finalised so that we can begin the exportation of our graduates." News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Get latest news by email: Subscribe Embattled MDC Vice President Engineer Elias Mudzuri has called for unity among all Zimbabweans as we enter the new year."As we cross over into 2019 let us work towards a united, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe that affords equal opportunities for all regardless of our differences." Mudzuri said. "Let us shun hate speech and violence. Hard work, patriotism and mutual respect should propel us towards a new Zimbabwe."Mudzuri was recently accused of endorsing President Emmerrson Mnangagwa when he attended a meeting of parliament officials at State House. He was later booed off the stage and accussed of being a ZANU PF sellout during an MDC rally."Unity begins with all of us who love this country and want it to work again. We remain with the people and our icon Morgan Tsvangirai led from the front and taught us a people driven leadership ethos." He further said.Mudzuri's call for unity was received with hard feelings as people thought he was now speaking like a ZANU PF mouthpiece.One Professor Nyikasikana said, "Iwe Mudzuri wakapiwa farm na Mnangagwa ne mombe 100 dze command agriculture wakatengesa kare iwe. Unoswera ku n'anga uchida kuuraya Nelson Chamisa (Mudzuri you were given a farm by Mnangagwa and 100 cows. You spend time at witchdoctors trying to kill Nelson Chamisa.""Mudzuri I would like to warn you that ,we will soon bury yu in the political dust bin as we did to Obert Gutu and Thokozani. Said one Takuzoita Zvenhamo. "Stop being used by the vampires of Zanu who don't want to see the people of Zimbabwe enjoying the fruits of independence. Stop being used by the demon of Zanu."MDC is penciled to go for an elective Congress between February and October this year where Mudzuri is suspected to challenge Nelson Chamisa for party Presidency. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe FEAR gripped government yesterday forcing discussions with striking junior doctors as well as consultants and senior health practitioners, who on Friday issued a 48-hour-ultimatum, NewsDay can reveal.The ultimatum expired last night.It also emerged that the crisis meetings took place for the better part of yesterday between the Health Service Board (HSB) and a task force was set up by the Zimbabwe Medical Association (Zima) to mediate between the State and medical personnel.HSB vice-chairperson Auxillia Chideme-Munodawafa and Zima president Francis Chawora, flanked by taskforce chairperson Christopher Samkange as well as other officials, addressed a presser on the new developments.Following Acting President Constantino Chiwenga's decision to fire over 550 junior doctors last week, it emerged that government had gone ahead and recruited final year students, some whose results were yet to be known, sources told NewsDay."It smacks of insincerity because on one hand, government has indicated it wants to talk, but on the other, it has gone ahead and recruited hordes of final year students, some of whom have actually failed. The results are yet to be known, but government already has a deployment list of the interns, who are supposed to replace the junior doctors whom the State reportedly fired last week," one source said.Another source said there were meetings throughout yesterday to try and find a solution to the impasse with a view to keeping especially senior doctors on the job and forestall a crisis."There have been meetings the whole of today (yesterday) and the Zimbabwe Medical Association leadership has been locked up with senior government officials in a bid to thrashout a compromise."The 48-hour ultimatum expires today (yesterday) and it would be difficult for hospitals because, for example, nurses cannot certify deaths. We are reaching a crisis point," NewsDay heard.Documents shown to NewsDay suggested a list of students has already been made out from local universities such as the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), University of Zimbabwe (UZ), and other medical colleges from across the world like China and Ukraine to be placed across the country.But a letter by students who wrote examinations in December 2016 and were awaiting their results to a Professor Masanganise of the Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences at UZ raised a red flag over the government's move."We, the MDCHB V (2013 intake) students, recently wrote our exams in December 2016. We have been awaiting our results, as is the norm with the College of Health Sciences. Today, the 29th of December, a number of us received phone calls from human resources departments of various hospitals, mostly Parirenyatwa, indicating we had gotten internship placements and were asked to present ourselves immediately to sign preliminary contracts and assume internship duties," the undated letter signed by the students representatives said."This goes against the contract we have with the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, which says that we receive results via the academics office of the university after a formal communication by the registrar of the university."The students added that they were worried about the changes being effected to their programme, amid reports that Chiwenga had indicated he wanted the medical degree, which normally runs for seven years, to be reduced to a four-year programme."We are concerned about the criteria used to place students into internship stations without formal disclosure of results. We are also concerned with the sudden change framework of our degree programme and internship programme that has been reported in the media and somehow highlighted in the contract that has been shown to some of our colleagues by the human resources departments," the letter said.Repeated efforts to get comment from government were unsuccessful yesterday.Zima secretary-general Sacrifice Chirisa said the ultimatum would be addressed by today afternoon."The ultimatum will be addressed tomorrow (today) by 2pm. Please watch for the official statement tomorrow," Chirisa said.On Friday, senior doctors, consultants and registrars issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that government resolves the concerns by junior medical staff or they would join the industrial action."We have noted with concern the way the protracted and on-going collective job action by the juniors and mid-level doctors has been handled and the impact this had on patients, the community and the profession."Therefore, we are urging the Health Services Board to resolve the impasse within the next 48 hours. Consultants have been working very hard under these very difficult circumstances and will not be able to continue beyond the stated time period," the doctors said in a statement, adding dialogue was key.Sources within the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors' Association also said there were meetings slated for today as efforts to resolve the issue continued.Yesterday, in a joint statement read by Chideme-Munodawafa, the parties to the dispute suggested a "truce" had been reached."Government, through the same communication, committed itself to allowing duty exempt importation of vehicles meant for doctors and other health workers under the vehicle loan scheme, further committing itself to disbursing the outstanding $6 million by December 31, 2018 (today)."Government also through the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) has started receiving critical medicines and accessories needed for better health delivery in the country, with distribution being made to public hospitals," the statement read in part.While reports emerged that NatPharm was holding expired drugs, a claim government has rejected, the statement added: "The meeting further noted and was satisfied that NatPharm was mindful of and fulfilling its obligation to the public by ensuring safe medicines are availed to hospitals and clinics."The parties to the dispute also took note of a court judgment declaring the strike by junior doctors illegal."The meeting was concerned that the junior doctors had not complied with the court ruling, thus putting themselves on the wrong side of the law. Both parties agreed that it was important for the junior doctors to return to lawful conduct by promptly resuming work in order to break the current impasse," the statement said.Chideme-Munodawafa, while admitting government had issued suspension letters, said there was a possibility these could be set aside."If they return to work, as we have been urging them from day one, then this will be considered (in disciplinary processes). That is why you see the Zima taskforce here, it's efforts from both sides to resolve the issue," she said.Asked about concerns being raised by UZ College of Health Sciences students, HSB board member Memory Nguwi said all procedures were being followed."The issue of recruitment is normal procedure and we are following procedure. No one has yet been recruited, it's preparatory work. The contractual issues that are being talked about on social media are not yet official," Nguwi said.Chideme-Munodawafa added government does not respond to social media, but uses formal channels of communication. Introduction In just 50 years, almost a million Jews, whose communities stretch back up to 3,000 years, have been 'ethnically cleansed' from 10 Arab countries. These refugees outnumber the Palestinian refugees two to one, but their narrative has all but been ignored. Unlike Palestinian refugees, they fled not war, but systematic persecution. Seen in this light, Israel, where some 50 percent of the Jewish population descend from these refugees and are now full citizens, is the legitimate expression of the self-determination of an oppressed indigenous, Middle Eastern people. This website is dedicated to preserving the memory of the near-extinct Jewish communities, which can never return to what and where they once were - even if they wanted to. It will attempt to pass on the stories of the Jewish refugees and their current struggle for recognition and restitution. Awareness of the injustice done to these Jews can only advance the cause of peace and reconciliation. (Iran: once an ally of Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran is now an implacable enemy and numbers of Iranian Jews have fallen drastically from 80,000 to 20,000 since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Their plight - and that of all other communities threatened by Islamism - does therefore fall within the scope of this blog.) News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe THE Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) is calling on Zimbabweans, the employed and unemployed alike, to besiege Finance minister Mthuli Ncube's office on January 7, 2019 to demand his immediate resignation for allegedly bringing untold suffering to the masses.Artuz president Obert Masaraure argued Ncube's austerity measures, such as the 2% transaction tax, have "induced unprecedented suffering among the working class" and set a "stage for antagonism between the working class and the ruling elite".The 2% electronic transaction tax sailed through Parliament recently after getting a thumbs-up from Zanu-PF legislators. Opposition legislators had opposed it saying it was punitive to ordinary Zimbabweans.Masaraure said the unfolding "catastrophic" situation resulting from the tax as characterised by price hikes of basic commodities cannot go unchallenged before calling for a January 7 protest at Ncube's office to push for his resignation."Our immediate task is to get rid of the worst enemy of the people Ncube. He is the face of austerity in Zimbabwe. To that end, we invite all citizens to Ncube's office on January 7, 2019 at 0900hrs. We will spend the whole day demanding either an end to austerity or his resignation. Out of courtesy, we will notify the police," Masaraure said.Ncube has on several occasions defended the austerity measures as necessary to rid the country's ailing economy of a crippling debt that has stalled economic growth for years.The call came amid mounting discontent from a cross-section of civil servants demanding better remuneration or payment of salaries in United States dollar to hedge against the rising cost of living.Junior doctors embarked on a strike on December 1 also demanding payment in United States dollars and better working conditions.Artuz recently led an historic 275km march from Mutare to Harare protesting against poor remuneration and demanding payment in foreign currency.Masaraure added: "The State commands institutions of brutal force; it will be naive to engage in stone throwing in a bid to avert the looming catastrophe. We should never give them a reason to shoot at our defenceless citizens. The morality of our struggle will be judged by how much we can resist provocation and remain loyal to the principal cardinal of non-violent action." News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe A FORMER Gweru City councillor and a sitting one, have approached the High Court seeking an order directing the local authority to pay them a total of $25 000 in outstanding monthly sitting allowances.Clr Albert Chirau, who is an MDC Alliance councillor for Ward 11 and Mr Moses Marecha, a former councillor for Ward 5, were fired by the then Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere in 2015 on accusations of abuse of office and engaging in corruption.Clr Chirau was accused of renting out a council club house in his ward and pocketing the rentals while Mr Marecha was accused of selling pit sand and gravel in Senga Suburb to a public contractor and pocketing the money.Their dismissal was however, later declared a nullity by the High Court under case number HC8692/15 after the judge ruled that the council failed to satisfy the provisions of the constitutional demands and they resumed their duties.However, Mr Marecha later lost in MDC-A primary elections in May to Mr Cleopas Shiri. Clr Chirau and Mr Marecha, through their lawyers Hlabano Law Chambers, filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing Gweru City Council and its town clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza, as defendants.They want the council to pay them $12 500 each being allowances calculated from May 2015 to August 2018 including transferring a commercial stand to each one of them as part of their dues."Wherefore, the plaintiffs pray against the first and second defendants jointly and severally the one paying the other to be absolved for payment of $25 000 by the defendants to the first and second plaintiffs being unpaid allowances for the period May 2015 to August 2018," said their lawyers.They also want the council to pay the legal costs at attorney and client scale. Clr Chirau and Mr Marecha said as part of their conditions of service they were entitled to receive a monthly allowance of $220 each and two stands being a residential and commercial per term. They said the council failed to pay them their dues following their suspension and subsequent dismissal."The plaintiffs are each owed $12 500 in unpaid allowances in United States dollars, which was the currency that they were supposed to be paid in at the time the allowances fell due. Despite repeated requests and demands, the defendants have failed and refused to pay the allowances and to transfer the stands," said the plaintiff's lawyers.Gweru City Council is yet to respond to the summons.Clr Chirau was elected in 2013 during which the then Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo later succeeded by Kasukuwere were engaged in running battles with the Gweru councillors which at one time, after the firing of the two, saw almost all the councillors being suspended and replaced by a three member commission. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe TWO people who were injured after a Zanu-PF rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo was bombed weeks before the July 30 elections are appealing for assistance to settle medical bills and school fees for their children.Two people died and at least 47, including Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Zanu-PF national commissar, Engelbert Rugeje and other high-ranking government officials were injured just after President Emmerson Mnangagwa had concluded delivering his speech.In separate interviews, the women said Government is assisting them to be treated at Mpilo Central Hospital but they are asked to buy prescribed medication.Ms Nelly Moyo from Pumula South who is yet to go for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan after her leg was injured said she urgently requires US$125 to pay for that procedure to avoid amputation."I was supposed to get the scan in October and l applied for the medication money at Mhlahlandlela offices but l have not received anything yet. They told me that it will take time to get the money. If l continue delaying the scan, it means the situation worsens. I cannot raise the money," she said.Ms Moyo said she is failing to raise school fees and money for uniforms for her children who are in Form Two and Grade One as she is no longer working."I used to be a cross border trader and my business was flourishing and could sustain my family but now I am just at home. I am no longer working and cannot raise money for my kids. Prices skyrocketed and life is now difficult," she said.The Chronicle also caught up with Mrs Corine Muzokera at her home in Bulawayo's Mpopoma Suburb who was wounded on her left leg and is no longer able to walk.Mrs Muzokera, who was a vendor before the bombing incident, said she requires money to undergo an X-ray on February 2 next year as she no longer works."We have not received any assistance yet, there is a well-wisher who sometimes assists me. We sent application letters to Mhlahlandlela offices in the city centre but we have not received any help yet," she said.She said she is failing to pay school fees and buy school uniforms for her Form Three daughter."As you see l am seated here and since July that has been my life. I cannot move nor do anything that's why l took my young sister to help us with home chores. I do not have any means to raise school fees for my children and buy school uniforms for the new term," she said. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe Unscrupulous fuel attendants and dealers have compounded a critical fuel supply situation that was caused by limited foreign currency reserves in the first place, investigations show.Fuel dealers and their service station employees are said to connive not to release all the fuel they get to the motoring public in order to sell it either to friends or to extort bribes from desperate motorists or to sell it on the black market at inflated prices through third parties. Amounts far higher than the technically required tank reserves are kept either for prepaid customers, US dollar buyers only or foreign embassies, The Herald discovered. Motorists who are prepared to pay a few extra dollars cash can fill their vehicle tanks. Most service stations limit amounts per customer to $40 or $50.Week long investigations by The Herald revealed fuel attendants and managers at most service stations demand up to $15 cash kickbacks for a full tank. Fuel attendants were also accused of giving preference to "loyal" customers who are allowed to fill jerry-cans and 220-litre metal drums, something the Government has warned against. At times, fuel suddenly runs out without any explanation given to queuing motorists. The practices were corroborated by motorists from different parts of the country.They implored Government agencies like the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) and police to do random spot checks at service stations to expose the rot. "It is amazing that workers at (named service station) near Parliament Building say their pump is affected by hot weather and malfunctions but at night you see one or two cars fuelling," said a motorist, who identified himself as Mr Mafarachose.The same service station at Westgate in Harare, is said to rank among the worst performers, with its employees openly asking for bribes from motorists. During the investigations, this reporter witnessed first hand some of the assertions by motorists as he sought to buy fuel at major service stations around Harare. Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo and Zera Acting CEO Mr Eddington Mazambani confirmed getting reports of corruption and other irregular behaviour by fuel dealers. Mr Mazambani however said it was difficult to prove an irregularity if a fuel service station claimed they were holding it for pre-paid customers.Minister Gumbo said; "We have heard of those reports but all that is dealt with by Zera and not the ministry. Call Mazambani; he is in charge of such issues. But Government policy is that fuel must be sold to everyone, including those with Bond notes and other payment platforms as announced by the Finance Minister (Professor Mthuli Ncube)."Prof Ncube said it's 1:1 (the value of Bond notes to the US dollar) and that is the money we are using at the moment. So no other policy has been made, only that people are mischievous and are rating the Bond (notes), causing unnecessary price disparities."Some service stations with obscure brand name openly demand between US$1 and US$1.05 per litre in cash, while Zuva Groombridge sells in foreign currency using Master cards. A fuel station at Musanhi Bus Company accepts Bonds notes only. All this happens on the back of most of the major fuel dealers receiving foreign currency at 1:1 with the Bond note for fuel procurement.Some are said to be so brazen that they have taken the hard currency to trade on the black market instead of purchasing fuel. Minister Gumbo has stated repeatedly that there are sufficient fuel stocks in the country but can't be drawn down due to lack of foreign currency. This has created room for rent-seeking behaviour by those with access to fuel or foreign currency. Dr Gumbo said Zera and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) were on the ground looking out for unscrupulous fuel traders."Zera and the ZRP are on the ground; they are going around the country checking at service stations to assess the quantum of fuel available and if it is not being sold, they discipline the service station concerned," he said.Mr Mazambani confirmed receiving similar complaints."We have received similar complaints and we have been investigating them as and when they are made. It has been found that most service stations will be holding and selling fuel to pre-paid and account holders," he said."There has been no evidence to date of fuel being withheld for customers who have paid bribes," he said.He said Zera would continue to monitor all fuel sites and investigate "any malpractices in the sector".Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) president Mr Denford Mutashu said he had been to some service stations in Graniteside, Harare, which refused to sell him fuel claiming it was reserved for prepaid customers yet some motorists just ahead of him had paid using the point of sale machine."You will see a person arriving at a service station, they swipe and get a full tank and they will also have their plastic containers (not even jerry-cans) filled. But when you get to the pump they tell you the client has an account with them," said Mr Mutashu."I think fuel is a national product which is procured through money put together by Government through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe so there should not be any entitlement, especially in a period of shortages like this," he said."We should remove all those impediments and fuel must be accessed by anyone who arrives at a service station otherwise all those services where complaints are coming from should not be given allocations until they reform," he said. He said only fuel dealers with the "national interest at heart, who sell unconditionally", should be allocated foreign currency.Mutare police recently apprehended five illegal fuel dealers and recovered 2 000 litres of diesel and petrol, which had allegedly been corruptly obtained from service stations. Police in the border city are now targeting service station managers to clamp down on the vice. Reports also suggested a manager at a major service station in Zengeza 4, Chitungwiza, was recently forced to serve clients on his own amid corruption allegations against his subordinates.Zuva CEO Mr Bethwell Gumbo could not comment as the was not picking up his mobile phone while Total Zimbabwe managing director Mr Ronan Bescond's mobile was unreachable. Meanwhile, some service stations refuse to sell fuel in areas with high temperatures claiming "it is unsafe" to do so. However, motorists are later told that fuel has run out even when they never saw it being sold.Mr Mazambani said cases of service stations failing to sell fuel because of temperatures depended on the "type of pumps used" and the distance from the suction to the discharge point. He said sites with "suction type pumps" are vulnerable to vapour lock during very hot weather while those with submersible pumps are not affected. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe ENERGY and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo says the selling of fuel in foreign currency by some dealers is not Government policy. Some licensed service stations have been reportedly selling fuel in foreign currency only.Speaking by telephone from Harare last Friday, he said: "It's not Government policy that fuel dealers should sell their fuel in foreign currency. So far there hasn't been any pronouncement by the Government that there is now a change of that policy."At the moment, some are selling fuel in forex but at what rate?" Dr Gumbo said the Government has unequivocally stated that the exchange rate between the US dollar and the bond notes remains at 1:1."But this is not exactly what is happening in the market. Some people are selling fuel at $3,50 a litre while some at $5, and the question is at whose exchange rate are they using?" he said.In an e-mailed response to Business Chronicle, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Mazambani said the Central Bank has approved a basket of currencies , of which the United States dollar and South African rand were the most widely accepted."In that context, licensed petroleum retailers are allowed to charge fuel in forex at the approved Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe exchange rate. It is illegal, however, to refuse to accept RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) and bond currency as a payment method."The public is encouraged to report any cases of retailers who are not accepting RTGS or bond payments for fuel to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) who will in turn take the necessary measures to address the matter," he said.Dr Gumbo is on record saying that Zimbabwe's fuel requirements have increased with the country now using about 4,1 million litres of diesel per day and 3,8 million litres of petrol. This was on the back of the onset of the agricultural season as farmers need a lot of fuel as well as improved mining operations by artisanal and small-scale miners who use a lot of diesel in their activities."In light of the country's fuel requirements, it is the responsibility of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to allocate foreign currency for fuel imports. And Mangudya (RBZ Governor) is on record saying the country has been using $20 million per week importing fuel and the allocation now needs to be increased to between $32 million and $35 million a week."So, it is them who should avail and allocate the foreign currency. My ministry only facilitates to make facilities for fuel to be provided into the country then it is bought from the storage tanks at Msasa using forex," he said.Dr Gumbo said the only lasting solution to the prevailing fuel supply situation, which has caused the resurfacing of fuel queues at the filling stations across the country, was for foreign currency to be made available to import the commodity. He insisted that the country has enough fuel stocks at its Msasa depot in Harare and that what was only needed was forex to pump it.Asked about suggestions from the public to allow private dealers to import fuel, Dr Gumbo said: "We are all Zimbabweans regardless of one's political affiliation, religion, tribe and what not. So, we are only the leadership for our about 14 million to 15 million people and the President has said 'he is a listening President' and thus suggestions are welcome."He said he would take the suggestions from the public to Cabinet for a decision to be made in the interest of Zimbabweans. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe GOVERNMENT is doing its best to bring about an economic turnaround and results will start showing in the coming few months, Acting President Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.Addressing thousands of congregants at the National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service organised by the Faith for the Nation Campaign in Bulawayo, Acting President Chiwenga acknowledged that the country was going through a difficult time but urged Zimbabweans to be hopeful and continue working hard."Our nation is going through a difficult patch. Our children need jobs and better prospects. Government is doing its best to bring about a turnaround in the fortunes of our nation. We're confident that our economy is on the path to recovery."Things will start to look up in the coming months. Before long, our nation will prosper, in spite of those who want to see us down. I'm happy and truly grateful that the church continues to preach against sanctions. We follow your efforts with keen interest," he said.He said the church was doing a good job complementing Government in its re-engagement drive."Let's not give up for God hears and answers the cries of his people. As a nation we need to build a united front and speak with one voice against sanctions."We have many resources, all of them God-given and we're a hardworking people, thanks to the discipline and the work ethic which the church has inculcated in our people," said Acting President Chiwenga.He said the national leadership was fully aware of the situation in the country and called for perseverance."Many of us cry over sanctions and all the difficulties they have wrought on our lives. As your leaders, we fully understand your craving for all things to be good, easy and beautiful but the scriptures plainly and loudly tell us finding our own corner of the earth is no walk in the park. You struggle, sweat, bleed, suffer or even die for that which is yours. Our nation went through all these tribulations and continues to be punished for recovering that which rightfully belongs to it," said Acting President Chiwenga.He said the church has a key role to play in working with the State in building the country and promoting peace and love."I'm not tempting the church away from its divine path but only reminding it of its secular duties. As congregants we're the body of Christ and as citizens we're the bodies out of which God has made our nation of Zimbabwe the same way he moulded the nation of Israel out of all who belong to it."Nations are built on fraternal love not on hate and derision yet we see much of hate and spite nowadays. We see hate speech and ill-will even flowing from the pulpit. We can't build God's nation on negative sentiments, more so when it comes from those who must radiate love and show the path of virtue," he said. He condemned church leaders who incite violence in churches."Lately we've witnessed men and women of the cloth grabbing one another by collar, calling each other names and throwing pieces of furniture at each other in the House of God. What an abomination!"The church should not succumb to bodily urges, but preach peace and love in the world, teach us to revere the elderly and preach forgiveness and reconciliation," said Acting President Chiwenga.On behalf of President Mnangagwa, the Acting President wished the nation a prosperous New Year. Prophet Andrew Wutawunashe, who is the Faith for the Nation Campaign chairman commended Acting President Chiwenga for working in unity with President Mnangagwa and Vice President Kembo Mohadi for the development of the nation. He said their unshakable unity continues to be an asset for progress in the country."No matter the challenges we're facing as a nation we know we'll always stand firm and united because our leaders are leading by example.''The Lord will definitely continue to grant us peace and unity and 2019 shall be a year of progress for the new dispensation," said Prophet Wutawunashe.Before the service ended, Prophet Wutawunashe and other church leaders prayed for Acting President Chiwenga and the entire nation. Provincial Affairs Ministers for Bulawayo and Matabeleland South, Judith Ncube and Abednico Ncube, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Raj Modi, senior Zanu-PF officials and leaders of different churches graced the occasion. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe Kwekwe City Council is still failing to attract investors at the now defunct Amaveni Long Distance bus terminus as city fathers were still deciding what to do with the idle property, several years after buses and commuter omnibus shunned the facility.Privatising the abandoned Amaveni bus terminus has been the priority for every new crop of elected councillors at the town house but many of them have come and gone with the property proving to be a hard sell.Former mayor, Councillor Shadreck Tobaiwa who once presided over council efforts to turn around the terminus and is now back at town house as deputy mayor, said he was shocked that the terminus was still lying idle and in an even more dilapidated state."I left in 2013 when I lost in the council elections then. When I was the mayor, one of our main aim as city fathers then was to make sure that Amaveni Terminus which used to be a hive of activities during its time is sold or given to an investor so that it starts generating revenue like before," said Clr Tobaiwa.He said now he is back at the town house after five years and the terminus is still in a sorry state. Clr Tobaiwa said he will work with the new crop of councillors to make sure that they try and make the abandoned terminus tick again."We are just new in office but I know the issue of this old terminus has always been a priority, I cannot fail for the second time. I will use my background knowledge to make sure that something is done at the terminus," he said.Clr Tobaiwa said when he left council in 2013, the terminus has been tendered and the bid had been won by an association of cross-border transporters."I still remember the terminus going to tender when I was the mayor. The bid was given to cross borders who wanted to turn it into a terminus for cross border transport only. I don't know what happened but we will try and make a follow up and find out what happened to the initial plans," he said.There has been growing dissatisfaction from among the citizenry over poor management of councils by the opposition MDC which controls the running of most local authorities. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe A Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services officer has been fined $80 for theft of groceries worth $40.Moses Muchenje, 40, from Natview Park in Mutare was convicted on his own plea of guilty by magistrate Tendai Mahwe.He was charged in terms section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.It was the state's case that Muchenje was stopped by a security guard at OK supermarket in the mountainous city as he walked out with groceries that he had not paid for.Upon being accosted by the security guard he produced a receipt of similar items that he had paid for and left with 30 minutes earlier.The items which were all recovered were valued at $40,78.Fletcher Karombe was prosecuting. News / National by Staff Reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe Errant and negligent motorists who flagrantly disregard road rules will have to contend with hefty traffic penalties when the new standard scale of fines, which prescribe a maximum penalty of $700 and imprisonment, become operational on Tuesday.Road traffic offences are currently classified under levels 1 to 3 of the standard scale of fines and attract a maximum fine of $30.However, under new revenue measures announced in the 2019 National Budget, most of which become operational this week, the fines are now placed in levels eight to 10.Parliament approved the Finance Bill on December 20. It now awaits approval by Senate when it resumes sitting next year.Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said last week although the Budget has not been approved by the Upper House, the measures contained therein will become operational on the prescribed dates since the Finance Bill was unique."The Finance Bill is a different kind of Bill compared to others that come to Parliament. Certain processes do not apply to it," said Minister Ziyambi."That is why you find even the measures set by the Minister of Finance (and Economic Development) that are effective midnight on the day he presented the budget, automatically become effective."All those measures that are effective on January 1 2019 will come to effect."Also note that the Finance Bill sailed through in the National Assembly, and if we look at the Constitution and other rules of Parliament with regard the Finance Bill, Senate cannot reject it or amend it."What they can simply do is refer back to the Lower House. So, effectively, all proposals in the budget are allowed and they take effect."The country's roads are increasingly becoming death traps as fatalities from traffic accidents have progressively risen since the beginning of the year, something the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) blames on errors of commission and omission by motorists.Traffic accidents during last week's Christmas holidays claimed 12 lives - an increase from the nine people that were killed during the same period last year - and injured 63 others.Worryingly, all the 122 accidents that were recorded during the period were blamed on human error.TSCZ spokesperson Mr Tatenda Chinoda cheered Treasury's intervention, describing it as "a step in the right direction"."The increased fines are among a raft of measures to deal with traffic offenders and curb road accidents."Punitive fines are a step in the right direction and as the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe we are fully in support."High traffic fines are in line with international best practice on road traffic safety enforcement."In his maiden budget speech on November 22, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the carnage on the country's roads are "a result of human error arising from failure to observe road traffic regulations"."The most common offences committed include proceeding against a red robot, overtaking over solid line, in particular, at robots, encroaching onto oncoming traffic to avoid congestion, dropping passengers at undesignated points, driving without head or side lights, cutting corners when turning right and failing to stop when instructed to do so by the police, among others," he said.The proposed traffic fines are part of broader revenue measures that will kick-in on Tuesday.Notably, the 42-day moratorium on payment of motor vehicle import duty in foreign currency - which caters for persons seeking exemption for vehicles imported on or before 22 November will also expire this week.It is understood that the biometric registration exercise for Government employees, meant to weed out ghost workers, gets impetus this week, while a 5 percent cut on remuneration of senior civil servants and parastatal bosses also comes into effect.Further, there are tax relief measures for employees as the tax-free threshold will rise from $300 to $350, while the maximum tax rate will come down to 45 percent from 50 percent.Government has also extended duty-free importation of fertilised chicken eggs as a measure to cushion the poultry sector that lost over 180 000 breeding hens to Avian Influenza last year.There is also a facility for the import of 100 public service buses with a sitting capacity of 60 passengers at 5 percent duty.The 2019 Budget was presented under the theme: "Austerity for Prosperity". News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe The Zimbabwe Power Company intends to spend more than $500 million rehabilitating Hwange Power Station units 1 to 5 to guarantee reliability and extend its lifespan by between 15 to 20 years. The project forms part of a multi-faceted approach by President Mnangagwa's Government to close the gap between current demand and available generation capacity.Authorities are planning for soaring future demand as economic recovery begins to take root.Zesa wants to expedite the planned project as it fears the units might suffer catastrophic failure.It is believed that the thermal power station will be rehabilitated incrementally.Ultimately, the power utility targets to increase its output potential to 800 megawatts (MW) from the current 450MW.HPS has design capacity of 920MW but is currently able to generate an average of 450MW-500MW owing to aging equipment.The Sunday Mail Business, however, understands that the parastatal has not raised enough funds for the project as yet.Minutes of a recent board meeting gleaned by this publication showed that ZPC required about $510 million for the whole programme, but only $310 million has been committed by an Indian bank."The board inquired on the progress on the $310 million loan from India for the Hwange Power Station life extension project. Management in response advised the meeting that there were some limitations as the loan was not adequate to refurbish all the five units, which required about $510 million," reads excerpts of board meeting minutes.The board has also expressed concern that there seemed to be slow progress on the plans to rehabilitate the Hwange Power Station despite the urgent need to ensure the project is carried through."Management was advised to make sure that they come up with recommendations that would see the project being undertaken in 2019."While the unnamed Indian bank has committed to fund the rehabilitation project, it is understood that Zesa has not begun the paperwork to access the facility.The company will also need to come up with an action plan to mobilise a further $200 million required to complete the rehabilitation exercise.ZPC believes that the project will be both cost effective and efficient.Government is in the process of adding new units unit 7 and 8 at HPS, which will add 600MW to the national grid.Sinohydro, which recently increased Kariba Power Station output by 300MW, is undertaking the works at HPS.Kariba, at 1050MW, is now Zimbabwe's largest power plant following the capacity extension programme completed in March, but its capacity will be overtaken by HPS once the 600MW expansion is complete.Water and Power Consultancy Services (Wapcos)'s chief engineer and project manager Mr Sanjay Gupta said recently the rehabilitation will help minimise the power plant's forced power outages from the current 20 percent to just 10 percent.Wapcos recently conducted a detailed project report on the life extension at HPS.Zimbabwe, which generates about 1 400MW, requires at least 1 600MW daily.The deficit is usually covered through imports from Mozambique and South Africa. Zimbabwe together with Zambia is also jointly developing the 2 400MW Batoka Gorge hydro power project. News / National by Staff reporter Get latest news by email: Subscribe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on public servants, including legislators, to tighten their belts and stop making outrageous demands as the country goes through a lean restructuring spell.This comes as legislators from both the MDC and the ruling party Zanu-PF tabled a shocking list of demands to Treasury that among other things include an increase in their budget allocation as well as latest Land Cruiser vehicles.There was an outcry and disbelief when the MPs' demands were made public and now Mnangagwa, who along with his ministers has taken a five percent salary cut, says there is need for all public servants to lead by example."As we restructure, reform and rebuild our economy, cutting expenditure plays an important role. I wish to remind all public servants that we must lead by example, and serve the people with modesty and humility. The sacrifices we make today are the foundations of a better tomorrow," said Mnangagwa.MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, whose MPs were vociferous in demanding the perks distanced himself from the legislators saying the party will not allow people to be short-changed by the demands.While independent legislator Temba Mliswa was instrumental in pushing for the perks amidst a sea of poverty, other legislators like Gokwe-Nembudziya representative Justice Mayor Wadyajena said the demands by the MPs should be reflective of what is on the ground."As elected members of Parliament, we derive our borrowed power from the good people of Zimbabwe and as we all know, the people of Zimbabwe are in a cholera crisis."I urge my fellow honourable MPs that we forgo these luxurious, expensive and unnecessary cars at taxpayers' expense. Let's lead by example," said Wadyajena.Last week, MPs threatened to sink Finance minister Mthuli Ncube's budget forcing the minister to accept their demands.The MPs want a pension for those who would have served for more than two terms, a gym at Parliament, and a review of their salaries.However, if Ncube, whose budget punch-phrase is Austerity for Prosperity accedes to the MPs demand then he will have to fork out more than $20 million to purchase the vehicles.Initially, government was considering acquiring Toyota Hilux double cabs, Isuzu KB D-tech for the MPs but they have now made it clear they want or Toyota Land Cruiser that are valued between $60 000 and $180 000 each.Considering that the bicameral Parliament has a total of 350 MPs and Senators, at least $21 million would be spent on the legislators in hard currency.During the eighth Parliament, the lawmakers were mostly given Ford Rangers valued at $35 000 each with those requiring vehicles valued above that having to top up on their own.The purchase of the off-road monsters is likely to raise a lot of dust for Mnangagwa's administration which has been calling for belt-tightening measures to revive the country's economy.Government is often accused of unbridled profligate spending on perks for ministers and other government officials while turning a blind eye to the plight of ordinary citizens who are wallowing in poverty.Critics have previously urged government to shun imports when acquiring vehicles for public servants to preserve the little foreign currency in the banking system.Some have suggested that government should purchase its vehicles from the struggling Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries (WMMI) to stimulate local production.WMMI, the country's largest car assembly plant, is currently struggling under the weight of crippling debt and declining sales volumes caused by a spectacular meltdown in its diversified motor industry that has put more than 200 jobs at risk.In 2013, Parliament's portfolio committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Management on Industrial Development Enterprises recommended an urgent bail-out for the firm, but the calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears.Although the company has vast machinery at its disposal, there is no production taking place and the workshops are deserted, leaving the company with no option but to pay idle workers and other unavoidable fixed costs.Despite a strong Buy Zimbabwe lobby, bigwigs in government, including MPs, prefer to spend on top-of-the-range imports.The National Assembly consists of 270 MPs out of which 210 are elected directly in constituencies spread across the country.The remaining 60 are selected through a quota for women who are chosen on the basis of proportional representation.The Senate comprises 80 Senators, six of whom are elected from each of the 10 provinces on the basis of proportional representation.Eighteen of the Senators are Chiefs including the president and deputy president of the National Council of Chiefs and two are from each of the eighth provinces excluding the metropolitan provinces.The final two are special seats reserved for representation of persons living with disabilities. Ronald Reagan may be sainted by the right, but 2018 was the year conservatives broke with his slavish, simpleminded adherence to the Chicago School antitrust theory that says that governments should only regulate monopolies when they give rise to higher consumer prices it's also the year the right realized that extreme market concentration in the tech sector could lead to a future in which conspiracy theorists, Nazis, "white identity enthusiasts," and crank misogynists might find themselves with nowhere to talk and be heard by others. Now, to be fair to the right, it wasn't that long ago that Democrats were also cheerleading for Chicago-style antitrust (they were also singing Ronald Reagan's praises) (ffs); but the party's left has put the focus on competitive markets again, and not a minute too soon. Today, American politicians on both sides of the aisle say they want trustbusting to go back into the US government's arsenal. Matt Stoller has a bunch of practical advice for how they can proceed: direct the DOJ to enforce the Sherman Act; pass laws blocking anticompetitive mergers; use select committees to investigate and expose rigged markets from Amazon's predatory private labels to collusion in the meatpacking industry to seed company and airline and rail monopolies, as well as wage-rigging and the explosive growth of noncompetes in every sector. And of course, Congress could start breaking up the giants, from Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google to the airlines, phone companies and ISPs. To begin, Congress could make mergers much harder to complete. Right now, to stop a merger, the government has to prove that it would "substantially" reduce competition. The burden of proof, especially in a concentrated market, should instead fall to the corporation seeking to buy a competitor. Similarly, any merger that offers an executive a golden parachute (like the $70 million Aetna's CEO Mark Bertolini got for selling his company to CVS, or the $33 million Monsanto's CEO Hugh Grant received when he sold his company to Bayer) could be made harder. Congress has another key tool: oversight. Legislators could explore Amazon's model of eliminating competition by pricing goods at below cost, and its practice of manipulating its marketplace to prioritize its own private-label products. Congress could look into the economy of rural America, focusing on meatpackers, seed giants, and transportation giants. Legislators could investigate collusion and wage suppression in labor markets through noncompete clauses and unfair contractual arrangements such as arbitration clauses. Congress also has a say in how the law is enforced. It could give federal funds not to the two deeply compromised institutions that are supposed to enforce antitrust law, but to state attorneys general, who have already proved they can bring cases. (It was, for instance, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and a coalition of state enforcers who first brought antitrust charges against Microsoft in the 1990s.) The boldest solution would be for Congress to begin restructuring industries directly. Historically, the federal government has often intervened when an industry became too concentrated, its leaders wielding undue power in the market. In the 1930s, Congress broke up banks, electric utilities, and aerospace companies. Within the last five years, financial regulators essentially forced General Electric to sell off its financial services arm, and the Federal Reserve, encouraged by Senator Sherrod Brown, pressured banks to divest their commodities-trading operations. The One Issue the Left and Right Can Agree On [Matt Stoller/New Republic] (via Naked Capitalism) Patrick Ball and the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) (previously) use careful, rigorous statistical models to fill in the large blank spots left behind by acts of genocide, bringing their analysis to war crimes tribunals, truth and reconciliation proceedings, and other reckonings with gross human rights abuses. Katia Savchuk's Pacific Standard profile of HRDAG delves into both the work and its effects, showing how a small group of smart mathematicians can do what governments won't do and the press generally can't do (at least, not well): count the dead and tell their stories, in the face of concerted efforts to wipe away both the dead and the facts of their killings. One of the most moving stories from HRDAG's work is their 2018 project to uncover hidden mass graves using machine learning, giving local activists the ammunition they needed to demand investigations from their governments. At least 37,000 people have vanished in Mexico since 2007, according to a Mexican government database, after officials there declared a "war on drugs." Officials have discovered the remains of some 2,000 people in more than 1,000 clandestine graves. But where are the missing bodies, the unmapped graves? "It's hard to remember that the blank spots in the map are because you just don't have any data," Ball says. "Why don't we have any reports from those places? The answer is the people who do the reporting risk getting killed." Last year, Ball decided to fill in the blanks. With colleagues from Data Civica, a non-profit, and the Human Rights Program at Ibero-American University, both in Mexico City, he developed a machine-learning model to predict the location of hidden graves. They started with data on existing graves from press reports and local prosecutors, plus a host of seemingly unrelated variables about the country's municipalities, such as miles of paved highway and proportion of teenagers attending school. Applying an algorithm called "random forest," they determined the places most likely to contain secret burial sites. Based on data from 2016, they identified 13 municipalities that had at least a 65 percent chance of harboring graves, but where neither the press nor local officials had reported any. These included Apatzingan in the state of Michoacan, Gonzalez and Altamira in Tamaulipas, and Pueblo Nuevo in Durango. The locations weren't shockingthey were known centers of violencebut Ball says singling them out with technology created a powerful advocacy tool. "People know where the violence is, but nobody can say it openly," he says. "There's no witness you can kill to silence a machine-learning model." Relatives of disappeared people in one border state have used the data to convince local prosecutors to investigate. His partners have presented the model to authorities leading Mexico's newly created National Search Commission and the team plans to publish updated findings early next year. Eventually, they hope to refine the model with more granular data, such as the type of terrain where bodies have been discovered or their distance from roads and rivers, so it can lead people closer to specific gravesites. All the Dead We Cannot See [Katia Savchuk/Pacific Standard] Despite gains over the past century in the area of equal rights, equal pay and, in some regions, not having some assclown with a penis dictate what they do with their bodies, women, on the whole, still hold the short end of a very shitty stick. While men might feel safest and most comfortable inside the walls of their home, a new report from The United Nations has reiterated what far too many woman already know: the place that women call home is more dangerous than anywhere else they might roam. From The New York Times: About one in five homicides is carried out by an intimate partner or family member, and women and girls make up the vast majority of those deaths, the report concluded after analyzing the available data. Of the approximately 87,000 women who were victims of intentional homicide last year around the world, about 34 percent were murdered by an intimate partner and 24 percent by a relative. The rate of women killed by a partner or relative was highest in countries in Africa, followed by the Americas. The lowest rate was in Europe. The New York Times points out that the U.N.'s report comes with a few caveats. First, it's worth mentioning that the vast majority of those murdered every year are men. But they're far less likely to be killed by an intimate partner or family member than a woman is. Second, women are just as capable of killing a family member or intimate partner as men are. But researchers found that the motivating factor for most men who murdered in the home tended to be alcoholism, jealousy, raging over a victim's sexual orientation or fear of being abandoned by their partners, while woman most often killed those who share a home with them because they're fed up with having the shit beaten out of them on a routine basis. Finally, the researchers who sorted out the report admit that there's no good way to verify who committed gender-related murders or what the motivations for a killing in areas where armed conflicts are ongoing. Image by Wilfried Huss / Anonymous Flag of the United Nations from the Open Clip Art website. Modifications by Denelson83, Zscout370 and Madden. Official construction sheet here.United Nations (1962) The United Nations flag code and regulations, as amended November 11, 1952, New York OCLC: 7548838., Public Domain, Link A border barrier will keep them from crossing into the USA. High tech border security such as drones, camera monitors and whatever else they have for high tech will detect those crossing the border. By the time the Border Patrol gets there to apprehend those crossing the border they are on US soil and subject to the laws for illegal entry. High tech border security does not decrease the amount of illegals crossing the border into the USA. Happy New Year. From left, Robin Hayes, chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, and Dallas Woodhouse, the party's executive director, in March 2018. (CJ photo by Don Carrington) In a letter sent Sunday to Gov. Roy Cooper's office, the N.C. Republican Party said it won't be "bullied" into adding members to an interim state elections board the party considers unconstitutional - and that a legal interpretation Cooper's own attorney sought prevents the governor from picking a temporary board.Cooper said he would appoint an interim elections board to take charge of the investigation into alleged absentee ballot irregularities in the 9th U.S. Congressional District. The Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement launched the 9th District probe , but a three-member Superior Court panel Thursday dissolved the elections board. The judges earlier declared the board unconstitutional, but let it stay in place until all election results were certified. Even though the 9th District and a handful of other races weren't certified, the General Assembly created a new five-member State Board of Elections by overriding Cooper's veto of House Bill 1029 . Minutes after the General Assembly's override, the judges disbanded the bipartisan elections board.The new board will start operating Jan. 31. Until then, the existing elections board staff will continue handling procedural matters, including collecting information and potential evidence in the 9th District dispute. (Documents related to the investigation are posted here .)Sunday's letter is to Cooper's General Counsel William McKinney from attorney John Lewis, a member of the former elections and ethics board. Lewis was hired by the NCGOP to represent the party in the 9th District dispute.In the letter, Lewis said Cooper doesn't have the constitutional authority to appoint an interim board and certainly can't name a board if Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes doesn't submit any names to serve on it. (Hayes has said he won't.)Lewis cited a Nov. 28 letter from Deputy Attorney General Alexander Peters to McKinney. In it, Peters said when the bipartisan elections board disbanded, it could be replaced by the five-member elections board which existed before December 2016The revised legislation, Lewis said, is H.B. 1029. The law creating a new elections board makes Cooper's plan to create a temporary board unnecessary and invalid.Lewis also chided the governor forby claiming the state Republican Party was impeding or failing to cooperate with the investigation. He said the state Republican Party would take legal action if Cooper tries to interfere with Hayes' legal authority.Carolina Journal has learned state Republicans are concerned Cooper may expect an interim board to take actions - perhaps convening a judicial-style hearing on the 9th District - even if it has only the three Democratic members the governor appoints. By law, the board needs four votes to force a new election, but it can perform other functions with a three-member quorum.The dissolved elections board refused to certify Republican candidate Rev. Mark Harris the winner over Democrat Dan McCready in the 9th District. Harris led McCready by 905 votes in the unofficial count.Without a certificate of election, Harris' status is uncertain. The 116th Congress convenes Thursday, Jan. 3. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, has said the new Congress won't seat Harris . The House may order its own investigation of the election.State GOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse told CJ the allegations so far are based entirely on media reports and affidavits based largely on hearsay other unverified information.CJ has contacted the governor's office for comment. There have been a lot of letters about Mr. Katko and his lack of action. I agree with every single one of them. Mr. Katko should stop pounding his chest as he looks as bad as the man deriding our country. Now, I think, even though I didnt vote for him this year, Katko still has a duty to represent everyone in District 24. It appears he will only tout his accomplishments with those who donated to his campaign, were invited to his rallies, paid $1,000 to a private luncheon with the VP, and not the rest of the district. Now, a phrase he used in an article dated Nov. 21: odds are stacked against me may be coming true at least from me. Two children died in custody of CBP! You are on the House Homeland Security Committee! Thats on you and the rest of your committee. Russia congratulated that idiot commander in chief about pulling troops out of Syria. Putin asked about Afghanistan and the same bully agreed to pull troops out of there. Where are you in all of this? What do you have to say about this? The government shutdown is on you and all of your participating Republicans. Using extortion for a wall but letting Russia, Putin and Saudi Arabia in the front door. That is disgraceful! Born in Batavia, N.Y., her family moved to Auburn when she was still in school, making her a nearly lifelong resident of the city she loved. After graduating from high school, she attended Mary Washington College (now the University of Mary Washington) in Fredericksburg, Va. She interrupted her education to marry, at the age of 19, the love of her life, Louis J. McCarthy Jr., a pilot, war veteran, and first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Louis and Lorraine, members of the aptly named Greatest Generation, were married on May 1, 1946; the marriage ended only upon Lous death 67 years later in 2013. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Lorraine worked as a medical secretary for Dr. Carlton Bullard, an ears, nose, and throat, and plastic surgery specialist. Following that, she ran Beauty Workshop throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s. Lorraine was a tireless volunteer for Sacred Heart Church, organizing fashion shows and other fundraisers and serving as an officer of the Rosary Society. She also served for several years on the Board of Directors of the Owasco Country Club. Her private philanthropy was legendary, and she was always first in line to help a neighbor, elderly friend or even a complete stranger with a hot meal or homemade dessert. Lorraines style and joie de vivre were infectious and filled a room with light. She will be sorely missed. A wind advisory for much of Cayuga County remains in effect until noon today. Yesterday, the National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for northern Cayuga County until 10 a.m. today, with gusts up to 60 mph possible. A wind advisory for Auburn and the rest of the county remains in place until noon. Wind advisories are issued when sustained wind speeds greater than 30 mph are expected, or when gusts more than 45 mph are expected. Winds will remain gusty through the morning, but diminish around noon. Winds could blow down trees, limbs and power lines. People in the advisory area are recommended to secure all lose objects, and keep a firm grip on the wheel if traveling through the advisory area. The Auburn Fire Department reported that there have been trees and power lines down in the city and in much of the county, but as of about 10 a.m. said no trees or power lines had fallen on homes in the city. As of about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, about 570 customers combined from Rochester Gas & Electric and New York State Electric and Gas were without power. In Cato, 137 were without power; 88 outages were reported in Conquest; 62 outages in Summerhill and a range of about 40 to 50 outages were reported each for Locke, Mentz, Montezuma, Sterling and Victory. A range of seven to 15 outages were reported each for Auburn, Throop, Port Byron, Ira and Owasco. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Saying goodbye to all the deputies and office staff, Gould said he considered friends more than employees, was "one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." "There's so many good friends here and it's been such a great working relationship. It was just a great honor, a great, great honor," Gould said. Schenck said the goodbye was just as hard for him and the deputies as it was for the sheriff, who he called a great leader for both the department and the entire county. "I think he worked hard to make sure not only the department but the community respected him, because he had a great deal of respect for the department and the community himself," Schenck said. "He worked tirelessly every day to make sure he earned everyone's respect and I think he accomplished his mission." While it was difficult to say goodbye, Gould said he couldn't have been happier to have the chance to serve as long as he had. "I've been able to serve my country, my state and my county, there's nothing more that any one can ask, to be able to do that, I'm very, very proud of that and I'm proud of everyone that lives in the county and certainly every one of my deputies," Gould said. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 10 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 0 Watkins and Dunn had previously worked with Freeborn at Upstate, though the two no longer work there, so all three were aware of each other's capabilities. This allowed all of them to work together well during the incident, Freeborn said. DeFoe, whom Freeborn had never met before they saved a man's life together, works at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph's Health Center in Syracuse. Two days after the incident, Freeborn visited the man. Seeing him speak as if nothing happened and sitting up in bed was "a very emotional experience for me," she said. She had seen plenty of people deal with cardiac arrest, she said, but she had never seen anyone survive as well as he did. He attended the Red Cross ceremony, Freeborn said. Freeborn implored people to learn basic life support and how to use an AED, to be aware of their surroundings, to find their local CPR and AED classes and to note where an AED might be at locations such as a mall or a grocery store. Hartman, who was on the committee that nominated Freeborn for the Red Cross award, said that anyone who finds themselves in the kind of situation Freeborn was in but doesn't know what to do should call 911, and said 911 operators can teach people how to do CPR over the phone. He also suggested the person be calm, speak to the person affected by the emergency and wait for emergency services. President Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops out of Syria "in no way changes anything" in terms of US support and protection of Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday. Pompeo gave the assurance as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks in Brasilia on the sidelines of the inauguration of Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro. "The decision the president made on Syria in no way changes anything that this administration is working on alongside Israel," Pompeo said. "The counter-ISIS campaign continues, our efforts to counter Iranian aggression continue, and our commitment to Middle East stability and protection of Israel continues in the same way before that decision was made," he said. ISIS is another term for the radical militant Islamic State group (IS). The fact that the issue was the prime topic of conversation between Pompeo and Netanyahu underlined the uncertainty spawned by Trump's December 19 decision -- announced on Twitter -- to withdraw the approximately 2,000 US troops from northeast Syria, where they had been battling IS remnants. "We have a lot to discuss. We're going to be discussing our -- the intense cooperation between Israel and the United States, which will also deal with the questions following the decision, the American decision, on Syria," Netanyahu said. He said the talks would look at "how to intensify even further our intelligence and operational cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East." A US official with Pompeo said the two men "discussed the unacceptable threat that regional aggression and provocation by Iran and its agents poses to Israeli and regional security." Pompeo "reiterated the United States' commitment to Israel's security and unconditional right to self-defense." - Allies' concern - Trump's abrupt decision on Syria stunned regional players, US politicians and military leaders, who expressed surprise that such a major decision would be announced after apparently so little advance consultation, against the advice of his national security advisors. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned following the announcement, which came on the same day that US officials said Trump was also planning a significant drawdown in Afghanistan, with some reports suggesting as many as half of the 14,000 troops could leave. There are concerns that the US withdrawal could create a vacuum that will be exploited by other militaries active in Syria -- the Syrian army, of course, but also its Iranian allies, or Turkey, which already holds Syrian territory just over its border and which is hostile to the Kurdish groups allied with the American forces. There is also IS. While badly debilitated after years of combat, the jihadist group is still thousands-strong in northeast Syria and could stage a comeback if military pressure is let up. After the blowback from startled allies, Trump appeared to backtrack on his initial announcement that "we have defeated ISIS" and a pull-out would be immediate. In another tweet on Monday he said the withdrawal would now be done "slowly... while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants." The US-led coalition launched its first raids against IS in September 2014, more than two years before Trump won the US election. US-backed forces seized the jihadists' self-declared capital Raqa on October 17, 2017. Israel has conducted several airstrikes in Syria, targeting positions held by Iran and its Lebanese proxy force Hezbollah. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) offered a strong assurance of support for Israel when he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) for talks in Brasilia on the sidelines of the inauguration of Jair Bolsonaro as Brazil's new president It takes 15 months to plan, features 8.5 tonnes of fireworks and costs a whopping $5.78 million to put on so you can only imagine how the organisers of Sydneys iconic New Years Eve display felt when they spotted a rather embarrassing typo on the Harbour Bridge. Amongst the 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects and 35,000 shooting comets that stunned thousands of revellers was a projection on one of the bridges pylons, wishing everyone a happy new year. The only problem was they got the wrong year. As much as event organisers might have hoped, it did not go unnoticed either. The typo didnt go unnoticed. Image: Instagram/Neil Clark We had one job Australia! one Reddit user commented on the image that had been uploaded on the online forum. That sign is so last year, another wrote. Groundhog year, one woman said. Those responsible for the dazzling display could only sit back and laugh. We just laughed about it, it takes 15 months to organise this event. Obviously we were not pleased, but we move on, City of Sydneys Executive Producer of Major Events Anna McInerney said. But if the early drenching was not enough to dampen the revellers spirits, there is no way a little typo was, with the 12-minute display watched on from all over the world. Australia starts 2019 with a bang! Fireworks light up the sky within the New Years Eve celebrations in Melbourne. Image: Getty More than 350,00 revellers poured into Melbourne to see 14 tonnes of fireworks burst into the sky across a 10-minute display from the stroke of midnight to welcome in the new year. Dazzling circles of fireworks to Saturn ring-shaped displays were among the crackling roar of effects to fire from 22 CBD buildings, which could be seen from all angles of the city. It cost $3.4 million for the displays, despite just $235,000 of that being spent on fireworks product, with the majority for operational, safety and security costs. Despite the incredible display, there were some casualties. Ambulance Victoria said intoxicated and drug affected revellers made for a busy New Years Eve for paramedics across the state who attended 1089 calls for help from 6pm to 3am. Story continues Fireworks light up the banks of the River Torrens in Adelaide. Image: AAP A man in his 20s was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition after he fell and hit his head at Falls Festival at Lorne, more than 140km southwest of Melbourne, just before 10pm. At Altona Meadows in Melbournes southwest, a man aged in his 60s was taken to The Alfred Hospital in a stable condition with facial injuries when he was hit by fireworks just after midnight. In Brisbane, tens of thousands packed into South Bank to mark the start of 2019 with the citys biggest New Years Eve fireworks display and a soundtrack of the past years biggest music hits. Adelaide ensured its status as a UNESCO City of Music was promoted with live music the highlight of the festivities ahead of two fireworks displays. Midnight and family-friendly firework shows were held across the eastern seaboard from Hobart to Queenslands Cape York to celebrate. Netflix has removed an episode of a satirical comedy show from its service in Saudi Arabia over its criticism of the kingdom, following a legal request by officials in Riyadh. The move was widely denounced by rights groups including Amnesty International, which said it risks facilitating a crackdown on freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia. In the episode of "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," the American-born Muslim lashed out at the kingdom after the October killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He specifically criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and was also critical of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. "We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and removed this episode only in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request -- and to comply with local law," a Netflix spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday. The streaming giant added it had received a takedown request citing an article of its cybercrime law as the reason. Article 6 of the law states that "production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy, through the information network or computers" is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding 3 million Saudi riyals ($800,000). The episode can still be seen in other parts of the world -- and in Saudi Arabia on YouTube. - 'Quite outrageous' - In December, the US Senate approved two symbolic resolutions blaming Prince Mohammed for the killing of Khashoggi, after intelligence reports pointed in that direction, and urging an end to US participation in the Yemen war. "Saudi Arabia's censorship of Netflix... is further proof of a relentless crackdown on freedom of expression in the kingdom," said Samah Hadid, Amnesty's Middle East campaigns director. "By bowing to the Saudi Arabian authorities' demands, Netflix is in danger of facilitating the kingdom's zero-tolerance policy on freedom of expression and assisting the authorities in denying people's right to freely access information." Karen Attiah, Khashoggi's editor at The Washington Post, said Netflix's action was "quite outrageous." The Saudi information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. - Low ranking on press freedom - Online platforms and tech companies face increasing scrutiny and growing public skepticism in the face of controversies about data sharing and the steady erosion of privacy. In October, the press freedom watchdog group Reporters Without Borders ranked Saudi Arabia as 169th out of 180 countries for press freedom, adding that "it will very probably fall even lower in the 2019 index because of the gravity of the violence and abuses of all kinds against journalists." After releasing its annual study of global internet freedom, another watchdog, Freedom House, said in November that Saudi Arabia was among those employing "troll armies" to manipulate social media and, in many cases, drown out the voices of dissidents. Minhaj, 33, has seen his profile rise steadily in recent years. His routines combine personal history and pointed political commentary wrapped in edgy topical humor. In 2014, he became senior correspondent on Comedy Central's popular "The Daily Show," and in 2017 was the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents' dinner. "Patriot Act" debuted in October 2018. Netflix has dropped an episode of a program critical of Saudi Arabia by comedian Hasan Minhaj after officials in the kingdom complained Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at his country's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Arab countries viewed Israel as an "indispensable ally" fighting Iran and the Islamic State group. That evaluation, he told Brazil's Globo TV during a visit to Rio, has caused "a revolution in relations with the Arab world." The comments came as Israel has stepped up air strikes on Iranian positions in neighboring Syria, and as Israel digested an abrupt decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria. Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons to destroy his country. Israel, he said, had shown itself to be active in battling "radical Islam, violent Islam -- either the one led by radical Shiites led by Iran, or the one led by the radical Sunnis led by Daesh (IS) and Al-Qaeda." "Unfortunately we have not made any advance with the Palestinians. Half of them are already under the gun of Iran and of radical Islam," Netanyahu added. Asked if he could ever contemplate sitting down with an Iranian leader to talk peace, Netanyahu replied: "If Iran remains committed to our destruction the answer is no." The only way, he said, would be "if Iran undergoes a total transformation." Netanyahu was in Brazil to attend Tuesday's inauguration of the Latin American country's new, pro-Israel president, Jair Bolsonaro. On the sidelines of the ceremony, Netanyahu was to hold talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also among the visiting dignitaries. They were expected to discuss the US troop pullout from Syria and Iranian activities in the Middle East. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is claiming the Jewish state is a key ally for Arab nations against Iran Three men have died in separate drowning incidents at Australian beaches on New Years Day, making it a tragic start to 2019. A 34-year-old man died after he was pulled from the water unconscious at a beach in Sydneys eastern suburbs. Emergency services were called to Clovelly Beach at 1.54pm on Tuesday, where they found the patient with a doctor already on scene, a NSW Ambulance spokesman said. The man did not respond to CPR or the use of a defibrillator to restart his heart. Police confirmed shortly after 3pm the man had died. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command attended and are investigating the incident. Local officers will prepare a report for the coroner. Second drowning in the space of hours Earlier in the day a man drowned at a popular but unpatrolled swimming spot on Queenslands North Stradbroke Island. Paramedics were called to Frenchmans Beach at Point Lookout just before 12.30pm where a man in his 40s was in a critical condition. Despite paramedics working on him for more than an hour, he could not be saved. Third death confirmed in Victoria A man has drowned while swimming at Paynesville about 4.30pm. The 45-year-old man from Bairnsdale was with his wife and family in waters off Sunset Drive. At about 4.50pm he was noticed in difficulty and pulled from the water. Attempts were made to resuscitate the man however he died at the scene. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. A family say they are just happy to be alive after their fridge exploded with such force that it was felt from the other side of the house. Mark Ligondie was enjoying the last days of 2018 in his Florida home when his parents four-month-old Whirpool refrigerator blew into pieces. I was in my room, I was asleep and I just heard the bang, Mr Ligondie told US news outlet WPTV. There were fumes coming everywhere. The fridge blew into several pieces, damaging parts of the kitchen. Images: WPTV He said the force was so extreme it was felt in other rooms and even bent the metal stove. No one was hurt in the incident, much to the surprise and relief of the familys next-door neighbour, Joshua Perez. [For the firefighters] to say weve never seen this, this is something we have never seen in our life is kind of alarming, Mr Perez added. The houses ceiling and walls now have cracks in them. The master bedroom door was also impacted and a bedroom window is no longer intact. Whirlpool issued a statement in response to the incident, saying they were looking into the incident. Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician vowing a crackdown on crime and corruption, was sworn in Tuesday as Brazil's new president in front of Congress in Brasilia. The 63-year-old former paratrooper and deputy for the past 27 years pledged to uphold the constitution as he embarked on his four-year mandate at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy. Bolsonaro takes power with sky-high approval ratings and high hopes from many of Brazil's 210 million inhabitants that he can stamp out graft, reduce rampant crime and re-ignite an economy laid low by a record-breaking recession. He has already said he will issue a decree easing gun laws to allow "good" citizens to own firearms as a way of deterring and countering armed criminals. And he has vowed to challenge the leftist governments ruling Venezuela and Cuba, while moving closer to ideological allies US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bolsonaro takes over from deeply unpopular center-right president Michel Temer, who was effectively a caretaker figure following the impeachment of leftist leader Dilma Rousseff, booted from office in 2016 for fiddling the government books. He has said he is determined to roll back decisions made under Rousseff and her popular predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is now in prison for corruption. Trimming the government and public debt, and embarking on privatizations are among the measures he has proposed. Jair Bolsonaro (R), standing next to Brazil's lower house president Rodrigo Maia, addresses Congress before being sworn in as Brazil's new president on January 1, 2019 An American ex-Marine arrested in Moscow for alleged espionage is innocent, his family said Tuesday. The detention of Paul Whelan marked the latest in a series of espionage cases between Russia and the West. "We have read reports of the arrest in Moscow of Paul Whelan, our son and brother," said a statement posted on Twitter by David Whelan, who said he is the brother of Paul. "Paul is a retired Marine and was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding," it continued, adding that he stopped being in communication with his family on Friday, "which was very much out of character for him even when he was traveling." The family added they learned of the arrest through the media on Monday morning and had been in touch with US lawmakers, as well as the State Department. "We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected," the statement said. Russia's FSB domestic security service said the American was arrested on Friday "while carrying out an act of espionage." A criminal case had been opened under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code which allows for prison sentences of up to 20 years, the FSB said in a statement. Whelan's employer, US-based automotive components supplier BorgWarner, said that he is the firm's director of global security. "He is responsible for overseeing security at our facilities in Auburn Hills, Michigan and at other company locations around the world," the company said in a statement, adding it has been in contact with relevant US authorities "in order to help our employee and the US government." - A Russian held in US - Born 48 years ago in Canada, Whelan had gone to Moscow for the marriage of a fellow ex-Marine with a Russian woman, his brother David told US media. Speaking to Canada's CBC News, David Whelan said "there's no chance" the Russian accusations against his brother are accurate. "Paul has a law enforcement background. He is a Marine. He has worked in corporate security, and he is very aware of both the rule of law and the risks of traveling in countries that may have risks to travelers," the brother said. "There's no chance that he would have taken those sorts of risks while on a trip to Moscow, let alone to break any law but to break the espionage act." The US State Department said Monday it had been formally notified by Russia's foreign ministry and was seeking access to the detained American. "Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it," the State Department said. "There is apparently a window of about 72 hours which has to pass before anybody can see Paul and that time hasn't passed as of today," Whelan's brother told CBC. "So we are hoping tomorrow that we will hear about Paul's condition and his well-being." The arrest came after President Vladimir Putin accused Western nations of using espionage cases to try to undermine an increasingly powerful Russia. US intelligence services have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has charged 25 Russians -- including members of the GRU military intelligence -- and three Russian companies for that alleged interference but they have not been arrested. In December, Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a Federal Court in Washington to acting as an illegal foreign agent. Butina faces up to six months in prison, followed by likely deportation. A Russian flag flies next to the US embassy building in Moscow Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty in the United States to acting as an illegal foreign agent and faces up to six months in prison, followed by likely deportation Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren -- an outspoken critic of Wall Street and nemesis of Donald Trump -- entered the 2020 race for the White House on Monday. The 69-year-old progressive announced she was launching an exploratory committee for president, becoming the first major candidate in what is set to be an extraordinarily crowded Democratic primary, united by a singular focus on unseating the Republican Trump. The move will help Warren raise funds and hire more staff early in the campaign cycle -- an effort in which she already leads most other potential Democratic candidates. Her announcement came 13 months before the Iowa caucuses that launch what is expected to be a boisterous primary season. "America's middle class is under attack," said a video message from Warren, who has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 2013, crafting a reputation as an economic populist. "Corruption is poisoning our democracy," she said. "Politicians look the other way while big insurance companies deny patients life-saving coverage, while big banks rip off consumers and while big oil companies destroy this planet." That, she said, is why she is launching her exploratory committee. - Going on the 'offense' - A former public-school teacher and then Harvard law professor, Warren has been a vocal advocate of consumer and workers' rights. But Americans may know her best for her frequent sparring with Trump -- which has had mixed results. Warren's searing criticisms of Trump's trade policies, erosion of consumer protections, and openness to authoritarian regimes -- not to mention her call in September for Congress to use a constitutional maneuver to remove him from office -- have drawn his attention, and his disdain. Reacting to her latest move, Trump said he was unsure whether Warren could replace him at the White House. "You'd have to ask her psychiatrist," he quipped in an interview with Fox News. "We'll see how she does. I wish her well, I hope she does well, I'd love to run against her." At his election-style rallies, Trump took to mocking her claim to have some Native American heritage by dubbing her "Pocahontas," a derisive reference to the 17th century Native American who lived in what is now Virginia. When Trump offered to donate $1 million to Warren's favorite charity if she took a test proving "you're an Indian," she eventually did so, hoping to put an end to his ridicule. Instead, he seemed to relish the fact that the test showed her with only a sliver of Native American heritage. - 'Nevertheless, she persisted' - But another encounter with a powerful male politician gave Warren a place in political folklore. After she clashed in 2017 on the Senate floor with top Republican Mitch McConnell over the nomination of Jeff Sessions as attorney general and refused to back down, his phrase "Nevertheless, she persisted" was quickly adopted by feminists -- and turned into T-shirts and bumper stickers. As talk of a possible presidential run grew, Warren has worked to build her foreign policy credentials, taking a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She favors cuts in military spending and a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Her domestic policies are reliably liberal: She is staunchly pro-choice on abortion, supports gun control and has urged Democrats to go on "offense" to expand health care coverage for Americans. But her bread-and-butter issue has been the defense of ordinary Americans against abuses by those with wealth and power. She sharply criticized Wall Street after the 2007 financial crisis and helped establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie, and they enlisted politicians to cut them a fatter slice," she said in her video. - Humble childhood - With as many as three dozen Democrats weighing possible presidential bids, the road to the nomination will be arduous. Among those who have already declared their intention to run are Julian Castro, a former housing secretary in Barack Obama's administration, Maryland Representative John Delaney and Richard Ojeda, a former army paratrooper currently serving as a state senator in West Virginia. Polls for now show Warren trailing veteran politicians like former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders, both in their 70s -- as well as rising young star Beto O'Rourke, who is 46. But analyst Nate Silver said on Twitter that Warren "probably has a better chance than Sanders of bridging the gap between the left and the party establishment." "She's always raised a ton of money. Voters know what she stands for. Women did well in the 2018 primaries," Silver added. Warren has built the framework of a serious campaign, with a staff of more than 70 people, $12.5 million left over from her successful re-election effort, and a nationwide network of contacts and supporters. As she seeks to raise her profile, Warren likes to tell how she grew up in the Central Plains state of Oklahoma, in a family she said lived "on the ragged edge of the middle class." After her father suffered a heart attack, she went to work at age 13 waiting tables in a restaurant -- life experience she says gives her a visceral connection to ordinary Americans. US Senator Elizabeth Warren is a fierce critic of President Donald Trump, and is now likely running to unseat him in 2020 At election rallies like this one in Wisconsin, Trump has mocked Warren's claim to be part Native American Demonstrators like these, inspired by Warren's determined opposition, protested in February 2017 against the nomination of Jeff Sessions as US attorney general Former US housing secretary Julian Castro is among a handful of Democrats to have launched exploratory committees ahead of the 2020 presidential election Sixty years ago, on January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro took power in Cuba after a socialist revolution. Here is a look back at the Castro years: - 'Revolution begins now' - On New Year's Day in 1959, dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba, defeated by 26 months of guerrilla warfare spearheaded by the Castro brothers. Fidel declares victory in the southern city of Santiago de Cuba, pronouncing "The revolution begins now" before heading to the capital. The regime begins moving toward communism in May, enacting the first agrarian reform law to allow the expropriation of land. - Rupture with US - In 1960, Cuba nationalizes US companies in response to Washington's decision to limit oil exports to the island and reduce imports of Cuban sugar. A year later, the United States breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba. In 1962, Washington cuts off most trade with the island. - Bay of Pigs - In April 1961, around 1,400 anti-Castro Cubans -- trained and financed by the CIA -- land at the Bay of Pigs in a bid to overthrow the communist regime. The endeavor ends in failure. - Socialism proclaimed - Castro proclaims the socialist character of the Cuban revolution on April 16, 1961. In a speech on May 1, he declares the regime has adopted a socialist system and has "no time for elections." In 1965, the Communist Party of Cuba is created. It has ruled the island ever since. - Missile crisis - In October 1962, the United States identifies facilities for Soviet Union nuclear missiles installed on Cuba. For two weeks, the world is gripped by fears of nuclear war between the two superpowers until negotiations bring an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. - Death of 'Che' - A hero of the Cuban revolution and brother-in-arms to the Castros, Argentina's Ernesto "Che" Guevara is executed by the Bolivian army in 1967. His death brings an end to a scheme to spread the Cuban revolution across Latin America, starting with Bolivia. - Soviet sphere - In 1970, Cuba fails to meet its promised objective of a harvest of 10 million tons of sugar to be sold to the Soviet Union at preferential prices. It becomes indebted to the Soviet Union, increasingly moving under its influence and going on to join the communist trading bloc COMECON in 1972. - Troops to Angola - Starting in 1975, Cuba sends troops to Angola to support the first post-independence government of the communist MPLA party in a civil war against the US-backed UNITA movement. Thousands of Cuban troops are deployed as part of the operation, which runs for 16 years, and extends to conflicts in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa. - Raul takes charge - On July 31, 2006, an unwell Fidel Castro provisionally hands power to his younger brother Raul, until then his number two in government. Raul officially becomes president in 2008 and undertakes a slow program of reforms to "update" the Soviet economic model that is on its last legs. Fidel dies on November 25, 2016, aged 90. - Thaw with US - In December 2014, then US president Barack Obama and Raul Castro announce plans to normalize US-Cuba ties after 53 years of hostilities. The process comes to fruition the following year. The thaw is later slowed by the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House in 2017. - End of the Castro era - On April 19, 2018, Miguel Diaz-Canel, a 58-year-old technocrat, succeeds Raul Castro, being the sole candidate in a National Assembly vote. Ending six decades of rule by the Castro brothers, he becomes the first Cuban president born after the revolution. - New constitution - On July 22, 2018, Cuba's parliament approves a new draft constitution that will recognize for the first time the role of the market and private sector. Presidential terms will last five years with the possibility of renewal for one term. A referendum on the text will be held on February 24. People display posters of (L to R) Cuban hero Jose Marti, Raul and Fidel Castro and current president Miguel Diaz-Canel during a May Day rally in 2018 China's manipulation of Taiwan's democratic openness is the biggest threat to the island's security, President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday, as she called on Beijing to seek peaceful means to solve their differences. Relations between China and Taiwan have spent two years in the doldrums since the election of Tsai, who has refused to acknowledge Beijing's stance that the island is part of "one China". Tsai's comments came a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to give a landmark speech on Taiwan. It will be closely watched on the island where many have been rattled by the Chinese leader's increasingly muscular rhetoric. Beijing still sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified by force if necessary, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949. China has cut off official communication with Tsai's government and stepped up military and diplomatic pressure. In a New Year's Day speech, Tsai called for Beijing to come to the table but she warned that Taiwan's people would never give up the kind of freedoms unseen on the authoritarian mainland. "What we need is for the two sides to understand and face the reality that both sides are fundamentally different in their values, lifestyles, and political system," she said. Beijing, she added, "must respect the insistence of 23 million people for freedom and democracy" and "must use peaceful and equal terms to handle our differences". She also accused the Chinese government and businesses of taking advantage of Taiwan's open society. "Taiwan's biggest challenge at the moment is especially from China... where it is using our (Taiwan's) democratic system of openness and freedom," she said, citing an influx of viral fake news about Taiwan from the mainland as one example. She also said China had not kept Taiwan adequately informed of African swine fever outbreaks, something she said could hurt local businesses and sow mistrust. Xi's speech on Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan", an open letter from China's communist rulers during the reformist Deng Xiaoping era which led to a warming of cross-strait ties. But Xi has adopted a markedly more confrontational foreign policy in recent years and frequently refers to his desire to unite Taiwan with the mainland soon. While Tsai has refused to recognise Beijing's "one China" policy she has walked a careful path within her own party, where some members openly advocate Taiwan declaring independence -- a major red line for China. In her New Year's speech she reiterated that her government was open to direct talks. Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party received a bloody nose in local polls in November and she faces a presidential election in 2020. The main opposition Kuomintang party won a string of key mayoralties in the November ballot and favours much friendlier ties with Beijing. President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwanese people would never give up the freedoms they now enjoy Brazil's new far-right President Jair Bolsonaro declared a crusade against crime, corruption and leftwing ideology as he took office Tuesday for a four-year term at the helm of Latin America's biggest nation. In his first public speech wearing the presidential sash, Boslonaro said Brazil will "start to free itself of socialism" and "political correctness," breaking with policies brought in under decades of leftist rule. The 63-year-old former paratrooper and veteran lawmaker received swift congratulations via Twitter from US President Donald Trump, with whom he shares a similar, brash style and outlook. "Congratulations to President @jairbolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech - the U.S.A. is with you!" Trump wrote. Bolsonaro responded by saying: "I truly appreciate your words of encouragement. Together, under God's protection, we shall bring prosperity and progress to our people!" In his inauguration speech before Brazil's Congress, Bolsonaro called for "a true national pact" to restore his country's lackluster economy, "without ideological bias." While Bolsonaro enjoys sky-high approval ratings, many in Brazil fear his nostalgia for the military dictatorship that reigned from 1964 to 1985, his hardline approach to fighting crime and his record of disparaging women and minorities could herald a harsh shake-up. Even before being sworn in, Bolsonaro tweeted he would issue a decree easing gun laws to let "good" citizens own firearms to counter armed criminals -- a measure opposed by 61 percent of Brazilians, according to a Datafolha survey. His promise to extend immunity to security forces who use lethal force against suspected wrongdoers has also sparked unease in a country where some 5,000 people a year are already killed by police. - Embracing US, Israel - In his speech to Congress, Bolsonaro repeatedly hammered leftwing "ideology" that he said had brought Brazil low. His past remarks made it clear he was referring to policies implemented by the Workers Party, which governed between 2003 and 2016 but ended up reviled for a string of corruption scandals. Brazil "will return to be a country free of ideological bonds," he said. He later told a crowd of supporters in front of the presidential palace: "We will re-establish order." Bolsonaro has already said he will do all he can to challenge the leftist governments of Venezuela and Cuba. In a sign of his leanings and alliances, Bolsonaro warmly welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Brazil for his inauguration, and both leaders spoke of their "brotherhood." Netanyahu said Bolsonaro had assured him Brazil's embassy will be moved to Jerusalem. Bolsonaro also admires Trump, with whom he shares nationalist instincts and a disdain of multilateral organizations. He has vowed to pull Brazil out of a UN global migration pact, and is considering doing the same with the Paris climate accord. The new leader's open hostility to the left prompted leftwing deputies to spurn his investiture. Bolsonaro took over the presidency from a center-right figure, Michel Temer, who succeeded the Workers Party Dilma Rousseff -- impeached in 2016 -- but who made little headway with needed fiscal reforms. Temer, Brazil's most unpopular leader ever, faces a number of corruption accusation on leaving office. Bolsonaro supporters hope their man will do better, politically and economically. He has promised to govern for all of the country's 210 million Brazilians, though his initial declaration suggests it will be on his terms, as he seeks to remake the country around his agenda. - 'Change' - While his government, which takes over on Wednesday, features a US-trained free market advocate as economy minister, and a star anti-corruption judge as justice minister, nearly a third of the 22 ministerial posts are held by ex-military men. There are also concerns for Brazil's extensive and diverse natural environment, with Bolsonaro's pro-business push sidelining preservation -- especially in the Amazon, sometimes called "the lungs of the planet," which is at risk from increasing deforestation. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, has said his education ministry will stop "Marxist trash" being taught in schools and universities -- another swipe at the Workers Party, which greatly boosted access to education for the poor and blacks. Tens of thousands of people attended Bolsonaro's inauguration ceremony in Brasilia, which was held under tight security that included warplane patrols, anti-drone technology and multiple crowd barriers. Precautions were more stringent than in years past, in part because Bolsonaro survived a stabbing attack by a mentally unstable man when he was campaigning for the presidency in September. "This inauguration is a turning point," said one in the crowd, 36-year-old teacher Mauro Penna. "We are very optimistic -- this time our country is going to change." Brazil's newly sworn-in President Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly railed against leftwing "ideology" Brazil's new president has vowed to streamline government and prioritize business interests The presidential investiture is marked by pomp and high security Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Boslonaro have talked up their budding "brotherhood" Bolsonaro is an open admirer of US President Donald Trump Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. The former paratrooper and longtime lawmaker was starting his four-year mandate on January 1 as required by the constitution, after a night of New Year's celebrations across the country. He was taking office with a sky-high approval rating, fueled by public expectations that he will be a new broom sweeping away chronic crime and corruption, and boosting an economy still limping after a record recession. "I will bring in politics completely different from that which brought corruption and inefficiency to Brazil," he said late Monday in an interview with Record TV. The 63-year-old comfortably won an October election against Fernando Haddad, a candidate from the leftwing Workers Party that was in power between 2003 and 2016 but is now reviled after a series of graft scandals. The Workers Party icon, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is serving prison time for corruption. And his chosen successor Dilma Rousseff was impeached for cooking the government's books. In a ceremony marked by pomp and high security, Bolsonaro will formally take over from center-right Michel Temer, who succeeded Rousseff but made little headway with needed fiscal reform and ended up Brazil's most unpopular leader ever. Bolsonaro voters hope their man will do better. He has promised to govern for all of the country's 210 million Brazilians, and campaigned on vows to eradicate graft, crack down on crime, open up Brazil's protectionist economy to the free market, and put business interests ahead of environmental protection. In his interview, he said "we will debureaucratize to the maximum possible" and "clean out" the government so its "weight" is cut back. But there has been no sign of him dropping the bluff, shoot-from-the-lip style that has earned him comparisons with US President Donald Trump, whom he admires. - Foreign policy - Even before taking office Bolsonaro tweeted he will issue a decree easing gun laws so "good" citizens can possess weapons to deter criminals. That worries many, who fear it could aggravate Brazil's rampant violence. The country saw nearly 64,000 murders in 2017 -- the highest number of any country. A poll by the Datafolha survey firm found 61 percent of Brazilians against Bolsonaro's decree. Bolsonaro also said his education minister will stop "Marxist trash" being taught in schools and universities -- a swipe at Workers Party ideology. Bolsonaro's track record of waxing nostalgic for Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship has stirred some concerns, as have his past disparagements of women, gays and blacks. A more forceful foreign policy is on its way, with the new leader saying he will do all he can to challenge leftist-ruled Venezuela and Cuba. The leaders of those countries, and their ally Nicaragua, were excluded from the guest list to Boslonaro's inauguration, although Bolivia's leftwing President Evo Morales did get invited. Other foreign dignitaries attending include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Hungary's national Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Bolsonaro and Netanyahu talked up their budding "brotherhood" ahead of the inauguration. And Netanyahu said Bolsonaro had assured him that it was a question of "when" and not "if" Brazili was to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the city claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital. Bolsonaro has already said he will pull his country out of a UN global pact on migration, and he is considering whether to keep Brazil in the Paris climate accord. But the new leader's supporters, more than 250,000 of whom were expected in Brasilia on Tuesday, expressed full-throated backing for Bolsonaro. "We are counting on him to free Brazil from the boot of the criminals. Today, criminals are freer to go about armed than good people who respect the law," said one, Ze Ivan, a businessman from Brazil's northern state of Para. "This inauguration is a turning point," said another, 36-year-old teacher Mauro Penna. "We are very optimistic -- this time our country is going to change." Bolsonaro comfortably won October elections by promising a crackdown on crime and corruption Brazil's new president has vowed to streamline government and prioritize business interests The presidential investiture is marked by pomp and high security Troops protecting the inauguration are backed by warplanes, anti-drone technology, and strict crowd control Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Boslonaro have talked up their budding "brotherhood" Bolsonaro is an open admirer of US President Donald Trump A three-year-old boy has choked to death on a grape while trying to compete in a traditional game used to bring in the New Year. It is understood the child, an immigrant from Ecuador, began struggling to breathe during the festivities, The Mirror reported. Police rushed the child to hospital in the resort city of Gijon, on the Bay of Biscay, where doctors could not detect a pulse. Attempts to resuscitate the child were unsuccessful. It is tradition in parts of Spain to bring in the new year by swallowing 12 grapes. Image: Getty It is considered a tradition in parts of Spain to swallow 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight each year, but parents have been warned about allowing children to partake. They are encouraged to cut up the fruit so it does not become lodged in the childs throat, which can often form a seal and prevent any oxygen from getting through. The 12 grapes are linked to the Puerta del Sol tower clock, where the tradition started and from where the change of year is always broadcast. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Police have located a 15-year-old Perth girl who went missing after being dropped off at a Perth airport on New Years Eve. Angelina Chakovski was dropped off at Perth Domestic Airport about 1am to catch a flight from Perth to Melbourne. She was expected to catch another flight to Merimbula on the south coast of NSW, but didnt arrive. Angelina Chakovski has been found safe and well. Source: NSW Police She was reported missing by a man and a woman, aged 57 and 56, who attended Mascot Police Station after she failed to arrive in Merimbula. NSW Police issued a statement late on Tuesday night confirming the girl had been found safe and well and thanking the public for their assistance. No further information on where the girl was located was available. The unrest Keith has described continued, and it culminated in the stabbing murder of Jack Emanuel whod been sent on special assignment to negotiate with the Mataungun Association. Errol John (Jack) Emanuel was a district commissioner in East New Britain when he was murdered on 19 August 1971. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross for gallantry displayed between 1969 and 1971. At the time of Emanuels death, Andrew Phillips was news director at Radio Rabaul. It was mid-morning and I was in my office at the radio station when local reporter Dick Pearson, who represented the South Pacific Post newspaper, rushed into my office to announce the occupation of a plantation and invited me drive out to see what was going on. Kabira Bay Plantation was about 80 km from Rabaul and we drove along the coastal road lined with coconut trees with the limpid, azure Bismarck Sea lapping on the black sand beaches, a picture postcard that belied the danger that lay ahead. Dick had a shortwave radio tuned to the police frequency. We could hear the crackled instructions from the frontline of the battle at Kabira Bay. At one point I heard panicked voices saying the District commissioner had died. The district commissioner was leading the colonial administration in the Rabaul District and in Pidgin English dai can mean different things: sleep, stop as in dispela kar i dai [the car has broken down], but dai pinis is to be dead. DC i dai I heard on the radio. I turned to Dick to confirm the message, not knowing if the DC was dead or just unconscious. Ahead of us, spewing a thick cloud of dust, a truck packed with riot police in full battle gear - shields, helmets, rifles and batons at the ready - sped toward Kabira. We followed as they turned off the main road and took a jungle track deeper into the jungle plantation. When the vehicle stopped and the police disembarked, we stopped behind them and accompanied them on the run as they proceeded deeper into rows of coconut trees. Now we could hear commotion and the crack of rocks from sling shots propelling stones that ricocheted off the coconut trees like shrapnel. We bent low and ran covering our heads, following the police to the scene of what was now a battle. Police were everywhere holding their shields for protections from the rocks from invisible attackers hidden in the heavy brush. But we could hear their shouts and whoops. Now, ahead of us about 30 metres, we saw a group of police protecting a prostrate body that lay bleeding, face up on the ground. The police formed a kind of roof with their shields and I realised it was district commissioner Jack Emanuel. Dick and I looked at each other and knew we had to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible to break the story. There was no police spokesman the police were heavily engaged and we headed back to Rabaul. Jack Emanuel, DC bilong yumi I dai pinis. Earlier that day a group of 10 village leaders wearing traditional face and hair decoration had confronted Emanuel and the police. One of them appeared angry and excitable and approached Emanuel. They spoke briefly and Emanuel took the man by the arm and the two moved away from the main police party. Emanuel was taken into the bush and out of sight. The police waited. Twenty minutes later, Emanuel had not returned. A small party of police constables set off down the bush path to look for him. They found his body lying on the ground. He had been stabbed to death. The stone-throwing started. Police attempted to disperse the villagers using tear gas. This was when Dick and I arrived at the scene. Emanuels body was found on the track, blood on his clothes and the undergrowth. His glasses were located nearby. Two pieces of a broken rusty Japanese wartime bayonet were found close to his body. Emanuel had been stabbed and walked several paces back down the track before collapsing to the ground. Chambri (middle Sepik) mask from the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. Michael Pascoe comments: "It does a better job of displaying our region's art than anything I've seen [in Australia]" MARTIN HADLOW SAMFORD QLD - Could we dare to imagine that, in 2019, Australia might make a move to establish the world's finest Museum of the Pacific (my working title) on our shores? This could be a stand-alone entity dedicated solely to the cultures, social mores, artefacts and histories of our region. Not only would the museum display 'the best of the best', it could be a globally significant research centre as well as a training base for Pacific curators and archivists, not to mention being a temporary holding facility and conservation centre for objects under threat in the region. This year, the Australian government spent over $100 million on an audio-visual museum in France to commemorate General Monash and Australia's World War I efforts on the Western Front. It was no doubt a worthy contribution to remember great sacrifice. But how about a Pacific museum in Australia to recall the huge history and prominence of this part of the world? Perhaps $50 million - half the cost of one new RAAF fighter aircraft and a mere drop in the government funding bucket. Oh, and by the way, a Museum of the Pacific doesn't have to be based in Sydney or Canberra or Melbourne. There are places called Brisbane and Townsville and Cairns which all have closer affinities with the Pacific and its peoples. Let us dream of what could be.... 12:06 | Brasilia (Brazil), Jan. 1. According to a readout published on the U.S. Department of State's website , the two leaders discussed ongoing U.S.-Peru cooperation on counternarcotics and the importance of implementing a comprehensive approach to counternarcotics efforts. 14:32 | Lima, Jan. 1. According to the Head of State, the removed prosecutors were in charge of a highly important investigation as part of the fight against corruption in the country. Also, he remarked that even though there is disagreement about their removal , all actions must be in strict compliance with the laws and Constitution. Vizcarra said he will meet with Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva and Justice Minister Vicente Zeballos to discuss the issue, and the outcome of such discussion will be communicated right after the meeting. "All actions will be communicated in accordance with a legal analysis, respecting the separation of powers , the law, and the Constitution," he stated. A hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures with modern yoga moves and a silk hammock. Pre-registration required. Please note: Aerial Yoga at the Yoga Art Space studio requires pre-registration through our website at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. If no one registers for a class, the class may be cancelled between 6-12 hours prior to the class start time. Though this event is shown as a regular, weekly class each week on the Alabi calendar, there are occasionally times when the class will be cancelled in advance such as for certain holidays. All updates and cancellations are on the studio calendar at www.YogaArtSpace.com/calendar. What is Aerial yoga? Aerial Yoga is a hybrid form of yoga that combines traditional yoga postures infused with modern yoga moves and an silk fabric hammock. Do I need Previous Yoga Experience? No previous yoga experience necessary to enjoy an Aerial yoga class. In fact it can be easier than normal yoga! The silk hammock acts like a support whenever you require it, almost like having your own personal yoga teacher giving you assistance throughout the entire yoga class! Another advantage of having the support of the hammock is that 90% of students are able to complete more challenging poses, such as handstands! Can Everybody do Aerial Yoga? Yes and no. Students who have had a previous injury can find Aerial yoga much easier to participate in then normal yoga. This is due to the the weight being evenly distributed between your body, the hammock and the earth. People who suffer any of following contraindications are advised NOT to participate in an Aerial yoga class: if you have had recent surgery of any sort, if you suffer glaucoma, if you are pregnant, if you suffer a heart condition (including very high or low blow pressure), if you get vertigo, if you have had a recent stroke or a hernia, if you have osteoporosis or any bone weakness, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or if you have had botox in the last six hours. What Should I Wear? All jewellery items must be removed before participating, a t-shirt must be worn to cover the armpit area and leggings are advised to avoid the silk rubbing on the skin and creating irritation. Please have clean feet or, alternatively, bring a pair of socks with you. Ukrainian intelligence officer "Spider" was wounded near Mariupol Facebbok Vyacheslav Abroskin The state budget of 2019 of Ukraine provides for more than 98.5 million dollars for intelligence. The relevant law came into force on January 1. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry will receive 102 million dollars, of which 98 million will be spent on intelligence activities. The housing for servicemen of the Defense Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate will be built and provided within 4 million dollars. 365,000 dollars were allocated to create a housing fund in the Main Intelligence Directorate. As it was reported earlier, last year the Defense Ministry allocated 91.2 million dollars to the Main Intelligence Directorate, including 87 million dollars for intelligence activities. Ukraine's service for foreign intelligence began the official procedure of withdrawal from the CIS Agreement on Cooperation of Intelligence and Security Services. The original agreement was signed in 1992. Previously, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the decree, which stipulates Ukraine's withdrawal from all authorities of the CIS. He also added that Ukraine would reconsider the international agreements signed within the CIS, retreating from those, which do not meet the country's national interests. Petro Poroshenko said the formation of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church became the most important event of the bygone 2018 year and expressed hope that peace would be back to Ukraine in the near future President Petro Poroshenko congratulated Ukrainians on the New Year 2019. In his speech, the Head of the state voiced the most important events of 2018. The whole speech is available on the website of the Presidential Administration. Petro Poroshenko stressed the creation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which is another evidence of the European choice of our country and spiritual independence from Moscow. The President expressed hope that the enemy would be driven from our territory and peace would be back on the Ukrainian territory. Fellow Ukrainians! A moment later and the chronicle of the year 2018 will be left in the archive of the Ukrainian history. It has a special place there. Near 1991, when our state independence was declared. On December 15 here, on St. Sophia, the Unity Council was held. Thousands of people convened on the square and were not ashamed of tears. And those were tears of joy. At last, the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine recognized by the world Orthodoxy was born. The struggle for the independence of our church lasted for hundreds of years it is only now that we have succeeded. This is a true miracle! It is a sign of God that we, Ukrainians, will all be fine. Shortly, along with the good news of the birth of the Savior, Ukraine will receive the long-awaited Tomos - a charter from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It will document our spiritual independence. We have become further from Moscow and closer to Europe. This is a clear strategy that has been steadfastly followed over the past five years. We go our own way. Neither promises of manna from heaven, nor grain of despondency, nor potion of discord - nothing should turn us back. "The power of the people lies in the unity, God, give us the unity," - I would like these words to become the motto of the next year for the authorities, society and every citizen. Especially since the year 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Zluky Act, the centennial of our unity. We do not want anything more than peace. And no one wants peace more than we do. So, on behalf of you, let me congratulate, first of all, Ukrainian soldiers. They guarantee us peace and quiet on this New Year's Eve. Let the seamen captured by Russians also feel our gratitude and the warmth of our hearts. And wounded among them - Andriy Eyder, Vasyl Soroka, Andriy Artemenko. And Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian prisons. And our citizens who became hostages in the temporarily occupied territories. I appeal to millions of Ukrainians in Crimea and on the other side of Donbas. We will definitely return to you with peace, no matter how long it may take. Our family will surely reunite at one table, at which the New Year is met by Kyiv time. Fellow Ukrainians! The hardest thing has already passed, and the worst is also behind. The gradual growth of the economy and the restoration of living standards are ahead. This is the result of our common, hard work. The main thing is not to trample the sprouts of development, gained at the cost of great sacrifices and enormous efforts of each of you, in the electoral race. Then we will surely win. I wish you all happy New Year! May our destiny stand with us! Glory to Ukraine! , the President said. Open source The law No. 2595-VIII on extending the program of removal from service of Chornobyl nuclear power plant and turning the confinement into an environmentally safe system before 2020. Over the next two years, Ukraine's government is supposed to spend approximately 107 million U.S. dollars to implement the program. The law offers certain measures that need to be implemented on this particular stage of eventual closure and conservation of the power plant. As is known, the Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF) was set up in December 1997 with the purpose of funding the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) in a co-operative effort between the European Union, the United States and Ukraine. The aim of the fund is to protect the personnel, population and environment from the threat of the huge radioactive inventory of the Chernobyl Unit 4 Shelter. The new safe confinement is 110 m high, 165 m long and 260 m wide, with over 30 thousand tons of weight it is the biggest movable surface structure in the world. The Chernobyl Unit 4 catastrophe remains the worst accident in the history of commercial nuclear power. The explosion of the reactor core sent up tons of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Within hours heavy contamination affected the population and natural habitat of vast areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Within days the wind dispersed radio-nuclides over many parts of Europe and even beyond. Among the detainees one citizen of Turkey and three citizens of Mongolia The border guards in Lviv region prevented an illicit crossing of Ukrainian-Polish border by four foreigners, reports the press office of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Yesterday, the border guards near the Ukrainian-Polish border detained four violators trying to illegally cross the state border, the guards reported. Related: 800 cases of offering bribery to border guards spotted in Ukraine in 2018 The first violator was noticed by the local resident, who reported on the illicit activity to the law enforcers. Soon, the border patrol unit, which was on a duty nearby, detained him in 300 meters from the state border. He turned out to be a Turkish citizen, State Border Guard Service advised. Related: State Border Service reinforces security measures for New Year holidays A few hundred meters from the border, the brave men who decided to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border through the snow we arrested. They were citizens of Mongolia: 2 men and 1 woman, according to the press office. At this point, all four detained for three days in order to clarify the circumstances of the violation. It is also noted that they have arrived in Ukraine legally. The regulation of the government on the extension of the list of grounds for the issuance of electronic visas and increase of the tariff rate of the consular fee from $65 to #85 has come into force today, on January 1. The issue is about the document dated November 14 as the press service of Ukraines Cabinet of Ministers reported. The members of the government approved the amendments to the rules of the issuance of visas for the entrance to Ukraine and transit through its territory, which provide the use of a number of new procedures from January 1, 2019. Thus, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to increase the tariff rate of the consular fee for the issuance of the electronic visas from $65 up to #85 and cancel the issuance of the tourist and business visas at the checkpoints through the state border at the international airports Boryspil, Kyiv (Zhuliany) and Odesa. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine will centrally issue visas for such travelers since April 2018. Moreover, the Cabinet of Ministers extended the list of grounds for the issuance of the electronic visas. In addition to the business and tourist purpose of the entrance, the electronic visas for trips to Ukraine with the private purposes, for treatment, the pursuit of activities in the sphere of culture, science, education, sport and for mass media representatives are implemented, the regulation says. As we reported the first electronic visa in Ukraine was issued for a citizen of Thailand. Open source The US State Department responded to the arrest of an American by the Russias Federal Security Service in Moscow on espionage charges. According to Reuters, the representative of the State Department said that Russia had notified them of the arrest, consular access to the American is expected. "We have requested this access and expect the Russian authorities to provide it," the State Department spokesman said. However, he did not specify the identity of the detained American or the reasons for his detention. The FSB previously reported that this is Paul Whelan. The Russian government said that the American were detained "during a special action." The investigation department of the Federal Security Service of Russia initiated a criminal case against a US citizen under article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, reads the message. It is less than the law On public TV and Radio-broadcasting of Ukraine provides The state will finance the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine in the volume of $54 million in the current year as the state budget for 2019 says. Thus, the financial support of the company will make $54 million. It is the biggest item of expenditure provided by the State Committee for TV and Radio-Broadcasting of Ukraine (totally, $71.2 million). According to the law On public TV and Radio-broadcasting of Ukraine, the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine should be financed in the volume of 0,2% from the expenses of the common fund of the state budget for the previous year. Last year such expenses made $32.814 billion. Thus, the expenses for the National Public Broadcasting Company should make $65 million and the company is underfunded by $11 million. As it was reported, the Ukrainian Parliament passed the law about the state budget for the next year (bill No.9000). 239 MPs voted 'yes' in the second reading, 240 upheld it on the whole. The final voting took place in the early morning of Friday, November 23. The President of Ukraine signed the law on December 7. Two shelling of pro-Russian militants reported over the day Open source One Ukrainian soldier was killed as a result of pro-Russian militants shelling in Donbas. This was reported in the JFO headquarters on Facebook. As a result of the shelling from the side of Russian occupation forces, one soldier of the Joint Forces died, the report said. SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday that his resolve for complete denuclearisation remains unchanged but he may have to seek a "new path" if the United States continues to demand unilateral action from North Korea. In his New Year address, Kim said there would be faster progress on denuclearisation if the United States takes the corresponding action. He added that he is willing to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at any time to produce results that the international community would welcome. North Korea, however, would have "no option but to explore a new path in order to protect our sovereignty" if the United States "miscalculates our people`s patience, forces something upon us and pursues sanctions and pressure without keeping a promise it made in front of the world," Kim said. It was not clear what "new path" the North Korean leader was referring to. Kim and Trump vowed to work towards denuclearisation and build a "lasting and stable" peace regime at their landmark summit in Singapore in June, but both sides have since been struggling to make progress. Pyongyang has demanded Washington lift sanctions and declare an official end to the 1950-53 Korean War in response to its initial, unilateral steps towards denuclearisation, including dismantling its only known nuclear testing site and a key missile engine facility. Kim also called for South Korea to "completely stop" joint military drills with the United States involving strategic assets, while multilateral negotiations should be pursued to build a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. "Now that North and South Korea decided on the path of peace and prosperity, we insist that joint military exercises with outside forces should no longer be allowed and deployment of war weapons such as outside strategic assets should be completely stopped," Kim said. Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee congratulated party workers on the Trinamool Congress turning 21 on Tuesday. The TMC was founded on January 1, 1998. "The journey which began on January 1, 1998 has been full of struggles, but we have been steadfast in our resolve to fight for the people #Trinamool21," Banerjee said in a tweet. "We are thankful to Maa-Mati-Manush for their constant support. And the workers who work hard 365 days a year for the people. A big salute to you," she said. The TMC leadership had last week issued instructions to conduct various programmes across the state on Tuesday to mark the occasion. The district leaders have arranged for party flag-hoisting programmes and street corner meetings to discuss and highlight achievements of the party in the last six-and-a-half years. Lucknow: One of the prime accused in the killing of police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during a mob violence in December in Uttar Pradesh`s Bulandshahr was arrested on Tuesday, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prabhakar Chowdhary told IANS the accused -- Kalua, was arrested from a far-flung village of Bulandshahr in the early hours of Tuesday after the police received information about his presence there. Kalua, who is being interrogated, is accused of hitting Singh with an axe on the head. The police Inspector was later shot by Prashant Nat, who is already in police custody. LUCKNOW: One of the prime accused in Bulandshahr mob violence incident, that killed UP cop Subodh Kumar Singh and another person, was arrested on Tuesday. The accused, Kalua, is currently being interrogated for hitting Singh with an axe on the head, reported news agency ANI. The axe used to kill Singh has been recovered from his possession, added police. He will be produced before a court later in the day. During interrogation, it was revealed that he was the person who attacked Inspector Subodh Kumar with an axe. The axe has been recovered from his possession, said Atul Kumar Srivastava, Additional SP of Bulandshahr. Other accused persons will be arrested shortly, he added. The accused was arrested from a remote village of Bulandshahr district in the early hours of Tuesday after the police received information about his presence there. Kalua, who is being interrogated, is accused of hitting Singh with an axe on the head. The police Inspector was later shot by Prashant Nat, who is already in police custody. Uttar Pradesh Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit lost their lives during violent protests against suspected cattle slaughter in December 2018. The two deaths resulted in a massive uproar. On December 28, another accused who allegedly shot Singh dead was arrested. So far, the total number of accused held in this case is 30. New Delhi: Chinese electronics major Xiaomi on Tuesday cut prices of host of Mi LED Tvs in India that includes Mi LED smart Tv 4A 32, Mi LED Tv 4C Pro 32, Mi LED Tv 4A Pro 49. Xiaomi said that the price cut is the company's New Year gift to fans. Xiaomi India tweeted: Mi fans! There couldn't be a better beginning. Get your hands on TVs from India's #1 Smart TV Brand at an unbeatable price, starting today. How's this for a New Year gift? RT to spread happiness. pic.twitter.com/9ZWb2dYlyw Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) January 1, 2019 Xiaomi's Mi TV 4A 32, earlier priced at Rs 3,999, will now be available at Rs 12,499. The price of Mi TV 4A 32 which was earlier priced at Rs 15,999 has been brought down to Rs 14,499 while that of Mi TV 4C Pro 32 has been reduced from Rs16,999 to Rs 14,999. Xiaomi's price reduction is in tandem with government's new GST tax slab that reduced monitors and TVs of upto screen size of 32 inches from 28 percent to 18 percent. The company grew to a new high on the back of its successful Redmi 5A and Redmi Note 5 Pro series and refreshed Redmi 6/A/Pro portfolio. But the eight-year-old company wants to be recognised not as just another smartphone company and it began working towards this mission in 2014. Along with its products in the smart home portfolio, it is also venturing into non-technology related segments like luggage, shoes, apparel and more. With IANS Inputs NEW DELHI: Legendary actor, comedian, and screenwriter Kader Khan breathed his last on Tuesday after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto in Canada, creating a huge void in the hearts of people who adored watching him on screen. The actor was put on a special ventilator on December 28 over breathlessness. He was under medical care for a long time. His demise comes as a shock to the entire nation, creating a huge void in the hearts of people who adored watching him on screen. Kader Khan was born on October 22, 1937, in Kabul, Afghanistan to Abdul Rahman Khan and Iqbal Begum. Before he ventured into films in the 1970s, he taught at M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering, Mumbai as a Civil Engineering professor. The actor began his film career by playing the role of a Prosecuting attorney in Yash Chopra's 'Daag'. When he took part in a play during the annual day function of the college, his performance was highly praised by everyone. After veteran actor Dilip Kumar came to know about this, he insisted on watching the play. Kader then acted the play for him and Dilip Sahab was so impressed by his performance that he signed the budding actor for his upcoming two filmsSagina Mahato and Bairaag. Some of the most memorable performances of the actor are Daag, Anari, Judwaa, Judaai, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhag, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Lucky: No Time for Love, Haseena Maan Jayegi, Dulhe Raja, Saajan Chale Sasural, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, and Coolie No. 1. Khan wasn't just an actor, he was a screenwriter as well. Actor Rajesh Khanna gave him his breakthrough as a screenwriter by asking him to write dialogues for the iconic film 'Roti'. After that, Khan wrote dialogues for some of the most epic films such as Natwarlal, Satte Pe Satta, Inquilab, Do Aur Do Paanch, Giraftaar, Hum, Khoon Pasina and Agneepath to name a few. In the year 2013, Kader was awarded the Sahitya Shiromani Award for his work and contributions to Cinema. In 1982, Kader won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for the film Meri Awaaz Suno. Also, in 1993, he bagged the same award for the film 'Angaar'. Recognizing his talent as a comedian, he was bestowed upon with Filmfare Best Comedian Award for Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri in the year 1991. Each time he appeared in a comic-role on screen, the audience was thrown into a fit of laughter. It is heartbreaking to know that such waves of laughter shall never be heard again. Goodbye, Khan Sahab. May your soul rest in peace. New Delhi: The hunk of an actor Tiger Shroff is currently busy with Siddharth Anand's upcoming high-octane film, which will have him sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan. Recently, the team was in Italy where the lead actors shot for some death-defying action sequences. In the meantime, Tiger, who is quite a hit among the social media users, has been sharing his pictures and videos on Instagram where he can be seen displaying some amazing stunts. And while his fans have seen him performing stunts several times before, Tiger's co-actor and superstar Hrithik Roshan was also left highly impressed with his stunt videos. Commenting on one of Tiger's Instagram pictures, Hrithik wrote, 'Now that's AMAZING.' Earlier, Tiger had posted a few more snaps and videos where he is seen grooving on songs. Take a look Tiger, son of veteran actor Jackie Shroff, will share screen space with Hrithik in a Yash Raj Films' production also starring Vaani Kapoor. The untitled project is one of the most awaited films of Bollywood. Apart from the film with Hrithik Roshan, Tiger has Karan Johar's 'Student of The Year 2' with newcomers Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria in the pipeline. And not just this, the young man has the official Hindi remake of Sylvester Stallone's 'Rambo' in his kitty. Reports suggest that Tiger will also be a part of 'Baaghi 3'. New Delhi: Bollywood's 'It' couple, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas welcomed the New Year in Switzerland and have been sharing pics from their dreamy vacation. The 'Quantico' star took to Instagram and shared more pics from her Swiss vacation which have her sharing a passionate kiss with her husband. Check out the pics here: The caption is, From mine to yours.. Happy new year everyone! #2019 Nick and Pee Cee got married in a dreamy wedding ceremony on December 1 2018. The couple had a Christain wedding followed by a Hindu one and pictures and videos from both weddings left us all awestruck! At the Christain wedding, Pee Cee's long train left everyone in awe. Nick, on the other hand looked dapper in a tux and even got emotional when he saw his beautiful bride walking down the aisle. The couple hosted their first wedding reception in New Delhi which was attended by various high profile guests including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They hosted their second reception in Mumbai which was followed by the third reception that had all of Pee Cee's Bollywood friends. As per a Mid-Day report, Priyanka and Nick will host another wedding reception for their Hollywood friends in Los Angeles. Hollywood celebs including Dwayne Johnson, Duchess of Sussex Meghan, Kerry Washington and Ellen DeGeneres are expected to attend the reception among others. New Delhi: Veteran Bollywood actor-director-writer-comedian passed away at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Toronto in Canada in the wee hours on Tuesday. According to Ahmed Khan, a close relative of the actor, Kader's last rites will be performed in a Toronto cemetery later in the day. Kader is survived by his wife Hajra, son Sarfaraz, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. This year surely has not started well for Bollywood and weve lost a legend. Also Read: Veteran Bollywood actor Kader Khan dies at 81, Bollywood loses a gem "My dad has left us. He passed away on December 31 at 6 pm as per Canadian time due to prolonged illness. He slipped into a coma in the afternoon. He was in the hospital for 16-17 weeks. The last rites will be performed here in Canada only. We have our entire family here and we live here so we are doing it," Khan's son Sarfaraz told PTI. "We are thankful to everyone for their blessings and prayers," he added. The news of the death of the actor-screenwriter, who was at his peak in the 1980s-90s, comes days after his son dismissed media reports of his demise. Kader had developed breathing issues and the doctors had reportedly transferred him from regular ventilator to BiPAP ventilator. As per reports, he was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia. (With Agency inputs) Medininagar (Jharkhand): Apprehending that some people may show black flag to the prime minister, the Palamu district administration has banned entry of all black materials including black dresses to the venue of Narendra Modi's public meeting here on Saturday. Anybody coming to the meeting with any black material will not be allowed to enter the public meeting venue, Palamu Superintendent of Police Inderjit Mahata said Tuesday. The ban order comes in the wake of the para-teachers' ongoing agitation across Jharkhand for over three months in support of their demands including regularisation of service. The ban is applied to both officials and the audience, Mahata said. Official sources said there was apprehension that the para-teachers might try to show black flags to the prime minister. Palamu district administration has requested its counterparts in neighbouring Chatra, Latehar and Garhwa to take measures in stopping people coming to the prime minister's programme carrying black materials, the sources said. New Delhi: Search engine giant Google has again come up with an animated doodle to celebrate the New Year 2019. In today's doodle, the first baby elephants is jumping with joy and excitement while the other one was making a 2019 popcorn banner by pumping his trunk as they step into the New Year. Well, its time to call out the elephant(s) in the room: its out with the old and in with the new! Heres to a bright year ahead, Google wrote in its doodle page. Yesterday, Google's made an animated doodle showing two cute elephants blowing up balloons and eating popcorn. In the doodle, Google showed two elephants playfully arranging for party decor while a wall clock was showing just minutes away from striking midnight. A mammoth pile of balloons? Check. A ton of party hats? Check. A herd of friends and family ready to countdown? Check. Let the New Years Eve festivities commence! At the stroke of midnight, its out with the old and in with the new. Well sing that song Should old acquaintance be forgot, but theres no need to worry about our purple friends. Elephants never forget, Google wrote wishing every one a Happy New Years Eve!. New Year celebrations are held across the world with people gathering to celebrate it by releasing balloons at the turn of the New Year while others congregate to watch spectacular fireworks show. Pune: Neary five lakh persons are expected to attend 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle and visit the 'jay stambh' near Perne village in Maharashtra's Pune district on Tuesday. Following last year's violence that led to the death of one and several injured, a heavy layer of security has been deployed in the village and its nearby areas. Three teams of Anti-riot Force and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) are on the standby. Several check posts have been erected in the region. Over 5,000 police personnel, 12 teams of State Reserve Police, 1000 home guards, and 500 officers are monitoring the situation. On Monday, more than 18,000 visitors arrived from various parts of Maharashtra. Over five lakh footfalls are expected in Tuesday's anniversary functions. "Majority of the visitors, mainly youths, reached here today from the Vidarbha and the Marathawada regions of the state and paid tribute at the memorial," said a police officer. Last year, the area around the village witnessed violent caste clashes on January 1 to mark the bicentenary of 1818 battle, leaving one person dead and several injured. The clashes broke out a day after the Elgaar Parishad conclave was held in historic Shaniwarwada in Pune. The 'jay stambh' had been erected by the British as a memorial for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle on January 1, 1818. In the Dalit narrative, the battle is the victory over casteism as the British army comprising a large contingent of dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the forces of Peshwas--the Brahmin custodians of the Maratha kingdom. Bishop of Pune diocese, Thomas Dabre has appealed to churches and institutions in the west Maharashtra city to hold prayers for "peace and harmony" during the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle that falls on January 1. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court Monday refused to pass any orders to the Pune Police to permit the Bhim Army to conduct public meetings in the city. A vacation bench of Justice C V Bhadang directed the Pune Police to file its affidavit in response to a petition filed by activist Datta Pol, chief of the Bhim Army's Pune unit. With agency inputs New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed confidence that defaulters will not be spared and will bring them back to India. Talking to news agency ANI, PM Modi said, Those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow. Diplomatic channels, legal courses, and seizure of properties being done. Those who have stolen Indias money, they will have to compensate for each and every penny.'' #WATCH #PMtoANI: Those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow. Diplomatic channels, legal courses and seizure of properties being done. Those who have stolen Indias money, they will have to compensate for each and every penny. pic.twitter.com/pHfPF0xjxw ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 This was an apparent reference to the cases involving Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi. Last year, in a major achievement, the ruling government was successful in bringing back Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Michel, a British national is accused of paying kickbacks to secure the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters in 2007. The deal was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. However, he had denied the charges. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi (73) was also charge-sheeted by the CBI in a Delhi Court along with nine others in connection with a bribery case in the VVIP chopper deal. He is the first chief of the Indian Air Force to be charge-sheeted in corruption or a criminal case by the CBI and he has denied all charges against him. Vijay Mallya Last year, in the second major achievement for the Narendra Modi government, the Westminster Magistrate Court in London on Monday ordered the extradition of beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya to India to stand trial on the charges brought by the CBI and ED. Chief Magistrate Judge Emma Arbuthnot had referred the decision to the UK Home Office for the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, to pass an order based on the verdict. Mallya (62) is wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores. He has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi Modi and Choksi, and their three partnership firms, Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar DIamonds, are accused of routing Rs 13,500 crore worth of fraudulent transactions through state-owned PNB. Both left India in the first week of January 2018, weeks before the scam broke. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong. In an exclusive interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces. He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that country`s security is not compromised. "Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country`s needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country`s security. I won`t leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," PM Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal. When asked why he was silent on the Congress accusation of crony capitalism and alleged favouring of Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal, Modi replied, "This is not an allegation against me personally, but an allegation against my government. If there is any allegation against me personally, let them dig who gave what, when and where and to whom." "In Parliament, I have spoken elaborately on this and whichever public forum I got, I spoke about this. The matter has been cleared even by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court scrutinised it threadbare. The French President has spoken. ..Media should have the courage to ask (the Congress) where is the evidence for these allegations? Don`t throw muck and run away.... They (Congress) are not able to give any real evidence, just keep talking. Unko yeh bolne ki beemari hai toh mujhe kya baar baar ussi me ulajhna chahiye kya (If they have this problem of talking about it then should I too get entangled in it)," he added. The Prime Minister said that there should be a debate in the country on why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and on the need for middlemen in defence purchases. "Why controversies have been created over defence deals since Independence and our forces weakened. Who is doing it? What is the reason? Also, what is the need for middlemen in the defence deals? Can`t defence deal not be done without middlemen? Had Make in India been initiated 70 years back, the malai khane wala raasta from outside would have been closed. My crime is that I am trying to Make In India. My crime is that whatever our defence forces need, that should be made in India so that dealings outside the country end. I am trying to get technology transfer," Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister sought to dispel the Congress allegation that the purchase would harm his Make in India initiative. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring Anil Ambani`s Reliance group in the Rafale deal by pushing Dassault Aviation to have a tie up with it through an offset clause, an allegation denied vehemently by both the Indian government and Dassault. NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi, while revealing details of the Surgical Strikes for the first time, said that the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. The strikes were carried out days after terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, killing 20 soldiers. The Prime Minister said the surgical strikes were planned as there was a "rage" building up within him as well as the Army after soldiers were burnt alive in the terror attack in Uri. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don`t think about that but come back before sunrise. Don`t fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," he said, turning a bit emotional while discussing that operation. Emphasising that he was determined to see that none of the soldiers died in the operation, he said he had told them that they must return before sunrise even if they fail. "Come back before sunrise, irrespective of the success or failure of the mission", this was my message to the Indian Army Special Forces` commandos who went across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28, 2016, to carry out surgical strikes at terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir,'' the PM said. On politicisation of the surgical strikes, the Prime Minister said it was not done by the government but by opposition parties, which "raised questions" over the military action and cited the Pakistani version to "lend weight to their doubts". The Prime Minister said that even before the country was informed about the strikes, Pakistan was told about it. "An Army officer apprised the nation (India) of the operation. That information was given to Pakistan as well... But it is unfortunate for the country that the same day (of the surgical strike), leaders of some parties raised doubts over the surgical strikes," PM Modi said. "It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (to deny), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing Pakistani version. Politicisation started from that point," he added. Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in a series of tweets post-surgical strikes raised doubts over the veracity of the Government`s claims. Kejriwal said that Pakistan had invited foreign journalists to view their side of the border to ascertain claims of a surgical strike. "BJP I believe you. But international media publishing Pak propaganda that no strike took place. Let us expose Pak propaganda," tweeted Arvind Kejriwal on October 4th, 2016. PM Modi added that the opposition leaders were speaking "rubbish" and "those who raised doubts over the Army action, were wrong and such politicisation should not have happened". PM Modi said lauding the valour of soldiers from all operations including the 1962 war with China was the duty of the government and citizens."If we don`t hail the valour of those who stake their lives for the country, then who will? So praising the Army should not be considered as politicisation," he said. The Prime Minister was asked whether the objectives of the surgical strikes were met, considering that cross-LoC attacks still continue in Kashmir. In response, he said he would not like to discuss the issue in open domain. But then he went on to add, "Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochne mein bahut badi galti hogi. Pakistan ko sudarne mein abhi aur samay lagega (It will be a big mistake to think that Pakistan will start behaving after one fight. It will take a long time for Pakistan to start behaving). #PMtoANI on cross border attacks from Pakistan even after surgical strike: Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochna bohot badi ghalti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. pic.twitter.com/9skh5PcwSz ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 Talking about the Uri attack, Modi said, "That incident made me restless and there was rage within me. I had gone to Kerala and made a mention of this. Because I could not stop myself.'' PM Modi said that while talking to the Army, he realised that they wanted justice for their martyred soldiers and the government gave them the "free hand" to plan and execute the surgical strikes. Special training was imparted to the commandos and secrecy was maintained."The topography and obstacles were kept in consideration... It was a learning experience for me as well," PM Modi said. In September 2016, terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed entered the Army camp in Uri near the Line of Control and killed 20 soldiers in the attack. In retaliation, the Indian Army troops including the commandos from various units of the Para (Special Forces) units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir carried out raids across the border on multiple targets. All these targets were launch pads for terrorists for infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out attacks against military and civilian targets. Though the security forces are not sure about the exact number of casualties on the Pakistan side but based on post-operation intercepts and movements, it is believed that it had suffered around 50 casualties including its regular Army soldiers who were deployed for protecting the terror camps. From the Indian side, only one soldier had suffered injury due to a personnel mine explosion while returning from the operation. (With ANI inputs) NEW DELHI: In a blistering attack on the Congress party, the ruling BJP on Tuesday alleged that the previous UPA government misused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to frame Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said that there was a clear conspiracy by the Congress government and the party's former president Sonia Gandhi to destroy the political career of Amit Shah, who is now BJP national president. ''Congress misused the CBI in 2010 to frame Amit Shah, who is now BJP chief. Theres clear proof of a political conspiracy by Congress against him. We want to highlight to the nation that Congress will not spare anyone who comes in their pursuit of power,'' Irani told reporters. Union Minister & BJP leader Smriti Irani: Congress misused the CBI in 2010 to frame BJP Pres Amit Shah. Theres clear proof of political conspiracy by Congress against him. We want to highlight to the nation that Congress will not spare anyone who comes in their pursuit of power. pic.twitter.com/v2tW8DnzlG ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 Irani claimed that the Sohrabuddin case was ''politically motivated.'' "The entire investigation was carried out according to a set script to achieve certain goals. Truth has finally won in a case that was nothing but a conspiracy by Congress," the Union Textiles Minister said. Irani also accused the CBI of creating evidence for a manufactured probe in the case under pressure from the Congress party, which was in power in 2010. Thanking the honourable court, which recently gave a clean chit to the BJP president in the case, Irani said, ''Despite Congress's political conspiracy to destroy Amit Shah, the courts have cleared the BJP chief of all charges levelled against him. It was a conspiracy by Congress." Quoting the recent CBI court judgement, which was delivered a week ago by the special CBI court, Irani said, "The judgement by the Special CBI judge clearly said that the CBI was more concerned about establishing a particular pre-conceived and pre-meditated theory, rather than finding out the truth to implicate political leaders." On December 21, the special CBI court acquitted all the 22 accused, saying a conspiracy could not be proven. "Having examined the entire investigation and conducted the trial, I have no hesitation in recording that during the investigation of these offences, the CBI was doing something other than reaching the truth of these offences,'' the court said in its 350-page long judgement. "I have no hesitation in recording that a premier investigating agency like CBI had before it a premeditated theory and a script intended to anyhow implicate political leaders. And the agency thereafter merely did what was required to reach that goal rather than conducting an investigation in accordance with law," the judgement read. All 22 accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsi Prajapati were acquitted last month by a special CBI court because of insufficient evidence, even as it expressed sorrow over the loss of three lives. The Union Minister further said after the court's judgement, years of fake propaganda by Congress against Amit Shah crumbled. All the accused, who were mostly police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan, were out on bail during the year-long trial. The 13-year-old case saw several twists and turns, including 92 prosecution witnesses turning hostile. At one point, BJP president Amit Shah was also arrested briefly in 2010 in the case before being discharged in December 2014. The three victims, who were returning to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad in a bus, were taken into custody by a police team on November 22-23, 2005 night. The couple were taken in one vehicle and Prajapati in another. CBI, the prosecuting agency, said Shaikh was killed on November 26, 2005, allegedly by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and Kausar Bi three days later. Prajapati, who was lodged in Udaipur central jail, was killed in an encounter on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border on December 27, 2006. Of the 22 accused, 21 are junior police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, who, the CBI said, were part of the teams that abducted the three and later killed them in staged encounters. The other accused was the owner of the farmhouse in Gujarat where Shaikh and Kausar Bi were illegally detained before being killed. The CBI had charged 38 persons, including Amit Shah, who was then Gujarat home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, the then Rajasthan home minister, and senior IPS officers like D G Vanzara and P C Pande. The prosecution had examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile. 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. Sixteen people, including Shah, Kataria, Vanzara and Pande, were earlier discharged by the CBI court due to lack of evidence. (With Agency inputs ) New Delhi: The RSS on Tuesday said people expect the Narendra Modi government to fulfill its promise of building the Ram temple within its tenure as the BJP was elected to power in 2014 for committing to all possible efforts to do so. The reaction from the Hindutva organisation's joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabole came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said any government action on the temple construction can happen only after the judicial process is over. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Ram temple case on January 4, even as Hindutva organisations, including the RSS and its affiliates, as also the BJP ally Shiv Sena, have been pitching for an ordinance to pave the way for early construction. "Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto had promised to make all possible efforts within the ambit of the Constitution to build the Ram temple. People of India gave the BJP a majority, trusting their promise," the RSS leader said. The people of Bharat have reposed complete confidence and gave BJP the full mandate. The people of Bharat expect this government to fulfil the same promise during this tenure. - Dattatreya Hosabale, Sah Sarkaryvah (RSS) RSS (@RSSorg) 1 January 2019 ''People of India expect the government to fulfill the promise within its tenure,'' a tweet from RSS said. Another senior RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi said, ''We've have kept forward our demand to make a law in this regard. Every person in our country wants Ram temple constructed. Even those who are in power have said that Ram temple should be constructed.'' Senior RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi on #RamTemple: We've have kept forward our demand to make a law in this regard. Every person in our country wants Ram temple constructed. Even those who are in power have said that Ram temple should be constructed. pic.twitter.com/8ZfwEjfVWZ ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 The government's term will end in May. In an interview to news agency ANI, PM Modi said, "Let the judicial process take its own course. Don't weigh it in political terms. Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever be our responsibility as a government, we are ready to make all efforts." The Prime Minister was asked about demands for an ordinance. The RSS also described Modi's comments as a "positive step" towards the temple construction. It recalled that the prime minister's remarks are in line with the 1989 BJP resolution passed in its Palampur convention, in which the party had committed itself to building the temple in Ayodhya with either consultation among different stakeholders or by bringing a legislation. In a dig, Shiv Sena's spokesperson Sanjay Raut wondered if the law is bigger than Lord Ram for Modi. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday refuted allegations levelleed by his political opponents on his government as he spoke on a wide range of issues including Ram Temple issue, Triple Talaq bill, Surgical Strikes, his government's actions against graft accused members of the Gandhi family and the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In a no-holds-barred interview with news agency ANI, the PM also shared his vision for the country, while reiterating his government's commitment to ''Sabka Saath, Sabha Vikas.'' Later, while the ruling BJP said that PM's explanation on various issues was comprehensive, detailed and candid, the Congress party termed it as "bereft of ground reality, full of 'jumlas' (rhetoric) and scripted.'' Ram Temple PM Modi made it clear that any decision on bringing an Ordinance on Ram temple can be considered only after the judicial process gets over. The PM suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court. "We have said in our BJP manifesto that a solution would be found to this issue under the ambit of the Constitution," the Prime Minister said about the Ram temple matter when asked whether the Ram Mandir issue had been relegated as merely an emotive issue for the BJP. Asked whether the government could consider issuing an Ordinance on Ram temple, the Prime Minister pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages. "Let the judicial process be over. After the judicial process is over, whatever will be our responsibility as the government, we are ready to make all efforts," he added. READ FULL STORY Gandhi Family ''It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail, that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing. A set of people, who are at their service, are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives,'' PM Modi said. #PMtoANI: It is a fact that those considered first family, who ran the country for four generations, are out on bail,that too for financial irregularities. It is a big thing.A set of people,who are at their service,are trying to suppress such information and push other narratives pic.twitter.com/gXpPdHWmso ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 On Ties With Pakistan Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will make all efforts to keep the pressure on Pakistan, but it will be a huge mistake to believe that the country will mend its ways anytime soon. READ FULL STORY #PMtoANI on cross border attacks from Pakistan even after surgical strike: Ek ladai se Pakistan sudhar jayega, yeh sochna bohot badi ghalti hogi. Pakistan ko sudharne mein abhi aur samay lagega. pic.twitter.com/9skh5PcwSz ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 India, whether UPA or NDA government, never opposed dialogue (with Pakistan). It is the consistent policy of the country, not Modi government or Manmohan Singh government. We only say one thing that amid the noise of bombs and guns, the dialogue cannot be heard, the PM said. Dolkam Standoff Replying to a question on the Doklam standoff despite several meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, PM Modi said, ''India should be judged on the basis of its response in Doklam. And nothing has happened with India that can be considered as deceit, but our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours.'' #PMtoANI on Doklam standoff despite meetings with Xi Jinping: India should be judged on the basis of its response in Doklam. And nothing has happened with India that can be considered as deceit, but our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours. pic.twitter.com/lwqntg3zyi ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 Triple Talaq PM Narendra Modi said that while Triple Talaq is a matter of gender equality, entry of women in Sabarimala is related to tradition. PM Modi also tried to clear the air on BJP`s apparent contradiction in its stand on the controversial Triple Talaq Ordinance and the ban on entry of women between the age group of (10-50 years) in the Sabarimala Temple by saying the Ordinance against Triple Talaq was brought keeping in mind gender equality and social justice and it should not be seen as interference in religious issues. However, on the entry of women of menstrual age in the Sabarimala Temple and protests by Hindu groups, Prime Minister Modi said that the issue relates to tradition and the Supreme Court judgement that saw a dissent by a lady judge should be read carefully. READ FULL STORY 2019 Lok Sabha Polls When asked if the upcoming 2019 elections would be anybody vs Modi, the PM said, ''It is going to be a 'Janta' versus 'gathbandhan'. Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings.'' #PMtoANI on whether 2019 elections would be anybody vs Modi: It is going to be 'Janta' versus 'gathbandhan'. Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings. pic.twitter.com/kO5rjHjJPa ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 The Prime Minister was responding to a question about whether people had now considered the `Mahagathbandhan` as an alternative to PM Modi. He expressed confidence that the people will again repose faith in the BJP considering the work done by his government over the last four and a half years. READ FULL STORY Rafale Deal PM Narendra Modi said that the Congress is trying to throw muck on him even though the party has nothing to prove him wrong. PM Modi said that those levelling allegations on him are actually weakening the Indian security forces. He added that in spite of allegations from the Congress in the Rafale deal, he will continue to expedite the procurement process in defence so that country`s security is not compromised. "Those people who want to weaken the Army are levelling allegations. Should I worry that they are making personal attacks on me, or whether my country`s needs should be met? I decided that whatever abuses are hurled at me, whatever allegations are levelled against me, I will continue on the path of honesty and give primacy to the country`s security. I won`t leave my Army jawans merely to their fate. Whatever be their requirement, I will expedite the procurement processes. I will do it even if allegations are levelled me," PM Modi said in response to allegations of corruption in the Rafale jet purchase deal. READ FULL STORY Surgical Strikes PM Modi, while revealing details of the Surgical Strikes for the first time, said that the date of the attack was changed twice, keeping in mind the safety and security of the troops. The strikes were carried out days after terrorists attacked an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, killing 20 soldiers. The Prime Minister said the surgical strikes were planned as there was a "rage" building up within him as well as the Army after soldiers were burnt alive in the terror attack in Uri. "I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don`t think about that but come back before sunrise. Don`t fall for the lure and prolong it (the operation)," he said, turning a bit emotional while discussing that operation. Emphasising that he was determined to see that none of the soldiers died in the operation, he said he had told them that they must return before sunrise even if they fail. "Come back before sunrise, irrespective of the success or failure of the mission", this was my message to the Indian Army Special Forces` commandos who went across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28, 2016, to carry out surgical strikes at terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir,'' the PM said. READ FULL STORY Demonetisation PM Modi said that the decision to ban old currency notes of high denomination - Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes - was not a 'Jhatka' (shock or sudden blow), adding that he had warned people a year earlier. This (Demonetisation) wasnt a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily, PM Modi told ANI. #PMtoANI on Demonetization: This wasnt a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money),you can deposit it,pay penalties and you will be helped out.However,they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily pic.twitter.com/yPWsggTv3G ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 PM Modi on November 8, 2016 had announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The Reserve Bank of India in its annual report later had said that 99.3 per cent of the total banned notes had returned to the banking system. READ FULL STORY Ex-RBI Governor Urjit Patel PM Modi said that there was no government or political pressure on former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel to resign from the Central Bank. PM Modi said that Patel had personally written to him several months ago about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons. He himself requested (to resign) on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. No question of political pressure. the PM said. Patel resigned in December from his post citing "personal reasons" amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. Prime Minister Modi, after Patel`s resignation, tweeted that the RBI Governor left behind a "great legacy."The Prime Minister further dispelled the opposition`s criticism that Patel was made to leave."No such question arises. I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor," Prime Minister Modi added. READ FULL STORY #PMtoANI on Urjit Patel:He himself requested(to resign)on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. No question of political pressure. He did a good job as RBI Governor pic.twitter.com/yvCPKMYltp ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 Judiciary & CBI Stressing that institutions like CBI and judiciary are paramount to his government, the Prime Minister stressed that the opposition Congress party has no right to criticise the BJP by saying that the government weakened such institutions in the country. "Congress has no right to speak on this issue. Against the PM and PMO, the NAC (National Advisory Council) was formed. What kind of empowerment of the PMO was this? Cabinet takes such a big decision and a big leader tears that Cabinet decision at a press conference. What kind of respect is for an institution?", PM Modi questioned. "Coming to the judiciary, they openly said that we will decide judiciary on the basis of ideology and senior judges were shown the door and junior judges were promoted. And you are talking about institutions? In the same RBI, several times Governors were forced to leave before their term expired. You called Planning Commission people a bunch of jokers," the Prime Minister added. Tax Benefits For Middle Class For the middle class, we'll have to change our thinking. Middle class never lives on someones mercy. They live with dignity and make an immense contribution towards running the country,'' the PM said. Farmers' Suicide And Loan Waiver Dubbing the loan waivers announced by the Congress governments as "political stunts", PM Modi asserted that a majority of farmers do not benefit from these "misleading" announcements as only a few of them take loans from banks. He said the solution to the farmers ' problems is to empower them and his government is committed to this. "These are political stunts," PM Modi asserted. He recently described the loan waivers announced by the Congress party as just lollipops.'' Asked why he described the announcements as "lollipops", the Prime Minister said: "To say a lie and mislead, that is what I called lollipop. Like saying that we have waived all farm loans. The truth is that nothing like that has happened... They should not mislead... And particularly a responsible political party should never do it." Explaining further, he said there is a very small segment of farmers who take loans from banks while a majority of them take loans from money lenders. Electoral Defeats in Three Key States Referring to a question on his party's poll prospects after its electoral defeat in three key states, PM Modi said he is confident that the BJP will do well in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "No reason for morale down. We are confident and are moving ahead. In 2019, if there is one party which the country trusts and is connected with the people, it is the BJP," PM Modi said. BJP lost power in three key states in December, handing Modi his biggest defeat since he took office in 2014 and boosting the Congress party opposition and its allies ahead of national polls due by May. Modi said it was more important to focus on his government`s achievements, including the introduction in September of a new healthcare scheme for the poor. ''2018 was a successful year. Elections are just one facet of a number of facets. If poor are given insurance of upto Rs 5Lakh, Ayushman Bharat Yojna. In such big numbers people were suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure?" PM Modi said. #PMtoANI: 2018 was a successful year. Elections are just one facet of a number of facets. If poor are given insurance of upto Rs 5Lakh, Ayushman Bharat Yojna. In such big numbers people were suffering, today they have got treatment, how can I consider this a failure? pic.twitter.com/ff3Jxnrz9n ANI (@ANI) 1 January 2019 He said the party has been discussing what it lacked at the state elections but winning or losing was not the only yardstick. "Our effort is to take everyone along and listen to everyone. I am committed to giving importance to regional aspirations. The country cannot be run by ignoring regional aspirations," the PM said. GST Replying to a question on Congress president Rahul Gandhi calling GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax', the PM said, ''The way someone thinks is the way someone talks. Have the GST processes not been done after taking a consensus with all political parties in the country? Since Pranab Mukherjee was FM, the GST process has been going on. We just implemented it.'' Bank Loan Defaulters, Blackmoney Hoarders PM expressed confidence that the bank loan defaulters will not be spared and will be eventually brought back to India. PM Modi said, Those who fled during this government, they will be brought back, today or tomorrow. Diplomatic channels, legal courses, and seizure of properties being done. Those who have stolen Indias money, they will have to compensate for each and every penny.'' PM Modi's comment was an apparent reference to the cases involving Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi. Last year, in a major achievement, the ruling government was successful in bringing back Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. READ FULL STORY New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at five locations in Amroha in connection with the IS module case of last week. Latest visuals: National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducting raids at 5 locations in Amroha (in connection with ISIS module case of last week) pic.twitter.com/hPcNuooY8v ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2019 NIA busted an IS-inspired terror module following massive raids at various places and arrested at least 10 terror suspects from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The apex anti-terror probe agency said that the members of the alleged terror module wanted to carry out fidayeen attacks in near future and had set eyes on VVIPs. The NIA had also published a list of suspects arrested by it following joint raids in UP and Delhi. The members of the newly-traced Islamic State module 'Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam' were allegedly planning terror attacks in north India, especially Delhi, the NIA IG confirmed. Ahmedabad: School children in Gujarat will holler Jai Hind and Jai Bharat instead of customary Present during the daily roll call to register attendance from January 1, 2019. According to a notification by Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), students of Classes 1 to 12 in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with "Jai Hind" or "Jai Bharat," starting January 1. All teachers and education officers have been directed to make sure that the new direction is followed in every school across the state. The decision was taken by Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama during a review meeting held on Monday. The new directive has been introduced to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood. Copies of the notification were sent to the district education officials with instructions to implement it from January 1. The Gujarat Education Minister could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts, reports new agency PTI. Panaji: Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar attended office at the Goa Secretariat for the first time in the last four months on Tuesday, New Year's day. He held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues and officials at the state secretariat in Porvorim. Goa: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar held meeting with his cabinet colleagues and officials at the state secretariat in Porvorim. pic.twitter.com/bwPBdpkq4V ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2019 The 63-year-old BJP veteran was absent from the office for an extended period due to a pancreatic ailment. He had undergone treatment at private hospitals in Mumbai and the USA last year. The chief minister, with medical appendage, got down from his car at the main gate of the secretariat at around 10:45 AM, smiled at people, and walked inside, sources said. Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar arrives at the state secretariat, is welcomed by party workers and leaders. Parrikar is being treated since February last year for a pancreatic ailment pic.twitter.com/mKus97RJ3F Hundreds of BJP workers who had gathered outside the complex cheered when Parrikar arrived. He was formally welcomed by BJP MLAs, including Legislative Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, ministers Mauvin Godinho, Milind Naik, Nilesh Cabral and former MLA Kiran Kandolkar. In the first public appearance since his return from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi in October, the chief minister had last month inspected the work on new bridges over the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers near Panaji. Since his discharge from AIIMS, Parrikar has been recuperating at his private residence at Dona Paula near Panaji. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there was no government or political pressure on former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel to resign from the Central Bank. In an interview to news agency ANI, Modi said that Patel had personally written to him several months ago about wanting to resign, citing personal reasons. He himself requested (to resign) on personal reasons. I am revealing for the first time, he was telling me about it for past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. No question of political pressure. He did a good job as RBI Governor. Citing personal reasons, Patel resigned on December 10, nine months before his three-year term was scheduled to expire. The government appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das as the new RBI Governor soon-after. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the decision to ban old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes was not a 'Jhatka' (shock or sudden blow), adding that he had warned people a year earlier. In an interview to news agency ANI, Modi said, This (Demonetisation) wasnt a jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily. PM Modi on November 8, 2016 had announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The Reserve Bank of India in its annual report later had said that 99.3 per cent of the total banned notes had returned to the banking system. BENGALURU: A Bengaluru-based was woman allegedly molested by three drunk revellers during New Year's celebration in the early hours of Tuesday. The men, who were in an inebriated state, harassed the woman who was with her husband at the city's Richmond Circle. When the husband intervened, he too was assaulted, alleged the victim. The woman called up the police helpline at the time. Later, a case was filed at Ashok Nagar police station. One person has been arrested for the incident, reported news agency ANI. Three years ago, several women were molested during New Year celebrations leading to a nation-wide outcry. To avoid a repetition of such an embarrassment, elaborate security arrangements were put in place with the deployment of a sizeable number of policemen, police vehicles, CCTV cameras and cameramen. In addition, policemen in civil dress were also deployed to keep an eye on miscreants. In this file photo taken on Nov. 8, 2018, Nigerian refugee Aicha Younoussa poses with a smartphone in front of her tent in Bol. Due to Boko Haram's threat, Aicha and her family left Nigeria four years ago finding a shelter in the refugee camp of Baga Sola in Southern Chad. (Xinhua/AFP) UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A UN humanitarian official said Thursday that out of the estimated 181 million people living in Central Africa, nearly 26 million will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2019, representing a dramatic increase of 22 percent from 2018. To put this into perspective, Director of Operations and Advocacy division of the UN relief wing (OCHA), Reena Ghelani, said one person out of seven in Central Africa is caught up in crisis and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection, compared to one out of 70 people globally. She told the Security Council that violence, extreme poverty, climate change and population growth are behind these humanitarian crises affecting countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad and Cameroon. DRC: EBOLA AND CHOLERA About half of the projected 26 million people in need are found in the DRC, as the humanitarian situation in the country has deteriorated further in 2018 and is one of the world's largest and most complex crises, Ghelani said, blaming Ebola and cholera for worsening the situation. She said the Ebola epidemic in the northeast of DRC has claimed 289 lives and is still spreading and the response is particularly difficult given the extremely challenging security environment, with attacks against civilians by non-state armed groups interrupting Ebola containment efforts. In the meantime, the current cholera outbreak is the largest on record in the past 15 years, she said. "With more than 26,000 cases and almost 900 deaths this year, cholera has killed even more people in the DRC than Ebola." In addition, the security situation has deteriorated in the east of the country, causing new large-scale displacements of people in search of safety and protection, she said. Further, the influx of more than 360,000 Congolese nationals returning from Angola is adding pressure to the fragile Kasai province, already affected by years of inter-ethnic conflicts. CAR: RELAPSE AND SPILLOVER In CAR, the humanitarian situation is also extremely dire. Areas relatively stable in the past, such as the southeast, have this year relapsed into conflict. The escalating violence has taken a heavy toll on the people in CAR, Ghelani said, with 2.9 million people - well over half the population - now requiring humanitarian assistance. "The number of internally displaced people has reached 643,000 -- an increase by over 60 percent this year alone. One in four children in the country is displaced," the UN official said. The worsening situation in CAR has also had a significant impact on neighboring countries. Cameroon is today hosting 268,000 refugees from CAR while Chad is hosting 101,000, according to Ghelani. This translates into a significant burden on already vulnerable host communities. CHAD AND CAMEROON: BOKO HARAM AND SEPARATISTS Further, Chad and Cameroon - in addition to Nigeria and Niger - are seriously affected by the crisis involving Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin. "Now in its ninth year, this regional crisis has led 2.4 million people to flee their homes, and some 10.8 million people currently require humanitarian assistance and protection," Ghelani said. Beyond the regional crisis in the Lake Chad Basin and the influx of refugees from CAR, Cameroon is facing an additional humanitarian crisis in its southwest and northwest regions. In recent months, fighting between the separatists and Cameroon's forces has sent hundreds of thousands of people fleeing, with hundreds of people killed in the two English-speaking regions in the largely Francophone country. "Internal displacement in this part of Cameroon has tripled, and today counts 437,000 internally displaced people. In addition, over 30,000 Cameroonians have fled across the border to Nigeria seeking refuge. This is now one of the fastest growing displacement crises in Africa," she said. The majority of the displaced are hiding in dense forests, without adequate shelter and lacking food, water and basic services. Schools and markets are also disrupted, and there are alarming health needs, she noted. Despite limited access, humanitarian partners are scaling up their presence in Cameroon. Ghelani said food distributions have so far reached more than 17,000 people and some 4,000 people have received shelter materials. LACK OF HUMANITARIAN FUNDING However, Ghelani lamented severe underfunding has a significant impact on the humanitarian community s ability to respond to the escalating crisis. She pointed out this year, every single Humanitarian Response Plan in Central Africa -- for Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- is funded at less than the global average of 56 percent, and Cameroon is the least funded of all, at 39 percent of requirements. "This needs to change for the humanitarian response in the region to be fully effective, and I am calling on member states for their urgent support," she urged. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The Conference on the Future of Europe must lead to a change in the European Union's treaties, although this is unlikely to happen during the current term of the European Parliament, and the process that begins through this consultation of the citizens of the EU bloc will be all the more successful - Justice Minister Stelian Ion said today that the start of the activity of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is "a historic moment for the European Union and for Romania", agerpres reports. "This is a historic moment for the European Union and for Romania, as a member state participating - On Friday, President Klaus Iohannis called on the political parties to get out of the "narrow party logic" and to support the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), showing that it represents the "project of a generation" and it has no political colour. "The success of PNRR largely - The Senate's Speaker Anca Dragu received on Thursday the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Romania, Ilir Tepelena, during a presentation visit, an opportunity to show the support, at political and technical level, within discussions in the Council of the European Union on the negotiations - Secretary of State in the Health Ministry Andrei Baciu said on Tuesday that Romania ranks 4th in the European Union in terms of immunization with two doses of anti-COVID vaccine and 17th in the world. "Romania ranks, at the level of the European Union, on the 4th place, if we look at the two-dose - Premierul Florin Citu a declarat marti ca, in prezent, nu se discuta despre carantinarea municipiului Bucuresti, dupa ce rata de infectare a trecut de 6 la mia de locuitori, subliniind ca nici scolile nu se vor inchide. "Le spun bucurestenilor sa ignore scenariile si sa astepte deciziile. Aceasta - Premierul Florin Citu spune ca nu are in vedere in acest moment noi restrictii in Romania. Prioritara este accelerarea campaniei de vaccinare, singura solutie pe termen lung. Intrebat daca se gandeste sa introduca noi restrictii sau sa inaspreasca masurile care se aplica la nivel national, in contextul - Organizatia Mondiala a Sanatatii (OMS) continua sa recomande pentru moment vaccinarile cu serul anti-COVID-19 dezvoltat de compania AstraZeneca, a carui utilizare a fost suspendata de mai multe tari din cauza unor posibile efecte secundare, asteptand ca expertii organizatiei sa isi incheie procedura Analiza BBC. Ce vrea cu adevarat Vladimir Putin de la Joe Biden Summitul de la Geneva dintre presedintele rus Vladimir Putin si cel american Joe Biden din 16 iunie nu va fi o intalnire prietenoasa. Rusia a inclus recent SUA pe lista oficiala a statelor neprietenoase, iar niciuna dintre natiuni nu are in prezent un ambasador in cealalta [citeste mai departe] Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 06:40:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. teenager took his own life after killing his friend while showing off a gun, police said Tuesday. The incident happened Monday afternoon in the suburb of Lawrenceville, about 50 km northeast of Atlanta, state of Georgia, the Gwinnett County Police Department said in a press release via Twitter. The teenagers were identified as Chad Carless, 17, and Devin Hodges, 15. According to the release, Hodges was showing off a hand gun to a group of four friends in a makeshift shed near a home when he accidentally fired a shot that struck Carless, who was sitting next to him. The three teens fled, while one called police, the release said. "Carless succumbed to his injuries before help could arrive," it added. "As officers were arriving on scene, Hodges was seen running between two homes where he then took his own life with the hand gun." The police department said it's still investigating the incident. "Our thoughts are with the families of both these young men," the department tweeted. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 06:35:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- High winds caused damage and hampered transit in Finland on Tuesday evening, with conditions predicted to worsen overnight and on Wednesday. It was reported that the wind speed reached 27 meters per second. The national weather service predicted waves reaching the height of seven meters in the northern Baltic, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (HS) reported. Viking Line said some of its crossings between the Aaland islands and Sweden would be cancelled. Viking and Tallink said the rest of ships would depart on schedule, but may skip calling on the Aaland islands. Passengers were told to prepare for being seasick. On land, a bus capsized in Ypaja, southwestern Finland. All 18 passengers got out, some with slight injuries. On the eastern north-south railroad track, a long haul train ran into trees that had fallen on the rail on Tuesday evening. Train service was suspended until Wednesday morning at least. Some 40,000 households were without electricity late Tuesday, HS reported. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 06:00:01|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Tuesday accused the United Nations special envoy of "violating protocols" and "deliberately interfering" in the internal affairs of the Horn of Africa country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation declared Nicholas Haysom, special representative of the UN secretary-general for Somalia, a "persona non-grata," saying the UN envoy is not welcome in the nation. The ministry said in a statement that the 66-year-old is unwanted and cannot operate in the country. The drastic move by Somalia came after the UN envoy asked clarification from the government on whether UN-supported forces were involved in the shooting of demonstrators in the southern city of Baidoa last month. In his letter, Haysom demanded answers from the government about the legal basis for arresting former al-Shabab deputy leader Mukhtar Robow who was the main challenger in the South West State elections for regional presidency. Robow's arrest sparked clashes between Robow's supporters and Somali security forces on Dec. 13-15, resulting in the death of more than 10 people. The UN envoy also inquired about actions the government had taken to investigate circumstances surrounding the deaths of civilians in Baidoa during demonstrations. There was no immediate comment from Haysom on the government allegations. The file picture shows that U.S. President Donald Trump and Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan (R) are seen during a cabinet meeting on July 18, 2018, at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (AFP Photo) WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Patrick Shanahan officially took over the Pentagon on Tuesday as acting U.S. secretary of defense. "Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation," Shanahan said in a statement released on New Year's Day. "As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense," he said. He spokes highly of his predecessor, Jim Mattis, saying that "it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary." Mattis announced resignation on Dec. 20 over policy disagreements with Trump, including whether to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. The 68-year-old former Marine Corps general had planned to leave at the end of February but Trump named Shanahan as the acting Pentagon chief before Christmas, forcing Mattis out earlier. In his farewell memo Monday, Mattis encouraged all Pentagon employees to "keep the faith and hold fast." Shanahan, 56, became deputy secretary of defense in July 2017. The former longtime Boeing executive reportedly has strong relationships with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence but is set to face questions over his lack of foreign policy or government experience. The Pentagon also has Charles Summers as new spokesperson on Tuesday, a day after spokeswoman Dana White announced her departure. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 05:34:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Patrick Shanahan officially took over the Pentagon on Tuesday as acting U.S. secretary of defense. "Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation," Shanahan said in a statement released on New Year's Day. "As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense," he said. He spokes highly of his predecessor, Jim Mattis, saying that "it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary." Mattis announced resignation on Dec. 20 over policy disagreements with Trump, including whether to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. The 68-year-old former Marine Corps general had planned to leave at the end of February but Trump named Shanahan as the acting Pentagon chief before Christmas, forcing Mattis out earlier. In his farewell memo Monday, Mattis encouraged all Pentagon employees to "keep the faith and hold fast." Shanahan, 56, became deputy secretary of defense in July 2017. The former longtime Boeing executive reportedly has strong relationships with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence but is set to face questions over his lack of foreign policy or government experience. The Pentagon also has Charles Summers as new spokesperson on Tuesday, a day after spokeswoman Dana White announced her departure. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 04:54:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- A child was injured Tuesday after falling into the rhino exhibit at a zoo in U.S. state of Florida, local authorities said. Brevard County Fire Rescue tweeted Tuesday afternoon that the incident occurred at the Brevard Zoo. A trauma alert was issued for the boy, who was taken to a pediatric hospital, and his mother was transported to an Orlando-area hospital for treatment, said the tweet. It is unclear what kind of injuries the mother and the child were suffering from. "According to witnesses, the child stumbled and fell in between two of the poles and at this point, the snout of at least one of the rhinoceroses made contact with the child," a zoo spokesman said, quoted by local news outlets. The snout is not the horn of the rhino, but below the horn near the rhino's mouth area. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-02 04:34:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close THE HAGUE, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch police reported Tuesday an increase of incidents by 8.9 percent compared to last year's New Year's Eve. The amount of incidents related to fireworks rose by 12 percent and the violence against police officers increased from 27 incidents to 59 incidents. However, the total amount of arrests decreased to 328, 41 arrests less than last year. According to the police, two people died due to accidents with fireworks in Enschede in the province of Overijssel and in Morra in the province of Friesland. In Scheveningen, The Hague, a bonfire of 48 meters high at the beach caused a rain of fire due to the strong wind and several fires and damage at buildings and vehicles near the coast. Nobody got injured. The setting on fire of a wooden tower was according to tradition at the beach of The Hague, but the height of 48 meters was well above the limit of 35 meters. "The builders violated our agreement," The Hague mayor Pauline Krikke said. "We will evaluate this." The national countdown moment was just like last Year in The Hague, with a fireworks show at the Hofvijver. During New Year's Eve in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, no major incidents occurred, although the total number of incident rose from 168 to 183, the number of arrests declined from 45 to 34 compared to last year. File Photo: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Inter American Conference on Onchocerciasis in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Nov. 14, 2014. (Xinhua/Alejandro Ayala) WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that China and the United States need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large. Beijing and Washington formally established their diplomatic ties on Jan. 1, 1979. "The 40th anniversary of this relationship is a testament to the ability of countries with different histories, cultures and political systems to work together for the greater good," Carter wrote in an article published in the Washington Post. The normalization of the bilateral ties led to an era distinguished by peace in East Asia and the Pacific region, the 94-year-old said. "China's spectacular economic growth, in conjunction with its continuing integration with the much larger U.S. economy, has enabled the two countries to become engines of global prosperity," Carter added. Carter also pointed out that the United States and China should continue to work together at global issues like the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, counter-terrorism, environmental and climate change, and promoting development in Africa in particular. Carter noted that the leaders of the two countries "must bring new vision, courage and ingenuity to new challenges and opportunities." "I believe they (the leaders) also must accept our conviction that the United States and China need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large," he added. Carter served as the 39th U.S. president from 1977-1981. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 23:44:04|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Monday that China and the United States need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large. Beijing and Washington formally established their diplomatic ties on Jan. 1, 1979. "The 40th anniversary of this relationship is a testament to the ability of countries with different histories, cultures and political systems to work together for the greater good," Carter wrote in an article published in the Washington Post. The normalization of the bilateral ties led to an era distinguished by peace in East Asia and the Pacific region, the 94-year-old said. "China's spectacular economic growth, in conjunction with its continuing integration with the much larger U.S. economy, has enabled the two countries to become engines of global prosperity," Carter added. Carter also pointed out that the United States and China should continue to work together at global issues like the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, counter-terrorism, environmental and climate change, and promoting development in Africa in particular. Carter noted that the leaders of the two countries "must bring new vision, courage and ingenuity to new challenges and opportunities." "I believe they (the leaders) also must accept our conviction that the United States and China need to build their futures together, for themselves and for humanity at large," he added. Carter served as the 39th U.S. president from 1977-1981. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 23:39:03|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Soldiers and officers of China's border police and police guards took an oath of becoming members of people's police at ceremonies Tuesday, marking the completion of the institutional reform of the country's public security troops. The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee released a plan on deepening reform of Party and state institutions in March, 2018, including demobilizing the border police, the fire brigade and the police guards from the Armed Police Forces. The fire brigade is now under the administration of the Ministry of Emergency Management. Members of the border police and police guards officially put on uniforms of people's police Tuesday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 23:08:51|Editor: yan Video Player Close JINAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- People in Jinan, capital city of east China's Shandong Province, got one more reason to celebrate the New Year as their first metro line started operation Tuesday. Earlier, Jinan, known as "the City of Springs" due to its large number of natural artesian springs, was one of the last few provincial capitals with no metro service. The springs bring tourists to the city, but also pose a dilemma: to develop underground transportation or to protect groundwater? The launch of the first metro line came three decades after local authorities first proposed to construct the metro system and scrapped construction plans several times amid fears any construction might affect the springs. In 1988, authorities in Jinan first proposed to build the metro system after conducting a survey on residents' commuting options, according to Zhao Yanzhu, an 80-year-old expert in the field of hydrogeology, who has witnessed the ups and downs of the city's metro system development. After years of study and debates, experts finally agreed in 2009 that as long as the metro lines avoid the downtown where the majority of springs are concentrated, the construction would not have an impact on the groundwater system, according to Li Liping, professor with Shandong University and deputy chief engineer of the Jinan Rail Transit Group, one of the constructors. Mainly located in the western part of the city, the first metro line covers a distance of 26.1 km with 11 stations, expected to help ease traffic congestions in the city. "We have waited for a long time, but it is worth waiting for," said local resident Xin An, one of the first passengers of the metro line, construction of which started in 2015. A number of advanced technologies were used in the project, including a groundwater pumping and recharging technology and ground-penetrating laser radar to image the subsurface. "Subsurface imaging is like performing a gastroscopy and building underground tunnels is like threading a needle through blood vessels while avoiding all the arteries," said Li. The metro line was built as close to the ground as possible to reduce impact on the groundwater system to the minimum, he said. The groundwater table along the metro line has been kept almost the same as it was before the construction, said Wei Changlin, an engineering manager of the metro line. The successful experience in building the first metro line will be used in the next metro projects of the city. "Constructors have been paying huge attention to the springs' ecosystem. All the metro lines, including another two under construction, can 'live in harmony' with the springs," said Lu Linhai, assistant general manager of the Jinan Rail Transit Group. Artist's impression of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft encountering 2014 MU69, a Kuiper Belt object that orbits one billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, on Jan. 1, 2019. (Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Steve Gribben) by Tan Jingjing LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- NASA's New Horizons spacecraft performed the farthest flyby in history as it approached the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Tuesday. New Horizons made the flyby at 12:33 a.m. EST (0533 GMT) on Jan. 1, passing within 2,200 miles (about 3,540 km) of the surface of Ultima Thule at a velocity of 31,500 miles (about 50,694 km) per hour. It will provide the first close-up look at such a pristine building block of the solar system, according to NASA. New Horizons' Principal Investigator Alan Stern joined hundreds of cheerful people at the countdown center, and witnessed the historic moment for New Horizons. New Horizons has set a new record, he said, adding it will start to send back data starting Wednesday, and will continue to do so for one and a half years. Ultima Thule, at 4 billion miles (about 6.4 billion km) from the Sun and 1 billion miles (about 1.6 billion km) from Pluto, will be the most distant object ever directly explored, according to NASA. The flyby of Ultima Thule was the first-ever exploration of small Kuiper Belt Objects, a disc-shaped region beyond Neptune that extends from about 30 to 55 astronomical units. This distant region is probably populated with hundreds of thousands of icy bodies and an estimated trillion or more comets. The spacecraft will turn a suite of instruments onto the mysterious object, and many of its mysteries will be unveiled. The New Horizons mission, launched in January 2006, aims to understand worlds at the edge of our solar system by making the first reconnaissance of the dwarf planet Pluto, and by venturing deeper into the distant, mysterious Kuiper Belt -- a relic of solar system formation. It passed Jupiter for a gravity boost on Feb. 28, 2007, and made a historic flight through the Pluto system on July 14, 2015. New Horizons was the first mission to study Pluto and its system of moons, according to NASA. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed, built and operates the New Horizons spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 22:53:48|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The year of 2018 witnessed important security and political events in Libya, with no real agreement ending the political division that has plagued the country since 2014. However, extremist and terrorist movements in recent months show the obstacles facing Libya's political scene in 2019. CONTINUOUS RISK "The Islamic State (IS) proved that it has a great ability to maneuver despite the loss of its stronghold in Sirte two years ago," said Farhat al-Badri, a researcher of terrorist groups affairs. "IS carried out deadly attacks in the capital Tripoli that confused the government regarding the actual end of the threat of the extremist group in the country," al-Badri added. "The extremist group launched three painful blows in Tripoli, targeting Libyan headquarters and interests, through which it sent a message to the Libyans and the international community that it has the ability to move and strike whenever it wants," al-Badri told Xinhua. The researcher warned that IS has "proven that it has what it takes to carry out deadly attacks that undermine the confidence of the security services and make them feel like a target at any time." IS launched a suicide attack in May on the headquarters of the Libyan Higher National Commission of Elections, killing more than 14 people and injuring dozens of others. The headquarters of Libyan National Oil Corporation were also attacked in September and two people were killed. In the last week of 2018, IS attacked the Foreign Ministry's headquarter in Tripoli, killing two people and injuring more than 10 others. The extremist group also threatened to launch a series of continuous attacks in 2019 on Libyan institutions and army forces in the east and west of the country. Iman Jalal, an university professor, said the security services affiliated with the Ministry of Interior suffer a great deal of corruption especially at the organizational level as well as overlap of tasks in the shadow of the militias. "This is what makes the state's services lack harmony," she told Xinhua. On Sunday, Libyan Interior Minister Fat'hi Bashagha said that the ministry is suffering from great financial and administrative corruption, "which must be fought and controlled." The minister also stressed the need to rehabilitate all the members of armed groups to make them join the ministry. During a joint press conference with Bashagha hours after a deadly suicide attack on the Foreign Ministry's headquarter, Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala stressed the need to partially lift the international arms embargo on Libya in order to enhance security. TERRORIZING OF INSTITUTIONS The targeted institutions carry an important symbolism in addition to their vital importance, observers said. "The Higher National Commission of Elections represents the path of stability in the country and the end of the transitional phase. The National Oil Corporation is the backbone of Libya's economy and its sole supplier," said political researcher Khalid al-Tarhouni. "The Foreign Ministry holds the diplomatic hope for the return of foreign missions and embassies to the capital and for reaching a political solution to the conflict," he added. According to al-Tarhouni, IS does not carry out suicide attacks without study. Instead, the attacks were aimed to inflict physical and human damage, and most importantly, a psychological fear. "The recent attack on the Foreign Ministry was the worst and the most effective on Libya negatively," al-Tarhouni said. He explained that a number of embassies and diplomatic missions were preparing to return to Tripoli at least during the first quarter of 2019, but all these plans were canceled because the attack revealed the depth of extremist and terrorist movements and threats. Most foreign embassies and companies in Libya left the country in 2014 because of the violent clashes breaking out in Tripoli between rival armed groups, which led to the current political division in the country. Sirte, located some 450 km east of Tripoli, had witnessed months of fighting between forces allied with the UN-backed government and IS militants, which ended in December 2016 with the government forces taking over the city. The government said that IS remains a threat to the national security, despite the defeat in Sirte. PROLONGING THE CRISIS The recent terrorist attacks not only indicated that IS continues to pose a threat to the security and stability of the country, but also revealed the extent of the difficulties facing the political process in Libya. Libya has been suffering insecurity, chaos and political division since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Despite signing a UN-sponsored political agreement by the Libyan rival parties in 2015, Libya remains politically divided between eastern and western authorities, both competing for legitimacy. Analysts agreed that the target of the Higher National Commission of Elections sends a message that holding elections faces major security and political difficulties, in light of the security failure against such attacks and the continued division between political parties. Both France and Italy in recent months held conferences on Libya that aimed to end the Libyan political crisis. The country is preparing to hold a conference that gathers the political parties in January and also plans to hold a constitution referendum and elections in the spring of 2019. However, the success of these plans remains dependent on overcoming obstacles facing the planned conference and elections, according to analysts. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 22:33:46|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Fireworks go off during the annual New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square in New York, the United States, Dec. 31, 2018. (Xinhua/Qin Lang) by Xinhua writer Zhang Xin BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- As gold, purple and silver fireworks lit up the sky over Sydney Harbor, Australia, along with other Pacific islands, first walked into the new year with millions of revelers wishing for a better 2019. From Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, from the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai to the Quadriga statue of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, colorful fireworks decorated the sky, under which similar new year wishes were made. "I wish I could stay healthy and taste the sweetness of life for as long as possible," said 71-year-old Tsewang, who lives in a nursing home in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on the first day of the new year. Though being short of the chance to see fireworks due to China's environmental protection policies, the Lhasa senior voiced a wish shared with people in other corners of the world. "HAPPY AND HEALTHY" New York City's Times Square on Monday night embraced its first rainy New Year's Eve celebration in 24 years, with a traditional Chinese dragon dance kicking off the countdown at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) in front of tens of thousands of revelers. Witnessing the ball drop in New York, one of the most celebrated traditions of the city on New Year's Eve, was especially thrilling for Louisiana citizen Benito Leon. It was a special occasion for him to reunite with his sister after she moved to Mexico 18 years ago. Across the world, celebrations of the new year were varied. Lovers kissed each other when watching the first sunrise of 2019 on a hilltop overlooking the city skyline of Seoul; foreign tourists cheered at superstar performances from Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and others on the eve in Las Vegas, the United States. Being together with loved ones is essential for a happy transit to the new year, as is wish making. "In the new year, I hope all my loved ones can be happy and stay healthy," Chicago citizen Alex Cuevas told Xinhua. Looking forward to a more stable job, the middle-aged man said his biggest wish for 2019 is to pay off his house he bought 15 years ago. In Malaysia, under the iconic Petronas Twin Towers in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Arshah Shahir joined the countdown on the eve, which also marked his 33rd birthday. "This coming year I wish always luck in my business and the best for my family and also for Malaysia," he said. ECONOMY A PRIORITY As fireworks illuminated the sky above Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a group of drones flew up and formed the letters "Happy New Year." Joining tens of thousands of Pyongyang residents in the square, a university student who did not reveal his name told Xinhua that he wishes his motherland to be "stronger and greater in the new year." Domestic development, especially economic growth, was among the most mentioned new year wishes as it is also the key issue concerning the public most. Rafael Hernandez, a political science professor at the University of Havana, said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has prioritized economic growth in his agenda, and thus 2019 will see the possibility to complement a policy that can ensure foreign investment in tourism, infrastructure, transport, services and industry. Calling for more daring steps to promote the Cuban economy, another Cuban academic, Esteban Morales, said the island country should learn from China, which aimed to lift another 10 million poverty-striken rural residents out of poverty in 2018. "We should move on with economic reforms that guarantee the sustainability of the Cuban social welfare model," Morales added. FEWER FIGHTS, MORE SAFETY Hopefully, the United States and the rest of the world could be better and enjoy peace, Peg Allen of Maryland told Xinhua in drenching Washington D.C. on New Year's Eve. She urged the U.S. government to "make more friends than enemies." In Paris, as a fireworks display and sound-and-light show under the theme "Fraternity" went ahead on the Champs-Elysees, "Yellow Vest" protesters stood among revelers on the famed avenue, with further demonstrations planned. In other parts of the world that are still trapped in wars and conflicts, people wish for peace or at least a lasting cease-fire deal. Basheer Ahmed, a Yemeni youth activist, is among them. Noting that the Hodeidah cease-fire deal signed in Sweden was "the only achievement made in 2018," Ahmed said he hopes the warring rivals push forward their discussions about "the country's political crisis" and end "the conflict politically." Speaking of wars, Brian Lantz, representative of the Schiller Institute, an international political and economic think tank in the U.S. city of Houston, shared his positive view with Xinhua when anticipating the first day of 2019. "The problems like warfare, like poverty, these problems that seemed intractable and unresolvable, can be solved," said Lantz, quoting the China model and the ability of China to lift 700 million people out of extreme poverty as proof. (Xinhua reporters Cao Bin in Beijing, Sun Ding in Washington, Wang Ping in Chicago, Ye Zaiqi in San Francisco, Gao Lu in Houston, Wang Dawei and Liu Hao in Kuala Lumpur, Zhou Xingzhu in Brasilia, Raimundo Urrechaga in Havana, and Jiang Yaping in Pyongyang also contributed to the story.) (Video editor: Zhu Cong) Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 22:08:39|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Fireworks explode around the London Eye during the New Year celebrations in London, Britain, Jan. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Gui Zi) LONDON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- London celebrated the New Year on Tuesday with its world-famous fireworks, as the British capital is seeking to boost its image as an open city against the backdrop of new relationship with the European Union (EU). As part of the Mayor's #LondonIsOpen campaign, a soundtrack featuring Europe's finest musical artists was staged to show the diversity of the capital amid the New Year fireworks. The spectacular soundtrack and fireworks, with eight tonnes of fireworks used in 348 firing sites across the city, attracted more than 100,000 spectators. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Xinhua that he wants everyone around the world to know that London is open. "One of my concerns as the mayor of London, is people may think because we could be leaving the European Union, we will stop being open minded. So the message and the theme of this fireworks show is London is open," said the mayor. According to Khan, London is not only open to people, to talents, but also to ideas and businesses. Commenting about the Brexit deal with EU, the mayor thinks it is a bad deal for Britain. He hoped that the British parliament would allow the British public to have a say on whether to accept the deal the government has done with the option of staying in the EU. "I think the British public should be given that choice." The mayor expressed his confidence in keeping London great even if Britain leaves the EU. "If it is the case that we leave the European Union, I am confident that London will carry on being a fantastic city, a global city my view the greatest city in the world. One of the reasons why we are a great city, the greatest city, is because of our diversity." Sadiq Khan highlighted Chinese investors and students' contribution to London and looked forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year in February. "I have seen as the mayor of London the fruits of an open China. With the number of Chinese men and women investing in our city from the Royal Docks, to the City of London, massive contribution made by Chinese men and women to our city. I am looking forward again in a couple of months time celebrating Chinese New Year with many others in Trafalgar Square. It is a good example of contribution made to our city economically, culturally, but also socially by the Chinese community to our city," said the mayor. The New Year celebration started with 12 bells from the Big Ben, which has remained silent during the year because of the undergoing renovation works. Eye-catching fireworks followed, illuminating the Thames and London. The audience cheered and welcomed the New Year in the most enthusiastic way. Gorgeous fireworks and beautiful music brought the atmosphere to a climax. The fireworks show was also beamed to TV audiences around the world, reinforcing the city's position as a global capital of tourism and culture. The London Fireworks Show began in 2000 and has since become an essential New Year's event in the UK. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 22:03:38|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's New Year speech has delivered a clear message that China will be firmly committed to carrying forward reform and opening up, and promoting sustainable and common development for a more prosperous world, said international experts and analysts. DETERMINATION FOR OPENING UP In 2018, the year that marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, more than 100 major reform measures were rolled out. The world has seen China's accelerating reform and opening up, and its determination to carry it forward, Xi said. China's reforms will never stop, and its doors will only open ever wider, he said. Han Woo Duck, director of the Republic of Korea's JoongAng Ilbo China Institute, was very impressed by the keyword "opening up" that Xi mentioned in the speech. China has launched a lot of measures to boost domestic demand and tried to open its market wider, providing more chances and broader prospects of cooperation for foreign businesses, he said. Lucio Blanco Pitlo, a lecturer from the Chinese Studies Program at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, spoke highly of China's greater role in an increasingly broad range of fields from climate change to global trade and investment. He said the world welcomes China's continuing reform and opening up as it offers opportunities for global growth. Xi's New Year remarks are inspiring and encouraging, said Zhao Xinwei, professor at Japan's Tokyo University of Science. He believes that China will make greater progress in national development and gain more respect from the world. PEOPLE'S WELL-BEING TAKES CENTRAL PLACE Just like in Xi's New Year address at the end of 2017, the well-being and happiness of the Chinese people once again took the central place in his Monday speech. Xi's warm words gained praises from overseas experts. "What struck me most was the great importance attached to people -- their needs and aspiration, and the centrality that the Chinese leader wants to give to them," said Francesco Maringio, an Italian China expert based in Bologna. Xi pays attention to the Chinese people, including villagers, veterans, workers and scientists, Maringio said. "The message is very clear: no one will be left behind," he said. "Xi singled out people living in hardship, with whom he had visited, and he reinforced the importance of poverty alleviation again," said Robert Kuhn, a renowned U.S. expert on China and recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal. According to current UN standards, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty and contributed more than 70 percent to global poverty reduction since the onset of reform and opening up in 1978. COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPMENT China's sincerity and goodwill to safeguard world peace and promote common development will remain unchanged, Xi said in the speech. Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club as well as recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal, said "a new China has emerged which astounds the world with its level of achievement." "As we look ahead, domestically the agenda is to raise the quality and standard of life of the people of China; externally, it is to help create a community of sharing so that all the world can enjoy sustainable development and cooperate," he said. In the opinion of Ismael Buchanan, dean of the School of Economics and Governance at the University of Rwanda, China has become a more market-based economy and opened doors to the world economy through various initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China International Import Expo and a pilot free trade zone in China's Hainan province. All these initiatives point out a clear direction for China's long-term development, which would contribute to the world economy and regional connectivity through trade and investment, he said. (Geng Xuepeng, Tian Ming, Lu Rui in Seoul, Yuan Mengchen in Manila, Frank Kanyesigye in Kigali, Li Jie in Rome, Yang Shilong in New York, Wang Kejia in Tokyo, Jin Jing in London also contributed to the story.) News UAE condemns Houthi drone attack targeting school in Aseer, Saudi Arabia In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), the UAE reiterated that these recurrent systematic terror attacks by the Houthis reflect their blatant disregard for the international community and all international laws and norms. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 21:28:31|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close NANNING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- In a mountainous village in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Long Yunqing, 27, runs a beauty shop in a quaint town with narrow streets. Long's shop is always crowded with customers, waiting to get their nails done and eyebrows tattooed. Many are attracted by Long's reputation as the fourth-generation "village beauty" in the Baimian Yao stockaded village in Longsheng County. The county's four major ethnic groups including Yao, Miao, Zhuang, and Dong, which have the tradition of choosing their village beauties who not only have pretty faces but can also sing or dance or are strong leaders in their communities. The Yao beauty is in charge of the affairs of the women in the village. During festivals, Long will organize all the women in her village to sing folk songs, and when villagers get married, she is often invited to make beds and touch pillows, which are considered auspicious items in their culture. Wu Congkai, from a nearby village, fell in love with Long at first sight. Showering her with bouquets of red roses, delicate cakes, and trips to metropolises, Wu always brings her surprises, said Long. The romantic gestures won her over, and they got married in 2017. "Spending our lifetime together sounds like a distant dream yet so true," Long said. ARRANGED YET PERFECT MATCH Unlike the lucky millennial Long, romance was off limits for Long Guoying back in the 1950s, when marriages were arranged by parents. As the oldest Yao beauty in the village, Long Guoying, 75, married a forestry official 12 years older than her in 1958. Her mother arranged the marriage because of the man's stable career and honest character. "At that time, we could only accept the fate. We have to 'love' anyway, but I was the lucky one," Long said. During the years when famine spread across the nation, her husband always saved his food for Long after a day of hard work. He went into the forest, barefoot, for firewood throughout the poor years when shoes were a luxury. "His decades of tender care were the most romantic thing for me," Long said. "We seldom have quarrels because he always puts up with me. As the drops of his care accumulate just like a river flowing in me, I come to realize that I love him more than anyone else in the world." For Long Yunqing in her 20s, Long Guoying's love story is something she yearns for as the elder couple has survived through thick and thin. But Long Guoying believes the younger generation has their own blessings. "They have the freedom of marriage, so they are responsible for their own pursuit of happiness," said the old lady. MARRIAGE WON BY SINGING FOLK-SONGS It was in the 1970s that singing folk songs to find one's perfect match began to prevail among the ethnic groups in Guangxi as arranged marriage faded out. The second-generation village beauty in Baimian Yao village, Yu Jiamei, 66, reminisced her first encounter with her husband. One day when Yu was working in the mountains for firewood, she heard a beautiful singing voice across the hills, and couldn't help but sing along with him. In Yao's culture, young girls and boys enjoy singing folk songs in the hills, usually in settled patterns but with impromptu lyrics. The whole song is a narrative poem with complete plots, which consist of independent lyrical poems. Yao people consider it a battle of wits. Antiphonal singing had been carried out between them for three days in a row before concluding with the young man admitting his defeat. Yu defended her reputation as a talented village beauty and won the young man's heart. WHEN YAO MET ZHUANG Liao Yanying, 42, is Baimian Yao's first village beauty that comes from a nearby village of Zhuang ethnic group. She and Long Yingguo's son tied the knot in 1999. Old ideas in the village discouraged intermarriage between Yao people with other ethnic groups. Offenders often faced harsh criticism. When Liao first met her in-laws, she was unfamiliar with the customs of the Zhuang ethnic group, but the family gave her a big welcome despite the cultural differences. The smart lady soon fit in the family and was elected to be Baimian Yao's village beauty of the third-generation in the same year she was married. Liao now always wears a sleek updo with her nearly 70 cm long hair, an age-old tradition upheld by the Yao people. She also wears her silver hoop earrings, and is dressed in red, just like a Yao woman. Guangxi now has more than 1.3 million households made up of two or more ethnic groups. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," said Liao. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 21:18:30|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ma Danna was unhappy when she received the letter accepting her to the local senior high school. Instead of telling her parents about the letter, she hid it in a drawer. She knew they could not pay, and that was that. The school in rural Zhoukou, China's central Henan Province, would be out of bounds. "I knew my family could not afford the tuition," Ma said. Zhoukou is a traditional agricultural prefectural city, deeply impoverished with many families unable to afford to send their children to school. To solve the problem, the city's education bureau has organized more than 12,000 teachers to become "educational village cadres," identifying poor students and offering them financial aid. Xu Jinge is one of the teacher-turned cadres. Xu encouraged Ma to continue her dream of entering college, and contacted the senior high school issuing the admission letter. The school has agreed to exempt tuition and reduce other fees for Ma who has returned to school. "Every child deserves to be educated, and it is our objective to avoid any children dropping out because of poverty," said Zhang Jianliang, head of Zhoukou education bureau. From January to June 2018, the city provided 400 million yuan (58 million U.S. dollars) in assistance to 764,000 students from kindergarten to college. China offers free education from elementary school to junior high, but students have to pay bills other than tuition, such as for accomodation and uniform. Senior high and college students have to pay tuition up to thousands of yuan per year, an amount even more than the annual income of some poor households. Educational village cadres also organize donations to poor families and mobilize farmers to attend training at vocational schools. Zhou Hongtao, a cauliflower farmer in Liansi Township of Fugou County, earned an additional 10,000 yuan after agricultural training enabled him to grow cauliflower with a much higher yield. "With the cauliflower plus the corn I grew, I made income several times more than previous years," Zhou said. Ji Yongyun, a poverty alleviation official with the Zhoukou city education bureau, said the city had earmarked 5 billion yuan to improve teaching facilities, offer better compensation to teachers in rural schools and raise allowance to poor students in the next five years. "Vocational education will also be enchanced so that impoverished people could be properly trained and make fortunes for their families," Ji said. China aims to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020, with some 30 million rural people expected to be lifted out of poverty. Liu Jibiao, Party chief of Zhoukou city, said educational village cadres for poverty alleviation would help poor students back to school and prevent passing poverty from one generation to the next. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 20:58:26|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands women from across India's southern state of Kerala Tuesday lined up to form a human chain called "women wall" to uphold gender equality and renaissance values, officials said. The organisers said over 5 million women participated in the event. The claim, however, could not be independently confirmed. The wall according to organisers was formed from Kasargod district in northern part of state to Thiruvananthapuram, the southernmost district and capital city in a bid to oppose recent frenzied protests in Sabarimala after government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict, allowing all women to pray at the Ayyappa shrine. Last year India's Supreme Court struck down the archaic belief that prevented women of menstruating age to enter the Lord Ayyappa shrine in the state. "Religion cannot be the cover to deny women right to worship," the court in its order said. Prior to the court order women were prevented from entering the temple. The restrictions on women entering the Sabarimala shrine reflected an archaic belief that menstruating women are "impure" and the deity Ayyappa is celibate. Many take a vow of celibacy for 41 days before embarking on a trek through the mountains to the temple. However, court order triggered protests and women's passage to the temple was blocked by protesters. Tuesday's event was organised by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), besides 176 other socio-political organizations. "Participants across Kerala took a pledge to protect the state from the right-wing offensives on its renaissance tradition and values," a CPI-M spokesman said. "Women from all classes and cultural backgrounds formed the bulwark against the offensive of conservative right-wing on women's rights." Local health minister K K Shylaja lead the chain at Kasargod and CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat was the last person at the end of the chain in Thiruvananthapuram. Reports said women from all walks of life stood alongside highway that runs from Kasargode to Thiruvananthapuram and after standing for 15 minutes, dispersed peacefully. The human chain formation had full local government backing. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 20:43:24|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tsewang, 71, living in a government-sponsored nursing home in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, made a wish on the first day of the new year. "Life has finally been kind to me. I wish I could stay healthy and taste the sweetness of life for as long as possible," she said. Tsewang's right eye turned blind when she was a child. She remained single all her life. Thanks to the nursing home that was established in 2008, she now has a "sister" and even a "granddaughter." Chudrun, 56, is like a sister to her at the nursing home. They always spend the day walking, basking and chatting. Their nurse, 26-year-old Pema, cares for their clothing, food and accommodation, and is even more endearing than a daughter. In the nursing home, 155 lonely elderly and physically challenged people are being taken care of. As financial support from the local and regional governments expands, life at the nursing home is getting better. "We have witnessed 12 new couples tie the knot so far. It's a blessing to find a life companion at their age," said Tsering, a manager at the nursing home. In the neighboring Sichuan Province, Ramen, a respectable artist, made a resolution to train more Thangka painters and support more poor children from Tibet in the new year. He has been living in Wuhou District of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, since 2003. As one of the nearest metropolises to Tibet, Chengdu is a second home to many Tibetans. Wuhou alone received more than 2 million Tibetans in 2017. He has trained over 1,000 Thangka painters, some of them Tibetans and some Han, over the past 15 years. More than 400 children from impoverished households in Tibetan regions went to school thanks to his support. "The inclusiveness and understanding of Chengdu citizens give us warmth, while Tibetans win the respect and love of their city neighbors with enthusiasm, kindness and unremitting efforts," Ramen said. In northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Wang Fucong, 35, wishes for a bumper harvest in the new year. He set up a rural cooperative in May. With subsidized loans from the local government, he raises 30 cattle and manages nearly 50 hectares of buckwheat in his village. "The government has been very supportive. With better infrastructure and more incentives, I am confident to help more of my fellow villagers shake off poverty in days to come," he said. Wang's aspiration was echoed by Duan Biqing, a village official in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In 2009, he returned to his hometown after graduating from college. Life was extremely difficult in Huwa Village. Duan spent three months visiting every household there, trying to figure out a way to lift them out of poverty. He raised 400,000 yuan (57,000 U.S. dollars) by the end of 2010 to set up a chicken farm and registered a trademark to promote organic chicken, which became an instant hit on. "The sales exceeded 8 million yuan in 2018, which brought an extra income of 9,000 yuan for every household," he said. A chilling temperature of minus 24 degrees Celsius in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region still could not hold herders from celebrating the coming of the new year. People in Xilinhot gathered around Aobao, stone mounds serving as signposts, on the north of the city for the traditional blessing ceremony while waiting for the sunrise. "The past 2018 is a good year. The rising price of mutton has improved our life. I hope the coming new year will bring more prosperity and peace," said Agoura, a local herdsman. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 20:28:21|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close KAMPALA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has recorded a trade surplus of 2.3 billion U.S. dollars for the first time in recent years, with 3.9 billion dollars of goods and services exported to the east, south and west African area in 2018, the country's president Yoweri Museveni said Monday. Uganda's foreign exchange earnings in the financial year 2017-2018 stood at about 6.6 billion dollars, while 7.7 billion dollars were spent on imports of goods and services. With numerous new factories being commissioned, the earnings will grow, the president said. Uganda's exports in regional trade include steel and steel products, dairy products, beverages, electronics, grains (maize, millet, rice, beans), fruits and vegetables, spices, coffee, tea, sugar and confectionery, and plastic products. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 20:08:12|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close MANILA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Philippine activists supporting victims of wartime sex slavery slammed Japan on Tuesday for protesting against the erection of a comfort woman statue in Laguna province, south of Manila. "Comfort women" is a euphemism for those who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese military brothels during World War II. The one-meter tall bronze statue of a girl seated on a chair with a vacant chair on her right was unveiled in San Pedro City on Dec. 28, 2018. The statue stands inside a private compound for elderly women abandoned by family in San Antonio village. On Sunday, the Japanese embassy in Manila issued a statement saying the establishment of the comfort woman statue "is extremely disappointing, not compatible with the Japanese government." Two days later, the Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Laguna statue is part of freedom of expression and "appears to be simply dedicated to peace and women empowerment," adding that the statue was built inside a private property. Lila-Pilipina, a major Philippine women's rights group, said it "objects to the attempts by the Japanese government to protest and eventually cause the removal of a one-meter statue of a girl unveiled in San Pedro city, Laguna province," according to a statement from the organization. "While many expensive and sprawling Japanese memorials are being set up in different parts of the Philippines that honor the kamikaze bombers who murdered thousands of Filipinos, we are enraged that simple shrines for our suffering comfort women are being denied and made bargaining chips for financial development aid," said Sharon Silva, executive director of Lila-Pilipina. A kamikaze pilot statue stands at the Kamikaze East Airfield Peace Memorial in Pampanga province north of Manila. The airfield was built by the local government in 1998. On a pedestal stands a life-size figure of a kamikaze pilot, aimed at memorizing the Japanese World War II fighter pilots. The site has become popular destinations for Japanese visitors to the Philippines. Lila-Pilipina is an organization of Filipino comfort women fighting for recognition, apologies and reparations from the Japanese government for its sexual slavery crimes against numerous women across Asia. The group is also campaigning for the restoration a comfort woman statue, a two-meter bronze sculpture of a blindfold, grieving woman in Maria Clara traditional Filipiniana gown, that was erected in December 2017 a few kilometers from the Japanese embassy in Manila. Japan also protested the erection of that statue, forcing the Philippines to take the statue down in April last year. The unveiling of the first comfort woman statue took place 76 years after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines that started on December 8, 1941, 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Silva said the statue put up by private citizens and former town officials was dedicated to peace and women empowerment and deserves support from peace movements in the country and Asian nations who suffered tremendously from the Japanese imperial occupation. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945. Hundreds of thousands of women from around Asia, including China, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, were abducted and forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels during World War II. In the Philippines, there are more than 200 who came out in the open in the 1990s to tell their harrowing experience with the Japanese military. There are only about 20 of them alive now, mostly in their 80s and sick. Like other Asian comfort women, the Filipino comfort women also demand an official apology from the Japanese government, compensation and inclusion of the comfort women issue in Japan's historical accounts and textbooks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 19:43:04|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Naval units from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Djibouti, Yemen and Sudan started on Tuesday joint naval drills in the Red Sea, the armed forces reported on its website. The exercises, dubbed the "Red Wave-1" drills, included implementation of collective tasks, communication under water, supply ships with fuel, and means of protecting navel units while crossing dangerous areas, the statement added. The joint training also focused on several activities of sea combat for enhancing the skills of army personnel, it added. "The exercises aimed at boosting the combat capability and efficiency of the participating forces to carry out any mission under any circumstances," the armed forces reiterated. The drills also will help exchange expertise and achieve more understanding and integration by the participant forces. "The exercise signals keenness of the armed forces on boosting military cooperation with other countries," it added. Egypt regularly holds military exercises with Arab, African and Western states to boost military collaboration and exchange military expertise. On Dec. 2, 2018, Egyptian and French naval forces carried out joint military drills across the Red Sea. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 19:17:58|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai said Tuesday its net profit had seen a 25-percent rise in 2018. The company's net profit attributable to its equity holders was expected to reach 34 billion yuan (about 4.9 billion U.S. dollars) last year, according to its financial report filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Over the same period, Moutai's revenue was around 75 billion yuan in 2018, up about 23 percent year on year, and the firm is looking forward to a 14-percent increase in 2019. The Guizhou-based company said earlier it plans to sell about 31,000 tonnes of product this year, up by 3,000 tonnes from last year. 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| 2019-01-01 19:07:56|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- New Delhi and Islamabad exchanged a list of their nuclear installations and prisoners on Tuesday, officials said. The exchange was carried out through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, Indian's Foreign Ministry officials said. "The list of nuclear installations and facilities was exchanged under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan," a statement issued by India's Foreign Ministry said. Tuesday's exchange was the 28th consecutive exchange between the two countries since 1992. "The agreement, which was signed on Dec. 31, 1988 and entered into force on Jan. 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first day of January of every calendar year," the statement said. The two countries also exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their respective custody. The exchange of lists of prisoners was done under the provisions of the 2008 agreement under which such lists are exchanged on Jan. 1 and July 1 every year, officials said. "India handed over lists of 249 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in India's custody to Pakistan. Pakistan has shared lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or believed-to-be-Indians," the Foreign Ministry said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 18:47:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the news highlights in Kenyan media outlets on Tuesday. -- Talks to avert a strike called by the Kenya National Union of Teachers ended in deadlock last evening as the union insisted that the transfer of more than 3,000 teachers be revoked. (Daily Nation) -- President Uhuru Kenyatta in his New Year message yesterday urged Kenyans to make 2019 a year of hope and reconciliation. President Kenyatta called on Kenyans to celebrate their differences by building a cohesive country and realizing that they needed each other for a prosperous nation.(Standard) -- Is Deputy President William Ruto quietly shifting his position on the looming referendum? Politicians and close allies have told the Star in multiple interviews the DP will from the New Year campaign for the creation of an executive Prime Minister position in the event of a referendum. (Star) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 18:27:44|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least eight members of a family including women and children were killed Tuesday after a speeding truck rammed into a roadside hut in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. The accident took place in Ilia village of Chandauli district, about 368 km southeast of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. "Early today in a tragic accident here a truck rammed into the roadside hut and killed eight members of a family," a police official posted in Chandauli said. "Six people were killed on spot, while as two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital." The victims inside the hut were asleep when the cattle-carrying truck rammed into it and crushed them, officials said. Following the accident, police teams rushed to the spot and took bodies for post-mortem. The deaths have enraged locals, who demand stern action against the erring driver. Authorities have deployed police contingents in the area to maintain law and order. Police said the driver seems to have lost control over his vehicle and rammed into roadside hutment area. "A case has been registered in this regard and investigations ordered into it," the police official said. Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 18:22:42|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. immigration authorities have voiced "deep concern" about California's sanctuary law after a local police officer was killed by an undocumented immigrant last Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in an emailed statement to the San Francisco newspaper that the sanctuary law of California could put public security at risk if federal immigration officials have no full resources to seize undocumented immigrants in the state. "We remain deeply concerned that California's sanctuary laws continue to undermine public safety and cause preventable crimes by restricting law enforcement cooperation and allowing public safety threats back into the community to reoffend," ICE spokesperson Liz Johnson said in the statement. The ICE said it had no prior contact with the illegal alien suspect that killed the police officer last week. Police officer Ronil Singh in Newman city of Stanislaus County, Northern California, was shot dead on Dec. 26 when he was pulling over Gustavo Perez Arriaga, who was suspected of Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The killing prompted a two-day manhunt for Arriaga, an undocumented Mexican immigrant. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson blamed Singh's death on the state's sanctuary law at a press conference last Friday after Arriaga was arrested. He criticized the law for blocking local law enforcement from reporting Arriaga's status as an illegal immigrant to federal immigration officials, saying that Singh would have been alive if Arriaga had been reported to the ICE and deported for drunk driving offenses a long time ago. Christianson added that 32-year-old Arriaga, a Mexican native, was found to have two prior DUI convictions and have ties to a criminal gang. The ICE said it now has placed a detainer on Arriaga and put in custody six others who were accused of attempting to help Arriaga flee back to Mexico. California passed a statewide sanctuary policy that took effect in early 2018, which limited local authorities' cooperation with federal officials in enforcing the nationwide immigration law in the state. As a sanctuary state, California said the policy was put in place to reduce the fear of deportations and family break-ups among people who are staying in the United States illegally, so that they would be more willing to report crimes to local police departments and use health or social services. U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of California's sanctuary policy, and cited Singh's death when ramping up his call for getting tough on border security in the southern United States. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 18:02:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Jan.1 (Xinhua) -- The following are news highlights in South African major media outlets on Tuesday. -- The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape on Monday urged residents to unite against racism, sexism and fight for freedom for all in 2019. "A new dawn has indeed given us hope and the firm belief that the past is behind us, and that our future is bright, filled with the promise of good things and a better life for South Africans," said Faiez Jacobs, the ANC's Western Cape secretary general.(Independent Online) -- President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that 2018 has been a year of renewal and that in 2019 there will be greater focus on confronting problems facing the nation. In his new year message, Ramaphosa wished the nation a successful and peaceful new year, saying extraordinary measures will need to be taken to build a strong and resilient economy going forward. (Eyewitness News) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 17:57:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are news highlights in Ethiopia's major media outlets on Tuesday. -- The draft bill developed to amend the Ethiopian civil society organizations (CSOs) proclamation has been referred to the Council of Ministers, according to the Federal Attorney General. (Fana Broadcasting Corporate/BC) -- Ethiopia's Foreign Minister, Workneh Gebeyehu, arrived in Khartoum, Sudan, on Monday for a working visit, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.(Ethiopian News Agency/ENA) -- All 12 people were killed after a boat capsized in Lank Tana, the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia, on Monday. (FBC) -- Four political parties in Ethiopia including, Semayawi Party (Blue Party), Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), Patriotic Ginbot 7, and Unity Party (UP) said they are forming a new party. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 17:07:30|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close DHAKA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 300 newly elected members of Bangladesh's parliament will take oath on Jan. 3, a government official said on Tuesday. The Election Commission will publish the final results of Sunday's general elections within a day or two in a government gazette before the swearing-in of the newly-elected members of the parliament, said Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, also president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, an ally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Grand Alliance. Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League gained a stunning majority in the elections, winning 259 out 298 parliament seats, followed by its key ally, former President HM Ershad's Jatiya Party with 20 seats in the election marred by violence which left at least 17 people dead. Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party said five of its leaders who were elected in the 11th parliamentary polls will not take oath as the major opposition party has rejected the results, alleging various irregularities. Meanwhile, Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League will form its new cabinet before Jan. 10, according to the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader. Quader, also the country's road transport and bridges minister, told journalists on Tuesday that preparations were underway to form the new government with Hasina as the prime minister. Her second straight five-year term of the longest serving Bangladeshi prime minister will end this month. Hasina is set to serve a record fourth term in office. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 16:57:25|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close MACAO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The total merchandise export for November 2018 in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) amounted to 1.02 billion patacas (about 12.66 million U.S. dollars), up by 1.8 percent year-on-year, the SAR's statistics bureau said. Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) also indicated that the value of reexports increased by 6.8 percent to 899 million patacas, with that of beauty, cosmetic and skin-care products surging notably by 526.1 percent. Meanwhile, the total merchandise import rose 6.7 percent year-on-year to 8.06 billion patacas. Merchandise trade deficit in November amounted to 7.04 billion patacas. From January to November 2018, total value of merchandise export increased 7.4 percent year-on-year to 11.15 billion patacas. Total value of merchandise import went up 21.1 percent year-on-year to 82.21 billion patacas. Merchandise trade deficit widened to 71.06 billion for the first eleven months of 2018. External merchandise trade totalled 93.36 billion patacas from January to November 2018, up 19.3 percent compared with that of a year ago. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 8.06 patacas) Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 16:47:22|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close THE HAGUE, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Oscar Van Overeem, a Dutch art collector, requested private negotiations on returning a disputed 1,000-year-old Buddha statue to two village committees in China's southeastern Fujian province after a protracted legal battle. In mid December 2018, the Amsterdam court ruled the Buddha repatriation case "inadmissible," saying that it is unclear whether the Chinese village committees have the right to make legal claims. "Although I felt relieved, it is a Pyrrhic victory ... I have been smeared as an unscrupulous and indifferent person who, indirectly, has stolen a mummy Buddha from China and refused to return it," said Van Overeem. Now the only option to finally solve the dispute is via negotiations, said Van Overeem. "From the onset, I was willing to support its return under realistic and normal terms and conditions via amiable negotiations," he said. In 2015, Van Overeem lent the statue to the villagers of Yangchun and Dongpu in China's Fujian province for an exhibition. However, the villagers believed the statue was the one stolen from their temple in 1995. "As early as in 2015, Mr. Van Overeem said he was willing to send the statue back to China ... but he posed unreasonable conditions and asked for a huge sum of money," said Lin Kaiwang, head of the relic protection association in Yangchun village. When negotiation failed, the two village committees initiated judicial procedures at a court of China's Fujian province in 2015 and at the Amsterdam Court in 2016. Van Overeem insisted that his statue is not from the Chinese villages that are laying claim to it because it lacks the features described by certain villagers, yet he is willing to return the statue to China under a "workable" deal. "I know the statue originates from Fujian. But, indeed, I do not know from which village or temple. Then if the statue goes back to China, and it would go to the villagers who claim him, I can sincerely say I am fine with it," he said. Lin told Xinhua that the Buddha, also called Saint Zhang Gong, is the statue of a Taoist priest who became a Buddha after spending his whole life saving people from suffering, and has been worshipped by the villagers for generations. "We hope that this time, Mr. Van Overeem will deliver what he says without posing irrelevant conditions or unreasonable requests ... otherwise, we will appeal and never give up legal action," Lin said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 16:27:16|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close KABUL, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 184 Afghan civilians were killed and 94 injured in clashes and terrorist attacks in December 2018 in the militancy-hit country, a monitor group reported on Tuesday. "The CPAG statistics show civilian casualties have been reported in 40 incidents from 15 provinces of 34 Afghan provinces. Based on the statistics, a total of 278 civilians including women and children suffered fatalities as 184 of them have been killed and 94 others injured," independent Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) said in a statement. The statement said the capital Kabul witnessed the most civilian casualties in the past month, with 55 killed and 30 injured. The worst attack in December occurred when terrorists targeted a building of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and an office building of neighboring Ministry of Public Works in Kabul, which left 47 people including seven women dead and 27 others including 11 women injured. All the victims of the deadly attack were civilian visitors and government employees. "Peace negotiations have recently been accelerated between the government and opposing groups; while the talks are also followed by intense fighting in a number of provinces of the country that caused huge losses to non-combatants." In November 2018, 213 civilians lost their lives and more than 210 got injured as a result of terrorist attacks and clashes across the country, according to CPAG figures. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 15:57:08|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least eight police personnel and three militants loyal to Taliban have been killed in clashes between the Afghan forces and militants in two Afghan provinces, officials said Tuesday. Two Afghan Local Police (ALP) officers and at least three Taliban militants were killed and three militants wounded when Taliban fighters attacked house of an ALP officer in Dasht-e-Qala district in Takhar province, Mohammad Jawad Hejri, a provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua. While in Chimtal district of neighboring Balkh province, militants attacked a security post, 500 meters from the district police station Monday night, leaving ALP policemen and a National Police officer dead and five others wounded, Chimtal district chief Matin Khawjazada told Xinhua. Taliban fighters fled the scene with no casualties after the attack, said the official. Taliban militants, who ruled the country before being ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency in recent years killing government troops as well as civilians. Violence has escalated in the previously peaceful northern region over the past few years as Afghan security forces push against the militants in the south and east regions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 15:47:06|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The fishing industry of the northwest U.S. state of Alaska may suffer from the ongoing U.S. government shutdown as Alaskan fishing boats are not allowed to start fishing in the Bering Sea without federal approval, the Alaska Public Media (APM) news outlet reported Monday. Fisheries are heavily regulated in Alaska, but the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the federal agency that supervises the Bering Sea fisheries, isn't inspecting boats during the shutdown, which has kept the fishing boats grounded in the harbor, with some of them waiting for special permits for fishing, said the APM. It said the Bering Sea fisheries are a major industry for Alaska, and also the Washington State, because an annual catch could be worth hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. Due to the government shutdown, NMFS officials have no resources available to inspect fishing boats and install, as required by law, electronic monitoring equipment that tracks the number and types of fish being caught. The APM report said that at least one fishing boat, the 180-foot (about 55-meter) Baranof, has felt the direct impact of the government closure. The boat had originally planned to start fishing for red crabs on Jan. 1, but it was forced to stay in the dock because federal regulators were unavailable to do necessary inspections and install an electronic scale to be certified by federal regulatory authorities. The red crab fishery normally ends in mid-January and the Baranof would suffer economic losses if it can't make its catch by then, said the report. U.S. President Donald Trump decided to shut down the government two weeks ago after he failed to strike a deal with Democrats in Congress over the funding of a wall he had proposed to build along the U.S.-Mexican border to keep out what he called illegal immigrants seeking refuge in the country. A 62-year-old man was killed in his Manhattan apartment on Monday, and police are investigating whether his murder was related to a drug deal. The NYPD says its officers, who were responding to a 911 about a shooting, arrived at 110 Bedford Street just before 5 p.m. They found Jonathan Berlin with a gunshot wound to the torso in his fifth floor apartment. EMS took him to Lenox Hill Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Berlin's wife was reportedly in the apartment at the time, but was not injured. Police say that drug paraphernalia, including marijuana and scales, were found in the home. A neighbor told the Daily News, "There were two shots and the guy ran downstairs with the garbage bag. His wife was screaming, 'Oh no! Oh no!'" The police investigation is ongoing. Another neighbor said, "Its a little scary, this neighborhood is so safe so weve never really thought anything could happen." According to the 6th Precinct's crime stats through December 23, there were no murders there. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 15:47:05|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will offer 100 million yuan (14.5 million U.S. dollars) to support the development of physical bookshops in 2019, the municipal government has said. A total of 151 bookshops received 50 million yuan in special funds in 2018, and the number of bookshops will be increased to 200 in the new year, as part of government efforts to promote reading, said Wang Yefei, head of the city's press and publication administration. The city government introduced an implementation guideline to promote the development of bookshops in July 2018. An estimated 126 new bookshops have opened in Beijing in 2018. Reading and other cultural activities have flourished in bookshops and libraries across the city, thanks to the special funds. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 14:56:58|Editor: ZX Video Player Close OTTAWA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Canadian man has been arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands after he claimed he had a bomb, according to local TV network CTV Monday night. Police are investigating the case which occurred Monday evening in one of the airport's departure halls. The airport was reopened after no explosive was found. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 14:46:55|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Over 17.5 million people in 2018 paid to visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, the museum announced Monday. The Palace Museum has the largest visitor numbers of any museum in the world. To avoid overcrowding during peak seasons, the museum has allowed a maximum of 80,000 visitors per day since June 2015, compared with more than 100,000 or even 180,000 visitors per day previously. In order to further enhance visiting experiences and loosen pressure on exits, starting from Jan. 1, 2019, the museum will open the area between its northern Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu) and eastern Gate of East Glory (Donghua). The move will allow visitors to appreciate scenery along the moat of the Forbidden City between the two gates, as well as ease pressure brought by the visitor overflow. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 13:36:43|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BRASILIA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro will be sworn in on Tuesday amid tight security, including more than 3,200 civilian and military security personnel, combat aircraft and surface-to-air missiles. According to the capital Brasilia's secretary of public security, between 250,000 and 500,000 people are expected to arrive at the Esplanade of Ministers, where the inauguration ceremony will be held. Police officers, firefighters, and army, navy and air force personnel will be deployed to the area. And for the first time at such an event, two laser guided surface-to-air missiles will be on hand to intercept any aircraft within seven kilometers that are considered a threat. More than 20 air force planes will run reconnaissance flights over Brasilia, while a portable radar will be able to identify aircraft flying at low altitudes. People will be able to access the esplanade on foot only via four access points The afternoon ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) local time with Bolsonaro's arrival at the cathedral in Brasilia, accompanied by his wife Michelle, followed by the traditional parade to the National Congress. Customarily, the first couple ride in an open-topped Rolls-Royce, but no decision has been made on that yet, with Bolsonaro perhaps opting to ride in an armored car. The former military captain was stabbed while campaigning for the presidency by a man who turned out to have mental problems. The so-called Dragons of Independence, as the presidential guard is called, will form part of the motorcade on motorcycles, police cars and on foot, setting out from the cathedral at 2:45 p.m. (1645 GMT) for a ceremony in the Chamber of Deputies at 3:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) Around 4:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), Bolsonaro will depart for the presidential palace of Planalto, where he will review the troops and receive a 21-gun salute. At Planalto, Bolsonaro is to receive the presidential sash from outgoing President Michel Temer, and appoint his 22-member cabinet. Around 7:00 p.m. (2100 GMT), Bolsonaro is expected to arrive at the headquarters of the Foreign Affairs Ministry for a reception. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 13:26:41|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PYONGYANG, Jan. 1 (Xinhua)-- Tens of thousands of Pyongyang residents gathered at Kim Il Sung Square on Monday night to watch the New Year performance and New Year countdown. The artistes and teachers from famous art troupes like the Mansudae Art Troupe, the Phibada Opera Troupe, the National Folk Art Troupe and Kim Won Gyun University of Music performed on stage as part of the New Year celebrations. Most of the attendees were young people and students. Some parents also accompanied their children to watch the performance and fireworks. "I'm excited and look forward to the New Year, which will be better than last year," a university student told Xinhua. "This is my first time to attend the New Year celebrations and I'm sure our motherland will be stronger and greater in the New Year," another student said. The crowd burst into delightful cheer when fireworks lit the sky as the New Year was ushered in. A fleet of lighted drones wrote "Happy New Year" in the sky above the square. The performance ended with the song "Ardent Desire" sung by all performers. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 13:26:40|Editor: ZX Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua)-- U.S. Strategic Command apologized Monday evening for a New Year's Eve tweet demonstrating its capacity to drop catastrophic bombs. The unified command, which oversees the U.S. nuclear arsenal, boasted in a tweet earlier in the day that it was ready if ever needed to drop "something much, much bigger" than the New Year's Eve ball in New York City, whose descent at Times Square marks the arrival of the New Year. The tweet also showed a video of an aircraft releasing bombs and explosions on the ground. The message was deleted later from the Strategic Command's twitter feed, while a new message said the previous one was "in poor taste." "We apologize," the subsequent tweet said. "We are dedicated to the security of America & allies." Twitter users responded to the New Year's Eve message with confusion and unease. "Are we freaking BOMBING tonight????" One user asked. The other tweeted: "You are people with direct control of nuclear weapons. Never forget the gravity of mission. Tweet professionally, forever." Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 13:26:38|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian authorities arrested 16,232 illicit drug suspects in 8,018 cases in 2018, said an Interior Ministry's anti-drug department report on Tuesday. Some 9,099 suspects were involved in drug trafficking and 7,133 were related to drug use, the report said, adding that 310 of them are foreigners in 24 nationalities. It added that over 533 kilos of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills and ketamine, were seized from the suspects last year. In 2017, the Southeast Asian country netted 17,795 drug suspects in 8,173 cases, confiscating nearly 300 kilos of illicit drugs. Cambodia has no death sentence for illicit drug traffickers. Under its law, someone who is found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drug will be imprisoned for life. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 13:21:35|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PYONGYANG, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said Tuesday that he would push forward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and was ready to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at any time. "I am always ready to sit down again with the U.S. president at any time and will make efforts to produce an outcome that the international community would welcome," Kim said. In his New Year speech broadcast on the state-run television, he stressed his determination to work to build new relations with the United States, establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and seek "complete denuclearization," on the condition that the United States takes corresponding measures. "We could be left with no choice but to seek a new way if the U.S. does not make good on its promises, misjudges our patience, while seeking to force things unilaterally and clinging to sanctions and pressure," Kim warned. The DPRK leader said he was willing to reopen the inter-Korean industrial park in the border city of Kaesong and resume a suspended tour program to Mount Kumgang on the east coast "without any preconditions." Both the Industrial park and Mount Kumgang tourist zone have been closed for a few years. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 11:51:24|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export topped 600 billion U.S. dollars last year for the first time in the country's history, a government report showed Tuesday. Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, reached a record high of 605.5 billion dollars in 2018, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was up 5.5 percent from the previous year, marking the biggest since the country began the outbound shipment in 1948. The country's export surpassed 500 billion dollars for the first time in 2011. Import advanced 11.8 percent over the year to 535 billion dollars last year, the largest ever recorded by the economy. Trade surplus amounted to 70.5 billion dollars, staying in the black for 10 straight years. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 10:31:14|Editor: ZX Video Player Close YANGON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint on Tuesday called on the country people to give more cooperation and assistance to the government's efforts for domestic peace, the establishment of the democratic federal union and development. Speaking on the occasion of the new year 2019, U Win Myint expressed his belief that Myanmar will be able to meet and overcome the difficulties and crisis facing the country by holding on to truth and justice. Informing the country people that the government has been working with unceasing vigilance and unflagging zeal for the fruition of national interest of the country, the president conveyed glad tidings that from the new year forth and in the coming years, there will be more good opportunities in the political, economic and social sectors. He assured that the government will strive with earnestness to realize peace and prosperity in the country in the future and for the tranquility and happiness of the country people, hoping that the people will join the government on its federal democratic journey with energy and high spirit. First Vice President U Myint Swe, in his similar message, hoped that all union citizens will realize their aspiration for peace and national reconciliation at the soonest and that their socio-economic life will be elevated from all aspects. For his part, Second Vice President U Henry Van Thio urged to turn the challenges and difficulties into opportunities and solve domestic problems in unity with collective strength based on union spirit. In spite of a wet and windy forecast, thousands of dedicated New Year's Eve enthusiasts flocked to the Times Square this morning, in hopes of snagging prime spots to watch the New Year's Eve ball officially call the beginning of 2019. And these are real die-hards: There are no portable bathrooms and people can't return to their original viewing spots if they happen to leave (in search of food, facilities, etc.). "That's a good question," Tim Miller replied to a question about his bathroom plan. "Depends... depends whether or not I'll answer that question.. so I think I just did." He is visiting New York with his two daughters, ages 14 and 28, from Georgia. Their trip has been a year in the making, with them planning hotel rooms and airline tickets. They're in Times Square for New Year's Eve "this is where it's all happening," Miller said. The Millers made friends with Sarah Watkins and her mother. Watkins, of Florida, confessed, "We're trying not to eat so we don't have to leave." "No Depends," her mother added. "We wanted come to New York for the experienceit's more of a bucket list idea," Watkins explained, noting that the chaos was "something" else. (Also on their bucket list for NYC: Seeing the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and the Rockettes.) While it's unclear whether the NYPD's estimates are truly accurate, there was definitely a mass of people at the "Crossroads of the World." Just some we spoke to were from Spain, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Paris, London, Argentina, New Orleans, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Toronto, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Colombia. "We dont want people to tell us what its like. We want to experience it ourselves," Gisela of Mexico said. British tourist Lara and Lillie said, "We saw the film years New Year's Eve years ago and knew one day we had to do it fir ourselves." "We drove here in my 18-wheeler truck, sleeping inside the cab instead of a hotel," Mikey, who was with wife Amanda, from Indianapolis said. They arrived at 8:30 am. Even if people didn't bring food, one Domino's pizza employee was selling pies for $25 apiece. He sold all four in five minutes. One item that was forbidden, with no vendors offering them, was the highly coveted umbrella: A Times Square Alliance worker estimated he had collected 300 by 11 a.m. Passing the time for 14 hours requires supplies. Hunter and Caroline from St. Louis, who also arrived at 8:30 am, brought a mini Jenga game to keep them entertained all day. Hunter said, "I'm going to Med School next year, so this is my last chance. Its iconic!" "We have food, phones, back-up battery chargers, and our Nintendo Switch," Yagaz Dharkanat said, from his spot in the middle of Broadway between 44th and 45th Streets. The 22-year-old from Springfield, NJ convinced three of his friends to come to Times Square. Although he's been planning this trip for months, when asked whether he had a bathroom plan, he admitted, "Absolutely not. I have no clue what to do. Wish for the best." "Some of us are prepared," his friend Michael Signorelli, also 22, interjected. "I've prepared. That's all I need to say." Additional reporting by Scott Lynch Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 10:21:13|Editor: ZX Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy urged New Zealanders to "lead the world again" in combating climate change in her New Year's message delivered on Tuesday. Reddy called on New Zealanders to take responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint on the planet, helping the country meet its international commitments to combating climate change. "Whether it's making changes to transport and energy, how we use land and water, or generate waste -- if we all work together, we can make a difference," Reddy said. The governor-general also looked back on "some great New Zealanders" who were honored in 2018, as well as "anniversaries of events that impacted on our country and the wider world" in her New Year's message. "In March, we launched the commemorations to mark 125 years since New Zealand led the world in achieving votes for women," she said while stressing New Zealand's leadership in this field. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 08:55:58|Editor: ZX Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen led tens of thousands in the New Year's Eve celebrations at the Win-Win Monument in the northern outskirts of Phnom Penh at Monday night. Live broadcast on all local TV channels showed at the event, the revelers enjoyed a free New Year's Eve concert performed by the country's celebrities for five hours, followed by a spectacular midnight fireworks display for almost an hour. Hun Sen did not make any speech before the countdown to New Year 2019, but he posted to his Facebook "Happy New Year" and he blessed the compatriots with health, wealth and happiness in the New Year. He said full peace and political stability are the most important factors that enable the people to celebrate the New Year without concerns over personal security. "Peace has provided us opportunities to celebrate national and international festivals, even at night or day times, without any fears," the prime minister said. "Therefore, we must stay united to continue to maintain peace and political stability for a more developed Cambodia," he said. According to a government forecast, Cambodia's economic growth is expected to grow 7.1 percent in 2019, comparable to the growth in 2018, pushing up the nation's GDP (gross domestic product) to 27.2 billion U.S. dollars. The country's GDP per capita is projected to stand at 1,706 U.S. dollars in 2019, an expected rise of 9.1 percent from 1,563 dollars in 2018, showed the government forecast. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 08:25:56|Editor: zh Video Player Close A passenger goes through the procedure of 144-hour visa-free transit at an airport in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 1, 2019. China began to implement its 144-hour visa-free transit policy in five more cities on Tuesday for travelers from 53 countries. The cities are Qingdao, a major port city in Shandong; Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province; Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province; Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province; and Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. The visa-free transit policy approved by the State Council, applies to people from 53 countries including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. (Xinhua/Xie Hao) JINAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China began to implement its 144-hour visa-free transit policy in five more cities on Tuesday for travelers from 53 countries. These cities are Qingdao, a major port city in Shandong Province; Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province; Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province; Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province; and Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. The visa-free transit policy approved by the State Council, applies to people from 53 countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Passengers are required to carry effective international travel certificates and have definite onward travel within 144 hours, when entering those five cities. Previously, a 72-hour visa-free transit policy was adopted in the cities. In the new move, passengers can enter and exit Qingdao and Xiamen through their air and sea ports. Those who transit through Qingdao are allowed to stay elsewhere in Shandong during the 144-hour period, according to Li Zhuqun, deputy head of the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department. Since 2013, the State Council has approved the 72-hour visa-free transit for eligible international travelers across 18 cities and later extended the period to 144 hours in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shanghai and the neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, as well as the cities of Shenyang and Dalian in Liaoning Province, according to the National Immigration Administration. China hosts the arrival of about 43 million foreigners annually. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 08:20:55|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Juan Martin del Potro has ruled himself out of the Australian Open as he recovers from a fractured right knee cap. The 30-year-old Argentine returned to training in mid-December in the hope of regaining fitness ahead of the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne, which begins on January 13. However those plans have been dashed as he adopts a more cautious approach to his recovery. "The recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback. Unfortunately, it won't happen in Australia," Del Potro said in a social media post. Del Potro's career has been beset by injuries and a long period on the sidelines saw his career ranking plummet to 1,045th place in 2016. He finished the 2018 season fifth in the rankings after winning two ATP titles and reaching the final of the US Open, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 05:35:29|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco-based mobility solution provider Parkimon Inc. on Monday launched a shared parking app for mobile phones to help drivers find parking spaces in the city. Drivers have long been grappling with the notorious headache of traffic congestions and limited parking resources at peak hour. Parkimon said the app OrangeCone is a parking space sharing service that provides a platform to connect owners of unused parking spaces with drivers looking to park. Home owners in buildings who are willing to rent out their driveways and unused parking spaces may register with OrangeCone, through which drivers can find their desired parking location on their smartphones. "People spend hours searching for parking and causing congestion in nearly every municipality, especially during New Year's celebrations," said Asad Shah, Parkimon's founder and CEO. OrangeCone is the antidote to the chaos of parking today, bringing a new level of play to "curb management" in every city and nationwide, he added. Parkimon said the rollout of OrangeCone aims to offer a better solution to the common problem of limited parking spaces around popular tourist destinations and events in San Francisco. San Francisco, which has a population of over 884,000, was rated as the fifth-worst city in the world and third-worst in the United States in terms of congestion in 2017, according to a study conducted earlier this year. Drivers in San Francisco spent about 12 percent of their time behind the wheel in dealing with congestion, with 79 peak hours stuck in traffic jams last year, said the study. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 05:20:27|Editor: ZX Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday issued a decree to form a fact-finding committee to investigate the recent protests in Sudan, official SUNA news agency reported. According to the decree, the committee will be chaired by Sudan's Justice Minister Mohamed Ahmed Salim, the report said. Since Dec. 19, various areas in Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, have witnessed popular protests over the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities. Last week, the Sudanese government announced that 19 people have been killed in the protests during which a total of 187 security personnel and 219 civilians were wounded. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 05:15:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has decried the violence in Bangladesh's general elections, urging restraint and peaceful settlement of electoral complaints. "Violence and attacks on people and property are not acceptable," read a UN statement Monday in response to questions on the Bangladeshi elections. The United Nations regretted the loss of life and injuries sustained by candidates and voters during the electoral campaign and on election day, according to the statement. General elections were held in Bangladesh on Sunday, and more than 10 people were reported to have been killed amid violence in parts of the country. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led Grand Alliance won a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary polls, Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said on Monday. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a key ally of the major opposition alliance, which saw the worst results in the elections, alleged that ruling party men resorted to widespread irregularities, including forcing out of their polling agents, stuffing ballots, assaulting and intimidating their supporters. The UN said it welcomes the participation of the opposition in elections for the first time in 10 years. "We call on all sides to exercise restraint and ensure a peaceful post electoral environment, where people can maintain their right to assembly and expression," said the statement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 04:10:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Syria on Monday discussed the ways to facilitate banking transactions between the two countries, Tehran Times daily reported. Establishment of a joint bank was one of the issues raised in a meeting between Abdolnaser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, and the visiting Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, in Tehran on Monday. Expansion of banking ties between the two counties is a precondition for boosting bilateral trade, Hemmati was quoted as saying. Iran and Syria signed an agreement here on Sunday for expanding bilateral economic cooperation in the long term. The agreement was signed by Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami, and al-Khalil at the place of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture. On Monday, the Syrian minister underlined the important role of the central banks of the two countries to facilitate trade ties in line with materializing the objectives of the agreement on economic cooperation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 03:25:09|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Photo taken on Dec. 31, 2018 shows the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States. House Democrats have reportedly prepared a plan to end the ongoing partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government, without funding for President Donald Trump's border wall. The lower chamber is planning to pass a stopgap spending bill Thursday when the new Congress convenes to fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8, with 1.3 billion U.S. dollars for border fencing and other security measures, reported several news outlets on Monday, citing congressional sources. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- House Democrats have reportedly prepared a plan to end the ongoing partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government, without funding for President Donald Trump's border wall. The lower chamber is planning to pass a stopgap spending bill Thursday when the new Congress convenes to fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8, with 1.3 billion U.S. dollars for border fencing and other security measures, reported several news outlets on Monday, citing congressional sources. The package will reportedly also include six other bipartisan bills to fund an array of federal agencies that have been closed since Dec. 22, including the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development. The Republican-controlled Senate passed similar legislation earlier this month, but Trump strongly rejected it. It's unclear how the upper chamber would respond to the reported Democratic proposal. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told The Washington Post Monday that "the Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won't sign." Trump tweeted Monday that he's waiting for Democrats to give votes "necessary for Border Security, including the Wall." About a quarter of the federal government shut down earlier this month as a result of an impasse between the White House and the Congress over whether to provide billions of dollars for Trump's border wall, a promise he made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump and his conservative allies have insisted that the border wall is essential to addressing illegal immigration and drug trafficking, while Democrats have slapped the proposal as an "inefficient, unnecessary and costly" solution to strengthening border security. Both sides have tried to pin blame on the other since the shutdown, while there has been little contact between the White House and congressional Democrats for more than a week. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 02:44:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency UNHCR appealed on Monday to states to urgently offer safe ports and disembarkation to two NGO vessels on the Mediterranean carrying 49 rescued refugees and migrants, including young children. UNHCR said in a statement here on the last day of 2018, "Time is increasingly of the essence. Rough seas are expected in the coming hours and conditions on the boats are likely to deteriorate." The UN refugee agency said that more than 2,240 people have either died or gone missing at sea attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean in 2018. The high losses came despite a significant reduction in the number of arrivals. The UN agency said that 32 people have been on board the Sea Watch 3 vessel since Dec. 22, while Sea Eye rescued a further 17 on Dec. 29. "Decisive leadership is required, in line with fundamental values of humanity and compassion, to offer safe disembarkation and bring the 49 safely to land," said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR special envoy for the central Mediterranean. He said that negotiations on which states will subsequently receive them should only come after they are safely ashore. "In 2019, there is a critical need to end the current boat-by-boat approach, and for States to implement a regional arrangement that provides shipmasters with clarity and predictability on where to disembark refugees and migrants rescued on the Mediterranean," said the UNHCR. It commended the work of NGO search and rescue vessels for their critical role toward preventing the death toll from being far higher. English French LAVAL, Quebec, Dec. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Urbanimmersive Inc. (Urbanimmersive, the Company or UI) (TSX VENTURE: UI) (OTC PINK: UBMRF), the leading real estate content marketing platform, today provides a corporate update. Urbanimmersive announces payment of convertible debenture interest related to the acquisition of Tourbuzz previously announced. Following the TSX Venture Exchange's approval, the Corporation has issued 1,924,280 common shares, at a price of $0.09 per common share, in settlement of a debt totaling $173,184,72 in favour of Convertible debenture holders. The Corporation has decided to issue the common shares in order to preserve its cash assets. About Urbanimmersive Urbanimmersive is a content marketing platform for real estate professionals. The Corporation connects real estate professionals, photographers and writers in order to simplify and optimize original content production workflow. Urbanimmersive enables its customers to leverage their marketing investment while increasing productivity, competitiveness, their web visibility, consumer engagement with their brand and ultimately, their revenue. The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution of Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties. Such statements relating to, among other things, the prospects for the company to enhance operating results, are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which are significant in scope and nature. These uncertainties may cause actual results to differ from information contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of the management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management estimates or opinions change. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other assumptions and risk factors, please refer to the last Corporations MD&A filed with the Canadian securities commissions. More information can also be found in the Companys Annual Information Form on Sedar. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our expectations as of the date hereof. We disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-01 02:29:54|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Spokesperson of the Houthi rebels Yahya Sarie speaks during a press conference in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 31, 2018. Yemen's rival forces on Monday traded accusations of breaching a UN-brokered ceasefire in flashpoint Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) SANAA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's rival forces on Monday traded accusations of breaching a UN-brokered cease-fire in flashpoint Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The Saudi-led coalition, which backs the Yemeni exiled government, recorded 14 breaches of the cease-fire by the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels over the past 24 hours, said a report by the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV. Meanwhile, the Riyadh-based Yemeni government renewed call for their foe Houthi rebels to withdraw from Hodeidah ports as per the cease-fire deal reached in Stockholm earlier this month. "The Stockholm agreement on Hodeidah requires the withdrawal of the Houthi militias from the ports and the city of Hodeidah," the government-run Saba news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hadhrami as saying. Hadhrami dismissed the rebels' claims that they had withdrawn from the ports, accusing the rebels of seeking to circumvent the truce agreement. However, spokesperson of the Houthi rebels Yahya Sarie accused the Saudi-led coalition of committing "801 violations since the declaration of cease-fire agreement in Hodeidah province." In a press conference in Sanaa, Sarie claimed that his group had withdrawn from the ports, and he renewed his group's call to the other side (government forces) to withdraw from the eastern part of Hodeidah city as per "the deal." On Saturday, the Houthi group said it began to withdraw from Hodeidah ports as per what they said "to implement the first phase of redeployment from Hodeidah port." In response, the UN released a statement saying that "any redeployment (from Hodeidah ports) would only be credible if all parties and the United Nations are able to observe and verify that it is in line with the Stockholm agreement." It said Patrick Cammaert, the UN appointed chairman of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) which includes representatives from both Yemeni rival forces, would "convene on Jan. 1, 2019, the next meeting of the RCC" to discuss the redeployment plans and mechanism that will be required to monitor the cease-fire and ensure that "credible redeployment is achieved." Cammaert arrived in Hodeidah last week to oversee the implementation of the cease-fire and the confidence-rebuilding measures between the Yemeni parties. 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. 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. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A 23-year-old man has been arrested after a 15-year-old child told deputies he forced his way into her house and sexually assaulted her. Jmaya Phillips, 23, was arrested in Tampa on Dec. 19 and was extradited to Tallahassee on Monday. According to a probable cause document, the Leon County Sheriff's Office was called to investigate the incident on January 27, 2016. The complainant said that she came to the home to check on the 15-year-old victim because the victim's mother was out of town. However, the caller said the teen was "acting strange" so she walked around back, anticipating that someone may try to sneak out of the house. After a few minutes, the complainant said she saw Phillips come out of the back door, covered in sweat. That's when she called deputies to investigate. When deputies spoke to the victim, documents say the victim confirmed she had sexual contact with Philips. The victim told them that she had gotten off the bus that day and was approached by Philips and another person. Phillips asked if he could come inside the victim's house, to which she declined. Documents say that as the victim opened the door to her home, the victim said Philips forced his way in, pushing her down and getting on top of her. The victim told investigators that she told him to get off as she tried to get him out of the house. However, he kept persisting, pushing the victim into a bedroom and again getting on top of her. As Philips tried to force his hands down the victim's pants, the victim again told Phillip to leave her alone and get off. The victim told investigators that Phillips eventually got off of her and closed the bedroom door. "[The victim] went to make sure [Philips] had left, but found him hiding in the kitchen," documents say. She again told him to leave. Thinking that she was finally alone, the victim said she ran some water to take a shower. That's when Philips came back into the bedroom and again tried to force the victim's clothes off. The victim told Philips, "No, leave me alone, you need to go," but he kept going, eventually taking off the victim's pants. Documents say Philips continued and had sex with the victim while holding her hands down. The victim said Phillips stopped when the complainant came into the home. After speaking to the victim, deputies spoke to Philips who initially said he only came over to the victim's how to get some Gatorade. But when he was confronted with inconsistencies in his story, Philips eventually admitted that he came over to the house to have sex with the victim, but was interrupted before sex took place. According to court documents, a sexual assault examination kit from the victim was sent to FDLE for testing. The testing revealed that Phillips' DNA was found on the victim in areas consistent with her account. Based on the evidence, deputies found probable cause to charge Philips with lewd or lascivious battery of a victim older than 12 years of age, but younger than 16. Phillips was arrested in Tampa on Dec. 19 after a warrant was issued for his arrest the day prior. His bond was set at $25,000 during an arraignment hearing on Tuesday. MACCLENNY, Fla. (AP) - A man is charged with second-degree murder after deputies found the body of his mother in her north Florida home. News outlets reported that 44-year-old Joel Lee Weeks called the Baker County Sheriff's Office on Monday and told dispatchers he needed emergency medical help. When deputies arrived at the home they found the hilt of a knife protruding from a wound in Weeks' stomach. Then they found the body of 66-year-old Rebekah Ann Osteen in one of the bedrooms. Authorities didn't say how she was killed. Weeks has two outstanding warrants from Duval County, including probation violations for DUI and domestic violence. Weeks is recovering from his injuries in a Jacksonville hospital. (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Florida man charged with killing mother on New Year's Eve BAKER COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A man with a history of domestic violence tried to commit suicide after killing his mother inside her home in Baker County. Joel Weeks, 47, is being charged with the murder of his mother, 66-year-old Rebekah Osteen. On Monday, deputies responded to an apartment in Baker County in response to a suicide attempt. Weeks called Baker County Sheriff's Office Communication Center and said that he needed emergency medical personnel to respond because he intentionally stabbed himself in the abdomen with a knife. When deputies arrived on scene, they saw Weeks with the hilt of a knife sticking out from a wound in his stomach. For their safety, deputies did a protective sweep of the home to ensure there were no other armed or injured people inside the home. As deputies searched the house, they found the body of Weeks' mother. According to BCSO, the death did not appear to be from natural causes. Deputies stated they have obtained a second degree murder warrant for Weeks for the death of his mother. In addition to that warrant, Weeks has two outstanding warrants from Duval County, including one for violation of probation for domestic violence against his mother. Weeks is currently in a Jacksonville hospital recovering from his injuries. When he is released, he will be arrested and taken to the Duval County Pre-trail Detention Center. Family members told deputies that Weeks had a history of violence toward his mother and were unaware that he was at his mother's home. The family also said that she moved to Baker County after the Duval County incident to get away from Weeks. Baker County Sheriffs Office Detectives are continuing to investigate the case for reasons that led to the incident. Assaults, public order offences, drink driving and naked male on the A483 during New Years Eve This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 1st, 2019 It was a busy New Years Eve for emergency services in Wrexham who were called to a series of incidents overnight including reports of a naked man on the A483. Tweeting this morning, PC Thomas Hough said it had been one of the busiest nights he had worked in his whole career, with incidents of assaults, public order offences and domestics throughout the night. Missing people were found and returned home safely along with the arrest of an uninsured provisional holder who blew twice the drink-drive limit. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were also called to a car arson in the Rose Grove area of Wrexham during the early hours of the morning with the vehicle described as being damaged beyond any repair. 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 Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Fallen Officer By West Kentucky Star Staff LOUISVILLE - In a Monday press release, Gov. Matt Bevin has proclaimed that U.S. and state flags be flown at half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, January 1 in honor of fallen Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Deidre "Dee Dee" Mengedoht.Today, many from throughout Kentucky and across America attended a memorial service to pay respects to Detective Mengedoht and her family. It was a sobering reminder of the sacrifices that our law enforcement officers make every day as they protect and serve the rest of us. For this reason, it is fitting to pay tribute on the first day of the New Year, to the life and selfless service of this fallen officer," Gov. Bevin said.Detective Mengedoht was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 24, while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 64 in downtown Louisville.Gov. Bevin encourages all Kentuckians, businesses, organizations, and government agencies to join this show of support for Detective Mengedoht's family and the Louisville Metro community.The truck that struck Mengedoht's cruiser during a traffic stop was driven by city employee Roger Burdette, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of murder and driving under the influence. An arrest report says he admitted to taking multiple prescription drugs and "made no attempt to avoid collision with (the) police vehicle."The 32-year-old Mengedoht was with the department for more than seven years. Police Chief Steve Conrad said she has a young son. Sheriff's Department Looking for Stolen Trailer By West Kentucky Star Staff BENTON, KY - The Marshall County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft of a utility trailer and is asking for help finding it.The Sheriff's office is asking citizens to be on the lookout for the trailer, which was stolen sometime during the second week of December. The trailer has some unique features that might be readily noticeable. It is a black 6'x10' trailer with aluminum wheels, but a unique feature is that the angle iron on the right side railing has been bent up.The department did not provide a photo of the trailer.Anyone who sees a utility trailer matching this description should contact the Sheriff's Office at 270-527-3112. New Years Eve Winds Included Paducah Microburst By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A preliminary survey by the National Weather Service office indicates that a microburst wind event near Paducah was part of the New Years Eve storm front that caused sporadic damage along a path extending from southern Illinois to middle Tennessee.Meteorologists say that 80-mile-per-hour winds slammed downward from the storm on a mile-long path beginning just east of I-24's Exit 3, and continuing east to the intersection of Cairo Road and Noble Road. The half-mile wide path included the Rural King store, where a rooftop AC unit was dislodged.Loss of metal siding occurred on at least three businesses on Cairo Road, and at least one home lost some roofing. Several trees were broken or uprooted, and two power poles were blown over.Another location that seems to have experienced a microburst was in Graves County, five miles southwest of Symsonia. Straight-line thunderstorm winds were estimated at 75 miles per hour where a carport roof was lifted off of the structure, and at least three buildings were damaged. Several tree limbs were broken.Just before noon the National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning in parts of Pope, Massac, McCracken, Livingston and Marshall counties based on rotation spotted on radar.Damage in other wind events began with a tree was reported down across a driveway near Round Knob in Massac County, Illinois.Within minutes, a barn across from the North Graves fire station was reported to be damaged.At 12:10 p.m., downed tree blocked Radio Road in Murray, and other tree damage was noted in northern Calloway County, where Weather Service gear clocked a wind gust at 59 miles per hour.By 1 p.m., similar wind damage and power outages were reported in Marshall, Trigg, Christian and Union counties.In Sturgis, Monroe Street was blocked by structural damage to a building, and a church steeple was reportedly blown off near Princeton.The sharply defined storm front moved east at 70 miles per hour. Reports from trained weather spotters to the Weather Service from Christian County said winds were measured at 85 miles per hour near Hawkins, and 68 miles per hour southwest of Hopkinsville.On the Net: Closures Today for Crash Reconstruction on US-641 By West Kentucky Star Staff BENTON, KY - Benton Police Department will be conducting some temporary intermittent traffic closures on US Hwy 641 spur at Mayfield Hwy ( KY 58) on Tuesday.According to police, the closures will be required while workers perform an accident reconstruction at the intersection. Work will begin around 9:00 am and should be completed by noon.Traffic on both 641 and Mayfield Highway will be affected.The crash on Wednesday injured Tyler Swoope of Benton, who was driving a Federal Express van when it was struck by a semi truck driven by Surinder Singh of California. Singh and his passenger were not hurt.On the Net: New Years Eve Fire Claims Two Lives By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Two people were killed Monday morning in a fire at a McCracken County home.The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says deputies and other responders arrived shortly before 2 a.m. at the scene of a mobile home fire in the 2800 block of Lauren Lane. Deputies said two people were trapped inside when the first deputy arrived on scene, and half of the home was engulfed.One of the residents, 57-year-old Dina Funderburk told deputies she awoke to smoke in the home, and her husband, 51-year-old Edward Funderburk had pushed her outside and gone back inside to try to rescue Dina's mother, 82-year-old Joan Dale.Responders were unable to get into the home, and Both Edward and Joan were later found dead inside.Deputies said no foul play is suspected, and that the fire may have started from a cigarette.Dina Funderburk was taken to an area hospital where she was treated and released. Knight Focusing on Positive Changes at Jail By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - McCracken County's new jailer has already been making his mark at the facility, and is focusing on the positive side of things.Jailer David Knight, who was sworn into office Friday, told West Kentucky Star on Monday that he's been putting some programs in place since the election, and former Jailer Tonya Ray, who resigned Friday, has been working with him to make the transition as smooth as possible.Knight said Ray's early resignation was a matter of convenience for both of them and took advantage of a quirk in how the job is structured by state regulations."Basically, she don't get paid for that last week, and it helps me out in the transition, so she allowed me to step in a little early," he said.A military veteran, Knight has changed a few rules around the place, like shave and haircut policies for staff, and new rules for inmates, such as requiring them to make their beds each day.Currently, the jail has 59 employees, and the facility houses around 510-515 inmates each day. While that's a lot of work, Knight said he enjoys it and has a lot of good help.He said, "Somebody asked me if I was going to come in and 'clean house,' and no, I'm not. We've got a great group of guys down there - and ladies - to help do this."One thing he's already been working on is starting some training programs for inmates that might help them find employment when they are released.Knight said, "We've started working on different programs to implement to help with inmates as far as getting welding programs started, possibly carpentry programs, different education programs to help these inmates not come back to jail."He said county inmates can be in jail for as long as a year. The programs can be funded by state or federal grants, or costs can be covered by inmate purchases using their commissary accounts.Knight was fired in March by Ray after he consulted with the County Attorney's office about an incident involving another employee, but he was reinstated a short time later under the state's whistle blower act. Nine months later, he is the new Jailer, and he thinks his principles helped get him elected.Knight said, "It's never fun getting fired, but it's always nice to know that what you did was right, and (that) standing up for what's right pays off in the end - or at least you hope it does - and in this case it paid off tremendously. That was probably a huge advantage for me through this process."As he takes that attitude forward, Knight said he hopes it set an example for other employees, and for inmates, too. Every person is different in themselves, and that makes them unique. Each uniqueness is a specialty, it is a difference... Are you looking for a Social Media Agency in Manchester? Social Media Marketing is about making your brand image known... So, it s not new for Google to update its ranking signals. Near the end of October 2020, they introduced... CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a chemical compound found in cannabis plants, which is commonly used in the medicinal... 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 From: Mrs. Kirstjen Nielsen Date: Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 5:00 AM Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. I am Mrs.Kirstjen Nielsen.The secretary of department of homeland security Washington DC, I am writing to you regarding on your abandoned consignmen box fund,worth $40 million dollars to be deliver to you at your home address. So,kindly reconfirm your full names and home address together with your direct phone number. I wait for your urgent and positive respond. Best Regard Mrs. Kirstjen Nielsen Phone:(202) 900-7348 Mr Kirstjen Nielsen www.@bloom.ocn.ne.jp > Date: Fri, Nov 16, 2018 at 9:13 AM Subject: FUND RECONCILIATION DEPARTMENT,INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY ACCESSIBILITY UNITED STATES To: From:Date: Fri, Nov 16, 2018 at 9:13 AMSubject: FUND RECONCILIATION DEPARTMENT,INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY ACCESSIBILITY UNITED STATESTo: FUND RECONCILIATION DEPARTMENT,INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY ACCESSIBILITY UNITED STATES. (FUND RELEASED ORDER) In adherence to the specifications of the United States Government, the management of the Fund Reconciliation Department here in New York, USA, wishes to let you know that your fund totaling the amount of $3.6 million is long over due, every precept regarding your funds has been concluded. You will be receiving your funds from this office any moment from now. We shall keep document report of every transaction done here in the USA. Investigations gathered by the Fund Regulatory Agency {IMF}, shows you have been receiving numerous emails from several offices requesting you to claim your funds. In some cases, you tried a lot but still the transfer or delivery was not completed due to one reason or the other. The fact is that you are stuck between the chains which make it impossible for you to differentiate the real office from its counterfeit. I know you will be expecting to hear from me regarding this delivery after the last attempt to get it over. The fact is that I understand you' re been into so many transaction and I decided to stay clear so that you will understand the truth about everything going on within the internet.We learn that the only real office that has ever contacted you in respect to your funds is Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It was brought to our notice that the Chairperson of the Federal Reserve Bank, Janet Louise Yellen, made voluntary effort to have your funds transferred into your account or delivered to you in form of an ATM Visa Card but couldn' t complete the process due to some fall-out on your ends as you couldn ' t meet up with the fee demand for the transfer, so they gave up on you. In a more proper and legalized manner, the Fund Reconciliation Department and the Federal Reserve Bank solicited us to allow your fund to be written as a Cashier ' s Check or Credited as an ATM Visa Card and have it shipped to your home address through USPS Priority Mail Express. This option is considered to be the best, easiest and the most efficient way to have you get your long awaited United Nations approved funds.For the purpose to avoiding double payment on your end, we had an agreement with the IMF and the Federal Reserve Bank to document every charge necessary until your funds worth $3.6 million get to you. The analytical group of the two offices mentioned above estimated an accurate sum of US$68.00 as the Fund Release Order Certificate. So it was constituted and officially submitted to the Court of Justice that "the only" charge you will ever pay before your package leaves our office here in USA is US$68.00 which is the fee for your Procurement File to be signed and sent to us here in the USA after which you'll never spend a dime again. We are renowned and reputable USA Agency and we don' t like undocumented processes. This is why it has to be written down on paper that you will never pay any other money. The US$68.00 is for " FUND RELEASE ORDER CERTIFICATE" . The Chairperson of the Federal Reserve Bank, Janet Louise Yellen will send his PERSONAL ASSISTANCE to africa who will have the Power of Attorney to stand in and sign on your behalf and bring along with her your Procurement File to us here to enable us post your loaded ATM Card/Check to your mailing address without any hitch. You are required to make the administrative payment of $68 for the FUND RELEASED ORDER CERTIFICATE through western union or money gram though our issuing officer at the bank to enable us make the delivery to your designate home address.Note If you have be block to send through Western Union or Ria, Just use the $70 USD and Buy Itunes Card and SCRATCH it and send us Picture, Then we can get the $70 eith the Itunes Card $70 Receivers ' Name;David Ibem Country; Benin City; Cotonou Amount; $68 MTCN/Reference number Therefore, the days of you being subjected to paying fees after fees is over as that is the case with some corrupt officials down there in Africa, whom always strive to subject beneficiaries to hard bureaucratic bottle-necks, thereby making it impossible for most innocent USA citizens and the likes to claim what rightfully belongs to them. Thank God that your fund is here in New York, USA. We have decided to follow the USA constitutions so as to ensure that your money is in your hands this week. Without mincing words, it will be desirous if you consciously adhere to the above instruction by remitting the Fund Release Order Certificate is calculated to be US$68.00. You are advised to kindly reply this email with the below details enclosed to help ensure safe mailing of your ATM Visa Card: Kindly Still Update Us With: 1. Your Name which you prefer we use when shipping your ATM Card 2. Your Current mailing (Delivery) Address where your ATM Card should be mailed 3. You're Private Mobile Number for the Priority Express Mail to Contact you when they arrive at your door step. Once again, we are sorry for the inconveniences you might have encountered in the past, in pursuit of your funds. Now that this office, Fund Reconciliation Department is involved, you will have no cause to ever regret again as soon as you adhere to the above given instructions. Regards, Yours Sincerely, IRS Commissioner, Mr Kirstjen Nielsen Tel;(+1 801-669-9138) FUND RECONCILIATION DEPARTMENT,INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES AND DEPARTMENT OFTREASURY ACCESSIBILITY UNITED STATES. (FUND RELEASED ORDER)In adherence to the specifications of the United States Government, themanagement of the Fund Reconciliation Department here in New York, USA, wishesto let you know that your fund totaling the amount of $3.6 million is longover due, every precept regarding your funds has been concluded. You will bereceiving your funds from this office any moment from now. We shall keepdocument report of every transaction done here in the USA. Investigationsgathered by the Fund Regulatory Agency {IMF}, shows you have been receivingnumerous emails from several offices requesting you to claim your funds. Insome cases, you tried a lot but still the transfer or delivery was notcompleted due to one reason or the other. The fact is that you are stuckbetween the chains which make it impossible for you to differentiate the realoffice from its counterfeit.I know you will be expecting to hear from me regarding this delivery after thelast attempt to get it over. The fact is that I understand you' re been into somany transaction and I decided to stay clear so that you will understand thetruth about everything going on within the internet.We learn that the only realoffice that has ever contacted you in respect to your funds is Federal ReserveBank of New York. It was brought to our notice that the Chairperson of theFederal Reserve Bank, Janet Louise Yellen, made voluntary effort to have yourfunds transferred into your account or delivered to you in form of an ATM VisaCard but couldn' t complete the process due to some fall-out on your ends as youcouldn ' t meet up with the fee demand for the transfer, so they gave up on you.In a more proper and legalized manner, the Fund Reconciliation Department andthe Federal Reserve Bank solicited us to allow your fund to be written as aCashier ' s Check or Credited as an ATM Visa Card and have it shipped to yourhome address through USPS Priority Mail Express. This option is considered tobe the best, easiest and the most efficient way to have you get your longawaited United Nations approved funds.For the purpose to avoiding doublepayment on your end, we had an agreement with the IMF and the Federal ReserveBank to document every charge necessary until your funds worth $3.6 millionget to you.The analytical group of the two offices mentioned above estimated an accuratesum of US$68.00 as the Fund Release Order Certificate. So it was constitutedand officially submitted to the Court of Justice that "the only" charge youwill ever pay before your package leaves our office here in USA is US$68.00which is the fee for your Procurement File to be signed and sent to us here inthe USA after which you'll never spend a dime again. We are renowned andreputable USA Agency and we don' t like undocumented processes. This is why ithas to be written down on paper that you will never pay any other money. TheUS$68.00 is for " FUND RELEASE ORDER CERTIFICATE" . The Chairperson of theFederal Reserve Bank, Janet Louise Yellen will send his PERSONAL ASSISTANCE toafrica who will have the Power of Attorney to stand in and sign on your behalfand bring along with her your Procurement File to us here to enable us postyour loaded ATM Card/Check toyour mailing address without any hitch.You are required to make the administrative payment of $68 for the FUNDRELEASED ORDER CERTIFICATE through western union or money gram though ourissuing officer at the bank to enable us make the delivery to your designatehome address.Note If you have be block to send through Western Union or Ria,Just use the $70 USD and Buy Itunes Card and SCRATCH it and send us Picture,Then we can get the $70 eith the Itunes Card $70Receivers ' Name;David IbemCountry; BeninCity; CotonouAmount; $68MTCN/Reference numberTherefore, the days of you being subjected to paying fees after fees is over asthat is the case with some corrupt officials down there in Africa, whom alwaysstrive to subject beneficiaries to hard bureaucratic bottle-necks, therebymaking it impossible for most innocent USA citizens and the likes to claim whatrightfully belongs to them. Thank God that your fund is here in New York, USA.We have decided to follow the USA constitutions so as to ensure that your moneyis in your hands this week. Without mincing words, it will be desirous if youconsciously adhere to the above instruction by remitting the Fund Release OrderCertificate is calculated to be US$68.00. You are advised to kindly reply thisemail with the below details enclosed to help ensure safe mailing of your ATMVisa Card:Kindly Still Update Us With:1. Your Name which you prefer we use when shipping your ATM Card2. Your Current mailing (Delivery) Address where your ATM Card should be mailed3. You're Private Mobile Number for the Priority Express Mail to Contact youwhen they arrive at your door step.Once again, we are sorry for the inconveniences you might have encountered inthe past, in pursuit of your funds. Now that this office, Fund ReconciliationDepartment is involved, you will have no cause to ever regret again as soon asyou adhere to the above given instructions.Regards,Yours Sincerely,IRS Commissioner,Mr Kirstjen NielsenTel;(+1 801-669-9138) From: MRS. KIRSTJEN NIELSON Date: Tue, Nov 20, 2018 at 12:34 PM Subject: FROM= US. DEPARTMENT OF HOMALND SECURITY(DHS)!!!. To: FROM:..HOMELAND SECURITY OF USA DEPARTMENT!!!. ADDRESS: 3801 NEBRASKA AVE NW, WASHINGTON DC,20016, UNITED STATES TEXT KELLY SMS ONLY +1 (202) 524-1458 OR EMAIL ME AT ( phoneoffice51@gmail.com ) I AM MRS. KIRSTJEN NIELSON SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT. WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR FUND FROM AFRICA YET! WE HAVE FINALLY CASH YOUR $4.5 MILLION ABANDONED LONG-LOST CHEQUE CONFIRMING TO BE YOUR WON COMPENSATION FUNDS,WE CASH THE MONIES AND WE DECIDED TO BOXED THE MONEY TO AVOID EXPIRY OF THE CHEQUE BECAUSE IT HAS STAYED LONG IN OUR CUSTODY SEARCHING FOR YOUR CONTACT TO REACH YOU, AFTER OUR INVESTIGATION WE DISCOVERED THAT THE MONEY IS NOT AN ILLEGAL PAYMENT. SO KINDLY RECONFIRM YOUR ADDRESS, FULL NAME............... FULL ADDRESS......... CURRENT PHONE NUMBER.......... YOUR OCCUPATION.......... YOUR AGE/MARITAL STATUS...... YOUR NEAREST AIRPORT........ A COPY OF YOUR ID...... SO THAT YOUR BOX MONEY WILL DELIVER TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALSO REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEND THE WEIGHT FEE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX INSTRUCTED BY THE COUNTRY ORIGIN OF YOUR FUND WHICH WILL COST YOU $350 ONLY. YOU ARE ADVISED TO CALL MR. DAVID BROWN AT :+234 906-474-5062 THE DIRECTOR OF OVERSEAS PAYMENT OF THE PRESIDENCY OFFICE WHO IS IN CHARGE TO GIVE INSTRUCTION APPROVAL IN RELEASING THE BOXED-MONEY CONSIGNMENT TO ME FOR ON-WARDS DELIVERING IT TO YOU ONCE YOU MAKE THE PAYMENT, OR REACH ME WITH MY CONFIDENTIAL EMAIL ID( phoneoffice51@gmail.com ) GET BACK TO US ASAP!. THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU! SINCERELY YOURS, MRS. KIRSTJEN NIELSON SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. Homeland Security www.@sound.ocn.ne.jp > Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018, 6:07 AM Subject: Re: MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR! To: From:Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018, 6:07 AMSubject: Re: MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR!To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, MG TIMOTHY J. LOWENBERG, ADJUTANT GENERAL AND DIRECTOR STATE MILITARY DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON MILITARY DEPT., BLDG1 CAMP MURRY, WASH 98430-5000 USA. ATTENTION: I HOPE THIS MAIL FINDS YOU IN GOOD SPIRIT AND IN GOOD HEALTH? BECAUSE I AM QUITE AWARE OF YOUR LOSSES IN THE PAST YEARS NOW, IT MAY SURPRISE YOU THAT I AM ALSO AWARE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOXES PURSUIT IN BENIN, GHANA, TOGO, NIGERIA, SPAIN, FRANCE, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, CHINA, AND KOREA, MY NAME IS MRS. KIRSTJEN MICHELE NIELSEN THE NOW SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OF AMERICA , AM IN CHARGE TO MONITOR ALL FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS IN AFRICA EUROPE AND ASIA. I HAVE BEEN IN THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NOW SINCE THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, MONITORING THE VARIOUS TRANSACTIONS GOING ON IN AFRICA, EUROPE AND ASIA, MOST ESPECIALLY CONSIGNMENTS CASES AND BANK TRANSFER. I DO NOT INTEND TO SPOIL YOUR DAY OR TO PUT YOU UNDER DURESS. BUT YOU CAN NOT RECEIVE ANY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOXES PURSUIT, WITHOUT A CLEARANCE FROM THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. HOWEVER, UPON MY ARRIVAL IN BENIN REPUBLIC AFTER SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH OUR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES, DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINS FROM OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES FROM AFRICA ASIA, EUROPE, OCEANIA, ANTARCTICA,SOUTH AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST THE BENIN GOVERNMENT AND NIGERIA OVER THE RATE OF SCAM/FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY AND AFRICA. WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE BENIN PARLIAMENT IN COTONOU, I FOUND YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FILE LYING ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIR OFFICE DESK WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION ON A THOROUGH SCRUTINY I DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY YOUR DELIVERY AGENT. MEANWHILE, I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO REACH YOU, BUT NO WAY AND THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT YOUR DELIVERY AGENT BUT TO NO AVAIL. TO MY GREATEST SURPRISE, DURING MY RECENT ROUTINE RE-CHECKING, I PERSONALLY DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTENT DECLARATION DOCUMENTS STATED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTAINS PERSONAL EFFECTS MEANWHILE, IT CONTAINS UNITED STATES DOLLAR BILLS WORTH OVER US$15.5 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONSIGNMENT TO BE DELIVERED TO YOU EARLIER BEFORE NOW. BASED ON THIS PERSONAL DISCOVERY, I AM CONTACTING YOU NOW TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WITH MY POSITION AND POWER AS THE SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, I CAN ASSIST YOU TO LEGALLY CLEAR YOUR CONSIGNMENT FUND, BUT YOU MUST AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON,DC FROM BENIN, WHO HAS BEEN INTERCEPTING ALL YOUR TELEPHONE CALLS, WITH THE HELP OF MTN, TIGO VODAFONE AND AIR-TEL NETWORK BENIN. I ALSO RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION FROM OUR HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN BENIN REPUBLIC, ABOUT YOUR EMAILS, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING AND SENDING MONEY TO PEOPLES IN BENIN, GHANA, SOUTH AFRICA, TOGO AND NIGERIA , WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE WESTERN UNION DIRECTOR. YOU ARE ALSO DEALING WITH A BANK, AND OTHER NAMES WHICH I AM STILL WAITING TO BE FORWARDED TO ME FROM OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC. WHO HAVE MONITORED ALL YOUR DEALINGS WITH THIS HOODLUM? YOU ARE ADVICE TO HENCE FORT STOP FURTHER DEALINGS WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED PEOPLE, UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH THEM IS TERMED AS ILLEGAL TRANSACTION. I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT WE THE HOMELAND SECURITY IS ON LOOK OUT FOR ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED NAME, MOSTLY THOSE WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF WEST AFRICAN DEBT WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM AND PROPERTY RECOVERY BENIN. ALL THIS MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE IMPOSTOR, AND WE INTEND TO APPREHEND THEM SOON. I WANT YOU TO PLEASE STOP COMMUNICATING, AND DEALING WITH THEM UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. I WISH TO NOTIFY YOU ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT THAT WAS HANDED OVER TO ME AFTER THE MEETING HELD BETWEEN ME AND SOME OF THE TOP PARLIAMENT MEMBERS OF BENIN AND THE FOREIGN AFFAIR MINISTERS IN THE BENIN CAPITAL HEADQUARTERS COTONOU, DUE TO THE DELAY FOR YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX FOR LONG TIME NOW. ACCORDINGLY, WE HAVE WAIVED AWAY ALL YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FEES AND AUTHORIZED THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN REPUBLIC TO ALLOW ME FLY WITH YOUR APPROVED CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU WITHOUT ANY DELAY WHICH THEY HAVE AGREED. THE ONLY FEE YOU WILL PAY TO CONFIRM YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX RECEIVED IN YOUR POSSESSION IS THE WEIGHT FEE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH IS SUM OF $105 ONLY. IN ORDER WORDS YOUR BOX IS WITH ME NOW AND I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU AND I WILL BE COMING ALONG WITH YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT, BUT REMEMBER THAT AS THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I AM A US GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENT AND I HAVE THE POWER TO GO THROUGH ANY AIRPORT CUSTOMS WITHOUT INSPECTING WHAT I CARRY ALONG. AND AS SOON AS I ARRIVE IN YOUR STATE I WILL GIVE YOU A PHONE CALL FOR YOU TO GIVE ME DIRECTION TO YOUR HOME ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN MEET FACE TO FACE AND HAND OVER YOUR BOX TO YOU BEFORE PROCEEDING BACK TO THE STATES. SO I WANT YOU TO RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE BELOW INFORMATION FOR PROPER UNDERSTANDING BY FILLING THE HOMELAND SECURITY REGISTRATION FORM HERE. BENEFICIARY NAME:. . . . . . ADDRESS:. . . . . . . . . . TEL PHONE:. . . . . . . OCCUPATION:. . . . . . COUNTRY:. . . . . . SEX:. . . . . . AS SOON AS I ARRIVE I SHALL CALL YOU ON YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER THEN MEET YOU IN PERSON AND HAND OVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU BEFORE I RETURN BACK TO WASHINGTON DC. I HAVE TAKEN THIS ASSIGNMENT UPON MYSELF BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH ON THE COST OF DELIVERY, BUT NOTHING WAS RECEIVED BY YOU. SO BE ADVICE TO CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU GET THIS EMAIL NOW BECAUSE EVERY THING HAS BEEN DONE OK. THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. ONCE YOU SEND THE MONEY, TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR EASY PICK UP AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE DELIVERY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX, FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR INHERITED FUNDS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY AGAIN. SINCE YOU WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE IT SINCE PLEASE SEND THE FEE VIA WESTERN UNION/MONEY GRAM OFFICE WITH THE BELOW INFORMATION. RECEIVER ' S NAME:. . . . . . CHIKELUO JEFF NWAIGBO COUNTRY:. . . . . . NIGERIA CITY:. . . . . . . . . LAGOS AMOUNT:. . . . . $105.00 MTCN:. . . . SENDER ' S NAME:. . . . SENDER ' S ADDRESS:. . . . AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE TODAY MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE PAYMENT INFORMATION, ALSO TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR CONFIRMATION AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION OVER YOUR FUND TO YOU. YOU ARE TO FORWARD TO US ANY MAIL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FROM PEOPLE FOR PROPER VERIFICATION AND INVESTIGATION BEFORE YOU DEAL WITH THEM AGAIN OKAY. I HAVE A VERY LIMITED TIME TO STAY HERE SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO URGENTLY RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITH THE PAYMENT, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND YOU HAVE TO COMPLY FOR YOUR BOX SHALL BE DELIVERING TO YOUR DESIGNATED HOME ADDRESS. BUT REMEMBER THAT AFTER (3 DAYS) YOU DID NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT THEN I WILL DIVERT YOUR FUNDS TO US GOVERNMENT FUND OR BENIN GOVERNMENT TREASURY. PLEASE TREAT THIS AS MATTER OF URGENCY. SINCERELY YOURS, MRS. KIRSTJEN MICHELE NIELSEN TEXT: +1 (206) 400-9162 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,MG TIMOTHY J. LOWENBERG, ADJUTANT GENERALAND DIRECTOR STATE MILITARY DEPARTMENTWASHINGTON MILITARY DEPT., BLDG1 CAMP MURRY,WASH 98430-5000 USA.ATTENTION:I HOPE THIS MAIL FINDS YOU IN GOOD SPIRIT AND IN GOOD HEALTH? BECAUSE I AM QUITE AWARE OF YOUR LOSSES IN THE PAST YEARS NOW, IT MAY SURPRISE YOU THAT I AM ALSO AWARE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOXES PURSUIT IN BENIN, GHANA, TOGO, NIGERIA, SPAIN, FRANCE, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, CHINA, AND KOREA, MY NAME IS MRS. KIRSTJEN MICHELE NIELSEN THE NOW SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OF AMERICA , AM IN CHARGE TO MONITOR ALL FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS IN AFRICA EUROPE AND ASIA. I HAVE BEEN IN THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NOW SINCE THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, MONITORING THE VARIOUS TRANSACTIONS GOING ON IN AFRICA, EUROPE AND ASIA, MOST ESPECIALLY CONSIGNMENTS CASES AND BANK TRANSFER. I DO NOT INTEND TO SPOIL YOUR DAY OR TO PUT YOU UNDER DURESS. BUT YOU CAN NOT RECEIVE ANY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOXES PURSUIT, WITHOUT A CLEARANCE FROM THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. HOWEVER, UPON MY ARRIVAL IN BENIN REPUBLIC AFTER SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH OUR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES, DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINS FROM OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES FROM AFRICA ASIA, EUROPE, OCEANIA, ANTARCTICA,SOUTH AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST THE BENIN GOVERNMENT AND NIGERIA OVER THE RATE OF SCAM/FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY AND AFRICA.WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE BENIN PARLIAMENT IN COTONOU, I FOUND YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FILE LYING ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIR OFFICE DESK WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION ON A THOROUGH SCRUTINY I DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY YOUR DELIVERY AGENT. MEANWHILE, I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO REACH YOU, BUT NO WAY AND THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT YOUR DELIVERY AGENT BUT TO NO AVAIL. TO MY GREATEST SURPRISE, DURING MY RECENT ROUTINE RE-CHECKING, I PERSONALLY DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTENT DECLARATION DOCUMENTS STATED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTAINS PERSONAL EFFECTS MEANWHILE, IT CONTAINS UNITED STATES DOLLAR BILLS WORTH OVER US$15.5 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONSIGNMENT TO BE DELIVERED TO YOU EARLIER BEFORE NOW. BASED ON THIS PERSONAL DISCOVERY, I AM CONTACTING YOU NOW TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WITH MY POSITION AND POWER AS THE SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, I CAN ASSIST YOU TO LEGALLY CLEAR YOUR CONSIGNMENT FUND, BUT YOU MUST AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON,DC FROM BENIN, WHO HAS BEEN INTERCEPTING ALL YOUR TELEPHONE CALLS, WITH THE HELP OF MTN, TIGO VODAFONE AND AIR-TEL NETWORK BENIN.I ALSO RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION FROM OUR HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN BENIN REPUBLIC, ABOUT YOUR EMAILS, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING AND SENDING MONEY TO PEOPLES IN BENIN, GHANA, SOUTH AFRICA, TOGO AND NIGERIA , WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE WESTERN UNION DIRECTOR. YOU ARE ALSO DEALING WITH A BANK, AND OTHER NAMES WHICH I AM STILL WAITING TO BE FORWARDED TO ME FROM OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC. WHO HAVE MONITORED ALL YOUR DEALINGS WITH THIS HOODLUM?YOU ARE ADVICE TO HENCE FORT STOP FURTHER DEALINGS WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED PEOPLE, UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH THEM IS TERMED AS ILLEGAL TRANSACTION. I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT WE THE HOMELAND SECURITY IS ON LOOK OUT FOR ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED NAME, MOSTLY THOSE WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF WEST AFRICAN DEBT WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM AND PROPERTY RECOVERY BENIN. ALL THIS MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE IMPOSTOR, AND WE INTEND TO APPREHEND THEM SOON. I WANT YOU TO PLEASE STOP COMMUNICATING, AND DEALING WITH THEM UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. I WISH TO NOTIFY YOU ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT THAT WAS HANDED OVER TO ME AFTER THE MEETING HELD BETWEEN ME AND SOME OF THE TOP PARLIAMENT MEMBERS OF BENIN AND THE FOREIGN AFFAIR MINISTERS IN THE BENIN CAPITAL HEADQUARTERS COTONOU, DUE TO THE DELAY FOR YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX FOR LONG TIME NOW. ACCORDINGLY, WE HAVE WAIVED AWAY ALL YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FEES AND AUTHORIZED THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN REPUBLIC TO ALLOW ME FLY WITH YOUR APPROVED CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU WITHOUT ANY DELAY WHICH THEY HAVE AGREED. THE ONLY FEE YOU WILL PAY TO CONFIRM YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX RECEIVED IN YOUR POSSESSION IS THE WEIGHT FEE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH IS SUM OF $105 ONLY.IN ORDER WORDS YOUR BOX IS WITH ME NOW AND I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU AND I WILL BE COMING ALONG WITH YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT, BUT REMEMBER THAT AS THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I AM A US GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENT AND I HAVE THE POWER TO GO THROUGH ANY AIRPORT CUSTOMS WITHOUT INSPECTING WHAT I CARRY ALONG. AND AS SOON AS I ARRIVE IN YOUR STATE I WILL GIVE YOU A PHONE CALL FOR YOU TO GIVE ME DIRECTION TO YOUR HOME ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN MEET FACE TO FACE AND HAND OVER YOUR BOX TO YOU BEFORE PROCEEDING BACK TO THE STATES. SO I WANT YOU TO RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE BELOW INFORMATION FOR PROPER UNDERSTANDING BY FILLING THE HOMELAND SECURITY REGISTRATION FORM HERE.BENEFICIARY NAME:. . . . . .ADDRESS:. . . . . . . . . .TEL PHONE:. . . . . . .OCCUPATION:. . . . . .COUNTRY:. . . . . .SEX:. . . . . .AS SOON AS I ARRIVE I SHALL CALL YOU ON YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER THEN MEET YOU IN PERSON AND HAND OVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU BEFORE I RETURN BACK TO WASHINGTON DC. I HAVE TAKEN THIS ASSIGNMENT UPON MYSELF BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH ON THE COST OF DELIVERY, BUT NOTHING WAS RECEIVED BY YOU. SO BE ADVICE TO CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU GET THIS EMAIL NOW BECAUSE EVERY THING HAS BEEN DONE OK. THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. ONCE YOU SEND THE MONEY, TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR EASY PICK UP AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE DELIVERY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX, FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR INHERITED FUNDS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY AGAIN. SINCE YOU WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE IT SINCEPLEASE SEND THE FEE VIA WESTERN UNION/MONEY GRAM OFFICE WITH THE BELOW INFORMATION.RECEIVER ' S NAME:. . . . . . CHIKELUO JEFF NWAIGBOCOUNTRY:. . . . . . NIGERIACITY:. . . . . . . . . LAGOSAMOUNT:. . . . . $105.00MTCN:. . . .SENDER ' S NAME:. . . .SENDER ' S ADDRESS:. . . .AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE TODAY MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE PAYMENT INFORMATION, ALSO TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR CONFIRMATION AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION OVER YOUR FUND TO YOU. YOU ARE TO FORWARD TO US ANY MAIL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FROM PEOPLE FOR PROPER VERIFICATION AND INVESTIGATION BEFORE YOU DEAL WITH THEM AGAIN OKAY.I HAVE A VERY LIMITED TIME TO STAY HERE SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO URGENTLY RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITH THE PAYMENT, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND YOU HAVE TO COMPLY FOR YOUR BOX SHALL BE DELIVERING TO YOUR DESIGNATED HOME ADDRESS. BUT REMEMBER THAT AFTER (3 DAYS) YOU DID NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT THEN I WILL DIVERT YOUR FUNDS TO US GOVERNMENT FUND OR BENIN GOVERNMENT TREASURY. PLEASE TREAT THIS AS MATTER OF URGENCY.SINCERELY YOURS,MRS. KIRSTJEN MICHELE NIELSENTEXT: +1 (206) 400-9162 Mrs. Kirstjen Nielson Kirstjen.@sage.ocn.ne.jp > Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018, 3:58 PM Subject: From Mrs. Kirstjen Nielson please text or call me here +1 (206)-569-6252 To: Good day This is Mrs. Kirstjen Nielsen I' m contacting you regarding a special cargo that has been abandoned here at our warehouse in Washington DC International airport for over a period of 2 Years and when scanned, it revealed an undisclosed sum of money in it. From my Findings, the cargo originated from Nigeria and the content was not Declared as money by the consignor in order to avoid diversion by the shipping Agent. So after our discovering we decided to break the box and we realize that The box contained $8.5 million US Dollars. And we also found out that the box Also contained one certificate which is legality certificate. Please I want you to send me a text message here +1(206)-569-6252 so that I can show you everything Best regards Mrs. Kirstjen Nielsen Address: 3801 nebraska ave nw, Washington, dc 20016, USA Text or call me here :+1 (206)-569-6252 From:Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2018, 3:58 PMSubject: From Mrs. Kirstjen Nielson please text or call me here +1 (206)-569-6252To:Good dayThis is Mrs. Kirstjen Nielsen I' m contacting you regarding a special cargo that has been abandoned here at our warehouse in Washington DC International airport forover a period of 2 Years and when scanned, it revealed an undisclosed sum of money in it. From my Findings, the cargo originated from Nigeria and the content was notDeclared as money by the consignor in order to avoid diversion by the shipping Agent. So after our discovering we decided to break the box and we realize that The boxcontained $8.5 million US Dollars. And we also found out that the box Also contained one certificate which is legality certificate.Please I want you to send me a text message here +1(206)-569-6252 so that I can show you everythingBest regardsMrs. Kirstjen NielsenAddress: 3801 nebraska ave nw,Washington, dc 20016, USAText or call me here :+1 (206)-569-6252 kirstjennielson@seznam.cz > Date: Sun, Dec 2, 2018, 3:45 PM Subject: Re: From Mrs. Kirstjen Nielson please text or call me here +1 (206)-569-6252 From:Date: Sun, Dec 2, 2018, 3:45 PMSubject: Re: From Mrs. Kirstjen Nielson please text or call me here +1 (206)-569-6252 Thanks for getting back to me, the attached below is the picture of the abandon box The contact of your mail is well appreciated, I wish to announce our successful investigation that was carried out a few days ago; For your information, it has been confirmed that this consignment box is yours, we have also confirmed that your consignment box is abandoned due to your non-compliance with the air-port authority requests by providing the Origin of Funds Certificate (OOF ) and Permission slip to prove that the funds have no connection with any form of illegality. Being the recipient of the consignment box, the Origin of Funds Certificate (OOF) and the Permission slip are the only means of confirming the source of the funds and it is your responsibility to provide the Certificate before delivery is complete to You address, so after the investigation I decided to contact you immediately to help you, so that you can receive your consignment once you have agreed to follow the instruction. We deliberate on the length of the issue and the US Government says that the Permission slip will be purchased at $ 400USD, so I will advise you to use this information and send the fee via Western Union. Note: Your Agent is ready to proceed as soon as you make the payment for obtaining the Permission slip, We look forward to receiving your Email with the payment information such as Ref # and the senders Name. Best Regards Date: Saturday, 08 December 2018, 00:15AM -0800 Subject: Attention: Attention: Thank you for the information I want you to contact the Federal credit union bank Alaska USA to prepares and released your US$5.500,000.00 to your bank account okay. Contact Mr. William C. Dudley of Federal credit union bank and tell him that you where directed by Miss Kirstjen Nielsen Secretary of Homeland Security Divisionto contact his for the immediately release of your approved funds. So your advice to immediately contact Mr. William C. Dudley of Federal credit union bankfor your payment of US$5.500,000.00 Mr. William C. Dudley President and Chief Executive officer Federal credit union bank Alaska USA. Email; federalcreditunionbankalaska@gmail.com Please contactMr. William C. Dudley of Federal credit union bank forthe immediately release of your funds becauseDavid Jackson Federal Bureau Investigation FBI Divisionhas approved your payment. Let us know as soon as you receive your funds fromMr. William C. Dudleyof Federal credit unionso that we can update our payment file and add your name to the list of people thathave received there fund. Best Regard, I look forward to hearing from you. Miss Kirstjen Nielsen Secretary of Homeland Security Washington DC Phone number sand text messages only + 1 (202) 769 5030 From: Miss Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjennielsen2018@hotmail.com Date: Saturday, 08 December 2018, 00:15AM -0800Subject: Attention: If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....